Garlic Mashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
5 Medium Potatoes (Peeled & Cut Into Eighths)
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Warm Milk
8 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Teaspoon Roasted Garlic
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
To roast the garlic preheat your oven to 350° F. Cut ¼ to ½ inch from the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Remove most of the outer skin from the bulb, leaving the bulb intact and the cloves unpeeled. Place the bulb, cut-side up, on an 8 inch piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Wrap in the foil and bake for 50 minutes until softened. Cool slightly. Separate the cloves and press the cloves slightly to squeeze out the softened garlic.
Place the potatoes in a 4 quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over a high heat and cook for 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, butter and garlic. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6
Slime Soup
I love soups and winter is the perfect time to create unique soups. I created this soup and absolutely love it. It is easy to make and extremely tasty!
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ Chopped Large Onion
1 Chopped Shallot
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
6 Large Basil Leaves
1 Cup Smoke Ham
10 Ounces Cooked Peas
8 Ounces Chicken Stock
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Heat the olive oil in a heavy large pot over a medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, shallots and sauté for 8 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the ham, basil leaves, salt, pepper, paprika and cooked peas. I like to use frozen peas. Stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and let sit for 5 minutes. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and puree. Return the soup to the pot and heat on low for 8 minutes. You can make this soup 1 day ahead. Serve warm. Serves 4
Old Time Soft Sugar Cookies
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Shortening
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
¾ Cup Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
Topping: ¼ Cup Sugar & 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Cream together the shortening, sugar and brown sugar. Mix in the egg, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Drop the dough by round teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on either a lightly greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Combine the topping ingredients in a small size bowl and sprinkle on top of the cookie dough. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 8 minutes until set. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Rodeo Ribs
Cooking the ribs uncovered helps to thicken the barbeque sauce, which is best if made two days ahead. Cut the ribs into small pieces to they are easy to pick up.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds Beef Short Ribs (Cut Into 2 Inch Lengths)
1 ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Onion (Halved Lengthwise & Slivered)
1 Cup Beef Broth
2 Cups Rodeo Barbecue Sauce
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Sprinkle the ribs with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy covered pot over a medium high heat. Brown the ribs well for 8 minutes. Remove the ribs to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pot and wilt the onions over a low heat, scraping up the brown bits. Return the ribs to the pot, placing them atop the onion. Place the pot in the oven and cook, covered for 30 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook covered for 45 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and add 4 ½ cups of the Rodeo Barbecue Sauce. Stir the sauce into the broth and spoon it over the ribs. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes, basting once or twice. Skim and throw away the fat. Serve with extra sauce if you like. Serves 6
Victoria’s Easy Classic Lasagna
This lasagna doesn’t take much time to make at all. If you want to make this a vegetarian lasagna just leave out the ground sirloin. It is so much nicer to make dinner from scratch and sit around the table discussing the day. Add some garlic bread and a salad and you have the perfect family meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Lean Ground Sirloin
30 Ounces Ricotta Cheese
28 Ounces Tomato Sauce
12 Ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
8 Ounces (1/2 Of A 1 Pound Box) Lasagna Noodles
5 Ounces Grated Parmesan Cheese
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Cook the ground sirloin until browned. Add the tomato sauce to the browned sirloin and set aside. Cook the lasagna noodles until done (according to package instructions). Put the lasagna together by placing half of the noodles lengthwise in a 9×13 baking dish, covering the bottom. Spread half the Ricotta cheese over the noodles. Next, sprinkle half the Mozzarella cheese over the Ricotta cheese. Cover evenly with half of the meat sauce. Repeat with another layer. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until lightly browned and bubbling hot. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6
Teriyaki Burgers
If you are tired of the same old burger then try my Teriyaki Burger! You can use bottled Teriyaki Sauce or my homemade recipe. Both ways these burgers are tasty and everyone will love them.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Ground Sirloin
1/3 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce
6 Toasted Hamburgers Buns
6 Slices of Cheddar Cheese (Optional)
6 Hamburger Pickles
6 Lettuce Leaves
6 Onion Slices
6 Tomato Slices
½ Cup Mayonnaise
Combine the ground sirloin and 1/3 cup Teriyaki Sauce. Shape into 6 hamburger patties. Grill or broil for 3 minutes on each side. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the sauce halfway through cooking. If you want to add cheese then place the cheese slices on top of each burger at the end of cooking and let melt under the broiler for 30 seconds. Make sure that the cheese isn’t too thick or it will take too long to melt. Remove burgers from the oven and set aside. Spread both halves of the toasted buns with mayonnaise. Place the pickles, lettuce, burgers, onion and tomato on the bottom halves of the buns and cover with the top halves.
Makes 6 Teriyaki Burgers
Three Bean Chili
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Ground Sirloin
3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Small Chopped Onion
1 Small Chopped Green Pepper
30 Ounces Tomatoes
15 Ounces Chili Beans
15 Ounces Black Beans
15 Ounces Dark Red Kidney Beans
1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt
Brown the ground sirloin in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the chili powder and mix well. Add the onions and green pepper during the last 2 minutes. Drain off the excess grease. Stir in the beans and tomatoes. Add the garlic salt and stir. Lower the heat to simmer and let cook for 30 minutes. Serves 8
Ultimate Ginger Snaps
If you like Ginger Snaps, like I do, then you will love these. They are nice and chewy with just the right amount of ginger. You just might want to double the batch because they are sure to be a big hit.
INGREDIENTS
2 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Teaspoons Ground Cloves
½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
¾ Cup (1 ½ Sticks) Softened Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Dark Molasses
1 Large Egg
3 ½ Ounces Crystallized Ginger Chips
Preheat your oven to 375° F. Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Stir in the molasses and the egg. Add the dry ingredients to the ginger chips. For the best result, chill the dough for 1 hour. Form 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Make sure that they are about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven while the cookies are still soft. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a serving plate. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Oven Barbecued Spareribs
You’re going to need a shower after eating these!
INGREDIENTS
6 Pounds Pork Spareribs – Cut into 1 Rib Portions
6 Ounces Tomato Paste
¼ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
½ Cup Water
¼ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Grated Onion
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Salt
Preheat oven to 325° F. Arrange spareribs in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Roast spareribs for 1 hour. Meanwhile prepare glaze. In a medium bowl, combine tomato paste, brown sugar, water, honey, cider vinegar, olive oil, grated onion, chili powder and salt until well blended. Brush spareribs with glaze. Continue roasting ribs, brushing frequently with glaze, until ribs are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Serves 6
Toffee Ginger Shortbreads
I used my simple shortbread recipe and added toffee and crystallized ginger chips. These shortbread cookies came out amazingly delicious.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Pound Softened Butter
½ Cup Crystallized Ginger Chips
8 Ounces English Toffee Bits
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar and butter. Mix thoroughly. Add the ginger chips and English toffee bits and mix. The dough should be in the shape of a ball. Press the dough into a medium size baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper don’t worry. You don’t need to grease the pan. Prick the surface with a fork making evenly distribute perforations. Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 40 minutes until the shortbread is delicately brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut into squares and place onto a serving plate. Makes 32 shortbreads.
Note: I like to use Heath English Toffee bits.
