Corned Beef and Cabbage

St. Patrick's Day is upon us. That means corned beef and cabbage season around this house. I have to share that we LOVE corned beef and cabbage any time of the year. My goodness, a good corned beef is easy to make. My kids love the vegetables as much as the corned beef. And believe it or not, they like the cabbage. So good.  Try this easy recipe for a great dinner with the kids.

The fun thing about cooking is you can share the history of food with your children. It get's them engaged in the process. For example, kids might ask, "Dad, why do they call it Corned Beef is there is no corn." We actually looked it up and discovered:  Originally the word “corn” came from the Germanic word “kurnam,” meaning “small seed.” In the 17th century, salted beef started taking on the name “corned beef” in some parts of England because of the large “kernels” of rock salt used to preserve it.  (Google search - it's there when you need it) 

Getting started: First, I make my corn beef in the slow cooker. Let me explain why. Corned beef is traditionally done in the oven. I find it to be a bit tough when cooked in the oven. Others do a boiled version which I find is great. However, the best way to make corn beef is in a slow cooker. A slow cooker takes advantage of cooking all day, which makes the corned beef very tender. I will explain why that is important as we proceed.

Ingredients

Corned Beef - Flat or Point Cut
Cabbage
Flavor Packet
Baby Carrots (1 bag)
Red Potatoes (small if you find them)
Celery
1 bottle of beer (Stout is amazing, however any beer will due)

Add the corned beef to the crockpot, along with one bottle of beer and the flavor packet. Slow cook on low for 4 hours. Next, add the vegetables and slow cook for another 90mins on low. For the next 30-45 mins, place the cabbage on top of the corned beef and veggies and cook on high. Check to ensure that the cabbage is tender.

Cabbage Option #2 - Add the cabbage and veggies together with the cabbage on top after 4 hours. The cabbage will be much more tender and will absorb more of the flavors within the brine.

This is a very simple recipe. We serve the meal with the brine at the bottom. Everything is served together. We use yellow mustard for the corned beef and the vegetables for additional flavor.

Panettone French Bread

For years, I would get a Panettone Bread for a gift and have no idea what to do with it. For those new to Panettone, it is a bread in a box that consists of a dough similar to sourdough, and has candied oranges, raisins and lemon zest. It is commonly a dessert. Not one I or my kids are particularly fond of at all.

One day, my son and I thought it would be a good bread to use for French Toast. We cut thick slices of bread and the BAM....what a great version of French Toast. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

3 eggs
4 tsps. of Brown Sugar
1-2 tsps. of Cinnamon
A dash of pumpkin spice or nutmeg (optional)
Panettone Bread
Stick of butter

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, brown sugar, and spices. Whisk for about 1-2 minutes. Preheat a 12 inch skillet to medium heat. Melt a mad of butter to coat the pan. Next, cut thick longitudinal slices of the bread. Dip both sides of bread into the bowl and lightly cook on each side until a light golden brown.

Serve with Maple Syrup and enjoy.

Bow Ties and Broccoli Alfredo

My kids love Broccoli and Bow Ties in Alfredo Sauce. Easy to make, and quite tasty. Here is an easy recipe my son Caden and I make together.

Preparation:

16 oz bag of Broccoli or Fresh Cut Broccoli
1lb of Bow Ties Pasta
Dad's Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Prepare the Alfredo Sauce first in a separate Medium Sized Sauce Pan

Ingredients

1 Pint Heavy Cream

1/2 stick of butter

8 oz Fresh Parmesan Cheese ( Or 4 oz Asiago and 4 oz of Parmesan)

Cracked Pepper

In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and butter. Slowly, add the Parmesan cheese. Bring the ingredients to a thick consistency over a medium heat. Remove and let settle.  A sprig of cracked pepper on top adds to the flavor After 10 minutes, you can add the mixture to pasta.
In a separate 4 quart pan, prepare the bow tie pasta according to the directions. (Do not forget the salt for boiling as bow ties easily will stick together)

In a skillet, add the Bow Ties, Broccoli, and Alfredo Sauce together. Bring the Alfredo to a soft boil to ensure that the broccoli will be steamed to perfection. (Roughly 10-15 minutes until the broccoli is tender)

Serve in a bowl. Provide some fresh cracked pepper and parmesan cheese of top and enjoy!

