Fork Tender Oven Braised Corned Beef

THE TRADITIONAL ST. PATRICK'S DAY Corned Beef and Cabbage is my husband's favorite meal of the year! This year I took a different approach. Since the day was on a Sunday this year, my thoughts turned to brunch and home fries. I had made Irish Soda Bread, which we had toasted and smeared with sweet Irish butter.

Rather than Mimosas, we made Black Velvet Cocktails. I recently learned of this libation from the excellent blog, Kitchen Riffs. It is made from Guinness stout and Champagne. Very different, delicious, and celebratory. Thanks, John.

I also cooked the corned beef differently than my usual. I normally braise it on the stove top or on working days, the crock pot. This year, I oven braised it in beer--I used Guinness Stout, because I had it on hand. Use any beer you like. The brisket was moist, juicy, and so very tender. I'm pretty sure I will always cook it this way.

Oven Braised Corned Beef in Beer
4 lb. flat cut corned beef
12 ounce bottle beer
Water as needed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Open corned beef in your clean sink. Save the spice packet. Rinse the brisket and pat dry with paper towels. Dispose of the liquid from the package. Trim off any excess fat.

Place the corned beef into a large, heavy Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid, fat side up. Sprinkle with spices from the packet. Add the beer. Use water, if needed, to bring the liquid barely to the top of the corned beef.

Cover and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven to 300 degrees and continue cooking for another 2 1/2 hours.

If desired, add vegetables about 1 hour before the end of cooking time.

Beef Bourguignon

MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED to spend the afternoon in the kitchen making Beef Bourguignon,
He wanted to make it in honor of a beloved chef and I wanted to make it because I had never eaten it, much less cooked it, and felt that was a gaping hole in my culinary experience.

We wanted this to be authentic and were happy and willing to spend the time sourcing ingredients and cooking. I did a lot of reading about the history of this dish, and reviewing recipes. I also watched videos, including one of Julia Child herself making this.

Julia recommended serving the Beef Bourguignon with buttered and parslied new potatoes and French green beans (haricot vert). Ina recommended toasting slices of French bread and rubbing with a garlic clove to soak up the scrumptious gravy, so we did that too.

We were both very happy with the way this amazing dish turned out. It is easy to  see   taste why this has become a well loved classic. I can truly say this was the best meal I have ever eaten.

Beef Bourguinon

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

6 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt
Pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced into chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 bottle medium bodied dry red wine (we used Pinot Noir)
2 cups beef broth
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
5 Tbsp. room temperature butter, divided
3 Tbsp. flour
1 pound fresh baby onions, peeled
1 pound fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove bacon to a plate.

While the bacon is cooking, dry the beef chunks very well. Salt and pepper generously.

Cook the beef in the fat in the pan, in batches, until well-browned on all sides. Place on plate with the bacon.

Place the carrots and onions in the pan, adding a little olive oil if needed. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the meat back to the pan with the vegetables. Add the wine, the beef broth, tomato paste,  and the thyme. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a tight fitting lid and place in oven for about 3 hours, until the meat and vegetables are very tender. Check after 2 hours.

Stir together 3 tablespoons butter with the flour, until smooth. When the stew comes out of the oven, stir in the mixture until smooth.

Saute mushroom, in remaining butter, for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Add to the stew. Add the baby onions to the pan and cook until almost tender. Add them to the stew. Simmer, on top of the stove, for about 15 minutes. Season to taste.

Pot Roast Quesadillas

A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR, I have a craving for a pot roast just like my Mother always made, braised on the stove top. I would eat some of the beef but it was really the potatoes and carrots cooked in that broth that I loved so much. In fact, my brother and I would reach under the table to swap food--I would give him more meat and he would give me his carrots.

My choice of beef cut is grass fed sirloin tip. I season it and then sear it in a screaming hot pan. (I often set off the smoke alarm during this process). I remove the pan from the heat to let it cool down a bit before adding a couple cups of freshly brewed coffee which is Mama's secret ingredient. The coffee helps tenderize the meat and makes a rich and flavorful broth. (Think Southern Red Eye Gravy).

After our original meal, I like to dream up ways to use the leftovers. Sometimes, I make soup. Or it may be enchiladas or tacos. This time I made quesadillas  and served them with some homemade salsa. They were great!

