“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it.”
– Clarence Budington Kelland
Let us celebrate all our father’s by creating a meal or two he will forever remember! Happy Father’s Day from Cesi Pagano & Associates.
The Breakfast
Instant Pot French Toast
INGREDIENTS
- 1 c. water
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/4 c. milk
- 1/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 (14-oz.) brioche or challah loaf, cut into 1” cubes, preferably day old
- Powdered sugar, for serving
- Maple syrup, for serving
- Berries, for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Grease a 7” round baking dish with cooking spray. Place trivet inside Instant Pot and pour in water. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add bread and gently toss to combine. Pour mixture into prepared dish and cover tightly with foil, then place inside Instant Pot.
- Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 30 minutes. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for quick release. Remove baking dish from Instant Pot and let cool 10 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup and fresh berries.
Recipe from delish.com | Makinze Gore
The Lunch | Main Dish
Skillet-Fried Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 3–4-lb. chicken (not kosher), cut into 10 pieces, backbone and wing tips removed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Peanut oil (for frying)
DIRECTIONS
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Whisk 1 Tbsp. salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Season chicken with spices. Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover, and chill overnight.
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Let chicken stand covered at room temperature for 1 hour. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, cornstarch, remaining 1 Tbsp. salt, and remaining 1 Tbsp. pepper in a 9x13x2″ baking dish.
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Pour oil into a 10″–12″ cast-iron skillet or other heavy straight-sided skillet (not nonstick) to a depth of 3/4″. Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°. Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet.
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Working with 1 piece at a time (use 1 hand for wet ingredients and the other for dry ingredients), dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge in flour mixture; tap against bowl to shake off excess. Place 5 pieces of chicken in skillet. Fry chicken, turning with tongs every 1–2 minutes and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temperature of 300°–325°, until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for thighs, legs, and breasts.
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Using tongs, remove chicken from skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet; transfer chicken to prepared rack.
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Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe from Bonappetit.com
The Dinner | Main Dish
Mash-topped Beef & Guinness Pie
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 carrots
- 3 stalks of celery
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- ½ a bunch of fresh thyme
- olive oil
- 500 g stewing beef (2.5cm dice)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 600 ml Guinness
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 450 g potatoes
- 75 ml milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
DIRECTIONS
- Peel and roughly chop the onions, garlic, and carrots, then trim and roughly chop the celery. Tie the bay and thyme sprigs together with string.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole pan over medium heat. and add the vegetables and herbs. Toss everything in the oil to coat, then season.
- Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the veg is softening, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate.
- Toss the beef in the flour and season, then add to the pan and cook until browned all over (you may need to do this in batches).
- Deglaze the pan with the Guinness. Add the veg and herbs, then top up with water if needed, to just cover the meat and veg.
- Stir in the brown sugar. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
- Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water, then drain.
- Mash with the milk, butter and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.
- Put the meat in an ovenproof dish, top with the mash and drizzle with oil.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and crisping up.
Recipe from JamieOliver.com
The Dessert
Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate–Sour Cream Frosting
INGREDIENTS
cake
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Nonstick vegetable oil spray
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4 cups cake flour
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2 teaspoon baking powder
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1½ teaspoon baking soda
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1½ teaspoon kosher salt
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1½ cups buttermilk
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½ cup vegetable oil
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2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 cups sugar
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1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
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½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
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1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
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6 large egg yolks
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3 large eggs
frosting and assembly
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14 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
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¼ cup light corn syrup
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2 cups sour cream
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1½ teaspoon kosher salt
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1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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2¾ cups powdered sugar
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¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
DIRECTIONS
special equipment:
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Three 9”-diameter cake pans with 2” sides
cake
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Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment-paper rounds; coat paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until no lumps remain. Combine buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
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Combine sugar, butter, and brown sugar in another large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using an electric mixer, beat butter mixture until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Add yolks and eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl.
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Continue to beat the mixture, occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl, until almost doubled in volume and very light, airy, and pale yellow, 5–6 minutes. It’s very important that no lumps remain at this stage. (Occasional scraping of the bowl, especially the bottom, helps prevent lumps.)
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With the mixer on low, add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
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Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, about 3½ cups per pan. Smooth tops.
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Bake, rotating cakes from left to right and top to bottom halfway through, until cakes are light golden brown, the centers spring back when gently pressed, and a tester inserted into the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35–40 minutes.
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Transfer cakes to wire racks; let cool in pans for at least 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks, peel off parchment, and let cool completely.
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Using a long serrated knife, remove top dome and any bumps from each cake to create a flat surface. Slice each cake in half horizontally to make 6 layers total. Cakes can be baked 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
frosting and assembly
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Stir chocolate and corn syrup in a large metal bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth; remove from heat. Stir sour cream, salt, and vanilla in a medium metal bowl; set over same saucepan of simmering water. Stir until mixture is warm but not hot, about 2 minutes. Add sour cream mixture to chocolate mixture; stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside.
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Using an electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Slowly beat in chocolate mixture. Continue beating until no lumps remain, about 2 minutes. Frosting should be smooth and shiny. Cover and chill until slightly firmed up, about 30 minutes.
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Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or large plate. Spoon ⅔ cup frosting over; using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, smooth frosting to edge of the cake, creating an even layer. Place another cake layer on top. Repeat with frosting and remaining cake layers. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of the cake. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with a cake dome and store at room temperature.
Recipe from bonappetit.com | Janet McCracken & Alison Roman
The Fourth Meal
Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1⁄2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 1⁄4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2)
- 1⁄2 cup olive oil
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 medium red onion, 1/4 minced, the rest thinly sliced
- 1 avocado
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp. minced cilantro
- 1 tomato, cored, seeded, and minced
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 10 flour tortillas
- 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 4 oz. queso fresco
- Sour cream, to serve
DIRECTIONS
- Combine cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, coriander, salt, onion powder, paprika, and oregano in a bowl; mix half with the chicken. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high; cook chicken, flipping once until halfway cooked, about 8 minutes. Add remaining seasoning, peppers, sliced onion, and salt and cook until peppers are soft and chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest 10 minutes before thinly slicing.
- Cut avocado in half lengthwise, then remove and discard pit. Make crosshatch incisions in avocado pulp with a paring knife. Scoop pulp out with a spoon, then transfer to a bowl with minced onion, lime juice, cilantro, tomato, salt, and pepper; mix. Chill guacamole until ready to use.
- Working in batches, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet; place one tortilla in the skillet. Top with 3 tablespoons of both cheddar and Monterey Jack; place 1⁄5 of onion and pepper mixture and some slices of chicken on top. Finish with 1-2 tablespoons more of each cheese and some queso fresco, as well as another tortilla. Cook for 2 minutes, until golden, then flip over and cook a further 1-2 minutes until the other side is golden and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 6 pieces. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.
Recipe from Saveur.com | Farideh Sadeghin
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