Pan Roasted Herbed Fingerling Potatoes
These Pan Roasted Herbed Fingerling Potatoes are a flavorful addition to any springtime menu and perfect for an Easter Dinner.
INGREDIENTS
12 Scrubbed Fingerling Potatoes
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Victoria’s Dry Rub
Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Set over a high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool under cold running water. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, place the potatoes on a cutting board and slice in half lengthwise. Season the potatoes with Victoria’s Dry Rub. Heat a large sauté pan with the olive oil over a medium heat. Place the potatoes, cut side down, in the pan and cook for 3 minutes until browned and crispy. Turn the potatoes to the other side and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the potatoes with additional Victoria’s Dry Rub if you wish. Serve hot. Serves 4
Marinating Lamb Chops
These Lamb Chops are wonderful either on the grill or under the broiler. Marinating them overnight really brings out the flavor.
INGREDIENTS
4 Lamb Chops
6 Chopped Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Cup Torn Mint Leaves
Rosemary Sprigs
In a small bowl mix all of the ingredients except for the lamb chops. Place the lamb chops into a large ziplock plastic bag and pour the marinade in the bag. Make sure to cover the chops. Put in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to cook the chops, remove the bag from the fridge and take the chops out of the bag. Throw away the bag with the excess marinade. Place the chops on a heated grill or on a broiler pan under the broiler. How rare you want your lamb chops will determine how long you cook the chops on each side. I like to cook them between 2 to 3 minutes each side. When finished cooking, remove from the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Serves 2
Cream Biscuits
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 ¼ Cups Heavy Cream
Move your oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat your oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cream for 30 seconds until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead briefly for 30 seconds until smooth. Shape the dough into a ¾ inch circle. Dip a 2 ½ biscuit cutter in flour and cut the biscuits into rounds. Recombine the scraps as needed to make 12 biscuits. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes – rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking. You want the biscuits to be golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.
Country Ham
From colonial times until the advent of refrigeration, the process of packing hams in salt, smoking them, then hanging them to dry for up to two years was a way Americans preserved meat. These days, quickly brined “city” hams have all but eclipsed this older, slower country style. Or at least they have in the North. But in the South, people still produce and eat country hams, not for preservation but because they’re powerfully porky and incredibly delicious. Use hams aged six months or less for this recipe. Mold on country ham is not a sign of spoilage. It is a natural effect of the curing and aging process. Serve ham on biscuits if you like. Leftover ham is delicious in scrambled eggs, cheese grits or macaroni and cheese.
INGREDIENTS
1 Three to Six Month Old Bone-In Country Ham (13 to 15 Pounds)
½ Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard
2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325° F. Using a clean, stiff bristled brush, scrub the ham under cold running water to remove any surface mold. Transfer the ham to a cutting board and trim off the dry meat, skin and all but ¼ inch of fat. Score the fat cap in ½ inch crosshatch pattern (about ¼ inch deep). Transfer the ham to a roasting pan fat side up. Add 1 quart of water and cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake for 4 ½ hours until thickest part of the meat registers 140° F. Remove the ham from the oven and throw away the foil. Turn the oven temperature up to 450° F. In a medium size bowl combine the brown sugar, mustard and black pepper. Rub over the top of the ham. Return the ham to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes until glazed. Transfer the ham to a carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve thin slices and serve. Serves 12
Sausage Soup
This soup is a simple recipe with great flavor and is the quintessential Italian comfort food. I like to double the recipe and have leftovers during the week. It’s easy to make in a big batch for a potluck.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Pound Italian Sausage (Casings Removed)
2 Chopped Onions
4 Chopped Celery Stalks
2 Cans (14.5 Ounces Each) Diced Tomatoes
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Basil
4 Cups Chicken Broth
3 ½ Cups Water
1 Cup Macaroni
2 Cans (15 Ounces Each) Cannellini Beans
¼ Cup Minced Fresh Parsley
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese For Serving
In a large Dutch oven heat the olive oil over a medium high heat. Cook the sausage for 5 minutes. Break up the large pieces with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat left in the Dutch oven. Drain the tomatoes and reserve the liquid. Add the onions, garlic, celery, tomatoes, basil and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat. Stir in the browned sausage, reserved tomato juice, broth and water and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse the beans. Stir in the beans and cook for 5 minutes until heated through. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 8
Grilled Asparagus
Thicker asparagus is better. Medium to thick asparagus spears have a more robust flavor and meatier texture than thin ones, which are more skin than flesh. Avoid the pencil thin ones. Look for plump, round, bright green stalks. Dry looking stalks with prominent ribbing are old and may be woody and less flavorful.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Asparagus
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
¼ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Prepare a high gas grill or charcoal fire. Trim the asparagus. In a large bowl toss the asparagus with the olive oil, vinegar, chopped garlic cloves and red pepper flakes. Remove from the bowl and place on the grill. Grill, turning once, until just tender, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and place on a serving platter. Serve immediately. Serves 6
Roast Beef Quesadillas
I am always looking for ways to use leftovers. Quesadillas are a tasty way to make use of yesterday’s home cooked chicken, beef or pork.
