Recipes

To me, corned beef and cabbage defines St Patrick’s Day. All my life it has been a staple food for March 17. I love it, and its easy to make.

Corned Beef is not the healthiest meat choice. It has lot of fat, sodium and cholesterol. Just keep this in consideration if on a restricted diet for those things.

Years ago, I had a boyfriend who actually brined the corned beef himself. The process of brining is really not very appetizing and takes about 10 days. o easy to just buy it all brined.

Buying the Corned Beef

Even living alone, I make it for myself in March and other times of the year. It’s usually on sale prior to the holiday. I buy two or three cuts and freeze them.

There are several brands and you will find some are just better (and usually more expensive), but even the more economical ones a good.

Corned beef is a beef brisket that has been brined (allowed to sit in a bath for many days). A whole brisket has two parts, the more expensive “flat” cut and the fattier, more economical  “point” cut.

Cooking Corned Beef and Cabbage

How easy is it to cook?

Take the (thawed if it had been frozen) piece of corned beef out of its wrapper (after noting how many pound it is) and place in a large dutch oven or pan

Cover with cold water. Add the contents of its seasoning packet if there is one.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat

Simmer (not boil!) for an hour per pound. Check from time to time to be sure its still simmering and has enough water to cover. Add more water if it needs it. Skim off any scum that may form on the top of the pan with a large (preferably slotted) spoon.

[Remember, simmering is like smiling, while boiling is laughing. It should just have small bubbles rising.]

Prepping Vegies

A half hour before the end of the cooking time, prepare any vegies you will add. Traditionally these include:

• A head of cabbage – (size depends on how much you like cabbage, what ratio of meat to cabbage you are using and whether or not you are also doing carrots and/or potatoes. 
  Rinse the cabbage and cut out into 4 or 8 pieces. If it has a dense core, you may (or not) want to cut that out.
• Small red potatoes – (These were always included until I cut back on carbs.). There are 2 ways to prepare these. Rinse well and either peel them entirely or peel a band around the center only (this keeps the peel from splitting which tastes fine but isn’t so pretty. I like the peel on the potatoes. It gives nice color and I like the flavor (plus I am lazy), but this is a personal preference.
• Carrots can be regular carrots rinsed, peeled, tops trimmed off and cut into 1-3 inch chunks, or they can be baby carrots just rinsed.

After the beef has cooked long enough, remove the beef to a serving dish. Skim the water in the pan if necessary and add all the vegies to the pan with the water in it. Cook until done, about one half hour until they are as tender as you desire.

Note, you can add them with the meat still in the pan for the last ½ hour of cooking if you have enough room, but be careful that the hot water doesn’t flow over the sides of the pan.

Cooking Vegies Separately

Some people prefer their vegies cooked separate from the meat but they wont have as much of the briny flavor- or absorb fat and salt from it).

• You can cook them in a separate pan with lots of water (or low sodium beef broth) on the stove until tender.
• Another option is to nuke the vegies in a covered microwave safe dish with 2-4 Tablespoons of water until done.

That’s it. I often have a Killian’s Irish Red (my favorite beer) with my St Patrick’s Corned Beef and Cabbage to make it all complete!

Do you have any favorite St Patrick’s traditions or foods?

As LifeSkill Secrets has said before, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I personally like 2 (water) basted eggs, but that doesn’t appeal to everyone, isn’t a good idea for those with cholesterol issues, and sometimes needs a change up. A hearty oatmeal breakfast is wonderful, especially for winter months.

Our variation is a solid meal, with blueberries for antioxidants, cinnamon for blood pressure, and walnuts to add protein.
Thought the way its written below is the most nutritious, you may not have the exact ingredients, time to cook slow oatmeal, or like different combinations.

See the LifeSkill Secret about why I use these ingredients, how to save time and money, and what you can change or substitute.

