Mississippi Roast is the latest internet sensation recipe making the rounds.  The recipe cooks a chuck roast in a slow cooker with a packet of ranch dressing mix, a packet of gravy mix, butter and pepperoncinis. It’s touted as being easy and fabulous. I was dying to try it but I don’t have a slow cooker and am not a fan of dried mixes. The New York Times then published a recipe making it from scratch, but still in the slow cooker.  I decided to give it a try by cooking it in my Dutch oven at a low temp. This method was quite successful, but I wasn’t pleased with how it turned out. First off, I don’t like pepperoncini, so I left that out. The meat turned out incredibly tender but it was also just too greasy for me. So with a few tweaks, I present my Scratch Mississippi Roast in a Dutch Oven which is a modification of the NYT version of the recipe and is, I think, not too greasy and more flavorful than the original.  This recipe comes out incredibly tender and it melts in your mouth. The herbs and spices give it real body and it totally awakens the chuck roast which can be kind of dull in many incarnations.

Scratch Mississippi Roast in a Dutch Oven

 

Print

Ingredients

• 1 chuck roast (1.5-2 lbs)
• ¼ cup flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dried dill
• ½ tsp paprika
• 2 tsp dried chives
• 1 tsp buttermilk
• 1 tsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup beef broth

Instructions

1. Heat the Dutch oven on the stove and preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Add a tablespoon or enough olive oil to coat the pan.
3. Dredge the roast in flour and then brown both sides of it.
4. Remove from the pan.
5. Add all the other ingredients to the pan and stir until everything is mixed and combined then add the roast.
6. Cover and bake for 5 hours.
7. Remove from the oven and use a fork to shred the meat.

3.5.3208

Mississippi Roast is the latest internet sensation recipe making the rounds.  The recipe cooks a chuck roast in a slow cooker with a packet of ranch dressing mix, a packet of gravy mix, butter and pepperoncinis. It’s touted as being easy and fabulous. I was dying to try it but I don’t have a slow … Read more →

The worst thing to happen to me this year was the K cup coffee machine we bought. Ok, it wasn’t the worst thing, but it got me hooked. We discovered Snapple Peach Iced Tea K Cups. I rarely drink anything but water, but I was seduced by these. First of all, the K cups are just so darn cute. And making that machine go is like playing with a toy. And the peach iced tea that comes out is just so magical. We started buying lots of boxes of it. Not cheap! This also meant we were throwing out a lot of those cute little K cups once they were empty. <insert guilt> The machine we bought to primarily use for serving coffee to guests had become a PROBLEM. I read the label of the peach iced tea and was not happy to see it had artificial sweeteners. Not good. So I decided to just make my own. It was a huge hit. The husband and son are just guzzling it by the gallon here so I’m making batches of it all the time. Now that I’ve got the routine down pat, I thought I would share it. What’s great about this is that you can play with the recipe and use any kind of tea (any flavor as well as decaf or regular) and any kind of fruit nectar to switch up the flavors. I buy the fruit nectar at my grocery store in the aisle with the Goya brand products and Hispanic products. They have peach, pineapple, mango and passion fruit flavors and they come in tall cardboard cartons. You can use loose tea if you prefer and then just pour the heated tea through a fine sieve when pouring into the pitcher. Here’s the insanely easy recipe. If you want your iced tea really strong, add more tea to the recipe.

10 cups water

1 cup sugar

8 tea bags (I have been using 3 green tea and 5 Irish breakfast tea, because I have a lot of these, but other flavors I’ve tried have been great as well)

1 1/2 cups fruit nectar (I’ve been using half peach and half mango)

Pour the water and sugar in a large pot and turn it on high. Pull the tags off the tea bags and put the bags in the water. Heat the water until it is about to boil (it’s fine if it starts to boil), stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off and let it steep for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Pour the fruit nectar into a gallon sized pitcher. Add the water. Stir. Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate. Serve cold, over ice. Before you blink it will be gone.

The worst thing to happen to me this year was the K cup coffee machine we bought. Ok, it wasn’t the worst thing, but it got me hooked. We discovered Snapple Peach Iced Tea K Cups. I rarely drink anything but water, but I was seduced by these. First of all, the K cups are … Read more →

We are deep into corn season here in western NY state. All the farm stands are selling it. I love corn on the cob, but after a few weeks I start to look for other ways to use it. One problem I have is I tend to make too much corn on the cob so we have leftovers. This recipe works with fresh, uncooked corn or corn that has been cooked. I really loved these little fritters. They were crunchy with some sweetness. If you want to jazz it up, switch out the cheese for something else (I think a pepper jack would be fun) or eliminate the cheese and add some curry powder.

