Corned Beef and Corned Beef

I’ve missed getting this out for St. Patrick’s Day, but I don’t think it matters. Corned beef is spectacular any time of the year. Especially if you can buy the corned beef on sale after St. Patty’s and tuck it away in the freezer! So here are two recipes for corned beef. Both work really well and have been greatly enjoyed.

Corned Beef
From “Make It Fast, Cook It Slow” by Stephanie O’Dea

The ingredients:
1 pound potatoes, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
3 pounds corned beef, with the seasoning packet
½ cup water

The Directions:
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Cut the vegetables into 2-inch chunks and put in the bottom of the stoneware. Trim the fat off the meat, and put the meat on top. Add the seasoning packet and water. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours. Corned beef is much more tender when it is cooked slowly.

My notes:
While this recipe worked, and the corned beef was delicious, I think I prefer to boil mine. I think the texture is more tender. That being said, we cooked this overnight. I felt a little guilty waking up and knowing dinner was done before we’d even left the house, but it made my day a whole lot easier. We also skipped the celery and carrots, and probably should have added more water to compensate.


This next recipe is a lot more labor intensive. I will admit I haven’t made it since having R. The last time I did, the kitchen was a wreck and I used more pots than I want to remember. The meal was amazing, however – we still talk about how good it was! I’ve made some changes from the original recipes, omitting steps and ingredients. I serve this with colcannon, which is a combination of cabbage and mashed potatoes.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner
From Cooking Light, March 2003

1 (4-lb) cured corned beef brisket, trimmed
16 cups of water
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1 ½ tsp pickling spice
3 garlic cloves, peeled

1. Place the brisket in a large stockpot; add water and next 5 ingredients (water through garlic). Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 hours.
2. Remove brisket from pot, keeping the water. Strain the cooking liquid, discarding the solids.
3. Place brisket a serving platter and cover with foil. Place in a preheated oven to keep warm before serving. Serve with creamy horseradish and colcannon.


Colcannon
From The Food Network, recipe courtesy of Isabel Rossiter

3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
2 sticks butter (you can use less)
1 ¼ cups hot milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1 (1-pound) piece ham, precooked
4 scallions, finely chopped (can omit)
hopped parsley leaves, for garnish

1. Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a knife and fork. Chop with a knife before mashing. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grind of black pepper.
2. While the potatoes are steaming, boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color, about 20 min. Add 2 tbsp butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning to the pan. Chop into small pieces.
3. Remove any fat from the ham and chop into small pieces.
4. Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them gently. Serve alongside corned beef.

My notes: I re-use the corned beef cooking liquid for the cabbage. It saved water and gave the cabbage a greater depth of flavor. I also didn’t have to find or purchase any other spices for the corned beef since mine came with a seasoning packet. I don’t peel the potatoes, but instead use red potatoes and mash everything up together. Using precooked ham also cuts down on the total prep time. Colcannon is traditionally served with melted butter swimming on top. I omit the extra butter and serve as an accompaniment to corned beef.

A different take on bread

So as much as I love to bake, I currently am a failure at bread. I'm going to blame it on my oven because its positively inconceivable for all of the recipes I've been trying to be duds. So my problem then lies in how R and I are to have sandwiches. I would really rather not buy gf bread - its expensive, and I know I can make *something* that is more nutritious. As we were eating fresh waffles for lunch (so decadent!) it occurred to me how useful and versatile the waffle maker is. You don't necessarily have to use waffle batter to get a tasty result..... I wonder if I could use bread dough? Of course I leaped straight into using a yeast dough, and then common sense once more took hold. I searched the web and found this blog (http://eatplaylove.blogspot.com) and a recipe for savory waffles. Just what I needed! Here's the recipe. I changed a few things, but its basically from this gal's blog.

Savory Waffle Recipe:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used a gf blend)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 + 1/4 teaspoon salt (I added the extra 1/4 tsp salt)
½ tsp onion powder (my addition)
½ tsp garlic powder (my addition)
~1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper (my addition)
¼ tsp cumin (my addition)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups milk (plus 2 tablespoons if you like batter looser)
1 egg
1/2 stick of melted butter/oil
Few slices of ham, turkey, or bacon or any meat on hand - optional
1 cup cheese on hand (I used romano and cheddar) - optional

makes 9 waffles

I omitted the lunchmeat and cheese this time around. I figured I should see if R would eat this "bread" in a sandwich before I got all fancy. Plus, I was out of cheese, and what's the point of adding lunchmeat to the batter if you intend to use the waffle in a sandwich? So I added some extra spices and went to work. I didn't get waffle marks on the tops of the waffles, just the bottoms. But I think this works in my favor since its easier to get sandwich condiments on a smoother surface. M and I thought the flavor and texture came out just right, and R ate 3/4 of one with mayo and lunchmeat for snack. Success! As soon as I get more vegan cheese I will add some to the batter. I also think adding lunchmeat/bacon to the batter would be phenomenal, but I'll probably wait on that for now. Anyway, enjoy!

