what's cookin'

in an attempt to get back into the blogging swing of things, and to kind of liven up the blog (since I lost a follower due to my lack of updating, I assume)... I am going to start the "tasty tuesdays" program. :) I very much enjoy cooking and baking and food in general... so I feel as though I'd like to share this. I can't guarantee that these recipes are any good... I'm sure it'll be a mix and match of ones I've tried and ones I want to try. but I'm going to guarantee I won't be putting up anything that straight up sucks.

oh, and even though this was started as a "quilt blog"... last time I checked... quilters still needed to eat too. unless of course you figured out a way to just sit and quilt and not need sustinence at all... but I don't think jen has shared her secret yet. ;)

so, even though it's a week past... *last* tuesday was st. patrick's day. and this is the inaugural week of tasty tuesdays... so I think I'll do two tasty treats for today. :)

first off, let's start with a rough recipe for guinness crock pot corned beef with colcannon. I was informed by an irishman currently residing in ireland that corned beef dinner... isn't really irish. I mean, ok yeah it is... but it's more irish-american... a creation that came to be once the irish immigrants arrived here in the states. but regardless of where it came from, it is worthy of tasty tuesday.

guinness crock pot corned beef
> 2-4lb flat cut corned beef (flat cut is a bit more expensive, but WAY more worth it)
note: if your corned beef has no seasoning packet included, just add some whole cloves (5-6), some black peppercorns (5-6), and a bay leaf, OR just 1-2T. pickling spices, if you have them
> 1c. brown sugar
> 1-2 bottles of guinness stout ale
note: I think it would be interesting to try out some different brands, or some different flavors, more specifically chocolate stout. stouts are inherently bitter, hence the brown sugar, but I imagine cutting back on the brown sugar yet using a chocolate stout would produce similarly tasty results

in your crock pot, add (1) bottle of guinness (or other stout) and your brown sugar. mix together until the sugar dissolves. add in your corned beef. if you have a larger crock pot (like I do) and your corned beef is not even really touching the liquid, then add another bottle of guinness (or other stout). when I did mine, I went so far as to completely cover the corned beef (using three bottles). it was probably overkill, and next time I make it, I'll probably settle for two. set your crock pot for low for the next (8) hours... and just leave it! don't lift the lid... don't check on it. it will be fine. I promise! after time expires... take the meat out and place on a plate, or cutting board. cover with foil. when your colcannon is finished... and you are prepping to cut your meat... make sure to cut corned beef AGAINST the grain, or else it will just fall to pieces.

colcannon
> 1/4-1/3 head of fresh cabbage
> 4-5 small to medium potatoes
> 2T. unsalted butter (for sautéing)
> 3-4T. unsalted butter, cubed (for flavoring potatoes)
> 1/4-1/3c. milk
> dash of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

peel and cut your potatoes into about 2" cubes (or close to it - it's not an exact science). place them in a pot and add water until the potatoes are just covered. bring to a boil. [I usually add some kosher salt at this point, not to increase the boiling speed, but to season the potatoes while they are cooking] in the meantime, shred your cabbage into strips. this is where my mandolin slicer came in useful, but I have also just used my veggie peeler on an angle with similar results. heat a pan over medium to medium high heat and begin to let your butter melt. once your pan is hot and the butter is melted, but not browning, add the cabbage and a pinch of salt. sauté the cabbage for about 5-6 minutes. at this point, your potatoes should be cooked through. drain them and mash, adding in the cubed butter. add the milk a bit at a time and mix, until the potatoes have reached your desired consistency. add a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill... then dump in your sautéed cabbage. fold the cabbage in until completely mixed.

plate up your corned beef with your colcannon... and enjoy! you may not even need to add any mustard the flavor is so good.


ok, and last, but not least... is a recipe... that I want to TRY! this recipe was emailed to me from GE (I'm on their mailing lists - I like to ogle the beautiful new appliances)

st. patrick's day soup
> 6 large idaho potatoes (or maine potatoes, if you're cool like that), peeled and cubed
> 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
> 1 large onion, chopped
> 4c. chicken broth
> 2tsp. thyme
> 16oz sour cream (that's one full container)
> 1 stick unsalted butter
> 1/2c. flour
> 2c. milk
> dash of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

put the potatoes, onion, broth, and thyme into a pot. bring to a boil, cover, then simmer for about (20) minutes, or until the po-tates are tender. melt the butter in a medium saucepan. stir in flour to create a smooth paste (roux?). add the milk, a small amount at at time, continually stirring to make the mixture smooth. bring this to a boil, again continually stirring, until it thickens. season with salt and pepper and add to the potato mixture. stir in all the sour cream. heat through and serve.


holy cats that sounds rich and delish. I think I would like to consider a cheddar potato soup... perhaps melting some freshly grated cheddar in with the milky roux-y mixture before adding it to the potato pot. also, I'm not sure how this will come out in the end... I may have to bust out with the immersion blender... which is always a good thing. :)

well, I hope you enjoyed the first installment of tasty tuesday... please feel free to comment on the recipes, or let me know how YOU liked them once you tried them.