Pot Roast

Bottom Round Roast.   Look for one that is shaped like a block. 

Carrots chopped

Celery chopped

Onion chopped

Garlic chopped

Beef stock

Heat your Dutch Oven. 

Season the roast with salt and pepper. 

Add a double turn of EVOO to the hot Dutch Oven. 

Brown the roast on all sides and remove to a plate. 

Add a turn of EVOO and the carrots, celery and onion to the Dutch Oven. Stir occasionally to scrape up the brown goodness on the oven bottom. Cover and roast till the veges are wilted and then add the garlic. Continue to sauté until you can smell the garlic - about two minutes. 

Add enough beef stock to the oven to cover the veges plus a quarter inch or so.  Bring to a slow boil. 

Return the roast to the oven.  

Cover and reduce the heat to low. Braise until done - 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Check occasionally to make sure there is liquid in the pan; add additional as needed. About half way through, turn the roast over to cook evenly. 

Remove roast to a platter and tent with foil. 

Make a roux and thin with a little beef stock.  Add roux to veges in oven. Use a 'boat motor'😬 to purée the veges. Turn up the heat to bring to a low boil. Add a bit of flour as needed to make a nice gravy. 

Serve with mashed potatoes, creamed cucumbers and Brussels sprouts.

Pasta

2 1/4 C flour plus more for dusting

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 T EVOO

In small bowl, crack eggs, add the EVOO, whisk to blend. 

Mound flour on work surface. Form well in center and pour in egg mixture. 

Use fork to gradually incorporate the eggs into the flour. 

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for ten minutes until supple. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let sit for thirty minutes. 

Divide dough and process through pasta machine.

Lightly flour formed pasta and let dry under a dish towel for ten minutes. 

Cook pasta in boiling salted water for four minutes. 

Serve with favorite gravey. (See Italian Chicken Mozzarella).

Pasta Pairings:

Linguine. White clam sauce

Fettuccine. Butter and cream

Tagliatelle. Bologna se sauce

Pappardelle. Beef ragu

Gazpacho

6 large ripe tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
2 medium-size yellow onions
2 large shallots
2 large cucumbers
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups canned tomato juice
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup chopped fresh dill
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wash tomatoes and peppers. Core and coarsely chop the tomatoes; save the juices. Stem, seed and coarsely chop the peppers. Peel and coarsely chop the onions and shallots. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop the cucumbers.
In a bowl whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, reserved tomato juices, canned tomato juices and eggs.
In a blender or a food processor, puree the vegetables in small batched, adding the tomato juice mixture as necessary to keep the blades from clogging. Do not puree completely; the gazpacho should retain some of its crunch.
Stir in the dill, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

Rice and Beans

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 C raw rice

1 1/2 C vegetable or chicken stock

1 t cumin

Salt and pepper

1 can black beans with sauce

1 can tomatoes with chillies

3/4 can corn

Cheddar cheese

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Sauté onion and garlic in EVOO until translucent. Add rice and sauté about four more minutes. 

Add stock and cumin to pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. 

Add black beans, tomato and corn to rice. Cover and heat thoroughly. Evaluate moisture content and cook accordingly. 

Put in serving dish. Sprinkle with cheese and green onions. 

Turkey Enchiladas

1 onion, chopped

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 T water

2 t ground cumin

Salt and pepper

12 cups cooked turkey, chopped

12 flour tortillas

10 3/4 oz cream of chicken soup

8 oz sour cream

1 C milk

1 can green chilies

Sharp cheddar cheese

1 bunch green onions, chopped 

Cook onion in water to cover until tender, drain. 

In large bowl, mix cream cheese, water, cumin and salt and pepper. Stir in onion and turkey. 

Spray a 9x13 glass dish with Pam. 

Spread 1 C turkey mixture on a tortilla, roll up.  (I cut about 1/4 of the tortilla off as it is too much). Place in dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining turkey and tortillas.  (It will be a tight fit).

In bowl, combine soup, sour cream, milk and chillies. Pour over enchiladas. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40+ minutes. 

Sprinkle with cheese and green onions. 

Serve with rice and beans, refried beans, and guacamole. 

Chicken Fajitas

2 chicken breasts (4 halves)

1/2 C vegetable oil

1/4 C red wine vinegar

1/3 C lime juice

1/4 C onion

2 cloves garlic

1 t sugar

1 t oregano

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t cumin

Clean chicken. Pierce with a fork and put in a quart Baggie. 

