Guinness and Brown Sugar Glazed Corned Beef

This is what we will be having for dinner on St. Patrick's Day this year, along with fried cabbage and mustard mashed potatoes:

 2 lbs. corned beef brisket

1/2c packed light brown sugar

12oz. Irish stout beer (we prefer Guinness)

1.  Preheat oven to 300*

2.  Rub brown sugar on the corned beef until coated on all sides.

Place brisket on rack in a roasting pan.

3.  Pour the beer over the top of the brisket. Be sure to pour gently

so that you don’t knock off the brown sugar.

4.  Cover and bake for approximately 1½ - 2 hours, or until

cooked through. Allow to rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve.

******

Cheers!

White Wine Chicken Spaghetti

3 TBSP olive oil
1 lb. chicken breasts

6c chicken broth or water

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder 

1/4 c red bell pepper, chopped

1/4c green bell pepper, chopped

1/2c mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2c onion, chopped

1 (10.75oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

3/4c dry white wine

2c Cheddar cheese, shredded

8oz. spaghetti

1/4c Parmesan cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. In large skillet, heat 1 TBSP oil  and cook chicken, seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste.  Remove chicken, shred it, and set aside.

3. Place spaghetti in a pot of boiling water and cook until it reaches al dente consistency, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

4. In large skillet, heat remaining 2 TBSP oil over medium high heat.  Add green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and onion. Saute until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.

5. In large mixing bowl, combine sautéed vegetables, cooked spaghetti, cooked chicken, white wine, and 1 1/2c Cheddar cheese.

6. Pour into prepared 9”x13” pan.  Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

7. Uncover and top with remaining 1/2c Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and continue baking, uncovered, another 15 minutes.

Allow to stand 5-10 min. before serving.

Cheers!

Beer Braised Collard Greens

2 TBSP olive oil

1 small white or yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. fresh collard greens, cut into 2” pieces and stems removed

1 (12oz.) beer

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

Ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes or until onion is softened and garlic is light golden brown.

2. Add collard greens, beer, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.

3. Allow to simmer 30-45 minutes or until collard greens are wilted and beer is reduced slightly.

4. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Served this as a side with jambalaya.

Cheers!

White Wine Alfredo Sauce

This is my new favorite Alfredo sauce:

4 TBSP butter

4 TBSP all-purpose flour

1c. heavy cream

1c. chicken broth

1c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2c. Parmesan and Romano cheese, shredded

3 TBSP Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4c. white wine 

salt and pepper, to taste

1.  In a medium-size sauce pan, melt butter over low heat.

2.  Add flour.  Cook and stir with a whisk until well blended. (2-3 min.)

3.  Add cream and broth.  Stir to blend.
4.  Add remaining ingredients and continue stirring over low heat until cheeses are melted and sauce is a smooth consistency.

*If the sauce starts to get too thick, just thin it back out with a splash of wine or broth.

5.  Toss with pasta and serve warm.

Some people swear by Chardonnay for Alfredo sauces but I used a Sauvignon Blanc for this one and thought it was fabulous - Cheers!

Sausage and Sauerkraut

This is a kicked up version of the classic sausage and sauerkraut dinner.  I like it because the all the flavors you expect are still there but they're enhanced with the addition of the veggies and white wine.

1c. baby carrots

2c. red potatoes, chopped

1 (16oz.) bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (this reduces that strong sauerkraut-y flavor)

1 lb. fully cooked beef sausage, cut into chunks

1/4c. white onion, thin sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4c. dry white wine

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. caraway seed

1. Layer carrots, potatoes and sauerkraut in your slow cooker.

2. In a skillet, brown the sausage; transfer to the slow cooker.

3. Saute onion and garlic in the skillet with drippings, until tender.

4. Gradually add wine or broth. Bring to a boil and stir in pepper and caraway.

Pour over sausage and veggies.

5. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Serve with the rest of the white wine.  ;)

Cheers!

Seafood and Wine

I read, according to last month's Wine Spectator magazine, there may be real health benefits to pairing  wine with your seafood (as if you needed a reason).  This is part of what they say:

"Finding the perfect wine to match with fish may be challenging, but a team of French scientists has found that the pairing is worth the effort. A comprehensive review of recent research on wine and fish shows that the drink helps break down omega-3 fatty acids abundant in many types of seafood. This helps keep heart tissue stronger and healthier."

Good enough for me.  :)

Cheers!

 

Easy Hot Chocolate with Amaretto

Yesterday, it was dark and rainy all day long which naturally put me in the mood for hot chocolate.  I debated whether to make it the (better) old-fashioned way, on the stove, or the easy way.  It wasn't a lengthy debate because within seconds I was ripping open a packet of the instant stuff.  Whatever, that's not the point of this post.  What I really want to tell you about is the amaretto.  

I microwaved my mug of hot chocolate powder and water and then ~ this is where it gets good ~ added a splash (about a tablespoon) of amaretto.  Holy cow!  Why had I never done this before?

Seriously, go try it.  You can thank me later.

Cheers!

Lemon Juice Substitution

Last night, as I was preparing dinner, I
discovered, well into the cooking process, that
I needed lemon juice and did not have a single
drop of lemon juice in the house. 

I didn't need much and I really, really did

not want to go to the store for one little lemon.

I referenced my food substitutions book and found
that white wine, in an equal amount, is an acceptable
 replacement for lemon juice.  Apparently, this is
common knowledge for some but I never knew
it until yesterday. 

So I tried a Pinot Grigio in my recipe and it worked great!

Cheers!

My Dirty Martini

Regarding martinis, I think Dorothy Parker said it best:

"I like to drink martinis.  Two at the most.

Three I'm under the table, four I'm under the host".

Everyone seems to have their own ideas of what makes

a perfect martini.  This is what does it for me:

3oz. vodka

1/4 oz. dry vermouth

1 1/4 oz. olive brine, or to taste

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice.

Mix and pour.  Garnish with blue cheese stuffed olives

and serve immediately.

Cheers!

Sambuca

Have you ever tried this?

We had sambuca for the first time last weekend

and absolutely fell in love with it!

This is a great after dinner cocktail
that is said to aid in digestion.  Not that you
need an excuse, but there, now
you have one, just in case.  ;)

One thing about it though:  You have to love the flavor
of black licorice  because that is exactly what it tastes like. 
In fact, I nicknamed it, "Liquid Licorice".

Sambuca is an Italian anise-flavored liqueur that we enjoyed
served neat, although I understand it can also be served on the
rocks. It's personal preference that I prefer after-dinner
drinks to not be chilled.

A garnish of three coffee beans is customary. 
The waitress said it was symbolic of the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. 
According to Wikipedia, the beans represent health,
happiness, and prosperity.

Whatever, it's all good.

Cheers!