Category: Recipe

Recipe: Fresh Peach Cobbler with a Berry Puree

8/11/2014

Cobbler ingredients

Filling
3 lbs. of fresh peaches, with skin on, cut into 6 wedges
1/2 granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. kirsch or a fruity brandy (optional)

Topping and Assembly
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter, Room temperature
3 1/2 oz. almond paste or to taste
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sliced almonds
sprinkle with powdered sugar
Vanilla ice cream and puree (for serving)

Filling
Toss peaches, sugar, flour, salt and kirsch in a large bowl. Transfer to a 13x9 Baking dish set aside.

Topping and putting it together
Preheat oven to 350*. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a mixer so we don't overwork ourselves, beat butter, almond paste, and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until smooth. Mix in the dry ingredients.
Drop dollops of batter over fruit (batter will even out while baking. Sprinkle with almonds. Good idea to bake the cobbler on a baking sheet incase there is drippage. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is brown and the fruit juice is bubbling. Dust with powdered sugar and let it cool. Serve with ice cream and puree.

Must start with Fresh ripe peaches

Save arm power, use a mixer

The dumpling dough, sweet and creamy

After baking with ice cream

Raspberry and blackberry puree

Purees are very easy to make as long as you have a food mill. Simply, take your berries and bring them through the small or medium disc of the food mill. Voila, you have a delicious fruit puree.

0 Comments

Make Your Own Pizza Party

8/10/2014

1 Comment

When the OCWino was away in Sun Valley, Trent and McCall decided to show off their own cooking skills. After a little trip to Trader Joes for dough and some gourmet toppings, the kids were ready to make some pizza. We probably spent about $15 for ingredients, but it made two killer pizzas that could possibly rival Mozza.
Trent decided to go with the garlic pizza dough and McCall took the whole wheat. After lightly dusting a surface with flour, we plopped the dough down and let it sit for 20 minutes.

In the meantime we prepared our toppings. Trent sautéed chopped mushrooms in truffle butter. The supply for the pizza was probably cut in half because we ate so many while cooking!

Next McCall took on the onion chopping duty. We pulled out the chemistry safety goggles to prevent any sort of crying. Next we caramelized the onions for some extra flavor.

Always stay safe while cutting onions!

It was incredibly helpful to have pizza pans on hand. McCall was an expert at working with the dough to make a perfect pizza pie.

Next, we loaded the pizzas with toppings and popped them into the oven! 10 minutes later our delicious creations were ready! The pizzas were absolutely delicious and paired wonderfully with a homemade balsamic dijon vinaigrette.

McCall's Creation: 4 Cheeses with Tomato Basil Sauce and Caramelized Onions on Whole Wheat Crust

Trent's Creation: 4 Cheeses with Pesto Sauce, Prochiutto, Pepperoni, Sautéed Mushrooms, Carmelized Onions and Goat Cheese on Garlic Crust

1 Comment

A Foodie Treat: Truffle Eggs

7/10/2014

1 Comment

Thank you Anne McGraw for a foodie's dream gift: Grappa and a White Truffle from Italy!

So I said to Shelby, "Do you eat eggs? Do you like mushrooms? Because today our nutrition is going to be fresh eggs with shaved truffles".
So here we go... we cracked six eggs into a bowl and whipped them up. I shaved some truffle in the egg while it was cooking and then generously shaved more on top when they were finished. It was a real Italian treat.
Thank goodness for my truffle slicer because it makes great thin shaved pieces to go around and garnish with the truffle.

Just a tip: this is a very precious and expensive treat. So take care of your truffle. If you don't eat it all in one sitting, it is important to store it properly. Wrap it in saran wrap, then in foil. Store in an air-tight container. It can also be frozen this way.

But that won't happen in my house! Everything over the next few days will have that delicious white truffle shaved on top. Even ice cream.
Thank you Anne for sneaking this through customs for me! I will cherish it for the next few days until it is gone.

