Irish Corned Beef Potato Skins

Do you ever look in your refrigerator at your leftovers and think, “What can I create with these?” Well, look no further when it comes to your St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef Dinner leftovers. Irish Corned Beef Potato Skins is so satisfying. Make a big salad and slice some of your Irish Soda bread and you’ve got a great “new” dinner.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,

Vonnie

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes, 8-10 oz. each, scrubbed clean

oil for rubbing on potatoes

2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoon milk

1 Tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1 1/4 cup rough chopped corned beef

2 cup leftover cooked cabbage

2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

 

 

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Rub each potato lightly with oil. Bake the potatoes until completely tender, about an hour. Remove potatoes from the oven but don’t turn the oven off. Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes.

 

2. Halve each potato lengthwise and scoop out the potato flesh into a large bowl using a soup spoon, being careful to leave about a 3/8 inch layer of potato flesh in the skin (this keeps the potato skin stable). Return the hollowed-out potato skins to the oven to dry out and crisp up slightly, about 10 min. Remove from the oven and set aside.

 

3. Mash the potato flesh until mostly smooth using a fork or a potato masher. Add the melted butter, salt and pepper, mix to combine. Add the sour cream, milk and mustard, mix to combine again. Add the corned beef, cabbage and 1 cup of the cheese, mix thoroughly.

 

4. Mound the filing into the potato skins on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese. Return to the 400 degree oven, bake 10 min. Keeping the oven rack in the middle position, turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese turns is bubbly 3-5minutes.

 

 

Creamy Potato and Broccoli Soup

This seems like the perfect recipe to share today. Here in Michigan we expected to get hit hard by a winter storm. This soup is hearty and will warm you up no matter what state you live in.
A couple of variations could be: 1. I used a hot pepper cheese, but I think any kind of cheddar or combination of your favorite cheeses would work well.  2. I used a smoked applewood thick cut bacon, but a peppered bacon, or pancetta might be nice. 3. If you have some wonderful chicken stock, that would be perfect. If you are like me than you can use a wonderful product. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base. I love this stuff!! Also, you could use a vegetable broth. 

For those meat free-ers, just omit that step. Make sure if you don’t have some bacon grease to brown the vegetables, use 2 TBSP. of olive oil.

Stay warm and safe.

Enjoy and Happy cooking,

Vonnie

Ingredients:

 

3 slices Thick Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces

1  whole Medium Onion, Diced

3 whole Carrots, Scrubbed Clean And Diced

3 stalks Celery, Diced

3 whole medium Idaho Potatoes, Peeled And Diced

2 cups of broccoli,  chopped (fresh or frozen)

6 cups  Chicken or Vegetable Broth

3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

2 cups Milk

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 cups grated cheese of your choice

1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste (optional)

 Pepper To Taste

 

 

Directions:

Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off all but 2 TBSP. of grease, and do not clean the pot.

Return the hot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes and broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove  1/2 the soup and blend in a blender,food processor, or large bowl that you can use your immersion blender and blend until completely smooth. (Remember if you are using your blender, DO NOT PUT THE LID ON!! Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Stir in grated cheese, cream, and bacon. Stir until everything is combined and melted.
Serves:6

Golden Granola

This a wonderful addition to your breakfast yogurt and fruit. Or have a bowl with some milk to jump-start your busy day.  I also package this in small snack-size zip bags so I can enjoy it as an afternoon snack.

Hope you enjoy and Happy cooking,

Vonnie

 Ingredients:

5 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup slivered almonds or walnuts pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup golden raisins or dried fruit

 

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients; mix well. In a saucepan, cook oil, brown sugar, honey, water and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon to a greased jelly roll baking sheet. Bake at 275 degrees F for 1 hour or until golden, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely. Stir in raisins or dried fruit.

Cranberry Orange Scones

I made these scones this morning! By far the BEST scone recipe I have made. I adapted it from a recipe from Zuni Cafe. If you visit The City by the Bay, make sure you go to Zuni Cafe!

