Hash from the last of the Corned Beef

Corned Beef Hash with Poached egg

Salt to taste (corned beef is already somewhat salty)

2 1/2 white or red potatoes, peeled cut 1/2 inch cubes and boiled until soft (10 minutes)

3 C. cubed corned beef

1/2 C heavy cream (I used evaporated milk)

2 Tblsp. fine chopped parsley

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

When potato is cooked, drain and add rest of ingredients and mix. Set aside.

Saute onions in large skillet with butter or oil and a little salt until translucent. Add potato mixture and stir to combine.  Press cook to heat through, spread out and press down and cook until browned a little on the bottom.

Serve with poached egg if desired. 

Cordon bleu casserole

This was dinner tonight... well almost.  We couldn't eat it. It was way too salty.  It was probably something I did. I doubt it was the recipe's fault.  Spinach was Korean style.

Restaurant-quality Cordon bleu Casserole

Carmen Martínez

Staff Editor

Chicken cordon bleu is a crowd favorite because of its delicious combination of ingredients: chicken breast, ham, and Swiss cheese. While this classic French dish is traditionally prepared by stuffing a chicken breast with ham and cheese then breading and frying it, the recipe is surprisingly easy to adapt into a casserole. It only takes 20 minutes to prepare and is always a hit — even with the pickiest eaters!

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 pound of cooked chicken meat, shredded (you can use leftovers or use rotisserie chicken, discard the bones)

- 1 package of lean ham, sliced

- Swiss cheese slices (enough to cover the casserole)

- 1 lemon

- 2 teaspoons garlic powder

For the sauce: 

- 1 can of evaporated milk (12 ounces)

- butter or oil (to taste)

- 1 chicken bouillon cube*

- 2 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard

- 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

- Salt and pepper to taste

For the topping: 

- 2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs

- 1 ounce of butter (30 gr)

- 1 teaspoon of onion powder

- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

- 2 teaspoons of dried basil

- 1 teaspoon of white grounded pepper

* Swap the chicken bouillon cube for 1/2 cup (120 Ml) of chicken broth if you want the sauce to be juicier. 

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F (170 C) and grease a casserole pan with a little bit of butter or your preferred oil.

2. To make the sauce, melt some butter or heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the evaporated milk, the chicken bouillon cube, the mustard, nutmeg and season to taste. Let it cook to desired thickness whisking it often over low heat.

3. While the sauce cooks, assemble your casserole. Spread the shredded chicken evenly and season it with salt, lemon juice and the garlic powder. Make a second layer with the ham slices and finalize with a layer of the cheese. Use just enough to cover the chicken entirely. Pour the sauce evenly to cover your casserole.

4. To prepare the topping, melt the butter in a pan, add the Panko crumbs, the onion and garlic powder, the white pepper, and the dried basil. Add the topping over your casserole and pop it in the oven until it's bubbly and golden brown, around 30 minutes. Allow 10 minutes to cool down before serving it.

TIP #1 (optional): You can wait until the sauce is done and spread a thin layer of it on the casserole before adding the chicken. Once the chicken is assembled, sprinkle it with a little bit of sauce before adding the ham.

TIP #2 (optional): Try to add a little bit of shredded parmesan cheese to the topping. 

Smoked corn beef and Irish tacos :)

Irish Tacos

SAM SIFTON YIELD6 to 8 servings TIME30 minutes

Melina Hammer for The New York Times

INGREDIENTS

• 2 to 2 ½ pounds corned beef (see recipe)

• 1 small head of green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into julienne

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 ½ tablespoons hot pepper sauce, or to taste

• 12 to 16 flour tortillas, warmed

• Sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños

PREPARATION

1 Warm the corned beef in its cooking liquid, or wrap it in foil and set on a sheet pan in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or so.

2 Make the coleslaw: Mix cabbage and carrots together in a large bowl.

3 In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt or sour cream, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste.

4 Pour half the sauce over the cabbage and carrots and toss to coat thoroughly. Season to taste. Reserve remaining sauce.

5 When the corned beef is hot, remove from liquid or foil and use two forks to shred it. Serve with the warmed tortillas, sliced jalapeños, the slaw, remaining white sauce and some hot pepper sauce.

COOKING NOTES

…adorn each taco with a few pickled jalapeños and, perhaps, an additional swipe of mayonnaise

…a dollop or two of creamed horseradish sauce is the best!!!!

Ruebens

First use of leftovers is Rueben sandwiches.

Ruebens grilled sandwich with sauerkraut (squeezed dry), corned beef, Gruyere cheese and Russian dressing on pumpernickle/rye bread. Bread had just came out of the oven at Hen House grocery store. It was still warm when I got it and we made the sandwiches about half an hour later.

Corned beef dinner a day early.

Since Charlie and I have plans to be out of town for a lot of the day tomorrow, I cooked the corned beef today.  I made some yeast bread instead of soda bread. No real reason, I just wanted to.  We had carrots, potatoes and cabbage with it.  I had originally planned to just cook the corned beef today and do the rest of the meal tomorrow after we got home but decided to have the meal today.  I cut the brisket in half after it was corned and saved the other half to season for pastrami and smoke it in the smoker on Sunday.