Put remaining ingredients in a blender and whizz to combine. 

Pour into bag with chicken and allow to marinate. 

Prepare grill. Pour chicken and marinade into a saucepan. 

Grill chicken and bring marinade to a boil 

Slice chicken and pour marinade over

Swerve with tortillas, guacamole, salsa and shredded cheese.

Refried beans or Rice and beans as a side. 

Potato

8 to 10 medium potatoes, peeled then cut 1/2 inch cubes

one can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1/4 C milk

one envelope ranch dressing mix

1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided 

6 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

salt & pepper

Boil potatoes10 to 12 minutes. 

Put drained potatoes into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.

Combine soup, milk, salad dressing mix, 1 cup cheese, salt & pepper to taste; pour over potatoes. 

Sprinkle crumbled bacon and remaining cheese over the top. 

Bake uncovered, 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Grilled Chicken

1 Whole Chicken washed and dryed
Dry Rub of  choice. Choose one with little or no sugar. 

Three hours prior to grilling, prepare the chicken.  Using kitchen shears, cut down each side of the backbone, discard. Lay the bird open skin side down. Use a sharp knife, crack the breast bone at the neck end. Grasp bird and bend to expose and remove the breast bone. Use the knife to slice both sides of the breast cartilage and remove. Remove the rib bones. Apply a liberal coating of Dry Rub and work into the bird.  Bag bird in gallon zip lock and return to fridge. 

Thirty minutes prior to grilling, remove bird from fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat grill. Prepare a basting sauce of : 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 T oil, 1 t salt and a dash of Liquid Smoke. Put bird on grill and baste.  Flip and baste bird every 15 minutes three times.  Check for doneness. Apply your favorite BBQ sauce and grill another 5-10 minutes for appearance.  Remove from heat and rest for 5+ minutes. Carve and serve. 

Guacamole

2 Avocado. More if small. 

1 Lime, juiced

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 T Onion, diced

1/2 Jalapeño, minced 

Cumin, a sprinkle

Salt and pepper

Cilantro, optional

Add ingredients to bowl and mash with a fork.  Blend all. 

1-2 slices Tomato, diced

Fold into Guacmole. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes if you can.

Tilapia

2+T Parmesian cheese

2 t butter softened

2 t mayo

2 t lemon juice

Spec+ of dried basil, onion powder, black pepper and celery salt. 

Mix ingredients. Set aside. 

Arrange fillets on greased aluminum foil in a broiler pan. Broil for two to three minutes about two to three inches from element.  Flip and broil for another two to three minutes. Fish should be close to done. 

Remove from broiler and spread sauce on fillets.  Return to broiler and brown lightly, about two minutes. 

Tilapia Veracruz

1 clove garlic minced

1 14.5 oz diced tomato

1 T tomato paste

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup capers

1/3 cup green olives sliced

Sauté garlic in EVOO

Add can tomato and juice. Cook until tomato is tender. 5 minutes. 

Add tomato paste, wine, capers and olives. Cook for 5 minutes. 

Sprinkle tilapia with some pepper and submerge in tomato mixture. Cook for 5+ minutes until fish flakes. 

I serve with rice which if started first is finished at about the same time as the fish.

A spicy sauce for chicken, shrimp or pork

1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Chicken or pork chops
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 cup heavy cream

Combine spices.  Use as a dry rub on chicken or pork. You can double the amounts if experience dictates. Be careful with the cayenne however.  You can scale back on the butter and cream.  I rarely use that much cream- it depends upon what you are serving with.  More for pasta and potato, less for rice.

Combine salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle over both sides of selected meat. 

In large saute pan, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the meat until just done.

Pour the cream and remaining butter into the skillet. Lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 3 - 5 minutes.

Orzo salad

Cook orzo following package directions.  

Chill the cooked orzo. 

Stir in Garlic Expressions, some chopped tomato, onion and capers. 

Sprinkle with some parsley to make pretty.

Ann Carlisle's Beans

2 cans each: baked, butter and kidney beans

1/2 lb bacon

16 oz sausage

2 large onions, chopped

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup molasses

1 t dry mustard

1 T vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

Fry and crumble bacon - reserve fat.

Fry and crumble sausage in bacon fat - reserve all grease. Yum. 

Sauté onion in reserved grease.

Mix all ingredients together and bake 325 for two hours.

Needs more fluid. 

