corned beef hash

    Tonight I made corned beef hash almost from scratch. That said let me explain the "almost" part.
 I did not have time to make my own corned beef so I used corned beef from the deli, tastes great regardless.
   And I did not use fresh(raw) potatoes, onions and peppers. For those I used Ore-Ida brand Potatoes O'Brien. So yummy on their own but oh so perfect for homemade hash when you do not have the time to make totally from scratch.
   And final ingredient is eggs.

  Ingredients
1 lb. diced(to personal size preference)
 1 pgk Ore-Ida brand Potatoes O'Brien (28 oz)
 6-8 eggs (per preference)
 3-6 tbsp EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
4 tabs salted butter(yes real butter. You can use unsalted if you prefer)
 salt and pepper (to personal taste)
 pre-heat large non stick, deep sided skillet than add EVOO.
 once oil is hot add potatoes. cook as directed.
While the potatoes are cooking take the corned beef and dice into bite-size peices once potatoes are almost done add diced beef. heat a few minutes.
 While beef is heating up wisk eggs in a bowl. when eggs are fully mixed add to potatoes and beef, making sure to evenly cover the mixture with eggs.
 Hash is finished once eggs are fully cooked. roughly a couple of minutes.

 Serve and enjoy...

Steak lasagna

Here is a recipe for what I would only call 'Killer' lasagna, because everyone... and I do mean everyone tells me that its fantastic. Normally I use ground beef like anyone would in 'normal' lasagna. This time how ever I decided to vamp it up and make it more gourmet. I have discovered I am a closet foodie just waiting to be freed from the small borderline bland pantry I was raised in. I fist made this lasagna when I got the base recipe from my aunt on my moms side. However unlike my regular version or this new one, she makes hers with ground turkey; so needless to say any meat should theoretically work.
Well enough with the ramblin and on to the cooking. If you've read other posts in this blog you will know this already, to those whom are new, I'm notorious for not measuring ingredients.
Oh, one other thing... This really isn't for 'bird' eaters or the weight conscious... cause this bad boy is fating... But ohhhh soooo worth it!!!

Ingredients

1 box lasagna noodles
2 lbs shredded rib-eye(the kind used for philly steaks)
2 med portabella mushrooms-diced
1 vidalia onion-diced
1 med shallot-diced
salt
pepper
garlic powder
(not measured as I tend to forget that part. I sight measure/season to taste. I seem to know when it has enough and the right flavor components)
Tablespoon(rough measurement) Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO)
large tub ricotta cheese
2lbs mozzarella chesse
8oz fresh shredded parmesan cheese
1 large can, and 1 regular can tomato sauce(I use hunts)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
Pan(s)big enough to hold creation.
((The pan is not specific as I use the biggest one I have on hand. I use to use a turkey roasting pan(it was huge-made enough to feed a small army/or a good size pot-luck crowed)This batch was cooked in two glass dishes a deep dish casserole covered dish, the the other a standard 13/9 rectangle))
To cook beef and sauce I used a deep cast iron pan, but again your favorite deep pan is fine.
Oven temp 325.

Place a small amount of EVOO in the bottom of pan, swirling to coat.
sauté onions and shallots till translucent, do not caramelize.
Add and lightly season beef with salt and pepper both before placing in pan and while its browning, as more salt and pepper will be added to sauce. Ripping it into small pieces as you add it.(its easier to rip into pieces then cut cause its so thin. Meat can be left slightly rare as it will finish cooking in sauce/oven.
add portabella mushrooms sauté with meat till slightly soft(smaller its diced the faster this step goes. but not to small as you want to have that mushroom texture when you eat it)
Add diced tomatoes and its juice, incorporate.
Add both cans of sauce,incorporate thoroughly.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder(if I had to give a measurement of each I'd say at least a tablespoon each of pepper and salt; I probably used the equivalent of 2 Tbs. A teaspoon of garlic powder. It all depends on personal preference and amount your making. Small batch, cut in half; larger batch, double)
Let sauce come to a soft boil, stirring as it does. Then turn heat down to a simmer and let cook while mixing cheeses and pre-heating oven and pre cooking noodles till pliable.
In large bowl, mix ricotta, half of mozzarella, and half Parmesan.(I mix by hand but you can use a spoon. I also tend to add either fresh or dried parsley flakes but I could not find fresh and did not know we were out of dried till too late. So I left that out. Gives a little color to dish and a subtle hint of extra flavor but its good with or without it so add it if you wish)
Now to build this heavenly creation.