Corned Beef

FOR THE BRINE

• 2 quarts water

• 1 cup coarse salt

• 1 tablespoon Tender Quick

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

• 1 cinnamon stick, crushed

• 4 dried bay leaves, crushed

• 8 whole cloves

Make the brine: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salts, sugar, and spices; remove from heat, and stir until salts and sugar dissolve. Let cool.

Make the corned beef: Place brisket in a nonreactive container just large enough to hold it. Pour cooled brine over meat. Place 2 small plates on top to keep meat submerged; cover, and refrigerate for 2 weeks.

To cook brisket

2 7-oz bottles of beer

10 black peppercorns

6 whole allspice

12 sprigs parsley

3 cloves garlic peeled, sliced

1 onion. peeled and sliced

1 celery stalk

1 carrot

Rinse brisket; discard brine. Place in a large pot. Add 14 ounces beer and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add onion, celery, and halved carrot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Set a steamer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to reach the bottom, and bring to a boil. Add turnips. Reduce heat, cover, and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with baby carrots, steaming 10 to 12 minutes. Add to turnips.

Transfer corned beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Discard remaining solids from broth, then bring to a boil.  Add

4-5 carrots, peeled

3-4 parsnips, peeled

3-4 turnips, peeled, sliced

1 head cabbage wedged

Add vegetables and cook 10 minutes or until tender crisp, add cabbage on top and steam 10 minutes.

Spinach and Basil Gnocchi with meat sauce

My son was looking at a cooking magazine and got fixated on an article about several kinds of potato gnocchi.  I said I'd look at it and went to the store to get stuff to make it.  It turned out OK but now that I have made it, I think I can do better next time.

Beef and Broccoli with clams

PRESSURE COOKER BEEF AND BROCCOLI 

Recipe from Shelby she used

oyster sauce, carrots, water chestnuts and mushrooms, and eggrolls. 

yield: 6 SERVINGS

I had my mouth set for clams a couple weeks ago but no one had any. Today I went to get the stuff to make the beef and broccoli and they had clams so I got some just for the heck of it. I had not planned to have them go with anything, I just wanted some.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, well trimmed and sliced into thin strips**

• Salt and pepper

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3/4 cup beef broth

• 1/2 cup soy sauce*

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 lb. broccoli florets

• 3 tablespoons water

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Season beef with salt and pepper. Put olive oil in the cooking pot and select browning or saute. When oil begins to sizzle, brown meat in batches until all meat is browned – do not crowd. Transfer meat to a plate when browned.

When all meat is browned select Saute and add chopped onion to the pot. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes until onion starts to soften. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more.

Add beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes to the pot. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Add browned beef and any accumulated juices. Select High Pressure. Set timer for 12 minutes.

Place broccoli in microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water. Microwave 3 – 4 minutes until broccoli is tender.

When beep sounds turn pressure cooker off and use quick pressure release. When valve drops carefully remove the lid.

In a cup combine cornstarch and water; stir until smooth. Add to pressure cooker pot. Stir well to combine. Select browning or saute and stir until sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Add steamed broccoli.

Serve over hot, cooked rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Notes:

*Use reduced sodium soy sauce if you prefer less salt.

**A tip from a reader: brown the beef first and then thinly slice the meat to save time.

This recipe works well with flank steak or London broil as well.

Alternative ways to cook the broccoli:

• steam the broccoli in a steamer basket for 0 minutes before browning the beef

• add the broccoli to the pot after pressure cooking and let it steam in the sauce with the lid on and with the pressure cooker on either the keep warm setting or turned off.

This recipe is for oysters but I cooked clams in boiling water and had them with the sauce in this recipe.

Grilled Oysters with Cajun Compound Butter

By Stephen Stryjewski

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer

  lb. (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 large lemon, finely grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest, squeezed to yield   cup juice

  cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1-  Tbs. Louisiana hot sauce

5 medium cloves garlic, minced

  tsp. Espelette pepper Pinch cayenne

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 dozen large oysters, scrubbed clean

Lemon wedges, for serving

Rock salt, for serving

If you need to store your fresh oysters, says Chef Stryjewski, put them in the refrigerator with a wet towel draped over them so the shells don’t dry out. And when the oysters are cooked, you’ll want to sop up every last drop of the spicy compound butter, so serve

a loaf of good crusty bread toasted on the grill alongside.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (400°F to 475°F).

In a food processor, pulse together the butter, lemon zest and juice, parsley, hot sauce, garlic, Espelette pepper, and cayenne until well combined. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional hot sauce. The compound butter can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before using.

Grill the oysters with their rounded sides down, covered, until they open, about 5 minutes. With tongs, carefully remove the oysters from the grill and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. (A towel provides support so the oysters don’t tip over and lose their liquor.) Let them cool slightly and then remove the top shell and discard.