Easy Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce is easy to make. We love Alfredo and Pasta with multiple recipes that we will share in future posts. For now, here is how we make Alfredo Sauce:

Ingredients

1 Pint Heavy Cream

1/2 stick of butter

8 oz Fresh Parmesan Cheese ( Or 4 oz Asiago and 4 oz of Parmesan)

Cracked Pepper

In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and butter. Slowly, add the Parmesan cheese. Bring the ingredients to a thick consistency over a medium heat. Remove and let settle.  A sprig of cracked pepper on top adds to the flavor After 10 minutes, you can add the mixture to pasta.

Dad's Notes: I have made Alfredo in cooked pasta. I have found that it is easier when time is short. It is up to you. You can use a grated parmesan, however fresh in my opinion makes all the difference.

Strawberry Smoothie

Smoothies are a favorite in our house. We make all kinds. If we post them on our blog, it went through many trials before posting.

We tried a new smoothie recipe for strawberries. A bit different that our other smoothies. We hope you like it.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2  Cups Frozen Strawberries
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup 2% Mile
1 Cup Frozen Vanilla Ice Cream
2 tsps. of sugar
(Optional Pure Vanilla instead of Vanilla Ice Cream)

Place all of the ingredients in a blender. The frozen strawberries replace the ice we normally use in smoothies. They provide for a nice consistency. Tinker with the amounts of OJ of Mild to change the consistency to your liking.

Chicken Wing Dip- Super Bowl Favorite By Caden Giardino

Hey all of you football fans, the Super Bowl is around the corner and what does that mean? Parties! It's time for a classic dish that everyone is sure to love.

Ingredients-

8 oz of cream cheese 

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast 

8 oz ranch (or blue cheese)

1/2 cup hot sauce
 

Preparation

Put all ingredients in a 1 quart cooking dish

preheat oven to 350 

bake for 20 minutes 

when cool add green onions on top (optional)

This delicious dip is ready to serve!

Buffalo Chicken Wings - Finger Licking Good

Dads, chicken wings are easy to make. Whether a deep fryer or the fry pan, chicken wings can be a great appetizer or snack for the big game. Here is a simple recipe for Buffalo Chicken Wings. First, how to prepare the wings.

Wing Preparation

2-4 lbs wings - (If Frozen - Try to defrost prior to frying.)
Deep Fryer - Follow the directions that came with the fryer.
Pan  Fry - Layer the pen with a coating of vegetable oil. About 1/8th to 1/4th inches. Pre-heat the oil to a medium heat.
(Healthy Alternative - Use Coconut Oil.)

Fry the wings until crispy. To ensure that the wings are evenly cooked, be sure to frequently rotate the wings in the pan. (Deep Fryers Are Simple - Drop and Fry Until Crispy - You will have a suggested time in your manual for wings - If not use a timer)

Buffalo Wing Sauce

2/3 cup hot pepper sauce (Any Louisiana Sauce Is Fine)
1 Stick of Butter

1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce                              
1/4 Cup Cayenne Pepper                                    
1/4 Cup of Yellow Mustard

Heat the burner on your stove to a low/med heat setting. Add all of the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Stir the ingredients together as the butter starts to melt. within a few minutes, you will have the wing sauce. Try different variations for hotness.

In a Tupperware bowl add the wings and the sauce on top. Shake the bowl to evenly coat the wings.
You are finished.

Tips on wings - Try a light breading on the wings. Flour, salt and pepper as a light coating can give the wings a different texture.