Brown Sugar Corned Beef
Most people boil corned beef. I tried baking mine encrusted in mustard and brown sugar. Slow cooking it in the oven really
seals in the flavor. I like this corned beef hot, but also makes great leftover sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS
5 Pound Corned Beef Brisket
1 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Minced Garlic Clove
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Rinse the corned beef and throw away the spice package if it comes
with the brisket. Cover a baking sheet with a large piece of aluminum foil. Spread the mustard on the corned beef. Sprinkle with the minced garlic and then the brown sugar. Tightly wrap the brisket in the foil. Put the wrapped corned beef on the baking sheet and put in the oven. Cook for 3 hours. After 3 hours of cooking turn on the broiler and unwrap the top of the foil. You will want to broil the top of the corned beef just long enough for the crust to brown. Remove from the oven and serve. Makes great sandwiches too! Serves 4
Creamy Potato Soup
This is a rich and creamy soup that everyone will love.
INGREDIENTS
1/8 Cup Butter
2 Thinly sliced Leaks
1 Sliced Yellow Onion
1 Minced Garlic Clove
1 1/2 Quarts Chicken Stock
4 Large Sliced Yellow Potatoes
2 Tablespoons Thyne
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Cooked & Diced Bacon (Optional)
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a large size soup pot add the butter, garlic, leaks and onions. Cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, potatoes, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 50 minutes over a medium heat. Stir
frequently. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Remove and serve topped with grated cheese and diced
bacon (optional). Serves 4
Garlic Bread
Pasta Dishes seem lonely without Garlic Bread which is so easy to make. there are several ways to make
Garlic Bread. The easiest way is by rubbing a cut clove of garlic over the slices of Italian bread
by spreading the bread with butter and heating in the oven.
INGREDIENTS
1 Loaf Italian Bread
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Large Smashed & Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Freshly Chopped Parsley
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Make 1 inch slices into the bread. Do not go all the way through, but just to the bottom crust.
In a small size bowl mix the butter, garlic and parsley together. Put a teaspoon of the butter mixture between each slice.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Makes 16 to 20 slices.
Herb Salmon
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Skinless Salmon Fillet Cut Into 4 Portions
1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon Dillweed
1 Tablespoon Lemon Thyme
1 Tablespoon Italian Parsley
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Softened Butter
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Shred 1 teaspoon of the peel from the lemon and set aside. Juice half the lemon. In a small bowl combine the lemon peel, herbs, salt & pepper and butter. Stir to combine. Spread evenly on the salmon. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over a medium heat. Add the salmon, her side down. Turn the salmon. Pour the lemon juice over. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 5 minutes until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with the pan juices. Top with the additional shredded lemon peel. Serves 4
Red Velvet Cupcakes
These Red Velvet Cupcakes are unbelievably good. They are so good I could eat 5 in one sitting!
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
2 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
½ Cup Milk
1 Ounce Red Food Color
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium size bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large size bowl beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on a medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture on low speed. Spoon into paper lined muffin cups. Fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely. Spread with the Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting. Makes 30 cupcakes.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium size bowl beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 16 ounces powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) until smooth.
Beef Barley Soup
Ever since I was a little girl, Beef Barley Soup has been my favorite. Adding the barley makes this soup hearty. I like to make it over the weekend and serve it during the week. There is something that is so satisfying about a bowl of Beef Barley Soup.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Cup Diced Onion
1 Cup Diced Celery
1 Cup Diced Carrots
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
¾ Cup Pearl Barley
1/8 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
8 Cups Beef Broth
2 Bay Leaves
2 Cups Diced Cooked Roast Beef
1 Large Diced Tomato
2 Thinly Sliced Green Onions
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a heavy large size saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the barley and red pepper flakes and sauté for another minute. Add the beef broth and bay leaves. Cook over a medium heat, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add the beef and simmer for another ½ hour until the barley is tender. Stir in the tomato and green onions. Cook for another 5 minutes. You may need to add more beef broth. Remove the bay leaves. Add the salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Serves 6
Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
I sure do love Brussels Sprouts and what could be better than pairing these little babies with bacon! This is such a simple recipe with a big return.
INGREDIENTS
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
2 Thick Slices Bacon
4 Cups Trimmed & Halved Brussels Sprouts
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Finely Chopped Medium Shallot
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
½ Cup Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and let cool. Crumble the bacon and set aside. While the bacon is cooling add the Brussels Sprouts to the bacon drippings in the skillet. Add the salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until well browned in spots and beginning to soften. Stir often. Reduce the heat to low and add the shallot and butter. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while cooking. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 2 minutes until the broth has cooked out. Stir in the vinegar and crumbled bacon. Cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Serves 4
Pizza Sauce
It is so easy to make your own sauce and it tastes much better than store bought. Use the tomatoes that you already love. The sauce doesn’t need cooking because the tomatoes are cooked when they are canned and the sauce cooks in the oven. Don’t use too much as the sauce should just kiss the dough. For an eight to ten inch pizza use just ¼ cup of sauce.
INGREDIENTS
28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 ½ Teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar
½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon Dried Basil
¼ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
¼ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Cup Water
Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the salt and water in a medium size bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup of the water and ¼ cup of the salt. If you need more water to thin out the sauce then use a little more, but be careful not to thin out the sauce too much. You also don’t want the sauce to be too pasty. The sauce should easily spread over the dough. Makes 3 Cup
Roasted Pepper Pizza
This pizza is so easy to make and very healthy. Homemade pizzas are lighter and puffier. They are more like the ones you find at artisan pizza restaurants. Make this Roasted Pepper Pizza for lunch, dinner or a snack. If you want to add meat go ahead, but I think it tastes great the way it is.
INGREDIENTS
Pizza Dough
2 Large Sliced Onions
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
16 Ounces Fire-Roasted Peppers (Drained and Sliced Into Strips)
1 ½ Cups Drained Salsa Fresca
1 Cup Sliced Black Olives
¾ Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Remove the dough from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to make your pizzas. Preheat your oven to 500° F and arrange an oven rack one-third of the way up from the bottom of the oven. Place a pizza stone or invert a heavy baking sheet on the rack. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onions, cook and stir for 10 minutes until the onions are limp and translucent. Stir in the sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook until the juices bubble. Transfer the onions to a strainer set over a bowl. Drain for 3 minutes. Return the juices to the skillet and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the consistency is like honey. Remove from the heat and return the onions to the skillet and stir to coat. Set aside. To assemble, stretch each dough portion into a circle. Transfer one circle onto a pizza peel (a pizza size spatula) or rimless cookie sheet dusted with flour. Top in the following order using one-fourth of each topping per pizza: onion mixture, peppers, salsa, olives and mozzarella cheese. Using the peel or cookie sheet, slide the topped pizza onto the hot baking stone or baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the toppings are bubbling, the cheese is turning golden and the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Rotate the pizzas halfway through for even baking. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. While one pizza is baking, repeat with the remaining dough and toppings. Makes 4 pizzas. Serves 8
Pizza Dough
Great pizza starts with a great quality crust. If you have a great crust then it can carry any topping that you want to put on your homemade pizza.
INGREDIENTS
5 Cups Unbleached Bread Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 ½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Fast-Rising Yeast
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 ¾ Cups Plus 1 Tablespoon Room Temperature Water
Extra Olive Oil
In a large bowl, using a large spoon, combine all of the ingredients except for the extra olive oil. Mix for 4 minutes until all ingredients are combined and all of the flour is wet. The dough will be soft. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead. Knead for 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and supple. If the dough seems overly stiff then incorporate more water, one teaspoon at a time as you mix. If the dough is still wet and sticky then sprinkle a bit more flour in as you mix. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. Lightly grease the bowl with olive oil and form the dough into a smooth ball. Place in the bow and turn to coat the surface with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Make sure to not let the plastic wrap touch the dough. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and then refrigerate overnight or up to three days. The dough will continue to rise in the bowl until it goes dormant from the cold. Two hours before you plan to make the pizzas, rub a light amount of olive oil on a baking sheet or pizza pan. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each piece into a smooth, round ball. Place the dough balls on the prepared pan and rub with a bit of olive oil. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. While the dough comes to room temperature prepare your toppings and preheat your oven. When your dough is ready shape it by using your hands to form it into a disk. Then drape it over the backs of your hands and use your thumbs to turn the dough and gently stretch it into a circle. Shape all of your dough at once and set it on the counter or your baking pan. The dough might contact slightly as it stand. Tug it back into shape before topping. Makes 4 crusts.
