St. Patrick's Dinner: Corned Beef & Roasted Potatoes, Cabbage, & Radishes, Beer Bread

Corned Beef

We had family over so I picked up 3 of the Corned Beef Briskets(not the points, but the briskets) in their packages.  They're already brined and ready to go.  In a sink rinse off briskets, trim any fat that needs to be trimmed, and set aside in a large bowl or a large platter.  Rinse off spice packets and set aside.  Heat a large saute pan to med. high heat.  Drizzle a large roasting pan with high sides, big enough to hold briskets in a single layer, with a little olive oil and set aside.  Drizzle hot saute pan with olive oil.  Adding one brisket at a time, brown both sides and place in roasting pan.  You will know the side is browned when it is releases from the pan easily.  When you get to your last brisket, heat oven to 400 degrees.

I don't buy prepared chicken stock, but use a concentrated paste and add hot water to dissolve it.  When all meat is browned on both sides, spread evenly in roasted pan so that you can cover meat with liquid.  Cut open spice packets and place in a small bowl.  Microwave on high uncovered for 30 seconds, stir, microwave another 30 seconds.  Spices should be very fragrant now.  Sprinkle over briskets.  Add 2 or 3 bottles of non-alcoholic or alcoholic beer, I used O'Doul's.  Add enough reconstituted chicken stock to cover the briskets the rest of the way.  Cover with foil and place in 400' oven for one hour.  Reduce heat to 300' and cook for 5-6 hours.  Remove from oven and place briskets on large platter, covered with foil, allow to rest.

Potatoes & Radishes:

Turn oven up to 450'.  Clean 5-6 large red potatoes, 5-6 large russet potatoes, and 3 bunches of radishes.  Cut into bite sized, even pieces and put in extra large mixing bowl.  Drizzle with enough olive oil, about 2-3 Tbl., to coat all pieces.  Add about 1 Tbl. Lawry's, or Pappy's all purpose type seasoning and mix well with hands.  Spread evenly in a large, greased, roasting pan.  Roast 30 minutes, stir, and roast another 30 minutes, or until fork tender and most edges are browned.  (I did this while the Corned Beef was resting)

Cabbage:

Remove outer layer of leaves and trim stem if needed.  Do not remove the core, this will hold the wedges together for baking.  Cut into 8 wedges with core still intact.  Place in a greased roasting pan.  Drizzle with a few DROPS of olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and a drizzle of the braising liquid from the Corned Beef.  Roast uncovered for 20-30 min. in a 450' oven.  (I did this at the latter part while roasting the potatoes and radishes)

Spoon potato mixture into a large bowl and top with roasted cabbage wedges to serve.

(The next time I make this, instead of doing cabbage, I think I'm going to try brussel sprouts in with the potatoes and radishes!)

Beer Bread:
This is the recipe I used.  LINK HERE  Because I used non-alcoholic beer I added 2 1/4 tsp. of active dry yeast and it came out beautifully.  I thought at first that I had burned the bread, however, if you drizzle the butter over the bread before baking, like the recipe calls for, it does turn a dark brown.  But, it's more of a "browned butter" flavor, vs. burned.  It's a very yummy, deep flavor.  And of course, serve with butter on the side.

Copy/Paste of the Recipe:

Ingredients:

Servings:

• 3 cups flour (sifted)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (12 ounce) can beer
• 1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)

Directions:

Prep Time: 3 mins
Total Time: 1 hr

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients and beer.
3. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
4. Pour melted butter over mixture.
5. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.
6. UPDATED NOTES: This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.
7. Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. That's because they aren't sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the "correct" way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.
8. I have had many email from you kind folks about using non-alcoholic beverages instead of beer. That is fine to do but I highly recommend adding a packet of Dry Active Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get a proper rise.
9. The final result should be a thick, hearty and very tasteful bread, NOT A BRICK! ;).
10. Thank you all for the incredibly nice comments and those of you who left a bad review - learn to sift sift SIFT! You will be amazed at the results you get.

 
Mustard Sauce:
SUPER easy!!!  Mix about 2 Tbl. dijon with horseradish style mustard with 1/2-1 cup sour cream.  Use this to top your meat or veggies.

