Sausage Frittata
INGREDIENTS
8 Eggs
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ Pound Italian Sausage With The Casings Removed
¼ Pound Chopped Mushrooms
1 Bunch Chopped Swiss Chard
8 Ounces Diced White Cheddar
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Fold in the cheese and set aside. Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet. You can use a frittata pan if you like, but don’t need to. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook for 9 minutes over a medium heat. Crumble the sausage with a wooden spoon until well browned. Drain off the fat and transfer the sausage to a separate bowl. Set aside. In the same skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 9 minutes over a medium heat. Stir occasionally until browned and tender. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage. In the same skillet heat the final 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the Swiss chard over a medium heat for 2 minutes until wilted. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage. Return the sausage, mushroom and Swiss chard mixture to the skillet. Cook over a medium heat for 1 minutes. Add the egg and cheese mixture. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Cook until the eggs are set and slide the frittata ontio a serving plate. Serves 6
Plum Cake With Clotted Cream Frosting
I created this cake when I had a bunch of plums staring me in the face and were on the brink of going bad. I hate wasting food so put this cake together and it turned out very nice. It is also great to eat for breakfast!
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
½ Cup Butter At Room Temperature
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
¾ Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
6 Diced Plums
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Add the butter and continue to mix. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Fold in the diced plums. Pour the batter into a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and completely cool. Frost with the Clotted Cream Frosting. Serves 10
Clotted Cream Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Unsalted Butter At Room Temperature
½ Cup Room Temperature Cream Cheese
6 Ounces Clotted Cream
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Beat the butter, cream cheese and clotted cream until fluffy. Add the vanilla while continuing to beat. Gradually add the powdered sugar through a sifter. Beat well. Frost a cooled cake.
Sausage Stuffed Manicotti
Bet you didn’t know that Manicotti means sleeves in Italian. Traditional manicotti is filled with ham and ricotta cheese. This recipe is made with sausage and spinach. Feel free to double this recipe if you are feeding a larger group or want lots of leftovers. This dish is made with a White Sauce and is delicious!
INGREDIENTS
½ Pound Italian Sausage
1 Medium Chopped Onion
1 Chopped Medium Red Bell Pepper
3 Cups Lightly Cooked Spinach
10 Manicotti
White Sauce
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Milk
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Pound Mozzarella Cheese
2 Cups Tomato Sauce
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
In a large pot bring water to a boil. Plunge the manicotti into the boiling water for 1 minute until al dente. Drain them and as soon as you can handle them stuff with the sausage – spinach mixture.
In a large skillet, sauté the sausage, the onion and the red bell pepper for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and mix well. Remove from the heat.
For the White Sauce melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the milk. Turn the heat back on and whisk until thickened. Season with the salt and pepper. Mix about ¼ of the sauce with the sausage-spinach mixture. Lay them side by side in a oiled baking dish that is just large enough to hold them in one layer. Slice the mozzarella and lay the slices over the manicotti. Spread the remaining white sauce over and then pour on the tomato sauce. Spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 30 minutes. Serves 5
Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
16 Ounces Tomatoes (Canned)
1 Chopped Onion
1 Large Chopped Carrot
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
¼ Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Put all of the tomatoes, onion, carrot, salt, pepper and garlic together in a heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the water if the sauce gets too thick. In the food processor puree the tomato sauce. Use where needed. Makes 1 ¼ Cups
Lady Bird Johnson’s Lemon Bundt Cake
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
10 Lightly Beaten Egg Yolks
3 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 ½ Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Peel
Powdered Sugar For Dusting
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease and flour the Bundt pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg yolks until incorporated into the butter mixture. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Re-sift 3 times. Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon peel. Beat for 2 minutes and bake for one hour. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter to complete the cooling process. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 10
When you need a quick tomato sauce for pasta or to top a meat dish this is a great basic recipe. Sometimes
I make it in advance and keep it on hand.