Happy Cooking and Enjoy!                                                                                       

Vonnie

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( I use King Arthur Flour)

4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks) cold salted butter cut into small pieces

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 egg

1/2 cup  2% cold milk

1 Tablespoon orange juice

Turbinado sugar

Directions:                                                                                                     

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 jelly roll pans with parchment paper or Silpats (I use Silpats and LOVE them). 2. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix well.

3. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or 2 forks until the butter is the size of small peas.

4. Add dried cranberries and orange zest and toss well.

5. Whisk together the egg, milk, and orange juice. Stir this into the dry ingredients, and GENTLY mix until the dough comes together and everything is well moistened.

6. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. On a lightly floured work surface, pat each ball into a flat 7 inch circle. Roll out each circle until it is 3/4 inch thick. With pizza cutter, cut each round into 8 wedges.

7. Arrange the wedges in the parchment paper or Silpat lined pans without crowding(this is really important as these rise really well and they will end up touching and not toast on the edges). Sprinkle each scone with Turbinado sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Related articles

• Crunchy-Top Vanilla Scones| Dinner Recipes | Best Recipes | Babble (babble.com)

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I am sure it doesn’t come to a surprise I am posting a recipe for a coffee drink.  Most of you know and appreciate my love affair with this enveloping drink.  Ever since I was a little girl, I had a fascination with it.  I used to love helping my Grandma Taylor make her morning coffee. We would fill the percolator and listen and wait!  As soon as it was time, my Grandma would pour herself a cup in her Corning Ware Crazy Daisy cup and take a cup to my Grandpa.  She would then  make a wonderful concoction of  a little bit of coffee mixed with a lot of milk and sugar!  We would sit at her kitchen table sipping our cup o’ joe, talking and laughing!  I loved those days.

Over second and third cups flow matters of high finance, high state, common gossip and low comedy. Coffee  is a social binder, a warmer of tongues, a soberer of minds, a stimulant of wit, a foiler of sleep if you want it so. From roadside mugs to the classic demi-tasse, it is the perfect democrat.  ~The New York Times, 1949

I love this quote.  I think of it often in the silence of my morning coffee.  I image sharing it with my Grandma.  And just like old times, together we would sit at the kitchen table sipping our coffee, talking and laughing.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,

Vonnie                                                   

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                         

Ingredients: 

             2 Cups Milk                                                                   

 2 Tablespoons Canned Pumpkin (not pie mix)                                                                                                            

             1-2 Tablespoons Sugar                                                                             

 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice                                                            

             1 Tablespoon Vanilla                                        

 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee                                 

 Garnishes:                              

             Whipped cream                                          

 Dash pumpkin pie spice                                           

 

Direction:                                 

 In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk, pumpkin and sugar over medium heat until hot (do not boil). Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, the vanilla and coffee.

 Pour into 2 large mugs. Garnish each with whipped cream and a dash pumpkin pie spice.

Related articles

• Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Other Healthy Pumpkin Products (savings.com)
• pumpkin pie bars (tutti-dolci.com)

Grandma Taylor’s Cabbage Rolls

an·tic·i·pa·tion

noun

1.the act of anticipating or the state of being anticipated.

2.realization in advance; foretaste.

3.expectation or hope.

4.previous notion; slight previous impression.

5.intuition, foreknowledge, or prescience.

Origin:  1540–50; (< Middle French ) < Latin anticipātiōn- (stem of anticipātiō ), equivalent to anticipāt ( us ) (past participle; see anticipate) + -iōn- -ion

Why did I start my blog off with the definition of anticipation?

To enrich my readings vocabulary?

Sure…but I am confident you already frequent this word in your daily life.

To educate you in the origin?

Ok….I do love finding the derivation from a source.

To make my readers wait just a few more seconds for my most requested recipe?

YES!!

                                                                                                       

SO…..here it is the most requested recipe.  When I make these or my mother makes these for parties everyone asks “Can I PLEASE have the recipe?”

