Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!! Corned Beef

Hope you're all wearing green today, because everyone is Irish on March 17! I love this holiday. Being almost 100% Irish, I've always enjoyed going about my day and seeing everyone wearing green and being cheerful. My Dutch husband also loves this day for another reason: corned beef. I usually make it a few times around this day and he never gets tired of it. Corned beef is super easy and you can easily make it in a crockpot as well.

Ingredients:

2-3 pound corned beef brisket
1 spice packet (usually comes with the corned beef package)
salt and pepper
2 cups water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove brisket from package and dry with paper towels.

2. Place the brisket in a dutch oven, fat side up. Add the water, till the brisket is surrounded by 1 inch of water. Sprinkle the spice packet all over brisket. Add some fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of salt. Be very lite on the salt, since the brisket is already cured and has salt in it.

3. Cover the dutch oven and place in the preheated oven. Roast for about 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven, remove the lid and turn up the oven to 375 degrees. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes more.

4. Remove from oven and let rest for about 20 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Place in pot, fat side up.

Add water, spices, salt and pepper and through in the oven.

Boil some cabbage while the brisket is resting.

Slice and enjoy!

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and black pepper

Olive oil

3 large carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 12 oz package of baby portobello mushrooms

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoons thyme 

1 6oz can of tomato paste

1 1/2 cups good red wine

2 cups beef stock

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes.

Serves 8

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Take the beef and patch dry. Season the beef generously with kosher salt and pepper. Place the flour in a small bowl. Once the oil is heated, place a few pieces of beef in the flour and lightly coat, then immediately brown in the hot oil. Brown all of the beef in small batches. You may have to add a tablespoon of olive oil, in between each batch. Place the browned beef on a plate and set aside.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the dutch oven. Add the carrot, celery, mushrooms, onions and garlic to the dutch oven. Season generously with salt and cook for about 5 minutes, till the veggies are soft.
4. Next add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute. Next add the wine and stir till the stew is thick, about 1 minute. Next add the beef, beef stock, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and place in the oven.
5. Cook for about 2 hours and then add the potatoes. Cook for another 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and skim as much oil off the top as possible. Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Perfect on a good day!

Dry the meat and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a small bowl.

Veggie prep!

Lightly flour the meat and brown in small batches. Don't flour till its just about to go in the pan.

Once all the meat is browned, place on a sheet and set aside. 

Heat olive oil and place the carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms and garlic.

Cook till the veggies are soft.

Next add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute. Then my camera died, so after the tomato paste, add the red wine. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the beef, beef stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil and place in the oven.

After two hours, add the potatoes and cook for another 45 minutes. So yummy!

No Fuss Beef Chili

So I guess the short heat wave that I thought was spring was just a teaser, because it was in the low 30's this morning. That groundhog Phi was right; winter isn't over yet. My husband is working from home today, because of a flood in his work's basement. I decided to ease his pain of hanging out with me all day by making him some quick beef chili.

Ingredients:

1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 12 oz package of baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste (about half of a 6 oz can. Place the rest of the paste in a small bag and freeze for a later day!)
12 oz of beer
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Makes about 4-6 servings

Heat pot over medium heat. Once heated add ground beef, pinch of salt and pepper and cook till all beef is browned.

Next add chopped onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. Add another pinch of salt and cook till onions are translucent. About 5 minutes.

Next add tomato paste. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.

Cooked with tomato paste.

Next add the beer and cook for about 3 minutes.

Lastly add the chili powder, chili flakes, bay leaf, beef stock, diced tomatoes and black beans. Raise heat till a low boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Soooooo yummy!

Ladle into bowls and top with cheddar cheese. Enjoy!