Hash Brown Casserole

You have most likely enjoyed this delicious brunch treat sometime, someplace. Maybe your grandmother always made it for Christmas morning or it was a side at the last shower you attended. If you have not had it or a version of it, you are missing out. Not usually a casserole girl, I tried out a variation of a bunch of hash brown recipes for breakfast with a large crowd. What I thought would just be a crowd pleaser ended up the star of the show and completely devoured in no time flat. The dish is rich, easy to prepare and has some pretty classic casserole ingredients. It will never make my "health food" tags, but I enjoyed every last bite. I served it with scrambled eggs and fruit salad. The only drawback of the breakfast was there were no leftovers. Might have to make a mini version this weekend.

Hash Brown Casserole
Forks & Amusement 2011
serves 12 (you can half the recipe and use a small dish)

2 lbs frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, unthawed
1 10.75 oz can cream of celery soup
3 cups (packed) grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 oz)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup finely chopped onion
a few shakes of hot sauce (optional)
1 cup slightly crushed corn flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Bake until top is slightly golden, about one hour ten minutes. Sprinkle with corn flakes. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!
xo
Erin

Grilled Potato Salad

I am experimenting a lot this summer when it comes to the grill as I am on a mission to try to grill everything. Obviously I am no pioneer, but stretching my culinary inventiveness can only make me a better cook and give me more to share. I have always grilled tons of vegetables. Any and all, a little olive oil, salt, pepper and you can serve them with anything. I was making burgers for dinner the other night and thought about how to make a better potato salad. Not one to shy away from any side, I thought I could make potato salad a little differently and healthfully. This only has a few ingredients, but has great flavors, and the delicious char that only the grill can give you. It is tangy, a little sweet, and the potatoes provide the creaminess instead of hundreds of calories of mayo. So far the inventiveness is paying off.

Grilled Potato Salad
Forks & Amusement 2011
serves 6

12 red medium potatoes, halved
2 red bell peppers, cut in quarters
5 scallions
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
2 shallots or garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or any white vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs like chive, thyme, or cilantro

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes, until just tender. Drain.

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Brush the potatoes, bell peppers, and scallions all over with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add potatoes to the grill, cut side down, and grill for 6 minutes. Add the peppers and scallions and cook for an additional 6 minutes, turning once. Potatoes should be tender, but not mushy. Remove from grill to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, mustard, vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. While whisking, stream in 2 tablespoons of olive oil to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Once vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut the heads off the scallions and roughly chop. Cut potatoes in quarters and roughly chop the peppers. Combine in a serving bowl and pour dressing over. Toss to combine well. Top with fresh herbs. Serve warm or room temperature.

Enjoy!
xo
Erin

Dressed up Pot Roast?

I just have to start this post by saying that I got a fabulous new camera so I no longer need to be embarrassed by my pictures anymore! With this new camera I just had to cook something wonderful last night and this dish was the perfect fit. I found this recipe in the October issue of Food & Wine and liked that the ingredient list was not over the top and that it took very minimal work. Short ribs are all about the sauce and I would describe this dish as pot roast in evening wear wearing a velvety sheath of yumminess. It is elegant, but comforting and would be absolutely perfect for company. Although, I just made it as a Sunday night dinner that paired great with football. I included a super easy smashed potato recipe with this that you can make ahead of time, but you could also serve it with noodles. Enjoy this dish and I hope to dazzle you with my photography now and let's hope that I can figure out all the bells and whistles of my new gadget as fast and easy as these short ribs.

Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

adapted from Food & Wine, October 2010

serves 4

Cooking time: 40 min Active; 3 hours Total

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large celery rib, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

one 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine

2 whole sprigs of rosemary

1 bay leaf

2 cups veal, beef or chicken stock

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Four 2-inch-thick, flanken cut, short ribs with the bone (I could not find this exact match, so just get about 2 3/4 lbs of the best short ribs you can find)

Salt and pepper

buttered egg noodles or smashed potatoes (recipe to follow), for serving

1. In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic, stir to coat with the butter, cover and cook over moderate heat until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the wine, stock, rosemary and bay and bring to a simmer.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet until simmering. Season the ribs with salt and pepper, add them to the pan and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until they are well browned, about 15 minutes.

3. Transfer the short ribs to the casserole. Partially cover and cook over moderately low heat until very tender, about 2.5 to 3 hours.

