"Irish" Hot Pockets

When I was trying to come up with a fitting name for this post I had to think twice about including the words "hot pockets". After recent unflattering news about the frozen convenience food was everywhere I looked, I wasn't too sure if this was going to attract my readers attention or turn them away. Good news though, my hot pockets have nothing in common with their grocery store namesake and you can safely cook and enjoy them for your own family. ;-)

 

St. Patrick's Day has been one of those holiday's that my kids, no matter how old they get, always look forward to because of the delicious food. My youngest started asking a couple of weeks ago if I was going to fix my Glazed Corned Beef and Colcannon, while my sixteen year old is all about the Irish Soda Bread. While all of these favorites, along with my St. Patrick's Day Chia Seed Pudding will be making an appearance on St. Patrick's Day, I'm always thinking of some new and interesting recipes to add to my collection for the holiday.

The idea for these Hot Pockets came to me the other day while in the kitchen and I thought they would be a tasty addition to our St. Patrick's Day menu. The filling is a fairly simple combination of fried cabbage and corned beef. The meat can either be bought from the deli counter at your local supermarket or you can use leftover cooked corned beef. The cabbage mixture gets topped with a sprinkle of Dubliner Cheese and then everything gets encased in a flaky puff pastry crust. A quick bake in the oven and you are all set with the tastiest hot pockets you've ever had. 

A homemade thousand island dipping sauce for the baked pastries adds the final touch, but if you prefer, mustard is also wonderful served alongside. The finished pockets are a great addition to any St. Patrick's Day celebration. Make them as appetizers for a party or simply add a salad on the side for a filling meal. If it's any indication, my boys inhaled them in 5 minutes flat and proclaimed they had a new St. Patrick's Day favorite.

"Irish" Hot Pockets
~makes 12 pockets~
(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:
For the filling:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. corned beef, finely cubed (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped (about 4 cups)
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 pinch white sugar
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

For the pockets:
3 sheets puff pastry, thawed (1 1/2 boxes)
Prepared cabbage filling (see above)
3 oz. Dubliner cheese, finely grated
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water for egg-wash
Flour for work surface
Thousand Island Dipping Sauce (Recipe to follow)

Directions:
For the filling: In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cubed corned beef and saute until slightly crispy and golden brown. 

Add the onions. Cook for 1 minute, then add the cabbage along with water, vinegar, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until cabbage wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set mixture aside to cool.

For the pockets: Pre-heat oven to 375 ° F. Line three baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. 

Flour your work surface. Carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll into a 10x12-inch rectangle. Using a ruler, cut the rectangle in half (you should now have two 5x12-inch rectangles), then cut each of those rectangles into 4 equal pieces, leaving you with eight 3x5-inch rectangles.

Place 4 rectangles on one of your prepared baking sheets. Add 2 scant tablespoons of the prepared cabbage filling right down the middle of your rectangles leaving about 1/4 inch all the way around, making sure not to over fill. Top the filling with a pinch of the grated cheese.

Brush all 4 edges of each rectangle with your prepared egg-wash. Place the remaining puff pastry rectangles on top and using a fork seal all the edges by crimping all the way around.

Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator while you work on the second and third sheet of puff pastry in the same manner. Place all the finished  pockets in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before proceeding.

Remove baking sheets one at a time from fridge and brush tops of the pockets with remaining egg wash. With a sharp knife, carefully cut 3 small vents in each pocket. Bake in your pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes (rotating once) or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving them with the Thousand Island Dipping Sauce.

Notes: I asked for a couple of slices of 1/4-inch corned beef at my deli, but leftover cooked corned beef would be equally wonderful.

The filling can be made a day ahead of time. Keep it in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the hot pockets.

I used Dubliner Cheese from Kerrygold. The flavor is reminiscent of cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan. If you can't find it, Swiss, Gruyere or a sharp white cheddar will also work.

The baked pockets are best eaten the same day and taste best right out of the oven (after a quick cooling time so you don't scorch the skin in your mouth. Trust me, I've been there).