INGREDIENTS
17 Ounces Cooked Roast Beef (With Au Jus)
¾ Cup Chunky Salsa
1 ½ Cups Sliced Sweet & Hot Peppers
4 Ten Inch Flour Tortillas
¾ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Fresh Cilantro
In a large skillet combine the beef in its juices with the salsa and peppers. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to break up the beef. In the meantime preheat your broiler. For the quesadillas, spoon some of the beef mixture on half of each tortilla. Fold the tortillas over the meat and then fold in quarters. Place the folded tortillas on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the cheese on each quesadilla. Broil for 1 minute. You want the cheese just to melt and the tortilla to begin to get crisp. Top with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This cake is moist, tender, golden brown and very velvety. It has all the richness and pure buttery flavor of classic pound cake, but with a delicate tang.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Large Room Temperature Eggs
2 Room Temperature Egg Yolks
¼ Cup Milk
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Sugar
24 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (3 Sticks)
6 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
Before you turn on the oven adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Grease and flour 12 cup nonstick Bundt pan. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, 2 yolks, milk and vanilla. In a separate large size bowl, beat together (by hand or with an electric mixer) the sugar, butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and very slowly add the egg mixture until incorporated. The batter may look slightly curdled. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Give the batter a final stir by hand. Scrap the batter into a prepared pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely, for about 2 hours. Serve plain or topped with frosting or fruit. Serves 12
Saint Patrick’s Day Corned Beef & Cabbage
In the U.S. and Canada, consumption of corned beef is usually associated with Saint Patrick’s Day. Corned beef is not considered an Irish national dish and the connection with Saint Patrick’s Day specifically originates as part of Irish-American culture. In Ireland, the closest traditional dish is bacon and cabbage. The bacon is more like Canadian style bacon or ham. Corned beef and cabbage became popular in the U.S. after Irish immigrants in the northeast used corned beef instead of pork in the dish. This substitution was most likely due to the low cost of corned beef in the U.S. Corned beef was used as a substitute for bacon in the late 19th century. A similar dish is the New England boiled dinner which consisted of corned beef, cabbage and root vegetables such as carrots, turnip and potatoes which is popular in New England and parts of Atlantic Canada. Whoever you are and wherever you came from it is fun to make Corned Beef & Cabbage on Saint Patrick’s Day!
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ Pounds Onions – Divided
2 ½ Pounds Carrots – Divided
6 Pounds Corned Beef Brisket
1 Cup Malt Vinegar
8 Ounces Stout Beer
1 Tablespoon Mustard Seed
1 Tablespoon Coriander Seed
½ Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
½ Tablespoon Dill Seed
½ Tablespoon Whole Allspice
2 Bay Leaves
3 Pounds Cabbage
2 ½ Pounds Small Red Potatoes
½ Cup Coarse Grain Mustard
½ Cup Dijon Mustard
Divide onions and carrots and chop enough to fill 1 cup of each, reserving the rest. In a heavy duty 4 gallon pot, place the corned beef, chopped onions, carrots, malt vinegar, stout beer, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, dill seeds, whole allspice and bay leaves. Add enough water to cover the corned beef and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 3 hours or until meat if fork tender. While the corned beef is cooking, cut the reserved onions into eight wedges and the carrots into 2 inch chunks. Slice each head of cabbage into 8 wedges. Add onions, carrots and red potatoes to the cooked corned beef, with the cabbage on top. Cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes and cabbage are fork tender.
To serve, cut corned beef against the grain into thin slices and accompany with the cooked vegetables. Dijon mustard and coarse grained mustard complement the corned beef as optional condiments. Serves 12
Irish Soda Bread
Irish Soda Bread is super easy to make in no time at all. You don’t have to wait for dough to rise which makes this recipe a nice little quick bread.
INGREDIENTS
3 ¾ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Sugar
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Pound Cold Unsalted Butter Cut Into Small Cubes
1 2/3 Cups Raisins
2 Teaspoons Caraway Seeds
3 Large Room Temperature Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a large size bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture is the texture of fine meal. Stir in the raisins and caraway seeds. In a medium size bowl whisk two of the eggs to combine. Whisk in the buttermilk. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Put the dough on a floured work surface and pat into a loaf. Now pat into the prepared pan. Beat the last egg to a mix and brush the top of the loaf with it. Using a sharp knife cut a ¼ inch deep lengthwise slash down the middle of the loaf leaving 1 inch margin at either end. Bake the soda bread in the middle of the oven for 1 hour until well browned. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes one 9 inch soda bread.
