It is that time of year when everyone is drinking beer (even green beer), wearing green, and rediscovering the merits of their local pub. For me, this weekend calls for trying something new, specifically Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage. And while my version of this Irish classic is not traditional, I find it delicious. My favorite part? The leftovers, of course! Corned beef on Rye bread with homemade Thousand Island dressing? YUM!
Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe Continue reading
Do you ever wake up knowing what you want for dinner? Today, I know I want a big Italian style meal. Yes, it was about 6:30 am when I made that decision. My feeling on this early morning decision is that anticipation will make for a great Sunday!
So what exactly am I anticipating? My Baked Ziti is very lasagna like but without the work. Easy homemade marinara, crumbled sweet Italian sausage (the key to a tasty Baked Ziti in my humble opinion), and lots of cheese! Add a fresh green salad, some extra garlicky garlic bread and I am a very, very happy girl. Treat yourself to an Italian feast tonight!
Baked Ziti Recipe
Baked Ziti with Homemade Marinara Sauce
Serves 8
First, make the Marinara Sauce:
1. Heat large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, then onions. Cook onions until translucent.
2. While onions are cooking, add tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth.
3. Add wine and tomato sauce to onions. Simmer for 30 minutes over medium low, stirring occasionally.
Second, make the Baked Ziti:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking disk to prevent sticking.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook to al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Do not overcook the pasta here or your Baked Ziti will be mushy. Drain.
3. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and sweet sausage. When sausage is browned, add marinara. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. While meat sauce is simmering, add ricotta, salt, garlic powder and parsley to a medium bowl. Stir until combined. Set aside.
5. Layer the ingredients in the baking dish as follows: 1/4 cup meat sauce, 1/2 of ziti, 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 1/2 of provolone cheese, 1/2 of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of remaining meat sauce, 1/2 of parmesan cheese, then repeat with remaining 1/2 of ingredients. Cover with tin foil.
6. Bake for 15 minutes with foil. Remove foil and bake for remaining 15 minutes until cheeses are melted and gooey. Allow ziti to sit for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the dish to set.
Fried Pork Chops
In the middle of winter there is a tendency to crave comfort food…fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes. You get the idea. I certainly didn’t say anything about healthy…just comforting. This particular plate of food is one of my favorites. Fried pork chops are homey and comforting and pair perfectly with a healthy spoonful of mashed potatoes and some sweet applesauce.
During my high school years, I spent many of my weeknight dinners with a family friend. Her mother cooked what I consider comfort food on a regular basis. My recollection is that she would cook fried pork chops at least once a week. I don’t recall what we ever ate with those pork chops because they were just so delicious. When I make these Fried Pork Chops, I remember those fun weeks hanging out with friends and looking forward to home cooked comfort food. Delicious!
Fried Pork Chops Recipe Continue reading
Turkey Salad Sandwich with Havarti Cheese and Cranberries
So, it’s January and I miss the long holiday weekends of November and December. I even miss the leftover turkey sandwiches. It’s time to pick up some turkey breasts and ensure there are plenty of leftovers for my favorite next day sandwich: Turkey Salad with Havarti Cheese and Cranberries.
Turkey Salad Sandwich with Havarti Cheese and Cranberries Recipe Continue reading
Miso Soup
Being under the weather is never welcomed with open arms but I have to say…I sure do enjoy all the soup. This year, I added Miso Soup to my list of sick day soups. There is always Chicken Noodle Soup and sometimes I just want a seasoned broth. Miso Soup though is a perfect match for the cold or flu. It has a salty broth and the best part? I control the flavor with the amount of Miso that I add. It really is delicious and kicks that cold to the curb!
My Miso Soup is enhanced (in my opinion anyway) with some chicken broth and a few thinly sliced vegetables. You can add some diced firm tofu but that isn’t what I crave when I am sick. Once I have cooked the soup I give it a final taste. This is the beauty of a Miso Soup…you can adjust with more miso paste. This way you make the soup your own. Try some Miso Soup today!
Miso Soup Recipe
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
Directions
Grandpa Klinker receiving Promotion with U.S. Army
Before I share this family recipe with you, I should explain that it appears to have been created in Germany while my grandfather was stationed there with the United States Army after World War II. While my ancestors are of German descent as far back as I have researched, the Klinker side of my family settled in Delaware, Ohio around 1837. Much of the Klinker family still resides in Ohio. My grandfather, Ronald William Klinker (b. 30 Aug 1927, d. 16 Dec 1978), was raised as a meat and potatoes kind of man. My mother remembers living her early years in Germany eating a decidedly Mid-Western diet of nothing but meat and potatoes. My grandmother was a native German and would feed my mom and her brothers authentic German food sometimes but meat and potatoes topped the family’s menu. However, when there was a little extra money for fresh produce (not always available or affordable in post-war Germany), Grandpa Klinker would get a wild hair and go Italian…well, kind of. Klinker Spaghetti was my very German/American Mid-Western family’s version of Italian.
