Ribs With Peaches
These ribs are great for dinner. Just put them in the slow cooker in the morning and when you come home from work you and your family will have a delicious meal. If you are having a party these ribs make a good appetizer.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds Pork Spareribs
1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Ketchup
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
15 Ounces Cubed Cling Peaches With Juice
Preheat your oven to broil. Put the ribs onto a foil lined broiler pan and broil for 10 minutes. Cut the ribs into serving size pieces. Place into your slow cooker. In a medium size bowl combine the brown sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, pepper and cubed peaches with their juice. Pour the mixture over the ribs and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours. If you don't have a slow cooker then put them in the oven at 250° for 4 to 5 hours. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Serves 4
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
I don’t know a single person that can resist mashed potatoes. The olive oil and garlic are what makes these mashed potatoes so great!
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds Quartered Red Potatoes
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves
2/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Softened Butter
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2/3 Cup Milk
4 Chopped Green Onions
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Fill a large stock pot with water and place the quartered potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Make sure that the potatoes are tender. You will now need to put the olive oil and garlic in either a food processor or blender. Process until the olive oil and garlic are well blended. When the potatoes are done you will need to drain them. DO NOT rinse the potatoes. Turn off the heat and return the potatoes to the stock pot and gradually add the cream, butter, milk, kosher salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes well. Stir in the green onions, garlic olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve nice and hot. These potatoes do not need gravy. Serves 6
Four Bean Salad
This is one of my favorite salads. Quite the guilty pleasure as it does have quite a bit of sugar. Sometimes I like to mix it with a green salad just to change it up a bit. My Four Bean Salad is great for a barbeque, picnic or potluck dinner.
INGREDIENTS
2/3 Cup Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Celery Salt
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Minced Garlic Clove
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
16 Ounces Drained Canned Garbanzo Beans
32 Ounces Drained Canned Green Beans
16 Ounces Drained Yellow Wax Beans
16 Ounces Drained Canned Red Kidney Beans
1 Diced Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Diced Red Onion
In a medium size bowl combine the sugar, celery salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a separate large bowl combine the garbanzo beans, green beans, yellow wax beans and red kidney beans. The beans should be well drained. Add the diced red bell pepper and diced red onion. Toss to combine the ingredients well. Pour the dressing over the beans and place in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. This salad needs to marinate. Serves 8
Fresh Corn Soup
I am certainly enjoying the corn harvest and have been making all sorts of corn dishes like corn salad, corn salsa, corn chowder, corn cakes and corn bread. Try making my corn soup with freshly picked corn. Make sure to use the fresh picked corn right away as it does have a tendency to lose some of its sweetness.
INGREDIENTS
1 Diced Onion
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
4 1/2 Cups Water
1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
5 Ears Freshly Picked Corn
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Carefully cut the kernels off the ears of corn. To do this, stand each ear of corn upright on its wide end, then use a serrated knife to carefully saw down the length of the cob, rotating and repeating until all of the kernels are removed. Set the kernels aside. Melt the butter in a large heavy soup pot. Add the diced onion, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the water and bring to a boil. Add the corn kernels and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes. In batches puree in a blender or food processor. Pour the pureed soup through a mesh strainer back into the cooking pot. Add the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Stir and heat for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with the remaining freshly ground pepper. Serves 4
Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Sometimes I just feel like having a muffin or two in the morning or for a mid-afternoon snack.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Lightly Beaten Eggs
3/4 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
3 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Cup Chocolate Chunks or Chocolate Chips
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Place muffin paper in 12 muffin cups. If your muffin tin has 12 cups then use that, but if your tin has 6 then use two tins or make the muffins in two batches. Set aside. In a medium size combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Set aside. In a medium size bowl combine the eggs, buttermilk and butter. If you don’t have buttermilk then use sour milk. To make sour milk pour 3/4 cup milk into a measuring cup, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. The batter should be lumpy. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Fill each half to two thirds full. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool in the muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the muffin cups and serve warm. Makes 1 dozen muffins.
Single Crust Pastry Dough
If you want to make a double crust then just double the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter – Cut Up
1/4 Cup Ice Water
In a medium size bowl stir together the flour and salt. With either two forks or a pastry blender cut in the butter until the pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the ice water over the flour mixture. Toss with one of the forks. Push the moistened pastry to the side of the bowl. Repeat the moistening of the flour mixture by using 1 tablespoon of the ice water at a time until the flour mixture is moistened and you’ve used all of the ice water. Gather the flour mixture into a ball and knead gently until it holds together. On a lightly floured surface use your hands to slightly flatten the pastry. Roll the pastry from the center to the edges into a circle which should be about 12 inches in diameter. Makes 1 pie crust.
