Royal Wedding Party

Today the world watched Prince William marry Kate, or as they're now known, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  Meanwhile, I hosted a party at my own castle and had a few Queens and Duchesses over for food and to watch the highlights of the wedding festivities.

We had lots of champagne and cute heart shaped tea sandwiches thanks to Karissa, and I made one of Prince William's favorite dishes, Cottage Pie.  I also made some crown shaped cookies and picked up a few Cupcake Royale Wedding Royale cakes... vanilla cake with a Kir Royale/champagne frosting.  YUM!

The Cottage Pie was a risky move, I had no idea how the end product would taste but was pleasantly surprised.  My kids loved the leftovers!

Simmering the meat, potatoes and a mixture of other ingredients...

All assembled, including the piped mashed red potatoes on top.

And coated in shredded cheddar cheese before going in the oven.

Personalized straws so guests could keep track of their glasses.

Goodies for the guests.

The finished Cottage Pie!

And a post about the Royal Wedding wouldn't be complete with out a picture of a cute little princess!

Prince William's Favorite Cottage Pie, courtesy of formal royal chef Darren McGrady
2 Tbsp corn oil
2 small (6 ounces each) yellow onions , finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tsp dried thyme 
2 c. water
1 Tbsp Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds peeled red potatoes
1/2 stick butter
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground white pepper (I used fresh cracked black pepper)
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1 egg yolk
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan over a high flame, heat the oil and add the finely chopped onion. Sauté until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add the ground beef and break it up using a wooden spoon. Sauté until the beef has lost all its pink color. Gradually stir in the flour, thyme, 2 cups water, Kitchen Bouquet seasoning, beef bouillon cubes and Worcestershire sauce.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the meat (so that it is just bubbling) for about 30 to 45 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the meat is fork tender. Remove the pan from the stove, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to the earthenware dish. The slotted spoon will lift just the beef so it will not be too wet to hold the potatoes.

If there is any sauce left after taking out the meat, cool and refrigerate it. Then reheat it in a small saucepan to serve alongside the finished pie. This recipe can be prepared up to this stage several days before you plan to serve the dish. Cool both the meat and the liquid and store in the refrigerator.

To make potato topping: Place the potatoes in a large pot and add cold water to about 1 inch above the potatoes. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork (about 20 minutes). Drain off the water and replace the drained potatoes in the pan over a low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to dry them thoroughly. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or pass through a ricer.

Stir the nutmeg, cream and egg yolk with the butter, salt and pepper into the mashed potatoes. Then use the mashed potatoes to cover the top of the dish. Either pipe them, using a wide star tube, or spoon them on and then fluff up using a fork.

Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with the grated Cheddar. It can be kept for 24 hours at this stage if covered with plastic wrap.

Bake in a preheated oven (350°) for about 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown and the pie has heated through.

Stroganoff Beef and Broccoli

I really like beef stroganoff, and I also like beef and broccoli dishes.  This meal combines both, and doesn't take more than 30 minutes to prepare.  The kids couldn't get it in their mouths fast enough, they loved it.  And the adults loved it too.  This dish will definitely be made again soon!

Letting the onions soften and carmelize a bit.

The finished dish.  The broccoli and pasta are cooked together, then drained and placed on the plate and topped with the beef mixture.  I also sprinkled a bit of parmesean on top for interest.

Stroganoff Style Beef and Broccoli, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

1/2 c. light sour cream

1/4 tsp dried dillweed
1 lb boneless beef top round steak, trimmed and cut into thin bite-size strips
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 tsp bottled minced garlic (1 clove)
3 c. dried wide noodles (6 ounces)
3 c. broccoli florets
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 14 oz can beef broth, low sodium
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Ground black pepper

In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and dillweed; set aside. (turns out I didn't have dill, so we skipped this ingredient and still tasted fine!)

In a large skillet, cook beef, half at a time, in hot oil over medium-high heat until desired doneness. Remove beef from skillet and set aside. Add onion and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until onion is tender.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions, adding broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking; drain well. Return noodles and broccoli to pan; cover and keep warm.

Sprinkle flour over onion mixture in skillet. Stir to coat. Add broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Return all beef to skillet; heat through. Season to taste with pepper. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream mixture. Serve beef mixture on top of noodles and broccoli. Makes 4 servings.

Tip: Partially freeze beef for easier slicing.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today I am Irish.  I love St.Patrick's Day.  The green beer, the wearing of green, the goofiness, and eating good food.  St.Patrick's Day isn't quite the same once you have kids (compared to college, etc), but that doesn't mean you can't have fun!

