Ava Truckey

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Marinara

Marinara
Yield: Enough for 2 lbs of pasta

Marinara

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2, 28 oz cans San Marzano crushed tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 20 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fresh basil eaves, packed
  • 1/2 Tbsp salt, plus more to taste
  • Red pepper flake (optional)

Instructions

  1. Pour oil in a heavy bottomed pot (I love a Dutch oven), add sliced garlic and pepper flake if using
  2. Set heat to medium low
  3. Let garlic steep in the oil, don't fret about it not initially "cooking" you want to do this part really slow to infuse the olive oil, and also to not burn the garlic (burnt garlic = gross)
  4. It will start sizzling around the 5 minute mark. Keep an eye on it, and let it sizzle and infuse the oil.
  5. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the oil has started turning to a golden color and the garlic has a little color to it as well
  6. Add the tomatoes. Slosh out any extra with a little water
  7. Add salt, turn to medium heat, slowly let it come to a simmer.
  8. This is where you can take the reigns. Like any sauce, this one is best if it can cook low and slow for awhile (re: several hours) Don't have the time? That's okay, at this point, you can have dinner on the table in less than an hour.
  9. After it has simmered for about 45 minutes, add the basil, and allow it to infuse the sauce for at least 15 minutes.
  10. Taste for seasoning. Try a couple splashes of red wine vinegar before getting carried away with tons of salt.
  11. Get creative. This is a really great solid vehicle for other things. Throw a parmesan rind in it, add some pancetta to the garlic, toss in some veggies. The sauce is your oyster.
© Ava Truckey

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan Chicken Stew
Yield: 6-8 Servings

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable, or other neutral oil 
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 inch piece ginger, grated (if frozen) or minced
  • 1/2 Tbsp garam masala
  • 1/2 Tbsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric 
  • Black pepper 
  • 1/2-1 serrano pepper (depending on preference), diced
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 10 dates, pitted and chopped
  • 2 lbs of sweet potatoes or squash
  • Juice of 2 lemons for Serving
  • Handful of washed and chopped cilantro 
  • Cooked rice 
  • Lemon wedges

Instructions

  1. In a small dish, Combine 1 tablespoon  of oil with spices, garam masala through turmeric, adding a few generous cranks of fresh cracked pepper, set aside. 
  2. Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium high, add remaining tablespoon of  oil, allow the oil to warm for a minute or so.
  3. Add the onion, cook for a minute until fragrant, and a pinch of salt, and cook for an additional five minutes or until they become soft and translucent. Lower the heat to medium.
  4. Add the serrano, ginger and garlic, cook for a minute, and then push everything out to the edges, leaving a hole in the center. Add the tomato paste and  oil/spice mixture to the center of the pot, until it sizzles and becomes fragrant, incorporate with the onion mixture.
  5. Add the stock, scraping the bottom of the pot, loosening and incorporating any bits.
  6. Add the chicken thighs and nestle them into the onion mixture well. You want them just almost submerged, add a little water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a low boil, put the lid on, and turn the heat down to a simmer.
  7. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  8. Carefully remove the lid and remove the chicken thighs from the pot onto a plate. Using two forks, shred the chicken, return to the pot, along with the dates and squash/potatoes, bring it to a simmer, put the lid on, and simmer for an additional 20 minutes, remove the lid, and continue to simmer another 15 minutes or until the squash/potatoes pierce easily with a fork.
  9. Stir in the lemon juice.
  10. Taste for, and adjust, any salt and pepper needs.
  11. Serve over rice and top with fresh cilantro.
© Ava Truckey
Category: Recipes

Caramel Apple Hand Pies
Caramel Apple Hand Pies
Yield: 12 Hand-Pies

Caramel Apple Hand Pies

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes 20 seconds
Additional Time: 30 minutes 15 seconds
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes 35 seconds

Ingredients

  • 2 c AP Flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • 2 sticks butter (unsalted, frozen)
  • 1/2c sour cream (cold)

Filling

  • 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1 tbsp cold butter, diced
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 c brown sugar
  • splash of heavy cream
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough by mixing flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, salt.
  2. Using a box grater, grate butter into flour mixture. Add sour cream and mix just to combine.
  3. Dump out onto a clean surface and begin patting and gathering the dough, incorporating all of the loose bits. Dough may seem rather dry initially which is okay. (Using a bench scraper helps a lot.)
  4. Once the dough is formed and holding together well, roll out to an inch thick rectangle, and do a letter fold, turn, roll out again to an inch thick, repeat x 3. ** If at any point your dough becomes sticky or hard to work with (the butter is melting) put it in the fridge for 10 minutes, as you don’t want the butter to melt.
  5. After you have done your last set of folds and rolled it back out, allow it to chill for 30 minutes in cling wrap.
  6. Preheat oven to 425
  7. Remove cling wrap and prep dough to cut/fill. Roll out into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. You can either cut it into an equal number of rectangles (about 16) or use a biscuit cutter (what I usually do)
  8. Make an egg wash using an egg and a tablespoon of water you have whisked well.
  9. After you have your shapes cut and placed on a parchment lined baking sheet, chill for 15 minutes (this helps filling and sealing the pies)
  10. After they have chilled, apply a bit of egg wash on the bottom piece around the edges. Add about a Tbsp of filling (some will leak out, it’s fine) apply a little egg wash to the top pastry’s edges, set on top, seal with a fork, cut small vent slits on top. (*If this part is taking quite a bit of time, keep the pastries you aren’t immediately working with in the fridge to prevent the butter from melting.)
  11. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake for 20-25 minutes (these times are based on making smaller pies using a biscuit cutter) they should be golden brown. 
  12. Allow to cool on a rack for 20 minutes before eating and cool entirely before glazing
© Ava Truckey
Chipotle Chicken Soup

