JBug's Kitchen Antics

Onion Pie and Barbecued Meatloaf

Big Guy's going to be asking "what holiday" as this long weekend comes to a close. He had quite the day yesterday! Between laying backsplash tile and several trips to Home Depot, he managed to cook breakfast as well as whip up 5 lovely individual meat loaves for our dinner last night. Talk about an overachiever!

We've shared his meat loaf recipe with you in the past but it's just too darn tasty not to make over and over, particularly now that barbecue/grilling season is upon us. Loaded with ground beef, pork and spicy hot Italian sausage along with tons of garlic, jalapeno's, sun dried tomatoes and chopped mushrooms, there's not much filler in these babies - just pure unadulterated meat.  The mushrooms really help to keep the loaves moist while they cook for an hour over charcoal flavored by alder chips and the resulting smoky flavor is absolutely incomparable. Hit this link and it'll take you to the recipe! 

I'm always on the lookout for a new side dish, so when I saw the recipe for Onion Pie in the Best of the Best of Arizona Cookbook Big Guy brought back from his Grand Canyon hike for me last weekend, I just had to give it a try.

This simple pie has got most all the same ingredients as a quiche but is much lighter thanks to an untraditional crust made from crushed saltine crackers. Baked in a 9 x 13 pan, it comes out thinner than a normal pie, but absolutely packed with onion flavor and a perfect creamy textured, mild flavored foil for the spicy meatloaf. It's definitely going on our "keeper" list. 

Onion Pie (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from The Best of the Best of Arizona Cookbook)

48 saltine crackers

1/2 cup butter, melted and divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 extra large onions, thinly sliced

1/2 pound grated Cheddar cheese

2 cups whole milk or half and half

3 eggs, beaten

Salt and course ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Place saltine crackers into a large zip bag and crush to fine crumbs. Add all but 2 tablespoons butter to the crumbs, close bag and mix together well. Pour 2/3 of the crumbs into a 9 x 13 pan and press evenly onto the bottom.

Heat oil and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter together in a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook until onions are softened but not browned. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Arrange onions on top of cracker crumbs in pan and top with grated cheese. Heat milk in microwave until hot but not boiling. Pour slowly over beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Season with salt and coarse ground black pepper, and pour egg/milk mixture over cheese and onions in pan. Sprinkle with reserved cracker crumbs and top with freshly grated nutmeg.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before plating. Makes 8 servings.

A year ago - Buffalo Shrimp on Lemon Caesar Salad 

Two year's ago - Curried Chicken with Fresh and Dried Cranberries

Fun in the Kitchen - Make Nachos

One super way to show off your creativity in the kitchen is to make a big pan of nachos for dinner. Afterall, we missed our usual Pink Mountain Friday so it was our excuse to celebrate with a beer and nacho Saturday. I'm not entirely sure why I thought it necessary to make excuses for our unorthodox dinner, but there you have it. 

Big Guy was responsible for darn near all of this as I sat on at our new kitchen island on one of the new barstools and threw in my two cents worth and snitched chips while I was at it. Man, I love it when he cooks!

Anyway, should you need one, there's a ton of recipes on-line for nachos - check out this one by Rachael and of course there's Guy Fieri's Italian version that I've had my eye on for a while too. That said, our plates of crisp and gooey goodness included browned ground beef and sauteed onions kicked up a notch with taco seasoning and garlic, along with cubes of processed cheese, warmed refried beans, pickled jalapenos, chopped black olives and lots of grated Mexican cheese blend courtesy of Trader Joes.

Garnished with guacamole, sour cream, salsa from a jar and a squeeze of lime, it was all quite sublime.

A year ago -  Beer Braised Shortribs

Two year's ago - Quick Blender Hollandaise

 

Salisbury Steak with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Talk about a perfect marriage - moist tender meat patties in a flavorful gravy studded with sauteed onions and garlic, served beside a bed of creamy tangy horseradish mashed potatoes. It couldn't get any better than that!

A perfect week night meal, if you're on the ball at all this one takes exactly a half hour to put together, including the tossed salad we had on the side. I simply formed a mixture of ground pork and beef mixed with some dry Italian breadcrumbs, a couple of egg whites I had hiding in the fridge and lots of ground pepper and salt and browned them for a few minutes a side. Removed from the pan to hold for a minute, I added a sliced onion and a huge clove of minced garlic to the pan along with a smidge of butter and sauteed the onion till it was soft and started to turn golden. I quickly stirred in a couple of tablespoons of flour, and after letting it rip for a minute added the rest of the gravy ingredients per the instructions on myrecipe.com. 

Hit the link to see their official version as it's even quicker than the one I put together. I just couldn't pass up making more gravy and adding the onion and garlic, never mind some additional sherry. Oh you'll see I also used ground pork and beef rather than the ground turkey and ground round they called for. Hey it was cheaper and pork is just as lean as turkey these days.

The meat patties hit the gravy and simmered for another 10 minutes while I mixed some sour cream, half and half and horseradish into the boiled potatoes and gave it all a good mash. What's more to say, except we can hardly wait for lunch for the leftovers.

You'd be very smart to put this one on your menu this week - maybe even add some mushrooms to the gravy if any of you are mushroom lovers. Regardless, you'll be tempted to lick your plate. It's that good! 

Salisbury Steak with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes (adapted from myrecipes.com)

3/4 pound lean ground beef

3/4 pound ground pork

1/2 cup dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs

2 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Combine ingredients together, mixing with your hands. Pat lightly into 6 portions and place on a sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 – 10.5 ounce can French onion soup (Campbell’s)

1 cup water

1/2 cup dry sherry

2 tablespoons steak sauce (I used HP)

1 -1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium high. Add prepared meat patties and brown on both sides – total about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add butter to pan and when melted, add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is softened and starts to brown. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Slowly mix in onion soup, water, sherry, steak sauce, worcestershire and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Stir together to combine well and cook until mixture is thickened. Return browned meat patties to the pan, cover and simmer for 10. Remove cover from pan and simmer additional 5 minutes. Serve with horseradish mashed potatoes. Serves 4 to 6.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

5 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1/3 cup sour cream (or more as needed)

2 tablespoons half and half

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

Cook potatoes in salted water until done – about 15 minutes. Drain well and return potatoes to pot. Place over low heat and toss until potatoes are dried. Mash well, then add sour cream, half and half and horseradish. Whisk together until potatoes are light and creamy, adding more sour cream as needed for a creamy consistency. 

A year ago - Making Homemade Bacon 

Two year's ago - Chicken Paillards with Cranberry Sauce

The Ultimate Chili - Second Time Around

I know I've shared this one with you before but I figured a reminder may be in order. Did you know you can make a great pot of red from almost any kind of leftover meat, using the same basic recipe? 

While in our house the argument's on about whether chili should including anything but beef, I happen to believe turkey or chicken or pork work just as well; however, when I married the Big Guy I promised to obey (ya, what was with that?), so beef chili it was last night.

We had a pound of leftover steak hiding in the freezer, so I chunked it up and threw it into the pot along with the usual onions and garlic. As you'll see from the recipe below, this particular version of chili makes good use of pieces of smoky bacon too and attains a whole new level of glory with the addition of beer and barbecue sauce. Different you bet and absolutely delicious I might add. 

We had our bowls of heart warming comfort along with a piece of the glorious corn casserole that we had last week too - see I'll freeze darn near anything I think I can recycle and believe you me, that casserole freezes like a dream.

Incidentally, should you decide to use turkey or chicken instead of beef in your chili, be sure to exchange the beef stock or consomme' with chicken stock so you keep the flavors in the same family. If you decide to use pork, it marries well with either so just use what you have on hand.  

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

1 cup beef stock

1 pound leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Panko Crusted Oysters with Citrus Aioli

Two year's ago - Buttermilk Battered Calamari

Beautiful Burgers

We celebrate Friday nights around here and that often involves an easily put together dinner and a favorite libation of one form or another. The other pre-requisite last night was that dinner needed to be something that generated as few dishes as possible because I for one am super sick of doing the darn things in the bathroom. It absolutely amazes me how much I've taken running water and a kitchen sink for granted. Thankfully cooking's about to get easier because the granite will be installed on Monday and the plumber's coming Tuesday to hook everything up. Praise be!

Meanwhile, Big Guy and yours truly wouldn't do much complaining if we needed to do a repeat showing of the burgers we had last night. Thank the Neely's and foodnetwork.com for the idea although as per normal I deviated somewhat from their original.

I mixed up some lean ground beef with a minced shallot, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and flattened them to a shape resembling the panini buns I had left hiding in the freezer. Accompanied by the Neely's Secret Sauce made from sour cream, mayo, buttermilk, BBQ sauce, lemon juice and cayenne, the burgers needed nothing else other than cheese (cheddar for Big Guy and gorgonzola for me), and some of our own homemade bacon cooked extra crisp. 

With the rest of beans from Tuesday night, some pepperocino for Big Guy and dills for me, dinner was on the table in record time.

Hit the link for the recipe because I'm being lazy, never mind that I didn't change it enough to call it my own. You'll notice I didn't bother making the slaw, mostly because I didn't have any hiding in the refrigerator but honestly, I can't think the burger would be much better with it. Also, if you're really brilliant you should make extra of that fabulous sauce. It would be amazing as a dip with some buffalo wings, or on a roast beef sandwich, or on another burger or three.

