Corned Beef Hash

Every St. Patrick's Day we always have a big batch of corned beef and cabbage. My mom always seemed to find the largest corned beef in the existence of man, despite the fact that there were only 4 mouths to feed. This left us with piles of leftover, delicious, salty corned beef to eat for the entire following week. I'm not complaining.  When I met Andy, he introduced me to the world of corned beef hash. I love corned beef, I love crispy hash browns ("home fries" as we call them back home), so naturally I love the combination of the two together. Andy is the self-proclaimed corned beef hash king, and he makes it for me every year after St. Patrick's Day (it works wonders). This is a simple, delicious, hearty breakfast and I hope you enjoy :o)

Corned Beef Hash

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. butter

1 russet potato, peeled and diced into small cubes

1/2 small onion, diced

1 cup corned beef, diced into small cubes

salt and pepper to taste

2 sunny side up eggs*, for serving on top

Directions:

Heat the oil and butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the potatoes and onion and cook until the potatoes begin to turn light brown and soften a bit. Add the corned beef, salt and pepper. At this point you need a little patience. Spread out the hash as much as you can in the skillet and press it down using the back of a spatula. The goal is to increase surface area contact so the potatoes begin to crisp up, but don't push so hard that everything turns to mush. Allow the hash to sit and cook, untouched, for about 3 minutes, then flip parts of it over, press, and repeat. Continue flipping, pressing, and leaving alone for about 10-15 minutes or until the hash is brown and crispy, and the potatoes are cooked all the way through. Divide hash into two servings and top each with a sunny side up egg. Yum!

* I had a moment of enlightenment when watching the Food Network last week. Ree, the Pioneer Woman, made perfect sunny side up eggs for a breakfast, and they are so simple. When I say perfect, I mean that I swear these eggs were those plastic ones I used to have in my make-believe-kitchen as a kid. Perfect. These totally beat my always inevitably overcooked attempts at fried eggs. Try her recipe, it rocks!

Reuben Sandwiches

I always forget how much I enjoy Reubens until I have one after a long hiatus. When given sandwich options, I'm much more likely to go with a grilled chicken or deli turkey breast concoction, but when St. Patrick's Day rolls around, the Reuben is the only way to go.  Layers of corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian (or Thousand Island) dressing, and melted Swiss cheese get grilled together on some buttered Rye bread to make a perfectly balanced, albeit not-that-healthy, sandwich. I have eaten several versions of this sandwich over the years, but when I decided to make my own it only made sense to combine the parts that I like best to make my ideal Reuben. I am not claiming that this is authentic, however I am certain that these are delicious! When researching the dressing in this sandwich, most sources claimed that Russian was the way to go, however I prefer Thousand Island and I had the ingredients on hand for it so that's what I went with. The two dressings taste very similar to me, so use what you have. Enjoy! :o)

Reuben Sandwiches

Makes 2 Sandwiches

Ingredients

4 slices bread (Rye is traditional, but I'm not a fan so I used whole wheat)

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

Thousand Island dressing (see recipe below)

4 slices Swiss cheese

1 (8 oz.) can sauerkraut, drained

4 oz. corned beef (available at the deli), warmed slightly

Directions

In a small skillet over medium low heat, cook the sauerkraut until warmed through. Set aside.

Spread some butter on one side of each piece of bread. With the buttered sides down, assemble the sandwiches. Spread a tablespoon or so of Thousand Island dressing on each slice of bread. Start layering with half of the corned beef, then one slice of cheese, the warmed sauerkraut, then finally one more slice of cheese. Top with the other piece of bread, buttered side out, and press slightly. Heat a non-stick skillet (I used a panini press) and toast the sandwiches, pressing gently, until golden brown on each side. Slice and serve with extra dressing, if desired. Yum!

