Holy Thursday Spinach
Holy Thursday is, of course, the day commemorating the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist. A custom was popular in many European countries that greens should be eaten on this day, coming no doubt from the Jewish meal of bitter herbs. The day is sometimes called Green Thursday. Among the Pennsylvania Dutch, spinach and dandelion greens are still eaten on Holy Thursday to prevent spring illness which probably came from Germany where it was an ancient belief. This was probably considered tonic after the weeks of Lent. Vitamins for a body that had been underfed and needing nutrients to fight off viruses. Whatever the reason spinach is good and good for you!
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Pounds Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Butter
Squeeze of Lemon
Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make certain it is extremely clean. You don’t want to eat sand and grit. Spin the washed leaves in a salad spinner. In a large pot heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic over a medium heat for 1 minute. Make sure that the garlic is browned. Add all of the spinach, the salt and pepper to the pot. Toss with the garlic and olive oil. Cover the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high and cook for another minute. Stir with a wooden spoon. You want the spinach to be wilted. Using the wooden spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve hot! Serves 6
Coconut Cake
This week is Easter and coconut cake is on my mind. I wanted to make a cake that is a bit more traditional. Enjoy this time with family and friends and have a Happy Easter.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 eggs
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2/3 Cup Coconut
Additional Coconut For Garnish
Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Next add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Mix well. Add the coconut. Pour the batter into two prepared 8 inch round cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans, on wire racks, for 15 minutes. Remove from the cake pans and cool completely. Frost and top with more coconut.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
½ Cup Softened Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition. Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns is a favorite during spring and the Easter season. Hot Cross buns are a sweet, yeast leavened, spiced roll made with currants or raisins. They have long been a symbol of Good Friday. Each bun has an icing cross on top to signify the crucifixion
INGREDIENTS
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup Warm Milk
5 Tablespoons Softened Butter
½ Cup Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
¾ Cup Dried Currants
3 Tablespoons Milk Mixed With 3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cold Milk
1 Cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Mix the yeast with 4 tablespoons of the warm milk in a small size bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. In a medium size bowl cream together 4 tablespoons of the butter and brown sugar. When the yeast is frothy, stir it in, along with the spices, salt and remaining warm milk. Beat in the flour one cup at a time until a soft ball of dough can be gathered together. Place the dough on a floured work surface and lightly knead in the currants, adding more flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Kneading should take no more than a few minutes. Using some of the remaining butter to grease a large bowl. Place the dough in a bowl and turn the dough to butter all sides. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 ½ hours. The dough should be doubled. Butter two baking sheets with the remaining butter. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Then divide each piece in half again. Divide each portion of the dough into six equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Place the balls of dough on the baking sheets leaving 2 inches between them. Set aside covered lightly with waxed paper for 1 hour. The dough should have doubled in size. Preheat your oven to 400° F. Carefully slash a cross into the top of each bun using a very sharp knife or razor blade cutting through the skin of the dough at least ¼ inch deep. Try not to compress the bun as you cut. Bake the buns for 20 minutes until they are lightly browned. Just before they come out of the oven, bring milk and sugar mixture to a boil in a small saucepan. As soon as the buns are done, brush them with the milk and sugar glaze. Allow the buns to cool for 30 minutes and then serve them while they are still warm. If you have not cut the cross into the tops of the buns the cross can be applied with the icing. The buns must be completely cooled before the icing is applied. Mix the powdered sugar with the cold milk and lemon juice. Using the handle of a spoon or chopstick spread the icing to form a cross on top or to fill the cross shape cut. Makes 24
Nana’s Pesto
No cooking is required for this delightfully healthful dish!
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Juicy Ripe Tomatoes
3 Handfuls of Fresh Basil Leaves
6 Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Parmesan Cheese To Garnish
Mix all of the ingredients, except for the cheese, in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour over fresh, hot spaghetti or your favorite pasta that is cooked al dente. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Tomato Gravy Pork Chops
I have been making this dish for years. Sometimes I serve it over rice and sometimes I serve it over pasta. It has been a long standing family favorite. I hope you make it a family favorite too!
INGREDIENTS
4 Slices Chopped Bacon
4 Bone In (1 Inch Thick) Pork Rib Chops
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Paprika
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Capers
½ Chopped Onion
5 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 Chopped Celery Stalk
3 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
1 Cup Chicken Broth
8 Ounces Diced Tomatoes In Their Juice
1 Teaspoon Thyme
Pound the pork and set aside. Combine salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne in a small bowl. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle the spice mixture all over the chops. Cook the bacon in a large skillet for 5 minutes over a medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to paper towel lined plate. Leave the fat in the skillet. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Increase the heat to a medium high and cook the chops for 6 minutes until well browned on 1 side. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onion, celery, garlic and capers and cook for 5 minutes. Add the flour and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Stir constantly. Whisk in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, thyme and cooked bacon. Bring to a boil. Arrange the chops, browned side up, in the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer the chops for 30 minutes. Transfer the chops to a serving platter, tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer the chops to a platter and pour the gravy over the chops. Serve hot. Serves 4
Pan Roasted Herbed Fingerling Potatoes
These Pan Roasted Herbed Fingerling Potatoes are a flavorful addition to any springtime menu and perfect for an Easter Dinner.