Breakfast, again!

Have I mentioned before that I love breakfast? I'm a big fan of delicious flavors, don't get me wrong, but there's something about making breakfast that I just absolutely love. Especially when it involves baking something.

Before going gluten-free one of my favorite treats was to hunt down crumpets at the supermarket. For those unfamiliar with these tasty morsels, they are a cross between a pancake and an English muffin. They are round and have tiny holes on top (all the better for capturing melted butter and syrup/jam). English cooks use 3 1/2-inch crumpet rings to contain the simple yeast batter while it bakes in a frying pan or griddle. You can use flan rings, open cookie cutters, or tuna cans with the tops and bottoms cut out. Or you can use nifty English muffin rings you got from your s-i-l! This recipe is out of a Sunset Brunch cookbook, circa 1980.

Crumpets

1 pckg active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water (about 110F)
1/3 cup milk, at room temp
1 egg
About 4 T melted butter
1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and water; let stand until bubbly (about 15 minutes). Blend in milk, egg, and 1 T melted butter. Add flour and salt and beat until smooth. Cover and let stand in a warm place until almost doubled (about 45 minutes).

Brush bottom of a heavy frying pan or griddle and the inside of each ring with butter or cooking spray. Heat rings in pan over low heat; pour 3 T batter into each. Bake for about 7 minutes or until holes appear and tops are dry. Remove rings and turn crumpets to brown other side (about 2 minutes). Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve warm or cool on a rack and toast just before serving. Makes 7 or 8 crumpets.


My thoughts:
These are so good! Just as good as I remember. They are like yeast-y pancakes, but a little more spongy in texture. I used a gluten-free flour blend (the millet/teff one) and added maybe 2-3 T more milk to get the batter loose enough. I also use olive oil in place of the melted butter. I found these cook better on my stove top on medium heat instead of low. If you are cooking these for a crowd, a large skillet or griddle works best. My skillet will hold just three rings, which makes for a longer cook time. I'd love to say we're having the rest tomorrow, but the plate was pretty much licked clean!

Peking Pork Chops

This recipe comes from "Make It Fast, Cook It Slow" by Stephanie O'Dea. She writes the crockpot356 blog about using her crock pot everyday for a year.

Peking Pork Chops

The Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp five-spice powder
1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 garlic cloves, chopped

The Directions:
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chops into the stoneware. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, spices, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic. Pour evenly over the top of the chops. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for about 4 hours. Serve with rice and veggies and ladle the sauce on top. These chops freeze and reheat well - yay!

My thoughts:
I use a 3-quart round slow cooker, and had plenty of space. Unless your chops are of the monsterous variety, I don't know that you need a larger slow cooker. I also cooked mine on HIGH for about an hour, and then reduced the heat to LOW for 2-3 hours. They were falling apart tender! Also, I wouldn't use those beautiful center loin chops for this. Put those babies on the grill. Use the chops that aren't bone-in, but that have more connective tissue and fat on them, and don't trim any of it off. I didn't have time to do my usual "no fat enters the crock pot!" trimming and was glad for it when we sat down for dinner. The chops had that wonderful "rib-y" flavor that only comes from cooking meat low and slow. The secret is that the connective tissue and fat melt away and make the meat more tender as it slowly cooks. The other thing I liked about these was now that I have a basic formula, I can pretty much put any seasoning on them and let them cook. Asian? Mediterranean? Bring it!

Fruit Basket Cupcakes

The original recipe for this came from a cookbook for toddlers and kiddos. I can't remember the name of it. Anyhoo. These are supposed to be carrot cupcakes, but due to a carrot shortage in my veggie drawer they turned into what I'm calling "fruit basket cupcakes". All the ladies at my Thursday bible study loved them, and I personally am having a hard time not eating the rest. Enjoy!


Fruit Basket Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup minced dried apricots
1 cup chopped dried apples
1 mashed banana
3/4 cup thawed whole cranberries
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten


1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease or paper-line 2 12-cup muffin tins.

2. In a medium bowl mix the fruit until well combined. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the fruit, oil and eggs; beat until combined.

3. Pour batter into prepared cupcake tins and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before serving.



I got 48 mini cupcakes and 12 regular cupcakes out of this. I frosted them with buttercream frosting when they were cool. Heavenly! I also used a gluten-free flour blend and didn't have to add any additional liquid. If you want to make these with carrots, add 3 cups of finely shredded carrots instead of the apples, apricots, cranberries and banana.