4. Transfer the ribs to a plate and remove the bones. Strain the sauce into a heatproof measuring cup and skim the fat (I did this right in the casserole as there was not that much). Return the sauce to the casserole and boil until reduced to 2 cups, 10 minutes. Return the meat to the sauce and simmer over low heat until heated through. Serve the ribs with the egg noodles or potatoes with extra sauce. (Make Ahead: Short ribs can be refrigerated in the sauce for up to 5 days, just reheat on the stove top over medium heat)

Smashed Potatoes

serves 4

5 medium Yukon gold potatoes, washed, cut in half length wise, then in thirds

1/4 cup half and half

1 1/2 tablespoon butter (I like to use a flavored butter like truffle or garlic if you can find it, if not add in whatever you would like; roasted garlic, horseradish, chives, sauteed onions, wasabi, Parmesan, etc.)

salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of water and drop the cut potatoes in. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and place back into the pot over low heat to rid the excess moisture from them, about a minute or so. Smash the potatoes with a masher or large fork. Add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Taste the potatoes for seasoning and add more of what you think might be missing. Keep warm in the oven or serve right away with the short ribs.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin

Snow Day Meat and Potatoes

The snow just keeps coming, so inside I am making things that make me happy. As I have written before, I have a love of risotto and love to make it. When I came across this recipe in the new Bon Appetit, I had to try it. You cook the potatoes "risotto style," as in, in stock, slowly until they are tender and have given off some of their creamy starch. It was easy to make and did not require a lot of work. It is key to cut your potatoes as close to the same size as possible so that they cook evenly. I was not that great at doing it, but now I know!

Beef Tenderloin with Potato "Risotto"

Bon Appetit February 2010

serves 6 (I halved it for 2 and we ate every bite)

1 tablespoon of butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices, then 1/8 inch cubes

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne

salt

1 1/2 cup chicken stock, plus more

1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream (I used half and half to make it lighter)

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped chives (I forgot to get these, so my picture is chive-less)

6-6oz beef tenderloin steaks (1 inch thick)

1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon olive oil

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add potatoes and cayenne pepper; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth; increase heat and bring to a boil (below).

Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, adding more chicken stock by the tablespoonfuls if dry (mixture should be creamy with some sauce, not dry), about 8 minutes. Add cream and simmer until potatoes are tender but still hold their shape, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in cheese and chives. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring often.

Sprinkle steaks with coarse salt and pepper, then chopped thyme. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add steaks and cook to desired doneness, adding more oil as needed, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare.

Divide potato risotto among plates, Place steaks on plates and serve. Server with a Shiraz if desired.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin

No Sweat Holiday Feast

Feeding a crowd on a day with lots of anticipation and expectations can be a seriously stressful day for any host. When trying to figure out the Christmas dinner menu at my table I tried to keep this in mind. Visions of me standing over a pot stirring, while my guests leisurely sipped champagne and ate canapes swirled in my head. Along with the mathematical feat of using only one oven and timing multiple dishes. My mother (partner in Christmas crime) and I started discussing this meal no later than the week after Thanksgiving. Sounds crazy, but for two women that love to cook and were excited to cook together, it was a joy. We came up with this lovely, easy and delicious dinner that I will absolutely be repeating. The meat was delicious, the sides so great, and this sauce is a knockout. I had some help from my guests with an appetizer and salad and dessert was made the day before. This Christmas I spent some time in the kitchen, but even more time with my guests enjoying the champagne with them.

Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Shallots, Bacon and Port

Adapted from: Bon Appetit December 1997

serves 12

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds large shallots (about 24) halved lengthwise, peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

6 cups beef stock

1 1/2 cups tawny Port

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2- 3 to 3 1/4 pound beef tenderloins (large ends), trimmed (ask your butcher to do this for you)

2 teaspoons dried thyme

7 good bacon slices, chopped (If it is not the thick stuff, use more)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Preparation

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Toss shallots with oil, salt and pepper and place on baking sheet. Roast until shallots are deep brown (but not burned) and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Boil stock and port in large saucepan until reduced to 3 3/4 cups, about 30 minutes (this took longer for us). Whisk in tomato paste. (Shallots and stock mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately, chill)

Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme salt and pepper (be generous, I used more than listed). In large roasting pan set over medium heat, saute bacon until golden, about 4 minutes. using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add beef to pan; brown on all side over medium high heat, about 7 minutes. Transfer pan to oven; roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125 degrees for medium rare, about 45 minutes. Transfer beef to platter. Tent loosely with foil. (If you would like to some meat that is more cooked than others for your guests, simply but one roast in first, then add the one after a bit. I put one in 15 minutes before the other so I had some medium and medium well pieces)

Spoon fat off top of pan drippings in roasting pan. Place roasting pan over high heat. Add stock mixture and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Transfer to medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Mix 3 tablespoons butter and flour in small bowl to form a paste; whisk into broth mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter; Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut beef into 1/2 inch slices. Spoon sauce over or use a gravy boat for the table to serve.

