Easter Preview - by Rachel

For Easter, I took inspiration from Selland's Easter Take-Out Menu. I love imitating some of the great chefs of our region, and Randall Selland is definitely one of them.

Menu:

Appetizer -

• Deviled Eggs: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/deviled-eggs-four-ways-00000000012929/index.html

• Greek Yogurt Biscuits: http://www.relish.com/recipes/yogurt-biscuits/ (I am thinking of adding in some goodies like green onion, cheese, and bacon pieces.)

Main Course -

• Old Fashioned Ham: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Old-Fashioned-Ham-with-Brown-Sugar-and-Mustard-Glaze-241636

Side Dishes -

• Potatoes Au Gratin: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/scalloped-potato-gratin-recipe/index.html

• Spring Ragout: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spring-ragout-recipe.html

Dessert -

• Lemon Coconut Cake: http://www.redbookmag.com/recipefinder/lemon-coconut-cake

The Food Hangover - by Rachel

Everything turned out delicious! Thanks to Kayla for taking some pics for me...after beer 6 I started to forget to take them. Cheers to good friends and good food!

There were a couple of changes to the method as well as a recipe addition.

I made a second type of bread, Beer Bread, from a recipe a dear friend passed on from her work potluck:

-Preheat oven @ 375 degrees.

 -Use non-stick spray inside loaf pan. 

-Mix 3 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup Sugar In the Raw, & 12 ounce beer in a bowl (I used Sapporo).

 -Mixture will be sticky, pour into loaf pan and bake 55 minutes.

-The last 3 minutes remove from oven and brush top of bread with melted butter and return to oven to bake for 3 minutes.

 As far as the method goes, I decided to do the veggie braising a tad differently. First I melted the butter in the Le Crueuset on medium high, then threw in the bacon and rendered it all down. Then I added the onion, carrot, and cabbage and sauteed the mixture just enough to coat the veggies in the fat. Finally I added the beef broth, nestled the potatoes in the mix, then seasoned with salt and pepper. I simply put the top on and braised on the stove top for approximately one hour. You will get the same result as the other method, but with all of my bread baking my oven was ocupado.

I can't wait until Cinco de Mayo!! Ay ay ay!!

St. Pat's Menu Preview - by Rachel

I'm not Irish. Or at least I don't think I am. But in the good ol' USA we're all mutts, right? Whether or not I have mashed potatoes and Guinness running through my blood, I still FREAKING LOVE the fare. Corned beef brisket (*mmmm*), braised cabbage and carrots (*sigh*), and ANY sort of potato (*wipes drool from chin*)...BRING ON THE FEAST!

Here is a preview of the veritable pots o' gold that will cover my counter top:

-Irish Soda Bread: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/stpatricks/sodabread/recipes/food/views/White-Soda-Bread-1907

*PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BUY IRISH BUTTER TO GO WITH THIS BREAD. Seriously. Do it.

-Corned Beef Brisket: Go to Trader Joe's, buy the item below, and follow instructions on the package. (You think I have time to brine this stuff myself?) I like to Crock Pot it up. Slow cooking corned beef makes it sooooo tender.

-Rachel's Secret Sauce: Consists of whole grain mustard, creamy horseradish, sour cream, and mayo. That's all you need to know.

-Braised Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrot, and Onion: Preheat oven to 325degF. In a dutch oven, combine 1 coarsely chopped head of savoy cabbage, 6 whole red potatoes, 1 lb. peeled and cubed carrots, 1 chopped yellow onion, 2 cups of beef stock, 1/4 c. Irish butter, and 3-4 strips of uncooked diced bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Just throw it all in there. Braise for 1 hour or until potatoes are fork tender (this does not mean mushy). I suggest prepping the night before. Let's face it, you will be consuming adult beverages, so reducing the margin for error is key.

I might also try to figure in a dessert, but sweets and green beer don't really mix.

Erin Go Bragh!

Hot Turkey and Pest-Oh! Sandwich by Kayla

I love me a good sandwich! Making this sandwich on a cold winter day hits the spot every time, and is a hit with everyone! This recipe is a little of everything I love on a sandwich all put together. Just follow these step by step instructions to a delicious lunch!

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 400deg. 
2. Place bread on a foil covered cookie sheet and spread pesto onto both sides of the bread. (I use a butter milk bread if it is all I have at home, but I suggest using focaccia bread.)

3. On one side of the bread, add 2-3 slices of turkey. 

4. Cover the whole piece of bread with slices of Havarti cheese.

 5. Bake in the oven until the cheese is translucent and all the way melted. You also want to check the bread for "toasty-ness". You want a nice toast on the pesto side to hold up to the avocado. 
6. Take out of the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. 
7. After cooling, spread avocado over the pesto side of the bread. 
8. Add thinly sliced red onion and green leaf lettuce on top of the cheese side.

 9.  Put the avocado half on, and enjoy!!

Pickled Holla-peños! - by Rachel

If you know ANYTHING about Kayla and I, you know we like it H-O-T. So naturally, pickling jalapeños is right up our alley. Canning these spicy treats is a labor of love, as Kayla and I spent nearly 3 hours on prep, cooking, and processing.

You can find the recipe we used here: http://patismexicantable.com/2009/06/pickled-jalapeno-kind-of-gal.html If you have never browsed the site, Pati's Mexican Table will thrill you with Mexican culinary expertise and MUY tasty recipes. Pati Jinich's recipes are constants in my kitchen.

Suggestions for this recipe:
-Leave the seeds in! Otherwise you lose nearly all of the spice.
-Cauliflower and (LOTS OF) garlic are nice additions to the vegetable blend.
-To make the recipe yield enough for eight (8) QT. jars, double the veggies, and quadruple the pickling liquids.

If you are lucky, MAYBE we will give you a jar.