Cornish Game Hens With Herbs & Butter
INGREDIENTS
2 Organic/Free Range Cornish Game Hens
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Pound Unsalted Butter
5 Minced Shallots
1 Teaspoon Rosemary
1 Teaspoon Thyme
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cut each hen in half and sprinkle all over with salt & pepper. Set the hens aside to bring to room temperature. Melt the butter in a small pan, over medium heat, and add the shallots, rosemary and thyme. Stir well and let bubble for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place hens in a flat baking pan skin side up. Baste with the butter sauce. Bake for 50 minutes. Baste every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with parsley. Serves 4
Gazpacho
Often described as a liquid salad, gazpacho descends from ancient Roman concoction based on a combination of stale bread, garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar. As Romans labored to build roads and aqueducts across Spain in the scorching heat, this creamy soup replenished them with the necessary salt and vitamins lost through physical exertion. Later, shepherds and farmers added vegetables to make it more hearty and satisfying. Because tomatoes and bell peppers were not indigenous to Spain, these ingredients were not added to the soup until after Spain’s discovery of the New World. Since that time, gazpacho has remained relatively unchanged. We are grateful for such an unpretentious soup designed to quench the thirst evoked by the unrelenting Spanish sun.
INGREDIENTS
1 Large Cucumber
2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
4 Medium Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
3 Cups Tomato Juice
¼ Cup White Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Halve and seed the cucumber, but do not peel it. Core and seed the three bell peppers. Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and red onion into 1 inch cubes. Reserve a small bit of each vegetable to put in at the end so that the soup has some crunch. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over process. After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer the gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. Serve anytime, but especially on a hot summer day. Serves 4
Santa Fe Burgers
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Ground Sirloin
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
Santa Fe Salsa
Combine the ground sirloin, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Using your hands mix well. Form into six patties and refrigerate until ready to grill. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill and lightly spray the grill rack with vegetable oil cooking spray. The coals should be hot. Grill the burgers for about 5 minutes. Flip the burgers and grill for another 4 or 5 minutes. Serve with Santa Fe Salsa. Serves 6
Santa Fe Salsa
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Chopped Tomatoes
2 Seeded & Chopped Yellow or Red Bell Peppers
1 Cup Cooked Corn Kernels (Fresh or Frozen)
3 Finely Chopped Green Onions
2 Seeded & Chopped Jalapeno or Serrano Chilies
1 Minced Garlic Clove
4 Tablespoons Finley Chopped Cilantro
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
2 Teaspoons Malt Vinegar
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Combine the tomatoes, peppers, corn, green onions, chilies, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar and salt in a glass or ceramic bowl and gently stir to combine. Let the salsa stand for about an hour to let the flavors blend. Serve or cover to refrigerate for several hours. Let the salsa reach room temperature before serving. Makes 2 cups
Victoria’s Sunday Gravy
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cups Chopped Onion
3 Cloves Minced Garlic
¼ Cup Minced Parsley
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
3 Sprigs Fresh Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
28 Ounces Crushed Tomatoes (1 Can)
28 Ounces Whole Peeled Tomatoes (3 Cans)
6 Ounces Tomato Paste (1 Can)
In a large cooking pot heat the olive oil over medium flame. Add the onions, garlic, parsley, thyme and oregano. On medium heat sauté for 2 minutes until translucent, but not brown. Add tomatoes and tomato paste along with the salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes and then add the meatballs. Simmer for 2 hours. Remove herb stems and serve. Serves 8
Victoria’s Italian Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
1 Pound Ground Pork
1 Pound Ground Veal
5 Slices Italian White Bread
1 Cup Whole Milk
¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 ½ Teaspoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
3 Eggs
½ Cup Olive Oil
Combine sirloin, pork and veal in a large bowl. Soak the bread and milk together in a separate bowl. When the milk is absorbed add the bread mixture to the meat mixture. Next add the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and eggs. Mix well and roll into 2 inch balls. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and fry over medium heat. Make sure to cook about 10 meatballs at a time so not to overcrowd the pan. Repeat as many times as necessary until all meatballs are cooked to browned and cooked all through. Serve over Victoria’s Sunday Gravy. Serves 8
Welsh Rarebit
The first recorded use of the term Welsh Rabbit was in 1725. It is said to be an ironic name coined in the days when the Welsh were notoriously poor and only well-to-do people could afford meat from the butcher. In England rabbit was the poor man’s meat, but in Wales cheese was the poor man’s meat. The slur against the Welsh was, “if a Welshman went rabbit hunting then this would be his supper.”