(For timing of our meal, after we finished the sauce and the meat was resting, we had our salad course. When done with that course, we sliced the meat and placed everything on platters/serving bowls to serve at the table)

Sauteed Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

Eatingwell.com

4 servings (I doubled for 9 and it was all eaten)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 lb thin french green beans, trimmed

1/2 cup of water

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Heat one teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add green beans and saute until beginning to sear in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes for tender-crisp. Push beans to the side, add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, stir everything together and cook until tomatoes begin to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. (Timing wise, I finished this before we sat down and kept it warm in the oven)

Roasted Truffle Fingerling Potatoes

serves 8

2 lbs rinsed fingerling potatoes (also called Russian banana)

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

3 oz. truffle butter (look in your market by the butter, specialty food stores carry it now and Whole Foods)

Optional herb: chive or parsley

Toss potatoes with oil, salt and pepper to coat and spread into a single layer on baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes until fork tender. Place hot potatoes in serving bowl and toss with truffle butter just before serving. Toss with a handful of chopped herbs of your choice or none at all.

(timing wise I had these finishing to roast in the oven and then tossed with butter in serving dish after the salad course)

This was my longest post to date, but I hope that this meal finds itself on your table in 2010. A quick tip to cooking any meal for company is to work your way back from the time you want to eat. Example for what I did is: Eat at 5:45, means at 5:15 I need to be making the sauce, beans and the potatoes should be in the oven roasting, this means that the meat needs to be in around 4:15, so I will begin searing it at 4. Once you wrap your head around all the timing, it is a piece of cake and a lot less overwhelming. No one likes to see the host sweat, so don't! It will all turn out amazing. I hope this meal finds itself on your table in 2010. Happy New Year to all the F&A fans!

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin

Kickin' It Old School: German Style

Here is another great recipe from my mom's collection that we made when I was visiting. This meal is an old German recipe that my mom has had since her hay days in Newport Beach. She got the recipe from one of her favorite places in Newport at the time called Gulliver's and immediately made it her own. My dad calls this meal the "one where everyone does not talk" because everyone is eating and loving it. This is a fabulous, hearty cold weather meal that is great for company or any night of the week.

German Style Roast Pork Dinner

Recipe from Mom, adapted from Gulliver's, Newport Beach, CA

serves 4

For the Pork Roast: Rub Lawry's seasoning salt, pepper and garlic salt all over a 4lb boneless center cut pork roast. Bake at 350 degrees in roasting pan for about 1 1/2 hours or until internal temp reaches 150 degrees. Let rest on a carving board for 15 minutes before slicing.

For the Apples: Peel, core and cut 8 apples into thick slices. Toss in a glass baking dish with enough brown sugar, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg to coat evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, mixing occasionally and adding more brown sugar and honey as needed. (Can be made in advance and reheated before serving)

For the Potatoes: Peel and clean 5 large potatoes, cut into 1/8ths and place in large saucepan or stock pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring pot to a boil over high heat and cook potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes of boiling time. Drain the potatoes and place back into the warm pot. Allow the steam to rise for a couple of minutes to get rid of excess moisture. Using a ricer, food mill or potato masher, mash potatoes into desired consistency (I like them smooth, but some like lumps!), but not too much that they get gummy. Add 1/2 cup of warm heavy cream and 1/2 stick of melted butter, salt and pepper to taste. you can always add more liquid if they appear dry. (Make these while the roast is in the oven)

For the Gravy: After placing pork roast on the carving board to rest, place roasting pan on the stove over medium high heat. Add a few table spoons of flour to the pan (enough to coat) and using a whisk, mix together the flour and pan drippings. Pour in 1 cup of dry white wine to the hot pan to deglaze, use the whisk to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan while mixing everything together. Once the mixture is bubbling and reduced slightly, add in 1 cup of chicken broth, salt and pepper. Continue to stir and bubble to allow to reduce. Once sauce has thickened, transfer sauce to a warm serving bowl with ladle.

For the cabbage: Slice 1 cabbage and steam in pan with a bit of champagne (you can use water or wine as a sub) with the lid on until just cooked, but not too crisp. Meanwhile saute 6 to 8 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch bits, until crisp. Drain the cabbage well and toss in the bacon and fat. Season with Lawry's season salt and pepper to taste. Let sit while you are making the gravy.

This is one of my longer recipes that require more components, but the results all together are so great. Ladle a generous amount of gravy over the meat and potatoes. Try to get every component on your fork for one fabulous bite and all the cooking will be worth it.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin