Garlic Chicken
So much garlic and so good. If you’re a garlic lover then you will truly enjoy this chicken dish. Just make sure that your partner eats this dish along with you. A tasty way to keep the vampires away!
INGREDIENTS
12 Chicken Thighs
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3 Heads of Garlic (Separated Into Cloves)
1 Chopped Parsley Sprig
1 Teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place the chicken thighs in a Dutch oven. Salt and pepper the chicken thighs. I a medium size bowl mix the remaining ingredients and spoon them over the chicken. Place aluminum foil over the top of the Dutch oven. You don’t want the garlic to burn. Bake for 80 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Serve with toasted French bread or mashed potatoes. 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
Everyday Meatballs
I love these basic meatballs especially topped on a pile of pasta covered in a red sauce. Just a basic gal I guess.
INGREDIENTS
16 Ounces Hot or Mild Ground Italian Sausage
1 Lightly Beaten Egg
1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Chop the onion into fine pieces. In a large bowl combine the egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, milk and chopped onions. Add the sausage to the bread crumb mixture and mix well with your hands and shape into 20 meatballs. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta and favorite sauce. Also is great for making a delicious grinder. Serves 6
Baked Chicken Topped With Fresh Corn Salsa
A light and healthy dish that is great for this hot summer weather.
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Chicken Breasts (Bone-In & Skin On)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Cups Fresh Corn Salsa
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place each chicken breast on the baking sheet. Drizzle each with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 35 minutes until done. The juices should run clear. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Plate each chicken breast and top with ½ cup of my fresh corn salsa. 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.
Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
I like to make my pasta sauces ahead of time so when I need to make a quick meal I have the makings of a quick meal handy. If you don’t know what to do with all of those summer tomatoes then here is the recipe for you!
INGREDIENTS
6 Garlic Bulbs
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Red Bell Peppers (Halved & Seeded)
25 Peeled Tomatoes
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Combined Chopped Herbs (Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Basil)
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Peel away the dry outer layers of skin from the garlic bulbs. Leave the skins and cloves intact. Cut off the pointed top portions which should be about a half inch. You want to leave the bulbs intact, but expose the individual cloves. Put the garlic bulbs, cut sides up, in a small baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cover with foil and set aside. Cut the red peppers in half and throw away the seeds. Place the peppers, cut side down, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and drizzle the peppers with the rest of the olive oil. Place both the garlic and the peppers in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. The pepper skins should be rather charred and the garlic cloves should be soft. Remove from the oven and cool the garlic on a wire rack until cool enough to touch. Let the peppers stand for 20 minutes until they are cool enough to handle. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and throw them away. Chop the peppers and set aside. Remove the garlic cloves from the papers by squeezing the bottoms of the bulbs. Put the garlic cloves in either a blender or food processor. Cut the peeled tomatoes into chunks and add some of the chunks to the food processor with the garlic. Cover and process until chopped. Transfer the chopped garlic and tomatoes to a large heavy pot. Repeat the chopping of the remaining tomatoes. Do this in batches, in the food processor, and then all of the tomatoes to the pot. Add the brown sugar, salt, vinegar and freshly ground pepper to the tomato mixture. Bring to a boil and boil for 50 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the chopped red peppers to the mixture. Continue boiling for 20 minutes more until the mixture is reduced to about 11 cups and reaches the desired sauce consistency. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the assorted herbs (any combination of herbs will do). You can use this sauce immediately or freeze. This sauce is also great if you feel like canning them. Makes about 6 pints.
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
Pork Ribs
These ribs are delicious and easy to make. They make a great Sunday dinner and the great thing is that you don’t even need a grill to make them. Just pop them into the oven and dinner is ready. I always like to get pork ribs with the bone-in rather than the boneless. I think the bone gives more flavor.
INGREDIENTS
3 Pounds Bone-In Pork Ribs
5 Tablespoons Apricot Preserves
1/3 Cup Ketchup
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Teaspoons Grated Fresh Ginger
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
Preheat your oven to 350° F. If the ribs need cutting so they are serving size pieces then do so now. Put the ribs into a large Dutch oven. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Drain the water and set the ribs aside while you prepare the sauce. For the sauce you will need to put the preserves into a medium size bowl. Cut up any large pieces of apricots and stir the preserves. Add the ketchup, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Stir until well combined. Brush both sides of the ribs with some of the sauce and then put the ribs, bone side down, on a shallow roasting pan. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. The ribs should be glazed and heated through. If you need to bake the ribs for longer than go ahead and do so. Remove from the oven. Before serving brush the ribs with the sauce that you have left. 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
Victoria’s Carrot Cake
If you’ve never eaten my Carrot Cake then you are in for a real treat. I rarely share this recipe and have had people beg me over the years to make my Carrot Cake for various occasions. Now you can make my cake in your own home.
INGREDIENTS
5 Lightly Beaten Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3 1/2 Cups Finely Shredded Carrots
3/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator and let them sit for 30 minutes to bring them to room temperature. Prepare two 8×1 1/2 inch round cake pans (grease well). In a large size bowl stir together the flour, surgar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In a separate large bowl combine the eggs, carrots, oil and vanilla. Slowly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined, but don’t over mix. Pour the batter evenly into the two greased cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes until done. Remove the cake pans from the oven and let them cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pans and allow the cake to completely cool on the wire racks. Assemble and frost the middle, sides and top with cream cheese frosting. Cover and store the cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serves 12
Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
1 Cup Softened Butter
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
7 Cups Powdered Sugar
In a large size bowl beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla with a mixer on medium until fluffy. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Beat for 2 minutes to make sure to get all of the powdered sugar lumps out and the frosting is at spreading consistency. If you need more powdered sugar feel free to add more. Makes about 4 cups.