INGREDIENTS
12 Scrubbed Fingerling Potatoes
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Victoria’s Dry Rub
Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Set over a high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool under cold running water. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, place the potatoes on a cutting board and slice in half lengthwise. Season the potatoes with Victoria’s Dry Rub. Heat a large sauté pan with the olive oil over a medium heat. Place the potatoes, cut side down, in the pan and cook for 3 minutes until browned and crispy. Turn the potatoes to the other side and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the potatoes with additional Victoria’s Dry Rub if you wish. Serve hot. Serves 4
Marinating Lamb Chops
These Lamb Chops are wonderful either on the grill or under the broiler. Marinating them overnight really brings out the flavor.
INGREDIENTS
4 Lamb Chops
6 Chopped Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Cup Torn Mint Leaves
Rosemary Sprigs
In a small bowl mix all of the ingredients except for the lamb chops. Place the lamb chops into a large ziplock plastic bag and pour the marinade in the bag. Make sure to cover the chops. Put in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to cook the chops, remove the bag from the fridge and take the chops out of the bag. Throw away the bag with the excess marinade. Place the chops on a heated grill or on a broiler pan under the broiler. How rare you want your lamb chops will determine how long you cook the chops on each side. I like to cook them between 2 to 3 minutes each side. When finished cooking, remove from the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Serves 2
Cream Biscuits
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 ¼ Cups Heavy Cream
Move your oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat your oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cream for 30 seconds until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead briefly for 30 seconds until smooth. Shape the dough into a ¾ inch circle. Dip a 2 ½ biscuit cutter in flour and cut the biscuits into rounds. Recombine the scraps as needed to make 12 biscuits. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes – rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking. You want the biscuits to be golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.
Country Ham
From colonial times until the advent of refrigeration, the process of packing hams in salt, smoking them, then hanging them to dry for up to two years was a way Americans preserved meat. These days, quickly brined “city” hams have all but eclipsed this older, slower country style. Or at least they have in the North. But in the South, people still produce and eat country hams, not for preservation but because they’re powerfully porky and incredibly delicious. Use hams aged six months or less for this recipe. Mold on country ham is not a sign of spoilage. It is a natural effect of the curing and aging process. Serve ham on biscuits if you like. Leftover ham is delicious in scrambled eggs, cheese grits or macaroni and cheese.
INGREDIENTS
1 Three to Six Month Old Bone-In Country Ham (13 to 15 Pounds)
½ Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard
2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325° F. Using a clean, stiff bristled brush, scrub the ham under cold running water to remove any surface mold. Transfer the ham to a cutting board and trim off the dry meat, skin and all but ¼ inch of fat. Score the fat cap in ½ inch crosshatch pattern (about ¼ inch deep). Transfer the ham to a roasting pan fat side up. Add 1 quart of water and cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake for 4 ½ hours until thickest part of the meat registers 140° F. Remove the ham from the oven and throw away the foil. Turn the oven temperature up to 450° F. In a medium size bowl combine the brown sugar, mustard and black pepper. Rub over the top of the ham. Return the ham to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes until glazed. Transfer the ham to a carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve thin slices and serve. Serves 12
Sausage Soup
This soup is a simple recipe with great flavor and is the quintessential Italian comfort food. I like to double the recipe and have leftovers during the week. It’s easy to make in a big batch for a potluck.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Pound Italian Sausage (Casings Removed)
2 Chopped Onions
4 Chopped Celery Stalks
2 Cans (14.5 Ounces Each) Diced Tomatoes
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Basil
4 Cups Chicken Broth
3 ½ Cups Water
1 Cup Macaroni
2 Cans (15 Ounces Each) Cannellini Beans
¼ Cup Minced Fresh Parsley
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese For Serving
In a large Dutch oven heat the olive oil over a medium high heat. Cook the sausage for 5 minutes. Break up the large pieces with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat left in the Dutch oven. Drain the tomatoes and reserve the liquid. Add the onions, garlic, celery, tomatoes, basil and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat. Stir in the browned sausage, reserved tomato juice, broth and water and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse the beans. Stir in the beans and cook for 5 minutes until heated through. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 8
