Potato Kugel

 

Kugel is a Jewish dish that is quite popular at Passover. It caught my eye because it is basically a casserole  comprised of shredded potatoes and onions....two of my very favorite ingredients. It's fantastic for a crowd because you can make it ahead of time...so you don't end up frying hash browns and grilling a steak at the same time. My OCD prefers to concentrate on a single task at a time.

I have modified this recipe to suit my own preferences. The traditional recipe will have you shredding and squeezing the moisture out of your potatoes and onions. I'm not interested in making this from scratch. I'm interested in getting all of the flavors of this dish as fast as possible and with as little work as possible. If you are a purist, google Kugel and have at it.

A bag of Simply Potatoes shredded hash browns will eliminate, at the very least, an hour of work. Well, actually 3 bags...because you need 3 pounds of shredded potatoes for this recipe. With 3 bags, you'll have ready-to-cook spuds plus 12 ounces left over for another occasion. All that's left to do is slice some onions, combine the ingredients and cook.

I used a short cut for the onions as well. I used a mandoline to create thin slices of onion and then used a knife on the slices to make the onions the same size as the shredded hash browns. After that,. it's basically mix everything in a bowl and then spread it out on a pre-heated , 9-inch X 13-inch casserole dish. And in just 55 minutes, your golden brown Kugel will be ready for serving!

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup of potato starch or corn starch

3 bags of Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns, 12-ounces reserved for another use 

1-1/2 yellow onions, sliced on a mandoline and chopped to same size as hash browns

1/2 cup chopped chives, divided

2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil 

DIRECTION

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F, using the convection bake setting if you have it. Place a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish into the oven to heat up. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, salt, garlic, pepper and potato starch. Whisk to blend well, then add the potatoes, onion and half the chives. 
3. Pull the hot baking dish out of the oven and add the oil. Spread it so it coats the entire bottom. Now add the potato mixture and spread it evenly in the pan. Bake this in the oven for 55 minutes (use convection bake if you have it).  Remove dish from oven, top with remaining chives and serve.

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

 

While I love buying meat at Costco, there is one thing that has always bothered me. When grilling for a crowd, I like to buy the large packages of New York Strips (rib eyes, my favorite cut, take up too much cooking surface). They typically come with 6 steaks in the package. Now 5 of them are identical in shape and thickness...but the 6th one is always bigger and does not match the other 5 at all.

This is frustrating because it will also cook differently than the other 5 steaks. So rather than fret about it, I use that bigger steak to create Garlic Butter Steak Bites. One, 16-ounce steak makes a perfect meal for 2 people...especially when served over buttered egg noodles and a small salad on the side.

This Katerina Petrovska recipe comes together quickly, so it's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. The prep time is just 10 minutes and the cook time takes the same....so dinner is on the table in just 20 minutes. All hail the carnivore motto: "Beef. It's what's for supper!"

INGREDIENTS
1, 16-ounce New York Strip Steak, cut into 1-1/2" cubes

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish 

DIRECTIONS

1. Sprinkle the cubed steak with salt and pepper to taste on all sides.
2. Place a large pan or a cast iron skillet over high heat. Let it heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until hot. Add the olive oil and let it heat for another minute.
3. Add the steak and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, occasionally stirring until browned on all sides. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
4. Add the butter to the same pan and let it melt completely. Gently scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and dried rosemary. Stir constantly and cook the mixture for 30 seconds or until nice and fragrant. Don't burn the garlic.
5. Return the cooked steak bites to the pan and baste them in the garlic butter for 1 to 2 minutes. 
6. Remove the skillet from the heat. Taste a steak bite for salt and pepper and adjust to taste. 
7. Garnish with fresh parsley; then serve.

Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon

Little Bites

 

GRASS-FED BEEF SIRLOIN: Open up our fridge and you will always see this box from Costco. The sirloin comes pre-cooked (sous vide) and pre-sliced. Heating it up in a pan or microwave (my go-to) takes only 30 seconds. It sells for $9.79 per pound and there are two, one-pound packets in each box. The sirloin is absolutely delicious and very lean...no fat whatsoever. This is a great way to add some protein to a salad or to make a hassle-free French dip sandwich. You'll find it in the refrigerated section of the store.

LIVIA'S SEASONING: This is a favorite of mine for convenience. Whenever I grill, I like to season my meat with Kosher salt, cracked pepper and garlic powder. That requires three different containers. Livia made that easy by combining all 3 spices into a single jar. I get mine from Amazon where they sell 3 sizes: 2.2 ounce, 6.6 ounce and 24 ounce. Prices are $5.99, $9.99 and $24.99 respectively. A superb mixture of high quality spices that eliminates three separate passes and six flips of your meat.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef (easy peasy)

 

Beef. It's what's for supper.

