Mini Blueberry Breads
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Beaten Eggs
¾ Cup Butter Milk or Sour Milk
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Blueberries
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease 6 mini bread pans and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside. In another bowl combine the eggs, milk and olive oil. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. The batter should be lumpy. Add the blueberries until combined. Fill each mini bread pan two thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and serve warm. Makes 6 mini breads
Victoria’s Mojo Burritos
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Small Chopped Green Sweet Pepper
1 Clove Minced Garlic
¼ Cup Beer
1 Tablespoon Hot Chili Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Cup Cooked Rice
4 Ounce Can Diced Green Chile Peppers Drain or
4 Ounces Fresh Diced Green Chile Peppers
1 Large Chopped Tomato
8 Ten Inch Flour Tortillas
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Lettuce
Guacamole
Salsa
For the filling: In a large skillet cook the ground sirloin, onion, sweet pepper and garlic until the meat is brown and the onion is tender. Drain off the fat. Stir in the beer, chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook for 5 minutes until most of the beer has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked rice and chile peppers. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas tightly in foil. Heat a preheated 350° F oven for 10 minutes to soften. When you are ready to fill the tortillas, remove only half of them from the oven at a time. Keep the remaining tortillas warm in the oven. Spoon about ½ cup filling onto each tortilla just below the center. Top the filling with cheese and tomato. Fold the bottom edge of each tortilla up and over the filling. Fold the opposite sides in and over filling. Roll up the bottom and secure with wooden toothpicks if needed. Makes 8 delicious Mojo Burritos!
Chunky Guacamole
Don’t buy that horrible premade guacamole that you find expiring in the grocer’s refrigerated section. It’s easy to make your own and so much better. The secret to what makes my Chunky Guacamole so good is the lime juice. Lemons and limes are kitchen essentials.
INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Chopped Roma Tomatoes
1/4 Finely Chopped Red Onion
3 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Seeded & Chopped Jalapeno Chile
1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Clove Minced Garlic
2 Ripe Mashed Avocados
Tortilla Chips
In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, jalapeno and sour cream. Gently stir in the mashed avocados. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 2 cups
Gelato Affogato
Gelato Affogato means “drowned” gelato in Italian. A coffee based dessert that consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato topped with a shot of hot espresso. Some people also include a shot of Amaretto or dark rum.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pints Vanilla Gelato (or Ice Cream)
1 Cup Hot Espresso
3 Tablespoons of Amaretto or Dark Rum
Scoop the gelato or ice cream into six small goblets. Stir together the hot coffee and liqueur. Slowly pour the coffee over the gelato and serve immediately. Serves 6
Victoria’s Chocolate Chip Bars
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Softened Butter
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 ¼ Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
12 Ounces Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Combine the flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the softened butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Next, add the vanilla and chocolate chips. With your hands knead until smooth and place in an ungreased 8 inch glass baking dish. Pat the dough down so that it is even. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut dough into bars while still warm. Let cool another 10 minutes and remove from baking dish to a serving plate. Makes 15
Peach Melba
A classic dessert invented in the late 1800’s by French chef, Auguste Escoffier, at the Savoy Hotel in London. Chef Escoffier invented Peach Melba to honor the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba, who was performing in Wagner’s opera Lohengrin at Covent Garden. Peach Melba combines the two favorite summer fruits peaches and raspberries (raspberry sauce) and is serves with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
Poached Peaches:
3 Cups Water
½ Cup Sugar
Peel of 1 Lemon Removed In Strips
1 Vanilla Bean Split Lengthwise
½ Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Peach Schnapps
4 Just Ripe (Not Overly Ripe) Peaches
Raspberry Sauce:
2 ½ Pints Fresh Raspberries
½ Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Vanilla Ice Cream
Nuts Or Fresh Mint Leaves For Garnish (Optional)
