#15 -Fixin' Floors and Dad's Beef Stroganoff

Fixin' stuff with Dad.

Dad and I spent the better part of the week on a minor remodel of our bathroom. Apparently, the toilet had been leaking for who knows how long and had turned the underlayment to mush. Some of the subfloor was pretty bad too!

Stripped it all down...

...and here's my new floor!

Of course I didn't stop with the floor! We decided to get a new vanity and sink.  I also got the bright idea to install wainscoting! Oh, and we had a stubborn leak under the sink.  I think it's all done now though. It needs some new paint but that's gonna have to be a Summer project 'cuz I'm done!

 

In between all that fixin', Dad offered to cook dinner!! You better believe I took him up on the offer!! He made a super yummy beef stroganoff.  His recipe called for mushrooms, which I am NOT a fan of, but it was really good! I didn't even taste the fungi!

 

 

Dad's Beef Stroganoff

Adapted from Paula Deen.

Yield: 4 servings (although if actually fed 6 of us)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds cubed round steak, cut into thin strips
•  All-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• Kosher salt
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• Cooked egg noodles

Directions
 

Sprinkle the steak strips with salt and pepper, and then dust with flour. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices, garlic and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.

 

(Recipe #15 of 52)

 

#11/#12 Guinness Stew & Irish Soda Bread

It's St. Patrick's Day and I celebrated the way I know best... with Mumford & Son's playing on the iPad, I got busy heating up the kitchen.

 

Irish Soda Bread

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk*, shaken
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup dried currants (I used raisins instead)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk and egg together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants (or raisins) with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 
*I didn't have any buttermilk, so I made my own.  I used 2 cups whole milk and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Let it sit in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Stir before using.

Guinness Stew and Irish Mash

Recipe adapted from The Berroness

Ingredients
For Guinness Stew:

• 4 strips thick cut bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into cubes
• kosher salt and cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 12 ounces stout beer
• 2 cups beef broth (or stock)
  1½ cups baby carrots 

For Irish Mash:

• 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups cabbage, chopped
• ½ cup green onions, chopped
• 1 cup whole milk
• kosher salt and cracked pepper, to taste

 

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon.

Remove the bacon from the pot. Chop and set aside. Pour off bacon grease until about 2 Tbsp of bacon grease remain in the pot.

Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the pot.

Sprinkle the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Add to the pot, sear on all sides until browned, and remove from pot (beef will not be cooked through).

Add the onions. Cook until lightly caramelized, about ten minutes.

Sprinkle with flour, stir until flour has turned brown, about 1 minute.

Add the stout and stir, scraping to deglaze the pan. Pour in the broth.

Add the beef cubes and bacon back into the pot. Throw in carrots. Add the lid at a slight vent and reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Allow to simmer until beef is fork tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

While the beef is cooking, make the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a pot of salted water, bring to a boil and allow to cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain, remove potatoes from the pot and return the empty pot to heat. Melt the butter in the pot. Add the cabbage and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the green onions. Remove from heat, and add in the milk and the potatoes. Mash and stir until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

(recipes #11 & #12 of 52)



#9 - Sweet Cornbread

I hadn't been to the grocery store yet and didn't feel much like going, so I needed to pull something together for dinner from what I already had in the kitchen.  We had some leftover brisket, tri-tip and pulled pork from our new favorite barbecue place, Leadbelly’s and I didn't want that to go to waste.  I threw a bunch of stuff (black beans, onions, fire roasted tomatoes, chili beans, spices, fire roasted frozen corn, and the meat) in a pot and voila… Leadbelly Chili!  There won’t be a recipe post for that one being that it was just a grab and dump kind of thing!  I AM posting the recipe I used for the cornbread I made to go with it.  Here ya go:

Sweet Cornbread

Recipe from High Heels and Grills

Makes 1 - 9x13 pan

Ingredients:

4 eggs, whites and yolks seperated

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup cornmeal

2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a medium-size bowl, combine egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and melted butter and stir.

Mix in cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt - stirring to incorporate, but do not over mix.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold them into the batter.

Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure it is cooked through.

(Recipe #9 of 52)

#7 Sautéed Chicken with Sage Brown Butter

I needed something to serve with the Asparagus Soufflé and this chicken paired nicely with it.  As usual, I changed a few things in the recipe, but it was still simple and very flavorful. The sage brown butter sauce... so good!!

Sautéed Chicken with Sage Brown Butter
Adapted from myrecipes.com.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter

2 sage sprigs

1 tablespoon minced shallots (I didn’t have shallots, so I used onion)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Fresh sage leaves (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place each breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness (I used thin-cut breasts instead and skipped this step). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; melt 2 tbsp. butter. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 4-5 minutes. add another 2 tbsp. butter before flipping the chicken and cook another 5 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan.

3. Add 3 tablespoons butter and sage sprigs to pan; cook over medium heat until butter browns. Discard sage. Add shallots and thyme; cook for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; cook for 30 seconds. Serve with chicken. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired.

(#7 of 52)

#5 - Sun Dried Tomato-Basil Cream Chicken

What can I say other than, “I love this chicken!!”?  Seriously, I’m kinda patting myself on the back for coming up with this one!  It’s super easy and SUPER delicious!

If you can’t find thin sliced chicken breasts, you can just pound out a few regular breasts (the junior higher inside me just giggle while I typed that… hee, hee).  I had to go to two different stores to find sun dried tomatoes.  They are usually with the canned tomatoes.  Sometimes you can find them dried and you just let them sit in some hot water to plump ‘em back up.

