Easy Key Lime Pie

Okay, so I know that I've already given you the pretty much perfect, authentically tart and delicious key lime pie recipe, but let's be honest. Don't you get a hankering for this stuff even at times when key limes might not be in season? I know I do. Not to mention the fact that I can only really talk the husband into juicing 30 key limes about once a year or else I start to push my wonderful prep chef to his limits . . . So I decided to celebrate this time of year when summer is coming to an end with a super easy "real simple" key lime pie recipe.

Easy Key Lime Pie
adapted from Real Simple

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
1 cup heavy cream
Zest of one lime
Graham cracker crust
Whipped cream, for garnish.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth. Gradually add the condensed milk, combining until completely integrated. Finally, add the limeade, the heavy cream, and half of the lime zest. Beat until the mixture is fluffy and soft peaks form.

Next, pour the filling into the graham cracker crust, smoothing with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. If you have any trouble getting the key lime pie to set, then I recommend throwing it in the freezer for about 2-3 hours before you serve it for a delightfully refreshing (and firm) pie!

Finally, sprinkle the lime zest on top before serving and garnish with a bit of freshly whipped cream!

Julia Child's Ratatouille

I, dear readers, like many other home cooks, completely idolize Julia Child. I mean, what American cook wouldn't want to be her?! Learning to cook in France, bringing a new cuisine to home cooks in America, the whole shebang - she's pretty much just the best.

Not surprisingly, I, like many other food bloggers, went to see Julie & Julia, the recent film about a blogger who worked her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking - all in one year. In fact, every time the trailer for this film would come on the television, my cute hubby would say, "Wow, that is so you. We've got to see that!"

Well, the movie was quite nice - even the hubs enjoyed it. So when we ended up with a bunch of random veggies in the fridge (thanks to our wonderful CSA farm), I thought it was a great idea to use them up by making a classic French-Provençal dish: ratatouille. And of course, whose recipe would I use but Julia's!?

Well, I have to admit that Julia was right when she said that ratatouille "is not one of the quickest dishes to make." Although a bit time-intensive, the techniques are not difficult, and the results completely justify the effort. It's hard to imagine a dish that is this simple in its seasonings and ingredients, and yet this rich in its layers and layers of flavor.

Without further ado, let me give you the recipe, in the words of Julia Child herself. . .

Julia Child's Ratatouille
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini
A 3-quart, porcelain or stainless-steel mixing bowl
1 teaspoon salt

A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet
4 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed

1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (makes 1 1/2 cups pulp)
Salt and pepper

A 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole about 2 1/2 inches deep
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. I actually just sliced it in half lengthwise and then cut it into half-moons.

Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. I cut mine into medallions because we had a really long, skinny one!

Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.

One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then the zucchini in hot olive oil in the skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish. I found it helpful to add a bit more olive oil with each batch to get them nice and golden brown.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste.

Slice the tomato pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated. I tipped the skillet and used a spoon instead of a baster, and it worked very well.

Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. I went with one of my trusty Le Creuset pieces.

Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole.

Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold. Yields 6-8 servings.

Beer Dip

As soon as I heard that there was such thing as a "beer dip," I knew I was interested. Two of my favorite things in life are undeniably beer and cheese. Most dishes that bring these two heavenly ingredients together make me an extremely happy camper. After perusing several recipes for this heavenly dish, I decided upon incorporating several of my favorite ingredients into one to-die-for dip.

Beer Dip

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 5-ounce jars of Old English Cheese (or 10 ounces Cheese Whiz)
1 1-ounce package dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup beer (go ahead, you can drink the rest)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Pretzels, crackers, or chips for dipping

In your microwave, heat the cream cheese and Old English Cheese for about 40 seconds on high. This will make it easier to blend them together, using a whisk, with the ranch dressing. Add the beer gradually as you whisk the mixture together, until you reach your desired consistency for the dip. You may not use it all. If so, feel free to drink the remaining beer.

Pour into the serving bowl. Sprinkle your toasted pecans evenly over the surface of the dip. Chill for 1 hour or up to 2 days. Serve with pretzels, crackers, or chips!

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken

Trying to stay healthy but still love the ease and convenience of a nice, hearty crock-pot dinner? Have I got the recipe for you! This is a rustic, hearty, and flavorful meal that slow cooks to perfection but does not include any of those creamy condensed soups that have a tendency to pack a lot of calories and fat. This is also an extremely versatile recipe - your chicken can be almost any cut, even a whole chicken would work. And as for the veggies? Whatever you have on hand can be thrown on in there - we used onions and potatoes this time, but carrots, celery, even green beans would be delicious.

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken

2-3 medium potatoes, quartered
2-3 small red onions, quartered
Carrots and celery would be good, too, but we didn't have any on hand
2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube/packet (sodium-free)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bone-in chicken breasts (boneless will work, too, but bone-in = more flavor!)