Chicken and Artichokes

2 Chicken Breasts

Flour for dredging

1/3 C chopped onion

6 oz jar Artichokes

1 large clove garlic chopped and divided

1/2 cup rice

1 1/3 cup chicken stock

White wine

1 T lemon juice

In small sauce pan, melt generous T butter; add 1/3 chopped garlic and sauté one minute.  Remove garlic. 

Add 1/2 cup rice and sauté three minutes.  

Add 1 1/3 cup chicken stock, bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer for twenty minutes.

Rinse and dry the chicken breasts; dredge in flour. 

In large pan, melt generous T butter over medium high heat; add 2/3 of chopped garlic and sauté one minute. Remove garlic. 

Add chicken and sauté till golden on both sides; about three minutes each side. Reserve to plate and tent with foil.

Add a turn of EVOO to pan. Add chopped onion and artichokes to pan and sauté till tender three to four minutes.  

Dust with some flour and mix. 

Add generous splash of white wine and splash of chicken stock.  Add 1 T lemon juice. Looking for it to thicken a bit. 

Return chicken to pan; cover and simmer for ten minutes or until rice is ready. 

Add rice to serving dish, add artichoke sauce to rice, add chicken to dish and serve.

Mojito

12 Mint leaves plus a sprig for garnish

1/2 a lime quartered

Rum

2 T sugar

Sprite

Ice

Add mint and one segment of lime to a sturdy glass.  Muddle.

Add sugar and two segments of lime and muddle again.

Add a happy jigger of rum. 

Add ice to almost fill glass. 

Add sprite to fill

Garnish with last lime segment and the sprig of mint.

Serve with a straw and swizzle stick. 

Pork Chops

For the brine (optional):
3 cups cold water, divided
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 2 1/2 tablespoons table salt)
Optional flavorings: 2 smashed garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf

For the pork chops:
2 to 4 pork chops — center cut, bone-on, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick (about 1 pound each)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Boil one cup of water and add the salt to dissolve.  Add the salt water to the cold water.  Add the flavorings.  Add the chops and set in fridge for at least one hour.

Preheat oven and an oven proof pan to 400.  

Remove chops from brine and pat dry. Lightly oil the chops and season.

Put hot pan on stove on high heat.  Add chops and sear one side - about three minutes. Flip chops and return pan to oven for six to ten minutes depending upon thickness. Remove chops to a plate and tent for five minutes before serving. 

Accompany with Butternut squash. 

Butternut Squash

1 Butternut squash

2 T butter

1 - 2 T brown sugar depending upon size of squash

Karyo syrup

Peel and cube the squash (1/2 inch). Put in Pyrex dish with  three or four T of water.  Cover and microwave until tender, about 8 - 10 minutes.  Stir once or twice while cooking.

Drain the squash. Add butter and brown sugar and mash

Transfer to an oven safe baking dish.  Drizzle with Kayro syrup and bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes. 

Poblano Peppers

Serves 4

4 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
4 plum tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup instant polenta
1 10-ounce package frozen corn
1/4 cup soft goat cheese (2 ounces)
4 scallions, sliced  

 

Directions:  

1. Preheat broiler. Place tomatoes, onions, and peppers cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Roast until charred and tender. Stir halfway through.
2. Switch oven to baking mode and preheat to 400°F. While you wait, puree tomatoes and onion with cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in a food processor. 
3. Spread half the sauce in a baking dish and arrange the peppers cut side up.
4. Bring 2 1/4c of water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of salt. Stir in the polenta slowly, using a whisk or fork. Cook the polenta, whisking steadily, until it becomes thick, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn, cheese, and all but 2 TB of the scallions. Remove from heat.
5. Divide the polenta mixture between the peppers, topping with the remaining sauce. Bake 5 to 10 minutes until heated through. Garnish with the leftover scallions.

Mustard Coated Chicken Breasts

Mustard Coated Chicken Breasts

Two servings

1 1/2 T Dijon mustard. (I like the coarse grain for this)

1 1/2 T EVOO

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 t Tarragon dried. (Substitute Thyme, possibly Oregano)

1 cup bread crumbs

2 skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450

Spray foil lined baking sheet with olive oil

Mix together mustard, EVOO, garlic and Tarragon

Spread mixture onto chicken

Coat with bread crumbs

Put prepared chicken on baking sheet

Bake for 14 minutes. 

Good with mashed potatoes and creamed (panned) spinach. 