Thousand Island Dressing 

Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp. ketchup

1 tbsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. sweet pickle relish (or chop pickles that you have on hand)

2 tsp. white onion, grated or minced

1/8 tsp. salt

black pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until using.

source: adapted from Make it From Scratch

Mongolian Beef

I love P.F. Changs. There, I said it. There's something about that place that keeps drawing me back in, and I'm not afraid to admit it. However, in my quest to avoid take-out or processed foods as much as possible, I decided it would be a good challenge to try to make some of my restaurant favorites at home. I have already conquered chicken lettuce wraps, so next I decided to try Mongolian Beef which is one of Andy's go-to meals at P.F. Changs. Beef strips are stir-fried until slightly crispy, and then they are coated in a sweet, salty, and sticky sauce and the whole combination is served over fluffy rice. This is a very delicious meal, and while it's not the healthiest thing I've ever made, it saved us a few bucks to make at home. Mongolian Beef will be added to list of recipes to make again and again (though maybe not for another 12 months!). Yum!

Mongolian Beef

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

4 tsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. ginger, minced or grated

2 tbsp. garlic, minced or grated

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar, packed 

1 cup water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup vegetable oil

2 lb. flank steak

1/2 cup cornstarch

3 green onions, chopped

Cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

Make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the 4 tsp. of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sautee for 1 minute until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Add the soy sauce and brown sugar and bring the sauce to a simmer.  In a measuring cup, whisk together the water and 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Once the sauce has simmered for about 5-8 minutes, whisk in the water/cornstarch and return to a simmer to thicken slightly. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside. 

Make the beef: Tilt your knife on a 45 degree angle and cut slices about 1/4 inch thick (against the grain). Coat the steak slices in cornstarch and shake to remove all excess. Lay the slices out on a cutting board and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the cornstarch to set to the meat.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet until it just begins to shimmer. Working in batches, fry the beef (carefully) until it gets brown around the edges, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the beef to a paper towel lined plate and continue working in batches until all the beef is cooked. Dump all of the oil out of the skillet and return all of the beef to the pan. Add the sauce and sliced green onions and cook over medium low heat until the sauce has coated and everything is heated through. Serve over cooked rice. Yum!

Bolognese Sauce

One of my goals is to create the perfect pasta sauce. I don't care if it's quick, time consuming, easy, hard, or complicated, I just want to create the perfect pasta sauce. While I love a good marinara, this bolognese was pretty darn close to perfection! By using a variety of meats, I was able to obtain a good depth in flavor. There are several ingredients, but all of them blend together to make a delicious meat sauce that sticks wonderfully to pasta - just toss in the pasta at the end and toss. As an alternative, use this sauce with ricotta and lasagna sheets to make a delicious meat lasagna! Enjoy :o)

Bolognese Sauce

Makes Enough for one 11x13 lasagna 

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (no casing)

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 cup beef stock

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage, beef, and pork and cook until browned and cooked through. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more. 

Stir in the tomato paste to coat the meat and vegetable mixture. Once coated, add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Allow the meat and stock mixture to simmer for 5 minutes or until it has reduced by about half. Add the crushed tomatoes and dried herbs (you could also use an Italian Herb seasoning blend here). Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat to medium low, and cover. Cook the sauce at a light simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from sticking or burning.

After the sauce has cooked for 30 minutes, remove the lid and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking with the lid off until desired thickness is reached, about 5 minutes.

Toss with pasta, or use in a lasagna for a yummy meal! :o)

Beef, Pork, and Bean Chili

Chili with homemade tortilla chips

I have been experimenting with making chili for years now. All of my versions have been close, but something is off. Too spicy, too bland, too many veggies, not enough veggies... the list goes on. I think I have finally found success! After many attempts, I have combined my favorite parts of each batch  and the end result is a well-rounded, spicy but not too spicy, flavorful bowl of chili. If you can handle more heat than me, feel free to add another chipotle pepper. If you are a little nervous about the heat, leave out the chipotle and perhaps add a little adobo sauce at the end to taste. A little goes a long way. The perfect scoopers for this chili are some homemade, crispy tortilla chips. Enjoy! :o)

Beef, Pork and Bean Chili – serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 tbsp. oil

1 ½ lbs. ground beef and pork (we had 1 lb. pork and ½ lb. beef on hand, but any ratio would work fine)

1 green bell pepper, cut into ½ inch dice

2 yellow onions, cut into ½ inch dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped (spicy!)