The thousand island dipping sauce can also be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe 

Homemade Thousand Island Dipping Sauce
~makes about 3/4 cup~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain (2%) Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. Ketchup
2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp. red onion, finely diced
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 dashes Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
Add all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.

Sauce slightly adapted from: Kitchen Treaty

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I love mushrooms in every shape or form and Portobello mushrooms rank pretty high on my favorite foods list. I love how versatile they are and how you can turn them into a filling, delicious, vegetarian meal with very little effort.  This recipe came about simply by checking the pantry and refrigerator. What started as a meal to get rid of a few extra vegetables, turned into an unforgettable dinner and inspired me to get back on this computer to write a short post.

While trying to come up with the finished recipe I decided to forgo the usual breadcrumbs as a binder and instead turned to Quinoa, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite grains to incorporate into recipes. By doing so, I was actually able to create a recipe which is not just vegetarian, but also gluten free. Served with a big salad on the side and bowl of watermelon this turned into a great meal that none of us will soon forget.

 

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms 

~Serves 4~

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

4 Large Portobello Mushrooms

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 cup Vegetable Broth

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 Red Onion, diced

4 cups Baby Spinach, rough chopped

4 Tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chiffonade

1/2 tsp. dried Oregano

Salt and Pepper

4 oz. Fresh Mozzarella, cubed

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions:

Clean Portobello mushrooms by removing the stem and cleaning out the gills and gently wiping the mushroom tops. Chop the stems and reserve. 

Meanwhile bring 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup of vegetable broth to a boil in a small pot. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all the broth is absorbed. Take off the stove and cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a pan. Add the red onions, and cook until the onions begin to soften. Add the reserved chopped mushroom stems, spinach and tomatoes and saute until the spinach is wilted and the mixture is heated through. Season with oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the basil and remove from the stove. Gently stir in the quinoa and let everything cool to room temperature. Once the mixture has cooled, fold in the cubed mozzarella.

Take the cleaned mushroom caps and brush them lightly all over with olive oil. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Divide the filling equally into each mushroom cap. 

Sprinkle each with Parmesan.

Grill for 15 minutes over medium heat or until the mozzarella starts melting and the mushrooms are heated through.

Serve immediately.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts

 

A few weeks ago I came down with a strep-throat like infection. I was miserable for several days and was pretty much surviving on  pudding and chicken broth until the antibiotics finally kicked in and brought relief. To keep me entertained, while trying to feel better and occupying the couch, I decided that watching some food-network was in order. Needless to say, it was also quite torturous watching the chefs prepare delicious looking dish after dish and not being able to eat. On the plus side though, I took tons of notes and ended up with several recipes on my "must-make list". One of the shows I watched was with Ina Garten aka the Barefoot Contessa, which had me and my husband (who kept me company) literally drooling watching her prepare a recipe for lemon chicken breasts. We decided right then and there that this recipe would make an appearance on our dinner table as soon as I was able to eat solid food again.

This recipe is a must for any garlic and lemon lover. There are no subtle flavors in this dish, it is a smack you in the face kind of recipe and will truly satisfy a craving for a "done right" chicken dish. Nine garlic cloves are heated in a bit of olive oil on the stove before lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine, oregano and thyme round out this flavor experience. The scented oil is then poured into a baking dish, de-boned, but skin on chicken breasts are placed on top of the lemon-garlic mixture and are brushed with more olive oil before receiving a final sprinkle of salt and pepper. For good measure and to ensure even more flavor a cut up lemon is tucked in between all of the meat into to the pan before baking. After a baking time of around 40 minutes, you are left with incredibly moist pieces of chicken and a sauce that is to die for.

I served this dish with rice, freshly grilled asparagus, and some crusty bread which helps to sop up all of the delectable sauce that is literally good enough to drink. This recipe is easily made on a weekday, but certainly would make for an impressive entree if entertaining as well. If you've been in a chicken "rut" and are always on the hunt to add a little excitement to dinner time, I highly recommend this dish. This is one of the few recipes that I've made recently that was good to go as written without me changing anything and that doesn't happen all too often. So far, none of the Barefoot Contessa's recipes have failed me yet and this one will be added to the list!

Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts

~serves 4~

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup good olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)

1/3 cup dry white wine (I used a Chardonnay)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme eaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)

1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to brown. Remove pan from stove, and off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breast dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for about 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the pan juices.

Adapted from: Ina Garten

Thai Shrimp-Scallop Curry

We've had quite the eventful week. The kids are back in school after enjoying a two week long spring break. This is a big deal for two reasons, one, summer break is literally just around the corner two months from now, and secondly, this is my daughter's last quarter in High School. Ever. She is graduating in 9 short weeks and I'm not sure if I'm ready. I keep looking at pictures from when she was just a teeny one year old and keep thinking where did all the time go? We are also getting ready for prom, which is coming up this weekend and the following weekend (yes, she is going to two). We happened to find the perfect dress over break and this week it is just mayhem trying to pick everything up that still needs picking up, along with various other school functions. Dinners during weeks like this have to be quick and well planned out.

While looking for inspiration in my magazines last weekend trying to come up with my weekly dinner menu, my eye caught a recipe for a Thai Curry. I found this recipe in my newest bon appétit magazine in their "weeknight cooking section". So far my experience with Thai food has been pretty much limited to eating it at a restaurant, but the recipe sounded easy enough that I was willing to give it a try. Halibut and Shrimp was the magazine's choice of fish in this dish, but after contemplating these ingredients and checking my freezer, I decided to switch it up slightly and go with big, juicy scallops and shrimp instead; and I'm so glad I did. I also ended up adding some extra chili garlic sauce and more curry paste for additional heat and flavor, increased the fish sauce and used light coconut milk since this is what I had on hand.

My kids were all extremely leery when finding out what I was cooking, none of them trusted that this "strange" hodge podge of ingredients would come together. I guess it worked though, as proven by my empty pan. Every single one of them asked for seconds and the dish was incredibly tasty. The flavors are wonderful and the shrimp and scallops worked beautifully together. I used pretty large scallops and shrimp, so cooking it at 5 to 6 minutes was spot on, the scallops were perfect with just the slightest bit of opaque inside and tender as can be. However, if you plan on making this and you use smaller shrimp or bay scallops, you will have to reduce the final cooking time to avoid turning them into rubber.

This recipe was a great new discovery that has already been requested again and will be a great addition to my ever growing recipe collection. I really hope you consider giving this one a try!

Thai Shrimp-Scallop Curry

~makes 6 servings~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

3 large limes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1 13 1/2 to 14-ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 pound large scallops

1 pound deveined uncooked large shrimp

Kosher salt and pepper

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

Finely grate enough peel from 2 limes to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons. Squeeze enough juice form 2 limes to measure 2 tablespoons. Cut third lime into wedges.

Heat vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots, diced red bell pepper, and minced ginger; saute until shallots are tender and pepper soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, chili garlic sauce, coconut milk, fish sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime peel, and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Simmer gently, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle scallops and shrimp with salt and pepper. Add scallops and shrimp to curry sauce. Return to very gentle simmer and cook just until scallops and shrimp are opaque in center, 5 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir in cilantro and basil; serve with lime wedges.

Adapted from: bon appétit

Shepherd's Pie

 

Every year we celebrate St. Patrick's day. Not because we are Irish, in fact neither my husband nor I have one bit of Irish blood running through our veins, but we celebrate it simply because we like the food. We also like the beer, are fond of Irish butter and cheese and who can say no to some good Irish coffee? We also enjoy listening to U2 and are fans of The Cranberries. Most of all who can forget the years of reign by The Lord of the Dance,  Michael Flatley and his crew, as they were touring the world (even though it is quite debatable if being able to move your legs like this is completely natural). See, with all of this said, we could "almost" pass as Irish. Hence, we are not, but we can at least pretend once a year. Our typical meal for this holiday does include Corned Beef and Colcannon, however our kids are not the biggest fans of this dinner, so in order to keep the peace, I decided to smooth things over with another Irish specialty beforehand.