Quickie Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
16 Ounces Tomatoes (Canned)
1 Chopped Onion
1 Large Chopped Carrot
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
¼ Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Put all of the tomatoes, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic together in a heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the water if the sauce gets too thick. In the food processor puree the tomato sauce. Use where needed. Makes 1 ¼ Cups
Goulash
Goulash, meaning herdsman, is a Hungarian meat and vegetable stew seasoned with paprika. There are many versions of this dish and each country tends to have their own Goulash. Goulash is popular in Hungry, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, the United States, Germany, The Netherlands, northern Croatia and the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. This is the Goulash that I grew up on. It is totally a guilty pleasure.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Uncooked Macaroni or Rigatoni
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
½ Chopped Onion
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
16 Ounces Tomato Sauce
¾ Cup Water
1 Bay Leaf
1 Teaspoon Oregano
2 Tablespoons Paprika
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain noodles and set aside. In a large skillet cook the ground beef with the minced garlic, onion and mushrooms until browned. Make sure to drain off the excess fat. Add the tomato sauce, water, bay leaf, oregano, paprika, ground pepper and salt to the ground beef mixture. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cooked noodles and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serves 6
Homemade Potato Chips
It is so easy to make your own potato chips. These chips are delicious. Make sure to season them while they are still warm and some residual oil for the spices to adhere to. I like to season with salt, pepper and finely grated Parmesan cheese. You could season with chili powder, ground cumin, toasted sesame seeds, minced herbs or anything that strikes you.
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Russet Potatoes
Peanut Oil
Salt
Pepper
Peel and slice into 1/8 inch slices on either a mandolin or other handheld slicer. In a large saucepan fill with the oil halfway and heat until the oil is 350° F. Add the potato slices in batches and fry for 3 minutes until light golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt, pepper or any season that strikes your fancy.
If you prefer to bake the chips in the oven then preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl toss the potato slices with 5 Tablespoons of peanut oil. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and season lightly with salt. Bake for 14 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and season again with salt and pepper. Drain on paper towels and let cool for the maximum crispness. Serves 6
German Chocolate Cake
INGEDIENTS
4 Ounces Chopped Sweet Baking Chocolate
1 ½ Cups Milk
1 Cup Butter
4 Eggs
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 ¾ Cups Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Coconut Pecan Frosting
Combine chocolate and milk in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until melted. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. Set aside to cool. Make sure that the eggs and butter sit at room temperature for a half an hour before using. Grease two 9×1 ½ inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat after each addition. Beat for another minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Next add some of the flour mixture alternating with the chocolate mixture. Beat on the low speed while alternating the flour and chocolate mixtures. Do this until you have added all of the flour and chocolate. Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes until done. Cool the cake layers in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cake layers and make sure to peel off the parchment paper. Cool thoroughly on the racks. Put on layer on a cake plate. Spread the coconut pecan frosting over the top the layer on the cake plate. Stack the second cake on top and spread the frosting on the top layer. Finish frosting. Serves 12
Coconut Pecan Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
2/3 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Butter
1 ½ Cups Flaked Coconut
½ Cup Chopped Pecans
In a medium sauce pan slightly beat the egg. Stir in the evaporated milk, sugar and butter. Cook and stir over a medium heat for 7 minutes until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in coconut and pecans. Cover and cool thoroughly before using the frosting to frost the cake.
French Toast
When I moved to France in the early 1980’s I was excited to show my new French friends what I could cook. One morning I decided to make everyone a large American breakfast. When I told them that what I was making was called “French Toast” they heartily laughed and said, “This is NOT French.” Laugh all they wanted to, but they ate it up anyway!
INGREDIENTs
6 Large Eggs
4 Cups Milk
1 Loaf Brioche
½ Cup Superfine Sugar
¼ Cup Clarified Butter
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Powdered Sugar
Maple Syrup
Cut the loaf of brioche into 1 inch slices and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and sugar. Add the nutmeg and cinnamon. In a baking dish layer the bread slices. Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices and let it stand for 3 minutes. Turn slices over and let it stand for another 3 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200° F and place a baking sheet in the oven to warm. Coat a large skillet with some of the clarified butter. Heat over a medium heat and add 4 slices of the soaked bread. Cook until golden brown and turn to cook the other side to a golden brown. Use more clarified butter if needed. Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all bread pieces are cooked. Serve French Toast with dusted powdered sugar and syrup. Serves 4
Brandy Cake With Chocolate Frosting
I love this rich and decadent cake! It is easy to make and a nice treat for company and birthdays.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
5 Large Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
¼ Cup Brandy
1 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
2 Cups Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease two 8×2 inch round cake pans or a bundt pan. Set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl place the butter. With a mixer beat the butter for 3 minutes on medium high. The butter should be light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Stir the vanilla and brandy into the buttermilk. Reduce the mixer speed and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Place the pan/pans in the oven on the center rack. Bake for 45 minutes until the cake is lightly brown on the top. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan/pans and let cool completely. Frost the middle layer (if using two pans), top and sides of the cake. Serves 10
Chocolate Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
½ Cup Cocoa Powder
2/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cream
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
In a medium bowl beat the softened, but not melted, butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla extract and cream. Mix in the powdered sugar and powdered sugar. Beat until well combined and fluffy. Put into the refrigerator for an hour and then frost your cake.
