Garlic Grilled T-Bones
Skip the necktie gift because the way to Dad’s heart is with an unforgettable steak. Celebrate Father’s Day with a “fresh from the grill” steak that he can really sink his teeth into!
INGREDIENTS
15 Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 T-Bone Steaks
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Your T-bone steaks should be about 12 ounces each & 3/4 inches thick. In a small size bowl combine the chopped garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Rub the garlic mixture on both sides of the steaks. Prepare your grill and grill the steaks, covered, over a medium heat. Cook for 4 to 7 minutes per side depending on how rare you want them. You can also cook these steaks under your oven broiler 4 inches from the heat. Cook for 4 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with a salad, baked potato or grilled romaine hearts. Serves 4
Classic Crème Brûlée
Crème Brûlée is also known as burnt cream, crema catalana or Trinity cream. Consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel it is normally served cold. Crème Brûlée is traditionally flavored with vanilla, but it is sometimes flavored with lemon or orange zest. The earliest known Crème Brûlée appeared in François Massialot's cookbook written in 1691. Wherever Crème Brûlée got its start and whatever it is called I know one thing for sure I love this dessert.
INGREDIENTS
1 Quart Heavy Cream
1 Split & Scraped Vanilla Bean
1 Cup Vanilla Sugar (Divided)
6 Large Egg Yolks
2 Quarts Hot Water
Preheat your oven to 325° F. In a medium saucepan pour the cream and add the vanilla bean and its scraped contents. Cook over a medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. It will need to sit for 15 minutes. Take out the vanilla bean and either throw it away or save for another use. In a medium size bowl whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Make sure that the sugar and egg yolks are well blended and just begin to lighten in color. Add the cream a little bit at a time making sure to stir constantly. Pour into six 8 ounce ramekins. Put the ramekins into a large roasting pan. Pour the hot water into the roasting pan just until it hits halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes just until the Crème Brûlée is set, but still a bit wobbly in the center. Remove the ramekins from the pan and put into the refrigerator for 3 hours. When you are ready to serve take out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before browning the sugar on the top. Take the left over 1/2 cup of vanilla sugar and divide equally among the 6 ramekins. Spread evenly on top. Using a torch melt the sugar to form a crispy top. If you do not have a torch then you can use the broiler. Before serving let the Crème Brûlée sit for 5 minutes. Serves 6
Bok Choy Gratin
I had a bunch of baby bok choy in my fridge that needed to get used before making its way to the trash can. I grew up in a household that didn’t believe in wasting food and it pains me to throw food out. I would rather create a disaster meal then throw food away. This is how I created this dish and it actually turned out quite tasty.
INGREDIENTS
1 Sliced Yellow Onion
1 Diced Tomato
10 Chopped Garlic Cloves
8 Ounces Unsalted Butter
6 Small Bunches Baby Bok Choy
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Tear off the bok choy leaves, wash & dry them. In a large skillet melt the butter over a medium low heat. When the butter is melted add the garlic and onions. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bok choy leaves. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a large glass baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the vegetables. Place, uncovered into the oven and bake for 35 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Serves 4
Pain Perdu
In honor of St. Anthony we are making Pain Perdu or “Lost Bread.”
What we call French toast, the French call Pain Perdu.
Baked in butter and served covered with powdered sugar, Pain Perdu is considered a dessert in France.
INGREDIENTS
6 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
12 Thick Slices French or Italian Bread
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Powdered Sugar
Preheat your oven to 400° F. In a large size bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon until well blended. Place the bread in a large shallow baking dish
slightly overlapping one another. It is best to use day old bread. If you don't have day old bread don't worry about it. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and let sit for 30 minutes.
Turn the bread with a spatula so that it gets evenly moistened halfway through the sitting time. Put the two oven racks in the middle of the oven. Place 3 tablespoons of the butter on
two baking sheets. Put in the oven and melt the butter for 1 minute. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and make sure that the butter covers the entire baking sheet evenly.
Arrange 6 slices of the soaked bread on each of the hot baking sheets. Make sure to space them evenly. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn them over to bake an additional 15
minutes. You will want the bread to be puffed and evenly browned. If you need to bake them a bit more then go ahead. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter.
Dust with powdered sugar. Serves 12
Organic Beer Can Chicken
I love cooking this chicken on a charcoal grill. You can use a gas grill or cook in the oven if you like. Cooking time should be between 1 to 2 hours depending on the size of your chicken and how hot your grill is. Be careful not to spill the HOT beer and burn yourself!