 

A Special Evening

There's a definite upside to Big Guy's teaching at the University and that's the attachment we've made to some of his students. Not having children of our own, we've managed to adopt several over the years and we keep in touch with many of "our kids". One of a group of favorites that graduated 5 years ago came through town last night with her Dad on her drive from the OC (Orange County) all the way to her exciting new job in New York. 

Dinner had to be of the kind that would hold fairly well and/or be cooked quickly since we weren't sure of timing so Big Guy grilled up the steaks I alluded to the other day. We topped them with a compound butter including garlic and gorgonzola and you've got to admit they're pretty darn awesome hunks of beef.

On the side was a pot of Calico Beans adapted from an old favorite recipe from The Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, Best of the Best. I nixed the green and lima beans called for in their version because you know who doesn't go for either, and substituted a can each of chili beans and great northern's. Flavored by some of our homemade bacon, spiced with garlic and dry mustard, sweetened with brown sugar and tarted up with vinegar, an hour in the oven's all you need for a pot of goods you'd be hard pressed not to call homemade.

We also had a new favorite Corn and Jalapeno Casserole that's a cross between cornbread and a cheesy, spicy corn souffle.

We can thank what I've renamed my kitchen bible, Idaho a la CArte, for its existence and includes canned creamed corn, cornmeal, buttermilk and eggs along with chopped onion for crunch and jalapenos for heat. Unsure about our guests' appreciation for spicy heat, I used only one jalapeno but next time I make this beauty I'll load it up with more along with some green chiles too.  It takes an hour in the oven to bake at the same temperature as the Calico Beans - coincidence isn't it...or just good planning.

We loved it - the texture's amazingly light, it holds well when timing is an issue and can even be prepared in advance and re-heated if you're so inclined. I daresay it'll give our favorite Pancetta Green Chile Cornbread a run for its money in this household.

So there ya go. I bet you're all wondering what we had for dessert but you'll have to wonder for another day or two because it is so differently delicious, it deserves a post all its own.  To give you a hint...think orange...think cream....think push-ups. Bet that's got you wondering!

Calico Beans (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, The Best of the Best)

6 thick cut slices of bacon, diced

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 – 14 ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14 ounce can chili beans with sauce

1 – 14 ounce can pork and beans

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a medium sized Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from pan. Return pan to heat and add chopped onion. Sauté onions until softened then add remaining ingredients, including bacon. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 oven for up to 1 hour. Check after 40 minutes and if beans are looking too dry, cover for remaining cooking time.  Serves 6 to 8.

Jalapeno Corn Casserole (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 – 14.5 ounce can cream style corn

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1&1/2 cups)

2 eggs beaten

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican Blend

1 jalapeno minced (or more depending on tastes)

1 small can chopped green chiles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch pan (square or round) with cooking spray and line bottom with parchment. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine creamed corn, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, melted butter, buttermilk, onion and eggs. Whisk until well mixed. Pour half the mixture into prepared pan. Top with half the grated cheese, sprinkle with minced jalapeno then add remaining cheese. Pour on the remaining batter and spread to even top. Bake for 1 hour or until set. Cool for 15 minutes then invert pan onto a platter. Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Makes 8 to 9 servings.    

A year ago - Meatloaf on the Barbecue 

Two year's ago - Asian Noodles and Glazed Steelhead

Deviled Beef Ribs

If you've ever wondered what to do with ribs left over from a prime rib roast, then wonder no more. I've been staring at a bag of ribs in the freezer saved from our Christmas dinner and listening to my alter ego ask when the heck they'll be going onto the menu ever since then; however, I knew the 3 I had would never be enough for 1 meal. 

Yesterday's incredible buy at Albertson's kinda' sealed the deal. They had bone-in ribeye roast on sale for the unbelievable price of $4.67 a pound and since ribeye steaks were on the menu for friends coming to dinner later in the week, a brilliant idea and simple request resulted in the butcher cutting a roast into 4 lovely steaks, which left the rib bones for our dinner. 

The newly purchased bones got a dousing in salt and pepper and hit the oven to roast for an hour. We added the already thawed bones from the freezer to the sheet pan to warm up for an additional half hour then Big Guy separated the bones into rib sections and we coated them with a mixture of oil, DIjon mustard and horseradish. Sprinkled with fresh breadcrumbs and topped with little bits of butter, they hit the oven again until the crumbs were all golden brown. 

I cannot tell you how delicious they are, although quite honestly I feel they would have tasted better had the mustard coating contained garlic, so you'll notice I've made that addition to the recipe below. We had our ribs with a creamy potato salad made from little roasted mini spuds, they'd be great with a simple caesar salad or even some twice baked potatoes. 

You can be assured we'll be doing this all again in the very near future because trust me, I'll be heading back to Albertson's for another roast before the sale ends on Tuesday. 

Deviled Beef Ribs (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by recipe in L.A. Times Newspaper March 1987)

3 pounds beef ribs from prime rib (approximately 5 ribs)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

1 cup plain bread crumbs made from fresh bread

1 tablespoon butter

If ribs are uncooked, season well with salt and pepper and place bone side down onto a sheet pan lined with foil. Roast in a 325 oven for 1-1/2 hours. If you’re using ribs that have been removed from a cooked prime rib roast, simply sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in a 325 oven for half an hour until warmed through.

Allow roasted bones to cool slightly then separate bones into rib sections and arrange on sheet pan, bone side down. In a small bowl mix together olive oil, Dijon mustard, horseradish and garlic. Spread mixture onto ribs coating evenly. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and press crumbs lightly onto mustard mixture to make sure they adhere. Dot with butter.

Place pan into a 400 oven and bake until crumbs are golden brown – about 10 minutes. Watch carefully so the crumbs do not burn. Cool slightly and serve. 

A year ago - Dan Dan Noodles with Pork

Two year's ago - Angel Biscuits

 

Cheesy Chili Mac

Shhh, don't tell anyone but I have a confession to make. I've kept this a secret from you for 3 years now but I'm about to spill the beans. I'm a recovering KD-aholic. It can be the original in the blue box or the no name brand in a white one, but as far as I'm concerned it matters not. 

I've been known to buy and secretly stash the stuff until Big Guy goes out of town and then make a pot and gorge on it. Slathered in ketchup, loaded with the dreaded canned tuna fish or served up in a bowl drowned with hot salsa, my tastebuds do not discriminate when it comes to KD. Sometimes I just gotta have it. I mean call it a hormonal thing, but I crave KD like a pregnant woman craves pickles and ice cream. It's that bad. 

Well, last night the jig was up because I finally shared the wealth and served my very, very favorite version of the blessed stuff and now I'd feel really guilty if I didn't share it with you.

Read it and weep. It's ooey, gooey, cheesy, chili-licious and totally addictive. I swear you won't be able to stop at one bowl. I should know ...and now the scale does too and after the leftovers are devoured for lunch, I'll be back in recovery. Best of all now I've got Big Guy to keep me company.

By the way, pardon the fancy place setting but we're still in the midst of kitchen renovations and without a kitchen sink for another 2 weeks or so. Needless to say using disposable dishes and cutlery's helping to save my sanity or at least what's left of it. 

Cheesy Chili Mac (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

1 package Kraft Dinner or a like no-name version

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 red or green pepper, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 – 10 ounce can tomato soup

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 cup cubed processed cheese (Velveeta)

Cook macaroni according to package directions, mixing with powdered cheese package and butter, but leaving out the milk. Set aside. Meanwhile in a large pot, sauté onion, red or green pepper and garlic until onions are softened. Crumble in ground beef and cook until beef is no longer pink, stirring often to break up pieces. Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes. Add tomato soup and diced tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often. Fold in prepared Kraft dinner as well as processed cheese. Continue to heat until cheese has melted. Makes 6 servings. 

A year ago - Slow Roasted Chicken with Lemon

Two year's ago - Croque Madame Sandwich

Tex Mex Tostada Soup

Who says you can't cook without a stove? Last night's pot of soup was made in a crockpot minus the clay liner, took all of 15 minutes to throw together and included everything but the kitchen sink. It might have had that too, if we had one that is.

Made from darn near all canned goods, what you really need for this one is a good can opener, a large onion, a few small mini peppers or one big one, and a pound of ground beef or pork.

Spicy, hot and comfort food perfect for 2 very tired souls, it's really all about the toppings although we were limited in that respect. Meant to be topped with corn chips, shredded cheddar, shredded lettuce, avocado and sour cream, our refrigerator is a might bare at the moment so we scored only a few of the choices. Regardless, it's a great solution for a relaxed dinner, particularly with a Corona or ten.

If you're wondering how things are progressing, our new kitchen cabinets are installed and gorgeous, although I won't be posting a picture until everything's completed. The guys from American Kitchen Cabinets did an outstanding job and a tremendous amount of customization to make 'em exactly the way we wanted them. Roger and his co-hort are very professional, exceedingly patient and very particular which is exactly what you want when you're making a big purchase such as this one. 

Big Guy did some electrical work yesterday and installed power to the island. There's some touch ups needed before the stove goes back into place and we've some rather involved drywall repairs to do in the meantime. The stone fabricators will be here early in the week, or by Wednesday at the latest to do a template for the granite and by April 18 we should have counter tops and a kitchen sink so until then we'll be doing dishes in the bathtub. Hey, we're shower people anyway so that's no big deal. 

