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
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
Egg Salad Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
6 Large Eggs
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Ground Coarse Mustard
½ Cup Chopped Kalamata Olives (Optional)
¼ Cup Crumbled Pancetta
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Dill
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Rosemary
½ Teaspoon Coarse Salt
½ Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
8 to 10 Slices Sourdough Bread – Crusts Removed
In a medium size saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil over a high heat. Carefully add the eggs, one at a time. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes. Drain and cover with ice. Allow the eggs to cool for 20 minutes. Peel the eggs and finely chop and place in a medium size bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, olives, pancetta, dill, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Evenly spread the egg mixture over half of the bread slices. Cut into quarters. Serve immediately. Makes 1 ½ cups or 4 to 6 sandwiches.
Southern Style Baked Beans
INGREDIENTS
8 Slices Bacon Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces
1 Medium Diced Onion
½ Medium Diced Green Bell Pepper
3 Large Cans (28 Ounces Each) Pork & Beans
¾ Cup BBQ Sauce (Rodeo Barbecue Sauce)
½ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
Adjust your oven rack to the lower middle position. Preheat your oven to 325° F. In a very large pan fry the bacon until it is partially cooked and has released about ½ cup of the drippings. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Add the onion and bell pepper to the drippings in the pan and sauté for 5 minutes until tender. Add the beans, bacon and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Pour the flavored beans into a greased 9×13 inch oven proof baking pan. Bake uncovered for 2 hours until the beans are bubbly and the sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup. Remove from the oven and let stand to thicken slightly. Serve warm. Serves 18
Chocolate Ganache
This frosting is so easy to make and quite versatile. You can even dip strawberries into it.
INGREDIENTS
9 Ounces Chopped Bittersweet Chocolate
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon Dark Rum (Optional)
In a medium size bowl place the chopped chocolate. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Bring the cream just to a boil. Make sure to watch very carefully. When the cream has come to a boil pour it over the chopped chocolate. Whisk until nice and smooth. Stir in the rum if you like. Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over your cake. Always start at the center of the cake and work outward. If you want a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling just allow it to cool until thick and then whip with a whisk or electric mixer until light and fluffy. Makes 2 Cups.
