Grilled Corn With Paprika Butter
Grilled corn is heaven. Slather your grilled corn with paprika butter and you will be in nirvana.
INGREDIENTS
4 Ears Of Corn
1/2 Stick Softened Butter
2 Grated Garlic Cloves
1/4 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Rosemary
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Boil the corn in salted water for just 5 minutes until tender. You do not want to overcook the corn. Remove the corn from the water and let rest for a few minutes before placing on the grill. Place the ears of corn on your hot grill and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side (four sides). Make sure not to let the corn burn. Remove from the grill and spread with the paprika butter. To make the paprika butter mix the butter, garlic, smoked paprika, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Serves 4
Saturday Morning Blueberry Pancakes
Weekends are made for pancakes. My Saturday Morning Blueberry Pancakes are easy to make and are absolutely delicious!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Beaten Egg
1 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Pint Washed & Stemmed Blueberries
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl mix the egg, milk, vanilla and olive oil. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir only enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Add the blueberries. Do NOT beat the batter or the pancakes will be tough. For thinner pancakes add more milk and lightly mix. Cook on a hot skillet or griddle that has been lightly oiled with olive oil. Turn the pancakes only once. Serve with your favorite syrup. Makes 12 five inch pancakes.
Lemon Parfait
This dessert looks like it took all day to make, but actually is pretty easy. The only trick is that you need to chill for a few hours so you will need to plan ahead a bit.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Strained Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Grated Lemon Rind
3 Large Egg Yolks
1 Cup Sugar
3 Large Egg Whites
1/8 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Chilled Heavy Cream
3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
Quartered Lemon Slices For Garnish
8 Small Shortbread Cookies
In a small saucepan combine the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind. Beat well until combined. Cook over a medium heat. Stir CONSTANTLY until the mixture gets thick, but do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl to cool. In a separate large bowl beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and kosher salt. You want the egg whites to have peaks. Now, add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar a little bit at a time. Fold the egg white mixture into the lemon mixture. In a chilled bowl beat the whipping cream until it has peaks. Always be careful not to over beat so you don’t end up with butter. Beat in the powdered sugar. Take 4 parfait glasses and place 1 broken shortbread cookie at the bottom of each glass. Place the lemon mixture over the broken cookie and alternate with the whipped cream until you come to the top of your parfait glass. Do this to all 4 parfait glasses. Garnish with quartered lemons and 1 whole shortbread cookie. Chill for 3 hours. Serves 4
4th of July Apple Pie
What is more American than Apple Pie? No 4th of July celebration is complete without a delicious homemade Apple Pie. The secret here is to use a combination of tart apples, like Winesap or Granny Smith, and sweet apples like Fuji, Jonagold, Idared or Mutsu. Your patriotic crowd will love this pie.
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Grated Lemon Zest
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2/3 Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 1/2 Pounds Apples Cut Into Wedges
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
Pastry Dough
1 Lightly Beaten Egg
Preheat your oven to 425° F. Place a large baking sheet in the middle of the oven.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, allspice, salt and 2/3 cup sugar. Gently toss with the apples and lemon juice. Roll out 1 piece of your dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. You want your dough to be about 13 inches round to fit into a 9 inch glass pie plate. Keep the other piece of dough in the refrigerator. Trim the edge making sure to leave a 1/2 inch overhang. Chill the shell while rolling out the dough for the top crust. Roll out the top piece of dough on the lightly floured surface into an 11 inch round. Now you are ready to spoon your filling into the pastry shell. Cover with the top and trim leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Press the edges together then crimp. Lightly brush the top of the pie with the egg and then sprinkle all over with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Cut 3 steam vents in the top of the crust with a small sharp knife. Bake the pie on the hot baking sheet for 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375° F. and continue to bake for 40 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool your yummy pie on a rack for at least 2 hours. Serves 6
Pastry Dough
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 3/4 Cups Shortening
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Large Slightly Beaten Egg
1 Teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
Mix the flour, shortening, sugar, salt, egg, red wine vinegar and the water together. Place in a ziplock bag. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for 1 hour. Separate into 4 balls of dough. Roll out on a floured surface and place in 9 inch pie pans. Bake in a preheated 425° F oven for 12 minutes for the unfilled crust or use the recipe for a filled pie crust. Makes 2 crusts with tops. The unbaked dough may be kept for 1 week in a ziplock bag in the fridge.
Panko Talapia
I try to make a fish dish at least once a week. Sometimes it is hard to come up with different ways to cook fish. I love using various flavors of panko breadcrumbs for fish dishes. Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese breadcrumbs. They are coarser and lighter than ordinary breadcrumbs. When cooked, panko’s color turns a rich golden brown and the texture becomes crisp and airy. Here is a quick and easy dish that everyone will love.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Talapia
2 Beaten Eggs
1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Pour the beaten eggs onto a large plate and pour the panko breadcrumbs onto a separate large plate. Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper the fish filets. Dip both sides of the fish into the beaten eggs and then dip both sides into the breadcrumbs. Place coated fish into the heated olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with homemade tartar sauce. Serves 2
Organic Beer Can Chicken
I love cooking this chicken on a charcoal grill. You can use a gas grill or cook in the oven if you like. Cooking time should be between 1 to 2 hours depending on the size of your chicken and how hot your grill is. Be careful not to spill the HOT beer and burn yourself!