A side note about this meal.  I know St. Patty's day meals can often people even without heartburn problems grief.  My father in law was fully expecting to have issues, and he is constantly popping down Tums and Rolaids, anything he can get his hands on on a daily basis.  He had no problems after dinner or leftovers at lunch the next day.  I didn't add any onions on purpose, but maybe another time I would.  I didn't miss them one bit though, this meal was LOADED with lots of flavor!

Meaty Meatloaf with Veggies

3 lbs. Extra Lean Ground Beef(93/7)
1 lb. Italian Style Sausage
2 Eggs
1 15oz. can pumpkin puree(sneaky)
1 bag seasoned stuffing cubes, processed fine in food processor(about 2 cups ground)
2 Tbl. roasted garlic, finely minced
1 large sweet onion, finely diced
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
sugar
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Add about 2 Tbl. olive oil to non-stick spray pan and heat to medium.  Add onions, lower heat, and saute until almost translucent, be careful not to let onions burn or they will become bitter.  Add a pinch of salt, about 2 Tbl. each of balsamic vinegar and sugar.  Simmer until liquid is reduced to at least half.  Add fresh ground pepper and mix well.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to luke warm.

In a large mixer bowl(I use my Kitchenaid because I don't like to touch raw meat) add ground beef, ground sausage, ground stuffing, pumpkin, eggs, garlic, and onions when cool enough(you don't want to add them so hot they will scramble the eggs.  Add about 1 Tbl. of kosher salt and more ground pepper to taste.  Heat oven to 375'.  Use a LARGE roasting pan(I buy the biggest I can find at the dollar tree, turkey size, with a large lip).  Divide meat into two loaves and shape side by side in pan.

Veggies
1 lb. bag baby carrots
5 red potatoes
5 russet potatoes

Scrub and rinse veggies very well.  In a large bowl throw in baby carrots.  Cut potatoes lengthwise and then in wedges approx. 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  You want them similar is size to the carrots so they'll all cook evenly.  Add potatoes to bowl.  Drizzle with approx. 2 Tbl. olive oil and your favorite seasoning, like Pappy's, Lawry's, etc....  Mix well with hands and surround meat loaf with veggies.  Cook on large cookie sheet, uncovered, for 60-90 minutes.  Check it after 45 minutes and cover the veggies if needed so as not to burn.  Internal temp. of meat loaves need to reach 180'.  Cover with foil and let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

The pumpkin is a sneaky way of getting in even more veggies.  You won't notice or even taste it.  Pumpkin is very moist.  A lot of recipes call for milk but I don't do dairy and it works as a perfect replacement.

Ratatouille over Drunken Beef

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion(or Maui), diced

approx. 1 cup chicken, beef, or veggie stock

2 firm eggplants, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced(or 1/4 cup minced chopped from jar)

1 Tbl. dried oregano

fresh ground black pepper

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 packets Stevia(or any other sweetener, sugar)

2 med. zucchini, diced

2 yellow crookneck squash, diced

 

Prepare all veggies ahead of time

Spray large pot with non-stick spray, add diced onion and 1/4-1/2 cup broth.  Cover and simmer until onions are nearly translucent.

 Add eggplant, peppers, spices, garlic, and remaining broth.  Mix well, cover, and let simmer for approx. 10 minutes.  Stir often as eggplant begins to reduce in size.

Add stewed tomatoes and stevia and mix well.  Bring mixture to a boil and simmer about 15 min. 

Add zucchini and squash and mix well.  Cover, and let cook for 5 minutes.

 Mix well again, remove from heat and let sit 15 minutes.

Zucchini will also reduce in size, and should be slightly al dente.

(Use veggie broth and omit beef for vegetarian Ratatouille.)   Serve over couscous, quinoa, or rice for a starchy base.

Paleo would not use sweetener.  I used homemade beef stock

Drunken Beef
1-2 cups red wine(NOT cooking wine)
Any lean steak(such as London Broil) with all visible fat trimmed
5-6 sprigs Rosemary, fresh, cleaned
2 cloves pressed garlic
Seasonings:  Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Salt(optional)

Spread steak out on a large cutting board and season both sides, rubbing in spices and garlic.  Place in large crockpot and pour wine over, enough to cover the meat.  Turn on Low for 6-8 hours, until meat begins to fall apart when pressed with fork.  Remove from crockpot and rest 20 minutes.  Shred for serving.  Serve approx. 4-5 oz. beef on place and smother with Ratatouille.