Shepherd's pie refers to an Irish meat pie made with minced beef (ground beef) and with a crust made from mashed potatoes. I've been tinkering with a few different recipes for this dish for years and while the end results were tasty, I was convinced they could be improved upon. While I was searching for yet another version to try, I found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com. It is a recipe by Melissa d'Arabian who starred in The Next Food Network Star. In all honesty, while she was competing on the show I wasn't a big fan of hers, and I don't think I've ever watched her show, but she definitely hit a home-run with this recipe. This Shepherd's Pie is the real deal. It is full of flavor and utterly delicious.  A great filling and an even better topping make this truly a stand-out. Bacon, onions and ground beef are cooked along with carrots and peas in a flavorful gravy composed of Guinness Beer, beef broth and spices. The topping receives extra love from 10 garlic cloves, sour cream, more beef broth and cheese which will assure that every bite of this will make for a wonderful dining experience.

This Shepherd's pie, in my opinion, is as good as it gets and is my new go-to recipe. My kids loved this meal and so did the adults. It is comforting and perfect for a chilly day. Yes, this will take you a little bit longer than opening a jar of gravy and mixing it with ground beef and frozen veggies, before topping it with boxed mashed potatoes as many recipes I've seen suggest, but sometimes good things require extra love and time to turn into something truly spectacular.  So, keep in mind that if corned beef might not be your first choice for St. Patrick's Day, this recipe is a fantastic alternative, especially when served with a nice glass of cold Guinness. Cheers, or as they say in Ireland; sláinte!

Shepherd's Pie

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the Garlicky Potato Topping:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into eights

10 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 to 2/3 cup beef broth

4 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Filling:

4 slices bacon, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 93 % lean)

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 bottle of Guinness Beer

1/2 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

For the Garlicky Potato Topping: In a large saucepan add the potatoes and garlic and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain. Transfer the potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Add the sour cream, 1/3 cup of the broth, butter, salt and pepper, and mash until everything is smooth and the ingredients are incorporated. If the mixture is too dry, add the remaining 1/3 cup broth. Cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch  baking dish with nonstick spray.

For the Filling: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and almost crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate; set aside.

Add the oil to the drippings in the skillet and put over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and just beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar, and cook, stirring, occasionally, until the onions begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until the beef begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring, until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the beer, bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked bacon, the broth, rosemary, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and the pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Spoon the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the potato topping evenly over the beef mixture. Bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned and the edges are bubbly, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Let rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Adapted from: Melissa d'Arabian

Spicy Tuscan Soup

The days for comfort food are dwindling down and with temperatures on the rise I knew I had to get in just a few more of those homey recipes before I start focusing on some lighter fare for Spring. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before how much I adore soups. I like them actually year round, reserving some of the heartier ones for the cooler months and reaping the benefits of the wonderful produce available in the spring and summer for creating fresh and light tasting ones.

I found the recipe for this soup a couple of years ago on Tasty Kitchen. The description mentioned that this soup comes pretty close to one that Olive Garden serves. Not being a fan of any chain restaurant, I actually can't vouch for this statement since I have never eaten there before. However, the ingredients sounded interesting and unlike any soup I had in my repertoire, so I gave it a go.

This dish has become a family favorite ever since the first time I made it. This is a nice "stick to your ribs" kind of recipe, which is perfect, especially on those cool evenings.

Talk about a pork feast. Spicy breakfast sausage, red onions and bacon add tons of flavor, especially when paired with garlic, Yukon gold potatoes and kale. The liquid base of this soup comes from chicken broth. I used a homemade one (I usually have some in my freezer) which adds some nice depth, but even a quality store bought kind will do the trick and works very nicely, especially when short on time. A little bit of heavy cream added during the last few minutes of cooking adds richness and rounds out this fantastic soup.