Meanwhile, JBug's Kitchen is back in business so dust off your grills, break out the sunglasses and margaritas for a week of grillin' and chillin' ...well maybe not the chillin' or then again maybe so, depending on your location that is.

Tex Mex Tostada Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Wall Drug Cookbook)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 min peppers sliced or 1 large pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef or pork

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 – 16 ounce can chili beans with sauce

1 – 16 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 small jar picante sauce (2 cups)

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup beef or chicken stock (or water)

Garnishes: corn chips, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, sour cream

Heat oil in a Dutch oven until shimmering. When hot add onion and peppers and sauté stirring occasionally until onion is softened. Add garlic and crumble in ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add onion powder, taco seasoning and cumin and cook for another minute, stirring constantly, then add chili beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, tomato sauce and stock or water. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish as you wish.  Makes 6 servings.

Incidentally today's the third anniversary of JBug's Kitchen Antics! Can you believe we're still going strong? We've shared 1,095 meals with you all, some more successful than others I might add but at least they've all been relatively edible.

I definitely need to thank my darling Big Guy for always being so supportive, never mind such a willing guinea pig. He certainly keeps me grounded. He reminds me often when I'm sweating ALL the small stuff (...and I do mean ALL of it) that it'll all be OK, and when it is he only raises an eyebrow, gives me the look and never says "I told you so". Lucky aren't I?

Of course, I can't pass up this opportunity to say thank you to all my regular visitors and to the many great friends I've made during the past 3 years. You mean the world to me and I feel totally blessed, so I'm raising a glass in celebration and appreciation to all of you! Hey, when you're renovating the most important room in the house, any excuse to raise a glass is a good one, right? Thanks all and CHEERS!

Are You Wondering What To Do With Leftover Corned Beef?

It's been a few days since St. Patrick's Day and if you're anything like I am, you've been wondering what on earth to do with that piece of corned beef hiding in the depths of your refrigerator.

We solved part of our problem with last night's dinner and enjoyed what has become an annual tradition around here - Reuben Sandwiches. I have a pet peeve with the things when the inside's cold and the cheese hasn't melted either, so this time I drained and rinsed the sauerkraut then warmed it slightly in the microwave before putting it on the sandwich. I also sliced the corned beef and warmed it as well before constructing the sandwich with Thousand Island dressing, provolone and swiss cheese. Buttered on each side then placed on a medium hot griddle, the rye bread toasted nicely on one side then I flipped 'em over, placed a sheet pan on top along with a cast iron skillet to weight it down and the result was nicely melted cheese and appropriately warm innards. MMM 

I've plans for the rest of the corned beef too. We'll be enjoying another breakfast like the one Big Guy made for us on the weekend. There's absolutely nothing that starts a Sunday morning off quite like corned beef hash on a crispy potato cake, topped with poached eggs. In fact, I may not wait until Sunday and have it tonight for dinner, since Big Guy won't be home. I love breakfast for dinner but he's not so hot on it.

Oh, how about making some Cornish Pasties with some of that gold? Just substitute corned beef for the pork in this recipe , eliminate the half cup of gravy and add a little wine or beer to moisten the filling. Believe me, it will be delicous. 

Of course if that doesn't turn your crank, you could always make a lovely quiche like pie using hash brown potatoes for the crust like we did here with this one. Just substitute corned beef for the chicken and leave out the green chiles and you'll have a fabulous new creation to enjoy. 

Failing that, dice some leftover corned beef up and throw pieces into a batch of cheesey buttermilk scones. Open a can of soup to go with them or make something like the Winter Vegetable Chowder we had the other night or our Roasted Tomato Soup and you'll have a meal fit for a king. 

Just for heaven's sake, don't let it go to waste. It's just too darned delicious, don't ya' think?

Colcannon and Corned Beef

Hope you all had a fabulous St. Patrick's Day. Not having an Irish bone in our bodies we celebrate anyway and used the day as an excuse to make corned beef.

We have a favorite tried and true method of preparation that we've posted here before so I won't bore you with the details. Suffice to say the aroma coming from the pot for the entire afternoon was truly intoxicating and the end result definitely worth the wait. I'm re-posting the recipe below for your convenience so don't be turned off by the amount of spice or the use of soy sauce. It's incredibly delicious and you won't be disappointed, I promise.

Naturally I couldn't make just any old boiled potatoes and braised cabbage to go with our feast, now could I? It's strange how sometimes you think you see a recipe for something that only looks and/or sounds semi appealing, but you've just got to give it a go anyway. That's how I felt with this traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes and cabbage.

Honestly, to my surprise colcannon is darned delicious - loaded with butter, cabbage, green onions and cream. (How can you go wrong with any of it?)

I followed the recipe exactly as written from Simply Recipes so hit the link to go directly to the source; however, I admit instead of using a fork to mash the potatoes I used my trusty Oxo potato ricer instead and added lots of freshly ground black pepper to the mix as well. The end result is amazingly creamy potatoes dotted with crunchy bits of cabbage and lovely pungent green onions. The flavor and texture's truly amazing.

We couldn't help but think we've deprived ourselves of this treat for far too long so there's some making up to do. Next time I'll try it with a mix of parsnips and russet potatoes and kale instead of cabbage. It'll go smashingly well with some of the Big Guy's homemade sausage, don't ya' think.

By the way, I'm sorry I'm late this morning. We've a storm raging, high winds and rain which is lovely and a perfect excuse to stay in bed to finish a book and cuddle. In fact, it was all I could do to pry Georgie off my lap and send her back outside to the wilds of the back yard because feral, semi feral or however she acts on any given day, she's smart enough to know she's safer with her Momma when there's a storm on. Dumped outside into her little hand made by Big Guy blanket nest out of the wind and rain, she's currently unamused. 

JBug’s Corned Beef

 1 brine cured whole corned beef brisket (or more to fill the pot)

3 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons mixed pickling spice

2 garlic cloves

1 Tablespoon dried mustard

1/2 cup whole black peppercorns (that’s right, a half cup)

1 cup soy sauce (make sure its good stuff – Kikkoman is good) 

 Remove corned beef briskets from packages, rinse well under running water. Place in large pot & cover with water. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer slowly for 1 hour per pound, or until fork tender. Remove from heat and cool briskets in liquid. When cooled remove from liquid, slice and serve. Wrap remaining brisket well & refrigerate or freeze as desired. 

 A year ago -  Corned Beef and Oven Braised Cabbage

Two year's ago - Corned Beef and Cabbage

Spiced Beef Corn Bread Cobbler

We love casseroles around here although we don't have them very often. For some reason I think they're a little too ordinary except for this one. There's nothing ordinary about it.

Loaded with cinnamon, cayenne, allspice and ginger, it almost has an island flavor. Add lean ground beef, tomatoes, lots of onions and garlic and you've the making of something really special. Of course anything topped with corn bread is special in this house. What can I say but our tastes run the full gamut from pedestrian all the way to posh. 

Had I really been thinking, I'd have made them in individual ramekins so they looked prettier but no matter. Next time you're looking for something to warm the cockles of your heart, give this one a try. It certainly isn't boring. 

Spiced Beef Cornbread Cobbler (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Gourmet Magazine via epicurious.com)

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (less if you want a little less kick)

1/4 teaspoon allspice

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

---

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup whole milk

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese plus more for garnish

In a 10 inch oven proof skillet (I used cast iron), heat vegetable oil over medium heat. When shimmering add onion and cook until onion has softened and starts to turn brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, then crumble in beef. Cook until no longer pink – about 4 minutes, stirring to crumble meat. Add sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, ginger, pepper and salt and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a high simmer and cook stirring often for 5 to 8 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl whisk lightly to combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in cheddar. In another small bowl beat together egg, milk, vegetable oil and hot sauce. Using a fork, mix wet ingredients into dry just until moistened. Using a quarter cup scoop, arrange cornbread mix on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cornbread is cooked and meat mixture is bubbling. Serves 4. 

Two year's ago -  Sticky Spiced Oven Roasted Ribs

Steak Pizzaiola

There's a lot of talk these days about budgets and with food costs rising it behooves all of us to shop for sales and plan our menus in advance. As a self professed life long yo-yo dieter, I know all the rules about shopping the outside aisles because most of the high calorie items are inside. The same rule can apply to your budget as well because convenience foods cost more money, although there's some I'd be hard pressed to do without.

Last night's dinner involved a top sirloin steak that we bought on special, combined with red and yellow peppers, onions, a small can of crushed tomatoes and some favorite Italian herbs for spice. It could easily feed a family of 4 with a little leftover for some lucky soul's lunch.

Interestingly enough one could switch out the sirloin for chicken, or shrimp, Italian sausage or even meatballs and accomplish the same feat with a little adjusting for the different times it would take to cook your protein of choice. The flavor's all about the sauce!

From our friends at Food Network Magazine, the recipe suggested serving the pizzaiola with focaccia but I put ours on a bed of radiatorre pasta dusted with a touch of mozzarella cheese instead. Hey we'd rather have pasta than bread but I suppose one could do both; however, our waistlines can't justify the extra carbs and had I really been thinking I would have served the flavorful veggie laden dish on a bed of grilled eggplant and avoided the carbs altogether. Along with a nice crisp green salad, it's a really delicious, healthy and satisfying meal. 