Pot Roast Quesadillas
1 (10-inch) whole wheat tortilla for each quesadilla
1/4 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese each
1/2 cup shredded beef plus chopped potatoes and carrots each
Sliced onion (optional but delicious) for each
Butter

Heat your black iron skillet over medium heat.

Spread cheese, then the beef mixture on a tortilla. Fold in half. Melt a pat of butter in the skillet then add the folded tortilla. Brown on one side then flip to brown the other side.

I like my quesadillas crisp, so I brown them thoroughly, lowering the heat if necessary.

Serve with your favorite salsa.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas Made with Leftover Pot Roast

WHEN I DRIVE, I LOVE LISTENING TO audio books though I have to be careful with this habit sometimes. Recently, when I was driving to Alabama to visit my Mother, I was listening to the beautifully narrated novel, Ripper by Isabel Allende.

It is an engaging, well written, thrilling page turner. If I were sitting in the comfort of my own home, I would have been riveted to this book. At one point, a particularly intense part of the story coincided with my navigating through the sprawling hellscape of Atlanta.

I found myself tensed, gripping the wheel, heart palpitating, barely breathing. . .and I stopped the book. Whew!

I lowered my shoulders and focused on my breath. Once I was all the way through the city, I took a pit-stop. Then I returned to my book, but now I was driving through unruffled and serene parts of Georgia and Alabama.

Last week, I was driving home from an unpleasant yet necessary medical appointment. The day was gloomy and it was pouring rain. I was listening to a novel based in London. Two of the characters were extolling the virtues of a proper pot roast. It suddenly hit me as the most delicious sounding thing in the world. I stopped to buy a roast.

I cooked a chuck roast which becomes juicy and extremely tender in the slow braising process. I shredded the leftovers to make enchiladas. I even made my own enchilada sauce and the recipe for that will follow. Of course you can used canned enchilada sauce if you prefer.  I also roasted a couple of poblano peppers, but you can use a can of green chilies instead. And I added some sliced black olives, which are completely optional. Yellow corn tortillas are traditional in Tex Mex style encliladas, so that is what I use.

Both the roast dinner and the enchilada dinner were delicious and now that I've had a meat fix, I'm ready to go back to our mostly vegetarian diet.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas
Leftover Pot Roast, shredded (I had about 3 heaping cupfuls)
2 poblano peppers, roasted and diced (How to Roast Poblano Peppers)
1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
8 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided (more to taste)
2-3 cups red enchilada sauce
10 - 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine shredded beef, roasted peppers, and olives in a mixing bowl. Toss together with a handful or so of the shredded cheese. Stir in just enough enchilada sauce to coat everything well.

Pour about a cup of the enchilada sauce into an 11x13 inch baking dish. Spread the sauce to cover the bottom.

Warm stacks of 4 or 5 tortillas, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel, in the microwave, for about 45 seconds, until soft and pliable.

Place about a fourth cup of so of the beef mixture on each tortilla, roll tightly, and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue in this fashion, warming the tortillas, filling, and rolling. Pour remaining sauce all over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.Cover with foil and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve with shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, sliced tomatoes, and sour cream.

Red Flannel Hash

I LOVE THE NAME RED FLANNEL HASH. It sounds so appealing, cozy, and comfortable. Also bright and cheerful. I first heard of Red Flannel Hash from the fictional, smart-mouth tough guy with a heart of gold character, Spenser, a Boston based Private Investigator, in a series of books written by Robert B. Parker.

In many cases, while investigating, Spenser would get out of the rain, and of course he would be drenched (and remember tough guys don't use umbrellas) by going into a warm diner and ordering a steaming cup of coffee along with Red Flannel Hash. After this happened on more than one occasion, I started wondering, what the heck is Red Flannel Hash?  So I "investigated".

Red Flannel Hash is corned beef hash with the addition of beets. After my husband's favorite meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage, I usually make either Reuben sandwiches or Corned Beef Hash with the leftovers. After I learned about Red Flannel Hash, my hash changed forever. We love beets anyway and adding them to hash transforms its flavor and gives it such a beautiful color.

I don't think you need a hard and fast recipe for a dish called hash, but this is more or less what I did.