Oatmeal Breakfast Recipe

By the way, this is good for the occasional light dinner or lunch, too. This is for 2 servings, but you can double or triple, though the amount of milk may vary. Read the directions on the brand of oatmeal you bought,. I find they very wildly.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Whole Grain Steel Cut Oats- old fashioned slow cooking
(about 2 cups -go by the brand you bought) Low fat or Skim Milk
1/2 t cinnamon
1-2 T brown sugar
1/2 cup Blueberries
1/4 – 1/2 cup finely diced walnuts
1/4 – 1/2 cup Low fat or skim milk or yogurt for on top

Directions

1. Follow the directions on the oatmeal box (using milk rather than water) to make the amount of oatmeal you want NOTE: Whole Grain Steel Cut Oats take 25-30 minutes to cook
2. Just before it’s done cooking, add the cinnamon
3. When done cooking, turn off and add the nuts and blueberries (even if frozen)
4. Let sit a minute for the berries to warm up if frozen
5. Spoon into bowls and top with brown sugar and milk or yogurt
6. ENJOY!

I got into an interesting conversation with a friend about frittatas one day and then had to do some research. I had learned to make them with shredded potatoes (grated hash browns) and always did, but she always made them without. One online source said they are different than omelettes since they are started on the top of the stove then finished in the oven. But then so are baked omelettes. You know what? Don’t care. Doesn’t matter. A frittata is similar to an omelette and crustless quiche in that they all start with eggs and have cheese. They all usually have other ingredients (meats or vegies) that can be in them or on them.

I am going to give you my recipe for Frittata and you can call it whatever you want. We make this often for brunch or dinner. It makes 6 servings so can make more than one meal, reheats nicely in the microwave, is nutritious and (depending on what you put in it) can be fairly economical.
I do not use an oven, so Its a nice summer meal since it doesn’t need to heat up the kitchen with the stove.

Basic Frittata (4-6 servings)

Tools

10 inch skillet/fry pan and cover
I use nonstick. (You can use a bigger or smaller one if making for more people or fewer. I sometimes just make 2 servings by cutting down ingredients in a 7 or 8″ skillet)
Non-metal spatula
bowl or measuring cup in which to beat eggs and milk
I use one of the smaller bowls from my stainless bowl set
Fork or whisk to beat the eggs well
Cutting Board and knife
to cut up vegies and meat if necessary
Grater for cheese
if not using already grated cheese

Ingredients

1/2 package refrigerated or frozen hash brown potatoes (I use one half of a Simply Potatoes 10 oz. package found in the refrigerated section near the eggs)
Canola Oil
A little: 2-3 Tablespoons
6 eggs
Beat well in a measuring cup or stainless bowl
2 Tablespoons -1/4 cup milk (about) or cream
dash nutmeg and /or ground black pepper (I use both)

Vegies and/or meat to suit
Some combos we like:
Swiss (with or without Gruyere- I love it but its expensive. Try to use a little at least) and Spinach
Swiss (with or without Gruyere) and Asparagus
Broccoli and Cheddar
Bacon, green onion and Cheddar
Ham and Cheddar
cheese to suit 
I use

• 1/4 cup Gruyere and 3-4 slices Swiss or
• 6 slices Swiss or
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar or
• 4-6 slices cheddar

Directions

1. Cook the potatoes

   according to package directions. NOTE: If you really like chopped yellow or white onion, you want to add 1/2 cup or so to cook with the potatoes

2. Prep all the other ingredients

   While cooking the potatoes, which take about 15 minutes, do the following:

   • Egg prep
     • beat the eggs in a bowl or large measuring cup (glass one for liquids)
     • Beat in milk or cream
     • Add seasonings as desired
   • Veg and other ingredients prep
     • If vegies need cooking first, like spinach or broccoli, and are not already cooked, do that
     • Drain and Chop the vegies or grate carrots
     • Cook bacon if using it and cool, crumble or chop
     • Chop any meat that needs it
     • Grate any cheese that needs it, or get out sliced

3. Add, then cook the eggs

   Once the potatoes are cooked, lower the heat to just above low. allow a couple of minutes for the pan to cool if using a gas stove, a few more minutes if using electric.
   Gently pur the whipped egg/milk/seasoning mixture over the potatoes and cover.
   Cook for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the meat and veg

   The eggs should still be liquidy as you gently add the vegies and meats (not the cheese) around the top and re-cover for another 10 minutes or until the fritatta is not completely set- should still be jiggly in center. In case of doubt, better to add too soon rather than too late.

5. Add the cheese

   Lay the cheese slices or grated cheese over the top of the fritatta covering as mush as possible of the top. Re-cover and cook until the fritatta is set (not jiggly or wet even in the center).

