Hush Puppies
Great served with fried fish!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Cornmeal
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Beaten Egg
½ Cup Sour Milk or Buttermilk
¼ Cup Sliced Green Onion
Cooking Oil For Deep Fat Frying
In a medium bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside. In a separate medium bowl combine the egg, sour milk or butter milk and green onion. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened and make sure not to over-mix. The batter should be lumpy. Drop the batter by tablespoons into the deep hot oil. The oil should be at least 375° F. Fry for 3 minutes until golden brown and turn once. Drain on paper towels and serve warm. Makes 15 Hush Puppies
Southern Fried Catfish
Southern Fried Catfish is great Soul Food and great for the soul! The ultimate comfort food!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Catfish Fillets
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Beaten Egg
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Milk
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Coarsely Crushed Pretzels
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
1 Lemon Sliced Thin
Please use fresh catfish for this dish! Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into four serving sized pieces in need be. Place the flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish combine the egg, mustard, milk and pepper. Beat with a whisk until smooth. In a third shallow dish (yeah, I know, lots of dishes) place the coarsely crushed pretzels. Coat both sides of the fillets with flour. Dip the fillets in the mustard mixture and coat with crushed pretzels. In a large skillet cook the fish in the hot oil over a medium heat for 4 minutes per side until golden brown and the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Serve with lemon slices. Serves 4
Mini Blueberry Breads
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Beaten Eggs
¾ Cup Butter Milk or Sour Milk
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Blueberries
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease 6 mini bread pans and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside. In another bowl combine the eggs, milk and olive oil. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. The batter should be lumpy. Add the blueberries until combined. Fill each mini bread pan two thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and serve warm. Makes 6 mini breads
Victoria’s Mojo Burritos
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Small Chopped Green Sweet Pepper
1 Clove Minced Garlic
¼ Cup Beer
1 Tablespoon Hot Chili Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Cup Cooked Rice
4 Ounce Can Diced Green Chile Peppers Drain or
4 Ounces Fresh Diced Green Chile Peppers
1 Large Chopped Tomato
8 Ten Inch Flour Tortillas
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Lettuce
Guacamole
Salsa
For the filling: In a large skillet cook the ground sirloin, onion, sweet pepper and garlic until the meat is brown and the onion is tender. Drain off the fat. Stir in the beer, chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook for 5 minutes until most of the beer has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked rice and chile peppers. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas tightly in foil. Heat a preheated 350° F oven for 10 minutes to soften. When you are ready to fill the tortillas, remove only half of them from the oven at a time. Keep the remaining tortillas warm in the oven. Spoon about ½ cup filling onto each tortilla just below the center. Top the filling with cheese and tomato. Fold the bottom edge of each tortilla up and over the filling. Fold the opposite sides in and over filling. Roll up the bottom and secure with wooden toothpicks if needed. Makes 8 delicious Mojo Burritos!
Chunky Guacamole
Don’t buy that horrible premade guacamole that you find expiring in the grocer’s refrigerated section. It’s easy to make your own and so much better. The secret to what makes my Chunky Guacamole so good is the lime juice. Lemons and limes are kitchen essentials.
INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Chopped Roma Tomatoes
1/4 Finely Chopped Red Onion
3 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Seeded & Chopped Jalapeno Chile
1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Clove Minced Garlic
2 Ripe Mashed Avocados
Tortilla Chips
In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, jalapeno and sour cream. Gently stir in the mashed avocados. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 2 cups
Gelato Affogato
Gelato Affogato means “drowned” gelato in Italian. A coffee based dessert that consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato topped with a shot of hot espresso. Some people also include a shot of Amaretto or dark rum.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pints Vanilla Gelato (or Ice Cream)
1 Cup Hot Espresso
3 Tablespoons of Amaretto or Dark Rum
Scoop the gelato or ice cream into six small goblets. Stir together the hot coffee and liqueur. Slowly pour the coffee over the gelato and serve immediately. Serves 6
Cannelloni
INGREDIENTS
Bechamel Sauce
Filling:
1 Pound Ground Veal
8 Ounces Italian Pork Sausage (Remove Casings)
1 Large Minced Garlic Clove
Two 10 Ounce Packages Frozen Chopped Spinach, Cooked, Drained & Squeezed Dry
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
To Assemble:
1 ½ Pounds Homemade or Store Bought Fresh Pasta (Such As Fresh Lasagna Sheets) Cut Into 4 Inch Squares
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Prepare the béchamel sauce and set aside. To make the filling, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the veal and pork and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Spoon off the excess fat and stir in the spinach and 1 cup of the béchamel sauce. Add the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly and then stir in the cheese. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt to taste. Have ready a large bowl of cold water, and spread out some lint free kitchen towels on a flat surface. Add the pasta squares to the pot a few at a time and cook less than 1 minute. They should be slightly underdone. Scoop the pasta out of the pot and place it in the cold water until cool enough to handle. Lay the pasta squares out flat on the towels. Continue cooking and cooling the remaining pasta the same way. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter two 11x8x2 inch baking dishes. To assemble the cannelloni, spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of each baking dish. Spread some of the filling over each pasta square, leaving a ½ inch border along one side. Starting, at the opposite side, loosely roll up each pasta square. Place the rolls seam side down in the baking dishes. Sprinkle with the cheese. The cannelloni can be assembled up to 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake for 30 minutes. If the dish has been refrigerated cook a bit longer. The sauce should be bubbling and the top golden brown. Serve hot. Serves 12
Victoria’s Chocolate Chip Bars
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Softened Butter
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 ¼ Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
12 Ounces Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Combine the flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the softened butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Next, add the vanilla and chocolate chips. With your hands knead until smooth and place in an ungreased 8 inch glass baking dish. Pat the dough down so that it is even. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut dough into bars while still warm. Let cool another 10 minutes and remove from baking dish to a serving plate. Makes 15
Peach Melba
A classic dessert invented in the late 1800’s by French chef, Auguste Escoffier, at the Savoy Hotel in London. Chef Escoffier invented Peach Melba to honor the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba, who was performing in Wagner’s opera Lohengrin at Covent Garden. Peach Melba combines the two favorite summer fruits peaches and raspberries (raspberry sauce) and is serves with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
Poached Peaches:
3 Cups Water
½ Cup Sugar
Peel of 1 Lemon Removed In Strips
1 Vanilla Bean Split Lengthwise
½ Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Peach Schnapps
4 Just Ripe (Not Overly Ripe) Peaches
Raspberry Sauce:
2 ½ Pints Fresh Raspberries
½ Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Vanilla Ice Cream
Nuts Or Fresh Mint Leaves For Garnish (Optional)
For poaching the peaches combine the water, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla bean in a saucepan that is just large enough to hold the peaches with the liquid barely covering them. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and add ½ cup of the peach schnapps and the peaches. Cover the pan and cook at a very low simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the peaches are tender when pierced. Remove the peaches from the poaching liquid and place them on a plate to cool. The peaches can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before serving, cut the peaches in half and remove the pit and carefully peel off the skin and throw away the peach skin. Remove the lemon peels and vanilla bean from the poaching liquid. Throw away the peel and vanilla bean. Place the pan over high heat and reduce the liquid to about ¾ cup to concentrate the flavors. Cool to room temperature and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of peach schnapps. Store the syrup, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week. For the raspberry sauce, rinse the berries and place them in a small saucepan with the sugar. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes until the berries are softened and begin to break apart. Force the berry mixture through a fine mesh sieve and throw away the seeds. Add the lemon juice to the sauce and refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days. To assemble the Peach Melba dessert, place a scoop of ice cream in a bowl or large goblet. Top with 2 poached peach halves or sliced peaches. Spoon some of the poaching syrup over the ice cream. Next drizzle raspberry sauce over the peaches. Garnish with either chopped nuts or mint leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Chicken Scallopini
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breast Halves
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour (Divided)
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Chili Powder
½ Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Drained Capers
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
One at a time, put chicken breast between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to ¼ inch thickness. Combine 3 tablespoons flour, black pepper and chili powder on a shallow plate. Dip the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and lightly coat both sides. Combine the chicken stock, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon flour and capers in a small bowl. In a large skillet heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Put the chicken in the hot pan (in a single layer) and cook 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook another 2 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Repeat with the remaining chicken and brush the pan with ½ teaspoon of the olive oil each time you add the chicken pieces. This will prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Stir the stock mixture and pour into the skillet. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes until thickened. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour the sauce over the chicken breast. Serve immediately. Serves 4