While I mostly followed the recipe as given, I have to admit I added more garlic and spices and it could have used even more along with maybe a touch of red wine or marsala for more flavor. You all know we don't do subtle around here but here's what I did and you be the judge, OK? Oh one more thing before I forget; if you like your meat well done, you'd be best to pick another cut of beef because in my opinion cooking sirloin beyond medium rare makes it so tough it's almost inedible. 

Steak Pizzaiola (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Food Network Magazine)

1 – 1 pound boneless top sirloin steak, trimmed of fat

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced

1 large red pepper cut into half inch slices

1 large yellow pepper cut into half inch slices

5 jarred pepperoncini, drained and sliced

1 – 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil and Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Fresh parsley for garnish

Pasta cooked per package directions

Grated mozzarella cheese

Heat a large heavy skillet (I used cast iron) over medium high heat until very hot. Season sirloin steak liberally with salt and coarse ground black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to very hot pan and when shimmering, add steak. Sear without touching it for 2 minutes a side. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate.

Turn heat off and allow pan to cool for a couple of minutes.  Add one tablespoon of olive oil and chopped garlic. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat until garlic is just starting to turn golden brown – this will only take a second or two. Add onion, red and yellow peppers and sauté until vegetables are starting to soften – about 4 minutes. Add pepperoncini, tomatoes, water, herbs and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine. Bring pan to a high simmer and return the beef as well as any juices to the pan. Cook for additional 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove beef from pan and cool for 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain. Meanwhile increase heat if necessary and simmer sauce until it is the consistency you prefer. Place a spoonful of pasta into bottom of a bowl and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Top with sauce, peppers and onions and finish with slices of beef. Garnish with parsley and pass the hot pepper flakes.  Makes 4 large servings.

A year ago - Raspberry Habanero Jelly 

Two year's ago - Pizza Night

 

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

When winter wanes and you're ready to start up the grill, here's an idea that is worthy of a spot at the top of your list. 

Skirt steak is a long flat cut of meat from the plate, part of the beef's underside that is just behind the front legs. Like flank steak only better in my books, it's not exactly known for being a tender cut of meat but the flavor is incomparable.

Cooked properly, it's a great candidate for fajitas, or grilled quickly to a rare or medium rare and sliced thinly across the grain.  However you serve it, it benefits greatly from a marinade or dry rub such as the one we used made from olive oil, a touch of lime juice, lots of herbs and of course, garlic too.

We topped our flavorful and fork tender pieces of meat with Chimichurri sauce made famous by the Argentinians. Its brilliant green is made up of pureed fresh parsley and cilantro in addition to oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin and spicy dried crushed red pepper flakes. It is unbelievable on beef or chicken and even dare I say shrimp too, in fact I'm planning on mixing a little of it with some mayo to crown a sandwich or two in our near future. 

Our steak was accompanied by a Tuscan White Bean Salad that we've enjoyed here before. Loaded with cooked navy beans and studded with strips of sun dried tomatoes, briny kalamata olives and fresh greens including basil, parsley and raw spinach all in a simple vinaigrette, it's the kind of dish that will go with almost anything. It would be just fine on its own as well, especially with the addition of marinated mozzarella balls to complete the protein.   

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Cooking Light Magazine as well as epicurious.com)

Grilled Skirt Steak:

2 skirt steaks (approx. 2 pounds total), trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of half a lime

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic

Combine oil, lime, oregano, basil, paprika, red pepper, salt, pepper and garlic together in a small food processor and process until it forms a paste. Spread evenly on both sides of the skirt steaks, roll up and place into a zip bag. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.

Heat gas grill until very hot. Grill steak for approximately 3 minutes a side or until done to your preference. Best served rare or medium rare. Serves 4 to 6.

Chimichurri Sauce:

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley

1/3 cup (packed) fresh cilantro

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

Place all ingredients together in a blender or food processor and puree. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let stand at room temperature to mellow flavors. May be prepared 2 hours in advance.  Store leftovers in refrigerator but bring to room temperature before serving. 

A year ago - Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crust

Two year's ago - Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika

 

Lebanese Peppers

Isn't it funny how sometimes you pick up a magazine and almost every recipe you look at sounds fantastic? That's how I feel about the March Cooking Light magazine and you're looking at proof right now.

I couldn't pass up the Lebanese Peppers in the Global Comfort section because we really like stuffed veggies of almost any description. What makes these peppers different from other peppers we've enjoyed before is the addition of allspice and cinnamon to the rice and ground beef mix as well as a spicy little sauce that finishes the whole thing off just perfectly. The other stroke of brilliance is steaming the peppers in the microwave before stuffing them which guarantees they're perfectly cooked after an additional 40 minutes in the oven. 

I'm sending you to the site for the recipe because I really didn't change much except I used sour cream rather than yogurt. In addition, I used the pepper cooking juice accumulated during the microwave steaming exercise along with only another half cup of water in the bottom of the casserole dish because the 2 cups of water they recommend seemed rather excessive to me. As it turned out, I was right because there was plenty of juice left in the bottom of my covered casserole.  

We'll be having these again in the near future because the Big Guy really enjoyed them. Oh, that and the fact that I wouldn't mind knowing what they taste like, if I ever get my taste buds back in working order after my spring allergy fling. 

Other stuffed peppers on this blog include:

Italian Stuffed Peppers            Mediterranean Style Peppers

 

Poblano-Jalapeno Chili

Sorry I'm late again this morning everyone. I'm suffering through what I think is my semi-annual war with allergies so I'm not feeling quite as chipper as normal. It's a good thing The Big Guy's around to take care of us and take care of us he did yesterday with this fabulous pot of chili.

From March's Cooking Light magazine, it is part of a series on great things to make using marinara sauce as a shortcut and believe you me if I hadn't seen the recipe myself, I'd never have known there's marinara in it.

The Big Guy made a few changes to the recipe and added roasted green chiles we had hiding in our freezer instead of fresh jalapenos along with a can of beef consomme rather than using the chicken stock that was called for. Oh, he also topped the bowl of yummy spicy goodness off with some pickled jalapenos, something we always seem to have on hand.

Hit the link HERE for the recipe and put this one on your list as soon as you can. It is absolutely loaded with manly flavors including a ton of garlic, spicy chili and beer too, no less. 

A year ago - Crispy Snapper and Oven Fries

Hearty Meat Lover's Pan Pizza

Pizza seems to be a recurring theme around here and we've yet to get tired of it. Of course it's darn near impossible to get sick of something you can change at a whim whether it be a pizza with duck, figs and brie cheese, or clam's casino or simply fresh tomatoes, pesto and cheese. Why we've even had a deep dish pulled pork version. 

Making a pan pizza solves one of our biggest pie makin' problems. The art of moving a soft uncooked pizza from peel to pizza stone without cheating and using parchment paper has been known to cause some significant "blue air" around here from time to time, but I think I've finally found a way around that problem. Last night's meat lover's pizza made good use of one of our treasured cast iron skillets in a method that solves the moving issue and works perfectly for a gi-normous Chicago style pie.

I simply coated a well seasoned cast iron pan with a little oil and placed the rolled out dough inside. Next the filling hit the pan - in this case ground meat mixed with an assortment of well disguised veggies (hey I called it a meat lovers pizza didn't I?) mixed with marinara and a healthy dose of cubed fontina as well as grated mozzarella cheese. The cast iron pan hit the stove top on medium high for 3 minutes and finished cooking in a 400 oven for 25 minutes.

As you can see it was pretty darn good although I have to admit to preferring a thin crust pizza with fewer ingredients. I think we may need a little more practice perfecting the method. Oh darn!

Hearty Meat Lover’s Pan Pizza (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by dairygoodness.ca)

Crust:

2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 package yeast

1 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast in a food processor with metal blade. Pulse to combine. With motor running add water and mix until combined. Add additional 1 cup flour, olive oil and salt and mix just until dough ball rides top of blade – 10 to 15 seconds. Add more flour if mixture is too soft. Spray a bowl with cooking spray and move dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size – about 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, deflate dough lightly and place on a floured board. Cover with bowl and allow to rest for 20 minutes before rolling out.

Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional 1 tablespoon

1 pound extra lean ground beef

2 cloves garlic

1 cup finely diced zucchini

1 cup finely diced eggplant

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1-1/2 cups marinara sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet until shimmering hot. Add beef and cook, crumbling with a fork until meat is well browned. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and when hot, add garlic, zucchini, eggplant, onion and mushrooms. Sauté until vegetables are very soft – about 10 minutes. Add chili pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and basil and cook an additional minute. Stir in marinara sauce and return beef to pan. Cook for 10 minutes or until mixture is very thick. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Pizza:

8 ounces fontina cheese, cut into quarter inch cubes

1-1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Sliced pepperoncino or pickled jalapeno peppers (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 12 inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Roll dough out to a circle at least 1 inch larger than the size of skillet and place inside. Arrange half the meat filling into bottom and sprinkle with cubed cheese. Place remaining filling on top of cheese, then sprinkle with mozzarella. Fold in any dough exceeding edge of skillet. Place skillet onto stove top and cook at medium high for 3 minutes. Move to preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes dough is browned and pizza is bubbling. Garnish with pepperoncino and serve. 

 A year ago - Braised Lamb with Bacon and Marsala

Two year's ago - Pork Carnitas

Beef Cooked in Beer (Carbonnade a la Flamande)

Another one of those "bin dere done dat's" last night's dinner is the perfect welcome home for my great white hunter. If there's one thing I know for sure, I'm bound to please him when there's beef on the menu and this just isn't your ordinary old everyday kinda' beef either.