BUT…before I divulge the secret,  I have to tell you how this recipe started in my family.

Here goes….

As you have read in my other posts, I had the most wonderful Grandma in the world.  She was smart, and funny, and beautiful.  I loved her with all my heart and I wanted to grow up to be just like her.  She worked in the Trumbull County Recorders office. Anything that when through the courts, crossed my Grandmother’s desk and she recorded it in huge ledger books. I used to love to go to her office. Anyhow…

She was friends with the”local” celebrity Norma Antenucci.  Norma had a local cooking show back in the 60′s, and she published a cookbook called “Norma presents….. a collection of her favorite recipes. (I have my Grandma’s signed copy)

My Grandma would make these cabbage rolls when I was growing up and it was always a big family favorite.  My mother carried on the family tradition after my Grandma passed. And now it is my turn.

My family isn’t one of those richly ethnic families with great traditions passed down generation to generation. I always dreamed of being in a family that was so lucky .  But I do have some stories and recipes that come close. We were a very close family and I always loved my Sunday’s with my Grandma and Grandpa Taylor.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and my family does.  And I would be honored if it became one of your traditions and much-anticipated recipes in your repertoire.

Hope you enjoy and Happy Cooking,

Vonnie

Grandma Taylor’s Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1/2 pound pork sausage or ground pork

3/4 cup raw rice

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/8 tsp. celery salt

1 large head cabbage

1 large can sauerkraut, drained

1 can tomato paste diluted with 3 cans of water.

Directions:

Cook head of cabbage, core side up, in saucepan with about 2 inches of water.  Cover.  Steam just long enough for the leaves to become pliable and easily removed.  Cut off tough core at bottom of leaf.

Combine meat, raw rice, slightly beaten eggs and seasonings.

Place a large spoonful of meat mixture on cabbage leaf and roll leaf starting at the bottom end of leaf.  Tuck under the sides to give packaged look.  Make as many rolls until you’ve used all the meat mixture.

Make a layer of sauerkraut in bottom of roasting pan.  Place a layer of cabbage rolls on top of kraut.  Repeat until all cabbage rolls are used and end with sauerkraut on the top.  Pour tomato sauce over all.  Cover tightly.  Bake in a moderate oven 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours.

My Grandma and my mother always serve these with Mashed potatoes.

*I have also done this recipe in the crockpot and it comes out perfectly.

Summer Time Strawberry and Nut Salad with a Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette

This morning I woke up realizing “Today is the first day of my summer break! I am home… Well, that isn’t going to stop me.”  I got my chores done early, I made myself a glass of sweet tea, I suited up in my beach attire, and grabbed my sandchair….”WAIT…. no beach or ocean?….No worries”. I grabbed my Ipad, set up my sandchair in the middle of my patio, sweet tea in hand, chicklit beach book in the other and I was off to the “beach”!

 

 

“Except I don’t smell fresh ocean air. I smell the remnants of my dogs morning feeding that didn’t get picked up(if you know what I mean), and I don’t hear seagulls or waves crashing….WAIT!….I have Ambiance on my Ipad!… I hear waves and seagulls!! I have a sweet tea, a sandchair and a smutty book… Still no sand, but the bricks are hot and it’s a sunny day with a breeze…..EXCEPT… The neighbor kids are riding their bikes and ringing their bike bells yelling, “Shut up, I’m telling!”…NO!!…I am at the “beach”! I hear the waves and seagulls, I smell my suntan lotion, and I feel the heat of the sun…BEEP, BEEP, BEEP… What is that? Is that a delivery truck? ….DING, DING, DING….SHUT UP!!….I’M TELLING!!…MOM!!!……. What’s that odor? Oh yea….Stupid Dogs! …. OMG!!!…. Was that a frog that just hoped by my feet?…. MOM… I’M TELLING…. DING, DING, DING!!!

AWWWWWW……

OK….

I am not at the beach….I am on my patio, hearing sounds and smelling odors that do not resonate from the beach….BUT I am thinking of summer time recipes and most importantly recipes that are easy to put together, but really pack a punch of different flavors and “challenge” me to try different ingredients together!” 