I made corned beef, vegetables and cabbage in the slow cooker.  It smelled delicious!  I used a recipe I found at Food Network online.  Click here to view.  The recipe says to add the potatoes at the same time as everything else, and microwave the cabbage.  I recommend adding both the uncooked potatoes and uncooked cabbage wedges when there is about 60-90 minutes left in the slow cooker.  Otherwise, they'll be complete mush.

In the afternoon I made an Irish soda bread.  I'm usually  not a huge fan of Irish soda bread because it seems dry. This Ina Garten recipe had rave reviews so I knew I couldn't go wrong.  Ironically, my friend Jesica has made this recipe many times and loves it.  Instead of using the currants she'll occasionally use dried cranberries.  We plan to eat the leftovers with breakfast tomorrow - its that good.

I need to remind myself to keep my phone away from my cooking area.  Flour is not easy to get out of tiny cracks...

The dough is pretty sticky.

The stickiness requires a good amount of flour on your work surface when you form in to a round shape.

Don't forget to lightly carve an 'x' in to the top of the dough with a sharp knife.  I dipped my knife in flour so it wouldn't stick. 

The finished bread.  It smelled so good it was hard to wait until dinner!  Serve with butter.

After school B and I made green, shamrock shaped cookies. He loved wearing the hat he made at school - he said it helped him bake better.  And I'll admit.  We did not make these cookies from scratch.  We used a box mix, and I have to say they turned out great.  If you're feeling lazy, try Krusteaz's sugar cookie mix.  The box includes directions for rolling cookies (slightly altered with 1/4c. flour compared to their basic recipe).

Dinner time!  The soda bread was amazing and soft.

The corned beef and vegetables were some of the best we've had.  

And what really made the meal?  The horseradish sauce that is included in the corned beef recipe.  Oh my gosh.  To say I loved it is an understatement.  I'm not a fan of spice, but love the sting of horseradish.  It is very easy to make...some of the juice from the slow cooker, sour cream, and horseradish sauce/cream mixed together.  A super tangy kick of a sauce for dipping your meat and veggies, and much better than a squirt of straight horseradish on your plate. 

Happy St.Patrick's Day!  Time for another green beer!

Ancho Braised Beef

This may be one of my new all time favorite meals.  I kept seeing the recipe in our family cookbook and I finally decided to try it.  It is from my cousin Kelley and she is a great cook, so knowing it is something her family really likes is a good selling point.

Luckily it was a very chilly summer day when I made this.  It is more suitable for fall or winter due to the rich flavors.  This would also be excellent for a dinner party because you can make it the day before.  Don't be surprised if I serve this to you when you come over!  We can't wait to make it again.

Note - I realized I didn't have whole, dried ancho chilies when I got home from store.  So instead I used 1tsp dried ancho chili powder.  3 chilies will typically equal 1 tsp powder, but always be cautious depending on spice level you want and if children will be eating.  You can always add more spice - you can't take spice away!  With my 1tsp there was no heat...

Ancho Braised Beef

3lb Beef Chuck, trimmed and cut into large pieces

Vegetable Oil

2 onions, sliced

4 slices bacon – tie in a ball

4 ancho chilies, buy dried – cut off top and dump out seeds

1 oz garlic, chopped

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp thyme

3/4 tsp oregano

2 oz tomato paste

5 c. beef broth (I prefer low sodium broth)

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Brown meat in vegetable oil in groups, set aside. Sauté onions until brown, add garlic and spices.

Add stock & tomato paste. Then add the dried anchos and bacon "ball".

In a large baking tray, add beef and pour liquid mixture over. Cover with foil.

Bake 375 degrees for 1 ½ hours. Pull out chilies and scrape pulp. Add pulp back to pan. Bake 1 more hour.

*If liquid is still runny, pull out beef and place pan over cooktop and reduce until thickened (boil over med high for 20 minutes or so)

I like to cook the day before. Cool and put pan in fridge. Bake for 350 degrees 45 minutes the night you want to eat.

Serve over polenta cooked with green chilies and Monterey Jack cheese.

*I had never made polenta before today.  Talk about easiest thing ever!  Takes about ten minutes to make the below recipe I created, and so tasty.  A definite must for the ancho braised beef.

Polenta with Green Chilies and Monterey Jack Cheese

Corn Meal - I used Albers Yellow Corn Meal, and followed directions for 6 servings

4-8oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (depending on your love of cheese)

1 small can of chopped mild green chilies

Follow directions on side of box to make polenta.  Once polenta appears smooth I added the chilies and cheese and stirred.  Serve immediately and top with ancho braised beef.

For another take, you could make polenta in advance and place in a pyrex style dish and store in fridge.  When ready to serve, cut firmed up polenta in to large squares and then pan fry.  Serve with ancho braised beef on top.

