Category: Food

Posted in Food, Main Dish

Curley’s Corned Beef Hash

Posted on by lmc

corned beef hash

A tradition in our household when my husband and I were first married, was to head over to my mother-in-law’s house for Sunday breakfast. When we arrived, the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Gramma Curley would have on her apron as she filled plates with piles of pancakes, pastries, scrambled eggs and various meats. On one occasion, she poured a reddish meat and potatoes mixture from a small pot onto a plate and my husband’s eyes lit up. I asked what it was and he replied, “It’s corned beef hash”. Well, I had never seen anything like it before. Coming from an Irish family, you would think that I would have known what corned beef hash was. After tasting it, I knew that I had to come up with a recipe of my own. This stuff just wasn’t happening for me. Here is a little something I put together one night with left over corned beef, some shredded cabbage, onions and a few baked potatoes. Give this recipe a try…you won’t be disappointed.

Curley Corned Beef Hash

1 pound fully cooked corned beef, diced
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
3 left-over baked potatoes, sliced or diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3 tbls. canola oil

Pre-heat a medium skillet on the stove top , add canola oil and saute potatoes until golden brown. Add shedded cabbage and onions. Season with garlic and onion powder; saute until slightly soft. Add cooked corned beef and continue to saute until heated through; about 15 more minutes. Serve it up hot with some Irish Soda Bread. This is a great one pot meal.

Posted in Baked goods, Food

Curley Power Bars

Posted on by lmc

curley power bar

As I have mentioned in past posts, my children are swimmers and they are constantly eating! After buying my share of expensive power bars at the grocery store over the years, I decided to try to come up with a recipe that would replace the expensive bars found at the local market. This is the recipe that worked out best. These bars are quite delicious and surprisingly satisfying. If I had a nickle for every time I have shared this recipe with fellow swimmer parents, I’d be rich! 🙂

Curley Power Bars

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey or reduced sugar (1/3) corn syrup
1/3 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flaked coconut (optional)
1/2 cup raisins or dates(optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix first 5 ingredients until smooth and well blended.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Press into a greased 13×9″ baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. After taking the pan out of the oven, cover with aluminum foil until completely cooled. This helps to keep the bars chewy.
Note: I often sprinkle a little non-fat dry milk powder or protein powder into the peanut butter mixture to add nutrients and protein. Cut into bars when cool and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Pop one into a lunch box or a sports bag to give the kids a burst of nutritious energy.

Posted in Food, Main Dish

Curley’s Baked Corned Beef

Posted on by lmc

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When I was a young girl, my parents cooked corned beef quite frequently. My dad would find a big pot, throw in the corned beef, add cabbage, potatoes, and parsnips and cover the whole thing with water. He would set the big pot on the stove top and let the concoction cook for several hours. The result was a mess of stewed vegetables in greasy water and a piece of meat that was a quarter of the size it once was. Needless to say, this was not my favorite meal and I would cringe when I would smell the aroma as I walked in the door from school.
These days, I have found a much better way to prepare corned beef. You will love this recipe. The beef is tasty and slices up well for sandwiches. Once you make corned beef this way, you’ll never boil it again.

Curley’s Baked Corned Beef

1 3-5 lb. flat cut of corned beef ( I like Vienna’s)
2 cups water
1/3 cup Lawry’s Teriaki Marinade

Line a 13×9 baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Rinse corned beef and place in pan. Pour water into pan. TIGHTLY COVER PAN WITH ALUMINUM FOIL. Bake at 325 degrees for 3 hours. Remove from over and carefully remove the foil. The steam releasing from the pan can burn your fingers if you are not careful. Brush the marinade onto the corned beef and place it back in the oven for 10 minutes. Enjoy with sautéed potatoes and shredded cabbage.

Posted in Food, salads

The Wedge

Posted on by lmc

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Several years ago, we attended a funeral luncheon where this salad was served to the guests. I asked all of my children to, at least, take a few bites of the salad as the host family had paid for the meal and I didn’t want the food to go to waste. Each of us tried the salad and after the first bite, we were hooked. I have made this salad several times over the years. I have included the recipe for the dressing but you can certainly purchase a great quality blue cheese dressing at the market and use it with success. This is a great summer salad that goes well with my recipe for marinated skirt steak and baked potatoes.

The Wedge

1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 wedges
1 medium tomato, diced
1 package (any brand) real bacon pieces
1/2 lb. blue cheese crumbles

Dressing

1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Chill until ready to serve.

To assemble the salad, place wedges on 8 individual plates. Pour desired amount of dressing over each wedge. Sprinkle wedges with tomatoes, bacon bits, and blue cheese. Serve immediately.

Posted in breakfast, Brunch, Food, slow cooking

Hearty Crock Pot Oatmeal

Posted on by lmc

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I have three swimmers in the household so I am constantly replenishing the food supply. Swimmers are a dedicated breed. They are out of the house every weekday morning at 5:00 am and they stroll in the door around 6:00 pm every evening. This means I need to provide them with plenty of food during the school day so that they have enough energy to make it through until dinner. I send breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack with my children every day. Packing three meals for three kids everyday can be a trying task.
This recipe is nutritious, hearty, and packed with lots of whole grains and plenty of protein. Throw all of the ingredients in the crock pot before heading to bed. Wake up to the irresistible smell of cinnamon, apples, vanilla, and raisins. Pack warm oatmeal in individual plastic freezer jars and pop them into the fridge or freezer. During the week, pull a jar out of the fridge and pop it into the microwave for a delicious, hearty, breakfast that packs a powerful punch and is sure to get you through the morning.