This salad is your canvas. Add your own colors and make it your own!  It’s the delectable match. If you want, add some grilled chicken, steak or a fresh crab cake. It’s perfect!

PS….this dressing is to die for!!

Enjoy and Happy cooking,

Vonnie

Salad:

5-6 cups Mixed Greens of your liking

1 Pound strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced

1/2 cup nuts( almonds or macadamia nut work best) chopped  

1 handful of white chocolate shavings

Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. unsalted butter

2 1/2 oz. brown sugar

2 oz. honey

1 vanilla bean

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 oz. olive oil

Directions:

In a large serving bowl, place washed and spin-dried greens. Toss in sliced strawberries and chopped nuts. Meanwhile in a saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat and stir in brown sugar and honey. Split vanilla bean in half and core (use the pulp only). Transfer butter mixture and vanilla pulp to a blender. Add vanilla extract and pulse for 2 minutes. Slowly add olive oil, pulsing to incorporate. Return to saucepan and keep over low heat until ready to use.

  Dress salad with vinaigrette and top with white chocolate shavings and choice of meat if desired. 

Related articles

• Strawberry and watermelon salad with orange blossom syrup (saffronandhoney.com)
• Summer Fruit Salad with Coconut Whipped Cream (livelearnloveeat.com)
• Strawberry Pecan Salad (stealsdealsandsqueals.com)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I grew up in a house where bread and cookies were homemade. Every week my mother would make homemade white bread and cookies for our lunches and dinners.  There were always cookies in the cookie jar. And believe it or not I would ask my mom if we could buy Oreos or Chips Ahoy almost every Saturday when we would go to the store.  But my mother would always say, ” Absolutely Not”.

One of my favorites  was my moms Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  They were so soft and chewy and I couldn’t get enough of them.  The only thing I have done to my mom’s recipe was add just a dash of fresh ground nutmeg.  I usually get 4 dozen cookies out of this recipe. I use my Pampered Chef medium scoop.

A plate of cookies and a glass of iced-cold milk. YUM!!

I have added one Variation and I know some of you will think it is crazy, but once you try it you will be hooked.  The add-in : BACON.  It makes it a breakfast-on -the- go cookie!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                               

Vonnie

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup granulated sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/2  teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 cups oatmeal, old-fashioned, uncooked
• 1   heaping cup raisins

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, fresh ground nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.  In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well.  Add vanilla.   Add flour mixture a little at a time until fully combined.   Fold in oats and raisins, mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Variation:

6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled in chunks.  Add with the oats and raisins.

Zuppa Toscana

In need of a great dinner? Look no farther. This soup is so satisfying and takes no time to prepare! If you are not a fan of Kale or Swiss Chard you can substitute Spinach.  A nice salad and crusty bread makes this a perfect meal!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,

Vonnie

 Ingredients:                                                                               

1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage

1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups chicken stock or broth

6  Yukon potato, thinly sliced

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups kale or swiss chard,  chopped

                                                                                                                

    Directions

Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.  Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat. Add potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add Kale and simmer another 10 minutes. Check potatoes. They should be fork tender. Add cream and cooked sausage. Heat until warm.

Chocolate-Mint Overlaod Cake

I love this time of year when the Girl Scouts deliver my much anticipated order. Of course I have several boxes of the Thin Mints! I love to take them and add them to cake mixes and make my guests smile as they enjoy a delicious dessert that took me no time to make.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                                    

Vonnie

Ingredients:

1-18.25 oz. chocolate cake mix

1-3.9 oz.package chocolate instant pudding mix

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup Girl Scout thin mint cookie crumbs

1- 8 oz container sour cream

4 large eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

powdered sugar

Directions:

Mix together the first eight ingredients in a large bowl until all are blended. Pour batter into a well greased and floured 12 cup Bundt pan. (I use a Tablespoon or more of cocoa powder instead of flour)

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place on serving dish. Cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.