Cauliflower

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 head cauliflower

1½ cups plain Greek yogurt

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil. Set aside.

2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.

4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)

5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.

6. Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges and serving alongside a big green salad.

Limoncello

Franny's Limoncello Recipe

What You'll Need:

• 1 bottle Skyy Vodka (750ml.)
• 2 lemons, rinsed (ideally organic, Meyer lemons)
• Cheesecloth
• Twine

To Finish:

• 1.5 cups simple syrup (50/50 water and sugar by weight)
• Zest of two lemons (new, fresh Meyers)

Directions:

1. Pour vodka into a clean glass jar.
2. Wrap lemons in cheesecloth and suspend over vodka (using the twine to secure them).
3. Seal tightly, and let sit undisturbed (in a cool, dark place) for one month.
4. After one month, discard lemons, then add syrup and the fresh zest of two new lemons.
5. Let sit for 15 minutes, and strain through a fine mesh sieve (or more cheesecloth).
6. Chill and then drink up.

Sounds simple, right? Luckily, it is! I found that this technique gives it the the pure lemony essence that you get from the suspension technique, but it also adds just a but of the satisfying oils, from the quick dunk of the zest. I've also found that limoncellos that use the typical technique (soaking the peels for a month) generally have a heavier, less vibrant flavor and aroma, whereas the suspension technique is incredibly light and vibrant. Franny's technique is, to me, the best of both worlds.

SEXPAND

Other Considerations

First off, while we aren't always stickler for this kind of thing, in this case, using organic lemons is very important. Why? Because the alcohol is going to strip out everything that's in the peel. That means that if your lemons were sprayed with pesticides, it's going to end up in your limoncello. Nobody wants pesticides in their limoncello.

Another thing to consider is the spirit. I was really surprised to learn that Franny's uses regular old 80-proof Skyy vodka. Like I said, Franny's is the best I've ever had, so I'm hesitant to mess with success, but I can't help but wonder what kind of results you might be able to achieve using 100-proof vodka, or even Everclear (which isn't typically available in New York). I think it's worth experimenting with—BUT, if you do, keep in mind that you're going to have to adjust the amount of simple syrup and/or water that you use. If using a higher-proof spirit, I'd say start with the 1.5 cups of simple syrup that Franny's recommends, then give it a taste. The balance of sweetness and lemon might be right, but the alcohol content will likely be way too high. In that case, don't add more simple syrup, start adding water, just a little at a time, until you get to the balancing point you're looking for.

Oh, and a quick note on simple syrup. Most places just use a 1:1 ratio (by weight) of white, granulated sugar and water, then they heat it up and stir it until it's dissolved. While the 1:1 ratio by weight is solid, personally, I've found you get better results and much, much richer flavors if you use raw sugar (the dark, coarse stuff) and don't heat it at all. Simply combine the sugar and room-temperature water in a glass bowl, and stir it until it's dissolved. It takes a little longer, but it's worth it. The syrup is usually a bit sweeter and thicker, so you may not need to use as much of it. Generally, it's best to add a little less and then taste as you go.

Lamb Meatloaf

• 2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 large egg
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• kosher salt and black pepper

Dill?

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 
  
• EVOO to sauté:
• 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, sliced or minced
• 1 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine first six ingredients and shape into a 3x6 loaf in a foil lined pan. 

Roast at 400 for 30 minutes.  Brush with balsamic vinegar four times during roasting. Allow to rest for five minutes before serving. 

Sauté pepper and onion till soft.  Add garlic, continue for two minutes.  Add beans and salt and pepper.  Heat through. Add lemon juice to finish. 

Dressing

1/2 c mayo

1/3 c white vinegar

1 t  Vegetable oil

2 T  Light corn oil

2 T  Parmesian

2 T  Romano

1/4 t Garlic salt

1/2 t Italian seasoning

1/2 t Parsley

1 T  Lemon juice

Sugar

Shrimp, Bacon and Rice

4 Slices bacon chopped

Clove of garlic to taste

12 shrimp tail on

1/2 cup rice

1 1/4 cup chicken broth, heated

Parsley

Sauté bacon. Remove to plate reserving drippings

Sauté shrimp in two batches. Just short of being fully cooked. Reserve to plate reserving drippings. 

Sauté garlic lightly. 

Add rice and sauté for 3-4 minutes  

Add broth, bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Stir in bacon. Place shrimp on the rice.  Sprinkle with Parsley. Continue simmer for  5 minutes until rice is ready.