I wasn’t going to make corned beef this year – I’m a so-so fan of it. I really have to be in the mood. But I found a great deal on a premium corned beef, so I impulsively purchased it.
I decided to up my game a bit and use my mom’s version, where she used to finish it in the oven with a nice glaze. It was definitely worth the effort.
I decided I would also make it an instant pot version – which is very similar to my stovetop pressure cooker recipe. Continue reading
For the Super Bowl this year, we kept it simple: pizza, super nachos and ice cream. I toyed with making wings, but in the end, it seemed like too much work after a very long week.
But I found myself craving Buffalo chicken all week, so finally I cubed up a large chicken breast and made this super simple, yet flavorful dinner.
I served over shredded lettuce with ranch dressing, along with Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and of course, carrot and celery sticks.
Skillet Buffalo Chicken Bites
skillet Continue reading
Continuing my Southern-themed menus this month, leading up to Mardi Gras:
I get gifts and often times it’s spices, so I have a couple of really good Cajun spice mixes to choose from for the fish. The potatoes are so easy, especially if you have a mandolin, it takes about 10 minutes to make this recipe from start to finish. Lots of butter and I added crushed roasted garlic and brushed a little olive oil on the top layer. I always forget how good they are and wonder why I don’t make them more often.
Blood oranges are in season if you want to substitute for the pears.
On the board tonight:
Pan-fried Catfish*
large skillet
Brush catfish with oil and season with Cajun spice. Lightly oil pan, using high heat fry 3-4 minutes on each side.
*if you don’t think you’ll like catfish, you can substitute salmon, whitefish, trout, or even boneless chicken breasts (requires longer cooking time).
If you can’t find a commercial Cajun spice mixture, you can mix together equal parts of the following and store in an airtight container: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon zest, black pepper, red pepper, allspice, thyme, ground cloves, mace, cayenne, and crushed bay leaf.
Buttered Potato Pie
large skillet
Peel & slice potatoes thinly. Heat 2 tbsp of butter in skillet. Arrange onions on the bottom of the skillet, then layer potatoes slices overlapping in a ring on the bottom of the pan. As you make each layer, drizzle the remaining butter over the top and season with salt & pepper. Invert heat-proof plate, or I use a metal pie pan, over the potatoes, weigh down with heavy heat-proof object (like a can of water). Sauté over medium heat until potatoes are molded and golden brown. Remove the plate. Transfer the potatoes to the 400-degree F oven and cook until caramelized and cooked through, about 30 minutes, pressing the potatoes occasionally to compress and shaking the pan to keep the potatoes from sticking to the bottom. Cut into four wedges and serve with parsley garnish.
Shopping List
Also: olive oil, Cajun spice, salt, pepper
It snowed yesterday and there was no soup to reheat. I decided if I needed to cook, I’d pull the new cast-iron griddle out and experiment with it for lunch.
Tonight’s menu features the Cantanzaro spice mix. Cantanzaro is a city in Italy. So there are a lot of herbs this Italian girl recognizes: marjoram, basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano. And garlic, lots of garlic. But the kicker is the lemon and lemon peel.
It’s all very fresh for late summer/early fall harvest and great for grilling. Then I’ve added a fresh take on how to use the last of those fresh tomatoes. And just because I’m feeling ambitious, I included Gelato recipes.
On the board tonight:
*the recipe calls for bread bowls, but with this meal, I served it over a bed of bibb lettuce.
What’s on your plate for this holiday weekend (how did that happen)? Are you sad summer is waning or is fall more your season? Most importantly, whatcha cookin’?
This steak is easy to make in the oven, but I thought I’d try it on the grill this time. Works great – just remember to cook it away from the coals or turn the grill off if it’s electric, like mine.
This steak can be prepped the day before, just wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap. Makes it great for a date night, anniversary or small dinner party. I pan-seared and finished in the oven/on the grill in the same pan, because of the cheese. The reward was great pan drippings when I was finished, which I drizzled over the potatoes before serving.
On the board:
Flank Steak Pinwheels
Cast iron skillet Continue reading
The local grocer had turkeys on clearance. They are all marked at $8 and I sorted through them until I found a smallish one at 13 lbs. So why not a turkey dinner in May?
A perfect one-pot meal that cooks up in 35 minutes.
I wanted to make sure I could prepare it with just the accessories that came with my Multi-Pot. Continue reading
What's 4 Dinner Solutions 