Browned well in the drippings rendered from a quarter pound of bacon, this Belgian/Flemish method of braising is one of the first things I impressed him with before we were married - second of course to my winning personality and incredible wit. Loaded with golden browned onions, spiced with thyme, bay leaves and Dijon mustard the beef and bacon go back into the pot along with 2 bottles of amber beer, some consomme and a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

Braised in a 325 oven for 2.5 hours, it all comes out looking somewhat like this.  Notice I said somewhat. It can also come out looking like this - why the difference?

Well I know it's not rocket science but the key is the bigger the pot, the quicker it cooks because the heat is distributed over a larger area which means the liquid is reduced and the meat cooks faster. Last night's braise was accomplished in my favorite 7 quart oval Dutch oven in 2 hours 20 minutes while the second picture came from a smaller 4 quart pot that took 3 hours and provided a lot more gravy. Same amount of meat, same heat, same everything except for the pot. If I had to choose between the two I'm not sure which one's better because they're both delicious but for the Big Guy, he'd pick last night's version hand's down likely because the gravy didn't get in the way of all the meat. LOL

By the way, be sure to give yourself plenty of prep time to get this baby in the oven. It takes about an hour by the time the bacon's crisp, the meat's well browned in batches without crowding the pan, and the onions are a nice golden color before the liquid's introduced and the pot hits the oven, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

Carbonnade a la Flamande  (Beef cooked in beer) (adapted from Craig Claiborne)

3 lb boneless chuck, some fat removed & cut into 2" cubes

¼ lb lean bacon, diced

Vegetable oil if necessary

3 large onions, sliced (about 1-1/2 lbs)

3 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Flour for dredging meat

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 bottles  beer (I use amber…don’t use beer that is too dark as it will be too bitter)

1 can beef consommé (or broth)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until browned and crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve bacon fat. Flour, salt & pepper meat cubes and brown in batches in Dutch oven in reserved bacon fat. If the bacon was very lean, add oil if necessary. Do not crowd pan. Remove meat cubes from pan as they are done and set aside in a bowl along with bacon.

Preheat oven to 325. Add butter to Dutch oven then add onions & cook until lightly browned, scraping up “fond” from bottom of pan as onions sweat. Add garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, sugar and cook for 1 minute. Return browned beef and bacon to pot along with beer, consomme, red wine vinegar and mustard. Bring to a simmer. Cover closely and place in oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until beef is very tender. Remove lid from pot during last half hour of cooking to reduce liquid as required.  Skim fat from casserole. Taste for seasoning. Serves 6

A year ago - Pear and Apple Crumble Pie  Two year's ago - Stromboli Roll 

  

Meatballs - One Recipe, Two Delicious Meals

Whether cooking for a casual party or dinner for family and friends, there's hardly a better crowd pleaser than Italian meatballs and these polpette adapted from Nick Stellino's Mediterranean Flavors cookbook are in a class of their own. 

Loaded with tons of romano cheese, they have an element of surprise not just with a little sugar but with cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg too, along with the usual garlic and Italian parsley. While Nick makes his version with a combination of veal, pork and beef, veal is darn near impossible to come by in these parts so I included only beef and pork. No matter - I can't imagine they could possibly be any better than they are. Instead of browning them on top of the stove and having to hover over them, I popped the little balls onto a sheet pan and put them in the oven for 25 minutes. Cooled and packaged into two lots, the first bag went into little meatball sliders that were included in our Super Bowl Sunday feast.

Simply nestled into soft rolls that I whipped up and baked in the new silicone muffin pans my honey gave me for my birthday this year, they came out a perfect size mini-bun to nestle a meatball into. Rather than cut the rolls in half and having to deal with a meatball on the lamb, I simply hollowed out some of the bread from the top and filled the hole with marinara sauce, grated parmesan, and a warmed meatball before topping the mini sandwich with grated mozzarella cheese. A few minutes under the broiler and we were dining fine.

Last night's dinner made use of the second bag of meatballs and the rest of the marinara, Trader Joe's I might add. Hey I'm not above using a good brand of ready made and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Nestled into a bowl of al dente' pasta, it made for a perfectly quick and absolutely delicious weeknight dinner.  I'm just wishing I'd doubled the meatball recipe so I could have more hiding in the freezer for nights I don't feel like doing much in the kitchen because a I can think of another couple of ways to use them to satisfy the hungry masses - like a rich and creamy meatball and bechamel lasagne or a hot bowl of meatball soup. Bliss, pure bliss.

Nick Stellino's Meatballs (adapted from Nick Stellino’s Mediterranean Flavors)

1/2 cup milk

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup dried Italian flavored bread crumbs

2 eggs

2 cups grated Romano cheese

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add

1 pound ground pork

1 pound lean ground beef

Mix gently with your hands until all ingredients are incorporated. Using a quarter cup scoop, shape into balls. Place on sheet pan lined with parchment and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. (Makes approximately 18 meatballs.)

A year ago - Country Spice Pudding Cake  Two year's ago - Figgy O'Fiber Muffins

 

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala

Boy it's hard to go wrong with pancetta and marsala wine! You've likely noticed we've used the combination a fair bit in the last little while but when you make your own pancetta it's so darn delicious you'll take any excuse to use it. The other point is a good bottle of marsala can go a long way - we have a hard time hanging on to red wine around here as it tends to disappear rather quickly but we don't have the same drinkability issue with marsala ... at least, not yet. 

I was inspired by a couple of sources, namely Food Network Magazine and Food and Wine in the creation of last night's low and slow braise. It's a perfect cooking method for cold weather comfort food or cooking something that will get better as it holds when you're not sure what time dinner's going to be, as was my case last night.

Loaded with the usual onion, garlic and pancetta after the meat was well browned, I added some tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves and then deglazed the pan with marsala before adding more along with a can of beef consomme. After the first two hours, I added some little frozen pearl onions to the pot and let it all brew for another hour in a 300 oven. It came out richly colored and full of flavor. 

The only point of contention is that the boneless "short ribs" I bought weren't really short ribs but what we think was rump, cut to look like short ribs. Rather than a tender end result, the meat was more firm to the bite with a shorter grain than a well braised short rib would have been. I guess I can't blame the butcher even though it was marked boneless short ribs because I'm the idiot that bought the meat. I thought it looked a little funny and should have gone with my instincts. Needless to say, I'll be more careful on Saturday when we're back at the Sprouts meat counter. 

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Food Network Magazine)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 6 short ribs

Flour for dredging, salt and pepper

4 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes

4 cloves garlic

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups quartered mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dry Marsala wine, divided

1 10 ounce can beef consommé

1/2 cup water

6 ounces frozen pearl onions

 

Cooked Noodles

Sour cream for garnish

Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat until oil is shimmering hot. Trim short ribs of excess fat then season well with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Cook on all sides until a deep rich brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add pancetta to pot and cook until crisp. Remove to plate with short ribs. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from bottom of Dutch oven and return pot to heat. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until onion is softened. Stir in tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook briefly; add half a cup of Marsala wine, stirring up any browned bits from bottom of pan.  

Cook until Marsala is almost completely reduced – 2 or 3 minutes, then add remaining Marsala, consommé, water and return meats to the pot. Bring to a simmer then cover and place in a preheated 300 oven for 2 hours. Check liquid level and add more water as needed. Add frozen pearl onions, then cover pot and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid and allow to cook for another 30 minutes or until meat is very tender and sauce is reduced to the consistency you like.  Serve on noodles and garnish with sour cream. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Salmon Chowder   Two year's ago -  Chicken with Orange Mustard Sauce

 

New Mexico Style Pot Roast with Cornbread Griddle Cakes

Sunday's are kind of slow around here so what better to have for dinner than something that's best cooked low and slow like this New Mexico Style Pot Roast. 

It's a breeze to put together because after a quick sear to brown the meat, the rest of the work is done by the oven. Braised in a mixture of red enchilada sauce, beer and beef stock, it's a beautiful thing finished with sweet potatoes and hominy.

Hominy is something I'd never had before we moved to the sunny south and it really is an acquired taste/texture thing. It is simply dried corn that's been soaked in a mild lye solution which kills the kernal and makes the corn puff up. You can find it in the canned vegetable section of your local grocery store. Just remember to drain and rinse it well before adding it to the pot. It has a musty flavor with a very chewy texture so if you're not inclined to give it a try, just leave it out or substitute regular corn.

I figured the roast would be lovely with cornbread but wanted to change it up a bit so we cooked these griddlecakes instead. Adapted from a recent post by Ezra Poundcake, they looked too darn good to pass up. They're really just like a hunk a cornbread only much lighter and the bonus is the crispy crust on the outside - both sides!

Just be careful not to overcook them or you'll have hockey pucks on your plate instead of light moist little yummies. By the way, the original recipe calls for self rising cornmeal but darned if I could find the stuff, so I made my own - how's that grab ya?

New Mexico Style Pot Roast (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted epicurious.com)

1 – 3 pound boneless chuck roast, tied

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic

1 – 20 ounce can red enchilada sauce

1 -12 ounce light beer

1 cup low sodium beef stock

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 – 28 ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream, extra hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering. Meanwhile season roast with salt and pepper and dredge in flour on both sides, shaking off excess. Brown meat very well on both sides in hot pan. When browned remove pot from heat and add onions, garlic, enchilada sauce, beer and beef stock. Stir well to combine ingredients. Cover pot and bake in preheated oven for 2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove pot from the oven and add sweet potato and drained and rinsed hominy. Cover pot and return to the oven. Cook for half an hour, remove lid and cook additional 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to thicken. Serve garnished with pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream and pass the extra hot sauce. Serves 6.