Country Plum Tart
Just spoon the filling in the center of the pastry circle and leave a 2 inch boarder around the filling. Gently fold the pastry edge over the filling. Pleat the pastry as necessary to keep it flat against the fruit. Use the parchment to lift the pastry. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
INGREDIENTS
1 Recipe For A Single Crust Pie
1/4 Cup Sugar
4 Teaspoons Unbleached Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Ginger
2 Cups Sliced Plums
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
Cinnamon Sugar
Preheat your oven to 375° F. Prepare the pastry for a single crust pie. On a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper roll the pastry into a 13 inch circle. Slide the paper with the pastry onto a baking sheet and set aside. For the filling you will want to get a large size bowl. Stir together the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add the slice plums and lemon juice. Toss until well coated. Mound the filling in the center of the pastry. Leave the outer 2 inches uncovered. Fold the uncovered pastry up over the filling. Pleat as necessary. Sprinkle the filling and pastry with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 50 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden. You may want to cover the edge of the tart with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Makes 1 Country Plum Tart and serves 4. 
Salmon & Vegetable Bake
Here is the perfect Sunday dinner dish. You won’t need to do much, but put everything in foil pouches, pop in the oven and go about your afternoon or evening. You can cook this dish in parchment paper if you choose to instead of foil.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Skinless Salmon (3/4 Inch Thick)
4 Sliced Carrots
2 Cups Sliced Mushrooms
5 Sliced Green Onions (Including Green Part)
2 Teaspoons Grated Orange Peel
2 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs (Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon)
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
4 Halved Garlic Cloves
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Sliced Oranges
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Rinse the salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the salmon into four serving size pieces and set aside. Fill a small saucepan with 2 cups of water. Place the sliced carrots in the saucepan boil for just 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside. Tear off four large pieces of heavy foil. The foil pieces should be about 24 inch by 18 inches. Fold each piece of foil in half to make an 18×12 inch piece. In a large size bowl combine the carrots, mushrooms, green onions,garlic, orange peel, herbs, kosher salt and pepper. Gently toss to combine. Divide the vegetables among the four pieces of foil. Make sure to place the vegetables in the center of each piece of foil. Drizzle each with olive oil and then top the salmon pieces. Place the orange slices on top of the salmon pieces. Seal the edges of the foil with a double fold. Place the foil packets in a large baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes. You will want the salmon to flake when you open a packet to check for doneness. Remove from the oven and open the packets carefully so that the steam will escape. Transfer the packets to each dinner plate. Serves 4
Farfalle With Mushrooms
If you’re looking for a quick Friday night dinner then look no further. Here is a delicious and quick meal to close out the work week.
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Farfalle (or Bow Tie Pasta)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Chopped Onion
2 Cups Sliced Portobello or Fresh Mushroom of Your Choice
5 Minced Garlic Cloves
4 Cups Thinly Sliced Fresh Spinach (Optional)
2 Teaspoons Fresh Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
In a large pot, filled with water, cook the farfalle according to package directions. Make sure not to overcook the pasta. Drain, but do not rinse. Rinsing pasta is a big no no in Italian cooking. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. You will want the mushrooms to be nearly tender. Stir in the spinach, thyme, kosher salt and pepper. Cook for another minute. Stir in the cooked farfalle and toss gently to mix. Transfer to a pasta bowl and sprinkle with the shredded Parmesan cheese. Serves 4
Sentimental Sugar Cookies
I grew up making and eating these delicious Sugar Cookies. Sentimental Sugar Cookies are great all year round cookies as well as holiday cookies. You can use colored sugar on the top or leave them plain.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
1/2 Cup Shortening
2 Cups Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
Preheat your oven to 300° F. In a large size bowl beat together the butter and shortening with an electric mixer on high for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar. Beat until well combined. Now beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Turn your mixer to low and beat in the flour. Remove the beaters and shape the dough into 1 inch balls. Place the cookie balls 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes until the edges are set. Make sure not to let the edges brown. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 3 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Decorate with colored sugars if you desire. Makes 48 cookies.
