Beer Marinated Chicken Cutlets
I’m a big fan of marinating meats. I marinate a lot of my meats in beer. All you need is a bottle of your favorite beer and a little planning ahead.
INGREDIENTS
1 Bottle of Beer
8 Ounces Italian Bread Crumbs
8 Pieces of Skinless Chicken (About 2 Pounds)
2 Beaten Eggs
1 Cup Flour
6 Ounces Olive Oil
6 Tablespoons Grated Romano Cheese
Garnish With Chopped Parsley
Marinate the chicken overnight in a ziplock bag filled with your favorite beer. Remove the chicken from the beer when you are ready to cook. You will need 3 separate bowls. One for the bread crumbs; one for the beaten eggs; one for the flour. Dredge the chicken in the flour first. Next in the beaten eggs and then thoroughly coat with the bread crumbs. Place the olive oil in a large size fry pan. Fry the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to drain the excess oil. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the Romano cheese and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 4
Deep Dish Rhubarb Pie
Many people are hesitant to cook with rhubarb. Rhubarb is, botanically speaking, a vegetable, and eaten like fruit. The stalks are best picked when they are young and ready for eating in the spring and early summer. The leaves should be thrown away as they are poisonous.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Pink Rhubarb
2 Ounces Gingerroot
8 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Powdered Sugar
Pastry:
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
8 Tablespoons Butter
7 Tablespoons Water To Mix
Milk To Glaze
Preheat your oven to 425º F. Trim and thickly slice the rhubarb. Place in a large size bowl. Chop the ginger and add to the sliced rhubarb. In a small size bowl combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add the sugar & cornstarch mixture to the rhubarb mixture. Set aside. In a large size bowl combine the flour, kosher salt and ground ginger. Cut in the butter. Add 7 tablespoons water to make the dough manageable. Roll the dough out to fit the top of the pie plate. Transfer the rhubarb mixture to a 3 cup pie pan. Cover the pie pan with the pastry dough. Crimp and decorate the edges. Brush the pastry with milk. Place onto a baking sheet and bake at 425º F for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350º F and bake for 20 to 30 minutes more until the crust is pale golden and the rhubarb tender. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve. Make 1 deep dish pie.
Pecan Pancakes
Pecan Pancakes are super easy to make and a nice spin on the run of the mill pancake. Make mom happy this morning with this addition to your Mother’s Day Brunch menu.
INGREDIENTS
11/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Whole Milk
3 Beaten Eggs
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
In a large size bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In a separate large size bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add the chopped pecans and incorporate. Heat a griddle or a large frying pan over a medium heat. Get the griddle or frying pan hot and brush on melted butter to coat. Working in batches pour generous 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly. You will want the pancakes to be golden brown on the bottom. Turn the pancakes over and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side. Remove and transfer to a warm platter. Cover loosely with foil. Make sure not to stack the pancakes or they will steam and get flabby. Repeat until all of the batter has been used. Arrange three overlapping pancakes on each of the plates. Add butter to the pancakes and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve. Makes about 12 pancakes & serves 4
Mother’s Day Macadamia Nut Brownies
Make your mother the ultimate brownie. Trust me she deserves it!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Butter
3 Ounces Coarsely Chopped Unsweetened Chocolate
1 Cup Sugar
2 Room Temperature Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
8 Ounces Chopped Macadamia Nuts
In a medium size saucepan heat and stir the butter and chocolateover a low heat until both are smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Preheat your oven to 350º F. Line an 8x8x2 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Leave extra extending over the edges of the pan so you can remove the brownies easily. Stir the sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla extract. Add the eggs and beat with a wooden spoon. In a small size bowl combine the flour and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. Stir until combined. Add the chopped macadamia nuts and give a good stir. Pour the batter into the parchment paper lined baking pan. Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. Cool completely. Remove from the pan by lifting with the parchment paper. Place onto a hard surface and cup into brownies squares. Transfer to a serving platter. Makes about 16 brownies depending on how large or small you cut them.
**If you don't have macadamia nuts then used chopped walnuts.
Cherry Almond Quick Bread
If you need Mother’s Day Brunch ideas how about baking up my Cherry Almond Quick Bread.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Chopped Dried Tart Cherries
3/4 Cup Milk
3 Eggs
8 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Either grease or line with parchment paper an 8×4 inch loaf pan. In a large size bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cherries and toss to distribute evenly. In a separate medium size bowl whisk together the milk, butter, eggs and almond extract. Add to the flour mixture. Stir until combined, but make sure not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Remember that every oven heats differently so check at 50 minutes. Remove from the oven when done and transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes and then turn the loaf out onto a rack. Let cool completely. Makes 1 loaf
Za’atar Pita Chips
These Za’atar Pita Chips are really pretty addictive. They are baked so they are much healthier than deep fried chips. If you want to leave the za’atar off then just use kosher salt and pepper as your seasoning.