Cornbread Griddle Cakes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Southern Living via Ezra Poundcake)

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup flour less 1 tablespoon

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup milk

Butter

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cayenne in a large bowl to combine well. In a small bowl beat together vegetable oil, egg and milk. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. (It will be lumpy).

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Spoon a quarter cup of batter onto griddle and cook until tops are bubbled and edges look dry – (just like you’re cooking pancakes). Flip over and cook other side. Serve warm.

A year ago -  Parmesan Cream Potatoes  Two year's ago - Oven Fried Chicken

Frito Pie

What's better on a Pink Mountain Friday than Frito Pie. I mean really. I'm not sure why we haven't tried this before in one form or another but I've seen it on another couple of my favorite blog sites recently and figured I'd best put it on the list. Who knew that Frito Pie's really just a glorified form of nachos with more "goop" than chips which is really OK in our books, because we really like the goop.

I made a quick chili with extra lean ground beef, lots of onions and oodles of garlic along with the usual spices. A few ounces of tomato paste, a can of tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel) and some beef consomme, all cooked down for about 30 minutes made for a thick and flavorful meaty chili to crown a bowl of Frito's.

Topped with some fixin's including grated Mexi cheese blend from none other than Trader Joes, sour cream, diced red onions and the ever present pickled jalapenos, we called it dinner. It would have been perfect with a couple of giant margaritas, but the Big Guy's holding a grudge against tequila (some story about Jose Cuevo winning a round or two in a slugfest or somethin'), so he had a Martini, gin extra dry stirred not shaken and I stuck with a Cuba Libra. Life's tough around here on Friday's.

By the way in case you're new to this blog there's a saying here in Tucson "when the mountains are pink, it's time to drink". We call Friday's Pink Mountain days because we tend to save our alcoholic libations for the weekends, at least we try to.

Frito Pie (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Frito Pie lovers everywhere)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 can Campbell’s Beef Consommé, undiluted

1 – 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 tablespoon cornstarch combined with a little water

1-1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

 

Frito corn chips

Grated Mexican blend cheese or sharp cheddar

Diced Red onions

Pickled Jalapenos

Sour Cream

Heat oil in a medium sized Dutch oven until shimmering. Add ground beef and crumble and cook until beef is no longer pink. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook until onion is softened. Add cumin, cayenne and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, barbecue sauce, consommé, and diced tomatoes with green chilies. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Mix together cornstarch and water and add to pot, stirring until mixture thickens. Add apple cider vinegar. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as required.

To serve, place a handful of corn chips in the bottom of a bowl. Top with a scoop of chili and garnish with cheese, red onions, jalapenos and sour cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Chicken with Chili Verde and Cornmeal Dumplings

Leftover Prime Rib Roast Final Round - Taco Salad

I admit I'm almost sad this is the last of the prime rib roast from Christmas day. It's more than paid for itself not only in taste, but convenience too and while we've had a great selection of different entrees from it including Chili, awesome Sandwiches with Grilled Onions and Gorgonzola, and a stupendous Beef Pot Pie with Sherry Gravy, I can think of at least 3 more. Ah shucks - we'll have to save them for another time.

Last night's dinner combined chunks of prime rib with sweet potatoes, black beans and a home made green chili sauce - a remake of the enchiladas we enjoyed a little while ago. Cozied up to cabbage slaw inside a baked flour tortilla shell all crispy and warm from the oven, we topped our salads with a choice of condiments including guacamole, salsa, pickled jalapenos, grated cheese, sour cream and red onions too.

If you're wondering how I made the shells - well I simply draped flour tortillas, briefly newked to be more pliable over a stack of upended ramekins on a wire rack on a sheet pan and baked them for 10 minutes in a 400 oven. Then I removed the shells and ditched the ramekins, placed the shells face up on the same wire rack, turned off the oven and returned them to the oven for another 5 minutes to crisp up the inside. This method is a lot easier than frying them in hot oil and much, much lower in calories too.

Course if you don't want to deal with making the shells, just load the filling into some tortillas, either corn or flour, and call it a soft taco or a burrito.

I for one have learned that leftovers have been getting a bum wrap and really deserve to be treated with more respect. In fact, when the Big Guy asks what we're having for dinner, I never have to admit that we're having leftovers since with a little imagination, they can be morphed into something totally unrecognizable from the original. Check out the category to your right "Leftovers" and you too may be convinced that leftovers are a heck of a lot more than just mould gatherers in the back of your refrigerator.

Taco Salad with Beef, Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from the Gluten Free Goddess

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

8 ounces leftover prime rib cut into half inch cubes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder (I used spicy)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 cups cooked diced sweet potato

1/2 cup chopped green chilies

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

 

4 – 8 inch burrito sized flour tortillas

Cabbage slaw (purchased)

Assorted garnishes including guacamole, salsa, chopped red onion, pickled jalapeno, grated cheese, sour cream and/or lime wedges

Sauce:

1 cup roasted green chilies, skins and seeds removed (about 6 large)

1-1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Place ingredients into blender and blend until smooth, adding more stock if necessary to make a smooth sauce with a fairly thick consistency. Set aside.

For Tortilla shells - Preheat oven to 425. Arrange 4 - 10 ounce ramekins, face down on a wire rack on top of a sheet pan, allowing as much room as possible between ramekins. Briefly microwave flour tortillas until pliable, then drape lightly over top of ramekins. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven, and carefully turn shells upright. Remove ramekins and place tortilla shells directly onto wire rack. Turn oven off and return tortilla shells to oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, until dried out and crisp.

For Filling - In a large sauté pan heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add. Add cumin, chili powder and cook for additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add beef chunks, cooked sweet potatoes, chilies, cilantro and black beans, along with half of the prepared chile sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Heat until bubbling, adding more green chile sauce if filling seems dry.

To serve – place taco shell on plate and fill bottom with cabbage slaw mix (about a half cup). Add hot filling and top with assorted garnishes. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Cranberry Pie with Tangerine Ice Cream

Meaty Italian Ragu - aka Sunday Gravy

There's a Sunday tradition in many Italian households involving a huge pot of a meat filled tomato sauce on the stove and a house filled with the scents and sounds of a happy family gathering. They call the pot Sunday Gravy.

In honor of a cool Tucson Sunday afternoon coupled with the fact that I needed to redeem myself after Saturday night's dinner, I put a pot of gravy on the stove to simmer for the better part of the afternoon. Actually, I started the pot on the stove and finished it in the oven. That way I could enjoy the end result without having to stir the pot every 15 minutes - lazy cook, eh?

Now you can make Sunday Gravy out of a variety of meats. The Soprano version from their cookbook of the same name uses pork neck bones or spareribs, veal stew meat as well as Italian sausage and huge tennis ball sized meatballs. I'm pretty sure there's no right or wrong way to make it so my version starts with wonderful spicy hot Italian sausage followed by deeply browned beef shanks and some cubed up pork stewing meat to round out the flavors. Loaded with onions, garlic of course, fresh and dried herbs, canned tomatoes and wine - a lot of wine, my favorite Dutch oven full of glorious sauce was met with ooo's, ahhh's, holy cows and good gravy's when it came out of the oven.

As for serving this pot of rich red meat filled gloriousity (is that a word?) traditionally, the meats are removed from the sauce and dinner's first course includes just the sauce with pasta with the meats showcased as the second course. Naturally we're not strong on tradition around here, particularly since there's not an Italian gene to be found in any of us, so we left the meat in the sauce and served it all up on a bowl of al dente' rigatoni.

Word of warning - the recipe makes enough for a small army which is a good thing because it's incredibly delicious. Not only that - I see a huge casserole of lasagne coming our way along with maybe some baked pasta, a couple of stellar pizza's and lunches for the week. Oh yum!

Meaty Italian Ragu aka Sunday Gravy an original from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Soprano’s Family Cookbook

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1.5 to 2 pounds beef shanks with bone

1.5 pounds cubed pork stewing meat (butt or shoulder)

2 large yellow onions, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups dry Marsala wine

1-1/2 cups low sodium beef stock

2 – 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice

3 ounces tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 pound rigatoni cooked to al dente per package directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage and cook, crumbling with the back of a spoon or a potato masher until sausage is browned and fully cooked – about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage to a bowl. Season beef shanks on both sides with salt and pepper and add to Dutch oven. Brown meat very well on both sides then remove to the bowl with the sausage. Season pork stewing meat with salt and pepper and add it to the Dutch oven, browning it well. Remove to same bowl to join other meats.

Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and add onions. Cook until onions are softened and golden brown, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper and bay leaves. Cook, stirring well for additional minute. Add Marsala wine and allow to reduce slightly, scraping up fond (browned bits) from bottom of pot then stir in beef stock, tomatoes and tomato paste. Return meat to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Bring pot to a high simmer, cover and place in preheated 325 oven. Cook for 2 to 2.5 hours or until meat is fall of the bone tender. Check pot and stir once during cooking period.

Just before serving, stir in half cup of wine. Remove bones and bay leaf from pot. Serve with pasta and garnish with grated parmesan and additional pepper flakes. This will easily serve 6, with some sauce leftover. Sauce freezes very well.