2 eggs

1/4 cup flour (I used gluten-free)

1/4 tsp salt

pepper to taste

the green top of a scallion

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

2 cups corn, cut off the cob

Pulse the ingredients in a food processor until combined. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and make the fritters. You can make these the size of small pancakes or just drop a heaping tablespoon of batter. Flip them when they are brown on the bottom and cook until the second side is done and the fritters are set.

We are deep into corn season here in western NY state. All the farm stands are selling it. I love corn on the cob, but after a few weeks I start to look for other ways to use it. One problem I have is I tend to make too much corn on the cob so … Read more →

Allow me to be totally honest. Kale and quinoa generally do not excite me. I do not like massaged kale salads. Kale chips are ok but there’s other stuff I’d rather eat. Quinoa is just a weird substitute for rice in my book. Given the choice, I’d rather have rice.

Recently we were embroiled in moving my daughter out of the house into her new apartment – something that took far too long, far too many trips downtown, and too many late nights. I managed to actually make dinner for the family only twice during the whole two week moving nightmare. Other nights were an every man for himself situation when we stumbled home at 9 pm and randomly ate microwave baked potatoes and pizza made in the toaster oven on pita bread. One night we stopped at the grocery store to each grab something we could reheat when we got home. I ended up grabbing kale and quinoa patties from the prepared foods section. And folks, they were really good. They didn’t taste like kale and they didn’t taste like quinoa. They were a little spicy and a little crunchy and deeply satisfying. I loved them. So I decided I had to figure out how to make them myself. On another crazy day I put together this recipe and made them in the afternoon. We reheated them in a skillet for dinner. Totally delicious. If I bring home another batch of kale from the CSA, I’m going to make a big batch and freeze them. Here’s the recipe I came up with:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1 medium onion, chopped (I used an uncured onion from the CSA)

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 packed cups kale, ribs removed

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp fresh chives

3 eggs

3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used gluten free)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a pot over high heat. Stir in the quinoa, lower the heat to low and cover, allowing it to simmer about 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Cook the onion in 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until it is translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Boil a pot of water and add the kale, cooking about 5 minutes until it is tender. Drain and put in a food processor.

Add the onion and garlic mixture to the kale and add salt and pepper to taste. Add chives. Process until the mixture is finely chopped.

Dump the mixture into a bowl and stir in cooked quinoa, eggs, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese.

Wipe out the skillet used for the onions and add 2 tbsp olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Using a self-cleaning ice cream scoop (the kind you squeeze and a metal bar swipes the ice cream out), place scoops of the mixture in the pan, several inches apart, gently pressing down on the tops to flatten slightly. Cook until they are browned and crispy on the bottom and flip, flattening slightly with the spatula, cooking until the other side is also browned and crispy and they are cooked through. They need to cook about 2-3 minutes a side. You will need to make several batches, depending on the size of your skillet. The recipe makes about 10-12 patties.

They reheated easily in a hot skillet and we ate them plain, but they would also be good served with tzatziki sauce, plain yogurt, sour cream, or with some sharp cheddar cheese or Swiss melted on top of them, possibly with some sliced mushrooms on top.

Allow me to be totally honest. Kale and quinoa generally do not excite me. I do not like massaged kale salads. Kale chips are ok but there’s other stuff I’d rather eat. Quinoa is just a weird substitute for rice in my book. Given the choice, I’d rather have rice. Recently we were embroiled in … Read more →

I love to pounce on new produce when it appears in the store in the spring. This week my store had ramps. Ramps grow wild and are like a cross between green onions and chives. I always get so excited to bring home something new but then I have to figure out what to make with it! I decided to make a veggie risotto to showcase spring vegetable. It was delicious. The ramps give it a mild garlicky flavor, but with very green overtones. The veggie broth turns the pasta a pretty dark yellow.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Spring Risotto with Ramps, Asparagus and Peas

 

Print

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup risotto
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 box vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch ramps, roughly chopped
• ½ bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ peas (frozen)
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion and risotto. Stir until the risotto is coated in oil and is hot.
2. Stir in the wine and wait for it abosrb. Then begin gradually adding the vegetable broth, half a cup at a time, stirring off and on, adding more when the last amount is absorbed. Use only as much broth as you need (possibly only ¾ of the box) to make the rice just tender.
3. Once the risotto is tender, stir in the ramps and asparagus, cooking until the asparagus is tender. Stir in the peas and then add cheese to your taste.

3.2.1249

I love to pounce on new produce when it appears in the store in the spring. This week my store had ramps. Ramps grow wild and are like a cross between green onions and chives. I always get so excited to bring home something new but then I have to figure out what to make … Read more →

If you’re making corned beef today, you need this recipe for your leftovers tomorrow!

It’s tradition to make corned beef and cabbage (as well as potatoes, carrots, and soda bread: here’s my recipe for cheese soda bread) for St. Patrick’s Day at our house. One year I corned my own beef: you can see how it went here and here. This year I bought locally grown and corned beef from a local shop that carries local goods. I liked it the best of any corned beef I’ve had so far because it had a really mild flavor to it and it also did not shrink when I cooked it (yes, there can be shrinkage involved!).