Place the potato and onion wedges in the bottom of your crock pot. Cover with water. Stir in bouillon, poultry seasoning, Worcestershire, parsley, and salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts on top. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the bones before serving (the meat will be so tender that it should fall right off). Serve the chicken and veggies over cooked brown rice or whole-grain pasta, if desired. Pour some broth over the top for extra flavor.

Nanny's Frozen Lemon "Cake"

This sweet is a real treat, y'all.

This recipe comes from my Nanny - my mom's mom. Mom says that her best memories of this "cake" come from her childhood. Nanny and Poppy would have a few other couples over for cocktails and a light late supper, while everyone's kids were already in bed at home with sitters.

Nanny would make this Frozen Lemon Cake for dessert. She made it in those old-fashioned ice cube trays, with the cube insert taken out. She would slice it up and serve it to her guests late at night. Then the next morning, my mom and her sisters would wake up, hoping against hope that a little corner might be leftover for them. Of course, there usually was . . . I like to think that Nanny sliced it that way on purpose.

This frozen treat is light, fluffy, creamy, and it melts in your mouth just perfectly. It's just sweet enough, with a wondurfully cool and refreshing lemon flavor. It's like a little taste of the clouds that angels sit on in heaven.

Frozen Lemon Cake
adapted from Nanny's recipe

1 cup crushed graham crackers, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs, separated
1 lemon (all juice and all zest)
½ cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
4 tablespoons sugar, divided

Combine 3/4 cup of the crushed graham crackers with the melted butter, stirring until a crumbly loose mixture forms. Line the bottom of an 8x8-inch pan with the mixture.

In a bowl set over hot water (not boiling) mix egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar.Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. At this point Nanny's instructions say "Keep cool." - this is because it will take about 10 minutes for the mixture to thicken. Cute. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Beat egg whites until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks form. Next, beat whipped cream until fluffy, and gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar. Then, gently fold all three mixtures together.

Spread the mixture in the pan over the prepared crust. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of crushed crackers. Place in freezer for at least 3 hours. When you're ready to serve, remove from the freezer, and cut into squares and plate them. Then allow to melt ever so slightly - about 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Kidney Bean Casserole

This recipe is a favorite side dish in my family, especially during the summer for all of our cookouts. The flavors blend beautifully for a zesty, sweet side dish packed with delicious and colorful veggies and beans. Just one bite, and you will be a fan for life!

Kidney Bean Casserole
from my Auntie Moo Moo
also contributed by my mom to Puttin' on the Peachtree, 1979

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, partially drained
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped or sliced
2 small onions, coarsely chopped or sliced
1 strip raw bacon, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 of a 14-ounce bottle ketchup or chili sauce

Combine all ingredients in casserole dish and bake, covered, for 2 hours at 325 degrees. May be prepared in advance and reheated.

Alternatively, combine ingredients in your crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then low for 2-4 hours. Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Fresh Tomato Sauce

Tomato season is in full swing here in North Georgia, and those 'maters were piling up high in our kitchen this week! I decided to take all our fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes and make a gorgeous slow-cooked tomato sauce.

I'm not gonna lie to you, dear readers. This sauce was a heck of a lot of work! In the end, was it really truly worth it?! Oh, heck yeah!!!

Fresh Tomato Sauce
made up on the fly by yours truly

2 lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes (or 2 large cans crushed tomatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 tablespoon of your favorite Italian seasoning blend
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup Italian red wine (optional)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Fresh basil and oregano

Boil a large pot of water. Place the tomatoes (in batches if necessary) into the boiling water for 60 seconds. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place into a bath of ice water to cool. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, and core/seed the tomatoes. (BTW, this part will really freaking hurt if you have paper cuts on your fingers - oow!) Place the remaining flesh into your crock pot.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green pepper and onion, sauteeing until soft - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes. Pour the veggies over the tomatoes in the crock pot.

Next, add the water, Italian seasoning, vinegar, sugar, and wine into the crock pot. Turn on low and cook for 4-7 hours, stirring occasionally if possible (i.e. get your husband/friend/dog to do it when s/he comes home for lunch). During the last hour of cooking, add the tomato paste and a teaspoon or two of fresh basil and oregano, chopped.

If you like a finer texture, then transfer half of the sauce to a blender or food processor and carefully blend until smooth (remember you're dealing with a very hot liquid!). Return the blended sauce to the crock pot and stir.

Serve hot over cooked pasta of your choice, and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

As many of you may remember, the hubby and I took a trip to Jekyll Island a few weeks ago. While we were there, we enjoyed some delicious key lime pie - which got me thinking - why don't I make my own key lime pie? Can I even get key limes in the grocery store here in North Georgia?