I served this with buttered penne rigate pasta and a tossed salad.  It would also be fantastic with garlic mashed red potatoes!  I had a beautiful, soft loaf of Italian bread to go with it, but I forgot about it... I see some sort of French toast in my future!  Anyway, eat up and let me know how you like it!

Sun Dried Tomato-Basil Cream Chicken

Serves: 4
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

¼ cup milk
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 pound thin sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons butter
½ tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces sun dried tomatoes, julienned
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup parmesan; shaved
boursin cheese spread, garlic & herbs flavored
⅛ teaspoon Pepper

Instructions:

Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Place milk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls.  Dip chicken in milk, and then coat with crumbs.
Melt ½ of the butter in skillet with garlic. Add chicken and cook about 5 min.  Add remaining butter flip chicken and cook another 5-8 min or until chicken is cooked.  Remove and set aside.
Add broth to skillet bring to boil over medium heat.  Stir in cream and sun dried tomatoes; boil and stir for 1 min.
Reduce heat, add parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons boursin cheese, basil and pepper; cook and stir until heated through.
Add the chicken back into the sauce.
Serve chicken covered in sauce and topped with 1 scoop of remaining boursin cheese.

(Recipe 5 of 52)

# 4 - Green Goddess Salad

Last month, I had lunch with my son at the Jazz Kitchen (Downtown Disney).  I had their Green Goddess Salad and have been dreaming of it ever since…

...romaine hearts, Granny Smith apples, cherry tomatoes, apple-wood smoked bacon, toasted pumpkin seeds, feta cheese, Green Goddess dressing… it was oh, so good!!  I just had to try making it at home!

I wanted to make sure my guys would still feel like they were having a “meal” and not just a salad, so I added some chicken to it, but it’s just a good without. Oh, and the anchovies… I didn't have any and refused to get any, so I made my dressing without.  I may have also "over dressed" our salad.  Add the dressing a little bit at a time until you've achieved desired coverage (the recipe makes more than enough).

  

Green Goddess Salad

inspired by Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

3-4 romaine hearts, washed and chopped
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 Granny Smith apple, diced

½ cup pumpkin seeds

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Green Goddess Dressing

1-2 Chicken breasts, cooked and sliced (optional)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until everything is evenly coated with dressing.  Serve immediately.

Basil Green Goddess Dressing

from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:

1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons anchovy paste (optional)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream

Combine all of the ingredients except the sour cream in a food processor or blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Add the sour cream and pulse just until blended. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Directions:

Makes about 2 cups.

(Recipe 4 of 52)

#3 - CROCKPOT BRAISED BEEF RAGU WITH POLENTA

Cream of wheat. Grits. Polenta. I love it all! Warm and creamy, the definition of comfort food!  So of course I would be all over a recipe that involves one of my favorites!

If you’ve never had polenta, it’s like cream of wheat but it’s made with cornmeal. Water, salt, cornmeal and a little bit of butter… easy peasy! Some people prefer a firm polenta “cake” which you’ll get by pouring the cooked polenta into a pan and letting it sit. I’ll eat it just about any way! When we go to Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria (my guys’ favorite pizzeria), I always order a side of creamy polenta (with a little marinara sauce).  They eat pizza and I eat polenta! Mmmm….. Enough about me, you’re here for the recipe!
  

It sounds fancier and like you spent all day slaving over the stove if you leave off the “crockpot” part... braised beef ragu with polenta.  It’s up to you.  I do have to give the crock its props though, because it smells delicious while the beef is slow-cooking to perfection and I barely work up a sweat in the prep.  That’s my kind of recipe, simple!

Have I mentioned how seriously yummy it was yet? Really! While I was eating it I kept thinking, “I actually made this”!  I was also thinking, “Take it easy, you don’t have to eat the whole pot”!  The Hubs and my son that didn’t leave me yet for higher learning ate heartily too.  “Mmmm, good,” and “Thanks Mom,” were the reviews given.  I served it with a salad and warm bread.  The ragu was even tastier the next day.  Ladies and gentlemen, this one is DEFINITELY a keeper!

Manga!  I'm off to find the next recipe….

CROCKPOT BRAISED BEEF RAGU WITH POLENTA

Adapted from: Pinch of Yum

Serves: 10

INGREDIENTS

For the Braised Beef Ragu

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         3 lbs. beef rump roast or round roast

·         half a yellow or white onion, minced

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 28-ounce can San Marzano whole tomatoes

·         ½ cup red wine

·         3 tablespoons tomato paste

·         1 teaspoon basil

·         1 teaspoon oregano

·         2 bay leaves

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         black pepper to taste

For the Polenta

·         6 cups water

·         1-2 teaspoons salt

·         1¾ cup finely ground yellow cornmeal

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the roast and fry on each side for about 5 minutes, turning until the whole exterior is golden brown. If you’re short on time you can skip this step, but searing the meat really keeps the yummy flavor in!

2.    Place all remaining ingredients with the beef in a crockpot or slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the beef falls apart easily when pulled at with two forks. I put the beef in a pyrex pan to shred it into pieces.  Then add it back to the crockpot and give it a good stir.  I pulled the bay leaves out at this point – nobody likes to chomp down on a bay leaf, well I don’t!

3.    For the polenta, bring salted water to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. The polenta will start to thicken quickly. Continue whisking or stirring for 2-3 minutes before removing from heat. Stir in the butter until melted. Stir in the parmesan now if you’re using it, but why wouldn’t you?  For solid and chewy polenta, pour into a rectangular dish, let cool for 15-20 minutes, and cut into pieces. For softer, creamy polenta (so good), serve immediately topped with a big ol’ scoop of beef ragu.  Sprinkle on some parmesan or chopped parsley if you want.

Recipe #3 of 52