Red Flannel Hash

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups chopped leftover corned beef

2 cups cooked beets, diced

Freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter and oil in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and potatoes. Cook and stir until they are tender. Toss in the corned beef and beets. Mix together and continue cooking until everything is hot and beginning to brown. Top with freshly ground black pepper. There should be enough salt from the corned beef, but taste and add some if you like.

Serve with eggs and some of your leftover Irish Soda Bread.

Borscht

BORSCHT IS NOTHING MORE than a vegetable soup. If you add beef, like I did here, you have a Vegetable Beef Soup. Leave the beef out, use a flavorful vegetable stock, and have a delicious vegetarian soup and I have made it that way many times.

The problem for some is that one of the vegetables is beets which turn this soup into what I think is a melodramatic and lovely hue. I am very attracted to the color and have been since the magenta crayon which was my favorite one in the box when I was a child.

Some family members find Borscht to be alarming; lurid even. Which surprises me because some of the same ones will happily devour a slice of red velvet cake which gets its color from chemical food dye; personally, I find that to be garish.

But that's OK, I just won't make Borscht when they come for dinner. (Or a Red Velvet Cake).

Borscht
1 lb. beef roast or steak, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 - 3 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 quarts beef broth
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 - 4 carrots, sliced
4 large beets, peeled and sliced
1 russet potato, peeled and cubed
1 small head cabbage, shredded
16 oz. can tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped, fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive oil for cooking
Sour cream for garnish

Salt and pepper the beef pieces and brown in a little oil.  Push beef aside, add more oil if needed, and cook the onions until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and stir for a couple of seconds. Add the beef stock and bring to a boil; lower heat, cover and simmer for about an hour until beef is tender and broth is very flavorful.

Add the celery, carrots, beets, potato, cabbage, and tomatoes along with some salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until vegetables are tender.

Just before serving, add the red wine and dill and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper is needed.

Serve with sour cream.

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti (A re-post from September 10, 2010)

Here's another make ahead dish for my canning days. Because our kitchen is so small, I really do take up the entire kitchen and every inch of space in it, and then some, for my canning projects. Except I leave a small, clear path to the microwave. So when Pritchard Parker comes home from work hungry, it is easy to get him a meal quickly.

I do the same thing in December when I turn my kitchen into a bakery. I would take a picture of it but I would be too embarrassed for you to see it. It would remind you of one of those hoarders you see on TV. (Maybe I exaggerate a little).

I made only slight changes to the recipe you can find on Paula Deen's website, the main one being the fact that I did not use her branded seasoning concoctions, of which she calls for three. Also I altered the sauce cooking instructions slightly.

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 - 3 cloves minced garlic
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water (I sloshed the tomato cans with water to make this amount)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 small bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 oz. thin spaghetti
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese

In a large pot, brown hamburger meat, stirring and breaking up, until no longer pink. Drain away excess fat. Add onions and bell pepper to the meat, cooking and stirring until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds longer.

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and the water to the meat mixture and stir well. Add in all the herbs and spices. Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, grate the cheeses and cook the pasta according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To assemble, cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and a little less than half each of the cheeses. Repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Top the spaghetti with the remaining cheese and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Pakastani "Old Clothes" Beef Curry (Nihari)

When I first saw the cookbook, The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla, I knew I wanted it. I don't buy a lot of cookbooks anymore, but this one was unique and had real appeal for me.

I love, love, Indian food. I love the spices and the complicated flavors. I have tried my hand at cooking Indian food, with mixed success. It is a very labor intensive way of cooking and a real gift of love, which I believe adds to the deliciousness.

Having had much success with crock pot cookery, this book doubly appealed to me, and also made sense. Not having ever seen anyone actually cooking Indian food, I've always had to depend on words, all of which did not totally make sense (to me). Dumping everything into a crock pot and walking away sounded so alluring, I finally bought the book.

There was still a bit of work to this recipe, namely peeling and slicing vegetables and mixing and grinding spices--all the most pleasurable parts of cooking to me. The combination of spices was so exotic and aromatic, I was practically swooning.

Pakistani "Clothes" Beef Curry (Nihari)
2 medium onions, sliced
2 pound beef brisket
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced
10 cloves garlic, peeled
1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger
4 whole cardamom pods
3 bay leaves
1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp. garam masala
2 Tbsp. ground fennel
1 Tbsp. red chile powder
2 pinches nutmeg
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. white salt
1 tsp. black salt
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

Put the onions in the crock pot. Top with the beef.

