Family Size Easy Peach Cobbler

2 29 oz cans cling peaches in heavy syrup
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups yellow cake mix (half the package)
1 cup cold milk

In a rectangle pan melt butter in a 350 oven.

Mix cake mix and milk to form a batter.
Remove pan from oven and pour batter over butter evenly (you can use a rubber spatula to push the batter around but do NOT mix together)

Place peaches with syrup into a saucepan, add sugar and heat till it bubbles. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, almond, and vanilla extracts, stir to incorporate.

Spoon hot peaches over batter, gently pour syrup over peaches evenly (again do not mix).

Place in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, turn heat up to 400 for an additional 15. Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Homemade Beef Stock: Oven Roasted and Instapot Brewed

2 1/2 to 4 pounds beef bones such as shank, or for a richer broth add an oxtail. 

3 large carrots peeled and chopped rough

4 stalks celery, washed and chopped rough

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped rough

1 tablespoon tomato paste or 1 tomato deseeded and chopped

1 handful fresh parsley 

3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp

5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

5 cloves of clove or 1/8 tsp ground

1/2 teaspoon peppercorns or 1/8 tsp ground

1/2 teaspoon whole allspice or 1/8 tsp ground

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp sea salt

Place beef shanks in non-stick pan single layer and add chopped carrots and celery. Place pan in 450 oven turning occasionally and stirring veggies. Once bones are a deep mahogany and vegetable caramelization is well underway, add chopped onion, stir and cook another 10 minutes. Do not add onion before this point or it will become bitter.

Turn meat and stir vegetables occasionally.

Once the bones, meat, and veggies are deep mahogany your roasting is done.

Add pan ingredients and seasonings to your Instapot and pour in fresh water to 2/3 fill.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine and or water, scraping up browned bits as you go, pour into Instapot with other ingredients.

Bring everything to a boil using the saute setting with the lid off. Skim any scummy foam that floats to the top. 

Seal Instapot and set for one hour of pressure cooking. 

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a soup pot, line with cheesecloth and pour Istapot contents through the setup.

Remove any bones or meat to a separate bowl. Use the back of a large serving spoon to squish all of the flavors out of the veggies. 

Refrigerate the pot of liquid overnight and in the morning skim off the fat and discard. You can now divide up the stock and freeze, or use right away for French Onion Soup or other purposes. 

Note*

Discard bones and find another purpose for meat scraps.

Chicken Piccata

2-3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise, pounded thin between plastic wrap.
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp. drained, rinsed, coarsely chopped capers
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp Chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/8 cup starchy pasta water reserved

Serve over 

Angel hair or spaghetti pasta tossed with butter and a little parmesan and lemon wedges 

Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise, pound each piece between films of plastic wrap about a half-inch thick. Season with sea salt and pepper. Using a shallow pie pan add flour and dredge each cutlet shaking off excess.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add a pat of butter once hot then add and brown cutlets, about 2 minutes the first side and about 1 minute on the other side in batches, then remove to a platter, cover loosely to keep warm.

Add garlic 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 tbsp butter to the skillet and cook, stirring often and reducing heat if needed to keep the garlic from burning until golden brown, about 2 minutes add parsley and stir.

Add wine,, and capers and cook, scraping up browned bits attached to the bottom of skillet until liquid is reduced almost completely 3-4 minutes.

Add ½ cup chicken stock,  and lemon juice followed by starch water, bring to a simmer then add butter. Whisk the sauce gently until butter dissolves about a minute or so.

Return chicken to the pan and simmer until chicken it is cooked through and the sauce has thickened about 2-3 minutes. Place chicken cutlets alongside a pile of angel hair or spaghetti pasta dressed with butter and parmesan. Pour sauce over both.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Oven Roasted Rack of Lamb with Garlic Herbs and Sauce

1 Tbsp Rosemary, minced

2 Tbsp Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Parsley, chopped fine

Cracked black pepper

Montreal Steak Seasoning

Olive Oil

3-4 Tbsp Demi-Glace or rich brown gravy 

1 shallot minced and reserved for sauce

1/4 cup dry white vermouth

Mix all other spices, herbs, and oil together forming a paste, then coat with lamb and bake at 425 for 12 minutes,  drizzle demi-glace over lamb and garlic herbs then broil for 8 additional minutes on the second shelf. Check frequently, do not burn your garlic and or herbs. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes, slice chops apart and arrange on a platter. 

Add minced shallots to pan, saute 1minute then deglaze with a little dry white vermouth and reduce. Pour over chops you arranged on the platter and serve.