Spiced Pound Cake
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Nutmeg, Mace or Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
5 Eggs
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Soften the butter and add the spice of your choice and the salt. Beat for 4 minutes with an electric beater or 8 minutes by hand. Gradually blend in the sugar until fluffy, beating 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Finally, beat in the flour. Turn the mixture into a well greased and lightly floured bundt pan or 9×3 ½ inch tube cake pan. Preheat your oven to 350°. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out cleans. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out on a wire rack to finish cooling. Serves 8
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.
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.
Irish Stew
I have been making Irish Stew for years. The worst stew that I have ever had was when I went to Stonehenge a few years ago. There was this food cart outside of Stonehenge and I was super hungry. It was cold outside and I needed something to warm my tummy. I plunked down my money and got a paper bowl full of I don’t know what. I honestly didn’t know that someone could make stew that bad. At any rate, here is my recipe for Irish Stew that I am sure that you will love.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Pound Cubed Lamb
1 ½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Cups Peeled & Cubed Potatoes
1 Chopped Onion
1 Cup Diced Carrot
1 Diced Leek
4 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Cup Beer
1 Cup Tomato Juice
15 Ounces Beef Broth
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Thyme
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the lamb and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir for 7 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pan. Add the potatoes, onion, leeks, carrots and garlic. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pan and add the remaining salt, pepper and the other remaining ingredients. Continue to cook for 10 minutes until the stew comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Put the lid on and cook for 2 hours. Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Serves 6
