Cheesy Quesadillas
It’s hot out and who wants to turn on the oven. Serve with my Chunky Guacamole and you’ve got a quick no-fuss dinner. These quesadillas can also be served as an appetizer or a light lunch. Easy to double or triple this recipe too.
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Flour Tortillas (8 Inches)
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
2 Tablespoons Minced Jalapenos
Olive Oil
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Heat a large non-stick skillet over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Put 1 tortilla in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes until soft and puffed slightly at the edges. Turn the tortilla over and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the tortilla and place on a cutting board. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and 1 tablespoon minced jalapenos over half of the tortilla. Make sure to leave about 1/2 inch boarder around the edges. Fold the tortilla in half over the filling. Press to flatten. Brush the tops generously with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with the kosher salt. Set aside and repeat the process with the second tortilla. Place the quesadillas back in the skillet with the oiled side down. Cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat until crisp and browned. Brush the tops with the remaining oil and sprinkle lightly with the remaining kosher salt. Turn the quesadillas and cook for another 2 minutes until crisp and browned. Remove the quesadillas and place back on the cutting board. Let cool for 4 minutes. If you don’t let the quesadillas cool the cheese will ooze out when cut. Cut into quarters and serve with Chunky Guacamole. Serves 4
Green Bean Sauté
I am a big fan of crunchy vegetables. After picking up a couple pounds of organic green beans from the farmers’ market I decided to make my Green Bean Sauté. Some people like to blanch their vegetables before throwing them in the sauté pan, but I prefer the extra crunch.
INGREDIENTS
3 Pounds Trimmed & Stringless Green Beans
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
5 Sliced Garlic Cloves
1 Large Sliced Shallot
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots. Cook for 1 minute. Make sure that the garlic and shallots don’t burn. Add the green beans, salt & pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and place in a serving bowl. Serves 4
Simple Beets
Even as a kid I have loved beets and I still love them today. Beets are one of those vegetables that I could eat every day. Whenever I go to the farmer’s market the first thing I usually pick up are an assortment of fresh beets. I usually pickle them, but sometimes I like to make Simple Beets which are basically naked little things. When choosing beets it is important to select small or medium sized beets. The roots should be firm and the skin smooth & deep in color. The smaller beets may be so tender that you may not have to peel them after they are cooked. Pass on beets that are soft or have bruises or spots. These are signs that the roots are old, fibrous and tough.
INGREDIENTS
1 Bunch Beets
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
Wash your beets and trim the ends before cooking. Fill a medium size pot with water and add the kosher salt and washed beets. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes or more depending on how large your beets are. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork or the tip of a knife into the beet. When done, remove from the heat and gently rinse under cold running water. The skins should slip right off. Slice the beets and serve warm or at room temperature. You can dress the beets with a vinaigrette dressing or add sweet onion, parsley and hardboiled egg slices for a healthy salad. If you are mixing beets with other vegetables or adding to a salad it is a good idea to cook and dress the beets separately and add them last because their intense color will seep into all of the other vegetables. Beet juice can stain your skin so wearing kitchen gloves may be a good idea when you are handling the beets. If your hands do become stained all you need to do is rub some lemon juice on them to remove the beet stain. Serves 2
Burrata, Tomato & Basil Salad
This salad is very similar to a caprese salad. The burrata is silky on the outside and creamy on the inside which boasts a richly sweet and milky flavor. Since burrata is a delicate cheese it should be handled as little as possible. I love this salad so much. It is great as a main dish by itself or layered with strips of grilled steak. It also makes a nice appetizer or side dish. The perfect combination of flavors and textures make this delicious salad truly magical.
