Get your Irish on..

Here is an easy peasy recipe for corned beef brisket with potatoes and cabbage. A simple dinner that is even better the next day in sammies or a corned beef hash (we went with the latter).

Beef from Welch's butcher in St. John. Throw everything in a crock pot and 8-hours later...voila! Instant Irish soul food. The recipe can be found on the Family Circle website.

And forget the green beer. Make a Bloody Mary with Guinness instead. You won't be disappointed!

Happy St. Patty's day!

Asian Cuisine Resource or a.k.a the blog post with a million links.

So, a few weeks ago I got this email inviting me to enter a contest to win over $1200 worth of copper pots and pans. I didn't have to think twice about it. Hello, COPPER pots and pans. I have been lusting for copper pots for as long as I can remember. Incidentally, they would look so good in our newish kitchen. Copper accessories really go fab with our cabinets and the granite that we have. But I digress.

Like everything else in life, there is a catch. To enter the contest I have to post a blog entry promoting a new resource devoted to Asian cuisine - the Asian cuisine section on Food Service Warehouse (FSW). Lucky for me, a lot of you like Asian food and even luckier I love to cook Asian food. 

So I headed over to the FSW site, (you can too by clicking on any of the many links on this post) . 

The site is like the mother load of everything Asian. Seriously, they sell almost every type of wok you can imagine - check out this link for woks. There is also everything from Asian cookware, tableware, equipment, utensils and even decor. 

What I found really great was Asian cooking education articles in the Education Center. I especially enjoyed learning about all about sushi - including making a sushi roll and the etiquette of eating sushi.  I learned that is is polite to have your chopsticks parallel on your plate and not crossed. I always did that instinctively, but now I will do it out of proper manners.

I hope you check out the FSW site, and let me know what you think! The welcome feedback - good and bad.

I'm off to try and make some California rolls. Photos to come.

Kanpai and arigato!

Four Cheese and Spinach Lasagna - Lent Special

We are splurging on a sitter tonight and going to the neighbor's house for some adult time, a little dinner and a few bottles of wine (Jenn, I'll drink for two since you're with child. Man, am I a good friend or what?)

I offered to bring the main course and since it is Lent I made a Four Cheese and Spinach Lasagna using whole wheat noodles and fresh spinach. Super easy and substantial, you'll hardly miss the meat.

Here is a picture tutorial, and the recipe can be found here.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F and boil your noodles according to the package instructions. I love using whole wheat noodles. Also, to save time you can use your favorite jar sauce or make your sauce from scratch ahead of time. I love Giada's marinara sauce.

Saute your spinach in a little olive oil and garlic.

This much spinach

will reduce to about..

Put on a plate with double paper towels and let cool while you mix up the cheese mixture. The four cheeses I used are all low fat. I used a silky, creamy skim milk ricotta instead of cottage cheese.

Add the cooled spinach to the cheese mixture.

Here are all the components ready to assemble. Tomato sauce, noodles, cheese mixture. Repeat. Top with a healthy handful (or two) of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake.

After 40 minutes in the oven you get this vision of loveliness.. I can't wait to dig in! 

Potato and Leek Soup (Emeril's recipe)

There is nothin' better than a warming bowl of nutritious soup on a cool, wet, fall day.

Potato and leeks, totally fallish. Right? I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe. It was pretty darn easy (my kind of cooking!)

Cut up leeks and double wash them to get all the grit and dirt out.

God bless you Emeril. Butter and bacon! Cook bacon until soft and fat is rendered off.

Add clean and drained leeks to the cooked bacon. *For goodness sakes, don't drain the bacon fat!

I over cooked my bacon to a crisp by accident (I had to step away from the pan and change a diaper. Don't worry, I remembered to wash my hands.) 

So I decided to use the bacon for a garnish instead of keeping it in the pan. The hardest part is to keep from eating it all before the soup is done! (It was hard, ya'll!)

All the ingredients that will be added to the bacon, butter, leeks and potatoes. The white pepper really makes the dish delish.

Take your time when cooking down the leeks. Once they are soft, add the 1/2 cup of white wine and make sure to scrape all the yummy goodness the bacon left behind.

Add your diced potato to the leeks. Then add 5 cups of chicken stock (or veggie stock for you vegans), thyme, white pepper, black pepper, and 2 bay leaves.

Bring to a boil for a minute. Then turn the heat down to a simmer and let the potatoes cook for about 30 minutes.

A side note, if you don't have one of these spoon holders, you must get. Love this gadget! (Great stocking stuffer, ya'll!)

After 30 minutes the potatoes should be super soft. Taste the soup for seasoning. If all good, pull out the 2 bay leaves.

Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream (optional). Then blend with an immersion blender. Another great gadget that I love.

Garnish with bacon and chives if you have it and indulge. So dang good. The white pepper and black pepper really give it a kick and great layers of flavor.

Spaghetti Bolognese (Kid Friendly)

I tried the Spaghetti Bolognese recipe from the kid friendly cookbook and it was pretty bland. I ended up adding a cup of white wine, some garlic salt and a tablespoon of brown sugar. It still needed lots of salt & pepper at the table and a healthy sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Pretty easy to make though and very few ingredients.

And what did the kids think?

They ate it and that is good enough for me!

Kid friendly Chow Mein

So, I am trying new recipes from a kid friendly cookbook called First Meals. I was skeptical at first. I mean, "kid friendly" food doesn't sound very appetizing. But I was desperate. The kids are going through a phase where they won't eat anything I make, and there is nothing more frustrating!

I tried a Honey Chicken recipe from the book last week, so easy peasy and both boys loved it. I love Chow Mein so I thought I'd give it a go. When I saw how many vegetables went into the dish I was a little worried that no one would eat it. I was wrong, all three boys (Joe, Dylan & Matthew) loved it so much we didn't have any leftovers. 

I have made many a stir-fry and think what made this dish a winner was the simplicity. The marinade was 3 ingredients: sake, soy and brown sugar. Also, I used veggies that I knew the boys would like. I ended up adding a little Sambal to mine for a little kick.

I have had this cookbook for almost 5 years and can't believe I haven't utilized it more! I am trying the Spaghetti Bolognese tonight.

p.s. another great book is Super Baby Food. Great recipe ideas in there and very healthy.

"Kid friendly" food you say... scary!

Only a few fresh ingredients.  

1. Marinate the chicken in the soy, sake and brown sugar

2. Cook your egg noodles (I used No Yolks)

3. Chop up the veggies

4. Stir fry the chicken (reserving the marinade) and then remove from the wok

5. Fry up the veggies

6. Add the cooked chicken back in the pan, add the noodles, some bean sprouts, corn (optional) and the reserved marinade, cook until all heated thru and marinade is evenly combined

and...

Presto! You have delicious meal!

Matthew's verdict...

He likes it!!

3 Kids later..

OMG, I have totally neglected this site! We had a baby on September 1st and I have been walking around like a zombie - shirtless (nursing around the clock) and sleep deprived.

Once the dust settles around here I will definitely post some of the new recipes I am trying from a children's cookbook. It has been so hard feeding the kids lately, doesn't matter what I prepare they won't eat it. So I am experimenting with new child friendly recipes.

I hope to post something later this week!

Enjoy the Fall weather!