6. Serve

   with a fruit or vegetable side and a nice bread, if desired. ENJOY!

Frittatas can be stored in the fridge and reheated in the microwave on high for about 1 minute per slice. I make this when I know I will need to have meals on the fly available.

They are great for brunches, so spend some time testing and creating your own signature combination. Then wow your Mom for Mother’s day or your significant other on their birthday, or friends on a holiday weekend.

In an earlier post on nutrition, I recommended that you eat a lot of vegies and protein. One ‘go-to’ meal base we use a lot is this basic salad. Its made with 3 simple ingredients we keep in the house all the time, so we can make it regularly. There are tons of things you can do with it so it doesn’t get boring.

Basic Salad

Tools

Large cutting board
I like this set because you get varied colors and sizes, they fold and roll, are easy to use, dishwasher safe (though i hand wash my larger ones) and store. The large one is great for chopping lettuce.

Chef’s knife
You only really need 3 or 4 basic knives, plus steak knives if you want. Use good knives. Here is a good starter Henkels set. If your have more limited budget, this is a set you can start with.
Be sure your knives are sharp- I prefer a 2 stage sharpener over a sharpening steel.

Veg peeler
I love my OXO veg peeler, easy to use, hold and clean.

Gallon zip locking bag
This is what I put the salad in when all chopped up. You can mix it all up in the bag, add dressing if desired to get it evenly coated over the salad- tends to use less and save calories. Of course, If you plan to eat it all right away, then put it in a large bowl.

Ingredients

This will make about 3 servings- try it first. You can always add more or less of anything.
Rinse the vegies under cool water and shake off excess water.
1 head Romaine lettuce
(Romaine lettuce has more vitamins and nutrients than iceberg and a more robust flavor. The greener the veg, the more nutrients)
Cut off the end and discard, then, holding the whole head with your non-dominant hand, slice the lettuce into 1/2 inch slices from the bottom to the top. Put the lettuce into the zip-locking bag.

3 green onions
Trim off the ‘hairy’ ends, line up the three onions and cut all three together. Slice the white part into slices about 1/4 inch. Most Asian cooking also uses the green part, and I like it too. Use your own taste preferences. Add the slides onions to the bag.

1/3 cucumber
Peel with the peeler- if desired. Then chop into small bits and add to the bag.

Seal the bag and gently toss/shake the bag to mix up all the ingredients.

That’s it- that is your base salad. Keep in mind that once lettuce is cut it starts to oxidize and brown, so plan to eat the salad with a day or two.
Fine. Now what?

Et tu, Caesar?

This salad started as a base for Chicken Caesar Salad but works just as well for Salmon Caesar Salad or Steak Caesar Salad.

• Put about 1/3 of the Basic Salad mix into a pasta plate or onto a dinner plate.
• Top with 4oz grilled chicken breast, roasted chicken, grilled Salmon or grilled steak
• Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese over the top . We use the fresh or cheese aisle shredded or grated Parmesan. Because it tends to mold quickly, we keep a bag of it in the freezer. Don’t worry that its frozen, it will warm quickly, especially if you are sprinkling it on warm meat or fish. Just use what you need, reseal and put back in the freezer.
• If you didn’t dress the salad in the bag, add dressing. I am partial to Marie’s Caesar which is found refrigerated in the produce department.

Eh taco!

The basic salad is great used on tacos along with seasoned ground beef (see the post on preparing ground beef), tomatoes (if desired), grated cheese and salsa. Yum. Also works as the basis for a great taco salad with all the same ingredients and some tortilla chips.

Chopped Salad

Use the basic salad recipe as a basis for a chopped salad. Top it with whatever you like (just b e sure you get plenty of protein).
Suggestions:

• olives
• sliced hard cooked eggs
• chick (garbanzo) beans
• kidney beans
• grated cheese- cheddar or whatever you like
• peas
• beets
• vegies- (uncooked) zucchini, spinach, carrots, celery
• tuna fish (drained and straight from the can)
• tuna or egg salad

Come up with other great combos? Let us know about them. Bon appetit!

Apart from the egg cooked in the shell, here are recipes for other basic eggs: basted, scrambled and omelet.

