Lemon & Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe .- A most lemony cake full of flavor!!!

This is an adaptation of Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake well known for it's amazing lemon flavor... Been making it for years and still the best!

LEMON & BUTTERMILK POUND CAKE:

Makes two loaf tins or one bundt tin.

• 250g (1/2 pound)  unsalted butter, chopped and softened to room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6–8 large lemons). I usually use a bit less.
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Syrup

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup lemon juice

Lemon glaze

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 3½ tablespoons of lemon juice

NOTE:  To make "homemade Buttermilk" for baking when you don't have any available, simply mix 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk with 2-3 tablespoons of white vinegar, mix and let it rest a couple of minutes. Of course if you need more than 1 cup, adjust the milk, etc.

1. Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour two 20 x 11 x 6cm (8½ x 4¼ x 2½ inch) loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and 2 cups sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mixing at medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, then add lemon zest.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix ¼ cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla.
4. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth tops, and bake for 45 minutes to one hour or until a cake tester comes out clean.
5. For the syrup mix ½ cup sugar with ½ cup lemon juice in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.
6. When cakes are done, let them cool 10 minutes. Invert them onto a rack set over a tray, and spoon lemon syrup over cakes. I make some holes with a skewer to allow the maximum amount of syrup to get into the cake, there always seems to be a bit of cracking on top which is also all the better for letting the syrup soak into the cake. Let cakes cool completely, mix together 2 cups of icing sugar and 3 1/2 tablespoons of icing sugar spread over the top of cakes and let drizzle over the sides.

    You might think this will be too involved but it's really a put your ingredients in the mixer bowl (or bowl if you're using a hand mixer or doing it by hand) bring together and that's pretty much it. I used 3 small loaf pans since I had some gifts to share and they turned out so nice!

    I hope you will try this recipe... 

Egg Bites .- A handy, flavorful, nutritious and low-carb snack or quick breakfast!

   EGG BITES .- We've all seen them in bakeries or coffee shops, in all kind of flavors too, they're a great idea for a quick breakfast or take along snack. Full of protein and low-carb too. So go ahead and try this, you'll be glad you did!

Easily customizable to fit into your lifestyle depending on the ingredients chosen plus almost anything is ok. It's also a great fridge clean out project, when you use all those little things that have been almost forgotten in your fridge, come up with your own amazing combination!

To make these, you'll need: 

6 eggs

3 Tablespoons milk (I used Crema Mexicana)

3/4 cup grated cheese, your choice

1 cup protein (ham, bacon, chicken, sausage, etc. if using)

3/4 cup Bell Pepper, your choice of color(s)

1/4 cup red onion

1/4 cup green onion, or other green cilantro, basil, etc

1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt, pepper, Crushed Red Chile, Serrano or ?

 

DIRECTIONS .-

 

NOTES:   Make sure all ingredients are cut / chopped into smallish pieces, like a bite size for easier eating

                If you want your egg bites to be fluffier and tender, use a whisk for blending eggs, but if you want a denser firmer egg bite then use a fork to blend it all together.

 

1.-    Preheat oven to 350 F / 190 C. Spray muffin tin very well with non-stick spray or fat plus flour to prevent sticking. You can use paper muffin cups if you like

2.-    Preheat your pan for a minute, add the oil then add the protein, spices, onion and bell pepper. Saute for about 4-5 minutes on med-high heat until tender. Turn of the heat and allow to cool while you prepare the egg mix.

3.-    In a separate bowl add the eggs and milk and combine. Then add the green onions and cheese and anything additional you've chosen.

4.-    Now add the now cooled protein in your pan to the bowl and incorporate it well.

5.-    Pour your mixture into the prepared muffin tin or paper cups carefully to avoid spills since they might burn in the oven. Bake for about 14-15 minutes or until golden brown. You can test for done with a toothpick or thin knife.

6.-    Allow to cool on a rack for about 5 minutes then remove from the tin. Serve.

 

I hope you will try these, in many combinations, and see how practical they can be and how customizable so they exactly match your family's tastes. Enjoy 

 

Swiss Lemonade or Brazilian Lemonade - Have you tried it? It's great alone or as a mixer!!!...

