Hurricane Beef Pot Pie
When there is a chill in the air and a hurricane on the way it is a good time for heartier fare. This savory meat pie makes the perfect dinner.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Lean Boneless Beef Chuck Cut Into Cubes
4 Teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Sliced Carrots
1 Diced Red Onion
1 Beef Bouillon Cube
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
10 Ounces Peas
Parsley Crust
Pat the beef dry with paper towels. In a large skillet heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. With a spoon transfer the beef mixture to a bowl. In the same skillet, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the carrots and onion. Cook for 10 minutes until browned. Next, add the beef back to the skillet along with the beef bouillon, salt and 1 ¼ cups water. Heat to boiling over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 40 minutes. In a cup mix the cornstarch and ¼ cup of water and gradually add to the skillet. Cook over a high heat for 1 minute until the mixture thickens. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat. Prepare the Parsley Crust. Preheat the oven to 425° F. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll half of the dough into a large round that is large enough to fit into a 9 inch pie plate. Ease the round into a greased pie plate and spoon the filling into the crust. Trim any pastry edge, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Roll the remaining dough into a 10 inch round. Cut into ½ inch wide strips. Place half of the strips about ¾ inches apart across the pie. Do not seal the ends. Fold every other strip back halfway from the center. Place the center cross strip on the pie. Replace the folded part of the strips. Fold back alternate strips and add the second cross strip. Repeat to weave the strips into a lattice. Seal the ends. Fold the overhang under and make a fluted edge. Bake on a cookie sheet for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serves 4
Parsley Crust
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 Teaspoon Salt
¾ Shortening
6 Tablespoons Cold Water
In a large bowl, mix flour, chopped parsley and salt. With a pastry blender cut in ¾ cup of shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix lightly with a fork after each addition until the dough just holds together. Do not over mix. Divide the dough in half and shape each into a ball.
I love beets and I love cabbage. This dish is easy to make and a real winner. If you want to make this borscht completely vegetarian then use vegetable stock instead of the beef stock
Borscht
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Butter
¼ (2 Pound) Sliced Head Green Cabbage
2 Sliced Carrots
2 Sliced Celery Stalks
1 Diced Onion
1 Pound Peeled & Cut Beets
15 Ounces Tomatoes In Puree
15 Ounces Beef Broth
1 Tablespoon Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Celery Leaves For Garnish
In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cabbage, carrots, celery and onion. Cover and cook. Stir frequently until tender and browned. Cut the beats into small bits. Add the beets, tomatoes with the puree, broth, sugar, salt, pepper and 1 ½ cups of water. Heat to a boiling over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 50 minutes. Stir occasionally. Spoon 2 cups of the soup into a blender and blend at a low speed until smooth. You can also do this in a food processor. Return the mixture to the Dutch oven and heat through. Garnish with celery leaves and sour cream. You can serve hot or cold. Serve with pumpernickel bread. Serves 4
Pickled Red Cabbage
I find pickled cabbage is best eaten within a few days of being made as it does begin to lose its color and can become soft if kept too long. I love the fresh taste of newly pickled cabbage!
INGREDIENTS
1 Large Red Cabbage
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Water
2 Pints Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger (Bruised)
1 Ounce Whole Black Pepper
Take off the outer cabbage leaves and cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the stalk, wash and then cut into very thin slices. Lay the sliced cabbage on a plate and sprinkle with the sea salt. Cover and leave sit for 24 hours.
After the cabbage has been sitting for 24 hours put the cabbage into a colander to drain. It may be necessary to wipe the cabbage clean. Place the cabbage into pickling jars and put aside. Now put the bruised ginger and peppercorns into a muslin bag and tie with a cooking string. Pour the vinegar into a saucepan along with the muslin bag and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Remove the muslin bag and pour the cooled vinegar into the pickling jars. Cover the jars with vinegar proof lids. Serves 4
Chocolate Root Beer Cake
I love this cake. You can taste the root beer, but it isn’t overpowering.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Eggs
½ Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
6 Tablespoons Root Beer Extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a bundt cake pan. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, cocoa powder and 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture just to boiling and stir constantly. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa mixture to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add the eggs, butter, milk, vanilla and root beer extract. Beat for another minute until the batter is thin. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. You can either sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting. Serves 8
Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
In a saucepan combine ¼ cup butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of buttermilk. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Add 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour the warm frosting of the cake and spread evenly.
Petite Pear Tarts
Summer is the season for pears. What to do with all of those pears? Make pear tarts!
INGREDIENTS
Pastry for 1 Pie Crust
2 Small Ripe Pears (Peeled, Cored and Sliced)
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Tablespoons Dried Currents
2 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ Cup Plus 6 Teaspoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Chopped Pecans
Prepare the pastry for 1 pie crust. Shape two equal balls and chill for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, toss the pear slices with flour, currants, lemon juice, cinnamon and ½ cup of sugar. Set aside. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pink roll 1 dough ball into a 10 inch round. Transfer to one half of a large cookie sheet. Mound half of the pear mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough up around the pears, leaving a 2 ½ inch opening in the center. Repeat with the remaining dough and pear mixture to make a second tart on the same cookie sheet. Brush each crust with 1 tablespoon of milk and sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Place 2 sheet of foil under the cookie sheet. Crimp the foil edges to form a rim to catch any drips during the baking. Bake the tarts for 20 minutes. In a cup, mix the pecans with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and sprinkle over the filling in the center of the tarts. Bake for 10 minute more or until the crust is brown. Cool the tarts on cookie sheets on a wire rack for 10 minutes to serve warm. Makes 2 petite tarts
Pie Crust Recipe
INGREDIENTs
1 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Shortening
4 Tablespoons Cold & Cut Up Butter
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. With a pastry blender cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in 3 to 5 tablespoons of ice water, a tablespoon at a time. Mix lightly with a fork after each addition, until the dough is just moist enough to hold together. Shape the dough into 1 ball. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Remove from the fridge and let stand for 1 hour before rolling. You want the dough at room temperature. Make two separate balls. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out each ball to make the petite pie crusts.
