Southern California Cooking from the Cottage (24 page)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 frozen sheet puff pastry
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 350
o
F. In a large stockpot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. In a separate pot bring the water to a boil and add the chicken base and carrots. Boil for 5 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Transfer to the large stockpot with the onion. Add the corn, potatoes, peas, chicken, sage, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the cream. Return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through.
While the chicken mixture is cooking, prepare the piecrust. Lay the puff pastry on a flat surface. Cut the sheet to the size of the top of the baking dish in which the potpie is going to be baked. (We just invert our bowl over the pastry and, with a knife, cut around the edge). Brush the egg white over the top of the pastry. Spoon the chicken mixture into the baking dish. Gently place the puff pastry over the chicken mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is baked and lightly browned.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
FIRE-GRILLED ROSEMARY CHICKEN
N
ancy C. of San Diego tells us that this is one of her favorite things on our menu because it is fresh and low fat. To make it truly delicious, be sure you marinate the chicken for twenty-four hours. The rosemary and lemon juice give it that fresh summer California feel. It's a great recipe if you are entertaining in the backyard and want to cook on the barbeque.
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 whole chicken breasts, skinned and boned
In a medium bowl combine the lemon juice, olive oil, onion, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Preheat the grill to high. Grill the chicken for 8 to 12 minutes per side or until cooked through, turning once. Poke the chicken in the thickest part with your finger to test for doneness. It should feel firm to the touch and no longer be pink in the middle.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Note:
We like to serve this dish with sticky white rice and sautéed veggies.
GARLIC RIB EYE
C
ustomers tell us this is the best rib eye they have ever had. It starts with a great cut of meat and a hot grill: proof that good food doesn't have to be difficult to make.
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 (10-ounce) rib-eye steaks
2 tablespoons minced garlic
6 tablespoons Essence (page 127)
Preheat the grill to high. Brush the olive oil over both sides of the steaks. Rub in the garlic and liberally season both sides of the steak with the Essence. Place the steaks on the hottest part of the grill and sear both sides to seal in the juices. Transfer the steaks to a cooler part of the grill and continue cooking until the desired degree of doneness, turning once. We like serving this with caramelized onions and mashed potatoes.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
RIB-EYE STEAK
M
y husband, John, is the grill king and likes making rib-eye steak for company in the summers. At the restaurant, we have a hard time deciding which rib-eye steak we like better: this one or the one rubbed with garlic (page 177). Remember to marinate the meat for a full ten hours.
Marinade:
¼ cup chopped garlic
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon A-1 steak sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 (10-ounce) rib-eye steaks
Combine the garlic, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, A-1 sauce, black pepper, soy sauce, paprika, olive oil, salt, and vinegar together in a glass dish. Add the steaks and marinate for 10 hours, covered, in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill to high. Place the steaks on the hottest part of the grill and sear both sides to seal in the juices. Transfer the steaks to a cooler part of the grill, and continue cooking until the desired degree of doneness, turning only once.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
LAURA'S MEATLOAF
H
ere is one of our top sellers and the most requested item on the dinner menu. It has been given the title “World's Best Meatloaf” by several customers, but most locals know it as Laura's Meatloaf. Everyone compares it to their mother's or grandmother's.
2 slices white bread
2 slightly beaten eggs
½ cup tomato sauce (canned is fine)
½ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of ground cloves
2 pounds ground round
¼ cup water
Mushroom gravy:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced shallot
½ cup Burgundy wine
1
cups beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the bread in a blender and chop until fine. In a medium bowl combine the breadcrumbs, eggs, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, cheese, salt, thyme, pepper, and cloves. Add the ground round and water and mix well. Shape into a loaf in a loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
For the mushroom gravy, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Add the garlic, shallot, and wine. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and water. Slowly add to the gravy until the desired thickness is achieved. Serve over the meatloaf.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
NAPA VALLEY BEEF STEW
T
here are a million beef stew recipes out there, but great ones are hard to come by. Our chef Bill Goldblum brought us his recipe, and it knocked our socks off. It takes time to make but is worth the effort. Remember to start with good beef and keep the pieces on the larger side of two inches.
4 slices bacon
2 pounds stewing beef, cut into
2-inch cubes
1 cup chopped red onion
teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon seasoning salt (we use
Lawry's)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups Merlot wine
2 (14-ounce) cans beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 325
o
F. In a large ovenproof skillet, cook the bacon at medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and save for another use, such as the B.L.A.T. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Brown the beef in 1 tablespoon of reserved drippings. Drain and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon drippings to the skillet and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Toss the beef with a mixture of the seasoning salt and flour in a bowl. Add the beef to the pot and cook until the flour begins to brown. Stir in the wine and beef broth. Add the tomato sauce, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf and cook until the mixture just begins to boil. Place the pot in the oven and cook for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Add more wine or beef broth if the mixture becomes dry. When the stew is almost done, cook the pearl onions and carrots in boiling water for 5 minutes. In a small sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium high. Cook the mushrooms until soft. When the beef is tender, add the onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Add salt or pepper as desired.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Note:
We enjoy this with mashed potatoes.
Banana-Nut Cake
Carrot Cake
Chocolate Cake
Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake
Italian Pound Cake
Apple Cake
Creamy Lemon Cheesecake
Chocolate Velvet
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Pot de Crème
Chocolate Silk Pie with Pecan Crust
Peanut Satin Pie
Lemon Tart
Pear Tart
Delyn's Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding
Blueberry Strudel
Rocky Road Brownies
Strawberry Trifle
Cream Cheese Frosting
Caramel Frosting
Fantastic Hot Fudge Sauce
Fudgy Frosting
Grandmother Sauce
BANANA-NUT CAKE
O
f all the desserts we serve at the restaurant, Banana-Nut Cake is my favorite. It is moist, dense, and delicious. Pastry Chef Delyn Kuck likes to frost it with Caramel Frosting (page 205) and sprinkle nuts on top. I confess to liking it so much that I have on occasion taken the last piece and hidden it for myself!
cup shortening
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
cup mashed bananas (the riper the better)