 Swiss Lemonade or Brazilian Lemonade -  If you haven't tried this summery beverage, maybe it's time to get a taste of this popular drink... Easy, refreshing and fun!

The recipe is a little strange, but try it, you might be surprised, ok?

You will need the following ingredients:

5 Seedless Persian Lemons, these are the green lemons which some call "Limes" found in Mexico - cut into quarters lenghtwise

1 can of Condensed Milk (you can use your favorite sweetener but it might not foam up as much)

Ice

Water

To make this:

1- Put your cut lemons into the blender. Fill blender almost 3/4 full with water. Blend on high  for a couple of minutes. There should be some rinds left, don't over blend.

2- Run the mixture over a sieve to remove the solid pieces.

3-Now put the liquid back into the blender. Add the condensed milk or sugar or ? along with   some handfulls of ice. Now blend, blend, blend until you can't hear the ice anymore.

4- Taste the lemonade in case you need to add more ice or sweetener. Once it's ready...

5- Enjoy!

NOTE: You can see how this could be a great mixer, right?  

NOTE: Brazilian Lemonade starts the same but you can exchange the water for coconut water or milk. You can add coconut cream too. Keep the condensed milk or use your favorite sweetener. Once again, taste until it's perfect.

I hope you can see exchanges you can make, I like to make a similar Mango Lemonade or any other fruit, we like Strawberry Lemonade too!

Hope you enjoy all summer long... Cheers!

Dirty Martini Pasta - The flavors of the drink in a creamy sauce...

 

Dirty Martini Pasta -   This might sound strange but if you like the flavor of the drink, the brininess of olives, butter and garlic... you should love this!

This dish is about as simple as it comes, very few ingredients and it's one of the sauces that I call "while the pasta cooks", so you know it's quick cooking....

To make this dish, you'll need:

Your choice of pasta

1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1-3 Garlic Cloves, minced or pressed

5-8 Green Olives (Castelvetrano), smashed and chopped + brine

Lemon Zest, plus additional for topping

2 Tbsp Vodka or Gin

1-2 Tbsp Olive Brine

1-2 Tbsp Butter

Salt & Pepper to taste

Fresh Parsley, lightly chopped for topping

Blue Cheese crumbles, for topping (optional)

SAVE YOUR PASTA WATER

PREPARATION -

1-    First of all, put your pasta water to boil. Have your pasta ready to cook once the water boils. You can start finishing the dish once the pasta is done so you can transfer it directly from the pot to your pan. Be sure you've prepped all your ingredients since this comes together quickly.

2-    While you're water is boiling, take a good sized pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, for about a minute, followed by the olives and lemon zest. Saute it together until the garlic and lemon zest begin to get golden brown and the pan has lost some of its moisture, about 2 minutes.

3-    Deglaze the pan with the liquor, To do this you pour the liquor into the pan and you scrape the bottom of the pan to remove all the dark bits that remain on the bottom of the pan, this will add flavor to the dish plus will cause the alcohol to burn off and leave the flavor.

4-    To finish the sauce, now add the olive brine and 1 tbsp of butter. Now stir continuously so that the butter will emulsify the sauce (thicken and make it silky)

5-    If your pasta isn't ready yet, you can remove the pan from the heat so it doesn't continue cooking. If your pasta is ready then you can add your pasta directly from the pot into the sauce, mix continualy so it becomes well coated. Stir in a little more olive brine, taste to insure its to your taste. 

6-    If your sauce is too thin, add pasta water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, and stir well and you can repeat as needed to give you more sauce, it will also thicken it and give it a silky finish.

7-    To serve, sprinkle with more lemon zest, blue cheese crumbles and parsley. Enjoy!

Chocolate Truffle Martini With Dulce De Leche Rum Butter Truffles.- Decadent and perfect for St. Valentines!!

Chocolate Truffle Martini With Dulce De Leche Rum Butter Truffles.- Oh so decadent!!

Doesn't this look amazing?... I had seen this some time ago and thought it beautiful but it took a while to arrive at a recipe, so here you go!

With Valentine's around the corner, wouldn't this be perfect?

