Corned Beef, Cabbage and Potatoes

410.  On St. Patrick's Day we, like most Americans, love to have the traditional Corned Beef, Cabbage and Potatoes.  In Ireland, this meal is not a tradition but was created by American chefs to celebrate this day.  That is the nuance with traditions, they don't have to be declared by anyone, only your family and what you decide to eat or celebrate on a particular day.

My recipe included a corned beef in package, whole head of green cabbage, 10 whole carrots peeled and chopped, onion quartered and about 10 small potatoes with skin on.

I always follow the package directions for the corned beef, because it is full proof.  Once the meat is tender, I add the vegetables.  Salt and pepper are neither here nor there based on your choice.  

Irish Butter and soda bread on the side is enjoyed as well.

Create traditions in your home and family by making any day a "Special Day".  It doesn't have to be a birthday or national holiday. 

"Dia duit" 

- translated,"May God be with you"

~Irish greeting

Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole with Potatoes

406.  Cookbooks!  Cookbooks!  Cookbooks!!!

"Cookbooks for everyone!!!"...was the theme of our Christmas gift exchange.  Not only cookbooks but books in general.  

A fabulous cookbook is Stanley Tucci's "The Tucci Table" filled with great home recipes that are simple but incorporate memories and tips from his family.  You can order this great cookbooks HERE.

This recipe incorporates veggies, potatoes, and tomato sauce smothered in cheese.  I used Stanley Tucci's recipe but adjusted it a bit to our liking.  Here is my recipe:

To save this recipe drag and drop onto your desktop or select and send to your printer.

This recipe strays away from pasta for a carb and adds potato instead which is a really great substitute.

And, it is such a hardy meal.  It warms you up and fills you up without the extra carb stress.

It also tastes delicious as leftovers the next day or to freeze for a later date.

"Throughout my childhood, almost every night in the middle of dinner, my father would shake his head and ask, 'What does the rest of the world eat?' That's how good my mother's cooking has always been--to my dad, it was inconceivable that anyone could possibly eat as well as we did.  And I agreed with him every time."

~Stanley Tucci

Double Stuffed Baked Potatoes

399. A hot baked potato filled with oozing melted butter, sour cream and melted cheddar cheese is a very welcome favorite of mine.  Although, it seems everyone should know how to make a baked potato... I wonder, how many know how to double stuff a potato?  

I know every microwave has a "potato" setting.  You place the cleaned, skin-on potato in the microwave and just push the button.  When your potato is "baked", the beep is sounded.  Only takes about 5-8 minutes, depending on the size or amount of potatoes you are cooking.  A much better alternative is to actually "BAKE" the potato, you know, like our grandmothers did, before microwaves were around.  

Scrub your potatoes and poke them with a point of a knife about 3 times around each spud.  Place them in a hot 350 degree oven and bake about 1 hour.  You will know they are soft when you squeeze them to test.

Remove the potatoes and let them sit about 10 minutes to cool.  Cut each lengthwise carefully and open them up.  This also allows them to cool quicker.  Have a bowl prepared to mix the filling.  Scrape out of the skins the soft potato into the prepared bowl.  Continue with each potato till you have only potato skins left.

Mix the cheese, butter, sour cream and seasonings into the potato filling.  Blend well but not too smooth.  Chunks of potato are fine.  By the spoonful, transfer the filling back into the skin shells mounding up the filling.  

Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or till cheese is melted on top

I like to finish off the top with a dollop of sour cream and a healthy sprinkling of fresh garden chives.  Of course you can add bacon, fried sausage bits, pepperoni, parmesan cheese...and the list trails on.  Make it to your own taste and liking.

To save this recipe simply select, drag and drop onto your desktop.  Print as a picture.

This would be a great recipe to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  And, you can use sweet potatoes or yams as well to substitute.  Enjoy this simply wonderful recipe...a great recipe to make with a kitchen helper.

"I do not believe that you have to spend a lot of money to eat well:  it is hard to beat a plain old baked potato."

~ Laurie Colwin

German Potato Salad

374.  My family tree is comprised of a percentage of German heritage on my mother's side.  Her mom was a culinary genius who prepared meals for hundreds of people, was a personal chef and just made amazing meals for her family of 5.  I'm grateful for this heritage, love of food preparation well honored and maintained.  So when you suggest foods from the hub of Europe where Germany lies in the center, that is what I know and love as food I grew up with.  Potatoes, cabbage, sausage, pickles, more potatoes, luncheon meats, fresh vegetables, homemade breads and pastries, soup stock and the list trails on.

This recipe for German Potato Salad was delicious and I wanted to pass it along.

Yukon Gold potatoes are always a great choice and they seem to bring a richer flavor and color to any recipe incorporated in.  It's a rich buttery taste.  The paprika also gives this salad a warm color and flavor.

Here is my recipe to save by selecting and dragging to your desktop or printing from your smart device.

The onions will wilt when you heat the potatoes but will still maintain their crunch.  Stir gently by using a spatula to go around the potatoes pulling up from the bottom.  The potatoes will want to stick together so lightly separate them apart as you stir.

