Gearing up for our yearly St. Patty’s day party, I usually cook up quite a bit of corned beef.  I thought this year I would not only cook my normal recipe but also try a few that I have been testing and reworking.

This one was given to me a while back and I have removed many ingredients and added some others so much that it really doesn’t resemble the original anymore.  My wife who isn’t much of a corned beef fan really loves this dish.  It takes a while, but all good corned beef does.

1 3-4 lbs. corned beef brisket.
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine.
2 medium yellow onions quartered.
2 bottles of beer.
1/2 cup Jameson whiskey.
1 tablespoon caraway seeds.
1 tablespoon and a half of dill.
1 small bag of baby red potatoes (about 20-24).
About 20 – 24 baby carrots.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Place the beef in a roasting pan FAT SIDE DOWN.  Add the garlic, onions, caraway seeds and the contents of the little spice packet that comes with most corned beef.  If this packet is not included, then use about two tablespoons of pickling spice.

Pour the beer over the brisket and then the whiskey.

Cover the roasting pan and cook in the oven for 1 hour.

Turn the beef so the fat side is now up.  Cover and cook an additional 2 hours.

Add the carrots, potatoes, and dill around the beef.   Cover and cook for another 2 hours.

Remove from the – (More…)

As I posted in a recent article, I am a big Giada fan.  I also talked in that article about one of her recipes I used as a base for a dish I made at a super bowl party I attend every year.  Well, for my tastes, it needed a bit of tweaking, so for you steak sandwich lovers, here it is.

The first thing you need to consider for this recipe is the type of steak you are going to use.  Ideally, you want a steak with a lot of fat.  A lean cut of beef will not do well in my opinion.  This is because you need extra tender beef for a good steak sandwich.  There is nothing worse then eating one, and pulling out huge chunks of beef and destroying the sandwich.

For the best flavor, I would use the cut Giada recommends (rib-eye), but really any fatty cut will work.  Shell steak for example will work.   For this recipe, I will use rib-eye.

First, the marinade.  The one thing I changed was I took out the mustard seed.  I do not think it really needed it.  I  replaced it instead with Dijon mustard.

Marinade:

1/4 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons spicy Dijon mustard (i.e. grey poupon)

Mix all of these ingredients together in a large sealable plastic baggy add:

three 12 -14 oz. rib-eye steaks.

Marinate the meat for at least an hour, but it – (More…)

I actually just threw this together one day when trying to come up with an idea for these chicken thighs I had to cook. I had never really cooked much with reduced liquor, but after seeing a few other unrelated recipes, I figured I would give it a shot. Believe me, I am glad I did because this dish came out incredible!!

Ingredients:

5-6 Chicken Thighs
Olive Oil
1 cup Southern Comfort Liquor
1 cup chicken stock
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet (preferably one that is safe for the oven), add enough olive oil to coat the pan. About two tablespoons should work. Heat the pan to med-high. While you wait for the oil to heat, salt and pepper the skin side of the chicken thighs. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the chicken thighs skin side down. Salt and pepper the bottoms of the thighs while the skin side is frying. Fry the skin side until brown, about 4-5 minutes. Thighs are high in fat, so it may take a little longer for them to brown up.

Turn the thighs and brown the bottoms for about 4-5 minutes.

Remove the thighs from the pan, and drain out all the oil and fat. Add about a tablespoon of oil (just enough to barely coat the pan) add chicken back to the skillet and place into the oven for 30 minutes or until done. – (More…)

The news out there about flax seed is nothing but good. High in omega 3 fatty acids, it is really the only way to get these healthy fats without eating seafood.

This was my primary reason for trying flax seed. My wife is allergic to shellfish so our seafood diet is sparing at best. I decided to start using flax seed in many of my recipes.

In seed form, flax seed isn’t very beneficial, however ground up you can reap all of the benefits.

I buy the seeds and put then in the freezer. I grind up about a cup at a time (in a coffee grinder) and save it in the freezer as flax seed can spoil quite fast.

Since the local stores around here have really lousy bread, I decided to start making my own. It really isn’t very difficult and you can freeze your prepared bread dough to use later when you want fresh baked bread.

Here is my current favorite bread using ground flax seed:

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose white flour.
1 cup ground flax seed.
1 packet active dry yeast (not the rapid rise).
1 teaspoon of salt.
2 tablespoons of honey.
1 teaspoon of sugar.
2 eggs.
1 cup milk.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter.

Put the cup of milk and the butter in a small sauce pan and melt on LOW until butter is melted. You do not want it any warmer than 110 degrees. Basically, when you stick your finger in – (More…)

In an earlier article, I wrote about my Stuffed Cabbage recipe. Recently, I decided to try cooking it a bit different, and that was in a crockpot. All of the same ingredients are required, the preparation however is a bit different.

Prepare your crockpot by putting some pieces of cabbage leaves on the bottom of the crockpot. Put one layer of your stuffed cabbage rolls, then add a thin layer of your crushed tomatoes. Sprinkle a little bit of the chopped onion (lately I have been using shallots instead), and then start a new layer.

The last layer should end with the remaining crushed tomatoes and onion. I have also found that splashing a little merlot on top of all of this adds a little extra flavor to stuffed cabbages.

Back when I was in college, I tried cooking a little stir-fry cooking. After years of other cares, I forgot all about it. Recently I have gotten back into it and have nearly punched myself in the noggin for forgetting about this!

