Crockpot Corned Beef and Guinness Beer Recipe

Let's be honest. I have never been a fan of Corned Beef and Cabbage. That was until today. One of my favorite blogs to follow is What's Cookin' Italian Style. The posts remind me so much of the food my mom and aunts use to make.

Tonight's dinner was so good that we will have it again on Friday night, St. Patrick's Day. Yeah it's Lent but the bishop said it was okay.

Every part of this dinner was delicious. The cabbage was amazing! Click here for the recipe.

Slow Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken

The star of a few upcoming meals will have started with this dinner.  Lemon Pepper Roast Chicken in a Slow Cooker. This is definitely a favorite slow cooker recipe.

Ingredients:
3 teaspoons salt
2 pinches cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
zest of one lemon, then take the lemon & cut in half
4 carrots, cut into thirds
4 celery, cut into thirds or quarters
1 lemon, quartered  
4 to 5-pound whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel, neck & gizzards removed (if any)

Gravy (optional but too good not to make!)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup white wine
salt & pepper

Method-
Mix salt, cayenne pepper, ground pepper and lemon zest together in a small bowl and set aside.

Chop vegetables and add to a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker.

Prep the chicken
Fold wings back below the chicken. Put lemon pepper spices inside and all over the skin of the chicken. Add the quartered lemon pieces to the inside cavity of the chicken. Taking the lemon you halved, squeeze one-half over the chicken and over the vegetables. Add the two halves on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.

Lay the chicken inside the slow cooker on top of the vegetables. (No need to add water or broth). Turn slow cooker on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Remove chicken with turkey lifters and place into a baking dish and broil for 4 to 6 minutes or until the skin is crisp. Keep an eye on the chicken under the broiler it can brown up pretty fast!

Carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables from the slow cooker if desired.

Gravy
Remove vegetables and pour chicken broth from the bottom of the slow cooker into a fat separator or use a spoon to remove any extra fat. Strain the liquid.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon to cook the flour. Whisk in 1 to 1.5 cups of the strained chicken broth. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 30 to 60 seconds. Add in white wine and stir. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and season to taste.

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

 I have found a go to Tomato Soup recipe. It is a variation of the Buddy Valastro's Easy Tomato Soup.

Ingredients-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juice
1 cup chicken stock, plus more if needed
1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves, washed and coarsely sliced or torn by hand
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method-
Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the butter and cook until it is melted and foamy. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and their juices then stir in the stock. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the liquid is simmering. Continued to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 10 minutes. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the basil, and stir the rest into the pot. Using an immersion blender, or working in batches in a standing blender, puree the soup until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining basil.

Pasta with Peppers and Sand

The first Friday of Lent. We start with one of my favorite recipes. We have been making this recipes for years. The recipe is from Jeff Smith's "Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian." Peppers, Bread Crumbs, Crushed Red Pepper, and Pasta. Oh, I did add sliced Zucchini to the recipe tonight. Perfect for a Friday night when work went a little longer than planned.

Ingredients-
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper
1 zucchini sliced
4 cloves garlic
¹⁄₂ cup fresh breadcrumb
¹⁄₄ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
¹⁄₂ lb spaghettini or ¹⁄₂ lb angel hair pasta

Method-
Place a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
Remove core and seeds from pepper and slice thinly--julienne style.
Heat a large frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of the oil.
Add the pepper and saute over high heat for two minutes.
The peppers should remain a little crisp.
Remove from the pan and set aside uncovered.
Heat the frying pan again and add the remaining oil and the garlic.
Saute just a few seconds. Add the bread crumbs and red pepper flakes.
Gently toast the mixture, stirring often, until very lightly browned.
Boil the pasta until al dente and drain well.
Return to the pot and toss with the red bell pepper and the bread crumbs.
Salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Chunky Italian Vegetable Stew

Ah, Lent. I love the challenge it presents. What to have for dinner that is nourishing, delicious and fairly easy to make. Our first meal met all the criteria. From RealSimle.com we have Chunky Italian Vegetable Stew. I believe Chris said it was quite delicious, or something along those lines.

Ingredients-
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts only), sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bunches Tuscan or Lacinato kale or 1 medium bunch curly kale (about 20 ounces total), thick stems discarded and leaves sliced
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 15-ounce cans butter, cannellini, or corona beans, rinsed
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
kosher salt and black pepper
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (about ¼ cup), plus more for serving
6 thick slices country bread, toasted

Method-
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the broth, beans, tomatoes (and their juices), 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan.

Tear the toasted bread into large pieces and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil. (I served the bread on the side. Homemade bread, of course!)

Serve warm topped with the bread. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

Quick Beef Stroganoff

Spend today at the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show with my friend Heidi. Lots to see. Lots of great ideas!!!

For dinner, I made Quick Beef Stroganoff. Cooking Light recipe. So good. It took a little over 25 minutes to make. Loved the flavors. And anything with egg noodles can't be bad! The recipe calls for mushrooms. I substituted zucchini.

Ingredients-

6 1/2 cups water, divided

4 ounces uncooked egg noodles

1 pound flank steak, trimmed

Cooking spray

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon hot paprika

1 (6-ounce) package presliced exotic mushroom blend or sliced zucchini

1 cup lower-sodium beef broth, divided

5 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup fat-free sour cream

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method-

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add noodles; cook 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

Cut beef across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips; cut strips into 2-inch pieces.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from pan. Add 1 cup onion, black pepper, salt, paprika, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium.

Combine 1/4 cup beef broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture, beef, remaining 3/4 cup broth, and remaining 1/2 cup water to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, green onions, and butter. Serve beef mixture over egg noodles; sprinkle with parsley.

Yes I Have a Food Blog!

Not that I have been posting on it but yes I have a food blog. And yes it has been 20 days since my last post. Sigh. I can not complain about being too busy. I am glad I have been busy. But today is President's Day. I am off from work. So let's play catch-up. These are in no particular order. I don't have that much free time today...

 Trust me I did a lot of dishes over the past 20 days.

 

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa, Sausage and Spinach. No recipe.

 Potato Gnocchi with Marcella Hazan's Butter, Onion, and Tomato Sauce
The Gnocchi recipe is at the bottom of this post. It is from Giada De Laurentiis

Hey It's My Birthday!! Chocolate Cake with White Frosting!!

 It snows and I bake. That's the way I roll. No pun or bun intended.

 Sticky Sesame Chicken. I have to remember to get Sesame Seeds at the store!

 Yeah Feb 10 my birthday. My Birthday = I do not cook. Quattro's did the cooking this year!

 Valentine's Day Chicken Orzo Soup

 Hand Pie! Filled with Meat and Red Peppers and Onions. Delicious. 

It was the homemade crust that put this over the top.

 Tomato Soup. Not my favorite recipe. Was like a bowl of sauce.

 Pasta and Meat sauce. Homemade bread! Walnut and Olive Loaf. Excellent!

From Bon Appetit. Lentil and Egg Stew. Again with homemade bread.

Slow Cooker Soy Braised Short Ribs. The best meal so far this month!

Chicken Tenders, Roasted Potatoes, and Sauteed Zucchini. Simple and good.

Yeah that is homemade Honey Mustard Sauce.

 A weekend breakfast treat. Cinnamon Scones.

 Super Bowl 2017. Nachos and Short Rib Steak and Cheese. This recipe is a keeper!

Gnocchi! Potato Gnocchi. Little puffs of air surrounded by our favorite sauce. The gnocchi recipe is from the Giada De Laurentiis book, Every Day Pasta.
Ingredients-
1 (1-pound) russet potato
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Method-
Pierce the potato all over with a fork. Microwave the potato until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. Cut the potato in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; discard the skin. Using a fork, mash the potato well. Mash in the salt and pepper. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the egg; discard the remaining egg. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and knead just until blended.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms and the work surface into a 1/2-inch-diameter rope (about 20 inches long). Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough.

The gnocchi was cooked in a large pot of boiling salted water until it rose to the surface, about 1 minute. It continued to cooking until the gnocchi was tender, about 4 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, the gnocchi was transferred to a bowl and topped with the Marcella Hazan Onion, Butter, and Tomato Sauce.

I Love My Crock-Pot!

Crock-Pot Italian Wedding Soup. 8 hours to a delicious meal. As a bonus, there is enough for two nights! I worked from home today so I started this first thing this morning. As the day went on the aroma was getting better. I used some of the homemade broth I had in the freezer. The broth was so light and the meatballs were just the right size.

I found this recipe on Crock-Pot Ladies. There are a couple of other recipes on that site that we will have to try very soon.

Ingredients-
1 pound ground beef lean, or ground turkey (I used ground beef)
1 whole egg slightly beaten
1/4 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
6 cups chicken broth
1 whole onion medium, diced
3 – 4 whole carrots medium, diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 cups escarole
2 whole bay leaves
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup acini di pepe pasta
1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated (for serving)

Method-
In a medium bowl combine ground beef/turkey, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper & parmesan cheese until well mixed.

Form meat mixture into very small meatballs.

Place meatballs on cookie sheets and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients except escarole, acini di pepe pasta and remaining parmesan cheese in a 6 quart crock-pot.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 1/2 hours.

Add acini di pepe pasta and escarole to the soup and cover and cook an additional 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls topped with additional parmesan cheese.

Chicken Pot PIe

Our favorite recipe from RealSimple.com did not disappoint us tonight. The crust was store bought that I had the freezer. You should always have a pie crust in the freezer, homemade or store bought.
This is one of our favorite comfort foods. And after driving home in some pretty bad weather conditions, comfort food a welcome dinner choice.

Ingredients -
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups 1 percent milk
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 9-inch store-bought pie crust, thawed if frozen

Method -
Heat oven to 400° F.
Cook the chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool, then shred.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Transfer to a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish.

Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Minestra Maritata

Minsestra Maritata. Or the closest to my Mother's recipe that I could find.The recipe is from Cooking with Guiseppe. A perfect soup for a cold January night. This is a meal I grew up eating. My Mom would add beans to this but I decided not to. I used Kielbasa, Pork Ribs, Short Ribs, and Chicken. Instead of water for the broth, I used homemade chicken stock. If you make this recipe do not forget the most important thing. You have to serve it with a lot of Italian Bread!