Corned Beef and Cabbage made easy

Hi Everyone,

So busy with the house packing, sorting, organizing and donating process around here but believe me I am still cooking, well most of the time anyway.  This recipe is easy and always seems to hit the mark if done this way.  Lots of other ways to make Corned Beef and Cabbage, but here is my take on it,  a set it and forget it (almost) meal.

Here is what you will need:

I am using a corned beef flat cut, the round is my favorite and easily found in Missouri, but here in Illinois, not so much. 

Prepare ingredients and place in the crock pot; except the cabbage,  and let it cook for 8-10 hours:
                                                                                

Meanwhile, wash and cut the cabbage into wedges:

When corned beef is cooked place broth from crock pot into large Dutch Oven type pot, place cabbage in broth to cook:

Slicing the corned beef should be done against the grain of the meat as shown here:

You will know you have sliced it with the grain if it is all stringy and your significant other or children look at you like you are trying to serve them cooked shoe strings. Here is another view:

Dinner is ready:

For some reason my husband places the fork and knife on the wrong side of the plate; I guess it does not really matter as long as he likes my cooking and food gets into his mouth correctly.  :)
All plated up:

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients:

1 packaged Corned Beef either a round cut or flat cut

1 medium onion, peeled, cut into wedges or thick slices

1 medium head of cabbage; washed, cut into wedges

salt and pepper to taste

1 seasoning packet that comes in corned beef package (if included)

4 large carrots, washed and cut into serving size pieces or 1/2 -1 full bag small carrots

1-2 tsp. each of garlic powder and onion powder

4 beef boullion cubes

water; enough to cover corned beef and the vegetables

Directions:

Set up crock pot, turn on high.  Remove corned beef from package, rinse under cold water.  Place corned beef in crock pot, if a seasoning packet is included cut this open and add to crock pot. 

Cover corned beef and seasonings with water; add beef boullion cubes, onion, carrots, garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper. 

Place lid on crock pot; let cook for 8-10 hours on high. 

Check for corned beef doneness by inserting a fork or knife into meat; the meat should be very tender and easy to pierce.  The carrots will be done at the same time.

Remove corned beef from crock pot, place on platter or cutting board, allow to "rest" for about 5 minutes, so juices settle into meat. 

Take broth from crock pot and place in large Dutch Oven type pot. This broth is very hot so be careful, I usually use a large soup ladle and spoon it into the pot.  Place cabbage in this broth, place on stove over medium high heat.  Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, checking for desired doneness.  I usually allow it to cook until a little resistence is met when pierced with fork but still tender. 

While cabbage is cooking, slice corned beef.  The slicing should be against the grain of the meat.  If you can see the lines in the photo, you want to go against this.  The slices will be sort of compact looking rather than stringy. 

When meat is sliced, remove cooked cabbage from the broth; place in bowl for serving.

We like horseradish as a condiment for the corned beef. 

Serve and enjoy!

Evelyn

Back in business!

Hi all!

John remembered to bring the camera home from the new house, so I am now able to finally post another recipe.  A good day already. 

Let's have some fish.  If you are not a big fan of fish, this is a fish you might try, no fishy overpowering taste, very light and very easy to cook.  Here we go.


Tilapia Fish Dinner

Here is what you will need:

Set up what I will call a breading station:

Place the fish in the beaten egg mixture first, then into the bread crumb mixture:

Place a small amount of oil in frying pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan well; heat oil until a small drop of water sizzles when dropped into pan.  Add breaded fish pieces to pan:

Fry over medium high heat until lightly browned, turn carefully, turning fish away from you as you turn the pieces of fish to cook on the other side:

I hope you will try this fish, it is so good, even kids like it:  :)

Tilapia Fish Dinner

Ingredients:

Tilapia fish, 1-2 filets per person
1/-1 cup Panko bread crumbs, depending upon the amount of fish to be breaded
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, whipped with fork
1/4 tsp each of garlic powder and onion powder
Canola oil for frying, or your preferred oil

Recipe:

Rinse fish filets in water, pat light dry with paper toweling.  Usually tilapia is deboned but just make sure there are no bones remaining to be on the safe side. 

Set up breading station.  Break open eggs, place in bowl, whip with fork to break up. 

In a second bowl place Panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Taking one piece of fish at a time, dip fish in egg, let excess run off.  Then place fish in bread crumb mixture; coating fish well.

Place oil in frying pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, it will rise up to the side of the fish as you place fish in the pan.  These filets are usually not too thick so go easy on the oil to avoid an oily taste.  Heat oil until a small drop of water or breading sizzles when it hits the oil.

