The Original Caesar Salad
During Prohibition, a popular spot for a night out was Caesar’s Palace in Tijuana, Mexico. On the evening of July 24, 1924, Caesar Cardini had just about run out of food. He improvised by putting together a salad with what was on hand: romaine lettuce, olive oil, some cheese and eggs. He then prepared the salad tableside, creating an immediate sensation.
Chicken Caesar Salad
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Boneless Chicken Breast
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4Teaspoon Salt
Caesar Dressing
10 Cups Torn Romaine Lettuce
2 Cups Garlic Parmesan Croutons
14 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Heat skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. In a medium bowl toss chicken with oil and salt until evenly coated. Add chicken to pan and cook, turning once, just until chicken loses its pink color throughout (4 to 5 minutes).
In a large bowl toss lettuce, dressing, croutons and Parmesan. Add cooked chicken to salad and toss again. Sprinkle with pepper. Serves 4
Caesar Dressing
3 Garlic Cloves
3 Anchovy Fillets
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Hard Cooked Egg Yolk
In a blender (or food processor) combine the three garlic cloves, the anchovy fillets and lemon juice. Cover and blend until mixture is nearly smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add oil, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cooked egg yolk. Cover and blend until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 24 hours.
Parmesan Croutons
Cut four 1/2 inch thick slices of French bread into 3/4 inch cubes and set aside. In a large skillet melt 1/4 cup butter. Remove from heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. Add bread cubes, stirring until cubes are coated with butter mixture. Spread bread crumbs in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 300° F oven for 10 minutes and stir. Bake about 10 minutes more or until bread cubes are crisp and golden. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Makes 2 cups
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
Barbecue Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
For The Meatballs
3 Pounds Lean Ground Sirloin
1 Cup Evaporated Milk
1 Cup Quick Cook Oatmeal
1 Cup Fine Dry Bread Crumbs
2 Large Eggs
½ Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion
1 ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 ½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
½ Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
BBQ Sauce
2 Cups Ketchup
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce
½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ Cup Finely Chopped Onion
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine meatball ingredients and shape into 1 inch balls.
Combine sauce ingredients and stir well. Place uncooked meatballs in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and bake for about 1 hour. Serve as an appetizer or dinner. Great for a game day snack. Makes about 6 dozen meatballs.
Victoria’s Jalapeno Bean Dip
INGREDIENTS
5 Medium Jalapeno Peppers
1 ½ Cups Cooked Pinto Beans
1 Cup Cooked Black Beans
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Garlic Clove
½ Teaspoon Oregano
1 Squeezed Lime
1 Teaspoon Cumin
½ Cup Salsa
Preheat oven to 325° F. Cut off tops of peppers. Combine whole peppers with all ingredients in a food processor and “puree.” Pour processed ingredients into a covered dish and put in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with tortilla chips. Serves 8
**I like to cook dried beans instead of using cans. If you are pressed for time then canned beans are ok.
Jalapeno & Tomato Frittata
INGREDIENTS
10 Beaten Eggs
½ Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Salt & Pepper To Taste
1 Diced Jalapeno
1 Diced Tomato
½ Diced Red Onion
2 Cloves Grated Garlic
16 Ounces Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
1 Cup Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¼ Cup Melted Butter
Preheat oven to 400° F & lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
In olive oil lightly sauté onion, garlic, jalapeno & tomato. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt & pepper. Stir in onion, garlic, jalapeno, tomato, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese and melted butter. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes at 400° F. Reduce heat to 325° F and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes. Remove when done, cool slightly and cut into squares. Serves 10
Streusel Coffee Cake
INGREDIENTS
Topping:
½ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Sifted Unbleached Flour
¼ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Cake:
1 ½ Cups Sifted Unbleached Flour
2 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Beaten Egg
¾ Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Buttermilk (or Sour Milk)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
For the topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients and blend with fork until crumbly. Set aside.
For the cake: Combine 1 ½ cups sifted flour with baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl, beat together egg, ¾ sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Next add the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well. Pour batter into a greased 8 inch square pan or a 9 inch layer cake pan. You could also use a bundt pan if you with. Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over the batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 375º F for 30 minutes or until done. Partially cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut coffee cake while still warm and serve warm for breakfast, brunch or an anytime treat.
Honey Dijon Chicken
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Pounds Chicken Pieces
Salt & Pepper
1 ½ Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 ½ Cups Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Honey
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and add the chicken. Cook to a light golden color. Add butter and stir. Next add the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and honey. Let thicken to coat a spoon. Cook until chicken is cook through. Serves 4
Low Fat Reuben Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
8 Slices Dark Rye or Pumpernickel Bread
¼ Cup Nonfat Thousand Island Salad Dressing
8 Ounces Thinly Sliced Low Fat Corned Beef, Turkey or Chicken
½ Cup Sauerkraut (rinsed & well drained)
1 Cup (4 ounces) Shredded Low Fat Swiss Cheese
Lay out the bread slices on a clean work surface and spread the tops with salad dressing. Top 4 slices with the meat of your choice, sauerkraut and cheese. Cover with the remaining bread slices, dressing side down.
Grease a large skillet with NONSTICK cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook 2 sandwiches at a time until the bread toasts and the cheese melts – turning only once (5 minutes on each side). Repeat with the remaining sandwiches, keeping the first batch warm while frying the second batch. Serve warm. 4 servings.
I am a big fan of lazy cooking. The first thing that I look for in a recipe is “how difficult is it.” If the recipe is straight forward and doesn’t require ingredients from the deep dark forest then I am happy. I do, however, like to keep a well stocked kitchen. If I have lots of spices and good basics stashed away then life in the Tiny New York Kitchen is all warm and fuzzy.