Klinker Spaghetti truly is delicious and is a hearty rendition of Spaghetti and Meat Sauce. What makes it ‘Klinker’ you might ask? Klinker Spaghetti is chock full of mushrooms, onions, green peppers and, wait for it…kidney beans. The addition of kidney beans threw me for a loop but after eating my bowl clean, I decided that Grandpa Klinker knew what he was doing!
Klinker Spaghetti
A funny part of this family recipe is that my Mom grew up thinking that Klinker Spaghetti was her mother’s concoction. Although really, she should have known better since my Grandmother’s tastes lean towards pickled pigs feet, head cheese, and authentic German food. Only recently did she learn that this was her father’s recipe, giving her a new twist on her fond memories of growing up in Germany. Mom tells me that Klinker Spaghetti was what she thought Italian food should taste like all her life. When she finally had authentic Italian food she was surprised that the ingredients were simple and minimal. So when Mom wants “real” Italian food she opts for her family’s version…Klinker Spaghetti. We hope you enjoy!
Grandma and Grandpa Klinker at Marriage Ceremony, 12 Oct 1948
Klinker Spaghetti Recipe
1 1/4 lb ground beef
1 large can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
3/4 cup Water
1 large onion (large dice)
8 oz mushrooms sliced
2 cans light kidney beans, drained
1 tbls Chili powder
1/2 tbls garlic powder
1 tbls garlic salt
Directions
1. Brown hamburger. When browned, drain fat. Add spices, onions, and green pepper. Sauté with meat until vegetables are softened.
2. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste with ¾ cup water. Add more water to the consistency you prefer. We prefer a thicker meat and vegetable sauce. As the sauce cooks, you may want to add even more water if it gets too thick.
3. Add kidney beans and cook at medium low for about one hour. Add mushrooms and cook for another 30 minutes on low.
4. With 10 minutes remaining, cook spaghetti in salted, boiling water and cook according to package directions.
5. Serve with spaghetti and garlic bread.
Grilled Maple and Mustard Glazed Ham Steak
Do you ever crave a big home cooked meal but you have no big family meal planned for weeks? Sometimes I want a turkey, roast beef or ham dinner but the extended family is nowhere to be seen. A single ham steak is a perfect way to solve this little problem.
When I think of a thick slice of perfectly cooked ham, I automatically think of a sweet and slightly tangy glaze. For this particular meal, I wanted maple syrup as my sweet so I decided to combine it with dijon mustard and a grill. The glaze is a perfect complement to the smoky flavor of the grilled ham and fed my home cooked meal craving without all of the big meal fuss. Perfect! And the leftover sandwiches make this feel so homey!
Grilled Maple and Mustard Glazed Ham Steak Recipe Continue reading
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
So, I have been recovering from an unexpected surgery for the last two weeks. I won’t bore you with the details but I will say that soup has been a frequent staple in my house of late. Ramen noodle soup, split pea soup, french onion soup, soup, soup, soup. I have soup coming out of my pores!
One soup that is worth the effort every single time is a homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. And when I say homemade, it must be 100% completely from scratch. No canned or boxed broth or stock here (althouth it is a reasonable substitute every once in a while). This Chicken Noodle Soup starts with a homemade chicken broth, a whole chicken, and lots of soupy type (my technical jargon) veggies. You are absolutely going to love this soup whether you are nursing an illness or just craving some truly comforting winter food!
Homemade Chicken Broth and Chicken Noodle Soup Recipes Continue reading
Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Seed Green Salad with Roasted Pumpkin Croutons and Honey Pomegranate Dressing
Day three of pumpkin week is devoted to the savory side of pumpkin. Let’s be real…many of us never venture past the sweet pumpkin desserts to the delicious savory dishes that can be so unique and tasty. This dish is just that…unique and tasty. The Honey Pomegranate Dressing is tart but turns sweet when you combine it with the goat cheese. The pomegranate seeds are so colorful and beautiful to look at, then you get the tart taste and satisfying crunch when you bite into them.
Then there are the pumpkin croutons. At first I was going to just top the salad with roasted pumpkin. This would have been perfectly delicious. But I decided that the salad needed an extra punch. Cooking the roasted pumpkin a second time gave them that crouton like feel and really gave the salad a wow factor. Tossing the pumpkin in brown sugar right after they come out of the hot oil…only one word will suffice…YUM!
Give this salad a try before pumpkins are gone from the supermarket shelves again!
Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Seed Salad with Roasted Pumpkin Croutons and Honey Pomegranate Dressing Recipe Continue reading
Slow Cooker Chili
Everyone should have a go-to chili recipe. It’s as simple as that. Chili is perfect for the cool weather, football parties, tailgating, and is easy enough for a year round meal. I like to start my chili in a skillet and finish it off in a slow cooker. The extra cooking time in the slow cooker gives the chili that “cooked all day” feel and taste. And isn’t that what chili is supposed to taste like? Pull out your crock pot and make this homey feeling meal soon!
Slow Cooker Chili Recipe Continue reading