Place a small amount of sauce in bottom of dish, just enough to cover surface.
Place a layer of noodles, over lap slightly.
Ladle a couple spoonfuls of sauce/meat mixture over noodles. amount is to preference and dish size, good amount is where noodles are barely seen.
Using fingers cover sauce with cheese mixture. Use enough to cover sauce,but there can be 'bare' spots as cheese mixture will spread. More you use the gooier it is and well that's just yummy goodness.
At this point repeat process till almost to top of dish(be it just a couple layers or 5 or 6; all depends on depth of dish used.)
On final top layer cover with shredded mozzarella and parmesan
Cover dish with either a aluminum foil 'tent'(so cheese does not stick)or use lid that comes with dish.
Back roughly an hour until you can see sauce bubbling through sides of dish, noodles thoroughly cooked.
Uncover and continue to bake until cheese on top is melted thoroughly and slightly browned.
Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes or so.
Cut in to squares and enjoy!

On a side note this recipe freezes well so don't worry about making too much. And as with any typical italian dish, it gets better the next day. if you want to cook ahead of time but not eat same day, bake half the time keeping it covered and then finish cooking time before serving.
I'd love to hear what you think after you try this.

Delicious, quick breakfast or snack

Do you love...
Bacon?
Cream cheese?
Bagels?

Well than do I have a quick, easy and oh so yummy thing to eat.
If you have never tried a bagel with cream cheese topped with bacon than shame on you. Believe it or not that combo is fantastic! Every bacon lover has to try it at least once. But if you love bacon and cream cheese on their own than wait till you combine them. Pure mouth nirvana.
And it does not matter what flavor of bagel you pick. I am a everything or onion kinda person, but a good old plan one will do.
Do try and hope you love it as much as I do.
Happy eating...

Quick chicken fettuccini with spinich.

Tonight dinner was an after thought as we had planned on making chili, but due to having to drop truck off at the body shop we forgot to start it in crockpot. So while watching tv I was asked what was for dinner. I got up and looked. Needless to say we need to go food shoppping at some point tomorrow. But anyhow I did find something that sparked an idea.
I pulled out a lowly single bag of "Knorr Pasta sides Chicken flavor Fettuccini in a savory chicken sauce" well its a 4.3oz bag, and I had egg noodles also. So I went out to freezer and grabbed some boneless skinless chicken breasts,mine was frozen but one can use fresh. I did thaw mine out about halfway in the microwave(enough to get a knife through). Then I cut into bite size peices.
I used a cast iron fry pan( but any deep dish fry pan will do) put maybe a tablespoon of country crock in the hot pan to saute the chicken. the only seasoning I used other then the packaged noodles was a barbque rub called "Butt Rub". No lie... thats its name. Once chicken was almost cooked through I added the noodles per package instructions. However I deviated slightly by adding extra egg noodles(a couple handfulls) and hence adding more water( I eyeballed it).
Let that cook about five minutes or so till egg noodles are aldente. At this point add the spinich, again fresh or frozen dont matter. I used frozen as that was all I had on hand. let cook on med-low so sause will thicken. Just before mine was done I did add more buttrub to give it a little more kick. that would be optial, a season to taste kinda thing.
Once spinich and all noodles are throughly cooked as chicken should have been done by now if cut small enough, remove from heat and serve.
It was good and depending on how one likes it, no extra salt or pepper is needed. I didnt look at how long it took to make from start to finish but considering what was on tv when I started dinner it took about one period of hockey.

Below are ingridants (rough messurments as I tend to eyeball when I cook)

4- small- medium boneless skinless chicken brests
(if frozen, thawed enough to get knife through easily)
1-4.3oz bag of Knorr Pasta sides Chicken flavor Fettuccini in a savory chicken sauce
1 1/2 cup egg noodles
1 1/2 cup water(above what package reqiures. use as needed)
1/2 package of spinich(if fresh use at least 2 cups)
1 tablepoon country crock(to cook chicken in)
1-2 tablespoons "Buttrub" (sprinkle to coat chicken in pan. use remaining amount after spinich is added)

Its a healhty, qiuck meal with little clean up as its a one pan meal.
If you dont have a store that sells Butt Rub goto http://www.buttrub.com/

I'd love to hear what you think if you try this.
Take care and happy eating...

Intro

Well hello again to those who have read my other blogs.
I was eating an early lunch of an item I have never had and thought about when I would make it again but from scratch and then had a thought about blogging about recipes I have made or foods I have tried and what not. I know thats been done before but one can never have too many recipes to spare them from food boredom. My first recipe will be posted soon.
Take care...