There really is no need to explain to you ingredient by ingredient on how to cook stir-fry. If you enjoy vegetables with meat, then your own recipe will suffice. I will get you started on my general technique.

The three things you must know about stir-fry are preparation, preparation, preparation. This method of cooking is fast paced and must be tended to constantly. You will not have time to chop an onion when your recipe is cooking. Before hand, make sure everything that needs to be prepared before you cook is ready. Vegetables should be cut into large chunks, not minced, except for garlic.

I usually pick up two different types of peppers to start with, for example, a green and a yellow. These flavors go well with stir-fry.

Myself, I like white onions better than yellow, but that is a taste issue. Whether it is yellow or white, get a large onion.

You can use one clove, or fifty cloves of garlic. It depends on your taste.

Snow peas in opinion are a must for any stir-fry. I think it is because it is the only dish I enjoy them in. 🙂

Fresh – (More…)

There is no denying that the Kings Feast from your rotisserie is a standing rib roast. About 3-4 times a year I splurge and get a standing rib roast from my butcher. This is not a cheap cut of meat. The last roast I bought was $29.95 for five pounds. This was enough to serve a little more than 3 steaks. This is the prime rib of the cattle and as far as I am concerned, it must be cooked on a rotisserie. I use the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie, and am limited to no more than a 6 pound roast, otherwise it will burn it. Five pounds works just fine for our family of four.

If possible, have your butcher remove the chine bone, it will make it much easier to carve.

Fat is a GOOD thing in a standing rib roast! The more marbling the better.

The only necessary spice here is a good coarse salt. The recipe below includes the spices I use.

Ingredients

1 5-6 pound standing rib roast.
2.12 oz of seasalt (buy the kind with a built in grinder).
Garlic and Herb seasoning.
Onion powder.

Preparation

In a very large bowl or container, grind half of the salt in the grinder into the bowl.

Add about a 1/4 of the container of Garlic and Herb seasoning.

Add about 2 tablespoons of onion power.

Mix all the spices together.

Take the roast and grind it into – (More…)

If you have a home rotisserie one of the best things you can cook in it is a whole chicken. I use the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie to cook chicken and as far as I am concerned, whole chicken should never be cooked on anything but a rotisserie.

If your rotisserie has a temperature control, then you can use this recipe on any size chicken, otherwise you should keep the size of the chicken between 3-4 pounds.

Never stuff a rotisserie chicken, it just doesn’t cook in a manner conducive for a stuffed bird.

This recipe I found a while back and adapted to my tastes. It creates a slightly spicy but delicious flavor that might actually get you addicted to chicken. 🙂

You can cook this in the oven normally too.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons salt.
1 tablespoon paprika.
1/4 tablespoon crushed cayenne pepper.
1 tablespoon onion powder.
1 teaspoon ground thyme.
1/4 tablespoon white pepper.
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder.
1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Preparation

Mix all of the spices together well. I usually use a small tupperware container and shake it up.

Remove the giblets from the chicken and wash chicken with water. Pat dry with paper towels.

Rub some of the mix inside the bird, and then rub the rest all over the chicken. Rub it in there good. I place the chicken in a large bowl and rub the seasonings into it.

Place the chicken into the rotisserie and cook as per the units instructions, – (More…)

Lobster is a wonderful seafood delight that comes primarily from Maine. Sure, you can get it elsewhere, but Maine lobster is the standard. The larger the lobster is, the tougher the meat will be. I recommend a 1 1/2 pound lobster per serving.

The biggest problem with eating lobster is not finding the right ones, it is how it is prepared. There is nothing worse than eating a boiled lobster! Lobster must not be boiled! I am not sure how I can emphasize it any more. If you want soggy, mushy lobster with no flavor, boil it, otherwise follow my method.

Ingredients

Lobster.
Water.

Preparation

In a very large sauce pot, add water until the water is about 2 inches deep. Insert a metal colander or strainer so lobster will not be immersed into the water. Bring to a boil while you prepare the lobster.

Myself, I am not a big roe fan. Roe is a pretty name for lobster guts. I always clean the lobster before I cook it. If you like to eat lobster guts, by all means, leave them in.

To remove the roe, turn the lobster on its back. Take a long knife and push the point of the knife right into the lobsters mouth. Then using that as leverage, push the rest of the knife right down the middle of the lobster in – (More…)

Every man should have his own chili recipe. The Super bowl, World Series, NHL Playoffs, etc., are all prime time chili moments! I usually only make my chili in the fall and winter months because it is a very spicy dish, and can warm you right up on those cold days.

There is a long standing fight between whether ground beef should be allowed in chili. Many people use steak, and I have even seen some who use poultry such as chicken or turkey. I was brought up with ground beef in my chili. Have you ever tried to put chili on a hot-dog that is full of chunks of sirloin? It doesn’t work!

There is also those out there who refuse to put beans in there chili. As far as I am concerned, a chili without beans is nothing but spicy spaghetti sauce!

My chili recipe has been evolving now for over 10 years and changes slightly every year. I am not a fan of the five alarm chili that burns your taste buds off before you can even sense the flavor. My technique I can only call “creeper heat”. The faster you eat it, the hotter it is, the slower you eat it, just the opposite. I find it better to first experience the flavor before you experience the heat. If you follow my recipe, this is what should – (More…)