Twice Baked Potatoes
Talk about a guilty pleasure! Talk about the best of both worlds! I love baked potatoes and I love mashed potatoes. As a matter of fact, I don’t think that I have met a potato that I didn’t like. Twice Baked Potatoes takes some effort, but isn’t complicated. The payoff, however, is huge.
INGREDIENTS
4 Medium Baking Potatoes
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Half & Half
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Chives
1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Pierce the potatoes with a fork. Place in the oven and bake on the center rack for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven let stand for 10 minutes. Hold each potato with an oven mitt or dish towel and cut a lengthwise slice off the top. The potatoes will look like little canoes. Carefully scoop out the insides and place into a bowl. Make sure that you don’t scoop all of the insides out so the potatoes hold their shape. Mash the potato pulp with an electric mixer on a low speed. Add the butter, half & half, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chives. Beat for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. Spoon the mashed potato mixture back into the potato shells. Place onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the tops of the potatoes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot. Serves 4
Sweet Potato & Apple Gratin
Fall is around the corner and my Sweet Potato & Apple Gratin is the perfect fall dish. It’s easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Thinly Sliced Granny Smith Apples
1 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Melted Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Slices White Bread
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
2 Pounds Peeled and Chopped Sweet Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 400° F. In a large size bowl combine the apples and lemon juice. Add the sweet potatoes, maple syrup, butter, salt and pepper. Grease a 13×9 baking dish. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes and then stir the mixture. Bake for another 20 minutes after stirring. Put the bread in a blender or food processor and pulse until you have coarse bread crumbs. In a small size bowl combine the bread crumbs, olive oil and nutmeg. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the potato mixture. Bake for another 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8
Boston Baked Beans
Labor Day Weekend is coming up and you might want to round out your BBQ with my delicious Boston Baked Beans!
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Dry Navy Beans
1/2 Pound Salt Pork
2 Quartered Onions
1/2 Cup Dark Molasses
1/2 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Dry Mustard
2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Quart Boiling Water
Rinse the dry beans and cover with cold water in a pot. They will need to soak overnight. Drain and rinse the beans the next day. Preheat your oven to 225° F. Cut the salt pork into 1 inch thick slices. Put 1/4 cup of the salt pork and 4 onion quarters in the bottom of a bean pot. Fill the pot half full of the beans and repeat the pork and onion. Pour in the rest of the beans. Mix the molasses, brown sugar, maple syrup, tomato paste, mustard and pepper into the boiling water. Stir until all of the ingredients dissolves and then pour over the beans. Fill the pot with enough additional water to cover. Put any leftover salt pork on top. Put the lid on and bake for 4 to 5 hours. Check the beans for water level after 2 hours. Add a bit more water if needed. After 3 1/2 hours start checking for tenderness. Cooking times for beans vary. You’ll know when they are done. The last hour of cooking remove the lid and bake uncovered. Don’t worry if the beans are tender, but still soupy because they will absorb the liquid as they stand. Remove from the oven and let cook for 15 minutes before serving. When you do reheat them as leftovers you will probably need to add more water. Serves 12
Spinach Soup
Many times spinach can get lost in soups, but not this soup as it contains 12 cups of spinach. A touch of lemon adds a little something to complete the flavor of this beautiful soup. Garnish with either croutons or bacon bits.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Diced Onion
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
3 Cups Half & Half
2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
12 Cups Baby Spinach
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Croutons – Optional
Bacon Bits – Optional
In a large stock pot heat the olive oil over a medium high heat and sauté the onion for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the half & half and either chicken or vegetable broth. Stir and bring the soup to a simmer over a medium heat. Add the 8 cups of spinach and cook for 6 minutes. Reduce to a low heat. Cook for another 5 minutes. You can use one of these devices to puree: a handheld blender, a food processor or a blender. Puree all of the soup in batches, if needed, and return to the soup pot. If you are using a handheld blender then you may puree right in the pot. Stir in the remaining 4 cups of spinach. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute more. Ladle the soup into soup bowls. Garnish with croutons or bacon bits. Serves 8
*If you want to lower the fat content then use fat-free half & half.