To make this, you'll need:

Ingredients

Dulce de Leche Rum Butter Truffles

• 1 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 14
• 1/2 cup dulce de leche
• 2 ounces dark chocolate chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon rum optional
• melted chocolate for dipping optional
• good quality sprinkles toasted pistachios, almonds, coconut or edible gold leaf (optional)

Chocolate Truffle Martini

• one shot vanilla vodka
• one shot light Godiva chocolate liqueur
• one shot dark Godiva chocolate liqueur
• splash of Baileys
• chocolate syrup for drizzling

Instructions

Dulce de Leche Rum Butter Truffles

• In a small sauce pot combine the sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche, dark chocolate, cocoa powder and salt. Place the pot over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and shiny and starts to pull away from bottom and side of sauce pot. The mixture is going to get thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and rum until melted and smooth. Pour mixture into glass bowl, cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 1/2 hours or overnight.
• Once chilled place the sprinkles (or whatever you are using) in a shallow bowl. Rub some softened butter over hands and scoop out a rounded teaspoon of the chocolate mixture and roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Roll each ball in the chocolate sprinkles (or whatever you are using). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Store tightly covered at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Chocolate Truffle Martini

• Add one shot vanilla vodka, one shot light Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, one shot dark Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and a splash of Baileys to a martini shaker. Add ice and shake.
• Drizzle a martini glass with chocolate syrup and strain the martini into the glass. Garnish with a truffle...or two!!

WANT TO OFFER DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF TRUFFLES? RIGHT HERE!

https://cookpad.com/uk/search/rum%20truffles

OR CLICK ON THIS LINK

Truffle Recipes right here!

 

Pink Sauce and/or Vodka Sauce.- You'll never believe the flavor you get from so few ingredients!!

Pink Sauce and/or Vodka Sauce.-   Just by leaving the Vodka out of the recipe you'll get Pink Sauce and they're both amazingly tasty. Incredible that so few ingredients can give you the flavor you'll find! Super easy, quick and everyone will love it!

I've served this sauce as it appears in the recipe or added my own variations: Basil Leaves or melting cheese or chicken or salmon or shrimp or peas or crushed red pepper flakes.... You can adapt to your own family's preferences.

To prepare this sauce you will need:

1 medium onion, finely chopped (I've used shallots or left them out completely)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (you can add more if you like)

2 Tbls Olive Oil plus more for finishing topping

4 oz Parmesan Cheese (I've varied this type of cheese to melting cheese)

1 can 4oz Tomato Paste or tube of paste

1/2 tsp or pinch of crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1-2 oz Vodka (you can omit if you like)

1/2 cup heavy Whipping Cream

1 lb Pasta (can be Spaghetti, Rigatoni, any type you like)

Basil Leaves for serving

Directions.-

1.    Put a large pot with water on high heat. Put a generous amount of salt into the pot and           bring to a boil while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2.    Peel and chop the onion. Peel and chop the garlic cloves.

3.    If your cheese is not grated, grate the cheese.

4.    In a heavy pot over medium heat, add the olive oil to the pot to heat. It's easier to place            this pot next to the boiling water one to make it easy later. Once the oil is hot add the                onion and garlic, stir constantly until the onion turns golden, about 4-5 minutes.

5.    Now put the tomato paste into the pot and stir to cover the onion and garlic well,                        continually stir for about 5 minutes. You'll see the bottom of the pot slightly brown from the        tomato paste.

6.    Add the vodka, if using, otherwise you can deglaze the pot with water or stock. Scrape the        bottom of the pot, scraping the bottom. Reduce the heat to low.

7.    In a heatproof measuring cup add the 3/4 cup of cream and then add 1/4 cup of the                  boiling water in the pasta pot. Stir to combine. Add the heavy cream mixture to the pot              with the sauce and mix well to combine until a smooth sauce forms. Turn off  the heat.

8.    Add the pasta to the pot with the boiling water. Cook the pasta until al dente. With a                  heatproof measuring cup take about 1 cup of the boiling water and reserve. Once the               pasta is ready, turn the heat under the sauce to low.

9.    With a wire spider, transfer the pasta into the sauce. It doesn't matter if some of the water        comes along with the pasta. Combine.

10.  Now pour the reserved water onto the pasta and the half the parmesan cheese. Mix so           the cheese melts and the sauce becomes smooth and coats the pasta really well. You              can add a teaspoon or so of more water so you have a thinner sauce if you like. Add salt        to the sauce.

