Cinco De Mayo Salsa
Is there anyone who doesn’t love a good salsa? This salsa can be made as hot or mild as you want it. Serve it with chips as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to eggs, tacos or grilled meats and fish.
INGREDIENTS
4 Ripe Plum Tomatoes
1 Ripe Slicing Tomato
3/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
3 Seeded & Minced Jalapeno Peppers
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Coarsely chop the tomatoes and put into a medium size bowl. Chop the onion into fine pieces and add to the tomatoes. Add the cilantro, jalapeno peppers and salt. Toss to mix. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more before serving. Makes 2 cups.
Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
Lemonade is good, but Strawberry Lemonade is better! So easy to make and a great spring and summer treat.
INGREDIENTS
Wide Strips of Lemon Zest (of 1 Lemon)
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Chopped & Hulled Strawberries
2 Cups Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Cups Water
2 Cups Cold Water
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
In a medium size saucepan bring the lemon zest, 1 1/2; cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Cook until the sugar dissolves while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. To make the strawberry syrup toss the strawberries and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl and let sit at room temperature until the sugar dissolves for about 50 minutes. Strain the strawberry mixture and reserve the strawberry syrup and berries separately. Now you are ready to make the lemonade. Combine the lemon juice (which should come from about 10 lemons), lemon syrup, salt and 2 cups of cold water in a pitcher. For each drink, put about 1 tablespoon of the strawberry syrup in a tall glass. Fill with ice and top with the lemonade and some of the reserved strawberries. Serves 6
Corn & Black Bean Salad
This simple and colorful salad is packed full of flavor. With the combination of sweet corn, tender black beans, cherry tomatoes and zesty cilantro in a vinaigrette dressing what could be better.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Corn
1/2 Cup Chopped Red Onion
2 Tablespoons Malt Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
4 Cups Black Beans
1 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Chopped Cilantro
In a medium size pot add water and bring to a boil. Add the fresh corn and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and drain well. Rinse in cold water and drain again. If you are using frozen corn skip the cooking process. Just thaw the corn out. In a large size bowl whisk together the malt vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper to make the dressing. Add the beans, corn, chopped onions and cherry tomato halves. Toss just until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Add the cilantro and toss again before serving. Serves 4
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This cake is moist, tender, golden brown and very velvety. It has all the richness and pure buttery flavor of classic pound cake, but with a delicate tang.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Large Room Temperature Eggs
2 Room Temperature Egg Yolks
1/4 Cup Milk
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Sugar
24 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (3 Sticks)
6 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
Before you turn on the oven adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Grease and flour 12 cup nonstick Bundt pan. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, 2 yolks, milk and vanilla. In a separate large size bowl, beat together (by hand or with an electric mixer) the sugar, butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and very slowly add the egg mixture until incorporated. The batter may look slightly curdled. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Give the batter a final stir by hand. Scrap the batter into a prepared pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely, for about 2 hours. Serve plain or topped with frosting or fruit. Serves 12
Roman Artichokes
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
8 Medium Artichokes
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Mint Leaves
1 Cup Dried Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Fresh Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Fill a large bowl with cold water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Trim the artichokes by laying each artichoke on its side and with a serrated knife cut 1 inch off the top. Trim the stem end and cut off the stem level with the bottom of the artichoke. Peel the tough outer layer of the stem with a vegetable peeler. Bend back the dark outer leaves just from around the base of the artichoke. Snap off and throw away. With kitchen shears trim the thorny tips from the remaining leaves. Place the stems and trimmed artichokes in the bowl of lemon water to prevent browning. Repeat with the remaining artichokes. In a large skillet heat 1 inch of water to a boil. Stand the artichokes in the boiling water. Add the stems and heat to boiling. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Drain the artichokes. In a medium size bowl combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice, mint, all of the breadcrumbs, Romano cheese, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. This should make about 3 1/2 cups. Preheat the oven to 400° F. When the artichokes are cool enough to handle pull out the prickly center leaves from each artichoke with a teaspoon. Scrape out the fuzzy choke and throw away (without cutting into the heart). Finely chop the stems and stir into the mint mixture. Stand the artichokes on a large baking sheet – stems down. Pull the leaves down to open slightly. Spoon the mint mixture between the leaves and into the center cavities (a little less than 1/2 cup per artichoke). Bake for 25 minutes until the stuffing is golden and the artichokes are heated through. Serve hot. Serves 8
Grilled Pork Medallions
When I picked these pork medallions up from the butcher I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do with them. Because pork tends to end up dry I decided to place them in a marinade overnight. These Pork Medallions came out superb! If you don’t have a grill you can put them under the broiler for 4 to 6 minutes per side.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Pounds Pork Medallions
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
4 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Oregano
1 Teaspoon Yellow Curry
1 Teaspoon Dried Mustard
1 Sliced Onion
In a flat baking dish put the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir to blend. Add the oregano, yellow curry and dried mustard and stir to mix well. Add the pork medallions and sliced onion to the marinade mix. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to cook preheat your grill. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes on each side depending on how thick the medallions are. Transfer to a warm serving dish and serve hot. Serves 4
Nana’s Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Chopped Garlic Cloves
28 Ounces Plum Tomatoes Blended
3 Tablespoons Basil
3 Chopped Sprigs of Parsley
1/4 Cup Red Wine
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until lightly golden. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add meatballs (if you are using meatballs) and let simmer for another 30 minutes. When done remove the meatballs to be eaten to the side. Pour the sauce over 1 pound of spaghetti that has been cooked al dente. Serves 4
Spaghetti & Meatballs Alla Nana
Don’t forget that food is a celebration to be shared. Gather your loved ones and mangia! You deserve to honor your life with good food, good friends and unhurried living. This is a great dish because it is hearty and can be made with canned tomatoes without sacrificing flavor.
INGREDIENTS
¾ Pound Ground Beef
¾ Pound Ground Pork
1 Egg
1 Crushed Garlic Clove
6 Chopped Flat Italian Parsley Sprigs
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Grated Cheese
1 Cup Italian Bread Cubes
In a large size bowl mix everything together and form into balls of about 2 inches in diameter. In a large skillet brown the meatballs in hot olive oil. Remove from the pan and drain. Add to the sauce as it simmers and let them finish cooking. Serves 4
Chocolate Chip Shorties
This is my go to recipe when I want to make quick cookies, but I don’t want to sacrifice taste.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
5 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
12 Ounces Chocolate Chips
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large size mixing bowl cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Gradually add the flour and combine with a wooden spoon. Add the chocolate chips and mix well. As the mixture becomes thick knead it lightly with your fingers until it is firm. Pack the dough into a lightly buttered baking dish. Prick the center with a fork. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. While in the pan cut into squares. Cool completely and remove from the pan. Transfer to a serving plate. Makes approximately 24 cookies depending on how big you cut them.
Grilled Swordfish
It’s spring and I’ve got the grilling itch something bad! I thought that I had lemons in my fridge, but to my dismay only found a lonely grapefruit. I decided to try a quick grapefruit marinade before grilling. The taste is subtle, but very good.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Pounds Fresh Swordfish
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Juice of 1 Grapefruit
Wash and pat dry, with paper towels, the swordfish. If your swordfish is one large piece then cut it into half. It will make it easier to handle and cook. On a large platter place the fish. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Pour the grapefruit juice over the top of the swordfish and let sit for 5 minutes. Place on the grill and cook from 6 to 10 minutes on each side depending on how thick your swordfish is. Serve with grilled zucchini. Serves 2