The first time I made this recipe, I really wasn't sure how Kale would go over with the family, but everyone ended up loving it so much, that I have been increasing the amount of Kale by quite a bit more. This in turn really helps me justify the health factor of this dish. ;-)

This soup has it all. Flavor, spice, and creaminess without being too heavy. When paired with a nice loaf of bread or some bread sticks, it makes for a wonderful quick weeknight meal. Friends of ours who have actually eaten the Olive Garden version before thought this was even better than the original. I would say that is quite the compliment.

Spicy Tuscan Soup

~makes 6 servings~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pound spicy breakfast sausage

1 whole medium red onion, diced

3 slices bacon, diced 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

4 Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 lbs.), peeled and diced 

6 cups chicken broth  

4 cups loosely packed Kale, cleaned 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste  

Preparation:

Crumble sausage into a dutch oven over medium-high heat until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add red onion and bacon to dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium and cook until onions soften and bacon begins to crisp. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the diced potatoes and chicken broth. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until potatoes are almost done. Return crumbled sausage back to the dutch oven.

Add the kale and let simmer for another 5 minutes or until kale is wilted and soft. Add heavy cream, warm through, but don't boil.  Serve immediately.

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew

Our "cold" days are pretty numbered living here in Arizona. Any kind of chill in the air has us running for jackets, boots and scarves along with warm comfort food like soups and stews. Maybe it's because our winter season is so short that these meals are looked forward to and beloved. We are quite spoiled with the weather in Arizona, especially during the fall/winter/spring months. What we consider "cold" is pretty laughable by the rest of the country's standards. However I'm convinced that in order to survive our extremely hot summers our blood thins and once the temperatures dip below 65 degrees we are just not equipped anymore to take the cold. It is pretty humorous to watch all of the tourists flocking to Arizona during this time of year. Most of the "natives" are wearing winter clothes, but you can pick out all the tourists sporting t-shirts, shorts and flip flops once the thermometer hits 60. It's a heat wave, especially if you've just arrived from North Dakota, Wisconsin or any other northern state. 

Taking full advantage of the temperatures dipping last weekend, my husband was craving beef stew. Not just any old beef stew, but Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew. I have made a few beef stews over the years and all of them were an improvement over my first encounter with "Dinty Moore", which my husband introduced me too while he was in the military. Beef stew can be extremely blah or it can be a fantastic, flavorful meal. Tyler's recipe falls into the latter category.

Let me start with prefacing that this is NOT a meal that is cooked in 30 minutes. This is one recipe that requires time, but the end result is well worth the effort. This is definitely a weekend meal for us since weekdays are always busy. This is also not the cheapest of meals, especially if you use quality ingredients. However, I can justify the expense many times over by realizing that taking a family of 5 to a restaurant would be way more expensive. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but thought I would share a few pointers that I picked up while cooking this recipe. First off, the recipe calls for 2 cups of flour. This is an utter waste. The flour is used to coat your cubed stew meat and I used 3/4 of a cup at most. So start with one cup, it will be plenty. Secondly, this recipe calls for 1 bottle of red wine. It is important to use a good, well rounded bottle, something you would enjoy drinking as well. Do NOT use cooking wine, cooking wine is an abomination as far as I'm concerned and should never be used to cook with, it will ruin pretty much every dish. Also, if you don't like cooking with wine, then I would suggest finding a different recipe. There are no substitutions in this case, since the wine and acidity will help break down your meat, add flavor, depth and will overall end up making this meal extraordinary. I used a good middle of the road wine (Murphy-Goode: Liar's Dice), that I typically have on hand and it compliments this dish exquisitely.

I also used Yukon gold potatoes, rather then small new potatoes since this is what I usually have at home and it tasted great. The recipe calls for pearl onions, this is were I messed up slightly and simply forgot to grab some at the store. Instead of running back out, I decided to substitute with 1 large yellow onion, which I chopped and sauteed in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil before adding. 