New Mexican Meat Loaf

I've made this recipe before and loved it. Through a series of events (your normal change-dinner-plans-at-the-last-minute stuff) I didn't have time to put it in the crockpot. Since I had all the ingredients ready, I checked a few oven-meat loaf recipes and made some changes. I served this with refried beans and cornbread. Here are all three recipes:

Fresh Chile and Corn Chip Meat Loaf (from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)

Cooker: Medium or large round or oval
Settings and Cook Times: HIGH for 1 hour, and then LOW for 5-6 hours

1 1/2 lbs ground chuck or sirloin
1 cup baked corn chips, crushed or whirled in the food processor to make coarse crumbs
1 small white boiling onion, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground chile powder
1/2 ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1. Combine the ground beef, corn chip crumbs, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, chile powder, cumin, salt, egg, and half of the tomato sauce in a large bowl. Using your hands or a large fork, mix gently but thorougly, being careful not to compact the meat.
2. Make an aluminum foil "cradle" that will help you easily remove the meat loaf from the slow cooker when it is done: Tear a sheet of foil that is about 24 inches long. Place it along the edge of the counter and tear in half the long way. Fold eat piece in half lengthwise, and then in half again lengthwise. Place the strips in the cooker in a cross shape, centering them. The edges of the strips will hang over the edge of the cooker. Place the meat mixture on top of the strips and shape into an oval or round loaf, depending on the shape of your cooker, by pressing it gently, evening out the top and shaping it to fit your cooker. Bend the strips toward the meat loaf so they will not prevent the cover from closing properly. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the loaf. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.
3. Turn the cooker to LOW and cook until an instant read meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meat loaf registers at least 160F to 5-6 hours.
4. To serve, lift the meat loaf onto a cutting board or serving platter, using the foil "handles". Slide out and discard the foil strips. Slice the meat loaf and serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold the next day.



New Mexican Meat Loaf

1 lb ground chuck or sirloin
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 cup baked corn chips, crushed or whirled in the food processor to make coarse crumbs
about 1 tsp minced green chile
1 T dried cilantro
1 tsp ground chipotle chile
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
about 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
about 1/2 cup refried beans
1 cup chicken broth

1. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Mix the ingredients together using either your hands or a large fork. Make sure not to compact the meat.
3. Place the meat loaf mixture into the loaf pan, shaping the loaf to make sure there are not air pockets in the corners. Place the loaf pan in a larger pan before placing in the oven (in case the meat loaf juices overflowed).
4. Cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the internal temp is between 160F and 165F. Serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold the next day.



Cornbread

2 cups cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk (you can probably use regular milk without any problem)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 T vegetable oil
*add 2-3 T sugar to make it sweeter (I added only 1T of sugar, I think)

1. Preheat oven to 425. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl, and add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix until just blended.
2. Pour cornbread mix into a greased 9X9 inch pan or 12 muffin cups. I used a 10.5 inch tart pan without any problem.
3. Cook at 425 for 30-35 minutes.



I was amazed with the success of my make-shift meat loaf. There was a slight flavor of refried beans, and the cheese made it a bit more gooey. I served the rest of the refried beans (the original can was 20 oz, I think) and cornbread. Everyone cleaned their plates, including little R!

Azorean Spiced Beef Stew

As I was perusing crockpot365.blogspot.com I found this recipe. It along with a few others convinced me that I was better off buying Stephanie O'Dea's book "Make It Fast, Cook It Slow". I'd rather make notes in her cookbook than copy and paste off her blog.

Azorean Spiced Beef Stew

1 lb beef stew meat
3 cups beef stock
2 potatoes, chopped in 1-inch chunks
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in quarters or 2 large chopped tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots
3 green onions, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1-2 tbsp kosher salt (start with 1, then salt to taste)
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the meat into your stoneware; frozen is fine. Add the stock. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green onions and garlic. Stir in the salt, red pepper flakes, allspice and cumin. Float the bay leaf on top and add the cinnamon sticks. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for about 6 hours.


We ended up using steak, although when I pulled the meat out of the freezer I wasn't sure what it was. Feel free to use whatever you'd like to get rid of from your freezer. I skipped the tomatoes and added extra potatoes, carrots and garlic. I also added about 4 cups of stock. When I make it again I'll probably use 5 cups. I will also use only 1 cinnamon stick. The flavor was good (just barely cinnamon-y), but I wasn't crazy about the strong cinnamon scent while it was cooking. All in all, I really liked how this came out and will make it again!