German Potato Salad is a wonderful addition with chicken, pork or along side summer favorites like Brats or Sausages.  If you've never tasted this salad, I think it will be a unique surprise.  And become a great substitute for your family members who don't like mayonnaise in a salad.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  ~ George Bernard Shaw

"Man sieht am Ende wohl, Wie man es loben soll."  

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating."  ~German proverbs

Rösti Shredded Potato Casserole

322.  Christmas morning brunch featured a delicious potato & egg casserole called Rösti.  The recipe is from Switzerland and you can find the recipe here.
I 've made the recipe several times and found that shredding the potato raw and baking everything accept the egg is easier for me.  Once the potatoes are tender I made an indentation with a large spoon and dropped an egg in each indent placing it back into the oven for a few minutes till eggs are as desired.  The eggs will continue to cook once removed from the oven so keep that in mind if you want them softer.  I paired this dish with fresh fruit, cinnamon rolls and bacon.

 Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Enjoy your family and friends and don't forget to hug the ones you love.

"Christmas, my child, is love in action.

Every time we love, every time we give,

it's Christmas."

-Dale Evans

Potato Leek Soup

 

307. A fall favorite soup always contains potato and cheddar cheese.  You could almost call this soup "Loaded Potato Soup".  I enjoyed a bowl the next day for a private lunch at the snack bar which in fact tasted even better a day later.

 Here is my recipe for Potato Leek Soup

15 medium potatoes or 8 large, peeled and diced
2 leeks, cut lengthwise and in half placed in a cold water bath to remove sand.  Chop leeks into pieces
Fresh dill chopped, approximately ⅛ cup
Salt & Pepper to taste
water
2 cups whole milk
2  cups shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
butter as much or as little as you prefer (Butter makes everything better!)
1 lb bacon, fried till crisp and set aside

In a large 8 quart pot place olive oil and bring up heat.  Add diced potatoes and stir allowing some potatoes to lightly brown.  Add chopped leek and half of the dill.  Pour in water to cover potatoes till floating.  Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer till potatoes are tender.  Turn soup off till ready to serve.  15 minutes before serving turn heat back on and add milk, butter and cheddar cheese.  Bring soup temperature back up to just about boiling.  Add another pinch of dill and transfer to serving tureen.

 Serve soup and have crispy bacon bits as an add on as well as fresh chopped dill.

This soup is simplistic yet tastes sophisticated and has a depth of flavor and textures.

"A potato is like a garden carried in the pocket."

~ Ancient Irish proverb for gardening - circa 100bc

Potato Cheese Casserole

200. When my family wants comfort food, I usually default to one of their favorites, Potato Cheese Casserole. This side dish has been one of the go-to dishes that always brings smiles to their faces. Now, you could use the long process to make this dish, but over the years, I have devised some shortcuts. If you bake this casserole in the oven it will take 1 1/2 hours to bake. But the easy process is baked in the microwave and is done in 25 minutes!

Potato Cheese Casserole

8 medium size potatoes or 5 large potatoes, peeled, cubed

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

sea salt & ground pepper

Long process: Saute' onion in butter till tender. Mix potatoes, onions, sour cream, cheese and salt and pepper in a bowl till evenly coated. Pour into an 8 x 11 prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or till potatoes are tender. Serve hot.

Shortened process:

Place butter and chopped onions in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, wax paper or wet paper towels. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Onions will be tender.

Peel and chop the potatoes.

My process for cubing potatoes.

Place chopped potatoes into baking dish on top of steamed onions and butter.

Dollop sour cream on top and cheddar cheese. Mix all together till evenly mixed.

Top with cheddar cheese. Cover with plastic wrap.

Return to microwave and bake for 25 to 30 minutes on high.

You will begin to smell the yummy casserole.

It is cheesy, tender, creamy and will pair deliciously with any meat dish.

“Food is not about impressing people.

It's about making them feel comfortable.”
~Ina Garten, ‘The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook’

Winter Vegetable Soup

193. Any time is a good time for soup. But winter is especially the perfect time for a hot bowl of soup made with fresh vegetables. This recipe is easy, quick and very satisfying. It is vegetarian but chicken could be added during the first stages of the cooking process.

Winter Vegetable Soup

2 carrots, peeled, sliced

3 stalks celery and green tops, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups mushrooms, washed and quartered

2 cloves garlic, crushed

14 oz tomatoes, canned or fresh puree'

3 cups vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried herbs or 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, basil, oregano

1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen, optional

3 cups green cabbage, washed and shredded

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

olive oil

Place oil in a stock pot and heat.

Add the carrots, celery, shallot, potato, mushrooms and garlic. Saute' for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil.

Drop in bay leaf.

Cover and let simmer for 25 minutes.

Add corn, cabbage and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Return to a boil then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer till the potato and cabbage are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season to taste.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped basil or parsley serving immediately.

Serve warm bread and butter or crackers and brie cheese as a perfect accompaniment.

Mom's Kitchen: "Love Served Here"

~Anonymous