We like to make Reuben soup (recipe here) with our leftovers, but I also am very fond of corned beef hash, or red flannel as it is colorfully referred to sometimes. I’ve been really looking forward to it this year after having breakfast in a restaurant that had it on the menu, but when I asked they admitted it was not homemade (=canned or frozen with those tiny horrible round pebbles of corned beef in it).

Corned beef hash is the perfect next day dish for St. Paddy’s Day because you can really clean up your leftovers with it and it has a completely different flavor and texture than the corned beef dinner itself. Your family is not going to roll their eyes and say “Leftovers?!” Make it for breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner – it doesn’t matter. You’ll love it for any meal. I always serve mine with ketchup! Some folks like to serve fried eggs with it, but I like it without.

This is a great leftover recipe because you can make it to use up leftover potatoes, leftover corned beef or both. It’s also simple to make if you have NO leftovers at all (just cook some potatoes in the microwave and use deli corned beef).

I learned the oven trick from my friend Debbie Koenig, who partially cooks her latkes in the oven (check out her method here).

4.7 from 3 reviews

Leftovers! Corned Beef Hash

 

Print

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• ½ small onion, chopped
• 2½ tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups cooked potatoes (skin on or off), diced into 1 inch cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1½ cups cooked corned beef, diced into 1 inch cubes
• ½ tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Note that although I'm giving you a size for your dice on the potatoes and beef, it's really up to you how big you like them.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add ½ tbsp olive oil and the onions. Cook until translucent and starting to brown. Add the potatoes and the rest of the olive oil and the salt and pepper, and turn the heat to high. Allow the potatoes to sit for several minutes before turning.
3. If you are using potatoes that were boiled with corned beef, they are going to be very wet. I like to transfer the contents of the skillet to a baking sheet (or if you are using an iron proof skillet, just use that) and move the potatoes to a 425 degree oven where I spread them out on the baking sheet and let the high heat dry them out for about 20 minutes. If you're using potatoes that were baked or microwaved, you can skip this step and just continue cooking on the stovetop.
4. Transfer the potatoes back to the skillet and add the butter (if you never left the stovetop, continue to cook until they potatoes are getting brown before you add the butter). Turn the heat to high and get a really good brown color on the outsides of the potatoes, being careful not to turn them too often (they can fall apart if you handle them too much), but enough so that they do not burn.
5. When they're close to being golden brown and crispy, add in the corned beef. Stir it in and cook until some of the edges of that begin to brown.

3.2.1215

If you’re making corned beef today, you need this recipe for your leftovers tomorrow! It’s tradition to make corned beef and cabbage (as well as potatoes, carrots, and soda bread: here’s my recipe for cheese soda bread) for St. Patrick’s Day at our house. One year I corned my own beef: you can see how … Read more →

Crispy Baked Parmesan Popcorn

I have an unhealthy relationship with popcorn. It all goes back to my childhood. We used to make popcorn on the stove and fill huge glass Pyrex bowls with it – one bowl per person. I remember sleeping at a friend’s house when I was in third grade. Her mom made popcorn. One bowl. For the whole family. I was deeply puzzled by this. We’re the family that goes back for the free refill on the large popcorn at the movie theater. We’ve also been known to bring a bag along so all of us can share the large.

I eat almost no processed snacks at this point, so popcorn is my go-to when I am craving something crunchy and salty. I usually sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on it. Lately though, here in Buffalo in the middle of waves of polar vortex weather, I’ve been dissatisfied with my bowl of popcorn. First of all, it gets cold really fast. Secondly, the cheese is not really sticking to the popcorn. One day I decided to stick the whole bowl in the oven to warm it up. Something magical happened. Actually several magical things happened:

1) the popcorn got really hot and stayed that way since the bowl was warmed also

2) the popcorn became super, amazingly crunchy and crispy in a way I’ve never experienced

3) the cheese melted and got crunchy and developed a deeper, richer flavor.

I was sold. My theory is that when you make popcorn in a paper bag in the microwave, the bag holds the heat in, but also holds in the moisture. When you heat the popcorn in the oven, it crisps it by removing that moisture. And you cannot beat having the cheese get crunchy and stuck to the kernels. I am trying really hard to not just eat this for lunch every day, and I am failing miserably.

This is now my go-to method for all popcorn, even just plain buttered.