Chili (I served this at Girls Camp Fundraiser)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans black beans(do not drain)

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 can tomato soup

 2 Heaping Tbl. each Chili Powder & Cumin
2 Tbl. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

 1 Medium Onion, Diced

1 Jalapeno Pepper, finely diced, most of the seeds removed

1 Anaheim Pepper, finely diced, most of the seeds removed

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Tbl. Beef "Better Than Bouillion"

1 3 lb. lean Beef Roast, cooked and shredded

1 lb. chorizo, cooked and drained

Sriracha Sauce to Taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a large slowcooker, combine all ingredients EXCEPT meat.   Add enough water to the cans of beans to rinse all of the grainy fibery goodness out, about half to two thirds up the can.  Swirl around to loosen up all the residue and add "bean juice" to the crockpot.  Stir all the ingredients.  Cook on High 1 hour and turn down to Low for 5-6 hours, until onions are translucent and soft.  In a large non-stick pan, cook chorizo.  Pour into a fine sieve strainer and drain.  Go back and scrape the "bits" left in the pan, you can add a little water to help.  Pour the "bits" and drained chorizo into the chili mixture.  Add shredded beef and stir well.  Cook for one more hour.  The beef will soak up a lot of the liquid and it will thicken up.  Add Sriracha Sauce to taste if you'd like to add more heat.

**I slow-cooked the roast the day before in the crock-pot.  I use London Broil in the crock-pot A LOT, and this would also work well, any cheap cut will do, even pork.

Serve with Honey Corn Bread or Muffins.

Updated, my favorite version(10/10/15)

INGREDIENTS:

3  cans red kidney beans(do not drain)

2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

 1 Heaping Tbl. each Pasilla Chili Powder, California Chili Powder, & Cumin
1 Tbl. Worchestire Sauce

 1 Medium Onion, Diced

1 Tbl. Minced Dried Onion

1 Jalapeno Pepper, finely diced, most of the seeds removed

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Tbl. Beef "Better Than Bouillion" 

1 tsp. ManSmith's Dry Fire Seasoning 

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Combine above ingredients in crockpot and cook on high one hour, then turn down to low and cook another 5-6 hours.

Add the ingredients below and more water if needed and cook on low for another hour.

2 cups cooked and shredded Beef Roast

2 cups cooked ground beef(drain the oil)

1 cup finely diced cooked bacon

1 Tbl. Cocoa Powder(good quality)

Shepherd's Pie

2 lb. extra lean ground top sirloin
Extra-light olive oil
butter
1 yellow onion sliced thin and half-wise
1 lb. mushrooms, stemmed & quartered
1/2-1 cup red wine(non-alcoholic)
2 cups beef broth
2 Tbl. corn starch
1 lb. baby carrots sliced lengthwise & steamed
1/2 cup frozen peas
8 large potatoes, peeled and diced
milk
butter
1 Tbl. fresh rosemary finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste

In a large saute pan brown ground top sirloin, breaking up pieces as it cooks. Drain any grease and set aside in a large bowl. With pan still hot, add 1 Tbl. olive oil and onion. Cook down onions until golden and caramelized, but not burnt. While onions are cooking, steam sliced carrots in microwave until al dente(approx. 4 minutes on high). Add carrots to beef mixture. Add onions to beef in large bowl when translucent. While pan is still hot, add additional 1 Tbl. olive oil and add mushrooms. Cook at high-med heat until golden on all sides. Add 1 Tbl. butter and cook additional minute. Add red wine and lower heat slightly, cook until wine reduces by half. Add salt and pepper and stir. Mix beef broth with 2 Tbl. cornstarch with wire whisk. Pour over mushrooms and stir until thickened. Turn off heat and pour mushroom/gravy mixture over beef mixture and fold until all ingredients are coated. Pour into greased deep 9x13" pan.

In a large pot, bring 2 qts. water and diced potatoes to boil, salt water and reduce heat slightly to avoid boil-over. Cook for approx. 20 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and return to pan. Add 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup milk or sour cream, salt and pepper to taste, rosemary, and mash with potato masher. Spread potatoes over beef mixture. Bake at 375' for approx. 35-40 minutes, uncovered, until top is golden.

California Food Porn....