A year ago - Common Ground  Two years ago - Steamed Marmalade Pudding

 

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib Roast

For some reason we're programmed to make chili from fresh beef - ground, cubed or otherwise but there's a whole plethora of possibilities out there with leftover roast beef, brisket or pot roast. Beef aside, just think  what can be done with leftover turkey, chicken or pork roast too. 

Last night I rescued a pound's worth of cubed cut up Christmas prime rib from the freezer and morphed it into an absolutely fine and I do mean fine pot of red. It all started with 4 slices of smoky bacon, chunked up and cooked slowly so it released some fat (and flavor). Then I added a couple of huge yellow onions, all diced up along with a slew of minced garlic and let it saute until soft. Joined by a collection of spices followed by a can of lager beer, diced tomatoes, a touch of tomato paste, a cup of beef stock and the best kept secret which is a secret no more -  barbecue sauce. After the beef joined the party I let the pot simmer for 30 minutes before I added two cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans. Another 15 minutes of brewing time and a star was born!

It's addictive! The flavor is absolutely amazing - smoky bacon, tender beef, the sweet spicy taste of barbecue sauce and of course the bite of chile. It really is sublime.

Speaking of stars - the Big Guy was seeing 'em up close and personal last night. I'm not sure if the beans were doing a dance or whether he was climbing a mountain or some such thing in his sleep, but about the time the old REM's were at their peak darned if he didn't fall right outa' bed with a mighty crash. Of course after I made sure he was alright and he got himself re-situated and fell back to sleep the whole event tickled my funny bone big time and I just couldn't stop laughing.  Wonder what he's gonna' do after he has another bowl of chili.

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

1 cup beef stock or beef consomme'

1 or 2 pounds leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Ham and Cheese Quiche

Old School Style Pigs n' Blankets

We took a day off yesterday and hit a favorite place for breakfast followed by hours cruising the lots looking at some very luxury RV's including a whole bunch of Fifth Wheels. Hey - it's fun spending money you don't have and dreaming about the future, isn't it.

As a result when we finally got home we were both tired, thirsty and the cook felt extremely uninspired in the dinner department. The Big Guy absolutely loves hot dogs and since I had a solitary can of crescent rolls hiding in the refrigerator and some hot dogs in the freezer it seemed like a good idea to combine the two and come up with something we could call dinner.

The result were these cheater pigs in blankets that the Big Guy said used to be one of his favorite grade school cafeteria lunches. Unfortunately the grade school I went to was significantly lower class because we didn't have a cafeteria and had to bring our lunches, although I admit a lot of the time the bag held a "tube steak" in another form - bologna sandwiches.

We had our "dogs" along with a quick homemade macaroni salad chock a block full of celery, sweet onion, carrots, cubed cheese, relish, hot sauce, mayo and a touch of sour cream. Sorry, I didn't measure a thing so I can only tell you what went into the darn thing. It was all good - especially the little cheese filled, cornmeal coated crescent dogs. When you're stuck on trying to decide what's for dinner after you've had a big, big breakfast and a long tiring day give these a try. I guarantee they'll fill the gap and bring back some memories too.

School Style Pigs n Blankets aka Crescent Dogs (inspired by Pillsbury.com)

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

4 jumbo wieners

2 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon cornmeal

Preheat oven to 375. Cut wieners to within approximately a quarter inch of each end and stuff with strips of cheddar cheese. Unroll crescent rolls and press triangles together to form 4 rectangles. Using a sharp knife, cut quarter inch wide slits in the center of each rectangle on the short side, leaving all 4 edges intact. Place a cheese stuffed wiener against the long edge of the rectangle and roll dough around it, sealing the edge. Place wiener seam side down and cheese side up on un-greased baking sheet. Repeat for other 3 hot dogs. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with mustard.

A year ago - Red Wine and Port Sauce

 

 

Roast Beef Sandwiches with Grilled Onions and Gorgonzola

This is the second in the leftover roast beef series and we're not tired of it yet, although the Big Guy sliced up the rest of it yesterday for various other purposes and stuck it in the freezer. He kept out enough for these lovely sandwiches, as well as a repeat in the next day or so. Lucky us!

He cut the slices so perfectly thin they only have one side, piled them all together and put them inside some soft buns, grilled on the inside. Topped with some of the horseradish sauce that was the star of our Christmas dinner, the sandwiches were finished with golden brown grilled onions, ripe juicy halved mini-plum tomatoes and slices of creamy gorgonzola cheese. If these are leftovers, bring 'em on!

As for today - the Big Guy's working his way through his honey do list and yesterday, did some remodeling in the laundry room, moving cabinets and installing shelving. It looks fabulous, functional and I love it. Today he's re grouting the master bedroom shower and then retiring to the garage to work on the bow he made. As for me, I've a mountain and I do mean a mountain of ironing to do. Woe is me!

A year ago - Lamb Stew with Trinidad Curry

Leftover Prime Rib Roast

We'll be starting a series of what to do's with the rest of our humongous prime rib roast over the next couple of days; however, if you can think of anything better than a beef pot pie, please let me know. Personally I think it'll be a tough one to top.

Last night's version is one first posted way back in 2009 and I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to showcase its powerful flavors again. Other than potatoes, carrots and one solitary monster sized parsnip, this one's a real winner with the addition of some maple smoked bacon. Mushrooms cooked in the bacon drippings until all golden and lovely become the cornerstone of a deep rich gravy courtesy of a can of Campbell's French Onion Soup and some sherry. Finished with a touch of sour cream believe you me if I could sell that gravy by the bottle, I'd make enough money to buy myself an island in the Pacific Northwest. Don't laugh ...the Caribbean can't hold a candle to it as far as I'm concerned.

Topped with what's become my new favorite pastry made from butter and shortening, the pie's about as class A as you can get. Needless to say it was HOT too when it came out of the oven, and since my Big Guy's not the most patient eater you've ever seen ... meaning he shovels it all it at the speed of light - he dumped that pretty pie upside down on his plate so it would cool off quicker and he could get the job done more efficiently. The mess he created darn near broke my heart, but hey I guess after it leaves the kitchen it's no longer my concern anyway. Is it? Next time I'll add some green peas to the mix. That ought to slow him down a bunch.

Incidentally, we've other plans for that leftover prime rib roast like sandwiches, or a big pot of beef and barley soup, or absolutely the best chili you'll ever, ever eat, or more of those lovely little cornish pasties like we've made before so stay tuned.  We promise there will be more!

Beef Pot Pie with Sherry Gravy

Pastry:

2 -1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3.5 ounces butter, cut into cubes

4 ounces shortening

1 egg beaten with 6 tablespoons cold water

Whisk together dry ingredients to mix well. Cut in cold butter and shortening until mixture has a uniform crumb about the size of small peas. Using a fork toss in the egg/water mixture and combine until must moistened. Form into a disc and chill thoroughly.

Pot Pie

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion minced

2 cloves garlic minced

2 carrots, quarter inch dice

1 potato, quarter inch dice

1 large parsnip, quarter inch dice

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup water

Sprinkle of salt

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

1/4 cup parsley, minced

3 cups cooked beef, cubed (I used left over prime rib, but steak or beef purchased from deli with do)

1 slice bacon, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup mushrooms, quartered

2 tablespoons flour

1 can Campbell’s French Onion Soup

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon catsup

1/3 cup dry sherry

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup sour cream

Sauté onion in olive oil until transparent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add diced carrots, potato, parsnip, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water, cover pan and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until vegetables are just tender.  Remove from pan and place into 4 individual ramekins. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1/4 cup of frozen peas and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Divide cubed beef evenly between 4 ramekins.

Cook bacon in sauté pan until fat renders and bacon is almost crisp. Add butter to pan, then add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are browned. Add flour and stir to combine well. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add onion soup, water, catsup and stir to combine. Cook stirring until gravy thickens. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add Worcestershire sauce, pepper, sherry and sour cream and stir well to combine.  Divide evenly among ramekins.

Roll out pastry to 1/8 inch thickness and cover ramekins. Decorate as desired. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Cook in 400 oven for 35 to 40 minutes until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly.   

Notes To Myself about Christmas

So here we are, the day after the day that warrants all the hype ... the day that makes sane people crazy and crazy people certifiable. The day of "good cheer", gifts that some people don't want and others can't afford to give anyway and the day that this foodie spent hours and hours preparing for, only to have it gone in a couple of 20 minute intervals. Gone, except for the fridge full of leftovers that is and the tell tale signs of disaster.

In case you're wondering, I hate the day after Christmas so it's a really good thing the guys left the house at 5:30 this morning to go bird hunting, although it's beyond me what kind of birds they expect to see when it's pitch dark outside until at least 7 bells. But good for them. By the time they roll up the garage door at 6:00 tonight, the Christmas mess will be cleaned up, all signs of the fire I had in the oven yesterday will be removed,the loads of laundry will be done and the floors washed. Does it sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself?