Actually, it's corned beef and it's what's for St. Patrick's Day supper.

My Irish relatives created corned beef back in the Middle Ages. They used brisket to make it as it was a relatively unloved cut of beef (because it required hours of braising to become tender). Unloved also equated to low cost.

There was a shortage of electric refrigerators in Ireland during the Middle Ages, so they would brine the brisket in a bucket  of water, spices and salt nuggets known as "corns". This served to preserve the beef  so that it could be cooked at a later time without risk of spoiling.

When the Irish began migrating to America, they brought the recipe with them...and it became to be associated with St. Patrick's Day. And the popularity of corned beef grew across the land. In fact, on March 4, 1861, corned beef was the entree for Abraham Lincoln's Inauguration Dinner in Washington D.C.

This is my very favorite corned beef recipe. While it calls for a 10-hour cook, it will only take up 6 minutes of your time....hence the "easy peasy". The first 5 minutes of the time commitment requires you to simply dump all of the ingredients in your slow cooker and walk away. The last 1 minute is reserved for simply slicing and serving the corned beef. I guarantee you it will be one of the best St. Patrick's Day corned beef briskets you have ever tasted.


INGREDIENTS
1 corned beef brisket, 3-4 pounds
2 medium onions, cut into quarters (no peeling required)
5 ribs celery, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon prepared stone ground mustard 
2 cups chicken stock
12-ounces of beer (lager or pilsner)



DIRECTIONS

1. Place onions and celery on the bottom of your slow cooker. Add stock, beer and mustard.
2. Set brisket on top of onions and celery, fat-side up. Sprinkle meat with seasoning packet (which comes packed in your brisket). Put lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours.
3. Remove brisket. Slice and serve.

Pairing: You knew this

Grilled New York Strip with Brandy Peppercorn Sauce

 

When it comes to grilling steaks, the full extent of my seasoning is just kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. I want that big beef flavor to come through with every bite. I recoil in horror whenever I hear someone ask for a vinegar-based steak sauce like A1 or Heinz 57.

Every once in blue moon, to change things up, I will make a special sauce. I only do it about once every six months. This brandy-based sauce is one that I keep in my repertoire....but I only haul it out if two special circumstances are met.

First, I only use it when I grill a New York Strip....never on my all-time favorite,  the ribeye. The reason is that this sauce has a good amount of fat in it and it just does not go with a well-marbled ribeye. That would be what we call "gilding the lily".

However, New York Strips are considerably leaner and come to life bathed in the sauce which proudly features brandy, peppercorns and cream. But I have an additional caveat that comes into play if I am going to make this sauce. The New York Strip must be served with fries.

This sauce is a gift from the gods when it comes to dipping your French fries. An entirely new culinary experience. A nectar from nirvana. Ketchup is a beige Honda Civic. Brandy Peppercorn Sauce is a Belladonna Purple Metallic, Rolls Royce Phantom II. A favorite 2010 TV commercial comes to mind when I make this meal..."Opulence. I has it."

INGREDIENTS

For the Steaks

4, New York Strip steaks, 1-1/2 inches thick

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

For the Sauce

1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, finely diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons brandy

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup beef broth

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare your grill for a two-zone fire with a direct and indirect cooking area.
2. At least 2 hours before grilling, put steaks on kitchen counter and allow them to come to room temperature.
3. Prepare the sauce. Add the peppercorns to a bag and crush them with a rolling pin until most of the peppercorns are finely crushed.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add the flour and stir consistently for at least 2 to 3 minutes, forming it into a paste. Add the brandy, and cook for a few minutes.
6. Gradually add cream, whisking as you go until you have a thick, creamy sauce.
7. Add the beef broth, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, crushed peppercorns and salt to taste, whisking frequently until the sauce is smooth and thickened to your desired texture. Keep warm.
8. Once your grill has come to temperature, season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Cook your steaks at high temperature over the direct zone for 8 minutes, flipping them at the 4 minute mark (grill cover closed for all 8 minutes).
9. Move steaks to indirect heat zone. Cover grill and cook for 4 minutes. Then remove steaks, tent them with foil and let them rest for 5 minutes.
10. Plate steaks and spoon sauce over the top. Put remaining sauce in 4 small bowls for people to dip their fries. Serve. Opulence. You has it.

Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon