Super Bowl Recipes and Links

I had originally decided to write up some recipes, but with limited time, I thought I would instead share great links to recipes I have reviewed and are super worthy and ready for your super bowl party and celebration.

One web-friend of mine Cathy from The Noble Pig really outdid herself – sharing with us not only the winning recipe of a recent contest she had on her web site, but frankly, also shared amazing other recipes from her readers – how she ever decided on a winner is beyond me…I would highly suggest making even just one of these super delicious looking recipes to really outwit your opponents (oh I mean guests) at your Super Bowl Party.

• http://noblepig.com/2009/01/29/super-bowl-xllll-winner.aspx
• Here is a quick link to Epicurious’ Super Bowl Page: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/superbowl/superbowl
• Here are some of mine:
  Superb Touch Down and Score Chicken Wings
• Divaliscious Chili – How to make great tasting chili
• Bodacious Baked Ham
• Leahs Oh So Famous Sexy Homemade Salsa
• FoodNetwork.com’s Superbowl link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/big-game/package/index.html
• A Great list of recipes on a not-so-great looking website: http://www.tailgating.com/Recipes.htm
• And of course here’s a link to the official Super Bowl 43: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43?campaign=Google_SuperBowl_General

Hoping everyone a great Super Bowl Party, time with friends and family, wishing no bruises or broken bones from any tag football games that might be played by any of you before the big game. Go Team!

Warm wishes ~Chef Maven

Roast Beef or Rib Eye Roast Beef Hash – Left Over Dinner Ideas

I had so much rib eye roast left over from the other week’s holiday dinner party, I immediately saved some of it and threw it into the freezer. Making new food dishes from leftovers are easy with using just a little creativity – your family will never know. And with a little preparing and thinking ahead, you can freeze this ahead of time and make it on another day.

Now making hash is not anything new to me, nor making hash out of other ingredients such as roast beef, rib eye roast or from ham. Nor is this idea of making hash out of something other than corned beef new.

In fact, my recipe comes from my ‘family bible’ which lovingly is really just our old cookbook with recipes that are over 60 years old, easily, if not older. Everyone in my family has a copy of this book, which of course is no longer in print, and no I will not share its title with you…sorry, but this chef maven has to keep some of her food secrets hushed.

I happen to have one copy of my mothers and another of my grandmothers, both copies of this cookbook has hand written notes, little additional copies of recipes torn from one magazine or newspaper adhered to the pages are added here and there, making each book special to me. My own copy has in fact my own little notes, such as when I halve the recipe or make 1.5 times the recipe and need to know the exact amount of ingredients. But let’s get back to the hash shall we?

Of course, I love it when it when hash is made from corned beef, don’t get me wrong. But has made with these other cooked meats is just as dandy – I assure you! And with the cost of food as of late, with no chance that they will lower in prices anytime soon, you bet your burned oven mitts I am using up foods in a variety of ways in order to save my family money whle still providing good healthy slow food meals.

So let me show you how to make hash with using left over roast beef, rib eye roast or even ham. This is not your mashed up hash people – which is one way I would never serve any hash quite frankly in my home. It’s sort of scary looking if you do make hash all mashed up – since to me it looks like baby food, and since we are not babies here – let me show you how adults eat and make REAL hash.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups left over cooked roast beef/rib eye roast or ham – diced into 1-1/2″ cubes or larger sizes.
• 2 or 3 cups boiled potatoes cut into same size as your cooked meat – we have used red potatoes normally – but any type of potato will do as long as they have been boiled or at the very least par-boiled for 10 minutes. Leaving the skin on is optional.
• 1 large onion – finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 5 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 small can of evaporated milk – or 1/2 cup rich milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ***Equipment needed
• Glass pie pan or shallow oven-proof pan, large bowl, slow oven on 300 degrees, one lazy afternoon.

Directions:

1. Grease pie pan or shallow baking dish with butter, including up the sides.
2. In large bowl, add all ingredients and gently stir till combined. You do not wish to mush up the potatoes.
3. Place wet mixture into greased shallow roasting pan or the glass pie dish and place onto middle rack in the slow oven.
4. Stir mixture every 30 or so minutes – gently since as the potatoes cook more, they can become very tender.
5. At last 20 minutes of cooking, you may wish to push up the heat to 375 – to make your hash extra crispy.
6. Serve with a large salad for dinner – or throw on eggs on top and bake for 10 minutes in oven for a great looking brunch dish!
7. Voila – real and awesome corned beef hash!

The total cooking time should be about 2 to 3 hours at 300 degrees. I like to up the heat for the last 20 minutes, to 375 to make it extra crispy. But the slow long cooking time really allows for the moisture to evaporate leaving just the wonderful seasonings, crispy parts that thrill your taste buds.

I find that when I make ham hash or roast beef hash, the amazing taste is so close to that of corned beef hash, it always astonishes me. Go figure….have fun with this one!

Sorry I don’t know where this photo came from, but I found it too funny not to share.

Warm Bacon Salad Dressing-Vinaigrette

Who doesn’t love bacon? Ok there are a few of you out there, but for so many of us, it’s a delectable tidbit we indulge in every so often.

This easy to make and oh so delicious warm bacon salad dressing I perfected after craving and recreating it from a local fave restaurant. This one does not call for cornstarch as I have seen elsewhere – I have made this one for years…It’s a simple twist on my Balsamic Salad Dressing – this one obviously goes great over spinach salad...but any fresh looking salad greens will do.

Remember to allow the dressing to cool slightly, so that you don’t unintentionally wilt your salad greens.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bacon – thick sliced is best
• 1 small onion-diced or minced/or three shallots minced
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Juice of one lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
• 3 cloves garlic – minced
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ****Equipment Needed:
• Skillet, bowls, whisk, slotted spoon, One naked salad needing awesomely homemade warm bacon salad dressing

Directions:

1. The first trick when making this salad dressing dish, is not to overcook your bacon nor cook it too fast.
2. Slice up bacon into 3/4″ inch pieces
3. In skillet, and add one tablespoon of olive oil into cold skillet.
4. Place cold bacon in cold skillet.
5. Turn on heat to medium – and let bacon slowly crisp on.
6. If bacon fat, while cooking, is spattering onto your stove top, you are cooking the bacon too fast. Cooking bacon on medium and not high heat is best.
7. Stir on occasion to turn bacon pieces over so they can brown evenly.
8. While bacon is cooking, dice up onions and mince garlic.
9. In separate bowl, add minced garlic, mayonnaise, mustard, honey and salt and pepper. Measure vinegars and add to bowl.
10. With whisk, stir to incorporate well.
11. Slowly with stirring with whisk, add olive oil very slowly stirring all the while to make an emulsion. Using a blender might make this step easier for some.
12. Once bacon is crisp and cooked, using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and set aside allowing it to drain over some paper towels placed on top of a bowl.
13. Remove most of bacon fat, reserving roughly three tablespoons of bacon in skillet.
14. Wipe sides of skillet of any dripped bacon fat before returning to stove.
15. Keeping heat on a medium to medium-low, add onions and let become translucent – maybe five minutes time.
16. Turn heat off. Slowly add vinegar and oil mixture, the skillet will still be hot and mixture may bubble on you.
17. Turn heat back on and let simmer (not boil) for three minutes.
18. Let hot dressing cool 5-10 minutes before adding to salads, in case you do not wish to “cook” or wilt your salad greens – it will still be warm.
19. Right before using salad dressing, add your bacon back to the salad dressing. And voila, add over your favorite salad.

Enjoy!

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