1 Comment

Recipe: Creamy Margarita Popsicles

7/9/2014

0 Comments

4th of July, 5th of July, and 6th of July....
Yes it is true. For three days straight, I made these delicious crowd pleasing creamy margarita popsicles. They are tart yet sweet due to the condensed milk. It literally took me 2 minutes to complete the recipe (minus the effort squeezing the limes). In 8 hours flat, you have a delicious adult popsicle.
If you use a plastic cup or dixie cup, they un-mold really easily. With a lime at the base, they have a great presentation. A regular popsicle mold would be a tad bit overwhelming. You can find the popsicle sticks at most craft stores.
It is much more fun to make multiple flavors. We also made pina colada, grapefruit basil and vodka, and... the grand finale... boozy red white and blueberry cheesecake pops.
Although you might desire to add more booze to your popsicles, you can only have 20% alcohol in your recipe. Otherwise they won't be able to freeze.

Ingredients
1¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes), plus 4 limes for stabilizing the popsicle sticks
1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup water
¼ cup tequila
2 tablespoons tangerine juice (orange juice works as well)
Kosher salt or margarita salt

You will also need:
12 (3oz) Dixie cups (I couldn't find dixie cups so used plastic ones)
Small popsicle sticks or craft spoons
A pitcher or large cocktail shaker

In a pitcher or large cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, water, tequila, and orange juice. It is important to combine the ingredients in a container that has a spout because it will make it much easier to pour the mix into cups.
Line out the Dixie cups on a baking sheet, so it will be easy to transport them to the freezer. Fill each Dixie cup 90% of the way with the tequila mixture.
Slice the limes into ¼ inch thick rounds. Push a craft spoon through the center of each lime round, so that half of the stick pokes out from each side. Top the mixture with the lime sticks. Make sure the lime is resting directly on top of the tequila mixture.
Freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight. When ready to remove the popsicles from the Dixie cups, simply snip a small cut in the rim of each cup and peel them away from the popsicle. Place the popsicles onto a dish with crushed ice to keep them from melting too quickly, Sprinkle the tops generously with kosher salt, and serve.

"Drinking" on the Job

Thirsty post-Brooks Street Parade Gang! (Little Brady is sad that this is one popsicle not meant for kids)

0 Comments

Recipe: Gazpacho Soup

7/7/2014

1 Comment

It's all about Peggy's Gazpacho.
My mother was a fabulous cook and periodically, you may see a recipe of hers pop in on the blog.
It is very important to get really red local tomatoes to make gazpacho. It's also good to make it a day in advance so the flavors can mix well together. This is a delicious, lo-cal, refreshing chilled soup that you can keep in your refrigerator up to three days. It is great to have on hand during these hot summer months!
The recipe below fills ten 8 oz cups... but leave room up top for the condiments!

You are probably wondering how you peel these tomatoes. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. In the meantime, make a small X on the bottom of the tomato with a sharp knife piercing the skins. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water until you see the skins starting to crinkle around the X. Quickly remove the tomatoes and place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Using your fingers, the skin will easily peel right off. Cut the tomato in half and squeeze gently to help remove all of the seeds.

The boys love it!

1 Comment

Recipe: Beef and Pork Sliders with Caramelized Onions and Secret Sauce

6/14/2014

0 Comments

Talk about a crowd pleaser. I decided to make my famous sliders for a gathering I had with my healthy bar method girlfriends. However they had no reservations about chowing down on these delectable appetizers.
The secret behind their incredible flavor is the caramelized onions.

This sauce recipe is so easy. Use a mandolin slicer to thinly slice the onions. Cook in butter on medium until the onions start to turn brown and get really soft. Add a hint of salt and brown sugar and continue cooking until flavors mix. This can be made in advance and can be reheated before you serve them. Cook patties normally, set up your sliders, and place the caramelized onions on top before topping them off with a bun.

0 Comments

Recipe: Curry Peanut Chicken Skewers

6/14/2014

0 Comments

I served this crowd pleaser at my recent Bar Method Party and decided it would be great to share this delicious and easy recipe. They can be made early in the day, kept in the refrigerator, and served on a decorative platter.

2 Whole Chicken Breasts (4 Halves), skinned and boned
2 Cups Half and Half
1 1/2 Cups Hellman's Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Mango Chutney
2 Tablespoons Dry Sherry
1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
2 Tablespoons plus 1 Teaspoon Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon Tumeric
2 Cups Salted Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped
Chopped Fresh Coriander (garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them.
Pour the half and half over them and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into 1 inch cubes.
Process the mayonnaise, chutney, sherry, vinegar, curry powder, and turmeric in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade until blended.
Dip the chicken pieces into the curry mayonnaise and then roll in the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Serve each piece on a skewer (you could do huge skewers like I did and later have a sword fight with them) and garnish with coriander.

0 Comments

Recipe: Stuffed New Potatoes

6/11/2014

1 Comment

Stuffed New Potatoes are a real crowd pleaser AND can be made a couple days in advanced! Actually, they are much better if you make them ahead of time since it gives the flavors a chance to enhance.

Stuffed New Potatoes
30 New Potatoes
1 lb. cooked bacon and chopped
½ cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped cilantro
10 ounces low fat sour cream
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp. tobacco
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Bake olive oil and pepper drenched potatoes in 350 oven for 1 hour or until a fork slides in easily. Let cool, slice in half, and scoop out potatoes center.

In the meantime, let your bacon sizzle...

Then, mix all the other ingredients, and store in Tupperware.

To heat, bring oven to 350 degrees an hour before serving to take the chill off. Bake until heated through for 30 minutes, cool slightly, and garnish with herbs.

1 Comment

Recipe: Cheese Tortellini with Burnt Brown Butter and Truffles

6/2/2014

1 Comment

For me, brown butter is the queen of sauces. When my kids were little and wouldn't eat anything, I would just put brown butter on their food and they would eat it up. It's delicious on steamed vegetables, grilled chicken, and fish. Burnt butter is a sauce that can be put on pretty much anything. Even ice cream (which is so damn good).

Let's take a boring tortellini recipe and doctor it up with this amazing yet simple sauce to change the flavor up a little bit. To make the sauce you take butter, put it in a pan, and melt it down till it starts to turn color. It becomes a rich, nutty, brown, tantalizing, and tasty sauce.

This particular recipe I would like to share with you came from Toscana Saporita Cooking School outside of Lucca, Italy. I was lucky enough to go to the school during truffle season. I even got to go truffle hunting with a pack of dogs (and some canines too).

Dog poo or truffle?

Cheese Tortellini with Burnt Brown Butter and Truffles
16 oz. Tortellini Stuffed with Cheese, Pancetta and Cheese, or Spinach and Cheese
Half a Stick of Butter
2 Tablespoons Shaved Truffles
Parmesan to taste
Rosemary or Sage to taste

First, bring four cups of water in a pot to a rolling boil. Add your tortellini and cook to al dente.
Drain and transfer the tortellinis to a serving plate.
Take your half a stick of butter and boil it until the milk solids are gone and the butter turns to a rich dark brown.
At that point, add your rosemary or sage to the sauce. Cook no more than 30 seconds to one minute.
Pour the rich sauce over the tortellini, add your shaved parmesan and truffles on top of the plate.
And voila! You have a delicious entrée or side dish.

Note: Truffle season is around late Summer for black truffles and Fall for white truffles. However you can often find them available throughout the year in specialty stores.

1 Comment

Recipe: Fresh Peach Cobbler with a Berry Puree

Cobbler ingredients

Make Your Own Pizza Party

A Foodie Treat: Truffle Eggs

Recipe: Creamy Margarita Popsicles

Recipe: Gazpacho Soup

Recipe: Beef and Pork Sliders with Caramelized Onions and Secret Sauce

Recipe: Curry Peanut Chicken Skewers

Recipe: Stuffed New Potatoes

Recipe: Cheese Tortellini with Burnt Brown Butter and Truffles

OC WINO

Search Blog

Categories

Archives

2023 All rights reserved by OC Wino

Cobbler ingredients

﻿OC WINO﻿

Search Blog

Categories

Archives

2023 All rights reserved by OC Wino

OC WINO