This dish calls for ground cloves and a slice of orange zest. I briefly considered leaving it out, since in all honesty it sounded strange to me, but I'm glad I decided against it and went for it. You won't be able to detect either, but they added to the overall complexity of the dish. Last, but not least, the recipe calls for thyme sprigs. I used some butcher's twine to tie them together. Brilliant idea and much easier to remove once the dish is cooked than trying to sift for thyme stems.

The smell  of this recipe while cooking was indescribable and the finished meal turned out to be a hit. Totally worth the time, effort and ingredients makes this another wonderful Tyler Florence recipe. My husband's craving for a good stew was more than satisfied and considering that all of the kids had seconds, it was definitely a crowd pleaser.  I simply served this with some Peasant bread on the side and my husband enjoyed the stew topped with a bit of horseradish. What made this dish even better was the rainy, cold weather we had while eating along with a couple of glasses of red wine. This is pretty much what a perfect Sunday should feel like in the winter.

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup all-purpose flour (this is a change from the original 2 cups)
2 to 3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 bottle good quality dry red wine 
8 fresh thyme sprigs (tied together with butcher's twine) 
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 orange, zest removed in 3 (1-inch) strips
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, diced and sauteed in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 
1 pound white mushrooms, cut in 1/2
1/2 pound garden peas, frozen or fresh

Preparation:

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter.

While the pan is heating, arrange the flour in a large, shallow dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides. Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve.

Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits. Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strips, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 hours add diced potatoes, sliced carrots, sauteed onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add the frozen peas during the last few minutes or cooking. Season one more time with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs.

Adapted from: Foodnetwork

German Sauerbraten

 

My husband's birthday is on Valentine's Day. This is also a day we never, ever go out to eat. Since birthdays are a family affair in our house taking 3 kids to a restaurant on Valentine's Day is less then desirable for us and probably all the other couples who are trying to have a quiet romantic meal. So cooking at home it is. Most years I will cook a meal my husband requests, some years, like the one where he received a BBQ smoker as one of his gifts, he insisted on spending the whole day smoking a piece of meat. This year though, it was up to me once again and he asked for an authentic German/Bavarian meal to be cooked. Are you wondering yet what he chose? Well, he went with Sauerbraten, Semmelknoedel and Blaukraut. I bet right now you are going "what"? OK, one more time in easier terms Sauerbraten, which is literally translated into "sour roast", German bread dumplings and red cabbage. Better?

I promise to showcase all of the recipes, but today I'm concentrating on the Sauerbraten. Let me preface by saying that different regions in Germany will produce different recipes for this. Mine is simply a family recipe which might not be "authentic" by other German standards, but is a special recipe handed down from my dad to me. Sauerbraten simply refers to a beef roast that has been marinaded in a brine of vinegar, spices, root vegetables and red wine for a few days. The cut of meat is usually a tougher cut, like a bottom round roast and by marinading the meat in something acidic for several days the notion is it will help tenderize the meat. Most people will keep the meat in the brine for 3 to 4 days, but I've even heard of people leaving the meat in for a full week. After the meat is removed and dried off, it will get a good searing on all sides in a heavy pot. The marinade, along with the seasonings and vegetables is added to the meat, which is then cooked for a couple of hours on the stove top. After the meat is fully cooked you get to work on the gravy.

Many people know Sauerbraten with a thickened gravy containing gingersnaps, this is NOT the way it is prepared in the region of Franconia (upper Bavaria) where I grew up. We also don't add rasisins to the finished gravy, this is more of a rhineland addition. My gravy, which is just the way my family cooks it, is achieved by caramelizing sugar in a pan with butter, flour is added and finally some of the cooked marinade and red wine round out the gravy. German gravy is fairly thin and never gloppy like many American gravies tend to be. A final touch of a little red currant jelly (for sweetness) and creme fraiche round out this fantastic sauce. You can use sour cream, but keep in mind not to boil the gravy anymore or it will curdle on you, which creme fraiche wont. The finished roast is typically served with "Preiselbeeren" which are similar to cranberries or lingonberry jam along with dumplings and red cabbage (both of which I will be featuring in the next few days).