Grind the ginger and garlic into a paste (I used a mini food processor) and add to crock pot.

Add the ground ginger, cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, garam masala, fennel, red chile powder, nutmeg, turmeric, white and black salt. Drizzle the oil over everything. There's no need to mix.

Cook on low for 9 hours. The dish is done when the beef starts to shred and fall apart, just like old clothes.

Enjoy with thick naan and a salad made with sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and sliced cucumbers, all drizzled with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with sea salt and a little red chile.

Red Flannel Hash

 

I have read several books in a series about a private investigator who lives in Boston. When he is at home, he prepares gourmet meals. Or you can find him in fine restaurants with his girlfriend. But when he is on assignment, he eats at diners a lot and he often orders Red Flannel Hash.

 

I always wondered what the heck Red Flannel Hash was and I loved the name. I finally got around to looking it up to learn it is corned beef hash with the addition of beets.

 

I had never made it until now for several reasons, one being that we don't eat a lot of meat. Another is that corned beef is expensive! The stores have them on sale for St. Patrick's day, so we get one then. It is Pritchard Parker's favorite meal of the year.

 

This year, I used the leftovers and made Red Flannel Hash. We were sold! We were in love. I love the way the beets turned the potatoes into such a pretty pink color. I'll have to figure a way to make this lovely and delicious dish more often.

 

The recipe I'm giving is loosely based on what I had on hand, but the proportions shouldn't matter at all.

 

Red Flannel Hash

 

1/2 stick butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups chopped leftover corned beef

2 cups cooked potatoes, diced

2 cups cooked beets, diced

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Add in the chopped onion, cooking and stirring until they are tender. Toss in the corned beef, potatoes, and beets. Mix everything together and continue cooking until everything is hot and beginning to brown. Top the freshly ground black pepper. There should be enough salt from the corned beef, but taste and add some if you like.

 

Serve with eggs and some of your leftover Irish Soda Bread.

 



 

Organic Blue Cheese Burger

For several days, I kept thinking about spaghetti with meat sauce.  Every time I thought about it, I immediately thought about pink slime, which has been all over the news.  Yuck.  I don't eat much meat and what I do eat I am very particular about. Sadly, I have probably eaten pink slime. However, now that I am aware of the insipid practice, I won't knowingly eat pink slime again.

Because I kept wanting to cook and eat spaghetti with meat sauce, I went to Earth Fare, which is very close to my workplace, on a quest for pink slime free ground beef.  On my way there I thought that if I really wanted to compare the organic ground beef to what we had been eating, I should simply make a hamburger. I did both.



The taste of the ground beef in the meat sauce, even with the tomatoes, onions, and garlic, was outstanding. Apparently I had become accustomed to the bland taste of commercial ground beef (and I don't want to think any further about that closed chapter).

And then there was the burger. THE Burger. Here, the taste of the locally sourced, humanely raised, organic beef was clearly superior. I'll never go back.




I gently patted the ground meat into patties, cooked them in my black iron skillet, and melted blue cheese over the top. They were dressed with lettuce, tomato and onion, sprinkled with Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and served on whole wheat buns.

Steak and Fresh Vegetable Soup

I made this soup over the course of a dismal and rainy Saturday afternoon. It was soothing for me,  repeatedly going to the kitchen, checking and stirring, and adding additional ingredients every few minutes, while doing other things around the house. Plus, the aroma of simmering soup brought cheer into our home.

Because I built this soup in layers, over some length of time, I found no need to add commercially prepared, canned broth to add "cooked all day" flavor. The soup made its own all day flavor. In the beginning, I added a cup of strongly brewed fresh coffee and otherwise I just used water to coach the flavors from the steak and vegetables to make a satisfyingly flavorful broth.  I seasoned the soup simply, using only Celtic sea salt, freshly ground tellicherry peppercorns, and fresh parsley to let the flavors of the individual vegetables shine through.