INGREDIENTS
1 Large Organic Whole Chicken
1/3 Cup Victoria’s Dry Rub or Your Favorite Spices
2 Fresh Limes
12 Garlic Cloves
4 Ounces Butter
1/2 Can of Beer
Wash and pat dry your whole chicken. Remove any giblets from the cavity. Pour out half of the contents the beer. You can drink it if you’re thirsty and don’t like to waste good beer! Place the chicken over the half full beer can that you placed in the rack. You can get these beer can chicken racks at hardware stores or online. These racks are about $5 in the hardware stores. Williams Sonoma has one for $30 which is a bit much I think. Stuff the neck cavity with the 12 garlic cloves so that you seal in the vapors. Slice two limes and squeeze the lime juice all over the skin. Mix your spices with the butter and smear all over the bird. Place on a prepared grill and cook, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.The juices should run clear. Remove from the grill and transfer to a serving platter. Let sit for 10 minutes and then serve. The one that I made last night was incredibly moist and full of flavor. Serves 4
If you cook in the oven place the chicken on the rack in a pie pan with a cup of water added to the pie pan. Cook at 350° F for 1 to 2 hours. Use a meat thermometer checking the thigh to make sure that the temperature reaches 180° F. When done use tongs and a long fork to carefully transfer the entire rack in its upright position to a serving platter. Let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from the rack.
Grilled Veal Chops
I love a thick grilled veal chop. For many of us, veal is a special treat, because it tastes so good. Veal is one of the leanest meats to eat and has the highest amount of protein of all meats. Veal is an ideal protein compliment to health conscious eaters who don’t want to give up meat.
INGREDIENTS
4 Veal Chops (12 Ounces Each/1 Inch Thick)
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
6 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
5 Crushed Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a medium size bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Arrange the veal chops in a glass baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chops and turn to coat. Let the chops marinate for 1 hour. Turn the chops over after 30 minutes so that both sides absorb the marinade. Prepare your barbecue to a medium high heat. Remove the chops from the marinade. Grill the chops for 6 minutes per side for medium-rare or until cooked to your desired doneness. Transfer the chops to a serving platter and serve with asparagus. Serves 4
Greek Yogurt Chicken
Because the chicken has marinated in the yogurt mixture overnight it comes out super moist. I love this recipe. If you don’t have a food processor then use a mixer. All you need is a little time to plan ahead.
INGREDIENTS
4 Chicken Breasts
10 Garlic Cloves
4 Green Onions
16 Ounces Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a food processor chop the garlic, onions (both white and green parts). Pulse for 30 seconds. Add the plain Greek yogurt, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Pulse for another 30 seconds. Pour the yogurt mixture into a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken breasts and put in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to cook the chicken remove from the ziplock bag and place on a broiler pan lined with aluminum foil. Throw away the left over marinade. Place the chicken breasts on the broiler pan and let sit for 10 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Serves 4
Avocado & Corn Salad
This salad is a nice change of pace and super easy to make. I served this salad with lamb chops last night.
INGREDIENTS
2 Peeled & Diced Avocados
2 Chopped Green Onions
10 Halved Cherry Tomatoes
1 Cup Fresh Cooked Corn
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 Ounces Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
In a large serving bowl, toss together the tomatoes, avocados, green onions, tomatoes and corn. Dust lightly with the black pepper and kosher salt. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving to blend the flavor. Serves 4
Super Moist Chocolate Layer Cake
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Cups Sugar
5 Eggs (Room Temperature)
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
4 Squares (1 Ounce Each) Melted & Cooled Unsweetened Chocolate
2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk or Sour Milk
Preheat your oven to 325° F. In a large size bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add alternately to the batter along with the buttermilk. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Remove from the pans and cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting:
1 Cup Softened Butter (2 Sticks)
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk or Cream
3 Squares (1 Ounce Each) Melted & Cooled Unsweetened Chocolate
In a large size bowl combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat at a low speed. Stir in the milk and melted chocolate. Beat until fluffy. Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread a thick layer of frosting. Place the second layer on top of the frosting and frost the top layer and sides. Serves 10
Homemade Ricotta
Homemade Ricotta sounds like a lot of work, I know, but trust me it is actually pretty darned easy. If you rinse the pot with cold water before pouring in the milk it will save you some serious cleanup. The reserved liquid whey can go into soups, stews and curries. It can also be used to cook pasta and rice. The liquid whey will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
INGREDIENTS
1 Gallon High Quality Organic Whole Milk
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/3 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (Typically 1 Large Lemon)
You will need a large colander for this recipe. Line the colander with a layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl (to save the whey). Wet the cheesecloth to hold it firmly in place. To make the ricotta you will need a large heavy pot. Rinse the pot with cold water before pouring in the milk. Bring the milk and salt to a gentle simmer over a medium high heat. Stir in the lemon juice and continue to simmer gently for 2 minutes. You want the curds to begin to form and float to the top. They will first look like spatters of white and then gather into soft clumps that look like little clouds. You will see the liquid begin to clear of cloudiness and the curds firming up, but not hard. This is when you need to scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Let the curds drain thoroughly in the colander. If the curds are very soft press gently to extract just a little of the moisture, but do not squeeze dry as you don’t want to dry out the cheese. Transfer your homemade ricotta to a large bowl. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Make 1 1/2 pounds.