Carefully run the edge of a small spoon underneath the oyster meat to release it from the shell. Drop 2 tsp. of the compound butter in each oyster and carefully return to the grill. Cook until the butter is completely melted and slightly bubbling, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the oysters to a wide, shallow platter filled with rock salt, nestling them in the salt for stability. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges.

Braised Pork Meatballs in Beer Sauce and Cheesy Polenta.

I was going to serve sweet potato with this but I didn't start it in time to be done with the rest of the meal so I made some spinach instead.  I also mixed some of the sauce with the vegetable broth for the polenta.

Braised Pork Meatballs in a Beer Sauce on Cheesy Polenta

Let's set spaghetti aside and rock some braised pork meatballs in a beer sauce on a super cheesy polenta base for a change!

Prep Time 10 minutes  Cook Time 1 hour  Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes  Servings 2

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

For the Polenta

• 500 ml Vegetable Stock.= 17 oz

• 85 g Polenta.= 3 oz

• 50 g Cheddar Cheese. Go for something sharp and then grate it.= 1.76 oz

For the Meatballs

• 100 g Potato. Peeled and grated.= 3.53 oz

• 300 g Pork Shoulder. Medium Ground. 10.6 oz

• 1 Egg.

• 1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme.

• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard.

• 1/4 Tsp Salt

• Black Pepper. Generous grind

For the Sauce

• 30 g Butter. 1 oz

• 1/2 Tbsp Plain Flour.

• 75 ml Water = 2.5 oz

• 250 ml Dark Beer. I used a Leffe Brune a dark wheat beer.= 8.5 oz

• 100 ml BBQ Sauce. Use your favourite I used a homemade one from but I'll not bash you for store bought. = 3.4 oz

• Salt and Pepper. To Taste

• 1 Onion. Peeled and cut into 6 wedges.

Instructions

1 Preheat your oven to 180°C.

2 Take the potato, egg, pork shoulder, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and mix together in a bowl.

3 Wet your hands and form this mix into 6 evenly sized meatballs and set aside, these meatballs are meant to be really rather wet at this stage so don't worry.

4 Heat a frying pan that can be transferred to the oven over a medium high heat and melt the butter for the sauce and when melted add the flour and stir to and cook out for 2-3 minutes.

5 Now pour in your beer, water and BBQ sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes whilst constantly stirring, now check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as required.

6 Add your meatballs and onion wedges and roll around to get nicely coated in the sauce, then transfer to the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes.

7 Now we can start or polenta, heat your vegetable stock in a pan and when boiling pour in your polenta stirring all the time.

8 When your polenta returns to the boil reduce the heat to very low and keep stirring every few minutes for 45 minutes. Now is the perfect time to run some more quality checks on the beer and listen to some tunes.

9 After 45 minutes stir in the grated cheese and check for seasoning.

10 Serve in a bowl with the meatballs and if you are feeling so inclined a load of fresh chives.

Recipe Notes

You could of course serve these on some mashed vegetables if you cannot be bothered with cooking polenta.

Smoked ribs and potato salad

Ribs rubbed with OJ rub and refrigerated overnight. Smoked with oak and apple wood for 3 hours. Spritzed with apple juice after 45 minutes then turned and spritzed again 45 minutes later.  After another 30 minutes basted with a mixture of bacon fat, Night of the Living Dead sauce and pineapple balsamic vinegar.  During the last 20 minutes cooked just sauce. 

            

ALL-AMERICAN POTATO SALAD

             Serves 10 to 12

             Cooking time depends on the size of the potatoes. You’ll know they

             are done when a paring knife is easily inserted into the center of one. 

                4 pounds russet potatoes (about 8 potatoes)

                1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt

                3 tablespoons cider vinegar

                3 large eggs

                1 cup mayonnaise

                1/2 teaspoon celery seed

                1 teaspoon dry mustard

                1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

                3 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup)

                1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)

                1 medium onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)

                10 cornichons, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/4 cup)

                3 scallions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

                2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

                teaspoon paprika 

             1. Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover by several

             inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, add 1 tablespoon salt, and

             lower to a gentle boil. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced

             with a knife, about 25 minutes. Drain into a colander. Using paper

             towels or gloves to protect your hands, peel the potatoes, and cut into

             1-inch dice while still hot. Drizzle with vinegar; set aside.

             2. Place eggs in a small pan with enough water to cover by 1 inch,

             and place over medium-high heat. When water comes to a boil, cook

             for 8 minutes. Drain, and place in a bowl with cold water to cover.

             When cold, peel eggs. Chop two into 1/4-inch dice. Slice the third egg

             into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and set aside for garnish.

             3. Combine diced eggs, mayonnaise, celery seed, mustard, 2

             teaspoons salt, and black pepper in a large bowl, and whisk to

             combine. Add reserved potatoes to mayonnaise mixture. Add the

             celery, red pepper, onion, cornichons, scallions, and chopped

             parsley. Stir to combine. Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Garnish

             with paprika and reserved hard-boiled egg rounds.