Tomato And Arugula Salad With Portobello Mushrooms And Grilled Steak
An easy weeknight dinner. Add some roasted baby potatoes or grilled garlic bread to complete the meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 Large New York Strip Steak
2 Portobello Mushrooms (Stems Removed)
3 Cups Arugula (Remove Stems, Wash & Spin Dry)
2 Tomatoes (Cored & Cut Into Wedges)
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic – Divided
5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Plus 2 Tablespoons
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/8 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Mix ½ Teaspoon of the garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small bowl. Brush some of the olive oil on each side of the mushrooms first and then the rest on the steak. Sprinkle the mushrooms and steak with the sea salt and pepper. Set aside and start the grill.
In another bowl, mix the other ½ teaspoon of garlic with the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Whisk in 5 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add 2 pinches of the sea salt and pepper.
Grill the steak and mushrooms. When done remove from the grill. While the steak is resting, add the arugula to the small mixing bowl and moisten with some of the vinaigrette. Turn arugula out onto a serving platter. Top with the tomatoes. Slice the mushrooms thin, place throughout the salad. Slice the steak thinly and cut the pieces in half. Drizzle the steak tomatoes and mushrooms with additional dressing and sprinkle with a little more salt. Add to the salad and serve. Serves 2
Chocolate Root Beer Cake
I love this cake. You can taste the root beer, but it isn’t overpowering.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Eggs
½ Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
6 Tablespoons Root Beer Extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a bundt cake pan. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, cocoa powder and 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture just to boiling and stir constantly. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa mixture to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add the eggs, butter, milk, vanilla and root beer extract. Beat for another minute until the batter is thin. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. You can either sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting. Serves 8
Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
In a saucepan combine ¼ cup butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of buttermilk. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Add 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour the warm frosting of the cake and spread evenly.
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
Adding avocado to this smoothie really thickens it up and adds healthy fats to the equation.
INGREDIENTS
1 Ripe Avocado
1 Cup Wild Blueberries
4 Ice Cubes
1 Tablespoon Agave Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Cup of Milk
Combine all of the ingredients into a blender or a food processor. Pulse for 1 minute and pour into tall glasses. If you do not want to use milk you can substitute with rice milk, soy milk or coconut water. Serves 2
Baked Pears With Marsala Wine
INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Lemon
8 Firm Bosc Pears
1/3 Cup Sugar Plus 2 Tablespoons
½ Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Take a small knife and remove the peel from the lemon in strips. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. With a melon baller, remove the cores from the bottom of the unpeeled pears, but do not remove the stems. With a pastry brush, brush the insides of the pears with the lemon juice, then sprinkle the insides of the pears with the lemon juice. Next, sprinkle the insides with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. In a shallow 2 quart baking dish, mix the lemon peel strips, Marsala and 1/3 cup of water. Place the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar on the sheet of waxed paper. With the pastry brush, brush the pears with the melted butter. Roll the pears in the sugar to coat. Place the pears, cored ends down, in the baking dish. Sprinkle with any remaining sugar. Bake the pears, basting with the syrup in the dish, for 45 minutes until fork tender. Slightly cool or serve warm. Serves 8
Summer Pasta Salad With Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Corn & Basil
A simple pasta dish that offers a winning summertime combination of tomatoes, corn, basil and fresh mozzarella. It is great for any backyard food affair because it goes with just about everything. Dress this salad just before serving as the pasta absorbs the dressing and you may need additional lemon juice or oil.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Penne Pasta
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 ½ Cups Fresh Corn
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 ½ Cups Fresh Mozzarella (Cut Into Tiny Cubes)
4 Tomatoes (Cored & Diced)
Zest From 1 Lemon
1 Cube Basil Leaves (Rinsed & Dried)
Dressing
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Aged Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Finely Minced Garlic Clove
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil For Pasta
½ Teaspoon Salt
Bring the water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta. About two minutes before the pasta is done add the corn. Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente. Drain both the pasta and corn. DO NOT rinse. Add 1 tablespoons olive oil to the cooling pasta to keep from sticking. Shake to distribute the oil and set aside to cool.
To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, olive oil and salt. Before serving, combine the pasta and corn with the fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and lemon zest. Mix in the dressing and gently slice the basil into thin strips and add to the salad. Serve immediately. Serves 10
Blueberry Crumble
Who doesn’t love blueberries?! Blueberry Crumble is such a simple and delicious dessert. Something about it just warms the tummy!