Following you will find my recipe for crispy baked Parmesan popcorn, but first here are some other popcorn flavors that are favorites in my house and which are amped up by some time in the oven as well:

– brown butter with cinnamon and sugar

– hot chocolate mix (plain or the kind with mini marshmallows)

– shredded cheddar

– Parmesan with Italian seasoning

– taco cheese and sprinkling of dried taco seasoning

– bleu cheese and bacon

4.0 from 1 reviews

Crispy Baked Parmesan Popcorn

 

Print

Ingredients

• ¾ cup popcorn kernels (I like white popcorn because I think it is more tender)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• ¼ and ⅛ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Place the popcorn in a paper bag and fold the end over twice, about ½ inch each time.
2. Microwave on high for about 2 to 2½ minutes, until the popping slows down almost completely.
3. Take the bag out and shake it. This sends any unpopped kernels to the bottom.
4. Scoop the popcorn out into a big bowl, making sure to leave the kernels in the bottom of the bowl.
5. Melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the olive oil. Drizzle half over the popcorn.
6. Add salt to taste then sprinkle half the cheese. Toss.
7. Drizzle the rest of the butter, salt again and add the rest of the cheese. Toss.
8. Spread it on a greased baking sheet and pop in the oven at 350 for about 3-5 minutes until it is hot. Stick your bowl in for a minute at the end to warm it. Serve.

3.2.1249

I have an unhealthy relationship with popcorn. It all goes back to my childhood. We used to make popcorn on the stove and fill huge glass Pyrex bowls with it – one bowl per person. I remember sleeping at a friend’s house when I was in third grade. Her mom made popcorn. One bowl. For … Read more →

This is a dish I turn to when I am desperate for something for dinner and have very little time to throw something together. This recipe is very flexible. Use any kind of protein. Use any kind of vegetables. Substitute other herbs or cheese. The basic idea is a corn (or wheat tortilla), topped with veggies, meat, herbs and cheese for a quick complete meal.

Tostada Dinner Solution

 

Print

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 6 corn tortillas
• olive oil
• half a zucchini, sliced thin and quickly sauteed
• ¼ fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 small caprese tomatoes (equal to about ½ a regular large tomato) sliced
• ¾ cooked steak, sliced thin or chopped
• ½ cup taco cheese mix
• juice of half a lime

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400. Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and rub with a little olive oil. Bake for about 4 minutes, until they slightly crisp. Pile the ingredients on them and bake until the cheese melts and everything is hot. Spritz with the lime before serving.

3.2.1249

This is a dish I turn to when I am desperate for something for dinner and have very little time to throw something together. This recipe is very flexible. Use any kind of protein. Use any kind of vegetables. Substitute other herbs or cheese. The basic idea is a corn (or wheat tortilla), topped with … Read more →

I made this soup once, a long time ago and it’s been hanging out in my recipe notebook ever since. Recently I made it again and we really enjoyed it. The recipe says to strain the soup. It’s actually not completely necessary if you prefer it chunkier.  Make sure you remove the bay leaf if you don’t strain it. I like milder flavors, so if you like yours hot, add more chili powder to this.

Tortilla Soup

 

Print

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 8 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 chicken breast, chopped
• cheddar cheese
• 3 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Instructions

1. Heat the oil and cook the chopped tortillas with the garlic and cilantro in a large pot.
2. Add the onion and cook until the onion softens.
3. Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil
4. Stir in cumin, chili powder, bay leaf, tomato paste, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add salt and pepper, then simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes.
5. Strain the soup, then put it back in the pot. Add the chicken breast and cook until cooked through (about 10 minutes).
6. While that is cooking, fry the tortilla strips in oil until brown and crisp then drain.
7. Serve the soup with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and fresh chopped cilantro. Sprinkle fried tortilla strips on top.

3.2.1249

I made this soup once, a long time ago and it’s been hanging out in my recipe notebook ever since. Recently I made it again and we really enjoyed it. The recipe says to strain the soup. It’s actually not completely necessary if you prefer it chunkier.  Make sure you remove the bay leaf if … Read more →

Our CSA sent home a lot of delicata squash this fall and I’d never cooked it before. When confronted with a pile of five of them, I decided I’d better get serious about using them. This is an adaptation from a recipe in The Glorious Vegetables of Italy by Domenica Marchetti. It’s super simple and the best part about delicata is you can eat the peels, so it’s very easy to prepare.

This turns out brown and bubbly and oh so tender. It will look like you worked a lot harder than you did.

Roasted Delicata with Cream and Cheese

 

Print

Ingredients

• 2 delicata squash, cut in half the long way, seed scooped out then sliced into ½ inch pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• ⅛ heavy cream
• ⅛ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray then add squash and oil, tossing.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour cream and cheese and then toss.
4. Bake about 20 minutes, until squash is soft.

3.2.1249

Our CSA sent home a lot of delicata squash this fall and I’d never cooked it before. When confronted with a pile of five of them, I decided I’d better get serious about using them. This is an adaptation from a recipe in The Glorious Vegetables of Italy by Domenica Marchetti. It’s super simple and … Read more →