Friday, December 31, 2010

Sauerkraut Corned Beef Dip

I was looking on Food Network.com for an appetizer recipe invoving sauerkraut to make for New Years and came across this.  I just made it and me and my daughter tasted it and it was delicious!  I bought some little rye breads and an assortment of crackers to serve with it.

Mix together:
16 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1 cup well drained sauerkraut
1 cup corned beef (chopped finely or dried chipped beef)

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Hearty Minetrone

Soup is so good on a cold day.  I added chicken to my minetrone and it was definitely filling enough for a meal. 

I seasoned 3 chicken breasts and salt and pepper and browned them in olive oil in a heavy pot.  I took them out once they were browned, and sauteed the following in the remaining olive oil:

1 chopped onion
4 chopped celery stalks
2 carrots

After this had softened for about 5 minutes, I added 2 chopped zucchini and 3 cloves garlic chopped.  I sauteed everything for about 5 more minites then added 1 can diced tomatoes (and their juice), 6 cups chicken stock, and about a teaspoon of dried rosemary.  I brought it to a boil and added the chicken back in.  I simmered everything for 20 minutes then removed the chicken and shredded it.  I added the shredded chicken, a can of red beans and a can of cannellini beans (both rinsed and drained) back into the soup and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.  It cooled a little and was yummy!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Vegetarian Baked Beans

Who says baked beans can't be a main dish?  They are today at our house!  I just threw stuff together and hoped it would turn out!  It's baking in the oven, but my first taste, they were pretty good! 

Saute until soft:  1 chopped onion and 1 clove garlic chopped

Mix together (all approx):  1/2c ketchup, 2T hearty brown mustard (could probably use dijon), 1/4c brown sugar, 2T cider vinegar, 1T maple syrup, 1/2tsp ground coriander, 1T cumin

When the onion and garlic was soft, I added 1 can rinsed and drained pinto beans and the ketchup mixture.  I put it in a small baking dish and it's now baking at 325 until it bubbly and delicious.  Hopefully the kids think so, at least! 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Roast with Mushroom Gravy

I watched Giada this weekend and was inspired by her Christmas Dinner.  I took a big roast (I have no idea how big or what kind) and seasoned it with salt and pepper on both sides, then browned it in olive oil in a heavy ceramic pot.  Once it was browned, I took it out and sauteed 2 chopped onions and about 2-3 handfuls of cremini mushrooms that I had sliced up.  When they were almost soft, I added 6 cloves chopped garlic and 10-12 springs of thyme in a bundle.  I deglazed the pan with about a cup of Cabernet Sauvingnon then added 2 cups beef broth.  I added the roast back to the pan and put it in the oven at 300 degrees.  It was in the oven for about 4 hours and was very tender!  I took the meat out and pureed the sauce with my immersion blender.  I broke the meat up a little and added it back into the gravy.  I served it over polenta (just like Giada!).  I'm not sure that I'm a fan of polenta, though...maybe it's because I'm not Italian!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Macaroni & Cheese (2)

I made mac and cheese for lunch today and I think it might be the best I've ever made it!  I started with the same recipe as the previous post.  Here is the previous recipe:

1lb macaroni
1 stick butter
1/2c flour
salt & pepper
1qt milk (whole milk really makes it richer, but skim is also good!)
1 1/2lbs Velveeta

Boil the macaroni according to the package directions. Melt the butter then add the flour to make a roux. I add the salt and pepper here. Cook the flour for just a minute then add the milk. I usually add about 1 c of the milk and wisk it with the flour. If you add it all at once, it's hard to get the roux to mix in without being lumpy. Heat the sauce until it's almost boiling - you dont' want it to actually boil, though. When there are bubbles forming on the outside, it's probably hot enough. Add the Velveeta and stir until it melts. Mix in the macaroni and bake at 325 for 45 minutes. You can also put this in the crockpot and just put on low. For lunch sometimes, I mix in peas, carrots, and corn.
 
Here is what I changed:  I warmed the milk first and infused it with a bundle of thyme leaves, 2 smashed cloves of garlic, and a tablespoon of black peppercorns.  I let it warm (not really even at a simmer because I didn't want to scald the milk), then strained it before adding it to the roux.  The other change I made was the cheeses.  I used 1c (a big handful) of cheddar, 1c fontina, 1c smoked gouda, and about 4 inches of Velveeta.  I added a pound of hamburger too.  YUMMY!!!!