BLARNEY BREAKFAST BAKE

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1 lb bulk pork sausage

1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms

1 lg onion, chopped

10 lg eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups milk

2 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 cups cubed day-old bread

1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes

1 cup (4 oz) shredded pepper jack cheese

1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, cook sausage, mushrooms and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper.

In a greased 13″x9″ baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, tomatoes, cheeses and sausage mixture. Repeat layers. Pour egg mixture over the top.

Bake, uncovered, 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

12 servings

 

 

IRISH POTATO SALAD

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3 lg potatoes

2 tbs white vinegar

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp mustard seed

1/2 tsp celery seed

3/4 tsp salt, divided

3 cups cubed cooked corned beef

3 cups chopped cabbage

1/2 cup chopped radishes, optional

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup dill pickle relish

1/4 cup sliced green onions

4 tsp milk

3/4 tsp Dijon mustard, optional

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool slightly. Peel and cube potatoes.

Transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed and 1/2 tsp salt; pour over warm potatoes and toss to coat. Cover and chill.

Just before serving, stir in the corned beef, cabbage and radishes if desired. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, relish, onions, milk, mustard if desired and remaining salt; pour over salad and toss to coat.

8 servings

 

BLARNEY STONES

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1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1(3.4 oz) instant pistachio pudding mix

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 eggs

green food coloring (optional)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 (10-11 oz) pkg butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, pudding mix and extracts until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a few drops of green food coloring if desired. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chips and nuts (batter will be stiff). Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Shape into 1/2″ balls; place 2″ apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yields 25 dozen

 

 

ST. PADDY’S IRISH BEEF DINNER

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2 med Yukon gold potatoes

2 small parsnips

3/4 lb lean ground beef (90% lean)

1 med onion, chopped

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

2 med carrots, halved and sliced

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs flour

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 (14 1/2 oz) can reduced sodium chicken OR beef broth

1/2 cup frozen peas

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp pepper, divided

1/4 cup milk

1 tbs butter

Peel potatoes and parsnips and cut into large pieces; place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the cabbage, carrots, thyme and Worcestershire sauce.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, tomato paste and broth until smooth. Gradually stir into meat mixture. Bring to a boil. reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in the peas, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Drain potatoes and parsnips; mash with milk, butter and the remaining salt and pepper. Serve with meat mixture.

4 servings

 

 

 

THE ANATOMY OF A KNIFE

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A knife consists of two main parts: the blade and the handle. In a well-made knife, the metal that the blade is made of will extend all the way through the handle. Different parts of this single piece of metal serve different purposes. Here are the main features of most knives:

THE CUTTING EDGE is the sharpened, honed edge of the blade. It should be razor sharp – a well-sharpened knife will literally be able to take the hairs off your arm (don’t try it). Chef’s knife blades come in varying degrees of curvature, designed for various tasks, such as slicing or rock-chopping.

THE BACK, OR SPINE, is the long side opposite the sharp blade. This is where you hold your non-knife hand when  rocking the knife back and forth for rapid mincing. It can also be used as a makeshift bench scraper for moving pieces of food around on your cutting board (you should never do this with the cutting edge – it will dull it.)

THE TIP is the sharp point at the end of the blade. It’s used primarily for precision work.

THE HEEL is at the bottom of the blade. In many Western-style knives, the metal thickens significantly at the heel. This is to make it easier to grip the knife using the blade grip.

THE BOLSTER is the part of the blade that meets the handle. It is thick and heavy, providing a good balancing point for the blade and the handle. In a well-balanced knife, the center of mass should be somewhere near the bolster, so that you can rock the knife back and forth with minimal effort.

THE TANG is the extension of the blade that runs through the handle. It provides balance as well as sturdiness. A knife with a full tang (that is, metal that extends to the butt of the handle) is unlikely to ever lose its handle.

THE HANDLE is where your whole hand rests if using the handle grip, or where your three smaller fingers rest if using the blade grip. Handles can be made of wood, polycarbonate, metal or various exotic materials.

THE BUTT is the fattened section at the very bottom of the  handle.

THE TWO GRIPS

The first step to perfect knife skills is learning how to hold a knife. There are two basic grips: the handle grip and the blade grip.

THE HANDLE GRIP: With the handle grip, your hand is completely behind the heel of the knife, with all your fingers tucked behind the bolster. It is generally used by beginning cooks or cooks with exceptionally small hands. It’s comfortable but it offer only limited control when doing precision knife work.

THE BLADE GRIP: The blade grip is the preferred grip for more experienced cooks. Your thumb and forefinger should rest in front of the bolster, directly on the blade. This grip is a little intimidating, but it offers much better control and balance. It may be difficult and/or uncomfortable with cheaper stamped knives that don’t have a bolster.