INGREDIENTS
12 Pita Bread Pockets
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Victoria’s Za’atar
Preheat your oven to 400º F. Slice each pita bread into 10 triangles. Place the triangles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. In a small size bowl combine the olive oil and the za’atar. Brush each triangle with the oil & za’atar mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. You will want them to be light brown and crisp. Be careful because if left unattended they will burn. Serves 12
*If you need my za’atar recipe it’s on my website or send me an email and I’ll send you some.
Old-Time Honey Cake
This Old-Time Honey Cake is a light cake that is great by itself or paired with a good quality butter pecan ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
3/4 Cup Butter
1 Cup Honey
1 Egg (Room Temperature)
1/2 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
Preheat your oven to 375º F. Move the oven rack to the middle position. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder, kosher salt, ground ginger and ground nutmeg. Set aside. In a large size bowl beat the butter and the honey until nice an fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Add the buttermilk and beat another 30 seconds. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low for 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix as it often will lead to a tough cake. Pour the batter into a prepared bundt pan. Place into the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remember that each oven heats differently so make sure to check at 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 20 minutes on a cooling rack. Remove the cake from the pan after 20 minutes and place onto a cake plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8
Mango Chutney
Chutneys are condiments that are made of fruits or vegetables cooked in vinegar, sweetened with sugar or dried fruit and flavored with spices. Chutneys should be smooth and pulpy with a mellow flavor and are best left to mature to blend flavors for at least a couple of weeks. Use as an accompaniment with meats, curries, cheese, savory pies or as a sandwich filling.
INGREDIENTS
6 Peeled & Thinly Sliced Ripe Mangos
1 1/4 Cups Cider Vinegar
1 1/3 Cups Light Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Ounce Peeled & Chopped Fresh Gingerroot
2 Crushed Garlic Cloves
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
In a large size saucepan cook the sliced mangoes and vinegar over a low heat for 12 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chili powder and kosher salt. Turn the heat up to medium high and slowly bring to a boil. Stir well. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Wash one 1/2 pint canning jar in very hot and soapy water. Rinse well. Ladle the hot chutney into the cleaned jar. If you are increasing this recipe then you will need more jars so make sure to plan accordingly. Fill almost to the top of the jar, but leave just a tad bit of room. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean damp cloth. Place the lid on the jar and close tightly. Place the filled jar(s) into a boiling hot water bath. Remove from the hot water bath and set on a wire rack or towel to cool. Let cool for 12 hours. Store in a cool place until ready to use. Makes 1/2 pint.
Sopa Avocado
This is beautiful green soup that is terrific served hot or cold. Make sure that you have good quality avocados for this soup. Garnish with sour cream, diced tomatoes and green onions.
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Avocados
6 Cups Chicken Broth
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Diced Tomato
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
2 Diced Green Onions
Cut the avocados into halves and remove the pits. Scoop out the flesh into a small size bowl. In a medium size sauce pan add 4 cups of the chicken broth and turn the heat to medium low. Pour the remaining 2 cups chicken broth into either a blender or food processor. Add the avocado flesh, kosher salt, pepper and pulse to a smooth puree. Pour the avocado mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine with the heated chicken broth. Cook for 10 minutes on medium low. Do not let this soup boil. Remove from the heat and pour into individual bowls. Garnish with diced tomatoes, diced green onions and sour cream. Serves 4
Shrimp Tacos
Healthy and delicious Shrimp Tacos are just in time for Cinco de Mayo! You can either sauté the shrimp or grill them on your grill. Either way you’re sure to have a delicious feast.
INGREDIENTS
Vegetables:
1/2 Sliced Red Onion
1/2 Sliced Into Thin Strips Orange Bell Pepper
1/2 Sliced Into Thin Strips Yellow Bell Pepper
1/2 Sliced Into Thin Strips Red Bell Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Mexican Oregano
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Juiced Lime
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Shrimp:
1 Pound Raw Shrimp That Has Been Deveined & The Tails Removed (Fresh Not Frozen)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Seasoning
Corn Tortillas
In a large size bowl combine all of the vegetable ingredients and set aside. In a separate large size bowl combine the shrimp, kosher salt, pepper and chipotle seasoning. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet or sauté pan over a high heat until hot. Add the olive oil to the pan. Add the shrimp and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp turns a bright pink. Stir constantly. When the shrimp are done remove from the heat. Spoon the vegetable mixture into a corn tortilla and top with the shrimp. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro is you like. Serve guacamole, salsa, grilled chiles and limes if you like. Makes about 6 tacos.
**Chipotle Seasoning is a powdered seasoning that blends chipotle chile powder, salt and spices. It is such a versatile seasoning that goes with many dishes.