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Mustard Powder
½ Teaspoon Cayenne
¾ Cup Dark Beer (Guinness)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Pound Grated Semi-Hard Cheese (Cheddar, Double Gloucester, Comte, Gruyere)
4 to 8 Pieces Light Toasted Bread
Put the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts stir in the flour. Continue to cook for 5 minutes (stir occasionally) until golden brown and very fragrant. Stir in the mustard and cayenne and then whisk in the beer & Worcestershire sauce. When the mixture is uniform, turn heat to low and stir in the grated cheese. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to set. You can refrigerate for up to a day. Spread the mixture thickly on toast and put under the broiler until bubbly and edges of the toast are crisp. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Vegetable Curry
INGREDIENTS
½ Medium Eggplant (Aubergine)
2 Small Carrots
1 Cup Peas
1 Cup French Beans
1 Medium Potato
½ Cup Freshly Grated Coconut
2 Tablespoons White Poppy Seeds
4 Fresh Hot Green Chilies
1 ¼ Teaspoon Salt
3 Medium Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Plain Yogurt
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
2 Tablespoons Fresh Green Coriander
Place cut eggplant, carrots, peas, beans and potato in a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Do not overcook. Put the coconut, chilies, poppy seeds and salt in a food processor. Add 5 ounces of water and grind to a fine paste and set aside. When the vegetables are cooked, add the spice paste and another 5 ounces of water. Stir and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, yogurt and garam masala. Stir gently to mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Turn into a serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander. Serves 4
Traditional Fish & Chips
You don’t have to go to the “chippie” to get traditional fish & chips. Serve with salt and malt vinegar.
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Pieces of Either Cod or Haddock
2 ½ Pounds Potatoes
Sunflower Seed Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Batter
7 Ounces Unbleached Flour
1 Large Egg
2 ½ Ounces Milk
2 ½ Ounces Water
2 Tablespoons Dark Beer
Peel the potatoes and cut them into chips. You should cook them after you start cooking the fish. Place them covered in water to stop them going brown. Set aside. Make the batter mixture by putting the flour into a large bowl. Whisk the egg and add the 2 tablespoons of dark beer in a separate bowl. Now pour the whisked egg into the flour adding the milk and water. Beat until smooth. Leave batter stand for an hour.
Heat a deep and heavy pan filled with enough oil to cover the chips. Make sure that the oil gets hot. If you drop in a tiny piece of potato and it immediately starts to sizzle then the oil is hot enough.
Heat another pan of oil just deep enough to cover the fish. Individually put each fish fillet into the batter. Slide the fish pieces back and forth to cover with the batter. Lift out the fish pieces and allow to drip for a moment and then repeat. This makes certain that the fish is completely covered in batter. Lower the battered fish into the hot oil skin side to the bottom of the pan to stop the fillet from curling as it heats. Now cook one fillet at a time. After 5 minutes turn the fish over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with the second fillet, keeping the first cooked fillet warm in the oven. Now it is time to put the chips in the pan to cook. Take care as the oil might froth as the wet chips go in. This is normal, but be careful not to burn yourself. Carry on cooking the other two fillets and put them in the oven to keep warm. Lift out the chips when they reach a nice golden brown color and are cooked through. Use a mesh spoon to lift the chips out and let the oil drip back into the pan. Serve on plates or newspapers with the fish nestling on a bed of chips. Malt vinegar, salt & ketchup, YUM! Serves 4
Lamb Vindaloo
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Cubed Lamb
1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
2 Teaspoons Mustard Seeds
5 Black Peppercorns
5 Cloves
5 Dried Red Chilies
1 Cinnamon Stick
½ Teaspoon Cardamom Seeds
½ Teaspoon Ground Turmeric
6 Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Chopped Ginger
1 Cup Wine Vinegar
5 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
16 Ounces Canned Tomatoes
1 Cup Water
¼ Teaspoon Salt
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and fry the whole spices until browned. Grind them to a fine powder. Stir in the turmeric and salt. Blend the powder with the garlic, ginger and 4 tablespoons of wine vinegar to a smooth paste in a food processor. Rub the paste into the meat and leave to marinate overnight.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the onions over a medium heat until golden brown. Add the lamb and fry for 15 minutes until golden brown. Stir in the tomatoes and fry until all the liquid has been absorbed and the oil appears on the surface. Add the remaining wine vinegar and water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 40 minutes until the meat is tender. Serves 4
Lamb Korma
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Cubed Lamb
4 Tablespoons Plain Yogurt
3 Chopped Onions
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Inches Ginger
3 Tablespoons Ghee
8 Crushed Black Peppercorns
4 Coarsely Crushed Green Cardamom Pods
2 Crushed Cloves
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Ground Coriander
2 Cups Water
¼ Teaspoon Salt
Fresh Chopped Coriander
Place 2 of the onions, garlic and ginger in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Heat the ghee in a large skillet and add the remaining roughly chopped onion. Stir frequently and fry to a pale golden color. Add the crushed spices, salt and lamb. Stir constantly and fry the meat for 5 to 8 minutes to a rich brown color. The ghee will start to separate at this stage. Add the ground onion paste. Continue to stir for another 10 minutes until the mixture is well browned. Add the chili powder and ground coriander. Stir well. Add the yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time stirring continuously. Fry until the ghee again starts to separate. Soon the sauce (masala) will start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the water at this stage and mix well. Cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat. Simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with fresh coriander. Serves 4