What about your non-knife hand? In general, there are two positions you’ll find that hand in. The most common is known as “the claw,” and when people cut themselves with a knife, it’s most likely because they weren’t using the claw. Use this grip when dicing and slicing. Protect the fingertips of your non-knife hand by curling them inward, using your knuckles to guide your knife. When cutting food, always place it in a stable position, preferably with a cut surface flat against the cutting board. Then guide the knife blade against the food with your claw hand.

For mincing, a different approach is required. Place the tip of your knife on the cutting board and hold it in place with your free hand. Rock the blade up and down to reduce herbs (or anything else) to a fine mince.

 

CHAMPAGNE RISOTTO

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4 thin slices prosciutto

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

12 spears asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1″ pieces

2 tbs butter, divided

1 shallot, finely chopped

3/4 cup Arborio rice OR medium-grain white rice

3/4 cup champagne

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

place the slices of prosciutto on a lightly greased baking sheet. bake until the prosciutto slices are almost completely crisp, about 6-8 minutes. the slices will crisp up even more as they cool. reserve for garnish.

in a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer. blanch the asparagus in the chicken stock for 2 minutes. remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon. set the asparagus aside and keep the chicken stock at a low simmer.

in another medium saucepan, melt 1 tbs of the butter. add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. add the Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more. add the champagne and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. remove from the heat. gently stir in the asparagus, remaining butter, parmesan, salt and pepper. spoon the risotto into serving dishes and garnish by breaking the crisp prosciutto into smaller pieces over the top of the risotto. serve immediately.

2 servings

EGGNOG CUSTARD PIE

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1/2 (15 oz) pkg refrigerated pie crust

1 cup sugar

4 lg eggs

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup light rum

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

whipped cream, for garnish

powdered sugar, for garnish

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

on a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crust. roll pastry into a 12″ circle. press pie crust into a 9″ deep dish pie plate, crimping edges, if desired. lightly poke holes into the bottom of the dough once it’s fitted firmly in the plate.

in a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. add evaporated milk, water, rum and salt. beat at low speed until combined. pour mixture into crust. sprinkle top of pie with nutmeg and cinnamon. place pie onto a rimmed baking sheet with a depth of 1/2″. add hot water to baking sheet.

bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

cut into desired sizes and garnish with whipped cram and powdered sugar.

makes 1 pie

SPINACH, ARTICHOKE AND BACON DIP WITH CRISPY PITAS

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1 tbs vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1(6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

10 strips bacon, fried until crisp and crumbled

1 tsp lemon zest

2 cups sour cream

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

crispy pitas (recipe follows)

heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. add the garlic and shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot softens and the garlic begins to brown, about 7 minutes. remove from the heat and set aside.

put the spinach in a colander and squeeze out all of the excess water. 1 tgarlic and shallot, lemon zest, sour cream, salt and pepper. mix well with a rubber spatula, and transfer to a decorative bowl. allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving so the flavors can blend. serve with crispy pitas

CRISPY PITAS:

1 tbs kosher salt

1 tbs dried basil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp celery salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

8 pitas, cut into 12 wedges each

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

mix all of the herbs and spices in a small bowl. put the pita wedges into a large mixing bowl and add the spice mix. drizzle the oil over all and toss well to coat. put the pitas onto a baking sheet, shake it to even them out and place the pan into the top half of the preheated oven until they are crispy and lightly brown, about 20 minutes. remove from the oven, let cool 10 minutes and mound around the dip bowl.

yield: 96 pita crisps

 

 

MIDNIGHT SPAGHETTI

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kosher salt

1 lb dried spaghetti

1/3 cup good olive oil

8 lg cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

bring a large pot of water to a boil. add 2 tbs of salt and the pasta and cook according to package directions. set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12″ saute pan or a large, shallow pot. add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges. DO NOT OVERCOOK IT! add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. carefully add the reserved pasta cooking water to the garlic oil and bring to a boil. lower the heat, add 1 tsp of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. off the heat, add the parsley and parmesan and toss well. allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra parmesan on the side.

4 servings

 

HOMEMADE SPAETZLE

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3 cups flour

2 lg eggs

kosher salt

4 tbs unsalted butter; 2 tbs melted

freshly ground black pepper

chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

mix the flour, eggs and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then gradually stir in up to 1 cup water to make a smooth, batter-like dough. beat with a wooden spoon until bubbles form, then stir in the melted butter.

bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. place about 1 cup of the dough in a colander with large holes; use a rubber spatula to push the dough through the holes and into the boiling water. (or use a spaetzle press). cook for about 1 minute after the spaetzle float to the surface, then transfer with a slotted spoon to another colander. repeat with the remaining dough. rinse the spaetzle in cold water if not serving immediately and set aside.

before serving, saute the spaetzle in a skillet with the remaining 2 tbs butter until warmed through. season with pepper and garnish with parsley.

4 servings