For poaching the peaches combine the water, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla bean in a saucepan that is just large enough to hold the peaches with the liquid barely covering them. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and add ½ cup of the peach schnapps and the peaches. Cover the pan and cook at a very low simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the peaches are tender when pierced. Remove the peaches from the poaching liquid and place them on a plate to cool. The peaches can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before serving, cut the peaches in half and remove the pit and carefully peel off the skin and throw away the peach skin. Remove the lemon peels and vanilla bean from the poaching liquid. Throw away the peel and vanilla bean. Place the pan over high heat and reduce the liquid to about ¾ cup to concentrate the flavors. Cool to room temperature and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of peach schnapps. Store the syrup, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week. For the raspberry sauce, rinse the berries and place them in a small saucepan with the sugar. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes until the berries are softened and begin to break apart. Force the berry mixture through a fine mesh sieve and throw away the seeds. Add the lemon juice to the sauce and refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days. To assemble the Peach Melba dessert, place a scoop of ice cream in a bowl or large goblet. Top with 2 poached peach halves or sliced peaches. Spoon some of the poaching syrup over the ice cream. Next drizzle raspberry sauce over the peaches. Garnish with either chopped nuts or mint leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Old Fashioned Peppermint Ice Cream
In 1810 Peppermint Schnaps was invented by Paris candy maker, Francois Nicolas, to put on ice cream. Apparently, Napolean’s wife, Austrian Marie Louise Duchess of Parma, took the recipe back to Austria where it became popular as an ice cream dessert as well as a drink.
INGREDIENTS
4 Egg Yolks
1 ½ Cups Half & Half
1 Cups Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 cups Whipping Cream
4 ½ Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Good Quality Crushed Peppermint Candy Pieces
In a heavy saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, half & half, sugar and salt. Cook and stir over a low heat until the mixture reaches 160° F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and place the pan in a bowl of ice water. Stir for 2 minutes. Next, stir in the whipping cream and the vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. If you have time let it refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and fill the cylinder of the ice cream freezer 2/3 full. Make sure to refrigerate any of the remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Stir in the peppermint candy pieces. Pour into a storage container and place in the freezer 2 to 4 hours before serving. Serves 8
Peach Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Chopped Fresh Peaches
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Whole Milk
2 Large Beaten Eggs
1 Tablespoons Vanilla
2 Cups Half & Half
Combine the peaches with ¼ cup of the sugar and chill in the refrigerator. In the meantime combine 1 cup of the sugar with the cornstarch and salt in a medium sized saucepan. Slowly add the milk and to the sugar mixture and cook over a medium low heat. Stir constantly for 20 minutes until thickened. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and then add ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk. Next add the egg mixture to the saucepan containing the milk mixture and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla and half & half. Stir in the peaches and then freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s directions. If you need to do this in batches then go ahead. When done freeze in your freezer until ready to serve. Serves 8
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
I love homemade ice cream and vanilla has to be my favorite.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pint Whipping Cream
1 Pint Half & Half
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
Mix all ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Cover and chill until ready to use. Follow manufacturer’s directions to churn and freeze the ice cream. Place in your freezer until ready to eat. Your homemade ice cream will taste so much better than store bought. Serves 8
Corn Chowder
This corn chowder is a real summer treat! Serve with warm buttermilk biscuits.
INGREDIENTS
6 Medium Ears of Corn
5 Slices Diced Bacon
1 Medium Chopped Red Onion
1 Seeded and Chopped Jalapeno Chile
1 Chopped Garlic Clove
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Pound Chopped Red Potatoes
15 Ounces Chicken Broth
2 Cups Half & Half
2 Peeled, Seeded & Chopped Ripe Tomatoes
5 Thinly Sliced Basil Leaves
Cut the corn kernels from the cobs. This will yield about 3 cups. Keep 3 of the cobs and throw the other 3 away. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Reserve the bacon drippings. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Crumble the bacon and set aside. In the Dutch oven add the onions and jalapeno to the bacon drippings. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 more minute. Next, stir in the potatoes, the three reserved corncobs, the chicken broth and the half & half. Heat to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Throw away the corncobs and stir in the reserved corn kernels. Heat through. Transfer the chowder to a warm soup tureen or a large serving bowl. Stir in the tomatoes and sprinkle with the bacon and basil. Serves 8