Hearty Crock Pot Oatmeal

1 cup STEEL CUT oats
2 cups milk
1½ cups water
1 apple, peeled and chopped
½ cup raisins
2 Tbls. butter
1 Tbls. gound cinnamon
3 Tbls. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour into crock pot sprayed well with cooking spray. Cover pot, set to LOW and let cook for 6 hours or until smooth and creamy. YUM!

Posted in Food, Main Dish

Pizza Margherita

Posted on by lmc

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I found a new product in the produce section that I absolutely love…Gourmet Garden’s basil paste. It’s scrumptious! Now that I have found it, I have been mixing it in everything. Tonight, my daughter had a friend over so I made them a quick pizza margherita. Let me tell you, when you pop this baby in the oven, the house immediately takes on the enticing aroma of a great Italian restaurant. During the summer months, use fresh tomatoes and basil picked straight from the garden…during the cold winter months, use Roma or plum tomatoes with basil paste for a great tasting pizza margherita!

Pizza Margherita

1 premade pizza crust
1 Tbls. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced, separated
4 medium ripe Roma tomatoes
3 Tbls. fresh basil or basil paste
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brush pre-made pizza crust with olive oil. Sprinkle one tablespoon of minced garlic over the crust. In a medium bowl, add remaining garlic, tomatoes, basil/paste, and salt; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over the pizza crust. Spread shredded mozzarella over tomato mixture. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until crust is crispy and golden brown and toppings are bubbly. For a crispy crust, bake directly on oven rack. For a softer crust, bake on a cookie sheet.

Posted in Food, lunch box, No-Bake

Colorful Crispy Treats

Posted on by lmc

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These treats are a snap to whip up! I make them for swim meets where my children are always looking for a quick burst of sugary energy when swimming a quick race. I’ve also made them for children’s parties and get togethers….they are always the first treat to disappear! If these little gems last more than a day, wrap them individually in cellophane and store them in an airtight container for further enjoyment.

Colorful Crispy Treats

3Tbls. margarine
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
4 cups crispy rice cereal
2 cups any colorful fruit flavored cereal

In large saucepan melt margarine over low heat. Add marshmallows, vanilla, and salt; stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Add cereal. Stir until well coated.
Using buttered spatula or oiled hands evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2” pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Posted in Food, side dishes

Noodle and Rice Casserole

Posted on by lmc

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This week, our high school swim team celebrated “Senior Night” where all of the Senior students were recognized for their years of hard work and dedication to the team. Parents were asked to contribute a side dish for the occasion. I made a noodle and rice casserole. This dish is actually my mother – in – law’s recipe. When I was first dating my husband, his mother made us this weeknight dish. She placed a layer of chicken breasts under the casserole fixings to make a full meal in a 13X9” pan. It was quite delicious and I have been making it for my family ever since.

Noodle and Rice Casserole

2 sticks of margarine
2 cans of French onion soup
8 oz. pkg. fine noodles, uncooked
2 cups instant rice, brown or white
2 cans chicken broth
2 tsp. soy sauce

Brown noodles and rice in margarine in a large skillet until golden brown. Add remaining ingredients to the skillet; mix well. Pour into a 13X9” baking pan. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Food

Bruschetta

Posted on by lmc

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Recently, I noticed a new item on my local grocer’s produce shelf. Gourmet Garden is now making basil paste in a 4 oz. tube. I was so excited to see this because my family loves basil and I usually only make recipes with fresh basil during the summer months when fresh basil is cheap and plentiful. I always make sure to plant plenty of varieties so that I have lots of different flavors to add to appetizers, salads, canned tomatoes, and Italian dishes. Now my family can enjoy many of these recipes year round. Bruschetta is a popular favorite in my house and I was able to surprise my family with this tasty appetizer last night. I’m so excited to have found this convenient tube of delicious basil paste. It brings a touch of summer to the cold winter days in Indiana.

Bruschetta

3 medium tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
2 Tbls. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 baguette or thin Italian loaf, thinly sliced
2 Tbls. olive oil
½ tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill before serving.

Line a cookie sheet with bread slices. Brush the slices with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 325 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

Pile tomato mixture on toasted bread slices and enjoy!

Posted in Baked goods, Food, lunch box

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Posted on by lmc

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Every year, around the holidays, I bake this loaf for friends and co-workers. I take out my ceramic bowls, baking supplies and loaf pans and turn out about 15 loaves in a matter of hours. After I let the loaves cool, I wrap them in foil and Christmas wrapping paper, tie them up with Christmas ribbons and send them off to various friends and co-workers. This yummy loaf is quick and easy to make yet looks like it takes hours. This recipe yields three gift jars that can be used to make one loaf each.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

1 pkg. white cake mix
2 pkg. rapid-rise yeast
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 16 oz. jars

Filling

1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients and evenly distribute them into the three jars. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon and distribute into three plastic baggies. To each jar, attach a baggie and a copy of the following directions.

To make Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Set aside sugar-cinnamon baggie.
In a large bowl, combine bread mix with 1 cup of warm water.
Stir until well combined.
Stir in one more cup of flour and kneed dough until smooth.
Return dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 45 minutes.
Punch down dough and roll into an 8” X 12” rectangle.
Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon –sugar mixture.
Roll up the dough and place seam side down in greased loaf pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 15-20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.