11.   Serve the pasta, top with some of the leftover cheese and Basil leaves, drizzle with a little         Olive Oil for finishing. Enjoy!

I hope you will try this recipe so you can see how easy it is to prepare and how much your family enjoys it. 

Lemon Raspberry Cake.- You get it, right?

 Lemon Raspberry Cake.- Does it even need an explanation? Visualize it.... YUM!

A phenomenal example of Spring to enjoy a light and fresh cake that's perfect for the season and everyone will love... This cake is made a little differently than others but it's simple...

To make you will need:

127.5 g butter, softened

200 g sugar

Zest of a lemon

3 eggs, separated, room temperature

6 g vanilla

400 g flour

8-10 g Baking Powder

4.5 g sal

3 g Baking Soda

245 g Greek Yogurt

187 g raspberries, frozen or freeze fresh ones (freeze them)

Preheat oven to 350F Butter and flour 2 non-stick 8 inch cake pans. I like to put a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pans just to insure a good release.

Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, along with the vanilla.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the yogurt and mix until well combined. Scrape down the bowl.

Fold in the whipped egg whites, and when no white streaks remain.

Fold in the berries.

Spread the batter evenly between the two cake pans and even out the tops with an offset spatula.

Bake the cakes on the same oven shelf for about 30 - 40 minutes, or until the center springs back when touched and the edges are just starting to turn golden. Don't over bake.

Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before turning them out and cooling them completely on a rack.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting.-

226 g buttercream

640 g powdered sugar

73 g lemon juice, fresh

To make the frosting cream the butter, sugar, (and the drop of food coloring, if using) adding enough lemon juice to make a creamy spreadable frosting. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add more sugar for a stiffer frosting, and more lemon juice if it’s too stiff.

Frost the cake when completely cool. Add a generous amount of frosting to the first layer, then top with second layer and finish frosting top and sides.

EGGNOGG.- Traditional Style yet so much better than store bought...

EGGNOG,- What do you think about when you see or taste Eggnog? Christmas, right? Or other celebratory occasions since it's a special drink, whether you add liquor or not (we do) it's a lovely drink.... We couldn't get it at any store here so.... made homemade and my son said it's better than that one!...

Here is my recipe for Eggnog:

4 cups whole milk

¼ tsp salt

6 whole eggs + 2 yolks

½ cup + 2 Tbl sugar (I used extra by tasting it until I liked it)

½ cup of liquor- can be Rum, Bourbon, Brandy, Sherry, Cognac, your choice (I used 1 cup+)

1 Tbl vanilla +

½ tsp fresh grated Nutmeg

½ cup heavy cream

1- Add milk and salt to pan. Bring to a simmer over med-high heat while you make the custard.

2- In a bowl add the 6 whole eggs + 2 extra yolks for richness, add the sugar and whisk well until the eggs are broken up and it’s all well combined.

3- Once the milk has reached a simmer or low boil, the eggs need to be tempered so begin to add the hot milk a little at a time while whisking constantly and until all the milk is combined.

4- Once all the milk is in with the eggs then the mixture is returned to the pan on the stove over medium-low heat to cook for additional time, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom to prevent sticking and burning for about 2-5 minutes. Turn the heat off to check the temperature. Should come up to a temperature of about 160-165 F.

5- Once the temperature is right, take off the heat and run through a sieve to insure no pieces of overcooked egg come through, scrape the bottom of the sieve, into a clean bowl.

6- The custard is now given your chosen liquor, the vanilla and Nutmeg- this is added off heat to preserve their flavor and then it’s combined.

7- Cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate at least 3 hours. It can also be made 3 days in advance. I left it overnight then I added the whipped cream before serving it

8- Take the heavy cream and whip in a bowl. Whip to soft peaks.

9- Add the whipped cream to the custard and fold.

NOTE: You can add up to 1 cup of liquor to the custard but then increase the whipped cream to ¾ cup. You can use any liquor you like and as always TASTE AND ADJUST.... Salud!!

Italian Sausage.- A classic that can be used in so many ways and always good!

