Olympic Fried Chicken
Last night I made fried chicken, potato salad and a green salad for dinner. I always eat at the table with a place setting and all that. I do think that food should be eaten sitting down and with the television turned off, but last night I felt like breaking my own rule. I brought my dinner out to the living room and had the best time watching the Olympics. Here is my recipe for great fried chicken.
INGREDIENTS
2 Lightly Beaten Eggs
3 Tablespoons Cream
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3 Pounds Meaty Chicken Pieces
Olive Oil
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a small bowl combine the egg and the cream. In a shallow bowl combine the flour, thyme, kosher salt, paprika and pepper. Dip the chicken pieces, one at a time, in the egg mixture. Then coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Dip back into the egg mixture and coat again with the flour mixture. The secret is double coating. In a very large skillet brown the chicken in the hot olive oil over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn occasionally. Drain and place onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Put into the oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Season if you like. Serves 6
Oven Roasted Tri-Tip
Tri-tip is the cut of beef from the bottom sirloin primal cut. It’s a small triangular muscle that is usually between 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds per side of beef. Tri-tip was typically used for ground beef or sliced into steaks. Then in the late 1950s tri-tip became a local specialty in Santa Maria, California when Otto Schaefer decided to market it. Tri-Tip is full of flavor, lower in fat and typically sliced across the grain before serving.
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
6 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1/2 Cup Beef Stock
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 Pounds Beef Tri-Tip
1 Potato Cut In Half
4 Whole Carrots
1 Cubanelle Pepper
2 Tablespoons Dried Garlic Bits
Kosher Salt & Pepper For Vegetables
In a medium size bowl combine the kosher salt, pepper, minced garlic, olive oil, red wine and beef stock. This will be your marinade. Pierce the tri-tip all over with a fork. Put the meat in a zip lock bag and pour in the marinade. Remove as much air as possible. Put it in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the meat 2 hours before cooking. Preheat your oven to 450° F. Take the tri-tip out of the zip lock bag and throw away the marinade. Put the meat, fat side up, in a roasting pan along with the potatoes, carrots and cubanelle pepper. Sprinkle the dried garlic bits all over the top of the meat. Salt and pepper the vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes at 450° F. Turn the oven down to 350° F and cover with foil for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the foil and roast for another 15 minutes. The tri-tip should be medium rare at this point. Cook longer if you like. Remove the meat from the oven and cover back up with the foil. Let rest for 15 minutes (outside the oven). This will complete the cooking and let the juices stabilize. Transfer the tri-tip to a carving board and slice 1/4 inch slices diagonally across the grain. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter and have a perfect dinner. Serves 4
Peach Crisp
I came across a beautiful stack of organic peaches and ended up buying way too many. They were so juicy and flavorful, but I just couldn’t eat them all so I decided to make a peach crisp. The secret to my peach crisp is crystallized ginger. It just adds a nice little something with each bite.
INGREDIENTS
8 Large Sliced Peaches
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Crystallized Ginger
Topping
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
12 Tablespoons Cold Butter
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Pour the peaches into a large glass baking dish. In a medium size bowl combine 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 4 tablespoons unbleached flour, crystallized ginger and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the peaches and gently mix. For the topping combine 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup unbleached flour, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 12 tablespoons gold butter in a medium size bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. You can achieve this by using either a pastry blender or two forks. Sprinkle the topping over the peaches and bake in the oven for 50 minutes until your crisp is bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6
Stuffed Zucchini
As the summer marches on I find myself buried in zucchini and out of cooking ideas. Stuffed Zucchini is a nice side dish or can be served as a main course. If you are buying zucchini make sure to buy firm zucchini with tiny prickly hairs around the stem end. The hairs are a sign of freshness. Seeding the zucchini allows excess moisture to evaporate during cooking. Be sure to rinse the cannellini beans before using.
INGREDIENTS
6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Medium to Large Zucchini (Halved & Seeded)
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2/3 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Minced Shallots
6 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 3/4 Cup Rinsed Cannellini Beans
2 Large Chopped Tomatoes
6 Ounces Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
Preheat your oven to 400° F and move the oven rack to the upper middle position. Put a baking sheet on the rack and heat while preparing the zucchini. Wash and cut the zucchini lengthwise. Remove the seeds by running a small spoon inside each zucchini half to scoop out the seeds. Brush 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the cut sides of the zucchini and sprinkle with the 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Put the zucchini halves, cut side down, on the hot baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes until the zucchini is slightly softened and the skins are wrinkled. Turn the zucchini halves over and set aside on the baking sheet. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the bread crumbs, remaining salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir often. The bread crumbs should be golden brown. Transfer the bread crumbs to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet. Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cannellini beans and the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese and the basil. Divide the filling evenly among the zucchini halves. Pack lightly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the zucchini and then sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs. Bake the stuffed zucchini for 7 minutes until heated through. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Serves 4
Saint Swithin’s Day Apple Crumble Pie
My Saint Swithin’s Day Apple Crumble Pie is made with fresh apples, cinnamon and a brown sugar and butter topping.