I hope I have peaked your interest in this very famous German dish and you might want to give it a try yourself. Considering that my husband has been craving this dish every year for almost 20 years, you know this is a keeper!

German Sauerbraten

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups red wine

1 stalk celery, preferably with leaves, cut into thirds

1 onion, cut into 8 pieces

1 carrot, peeled and cut into thirds

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon whole peppercorns

8 juniper berries

3 whole cloves

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

3 lbs. beef bottom round roast

For the roast and gravy:

 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

4 teaspoons sugar

4 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon red currant jelly

4 tablespoons creme fraiche (sour cream will work as well)

Directions:

For the marinade: Wash meat and place in a large non-reactive bowl (glass or plastic works well). Add all the marinade ingredients to the bowl and cover. Set in refrigerator. Keep meat in marinade for a minimum of 2 days, up to a total of 4 days, making sure to turn the meat once a day.

For the roast: After 3-4 days, remove meat from marinade and dry. Strain vegetables and seasonings from marinade, reserving both. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy duty dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sear from all sides. Add the reserved vegetables and seasonings to the seared meat along with 4 cups of the reserved marinade. Reduce heat and simmer roast for 1 hour. Turn the roast and simmer for an additional hour. After 2 hours remove meat and keep warm while you prepare the gravy.

For the gravy: In a medium sized pot add butter along with the sugar and caramelize until golden brown. Add flour and cook for about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the cooked marinade along with any meat juices that have accumulated and the 1/2 cup of red wine, making sure to whisk well to avoid lumps. Cook gravy on low for about 20 minutes then whisk in the red currant jelly and add the creme fraiche (if you add sour cream make sure not to boil this anymore or the gravy will curdle).

Cut meat against the grain and serve with gravy and lingonberries (or cranberries) on the side.

Adapted from: My dad

Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

 

Meatloaf can garner strong reactions from a lot of people. In my experience, there are two camps, the ones that love it and always have, and the other ones that loath it, and think it's one of the worst foods ever invented, reminding them of awful cafeteria food. I tend to think that most people who have that preconceived notion have never tried a good meatloaf recipe.  In fact, I would bet that today's featured recipe would convert them all into meatloaf lovers.

Thankfully, our family likes meatloaf, even though there have been a few hits and misses over the years. Anything from sickeningly sweet glazes to plain under-seasoned and bland concoctions. And while no one ever complained much, we didn't know what a truly fabulous meatloaf should taste like until I came across Tyler Florence's version. To us, this is the "ultimate" meatloaf that everyone looks forward to when it's on the menu.

What makes this meatloaf so incredibly tasty and unique is Tyler's use of a homemade Tomato Relish both inside the "meat dough" and also as a glaze. The relish is not hard to make but does require a bit of planning ahead, since it is best not to incorporate the hot relish into your meat. In the past, I've made the relish a day ahead of time and stored it in the refrigerator until ready to use. The meatloaf itself does not call for a lot of fancy ingredients, but does use a mix of ground beef and ground pork. I usually use 93% fat free beef with the pork and the meatloaf turns out perfectly moist, but certainly feel free to use whatever you are accustomed to. Soaking the bread (which is your binder) in milk prior to adding, assures additional moisture in the loaf. And last but certainly not least, the meatloaf is covered with bacon before baking. I mean, come on, there is no way you can go wrong with this recipe at this point. I'm only advising you to use the thick-cut bacon, which can withstand being baked for 1 1/2 hours without shriveling into oblivion or turning to sawdust.