¼ cup chili powder

1 tbsp. ground cumin

½ tbsp. dried oregano

½ tbsp. smoked sweet paprika

1 12 oz. beer, lager style

1 ½ cups beef stock

1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 can (15.5 oz.) light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15.5 oz.) white or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) hominy*, drained

2 tbsp. masa harina **

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven or pot. Add the ground meat, bell pepper, and onion and sauté until meat is browned and veggies are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the chipotle, chili powder, cumin, oregano and paprika – coat meat with spices and cook for one minute until fragrant. Add the beer and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to get the brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the beef stock and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent from sticking to the bottom. After 45 minutes, add the beans and hominy and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in the masa harina and simmer until desired consistency is reached, 5-10 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, or tortilla chips (you can make some homemade ones with the leftover masa harina… yum!).

Notes

* hominy is basically a corn kernal without the hull (skin) or germ. Canned hominy resembles a plump corn kernel that holds up well in soups and stews (the consistency reminds me of a garbanzo bean). They are mild, yet tasty. I recommend trying them!

** masa harina is a very finely ground corn flour mixed with a hint of “limewater” popular in Mexico and South America. It is usually used for making corn tortillas, tamales, and arepas. “Maseca” is a brand that can be found in some chain grocery stores. Adding masa harina to the chili at the end of cooking imparts a subtle corn flavor, and it helps slightly thicken the soup as well. It’s a small ingredient that makes a big difference.

Stracotto

       Stracotto is the Italian name for Pot Roast, and it basically means "overcooked". The beauty of the dish is that it starts with basic, inexpensive ingredients and transforms into a delicious, hearty dish after just a couple of hours in the oven. We found our chuck roast at Whole Foods, and it was totally worth an extra dollar or two. The ones in the regular grocery store looked fine, but I figured that chuck roast is cheap enough already, might as well "splurge" (it was still under $10.00). 

     Andy's parents were planning on visiting for his birthday, and this seemed like an ideal dinner - comforting and satisfying after a long day of travel. Unfortunately, his dad ended up not feeling well so they weren't able to make the trip (sorry they couldn't make it, but more pot roast for us!!). We served this with homemade mashed potatoes and extra gravy, and it was absolutely amazing. My recipe is inspired by Giada De Laurentiis, but I definitely made it my own with a few changes. A little tip: don't worry about cutting the veggies in a pretty way, they all get pureed into a sauce at the end! This is truly a simply decadent dish! Enjoy :o)

Stracotto - Serves 4

Ingredients

1 (4 lb.) beef chuck roast 

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 onions, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 celery stalk, peeled and coarsely chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups dry red wine (I used a Pinot Noir and loved it)

2 1/4 cups beef stock

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1 sprig rosemary, plus more for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil on medium high heat in a large dutch oven or other oven-proof pot. Add the beef and brown on each side, rotating every 2-3 minutes. Take your time browning, it adds a lot of flavor to the final dish! Once all sides are browned, remove the beef to a plate and set aside. In the same pot, add the onions, celery and carrot and cook, stirring, until the veggies are soft, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot (yum!). Boil wine for 1 minute. Add the dried mushrooms, beef stock, and chuck roast and bring liquids to a boil. Cover and place in the preheated oven and cook for 3 hours, flipping over the meat halfway through cooking. Remove the roast from the pot and tent with foil. Let sit for 15 minutes as you finish the sauce. Blend the sauce in a blender, or use an immersion blender in the pot. Return the sauce to the pan and add the rosemary. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of beef stock. Increase heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprig.

To serve: cut the roast and place on a platter. Spoon over the sauce and garnish with additional rosemary. Goes great with mashed potatoes or polenta! Pass extra sauce in a gravy boat. Yummy!