Baked Pears With Marsala Wine
INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Lemon
8 Firm Bosc Pears
1/3 Cup Sugar Plus 2 Tablespoons
½ Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Take a small knife and remove the peel from the lemon in strips. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. With a melon baller, remove the cores from the bottom of the unpeeled pears, but do not remove the stems. With a pastry brush, brush the insides of the pears with the lemon juice, then sprinkle the insides of the pears with the lemon juice. Next, sprinkle the insides with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. In a shallow 2 quart baking dish, mix the lemon peel strips, Marsala and 1/3 cup of water. Place the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar on the sheet of waxed paper. With the pastry brush, brush the pears with the melted butter. Roll the pears in the sugar to coat. Place the pears, cored ends down, in the baking dish. Sprinkle with any remaining sugar. Bake the pears, basting with the syrup in the dish, for 45 minutes until fork tender. Slightly cool or serve warm. Serves 8
Blueberry Crumble
Who doesn’t love blueberries?! Blueberry Crumble is such a simple and delicious dessert. Something about it just warms the tummy!
INGREDIENTS
Blueberry Filling
2 Pints Fresh Blueberries
1/3 Cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
Topping
1 Stick Butter
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
½ Cup Oats
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon Salt
The first thing that you will need to do is to make the topping. Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the butter until it is all crumbly and the largest butter chunks are pea sized. Next toss the blueberries with sugar, flour and lemon juice. Transfer the blueberry mixture to a buttered 9 inch baking dish. Spread the crumble on top and bake in 350° F oven for 40 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling gently through the crumble. Serve warm. Serves 6
Victoria’s Garden Party Cake
This cake is so easy to make! People will think you spent all day in the kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Stick Butter (Room Temperature)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Orange
2 Jumbo Eggs
2 Cups Flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Crème Fraiche
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
2 Ripe Peaches (Pitted & Sliced In Half)
¼ Cup Fresh Raspberries For Serving
Whipped Cream For Serving
Preheat the oven to 375° F and grease a nonstick 9 inch sprinform pan. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon & orange juices plus the zests and combine. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Follow with the dry ingredients, but do not overmix. Add the crème fraiche and combine briefly. Scrape the sides so that all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the raspberries evenly around the cake. Set the peaches in the batter, in a circle, with the cut sides up. Place the pan on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Let the cake cool completely. Serve plain or with fresh berries and whipped cream. You can substitute blueberries for the peaches if you wish.
Serve 8
Victoria’s Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
This recipe was inspired by my mother’s custard filled sponge cake. Pour yourself a big glass of super cold milk or a cup of dark coffee and enjoy one or two of these sinful delights.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour (plus more to coat the tins)
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Softened Butter (plus more to coat the tins)
3 Jumbo Organic Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter and flour standard muffin tins. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer on high speed for 5 minutes until thick and pale. Beat in the dry ingredients. Bring the milk and butter to a boil and will the mixer on low speed add the milk mixture to the batter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla. Divide the batter among the muffin cups making sure to fill each half way. Bake cupcakes for 15 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes and ONLY 10 minutes or they will stick. Then transfer to wire racks and let cool. Using a serrated knife cut each in half horizontally. Spread a spoonful of vanilla custard on each cupcake bottom. Sandwich with the top. Spoon glaze over each and serve immediately.
CUSTARD INGREDIENTS
5 Tablespoons Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Cup Scalded Milk
1 Slightly Beaten Egg
1 ½ Teaspoon Butter
½ Teaspoon Vanilla
Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a small bowl. Scald the milk on medium heat (nearly boiling). Add the first three ingredients and stir over a medium heat until thick. Remove from the heat and add some of the warm milk mixture into the beaten egg and mix. Slowly add this to the remaining warmed milk. Cook long enough to cook the egg which should be for about 1 minute. Stir the custard constantly. Add the butter and vanilla and stir. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and cover with waxed paper directly on the surface of the custard to avoid a hard skin. Chill in the refrigerator. This can be made a day ahead.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE INGREDIENTS
¾ Cup Heavy Cream
4 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate
2 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool slightly. Stir often. Drizzle over cupcakes immediately! Makes 12
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Never refrigerate tomatoes as the cold temperature dulls the flavor and changes the texture.
INGREDIENTS
1 Small Sliced Very Thin Red Onion
¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Pounds Quartered Mixed Color Heirloom Tomatoes
½ Cup Chopped Chiffonade Basil
½ Cup Shaved Ricotta Salata
In a serving bowl, combine vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and sliced red onion. Combine and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. This will soften the onion. Combine the chopped basil and top with shaved cheese and serve. Serves 6