INGREDIENTS
1 Large Organic Whole Chicken
1/3 Cup Victoria’s Dry Rub or Your Favorite Spices
2 Fresh Limes
12 Garlic Cloves
4 Ounces Butter
1/2 Can of Beer
Wash and pat dry your whole chicken. Remove any giblets from the cavity. Pour out half of the contents the beer. You can drink it if you’re thirsty and don’t like to waste good beer! Place the chicken over the half full beer can that you placed in the rack. You can get these beer can chicken racks at hardware stores or online. These racks are about $5 in the hardware stores. Williams Sonoma has one for $30 which is a bit much I think. Stuff the neck cavity with the 12 garlic cloves so that you seal in the vapors. Slice two limes and squeeze the lime juice all over the skin. Mix your spices with the butter and smear all over the bird. Place on a prepared grill and cook, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.The juices should run clear. Remove from the grill and transfer to a serving platter. Let sit for 10 minutes and then serve. The one that I made last night was incredibly moist and full of flavor. Serves 4
If you cook in the oven place the chicken on the rack in a pie pan with a cup of water added to the pie pan. Cook at 350° F for 1 to 2 hours. Use a meat thermometer checking the thigh to make sure that the temperature reaches 180° F. When done use tongs and a long fork to carefully transfer the entire rack in its upright position to a serving platter. Let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from the rack.
Grilled Veal Chops
I love a thick grilled veal chop. For many of us, veal is a special treat, because it tastes so good. Veal is one of the leanest meats to eat and has the highest amount of protein of all meats. Veal is an ideal protein compliment to health conscious eaters who don’t want to give up meat.
INGREDIENTS
4 Veal Chops (12 Ounces Each/1 Inch Thick)
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
6 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
5 Crushed Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a medium size bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Arrange the veal chops in a glass baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chops and turn to coat. Let the chops marinate for 1 hour. Turn the chops over after 30 minutes so that both sides absorb the marinade. Prepare your barbecue to a medium high heat. Remove the chops from the marinade. Grill the chops for 6 minutes per side for medium-rare or until cooked to your desired doneness. Transfer the chops to a serving platter and serve with asparagus. Serves 4
Super Moist Chocolate Layer Cake
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Cups Sugar
5 Eggs (Room Temperature)
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
4 Squares (1 Ounce Each) Melted & Cooled Unsweetened Chocolate
2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk or Sour Milk
Preheat your oven to 325° F. In a large size bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add alternately to the batter along with the buttermilk. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Remove from the pans and cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting:
1 Cup Softened Butter (2 Sticks)
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk or Cream
3 Squares (1 Ounce Each) Melted & Cooled Unsweetened Chocolate
In a large size bowl combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat at a low speed. Stir in the milk and melted chocolate. Beat until fluffy. Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread a thick layer of frosting. Place the second layer on top of the frosting and frost the top layer and sides. Serves 10
Grilled Flank Steak
Barbecue weekend is here! Here is a tried and true Grilled Flank Steak recipe. The key is the marinade so it takes a little planning ahead.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Flank Steak
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
4 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
4 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
4 Chopped Shallots
In a large measuring cup or mixing bowl combine the garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, hot sauce, kosher salt, brown sugar and chopped shallots. Mix well. Place the steak in a large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade in the bag over the steak. Press out the excess air and turn the bag around to get the steak coated. Refrigerate overnight turning the bag occasionally. To grill the steak Remove the steak from the refrigerator and remove from the bag. Place on a large plate and let sit for 45 minutes to room temperature. Prepare the grill to a medium hot fire. Grill the steak for 6 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove from the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain. Transfer to a serving platter. Serves 4
Swordfish Kebabs
The Memorial Day weekend is almost here. If you are looking for grilling ideas here’s a very good one!
INGREDIENTS
1/3 Cup Large Chopped Capers Packed In Vinegar (Drained)
2 Rinsed & Minced Anchovy Fillets
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Large Tomatoes (Cored & Coarsely Chopped)
2 Large Sliced Zucchini
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Large (1 Inch Thick) Swordfish Steaks (About 2 Pounds)
In a large size bowl combine the capers, anchovies, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Stir well to combine. This is your marinade. Cut the fish into 1 inch cubes and place them into a large size bowl. Pour ½ of the marinade over the fish and stir to make sure all of the fish get covered. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour to overnight in the refrigerator. Make sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Cover the remaining marinade with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature. Heat your grill to medium high. Thread the fish, tomatoes and zucchini onto long metal or wooden skewers and throw away the marinade that the fish sat in. If you are using wooden skewers soak them in water for 20 minutes before using. When you are ready to cook oil the grill rack. Place the kebabs on the grill and cook, turning once, for 12 minutes. The fish should be lightly colored on the outside and evenly cooked throughout. Transfer the kebabs to a serving platter and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Serve immediately. Serve with orzo or rice pilaf. Serves 4
*Note: If you do not have a bbq grill you can cook under the broiler.