Well, the answer is yes, I can! My dear father in law picked me up a bag of key limes from the grocery store last week and delivered them into my care on the condition that I make him a pie. I was glad to accept his offer!

The pie turned out beautifully - tart and creamy, complimented by a perfect graham crust and a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream. Perfection!

Key Lime Pie
adapted from epicurious.com

1 1/s cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup Key lime juice
1 teaspoon key lime zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, whipped until soft peaks form

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Pour over the melted butter and stir until the mixture comes together in a rough ball. Press the mixture evenly into a 9" pie dish so that it lines the bottom and sides of the dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and the egg yolks until thoroughly combined. Add the lime juice, zest, and vanilla, and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens slightly. Pour the filling into your prepared pie shell.

Bake in the middle of your oven for 15 minutes. Cool the pie completely on a rack before covering it and putting it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours.

Serve chilled, and top each piece with the freshly whipped cream.

Seven-Layer Mexican Lasagna

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Yep, when you like food (and cocktails),
then you pretty much make every holiday YOUR holiday.

Well, this was all that was left of dinner by the time I got the camera out.
I guess that means it was good!

Here's the casserole I served to my friends at our casual little get together tonight. I sort of made it up on the fly based on many recipes I had seen floating around.

Seven Layer Mexican Lasagna
8 large flour tortillas
1.25ish lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
1 package of frozen corn kernels
2 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, whatever you like)
About 12-15 tortilla chips, crushed

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Line the bottom with 4 of the tortillas, cutting the edges if necessary.

Next, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning it with the cumin. Add the enchilada sauce and heat through. Set aside.

In another large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, peppers, red onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with the fajita seasoning. Cook, stirring until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Add the frozen corn and heat through. Remove from heat.

Next spoon the meat mixture over the tortillas in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Then place the remaining 4 tortillas on top of the cheese. Spoon the corn and veggie mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the veggies. Finally, top with the crushed tortilla chips.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole and sour cream toppings.

No leftovers - sadness!

Fresh Basil Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

Just the smell of fresh basil makes me weak in the knees. Luckily, ti's not a treat reserved only for summertime in our house. For my birthday a couple years ago, my sweet hubby got my an AeroGarden. This thing is amazing - we grow enough basil to have pesto about every other week! I'm planning on doing a more detailed post about this nifty gadget, but for now, here is my pesto recipe.

Classic pesto is simply a blend of basil leaves, cheese, nuts, garlic, and olive oil. It goes well with creamy cheeses on toasted crostini or crackers. It also goes extremely well with fish and chicken dishes (think grilled chicken or smoked salmon).

Our favorite, though, is to toss some farfalle (bow-tie) noodles with the pesto, topped with chunks of smokey grilled chicken.

Fresh Basil Pesto
recipe from our dear family friends Judy and Joe

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or walnuts
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Measure all your ingredients except for the olive oil into your food processor. I like to use my mini-processor for making pesto:

Pulse several times to chop the leaves and nuts into the other ingredients. Then slowly stream the olive oil in while you process the pesto on medium speed. Add just enough olive oil to reach your desired consistency (tip: make your pesto thicker for a spread, thinner for a sauce). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yield about 1 cup of pesto. Serve as desired (with cheese and crackers, tossed with pasta, as a glaze for roasted veggies, etc.).

Refrigerate and use yourfresh pesto withon 2-3 days OR freeze individual portions in an ice cube tray to use at your leisure!

How to Make Your Own Chicken Stock

So we all buy those nice convenient little roasted chickens at the grocery store, right? They are a great shortcut for those recipes that call for cooked chicken. Well, why not make your chicken go twice as far by using the carcass to make some chicken stock? Here is a great, basic recipe. I used the recipe from my kitchen bible, The Joy of Cooking, and adapted it for the crock pot to make things extra-easy!

Basic Chicken Stock
adapted from The Joy of Cooking

1 chicken carcass
4 quarts of water
10 pepper corns
6 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
3 ribs of celery, roughly chopped

Place the chicken carcass in your crock pot. Pour the water over it and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours; on high 3-5 hours. I left this batch on low overnight.

Strain well. Refrigerate or freeze in mason jars or ziplock bags until you are ready to use your stock!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Here is a wonderful spin on the traditional hummus recipe I blogged recently. The roasted red peppers give hummus a tangy sweetness, and an extra zesty spice.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (aka chick peas), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry with a paper towel
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Measure all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse several times to chop up the ingredients. Then process on high for 2-3 minutes, or until hummus is smooth and thick. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with fresh pita bread or pita chips.

Cream of the Crop

The only thing better than a fresh banana cream pie? A banana cream pie whose crust is a giant chocolate chip cookie!! This is a fun recipe, great for parties, always a hit at a summer cookout or picnic.