 

Italian Sausage.- A true classic, we love it and I make it at home anytime I'm making Lasagna, Meatballs, Pizza and when I get some casings it gets made into sausage!! You can make Patties for breakfast or as a side dish, crumble it and add it to casseroles like Baked Ziti or? you name it it's always great!

It's a very easy preparations, few ingredients and should take you about 15 minutes to make, here is what you need to get it done:

1 K Ground Pork, not lean you need the fat

3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 - 3 tsp kosher salt

3 - 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed, grated or mashed

1 1/2 Tbl Fennel Seed, whole, medium ground

1 - 2 Tbl White Wine

Feel free to add, increase or decrease any of the quantities shown here, we like a full flavored sausage meat so I tend to go a little hard with the spices, but there is a very simple way to check so you are sure of the flavor in your sausage, it's called a "test piece". So add all your ingredients together and mix really well, get a small frypan with a little oil over med heat and once it's hot, make a tiny little flat pattie of your sausage mix, cook it well, allow it to cool a little and see if you like it. This way you can be sure you will love it.

This mixture can be frozen but make sure you freeze in the most practical way you can. I will be using some of it on a Pan Pizza but also love it in my Italian Sauce which I use in Lasagna, or I crumble it to use in Baked Ziti or other pasta dishes, you can make meatballs, or add to stuffing or how about making some shish kebobs, or how about some sausage and gravy, if you get some natural casings you can stuff them and have sausage the old fashioned way, it's very versatile.  So I put it in a smaller glass bowl, I'll use it tomorrow and whatever is left I'll decide how to freeze it (if we don't eat it all up that is).... 

I have other sausage recipes on this blog so you can go ahead and search for "sausage" and see which one you like best, this recipe is the most basic and the simplest of all and can be done in no time....

I hope you will try this simple but very satisfying recipe. Enjoy!

TEXAS CHILI.- Sometimes you just need to have it!

 

Texas Chili.- Easy, economical, fast and easy dish everyone will love! There is something about Chili that hits the right spot, a comforting and familiar flavor...

I've tried so many different recipes for Chili, from Turkey / Chicken / Vegetarian / Vegan / Steak / Ground Meat with or without beans. Why so many versions? Due to my Private Chef Clients that I've had over time and their requirements many types were needed and I can attest that they're all great....

Yesterday we really wanted some Chili so I went along and made this:

Ingredients you will need:

2 Tbl Oil

1 Yellow Onion, chopped

2 tsp salt (can be more or less, your choice)

2 lbs Ground Beef (or equivalent protein of your choice)  

2 Poblano Peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled, chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper, roasted, seeded, peeled, chopped

5 - 7 Garlic cloves, chopped (can be more or less, your choice)

3 Tbl Chili Powder (I used Spanish Chili Powder, use your favorite, more or less)

2 tsp Cumin, powdered (more or less, you seeing a trend here, I'll explain)

2 tsp Ground Pepper, fresh ground

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (you can use any type of chile, your choice)

1 tsp Ground Oregano (more or less)

1 15oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes (I used 6 fresh tomatoes roasted in the oven)

1 6oz can Tomato paste

2 cups Chicken / Beef / Vegetable broth

2 cups Beans (can be canned 16 oz or home made your choice of beans)

Here's the procedure to cook:

1-    In a large pot, add the oil until hot, then add the onion and cook until tender. Then add the ground beef, add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper, cayenne and oregano, mix it all well until the meat is well cooked and to allow the flavors to come together for about 15 minutes. After this time taste it to see if you're on the right track or add more of you want....

2-    Now add the tomato paste, break it up and make sure it's well combined and allow the tomato paste to cook well, 5 - 10 minutes.

3-    Add the roasted tomatoes and break them up with your spoon or whatever works so they become pieces, you want their juice to combine with all the other ingredients.

4-    Look at the texture of the chili, do you like it liquid or not so much, you have 2 cups of stock but I only used 1 cup for a texture we liked. See #5 first

5-    Add the beans if you're using any, you can add the bean liquid instead of the stock if you want in place of the stock or half and half.

6-    Now let the chili cook for about 10 minutes and taste it. Adjust all the seasonings until you get it perfect for YOU.

NOTE:   Naturally, like always with all my recipes, changes, additions and deductions apply. This is a dish for YOUR family so you choose, ok? Use this as a base recipe....

As far as changes or additions I made, here's what I did on the fly:

-    I added the vinegar from a can of Jalapeño Peppers to give it some zing. It was a small can so I added about 1 - 2 Tbl white vinegar at the end and it was perfect.

-    I added more Cayenne Pepper but it was only slightly spicy but enough.... feel free to add any hot sauce you like, always less since you can always add more....

Once a little time passed, while I was doing the dishes, Rene came to the kitchen, the aroma brought him, he's my official taster and he declared it Perfect! YUM!!!

Served it with Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream. I also made the Cast Iron Cornbread on the side.   What a perfect ending to the day and it hit the right spot....

I hope you will try this recipe, as you can see it's simple and quick so great for any day of the week or you can make a big pot for everyone to enjoy. This makes about 4 good servings

Enjoy!!

Pot Roast with Dilled Sour Cream Gravy.- Comfort Food at its best...

 Pot Roast with Dilled Sour Cream Gravy.- In times of fast food and processed food it is appreciated when you can give your family a little bit of the past and comfort. This is a very easy to prepare dish but as many old fashioned dishes are it takes time.

An economical yet extremely tasty dish using humble ingredients with a lovely gravy with dill accents that your whole family will look forward to.

The ingredients you will need are:

1 - 2 K Beef Chuck Roast (While in Mexico I use Diezmillo in thick slices)

1 - 2 Tbl Lard or Shortening

1 Tbl Salt

1/2 Tbl Black Pepper

1 Tbl AP Flour

1/2 cup Beef or Chicken Broth (you use water)   

2 Tbl Vinegar

1 Tbl Fresh Dill or 2 tsp Dry Dill

3 Large Potatoes, peeled, quartered

4 Carrots, peeled and quartered

3 - 4 Zuchinni, quartered

2 - 3 Tbl meat drippings

2 Tbl AP Flour

1 - 1 1/2 cup Roast drippings

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 - 2 tsp Dill

1 cup Sour Cream

Take the clean meat, dry with a towel and place the salt and pepper plus flour (you can mix these together) and cover the meat really well on all sides.

In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch Oven (I have also made it in a Pressure Cooker) over med-high heat and add the Lard or Shortening until it is hot, add the meat and allow it to sear so you see a nice crust on it, about 5 minutes, turn and finish the other side.

Now add the beef broth, the vinegar and the dill to the seared meat, once it's bubbling, cover really well and lower the heat to a simmer. The meat should cook at least about hours, you can test it and insure it's getting tender, not yet fully done but almost there.

At this point you can add some salt and pepper and additional dill (I do but we love it), plus the potatoes and carrots. Cover once more and allow to simmer about 1 more hour but I always check at 30 minutes to make sure it's ok and the vegetables are still in whole pieces. Add the Zucchinni and cook for 5 - 10 minutes but don't let it overcook.

Once the meat is tender and you are able to easily take a piece off with a fork and the veggies are tender when pierced with a knife, remove the meat and veggies to a platter so you can work on the gravy.

Now pour off all the liquid in the pot into a measuring cup, take at least 2 Tbl of the drippings and return to the pot, medium heat since the pot is still hot, add the equal amount of flour to make a roux, stirring constantly to cook out the flour taste and integrate it all really well. 

If you got 2 cups of drippings from the meat use that, if not you can add stock or water so you have the 2 cups and still a hot liquid. Once your roux has been cooked 3 minutes or so, add the liquid to the pot and whisk it all together to remove any lumps. You will notice it will begin to thicken, it is the gravy after all, give it a taste to make sure the salt, pepper and dill are at a level you like and allow to cook until it's nice and thick. At this point you can turn off the heat and add the Sour Cream and mix to combine, the gravy should be smooth and flavorful but I always add additional Dill and check on the salt and pepper. 

Now, there is two ways to finish this dish: You can leave the meat and potatoes separate and keep warm for service and serve the gravy on the side - or - you can the meat and potatoes to the gravy and serve it all together, whatever is your preference.

I would definitely serve this with some bread or biscuits because you'll want to finish every drop of the gravy!

Of course you can always change the veggies to what you like: turnips, parsnips, red potatoes, pearl onions, yams, etc. just keep in mind of they are hard or soft veggies and add them at the correct time so they finish cooking at the right time, are whole and they will make an impressive dish.

I hope you and your family will enjoy this dish, my family does!

Mediterranean Farro Salad with Lemonade Dressing: Lovely, Healthy and Bursting with Flavor!!

 Mediterranean Farro Salad with Lemonade Dressing: Not only super flavorful and flexible but nutritious and fun. You can change the ingredients to have the ones your family prefers, the dressing can be used for many other dishes. We first had something like this at our favorite Asian Restaurant in Las Vegas! You can tailor it to any dietary system too, vegan, vegetarian, etc.

You will need:                                

1 cup Farro

4 cups salted and boiling water

1 cup Arugula or other greens

2/3 cup Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup cucumber, sliced

2/3 cup chickpeas, cooked and peeled

1/2 cup Sicilian Olives, pitted and sliced

1/3 cup red onions or scallions, minced

1 can artichokes, cut in quarters

2/3 cup fresh herbs, mint/parsley/basil, finely minced

Lemonade Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp Honey & Mustard or Honey Mustard

1 cup Lemonade, sweetened or purchased

2 Tbls Basil, minced

1/2 lemon, juice only

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1/4 Salt or to taste

1-    Cook the farro in the boiling water until soft and chewy. Can take up to 45-50 minutes, don't overcook and let it become mushy. Drain and place in a salad bowl.

2-    Make the Lemonade Dressing. Place all ingredients in a glass contained or jar, close and shake to incorporate well.

3-    Pour about 1/4 cup of the dressing over the cooked farro before adding the salad ingredients to flavor the farro

4-    Add the salad ingredients to the bowl and toss well, then add more dressing and toss once more.

5-    Serve the salad and enjoy!!

Short Rib Ragu.- One of those dishes that everyone loves!!!

Sort Rib Ragu.- It's a wonderfully comforting dish with amazing beef flavor, but can also be made with other types of meat, just choose meat that gets extra tender with long, slow cooking and can be shredded. Afterwards it can be served over Polenta or Pasta, maybe even Mashed Potatoes or whatever you like best. It could also be served in sandwiches... Make a good sized batch since it can be frozen in portions for up to 3 months and have it available at any time!

2 Lbs Short Ribs or Boneless Shortribs or Chuck Roast (this time I used Shank)

1 Tbl Olive oil

1 onion, chopped                            

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbl Tomato Paste

3 Anchovy Fillets, rinsed and dried

1/2 tsp 5 Spice Powder- If you don't have it this is a combination of Cinnamon, Fennel Seed,                                             Star Anise and Clove, so a little bit of each

1/2 cup Red Wine

1 14 1/2 oz can of Chopped Tomatoes or the equivalent of fresh

1 1/2 cup Beef Broth

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Use a heavy oven-safe pot with a lid for this dish.

Put the olive oil into the pan over medium heat until it's hot, add the onion and stir until it gets golden, you add the garlic cloves and cook for a minute, then you add the Tomato Paste and Anchovies and the 5 Spice Powder. You need to mix all these ingredients together so the spices will "bloom" and get fragrant for about 3 minutes, don't allow to burn.

You'll notice that you've created a great "fond" at the bottom of your pot, now you will "deglaze" the "fond" with the Red Wine which means the wine will clean the bottom of the pot and allow all that flavor that was created there to be part of your sauce. You need to let this reduce for about 3-4 minutes which will reduce almost by half.

Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the Beef Broth, let this simmer while you get the meat ready.

Salt and pepper the meat generously on both sides and place the meat into the pot and cover.

Place your pot into the preheated oven for 1 hour in the middle rack of the oven. After the hour you will take the cover off the pot and cook for another 1 1/4 hour, or a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Once you remove the pot from the oven, remove the meat from the pot and place on a plate to rest and cool a little. Skim the fat from the sauce in the pan.

After about 5 minutes or so you can begin to shred the meat using two forks until it's all done. At this point you will return the meat into the pot and mix everything really well.

There are so many ways to serve this, you can serve over Polenta, or Pasta, or Mashed Potatoes or in Sandwiches or come up with your favorite way.