Country Fried Steak (or chicken) with Green Beans and Rice

If Tony sees chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken on a menu, typically he orders it.  Especially if we're at his favorite truck stop off I-90.  Yes, Tony has a favorite truck stop eatery near North Bend.  And I have to admit, it isn't bad!

So when I came across this country fried steak recipe on Martha Stewart's website I immediately wanted to try it.  The recipe is from her Everyday Food collection which typically means the meal doesn't take long to create.  Even better!

For tonight's dinner I opted for the thin sliced boneless chicken breasts instead of steak.  I guess I was wanting the meal to sound a bit 'healthier', though I'm not sure it was, or really needed to be.  But, I can definitely say it was really good; so good that Blake asked for second helpings of everything!

Country Fried Steak with Green Beans and Rice

Serves 4

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 large eggs
1 c. plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp paprika
4 minute steaks (each about 2 ounces and 1/4 inch thick)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 c. plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 small onion, diced
3/4 lb green beans, trimmed

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cook rice according to package instructions; cover, and set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, beat eggs; in another, combine 1 cup flour with paprika. Season eggs, flour mixture, and steaks with salt and pepper. Dredge each steak in flour, then dip in egg; allow excess to drip off, then dredge in flour again.

In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high. Cook steaks in skillet until crust is golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from skillet. Add remaining teaspoon flour; cook, whisking until golden, about 30 seconds. Gradually add milk while whisking; raise heat to high, and boil until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Cover, and set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat remaining teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add green beans and 1/3 cup water; cover, and cook until green beans are bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover; continue to cook until green beans are crisp-tender and onion begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Reheat gravy, thinning with milk if necessary. Serve steak with green beans, rice, and gravy.

Sloppy Joe's

Who doesn't love a good Sloppy Joe sandwich!?  I had come across a Sloppy Joe recipe by Rachel Ray and wanted to give it a try.  I'm not a big fan of her or her crazy slang ("E.V.O.O.", etc), the positive reviews for this recipe spoke volumes.  Plus, it has a very short cooking time and would make for a quick dinner!

Once you've got all the veggies cut up, you basically saute them with the browned meat, add the tomato sauce and paste and you're good to go!  Next time I wouldn't add quite as much brown sugar.  I also added 2-3 Tbsp of the steak seasoning (it needed more tang), and used 3 Tbsp tomato paste.

We all loved the finished product and I definitely plan to make again.

Rachel Ray's Super Sloppy Joes:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp to 1 Tbsp steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1Tbsp red wine vinegar
1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 c. tomato sauce
2 Tbsps tomato paste
4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.

St. Patrick's Day Feast

Today we celebrate everything Irish and green.  Being scandinavian, I basically use this day as an excuse to drink green beer and eat corned beef. Nothing wrong with that!

For dinner we had Irish soda muffins, corned beef with vegetables, black and tan brownies and of course Guinness and green beers (oh, and green milk for Blake!).

The Irish soda muffins are such a nice change from the usual soda bread.  And, they make for a good breakfast pastry that isn't overly sweet.  Here is the recipe courtesy of a long lost relative, Colleen.

Irish Soda Muffins

1 cup quick or old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup golden raisins (if you can't find golden raisins you can use a total of 1/2 c. regular raisins)
1/4 cup raisins

Combine oats and buttermilk and refrigerate for one hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, combine egg, butter, brown sugar and mix well. Add oat mixture alternately with combined dry ingredients to egg mixture, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir in raisins. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Food tip: To make sour milk, place 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar in glass or plastic measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1 cup, mix well. Let stand 10 minutes before using.


For the corned beef, I combined three or four recipes trying to find a good combo of ingredients...

Jodi's Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Vegetables and Cabbage
4lbs corned beef with seasoning packet (usually 1lb per person)
1.5lbs carrots, cut in to 3" lengths
1 leek, cut in to 2" lengths
1 rutabega, cut in to 8 or so wedges
1lb med size potatoes
1 head of cabbage
1 bottle Stout (I used Guinness Extra Stout)
Hot water

Horseradish and ground mustard for serving.

Place meat in slowcooker and sprinkle with spice packet, then all the veggies except the cabbage (cabbage is cooked last).  Pour beer over everything and then add enough hot water so the beef is covered by an inch or so.  Turn cooker on low for 7-8 hours. 

Keep an eye on your veggies as they may cook fast depending on how big they are.  If necessary, remove the veggies if they start to get to soft and add back in for last 30 or so minutes.  Add cabbage for last 30 minutes so it can get tender but not overly mushy.
*I took my veggies out after 6 hours, and then turned the heat to high for two hours, adding veggies and cabbage back in for last 30 minutes. (I also don't like my veggies super mushy, but leaving them in would have been fine).

When meat is falling-apart-tender, remove and slice on serving tray.  Surround with veggies and drizzle the cooking liquid over everything.