One of the great things about California - We actually get fresh and sweet strawberries practically year round. What started off as a call from hubby, "What are we having for dinner tonight? Tri-tip sounds good." Became the kick off of the summer season. We left for our trip April 2nd, got home the 14th, to find everything in bloom. Skip spring, go straight to summer. Days like today would be perfect for me year round. Open all the doors, no a/c, slight breeze, with the whiff of everyone else's BBQ's in progress.

Trimmed all the fat off the tri-tip roasts and coated with a garlic rub a friend brought us back from their trip to Gilroy. Let the meat sit out for 1/2 hour at least at room temp and BBQ real slow.

Tri-tip with Garlic Rub:




I also decided to make some BAKED BEANS.

Slow-Cooker Baked Beans:


These rolls seem to be a No. California thing. Never heard of them before moving here, I have my sandwiches made with them even because they are my favorite(second to SLO Sourdough though). Crisp them up in the oven for 10 minutes.

Dutch Crunch Rolls:


Our Table(& key)


I piled my plate with Mixed Greens, topped with a sweet balsamic vinagrette, blue cheese, and the tri-tip. Dipped my roll in CHILI OIL washed down with a tall glass of Herbal Berry Lemonade.

We also decided we needed strawberry shortcake. Not as good as the Sea Shanty's, but still tasty.

Semi-Homemade Shortcakes:



My Semi-Homemade Ice Cream:





The only thing I think missing is a big bowl of BBQ'd veggies and of course, friends!

Marinated Flank Steak Salad

I LOVE the Flank Steak Salad at Diamondback Grill in Sonora, CA. I have a hard time ordering anything else there, it is just SO yummy. Every bite! It consists of a mixed lettuce salad with thinly sliced sweet onions and mushrooms sauteed in a balsamic(I'm assuming) reduction sauce next to it on the plate(In this case, my food can touch), perfectly thin sliced grilled flank steak, and topped with a blue cheese dressing. Here is my version of this salad using leftover bbq boneless beef ribs. Of course you could use any meat fresh of the grill, but this is where leftover steak that has intensified in flavor overnight from it's grilling the night before is great put to use.

Mushrooms & Onions (This is great on top of any grilled meats, not just this salad)
2 sweet maui onions cut in half and then sliced very thin.
2 lbs. sliced mushrooms
olive oil
1/8 cup sugar
sea salt
white pepper
balsamic vinegar

Bring a large sautee pan to high heat and pour in just enough olive oil to coat the pan. Spread onion slices in pan and stir occasionally. Just as the onions start to become translucent add mushrooms and drizzle approx. 1/4 cup-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar over the mixture, add dash of ground sea salt, sugar, sprinkle white pepper over, and toss to mix. Cook the mushrooms and onions, stirring/flipping occasionally until the mixture cooks down. Turn off heat.

Lay out lettuce on plate, top with sliced meat(warm), serve some mushrooms and onion on the side of the plate. Top with blue cheese dressing, or your favorite.

My favorite dressing now(thank you Shelby!) is a mixture of poppyseed and red wine vinaigrette. What turned me onto this is mixing equal parts Brianna's Rich Poppyseed (has a peach on the front label) and the Blush Wine Vinaigrette(has the strawberry on the label). But, in watching the waistline, I mix any lowfat poppyseed, my new favorite being Safeway's "Eating Right" Onion Poppyseed. Mix that with any fat free or lowfat red wine vinaigrette, and it's really close!

Diamondback Grill serves this salad up with some sliced garlic toasted ciabatta bread. I would have taken a picture, but I was too busy pigging out. Oh, and my kids ate every last bit on their plates.

Crockpot Meatloaf Dinner

This was a huge hit with the family tonight. Yay! And thank goodness for Slow Cooker Bags for easy and fast clean up! I love Reynolds.

First I took a bag each of baby red and yellow potatoes, cut into bit size pieces and put in the bottom of the crockpot(in bag). Sprinkle with spices such as salt, fresh ground pepper, parsley flakes, onion powder, etc.... and sprinkle with olive oil. Mix it well. Then you place the meat"loaf" on top of it.

For meatloaf:
3 lbs.(we like leftovers) extra lean ground beef
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1 cup of oatmeal(uncooked)
2 eggs
1 cup of ketsup
2-3 Tbls. spicy brown mustard
1 envelope onion soup mix
salt, pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients and shape into a loaf and place on top of potatoes. Drizzle ketsup over the top of the loaf, cover, and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Serve with a veggie, our kids favorite with THIS dish is corn.