Well, since this is a food blog after all and not my journal, I'd best get on with telling you about at least a few of the things we ate yesterday and the grade they earned for all the effort. Course on the other hand if I'd waited until tomorrow when my sense of humor has been restored, I may not have been as harsh a critic.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cherry Muffins - a delicious combination, I might add. Lovely melted dark chocolate chips and sweet/sour dried cherries hiding in a moist cakey buttermilk battered vanilla kissed muffin. MAKE AGAIN - you betcha. These guys get an A plus. Download Chocolate Chip Sour Cherry Muffins

Bacon, Beer and Cheddar Soup - while we normally have a large breakfast on Christmas day then wing it through lunch and wait for the main event in the evening, with the Big Guy's huntin' partner arriving around noon, we thought lunch would be more appropriate.
This soup is courtesy of Food & Wine magazine and admittedly it is a manly kind of nosh. Loaded with some of our special homemade bacon, spiced with jalapeno and pilsner along with sharp cheddar and smoked gruyere, it's a heavy stick to your ribs kind of soup, that along with a loaf of sourdough bread kept the guys out of the kitchen for most of the afternoon. Personally, I didn't like it much but the Big Guy had 3 bowls and John had 2 which kind of tells you something. MAKE AGAIN: Not necessarily. I give it a C minus.

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Of course we had to have dessert at lunch, after all it's Christmas. We've made this one before and really, it is just an excuse to enjoy a moist, heavy, date filled, taste sensation of a sweet pudding slathered in a rich warm toffee sauce. I love the things - in fact there's one left hiding in the freezer for nuking at about 11:00 am. I'm gonna' call it lunch today! Sticky Toffee Pudding excels in the sweet department and definitely earns a superior in my books. MAKE AGAIN - ya man! Grade - A plus, plus. Download Sticky Toffee Pudding .

Because the soup filled the gap, I was unable to entice anyone to eat one bit of any of the appetizers we'd whipped up to pick at during the afternoon, so they've lived for me to tell you about them another day.

Our dinner menu included the following:

Riviera Pear Salad with Rogue River Blue Cheese, Toasted Pecans and Shallot Vinaigrette - The pears and cheese are courtesy of John and his Oregon home and honestly, there's nothing can compare with either. Juicy, perfectly ripe, incredibly sweet pears and a blue cheese that is creamy, sharp but easy on the palate - all on a bed of mache lettuce in a tangy shallot vinaigrette. I could easily call this salad dinner. MAKE AGAIN - Absolutely. Grade A plus plus. Download Pear-and-gorgonzola-salad-with-shallot-vinaigrette

Mustard Seed Crusted Prime Rib Roast with Roasted Balsamic Onions, and a Creamy Horseradish Sauce - this one's courtesy of Epicurious.com, normally a source I find to be quite reliable, especially if you study the comments about what people really think. They all passed this one with flying colors but I beg to differ. While the crust on the roast is lovely and flavorful, it's really hard to mess up a great prime rib roast. On the other hand, I give the onions a definite failing grade as a perfect waste of time. I mean whatever did roasted onions and shallots do to you that you'd treat them with such disrespect? Definitely disappointing, in my opinion they did absolutely NOTHING for the jus either. The real keeper is the horseradish sauce made with heavy cream, creme fraiche, horseradish and dijon mustard. It gets an A, while the roast gets a B but the onions are a definite, unequivocal F. MAKE AGAIN - uh NO.

Elsie's Make Ahead Potato Casserole - a perfect make ahead failure proof method of making mashed potatoes, and courtesy of the Best of Bridge series cookbooks, this casserole has been around for at least 30 years. Potatoes cooked and mashed with sour cream, cream cheese and butter, it goes with just about anything. MAKE AGAIN - Absolutely. Grade A.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts - our favorite green veg, we have and enjoy them often. It's not fair to name something as perfect, especially brussels sprouts, so we'll leave this one out of the grading scheme. Suffice to say if you're a regular visitor, you'll have noticed they're frequently shown on our plates.

Yorkshire Pudding - ah, the bane of my existence. As much as I love these things, they made a real mess of the oven and more importantly it's gonna' take me days to wash the smoke and soot off the ceilings in the house and get the smell outa' the curtains. Here's the link for the perfect method of making these beauties, but for heaven's sake be forewarned. While they rise to great heights every time, too much grease in the muffin pan can mean a smoky fire in the bottom of your oven so plan accordingly. I NEVER learn to put the muffin pan on a rack with a sheet pan below to catch the drips! Give the recipe an A plus, plus but give the cook an F for this one. MAKE AGAIN - yes, likely just so I can spend days cleaning up the mess.

Chocolate Caramel Tart - if I can say there was a perfect thing about yesterday's dinner, it would have to be this tart. A chocolate shortbread crust makes a crisp and tender base for a layer of rich, buttery caramel that is covered by a layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache. The key to this one other than making it all in advance, is to bring the tart to room temperature before serving for two reasons; you have to be able to cut the darn thing without having to use a hammer and chisel and you really want the caramel to string off your fork and land half way down your chin, just so you can dip into it later. It is really delicious. Don't forget the sea salt - we did when we took the picture, but it really adds a lot to the flavor of the tart. We have Saveur to thank for the recipe and Alexandra Guarnaschelli from Food Network for my inspiration to make it in the first place.  MAKE AGAIN - Without question. It gets an A plus, plus. 

So that's it people. I've provided the links for the recipes if you're so inclined and certainly if you've any questions or comments, don't be afraid to leave a note. Otherwise I'm off to wallow in my misery and no, this would not be a good day to pop in uninvited for drop of Christmas cheer. It's unlikely you'll find any cheer here, although there is something worth celebrating today. This is the 1,000 post on JBug's Kitchen Antics! Is that amazing or what?

 

A Bowl of Red and the "Best" Cornbread

A bowl of red is what the natives call a classic Texas chili - no beans, no tomatoes - just pure unadulterated beef with red chile. Heaven knows this is the time of year we Tucsonites see trucks loaded with strings of dried chile ristras and wreaths lining the roads so that was my inspiration for last night's dinner. That along with the fact that a pot of chile once made can hold without harm on the stove until it's time for dinner; important around here this time of year because it's the last week of scheduled classes before end of semester exams start, so I never know for sure what time the Big Guy's going to darken the door.

Last night's Texas Chili was one of those throw it in the pot and pray creations. I'll pass what was in it along to you, but since I already had a quart of red chile sauce in the freezer, the recipe may be a bit of a pain for you to duplicate - at least it will until I can make another bunch of sauce and tell you exactly how I did it. You could though check out the version from epicurious if you're interested in making it sooner rather than later.

This particular bowl of chili definitely will satisfy the carnivore in your family and it's subtle heat is really warm and comforting too. Of course I say "subtle" heat rather tongue in cheek because it's subtle to us but likely a real butt burner for some of you!

Now - about the cornbread - I always hesitate to call anything the "best" because my idea of best may be entirely different from your idea; however, if you're looking for a cornbread studded with pancetta pieces, and moistened with corn kernels and chopped roasted green chiles, then this would be it. Crispy crusted on the outside and incredibly moist and flavorful inside with buttermilk and grated cheese thrown in for good measure, it's enough to give anyone who loves the stuff shivers of ecstasy.

JBug’s Version of Texas Chili

Note - the Red Chile Sauce is not the kind you'd find made by Heinz in a bottle in your market's condiment aisle. It is made from assorted roasted dried chiles that are reconstituted and cooked in stock and/or water. Everyone seems to have their favorite recipe and I'll share mine with you next time I make a pot of it. 

2 pounds beef eye of round or chuck roast cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder (I used dried chipotle)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 quart prepared homemade red chile sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Salt if needed

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat to shimmering. Season beef cubes well with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Brown in batches in hot oil and remove to a bowl. Add onion and garlic to pot and sauté stirring often until onion is softened. Add cumin, chili powder, and cayenne if using and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Return meat to the pot and add red chile. Bring meat to a high simmer, then lower heat, cover and cook stirring often until meat is very tender – about 1-1/2 hours. Remove from heat and stir in honey and white vinegar. Taste for seasoning, adding salt as required. Serve with sour cream and cornbread.  Makes 4 large servings.   

Cornbread with Pancetta and Green Chiles (adapted from Bon Appetit)

4 ounces pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese (or cheddar)

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 cup canned or frozen corn, defrosted

Preheat oven to 400. Brown pancetta in 8 inch cast iron pan. Add butter, and when butter has melted set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Fold in grated cheese. In a smaller bowl beat egg and buttermilk together. Add green chilies and corn. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing with a fork only until just combined. Pour over hot pancetta and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Download Cornbread with Pancetta

A year ago - Pork Medallions with Apples and Cranberry Chutney

Keeping It Simple

We decided to fore go the usual Thanksgiving hoopla and stress this year and instead we're keeping our menu very simple for a change; however, simple means I still spent most of yesterday afternoon in the kitchen doing some pre-prep for the big day. Believe me, I know I'm lucky not to be working outside the home and thus have the luxury of spreading the tasks out over a few days, but I was still exhausted last night after my morning housecleaning and afternoon cooking. What happened to the stamina, I'm wondering.

Last night's dinner was simple by necessity and certainly delicious in its own right. The Big Guy loves beef patties on salad so I added a touch of Mediterranean flavor to the pound of lean ground beef and threw in some oil packed sun dried tomatoes, minced garlic  and Italian seasoning along with panko crumbs and an egg for added moisture, then whipped up a quick salad and promptly collapsed. The Big Guy picked up the slack and slapped the burgers on our trusty little gas grill and dinner was a done deal.

Sorry for the short post people, but I'm off to the kitchen to work a little more magic on our "simple" Thanksgiving feast.  Cheers everyone!

A year ago - Duck Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Brie