INGREDIENTS
3 Ripe Tomatoes
12 Ounces Burrata Cheese
25 Fresh Basil Leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Cut the tomatoes into slightly thick slices. Very carefully slice the burrata cheese into slices. On a large shallow platter layer alternating the slices of tomatoes and burrata and top with basil leaves. Drizzle the salad with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6
Strawberry Milkshakes
It’s hot out and time for a good old fashioned Strawberry Milkshake!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Pound Fresh Strawberries
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Pint Good Quality Vanilla Ice Cream
1/2 Cup Milk
Hull and slice the strawberries. Place the sliced strawberries in a medium size mixing bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla extract. Stir to combine and let sit out for 1 hour. In a food processor or mixer place the strawberry mixture, ice cream and milk and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately. Serves 2
Victoria’s Blueberry Crisp
This is a great dessert to make while blueberries are in season. If you bring my blueberry crisp to a picnic or potluck you are sure to be a big hit.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Fresh Blueberries
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Topping:
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
12 Tablespoons Cold Butter
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Pour the blueberries into a 9 inch glass baking dish. In a medium size bowl combine 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 4 tablespoons unbleached flour and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the blueberries and gently mix. For the topping combine 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup unbleached flour, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 12 tablespoons gold butter in a medium size bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. You can achieve this by using either a pastry blender or two forks. Sprinkle the topping over the blueberries and bake in the oven for 50 minutes until your crisp is bubbly around the edges. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6
July 4th S’Mores
The first published recipe for S’Mores is attributed to Loretta Scott Crew whose recipe appeared in 1927’s Tramping and Trailing With The Girl Scouts. Graham crackers with melted marshmallows and chocolate prepared over a campfire, this camping favorite is great for our nation’s birthday! Since 1927 there have been many variations of the famed S’More.
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Marshmallows
4 Graham Crackers
4 (1.5 Ounce) Chocolate Bar
Heat the marshmallows over an open fire until they begin to brown and melt. Careful not to burn them. Break the graham crackers in half. Place the chocolate bars between the graham crackers and the hot marshmallows. Let the marshmallows cool a bit before eating so that you don’t burn your mouth.
Makes 4 S’Mores.
Here are some inventive variations that you might want to try. Use shortbread cookies instead of graham crackers. Use Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups instead of chocolate bars. Use chocolate graham crackers instead of regular graham crackers and marshmallow fluff instead of toasted marshmallows. How about using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate and a bit of blackberry preserves on your graham crackers? Or try using Nutella instead of chocolate. Throw on some raspberries while you’re at it.
OR you could make a S’Mores Milkshake.
Broil 8 marshmallows and turn until both sides are brown. In a food processor or mixer blend 1 pint of chocolate ice cream, 3/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt and 6 of the toasted marshmallows. Top with crushed graham crackers and the 2 remaining toasted marshmallows. Makes 2 milkshakes.
Grilled Corn With Paprika Butter
Grilled corn is heaven. Slather your grilled corn with paprika butter and you will be in nirvana.
INGREDIENTS
4 Ears Of Corn
1/2 Stick Softened Butter
2 Grated Garlic Cloves
1/4 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Rosemary
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Boil the corn in salted water for just 5 minutes until tender. You do not want to overcook the corn. Remove the corn from the water and let rest for a few minutes before placing on the grill. Place the ears of corn on your hot grill and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side (four sides). Make sure not to let the corn burn. Remove from the grill and spread with the paprika butter. To make the paprika butter mix the butter, garlic, smoked paprika, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Serves 4
Saturday Morning Blueberry Pancakes
Weekends are made for pancakes. My Saturday Morning Blueberry Pancakes are easy to make and are absolutely delicious!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Beaten Egg
1 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Pint Washed & Stemmed Blueberries
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl mix the egg, milk, vanilla and olive oil. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir only enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Add the blueberries. Do NOT beat the batter or the pancakes will be tough. For thinner pancakes add more milk and lightly mix. Cook on a hot skillet or griddle that has been lightly oiled with olive oil. Turn the pancakes only once. Serve with your favorite syrup. Makes 12 five inch pancakes.
Thyme Lemonade
Since the weather has turned hot I have to admit that I’ve been really into making iced drinks lately. Lemonade is hard to beat as the summer beverage. Here is a nice variation on the much loved basic lemonade. If you want to make this an adult drink then add 6 ounces of vodka and make sure to hide your “amped” lemonade from the kids!
INGREDIENTS
1 Bunch Thyme
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Water
2 Cups Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Cups Cold Water
Extra Thyme Sprigs For Garnish
Lemon Slices For Garnish
In a medium saucepan bring the thyme, sugar and water to a simmer over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Strain the sugar water into a pitcher filled with ice. Now stir in the lemon juice and the cold water. Serve over ice with thyme sprigs and lemon slices for garnish. Serves 4