This meatloaf has truly been a family favorite for many years and since it finally cooled down to the low 90's last weekend, my kids have been begging me to make this. There is no way I would attempt turning my oven on for this amount of time in the summer, but this ended up being the perfect weather. I always serve this dish with homemade mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side. This time my youngest chose my  Peas and Carrots "German Style" which I have featured on my blog before. So if you like meatloaf or even if you've been on the fence about it, I'm urging you to give this very special recipe a try. It makes for an awesome Sunday dinner with loved ones!

Not Your Mama's Meatloaf
(Adapted from Tyler Florence)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

Tomato Relish (make first):
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced
2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meatloaf:
3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 93 %)
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
Leave from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick-cut bacon

Preparation:

For the tomato relish: Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish. Let cool.

For the meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the torn white bread in a bowl and dd the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meatloaf together.

This is where you get your hands dirty! In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. To test, fry a small "hamburger" patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet (I lined mine with foil that I oiled). Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm (mine took the full 1 1/2 hours). Rotate the meatloaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns evenly Remove the meatloaf from the oven and it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I've always been a soup kind of girl. Even growing up, me and my middle sister would fight over leftover soup. My little sister on the other hand despised them and when I mentioned soup while she was visiting she curled up her nose which told me she still didn't care for them. Needless to say, we did not have soup or stew while she was visiting. My immediate family though loves a good bowl just as much as I do, and we make a dinner quite often out of it. With a salad or a sandwich on the side, soup can be a quick and quite satisfying meal.

I've tried to make various squash soups in the past, but only to lukewarm reviews from the family, so when I came across the recipe for this roasted butternut squash soup on Tasty Kitchen I wasn't sure how well it would be received. I guess I worried for nothing. This soup turned out wonderful and I only made a few small changes to accommodate our families taste. The soup starts by peeling and dicing a butternut squash and roasting it in the oven along with a celery, carrot, onions and garlic. After about 20 minutes, a couple of peeled and cut up apples are added to the mix and the roasting continues for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

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The finished roasted vegetables are added to a food processor and are mixed with a couple of cups of chicken or vegetable broth until smooth or the desired consistency is reached. Add honey, sage, salt and pepper and pulse until combined. Meanwhile, bacon gets cooked in a Dutch oven until crisp. The bacon is removed from the pan and drained on a paper towel. All but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease are drained from the pot and finally the blended vegetable puree is added to the Dutch oven with two more cups of broth. At this point, add more broth until the soup reaches the desired thickness (adding more broth for a thinner soup, or less if you like it on the thicker side). Simmer the dish for another 5 minutes making sure to taste one more time for salt and pepper.

I served this soup drizzled with sour cream and sprinkled with the reserved bacon and pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds). Trader Joe's sells a good sized bag of pepitas for a decent price, or you can just make your own. A great fall flavored soup that was incredibly rich and tasty. My husband, kids and I loved this recipe, and I know I will be making this soup several more times this season. The soup made the perfect accompaniment to toasted cheese sandwiches, and the leftovers were just as tasty the next day! This recipe would also be a lovely addition for a soup course on Thanksgiving, so be sure to give this one a try!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
(adapted from Tasty Kitchen)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pound Butternut squash, halved and seeded, cut into large cubes
1 carrot, cut into large chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into large chunks
2 medium onions, cut into eights
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 whole medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into eights
4-6 cups vegetable or chicken broth, divided
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon dried sage
6 slices bacon, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Sour Cream (optional garnish)
Pepitas (optional garnish)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel and cut squash into large cubes. Place cubes into a large roasting pan. Add carrot pieces, celery, onion, and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and add a good pinch of salt. Toss to coat and roast for 20 minutes in the oven. Add the apple pieces to the roasting pan and stir to combine. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Add vegetable mixture to a food processor and blend with 2 cups of broth until desired consistency is reached. Add honey, sage, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pulse to combine. Set aside.

Cook diced bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the Dutch oven. Add the vegetable puree and two cups of broth (at this point you can add up to two more cups of broth depending on the consistency you are looking for). Taste for salt and pepper and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with crisp cooked bacon, sour cream and pepitas.