Place fish in pan when oil is heated.  Do not overcrowd the pan, so turning is easy and all cooks fairly evenly in the same amount of time. 

Let fish brown lightly on first side, this will take under 5 minutes.  Turn carefully.  Use spatula to turn fish, turning away from you to avoid any oil splattering on you.  Allow to cook until second side is equally as browned.  Check for doneness by using a fork, the fish should flake easily with a fork. 

Note: This recipe is also good on other types of fish such as cod, catfish, basically any whitefish etc..

Serve & Enjoy!

Evelyn

hello

Hello Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know I am still working hard on some recipes but our move is heading into full swing so my photographer has not downloaded all the photos as yet.  :(  He is so busy at the house making repairs, making changes and just general making it ours type things.

I will be adding new recipes and photos soon.  Please hang in there with me. 

Thanks so much.

Evelyn

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Good Morning Everyone!

Today let's start the day by making Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.  These are good muffins that make up quickly and are even better the next day.  Warm from the oven, spread on a little butter or jam and you are good to go.  I hope you enjoy them too.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Here's what you'll need, pretty basic and you may already have all the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator.  Photo should include milk, missed that.  Thanks Gina!

Mash the bananas, you can use a fork or a pie crust tool like I used here:

Mix dry ingredients, then add melted butter:

Now John is showing off his action shot capabilities.  Can you tell the camera is fairly new?

The wet ingredients are added to the dry ingredients.  Mix good but you do want some lumps; avoid overmixing.

Add the chocolate chips, mix by hand, again do not overmix:

Spray muffin cups, line with muffin paper liners or coat lightly with vegetable oil or butter. Fill about 3/4 full with batter, I used a medium sized ice cream scoop. 

Bake and enjoy while still warm from the oven. 

Wait for it..... the butter is melting...

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1/8 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chocolate chips
 
The How To:
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray to coat lightly.
 
Mash the bananas in a medium size bowl with a fork or pastry mixing tool.
 
Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl with a fork or you can sift them together into the bowl, or you can blend them on low speed with a mixer.
 
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add in the milk, mashed bananas, eggs and the melted butter.  Mix well, but do not overmix, there will be small lumps, from the bananas as well as the mix, this is okay and makes for a moist muffin. 
 
Stir in the chocolate chips, mix just until the chips are incorporated. 
 
Add batter to muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full.  Opt.: At this point you can top with nuts and/or raisins.
 
Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
 
Serve with butter or jam, or both.
 
Enjoy!

I'm Back!

Hi everyone!  I have been way too busy lately, again, all good things.  We are in the process of moving, picking out paint colors and the like.  I have been cooking none the less but taking the time to blog has not been too easy.  So sorry for the delay in postings.  I hope some of you have stuck by me and have checked in from time to time. 

Now, onto tonights easy, easy recipe.  This may be a St. Louis recipe as I talked about this at work a while ago and no one in the office had heard of it!  Boy, was I surprised.  You will laugh at this recipe after all this build-up but it is simple but a good one.

Peanut Butter and Bacon Toast

That's all you'll need.  I bet the kids will like this one...I hope.   Just bacon, peanut butter, bread.

Start frying the bacon until desired doneness:

 

Drain the bacon on paper toweling:

Toast the bread:

While the toast is still warm from the toaster, spread on the peanut butter, it will melt a little bit.

Cut the bacon into pieces that fit nicely on the toast.

Here is the finished Peanut Butter and Bacon Toast:

Peanut Butter and Bacon Toast

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter, either crunchy or smooth, your favorite brand, I used Jif creamy.

Bread, 1 slice per

3 slices bacon, cut in half,  for 2 slices of toast (yielding three half pieces per slice of toast)

Directions:

Fry bacon to desired doneness.  Drain on paper toweling to remove excess grease.

While bacon is frying start toasting the bread.

When bread is toasted, spread on the peanut butter.  The peanut butter will melt a little bit adding to the delicousness. 

When bacon is still warm but not too hot to handle, cut bacon strips in half.  Add three halves to each slice of bread, on top of the peanut butter.

I usually serve this with some fruit and a nice cold glass of milk.

Try this for a comfort food type breakfast. 

Enjoy!

Note:

My Mom would make this for us on occasion by spreading the peanut butter onto untoasted bread, then adding uncooked bacon and placing them under the broiler to cook.  This yields a soft bottom instead of the toasted bread, but it does brown up the peanut butter a little bit while it cooks the bacon.  I prefer the toasted and assembled version like outlined here.  Be careful if you choose to make it like Mom's, as the bacon and peanut butter combination cooks up fast under the broiler.