Chipotle Chicken Soup
Yield: 6-8 Servings

Chipotle Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6-8 cups chicken stock (depending how soupy or stewy you want it)
  • 1.5-2 lbs shredded chicken thighs (I poach mine in water with salt, peppercorns, garlic cloves and bay leaves)
  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2-4 chipotle peppers depending on how spicy you like it + 1-2 tablespoons of the adobo from the can of chipotle peppers
  • Salt & fresh pepper
  • Juice of one lime
  • Cooked rice

Garnishes (definitely not optional in my opinion)

  • Cubed Monterrey Jack
  • Avocado slices
  • Cilantro
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  1. You literally whack everything in a pot and let it simmer for an hour or until the chickpeas are tender.
  2. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
  3. Serve over rice.
  4. Add garnishes and ENJOY.
© Ava Truckey
Category: Recipes

Chocolate & Orange Scones

Chocolate & Orange Scones
Yield: 8-12 Scones

Chocolate & Orange Scones

Cook Time: 17 minutes
Additional Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 21 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2.75c Flour
  • 1 TBSP Baking Powder
  • 1/3 C Sugar
  • 3/4 TSP Salt
  • 1/2 TSP Cinnamon
  • 1/2 C Frozen Butter
  • 2/3 C Buttermilk
  • 1 Large Egg, Beaten
  • 2 TSP Vanilla
  • Zest from 2 Large Oranges
  • 1.5 C Dark Chocolate Chunks or Chips

Instructions

  1. Combine flour through cinnamon (Ingredients 1-5) in a big bowl. Stir well to combine.
  2. Dip your stick of frozen butter in some flour to coat, get your box grater, and using the biggest hole size, start grating your butter into the flour mixture. End up with a few random big chunks? That’s cool, squeeze them between your thumb and index fingers, making petals, drop it into the flour.
  3. Add orange zest. Gently (but quickly, you don’t want your butter to start melting) combine into the flour.
  4. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk the egg.
  5. Stir the buttermilk and vanilla into the egg mixture.
  6. Make a well in the center of your flour mixture, add egg mixture & Stir JUST to combine.
    Do not get hung up on having a perfect looking dough, okay?
    Biscuit and scone dough isn’t perfect. There will be chunks, some spots that are a little more dry. It’s going to be okay.
  7. Pat, never roll. Ever.
  8. Laminate your dough about three times. (Click here for YouTube video on dough lamination)
  9. After the third letter fold, pat down into a 2 inch thick circle.
  10. Using a bench scraper, scrape your circle and whack it onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut your circle in half, careful not to crimp the dough or make any sawing motions.
  11. Round the edges of each circle two make two smaller circles.
  12. Cut each circle into wedges, anywhere from 4-6 pieces a piece. Keep them close together, but separate them about a half inch apart.
  13. Brush with a little milk.
  14. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, bonus point for sprinkling a little Maldon, too.
  15. Whack the scones in the freezer for about thirty minutes while your oven preheats DO NOT SKIP THIS PART.
  16. Depending on how many pieces you have (today I made 8 big scones, and they baked at 425 for 21 minutes, but I’m also at high altitude) start checking them at the 17 minute mark. They should have some nice color and pull apart easily, not revealing any “doughy” bits.
© truckeyava
Cuisine: American / Category: Baked Goods

Minestrone

Minestrone
Yield: 6-8

Minestrone

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 28 oz can crushed San marzano tomatoes
  • 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 4-6 cups chicken broth
  • 4 ounces pancetta
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 yellow onions, diced
  • 1 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 small-medium sized head green cabbage, chopped or a few handfuls of spinach
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • A couple handfuls of fresh herbs. I used a couple sprigs of rosemary and a handful of basil to serve
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 ounces small pasta of your choice such as ditalini or mini-bowties (optional but suggested)
  • Red pepper flake (optional)
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Parmesan rind (technically optional but not really in my opinion)
  • Few splashes of red wine vinegar

Instructions

    1. Heat a large pot on medium high, add pancetta and cooked until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is just starting to crisp. Do not drain fat.
    2. Add onion, celery, carrot, tomato paste, herbs of your choice, bay leaves, and a sprinkle of salt, sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions start to become soft and translucent.
    3. Add the garlic, a sprinkle of chili flake, and the zucchini, another pinch of salt and a couple grinds of pepper. Cook for two minutes or until the zucchini starts releasing moisture.
    4. Add the tomatoes and bring everything to a simmer, stirring often for 5 minutes.
    5. Add the broth and the Parmesan rind. 6. Bring to a very low boil and turn the heat down so that it gently simmers.
    7. Cover with a lid. Like with any great soup or stew, I like to give it some time to hang out. Preferably one to one and a half hours, stirring occasionally, letting it to simmer for an additional thirty minutes before serving. If time is of the essence, this be ready in as little as thirty minutes.
    8. Meanwhile, cook your pasta to al dente in a separate pot. This allows you to add it into your bowl prior to serving so that it doesn’t get soggy in the event you have leftovers the next day. I cannot stand over-cooked pasta.
    9. Once it has simmered for at least 30 minutes to an hour, remove the lid, add the beans and the cabbage and let it simmer, uncovered, for an additional 10-20 minutes.
    10. Add a couple splashes of red wine vinegar, taste for seasoning, give it a few solid cranks on a pepper mill and there you have it. 
    11. Serve over a spoonful of pasta on your bowl with freshly cracked pepper and a generous grating of fresh parmesan. 

© Lara Russo
Category: Recipes

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