INGREDIENTS
Blueberry Filling
2 Pints Fresh Blueberries
1/3 Cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
Topping
1 Stick Butter
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
½ Cup Oats
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon Salt
The first thing that you will need to do is to make the topping. Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the butter until it is all crumbly and the largest butter chunks are pea sized. Next toss the blueberries with sugar, flour and lemon juice. Transfer the blueberry mixture to a buttered 9 inch baking dish. Spread the crumble on top and bake in 350° F oven for 40 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling gently through the crumble. Serve warm. Serves 6
Cold Watermelon Soup
More and more farm stands and supermarkets have a variety of melons in the summer. Watermelon is one of the ultimate tastes of summer.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds Juicy Watermelon
½ Cup Chablis
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Mint
Lime Slices For Garnish – Optional
Cut off the watermelon rind. With a melon baller, but out 8 balls of watermelon fruit and reserve them for garnish. Remove all the seeds, cut the watermelon into rough chunks and spin them in a food processor. Add the wine, lime juice and chopped mint. Puree until smooth. Chill for several hours. Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish with reserved melon balls and lime slices. Serve 4
Victoria’s Garden Party Cake
This cake is so easy to make! People will think you spent all day in the kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Stick Butter (Room Temperature)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Orange
2 Jumbo Eggs
2 Cups Flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Crème Fraiche
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
2 Ripe Peaches (Pitted & Sliced In Half)
¼ Cup Fresh Raspberries For Serving
Whipped Cream For Serving
Preheat the oven to 375° F and grease a nonstick 9 inch sprinform pan. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon & orange juices plus the zests and combine. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Follow with the dry ingredients, but do not overmix. Add the crème fraiche and combine briefly. Scrape the sides so that all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the raspberries evenly around the cake. Set the peaches in the batter, in a circle, with the cut sides up. Place the pan on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Let the cake cool completely. Serve plain or with fresh berries and whipped cream. You can substitute blueberries for the peaches if you wish.
Serve 8
Haricots Verts, Almonds, Cherry Tomatoes & Goat Cheese Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Pounds Haricot Verts
2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes
½ Cup Sliced Toasted Almonds
2 Thinly Sliced Shallots
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¾ Cup Crumbled Goat Cheese
Steam the beans over boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove immediately and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain well and lay on paper towels to further dry. In a large serving bowl combine beans, tomatoes and toasted almonds. In a small bowl combine shallots, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Whisk well and pour over haricot vert mixture. Gently combine and top with goat cheese. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6
**To Toast Almonds – Toast In A 400° F. Oven On A Cookie Sheet For 4 Minutes.
Victoria’s Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
This recipe was inspired by my mother’s custard filled sponge cake. Pour yourself a big glass of super cold milk or a cup of dark coffee and enjoy one or two of these sinful delights.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour (plus more to coat the tins)
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Softened Butter (plus more to coat the tins)
3 Jumbo Organic Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter and flour standard muffin tins. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer on high speed for 5 minutes until thick and pale. Beat in the dry ingredients. Bring the milk and butter to a boil and will the mixer on low speed add the milk mixture to the batter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla. Divide the batter among the muffin cups making sure to fill each half way. Bake cupcakes for 15 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes and ONLY 10 minutes or they will stick. Then transfer to wire racks and let cool. Using a serrated knife cut each in half horizontally. Spread a spoonful of vanilla custard on each cupcake bottom. Sandwich with the top. Spoon glaze over each and serve immediately.
CUSTARD INGREDIENTS
5 Tablespoons Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Cup Scalded Milk
1 Slightly Beaten Egg
1 ½ Teaspoon Butter
½ Teaspoon Vanilla
Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a small bowl. Scald the milk on medium heat (nearly boiling). Add the first three ingredients and stir over a medium heat until thick. Remove from the heat and add some of the warm milk mixture into the beaten egg and mix. Slowly add this to the remaining warmed milk. Cook long enough to cook the egg which should be for about 1 minute. Stir the custard constantly. Add the butter and vanilla and stir. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and cover with waxed paper directly on the surface of the custard to avoid a hard skin. Chill in the refrigerator. This can be made a day ahead.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE INGREDIENTS
¾ Cup Heavy Cream
4 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate
2 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool slightly. Stir often. Drizzle over cupcakes immediately! Makes 12