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
I don’t know one person who can resist this weekend morning cake.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
3/4 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Softened Butter
2 Eggs
8 Ounces Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare a Large glass baking pan (13x9x2) by greasing it with butter or olive oil. In a medium size bowl combine the nuts, chocolate chips, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. This is for the filling. Set aside. In a small size bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large size bowl combine 1 cup of the sugar and butter. Beat with an electric mixer on a medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and beat for another minute. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture and beat for 1 minute. The batter will be thick, but the consistency should be smooth. Remove 1 cup of the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the filling over the top of the batter. Finally spoon the 1 cup of reserved batter over the filling in small mounds. Bake for 55 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8
Onion Rings
I allow myself the treat of eating onion rings about once a year. They are so naughty, but so good. Here is a great basic onion ring recipe. I made them with grilled burgers this evening.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Unbleached Flour
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 Sliced Medium Yellow or White Onions
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Deep Fryer or Large Skillet Filled With Vegetable Oil
To make the batter combine the flour, milk, egg and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium size bowl. Whisk the batter until it is nice and smooth. In a large skillet or deep fryer heat the oil to 375° F. Slice the onions into 1/4 inch thick slices and separate into rings. Using tongs or a fork, dip the onion rings into the batter. Drain off the excess batter. Fry the onion rings in the hot oil for 3 minutes. Be careful to fry only a few at a time so that you do not crowd the pan. You will want the onion rings to be golden brown. Stir once with a fork to make sure the rings stay separate. Remove the onion rings from the oil make sure to drain on a paper towel. Transfer to a serving platter and salt with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Serves 6
Victoria’s Risotto
This is my favorite risotto which should take only about 30 minutes to make from start to finish. My risotto is such a great dish for either a side dish or the main course.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Cooked Peas
1/4 Cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Minced Garlic Clove
2 Minced Shallots
2 1/2 Cups Beef Broth or Vegetable Broth
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 Cup Arborio Rice
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
In a heavy saucepan, over a medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic and shallots until they are soft. Add the kosher salt. In a separate saucepan bring the beef or vegetable broth and red wine to a fast simmer over a medium low heat. Add the rice to the olive oil pan. Stir well until all of the grains are coated and the rice becomes translucent. Add 1/4 cup of the broth mixture to the rice. Stir the rice well until the liquid is absorbed. The rice should still look moist and creamy. Add another 1/4 cup of the broth mixture to the rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Then pour in about a third of the remaining broth and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat. Stir occasionally. Add the rest of the broth and cook for another 10 minutes. The risotto will absorb the last of the liquid quickly. The risotto will be done when the kernels are soft, but with just a little bite at the center. There should be no liquid in the bottom of the pan and the risotto will be creamy and moist. If you need a bit more liquid then add a tablespoon or two of water. Stir in the cooked peas. At the very end add the butter and stir the risotto rapidly to incorporate. Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with diced green bell peppers and serve warm. Do not stir in the grated Parmesan cheese as it will make the risotto sticky and dry. Instead let each person top their own serving with Parmesan cheese if they wish. Serves 4
Corn Salsa
Is there anyone who doesn’t love a good salsa? This salsa can be made as hot or mild as you want it. Serve it with chips as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to eggs, tacos or grilled meats and fish.
INGREDIENTS
4 Ripe Plum Tomatoes
1 Ripe Slicing Tomato
3/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Cup Fresh Cooked Corn
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
3 Seeded & Minced Jalapeno Peppers
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Coarsely chop the tomatoes and put into a medium size bowl. Chop the onion into fine pieces and add to the tomatoes. Add the corn, cilantro, jalapeno peppers and salt. Toss to mix. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more before serving. Makes 2 cups.
Burrata Stuffed Peppers
I love this dish. You can either bake the burrata or leave it at room temperature. It is so easy to make and absolutely delicious.
INGREDIENTS
4 Small to Medium Sized Red Bell Peppers
16 Ounces Burrata
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Herb Paste
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Slice off the top of each pepper and then scoop out and throw away the membrane. Cut a think sliver off the bottom of the peppers so they will sit flat. Put the peppers on a parchment paper and drizzle the peppers with the olive oil. Place the peppers in the oven for 10 minutes. While the peppers are baking put the burrata in a medium size bowl and mix with a fork. Remove the peppers from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Fill the peppers with the burrata and place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Dot the herb paste on top of the burrata and all over the serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4
Organic Green Pea Pesto
Don’t know what to do with all of these wonderful summer vegetables? Here is a Pesto that you can make all year round. Delicious!
INGREDIENTS
10 Ounces Organic Cooked Peas
2 Ounces Fresh Basil Leaves
10 Garlic Cloves
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup Toasted Pistachios
You may use either organic fresh peas or frozen for this recipe. Mix all of the ingredients in either a blender or food processor and puree. Makes about 2 cups. Last night I tossed this pesto with 3 cups of cavatelli pasta (al dente) and it was excellent. Serves 4