INGREDIENTS
1 Unbaked Pie Shell (9 inches)
6 Cups Peeled & Sliced Apples
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Topping:
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Unbleached Flour
3 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Fill the pie shell with the apple slices. In a small mixing bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apples. Next, in a small bowl combine the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the topping ingredients over the top of the pie. Bake for 50 minutes until the apples are tender and the topping is browned. Remove from the oven and cool. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 8
Victoria’s Chocolate Cake
I have a real hankering for good old fashioned chocolate cake. It doesn’t take long to make and is super yummy. Everyone will be singing your praises if you decide to give this recipe a spin.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Buttermilk (you can use sour milk)
3/4 cup Melted Butter
3 Eggs
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 inch cake pan and set aside. Sift the flour and then mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Melt butter and add to dry ingredients. Next add eggs and buttermilk to dry ingredients. Mix everything together until smooth with an electric mixer. Pour into pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. When done remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. After the cake has cooled, slice cake in half to make 2 layers. It is easier to slice if the cake has been refrigerated for a couple of hours. Frost with Chocolate Butter Frosting. Use 1/3 of the frosting between the two layers, 1/3 on top and the rest around the cake. Victoria's Chocolate Cake should be served at room temperature. Serves 12
**To Make Sour Milk: 3/4 cup of milk and add either two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for five to ten minutes
Chocolate Butter Frosting
3/4 Cup Softened Butter (1 1/2 Sticks)
2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 Squares (4 ounces) Semisweet Chocolate – Melted & Cooled
2 Squares (2 ounces) Unsweetened Chocolate – Melted & Cooled
In a large bowl, with a mixer at low speed, combine butter, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Mix until almost combined. Next add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates. Increase the speed to high, beat frosting until light and fluffy which should be for about one minute. Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Saturday Morning Scramble
Classical haute cuisine preparation calls for serving scrambled eggs in a deep silver dish, but you can serve them in any dish you feel 
like. Hey, you could even eat them out of the pan if you like. 
INGREDIENTS
4 Strips Good Quality Bacon
2 Green Onions
6 Large Organic Eggs
5 Tablespoons Half & Half
2 Ounces Finely Grated Cheddar Cheese
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Rough chop the bacon and green onions and place in a small sauté pan. Cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes. In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs and half & half with a whisk or a fork. In a separate large sauté pan add the olive oil and heat over a medium low heat for 1 minute. Pour the eggs into the pan and slowly stir with a heat resistant spatula. Add the bacon and green onions. Keep stirring. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Keep stirring. Sprinkle in the grated cheese. As soon as the curds begin to form turn the heat up to high. Instead of stirring now fold the eggs over themselves. As soon as there is no more liquid remove from the heat and serve immediately. You don’t want them to look too done in the pan as they will continue to cook on the plate. Serves 4
Strawberry Milkshakes
It’s hot out and time for a good old fashioned Strawberry Milkshake!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Pound Fresh Strawberries
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Pint Good Quality Vanilla Ice Cream
1/2 Cup Milk
Hull and slice the strawberries. Place the sliced strawberries in a medium size mixing bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla extract. Stir to combine and let sit out for 1 hour. In a food processor or mixer place the strawberry mixture, ice cream and milk and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately. Serves 2
Victoria’s Blueberry Crisp
This is a great dessert to make while blueberries are in season. If you bring my blueberry crisp to a picnic or potluck you are sure to be a big hit.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Fresh Blueberries
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Topping:
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
12 Tablespoons Cold Butter
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Pour the blueberries into a 9 inch glass baking dish. In a medium size bowl combine 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 4 tablespoons unbleached flour and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the blueberries and gently mix. For the topping combine 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup unbleached flour, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 12 tablespoons gold butter in a medium size bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. You can achieve this by using either a pastry blender or two forks. Sprinkle the topping over the blueberries and bake in the oven for 50 minutes until your crisp is bubbly around the edges. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6
July 4th S’Mores
The first published recipe for S’Mores is attributed to Loretta Scott Crew whose recipe appeared in 1927’s Tramping and Trailing With The Girl Scouts. Graham crackers with melted marshmallows and chocolate prepared over a campfire, this camping favorite is great for our nation’s birthday! Since 1927 there have been many variations of the famed S’More.
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Marshmallows
4 Graham Crackers
4 (1.5 Ounce) Chocolate Bar
Heat the marshmallows over an open fire until they begin to brown and melt. Careful not to burn them. Break the graham crackers in half. Place the chocolate bars between the graham crackers and the hot marshmallows. Let the marshmallows cool a bit before eating so that you don’t burn your mouth.
Makes 4 S’Mores.
Here are some inventive variations that you might want to try. Use shortbread cookies instead of graham crackers. Use Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups instead of chocolate bars. Use chocolate graham crackers instead of regular graham crackers and marshmallow fluff instead of toasted marshmallows. How about using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate and a bit of blackberry preserves on your graham crackers? Or try using Nutella instead of chocolate. Throw on some raspberries while you’re at it.
OR you could make a S’Mores Milkshake.
Broil 8 marshmallows and turn until both sides are brown. In a food processor or mixer blend 1 pint of chocolate ice cream, 3/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt and 6 of the toasted marshmallows. Top with crushed graham crackers and the 2 remaining toasted marshmallows. Makes 2 milkshakes.