I didn’t know what a basted egg was until well into my 20s. This recipe for a basted egg is a terrific replacement for traditional basted eggs, fried over easy or medium, and even poached eggs since it uses water rather than fat to baste.

I use an 8 inch non-stick fry pan for 2-3 eggs and the lid from one of my saucepans that is not too tight fitting. Its best if its slightly smaller than the widest diameter of the fry pan.

Basted Eggs

• Place pan over medium heat (tend toward the low side of medium rather than the high side of medium).
• Melt a little butter in the pan. ( Optional if using a non-stick pan. Mandatory if not.)I run the unwrapped end of a stick of butter around the slightly heated pan just to coat the bottom.
• Break eggs into the pan. The thing to keep in mind when breaking an egg is that “it’s all in wrist”. Pivot from the wrist and try to make a swift clean crack with one stroke which can then be opened with the shell in two parts.  Practice this even when you don’t need whole yolks, like when you are making scrambled eggs or omelets. The idea is to do this without breaking the yolk. If you aren’t good at this and really want the yolks unbroken, break them gently into a small dish then ease into the pan one at a time.
• Cover the pan with a lid and wait until you hear a quiet sizzle (if you used butter) or 2-3 minutes.
• Pour about a tablespoon of cold water onto the lid so it can run into the pan. If the lid is tight fitting, lift the lid, pour the water into the pan and quickly recover the pan. The water will heat quickly and steam the eggs.
• Wait another 2-3 minutes and lift the lid to check the eggs.
  • If the eggs are done, turn off the burner and slide the eggs out onto plate.
  • If the eggs are not done
    • Put the lid back on
    • If the top of the eggs need more cooking, add a teaspoon or two more water and recover.
    • Check again in a minute or two and repeat until done.
• Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Use more water for more poached like eggs.
Cook longer for eggs more like fried.

Serve with or on toast or toasted English muffins.

Scrambled Eggs

There are probably as many ways to scramble eggs as there are people to scramble them. Its really easy. All you need to remember is to keep the stove temperature to the low side of medium    and scramble the eggs from time to time, turning over the cooked side an allowing the uncooked egg to get to the pan.

• Break the number of eggs you want into a bowl and whip up with a fork.
• You can add a little water or milk. You can add chopped vegies, onions, bacon, ham or lox, too. Try adding spices like a pinch of dill.
• Heat the pan over medium (to medium-low) heat and add butter if desired.We love cream cheese scrambled eggs and melt a nice sized glob of cream cheese in the pan first, breaking it into smaller pieces with the cooking utensil and then adding the eggs.
• Pour the eggs into the skillet
• Allow to cook until they just start to set on the bottom.
• Mix the eggs by turning over the cooked side to allowing the uncooked egg to get to the pan. REMEMBER: DO not use metal in non-stick pans. Use a plastic utensil to stir the eggs in the pan. I prefer a cooking fork but they are very hard to find. Many people use a spatula for this.
• Continue until the eggs are done then transfer to a plate.

The more you mix the more crumbly they become, so if you like larger chunks, mix less often.

Basic Omelets

OK, so an omelet is basically scrambled eggs that aren’t scrambled and have stuff in them. They are traditional and staple French food. If you have eggs and a little cheese, you always have something to eat.

Ingredients like meat, onions, peppers, and some cheese can be added to the eggs before cooking or can go in the center of the omelet after cooking and before folding over. Have filling ready BEFORE you start cooking if adding it into the fold.

• Break the number of eggs you want into a bowl and whip up with a fork.
• Add a little (about 2 Tablespoons) cream or milk (water if you must) and a dash of nutmeg and mix it in.
• Add any other ingredients you want in the eggs and mix in. (NOTE: you want about a 1/3 cup of “stuff”)
• Heat the pan over low heat and add butter if desired.
• Pour the eggs into the skillet and cover.
• Cook until the eggs are completely set and a little puffy.
• Place the filling ingredients on half the omelet. Fold the other side over (if cheese, recover and give it a minute for the cheese to melt.)
• Turn off the heat
• Slide or invert the omelet onto a plate.
•  Salt and Pepper and garnish if desired.

(NOTE about Salt and Pepper:  These have a lot more oomph if added after cooking and before eating. It’s a great way to cut down on Salt intake without missing out on flavor.)

Bon Appetit!