Steak and Fresh Vegetable Soup
Olive oil or other oil, to saute
3/4  pound sirloin steak
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jumbo onion, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 portabella mushroom, chopped
1 cup strong, freshly brewed coffee
Water as needed
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 pound new red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1/2 pound fresh green beans, snapped
1/2 small head cabbage, sliced
Salt, pepper, and parsley, to taste

In a large soup pot, heat a little oil over medium high heat. Sear the steak, which has been salted and peppered on each side. Once the steak is very well browned, remove from pan and set aside. Add a little more oil if necessary and saute the garlic, onion, celery, and mushroom until beginning to soften and brown. Add a cup of hot coffee, stirring to deglaze the pan and loosen all the brown bits from the bottom. Add the steak back to the pot, add some water and salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and simmer for an hour or more until the steak is very tender and the vegetables are breaking down to form a rich gravy.

Remove the steak from the pan, shred the meat then return to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables, as you prep them, seasoning each new addition and adding more liquid as needed. Cover and simmer until everything is tender. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Very Cheesy Garlic Toast
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 clove garlic, crushed
Thick slices of rustic bread
Slices of sharp cheddar cheese

Mix together the butter and garlic. Spread on slices of bread. Top, generously with cheese slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is starting to brown.

Hobo Dinner

I was a Girl Scout Extrodinaire. Of course, I could not have been without the dedication of our Leaders and the bonds formed with the other girls in my troop. We had 3 leaders and 18 girls that went from Brownies, to Girl Scouts, to Cadettes, to Senior Scouts. Everyone in our troop earned the equivalent of the Boy Scout Eagle.  We earned every badge in the Girl Scout Handbook. 

We did a lot of wilderness camping, built a lot of campfires, told so many ghost stories we were too scared to sleep while out in the middle of the woods. We always pitched and trenched our tents and in most places, dug our own latrines. Almost every member of our troop was also in the glee club, so we sang some beautiful campfire songs. 

We gathered our own firewood--tender, kindling, and fuel, then cooked delicious food over the campfire. Anyone who has spent much time outdoors, knows what an appetite occurs and how totally delicious everything cooked in the open tastes. 

We used to make these Hobo Dinners and I still love them. Of course I have such beautiful memories attached.

Hobo Dinner

Sheets of foil

1/4 lb. ground beef

Several slices onion

Slices of potato

Sliced carrot

Salt and pepper

Wrap packets up tightly and cook on hot coals of a campfire until done.  Serve with ketchup.

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

Stir fry is a method of cooking I use a lot in the summer. It involves quickly cooking small pieces of food in a large pan over high heat while constantly and briskly stirring the food. This cooking technique is usually associated with Asian cooking and the wok, requires minimal fat, and results in food that is crisply tender. 

We can use the technique without necessarily adopting the flavors of the East, though I did use both soy sauce and toasted sesame oil in this recipe.

This recipe was born from ingredients I had on hand which needed to be used. I had a head of cabbage I purchased for another reason and whatever it was, it never happened. I had a package of ground sirloin I  bought on sale. I had  red bell peppers which were too cheap and beautiful for me to resist. And of  course it is Vidallia onion season.

This is the first time I have ever used ground beef in a stir fry. I followed my usual method of stir fry cooking if I am using meat, which is, cook the meat first, remove from pan and set aside. Drain any fat from the wok in preparation for cooking the vegetables. Cook the vegetables as desired, add the cooked meat back to the pan, stir together quickly and season to taste.

Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
(adapted from allrecipes.com)
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. peanut oil
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 jumbo Vidallia onion, sliced
4  (or more) cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
1 small head cabbage, sliced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the ground beef in wok, over medium high heat, stirring until completely browned, adding black pepper and salt.. Remove from pan, set aside and keep warm.  Drain fat from wok and wipe it clean. Add the peanut oil to the pan and heat over medium high heat. Stir in the sesame oil, then add in the onions, cooking and stirring constantly until they begin to brown.  Stir in the garlic and red bell pepppers, and stir for a minute longer, then add the sliced cabbage.  Stir everything well, then add the soy sauce.  Stir and cook until the vegetables are barely tender, then add back the cooked beef. Stir all together and season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Hamburger Stroganoff

I recently went through a spate of not-so-successful experimentations in the kitchen. As a result, I became frustrated, and we were faced with eating our way through some things we would just as soon not eat. I don't like to hear Pritchard Parker say, "not bad" about a meal I cooked.  I want to hear, "Mmmmm, this is delicious". 

I decided to back up and make something tried and true, down to the letter of the recipe. I turned to my most beloved cookbook, Betty Crocker's Cookbook, which is also my first cookbook.  This book really helped me gain confidence in the kitchen when I was a young bride. I like to think I am much more advanced in my culinary skills now, but sometimes I am forced to back pedal to my beginnings, including the cream of soup. 

In addition to this Hamburger Stroganoff, I still use a few other recipes from this book, including the Toffee Bars, the Potato Salad, and the Lasagna.

"Quick 'n Easy"

HAMBURGER STOGANOFF

"Company coming on short notice? Here's a recipe that belies its speed. Good on rice, too."

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup butter

2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 can (8 oz.) mushrooms

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

2 cups hot cooked noodles

Snipped parsley

In large skillet, cook and stir ground beef and onion in butter until onion is tender.  Stir in flour, salt, garlic, pepper, and mushrooms.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

Stir in soup;  simmer uncovered 10 minutes.  Stir in sour cream; heat through.  Serve over noodles.  Sprinkle with snipped parsley. 

"4 to 6 servings"

I am sharing this recipe with Mom's Sunday Cafe for Cookbook Sunday

Chili Cheese Nachos

Spring has some pretty fickle weather. Last week, here in the mountains, it snowed and I made a pot of chili. Today should reach a record breaking 82 degrees.  And everything between. I always have trouble deciding what to cook when the weather is changing--daily! Hourly! 

Saturday night, I decided to make Nachos. Every Saturday used to be Nacho Night and I would joke about writing a book titled, "1001 Nacho Nights" because of all the different ways I made them. Last summer, I even made Cold Nachos. 

There are no rules to making nachos. As long as you have tortilla chips and cheese, feel free to call your dish nachos.

For this version, I used crispy yellow corn tortilla chips which I scattered on a platter. I reheated my leftover chili and poured that over the chips.  I made a basic cheese sauce using Vermont extra sharp white cheddar and poured that over. Then I topped the nachos with finely diced red onion and a generous sprinkling of pickled jalapeno peppers. 

Reuben Sandwich

One of the fringe benefits of cooking a corned beef is leftovers made into Reuben Sandwiches. This just has to be one of the most glorious sandwiches of all. The flavors of the corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and rye bread are a sublime combination.

I have ordered this sandwich in a variety of pubs and restaurants and have made them myself. The ingredients are pretty consistent except for condiments. Many Reubens feature thousand island dressing, others, mustard. And some have both. I've been served the sandwich made with mustard on the bread and thousand island dressing on the side. 

We don't care for thousand island dressing so I use a grainy deli style mustard. You will use your preference.

Reuben Sandwich
2 slices rye bread
2 tsp. butter
3 - 4 oz. sliced corned beef
1/4 cup drained sauerkraut
2 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
Mustard or thousand island dressing, or both, to taste

Heat skillet or grill pan. For each sandwich, butter one slice of bread and place buttered side down on preheated pan. Top with sliced corned beef, then drained sauerkraut, and finally with slices of Swiss cheese.  Spread grainy mustard on another slice of bread. Place on top of the cheese, then butter the outside of the slice.

Grill until browned, then flip the sandwich. Continue cooking until the meat and sauerkraut are heated through, the cheese is melted, and the bread is browned.

Serve with potato chips and a dill pickle.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Thursday evening, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I cooked a simple corned beef and cabbage dinner, which couldn't be easier. I am not Irish, but my husband is, and this is far and above his favorite meal of the year. He looks forward to it so much.

You could, of course, corn your own beef brisket, but I  buy the packaged Murphy & David's Corned Beef with the little seasoning pack, always on sale for this holiday.

Simply follow the listed directions, which amounts to, open the package, put the beef in a pan, sprinkle on the contents of the spice packet, add water, and simmer until the beef is tender, according to the chart given. Once the beef is tender, add  potatoes, which have been peeled and cut into chunks, to the simmering broth. Cut the cabbage into wedges and arrange over the beef and potatoes.  Continue simmering until the potatoes and cabbage are desired tenderness.

Remove beef from pan and place onto a serving platter. Slice the beef and arrange the cabbage and potatoes all around. Drizzle some of the sauce over everything, and serve.

Salisbury Steak

I already had a dinner plan in mind. We love our vegetables and the planned dinner was going to be all vegetable and grain based.  Then the weather happened. It was cold, gray, dreary, and pouring rain. Suddenly the menu didn't seem appropriate or inviting. I seemed to need something heartier and more warming.

Spring is like that for me. It is not my favorite season--gasp, I know.  I love seeing and hearing the return of the songbirds, the greening of the earth, and the blossoms springing forth, but here in the mountains, it can be deceptively cold..  And I can't decide what to cook and it seems impossible to plan ahead. I never know if I'll want a nice salad or a hearty stew. 

I came across this recipe for Salisbury Steak, a blast from the past, and thought I'd try it. This recipe uses a can of soup which I usually avoid in my cooking. However, having said that, Campbell's is no stranger in my kitchen. This recipe turned out to be much more delicious than I imagined . Pritchard Parker was greeted with a wonderful aroma when he arrived home, after a hard day at the office, and driving through a downpour.  He walked in, sniffed, and smiled. That made me feel happy.

Salisbury Steak
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1 can French OnionSoup
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard powder
1/4 cup water

Mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, and 1/3 cup of the onion soup.  Form into patties. In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown both sides of the patties.  Pour off excess fat.

Blend together the flour and remaining soup until smooth. Mix in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, and water.  Pour over the patties in the skillet.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes over low heat. 

Patty Melt

It was time for a burger; time for some Man Food. I made these for my husband, Pritchard Parker.

Patty Melt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 pound ground chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
4 whole wheat buns

Heat oil, in a cast iron skillet or other heavy frying pan, over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion slices. Cook and stir the onions until tender and caramelized. Remove onions from the skillet and set aside.

While the onions are cooking, gently pat the ground chuck into 4 patties, handling the meat as little as possible; salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter each bun and place on a baking sheet. Slice the cheese.

Toast the buns in the preheated oven until just beginning to brown.

Place the burger patties into the hot skillet and cook until well browned on the first side. Flip over and cook until almost done. Top with the reserved onions and with the cheese slices. Turn off heat and cover the skillet. Let the burgers rest and the cheese melt, in the residual heat,  for about 10 minutes.

Serve on the toasted buns with potato chips and a dill pickle.

Rich and Hearty Beef Stew

Well, we had our first cold weather--down to 25 degrees.  It will get colder, but I always find the first cold days rather shocking until I get used to them.  I don't mind winter, and love certain aspects of it.  For example, I get to wear my favorite garment, the sweater, all the time.  I love snuggling under warm blankets.  And I really enjoy cooking hearty soups and stews, which can simmer all afternoon, to develop rich flavor, and keep the kitchen warm.  And baking, ooh-la-la, I love running my oven. 

Because I knew I would be simmering this stew for a few hours, I did not find it necessary to use beef stock for cooking.  The beef itself makes plenty of its own stock. But I did use coffee, which is a tip I learned from my Mother, and she learned from her Mother, from making the ubiquitous Southern Red Eye Gravy.  Although you don't really taste coffee in the end, it does add richness to the sauce, and more importantly, it helps tenderize the meat. 

The vegetables I added in the beginning mostly melted away and helped make a delicious gravy for the baby potatoes and mushrooms I added toward the end.  Once the potatoes were tender, I found myself staring into the pan and wondering what I would use to to thicken the sauce.  I thought about using flour or cornstarch but didn't like that idea. I also contemplated adding some dumplings to that delicious smelling, simmering broth.  In the end, I just keep simmering, uncovered, until it was thickened.  We were both very happy with the way this tasted. 

Rich and Hearty Beef Stew

2 lbs. stew beef

2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. each, salt, pepper, and paprika

2 Tbsp. bacon fat, or vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 15 oz. can tomatoes, with their juice

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 cup strong, brewed coffee

Several stems fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

Water

1 1/2 lbs. tiny Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed very well

6 oz. tiny white mushrooms, cleaned and inspected

Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika; coat the beef very well, all over, with the mixture. Heat the bacon fat, in a large soup pot or dutch oven, over medium high heat.  Add the beef and cook until well browned.  Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and stir well.  Add the tomatoes with their juice. Stir in the soy sauce and coffee. Add enough water to barely cover all the ingredients in the pan, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove the thyme stems and bay leaves and add more salt and pepper to taste. Drop the potatoes and mushrooms into the simmering stew, cover and continue to cook, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and cook the stew until it is reduced to desired consistency.