Creamy vanilla custard studded fresh sliced bananas, cupped inside a chocolate chip cookie shell, and slathered with luscious whipped cream. You are gonna love it!

Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust
Based on a recipe from an issue of Bon Appétit, many moons ago

1 pound semisweet chocolate chip cookie dough
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
2 1/3 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dark rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 medium bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 cup chilled whipping cream

Spray a 9" pie dish with nonstick spray. Arrange about 3/4 of the cookie dough in the pie dish and press it evenly onto the bottom and up the sides, building a ridge over the lip of the dish. Sprinkle the walnuts, pressing them into the dough. Prick the dough all over with a fork, and freeze the dough for 1 hour.

Position the rack in the bottom third of your oven. and preheat to 350 degrees. Remove the cookie crust from the freezer. Spray a large piece of tin foil with nonstick spray, and cover the pie crust with it, sprayed-side-down. Fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake the crust for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the pie weights or beans, and the tin foil. Allow to cool completely.

In a large, heavy saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks, and gradually add the milk, continuing to mix until smooth. Whisk over medium-high heat until the custard thickens and boils (about 6 minutes). Remove from the heat and add the butter, rum, and vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.

Spread 1 cup of the custard into the crust. Top with the bananas. Cover the bananas with the rest of the custard. Chill the pie for 2 hours.

Next, beat the whipped cream. Spread over the pie, and chill again for 1-8 hours.

My Ultimate Comfort Food

I have gotten a lot of requests over the past several weeks for a rockin' recipe for macaroni and cheese. In face, some of you who know me in *real life* have expressed your shock and concern over the lack of a mac 'n' cheese recipe here on VV. This reaction is understandable, considering that the truth is . . . . macaroni and cheese is my #1 favorite food of all time!

Mac 'n' cheese is the food of my dreams, the food of my childhood, the food of my adulthood. I don't think I ever met a bowl of mac I didn't like. I'm going to come out and admit, flat out, that I am not too proud to make the occasional Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese - heck I practically grew up on the Blue Box. And I have been known to eat Velveeta Shells and Cheese right out of the pot, while sitting on the couch indulging in a sappy chick flick.

I like mine with broccoli, I like it with bacon, I like it baked, I like it from the stove-top. I

Your comments and requests, dear readers, do not fall on deaf ears. Added bonus? No slaving over a hot stove - this recipe is extra easy, with no beschemel sauce to cook.

With that, I am proud to unveil, my S'Mac 'n' Cheese! This is an incredibly flavorful dish, highlighting the sharp cheddar flavor while bringing a subtle heat and a soft onion flavor to the foreground.

S'Mac 'n' Cheese
You will be smackin' your lips . . .

1 1/4 cups elbow noodles
Salt
2.5 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
A pinch or two fresh ground pepper
A pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper flake
A pinch of ground nutmeg
1/3 cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons yellow onion, finely chopped or grated
3/4 cup half-n-half
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 shakes Worchestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce (tobasco)
3/4 cup (about 5 ounces) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle in som salt. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, according to the box instructions.

Meanwhile, grease an 8x8-inch baking dish. Drain the noodles well and pour them evenly into the prepared dish. Sprinkle in the cubed cheddar cheese, and mix gently until evenly distributed. Set the dish aside.

Measure the flour, the salt, the dry mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl, stirring the ingredients together. Add the sour cream and eggs, whisking until blended. Next, whisk in the onion, half-and-half, heavy cream, Worcestershire, and tobasco until the mixture forms a custard-like sauce. Pour this mixture over the macaroni in the baking dish. Finally, sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top.

Bake until the custard sauce sets around the edges but is still a bit saucy in the middle, about 30 minutes. After baking, allow the dish to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Beannachtaí lá Fhéile Pádraig Duit, A Sheáin Léitheoirí!

Blessings of St. Patrick's Day to You, Dear Readers!

As I've mentioned a few times now, I have a mostly Irish heritage. So today is a fun and festive day in my family when we celebrate with food and friends! Here is what I put in my crock pot this morning. As opposed to a London Broil, I like to call this a Dublin Boil.

Here is what my crock pot probably looks like right now, bubbling away in my kitchen:

I can't wait to get home and enjoy this overflowing, bountiful Irish feast!

Dublin Boil
Inspired by a few recipes I perused in The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors:Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother

3 lbs. corned beef brisket
2 12-ounce bottles Irish lager beer
2 cups of water
1 bay leaf
8 black peppercorns
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" rustic chunks
1 lb. small red potatoes, rinsed clean and sliced in half
2 tablespoons Irish butter
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 cup leeks, rinsed and chopped, white part only
1 large rutabaga (i.e. turnip), peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
1 large green cabbage, cut into quarters or sixths
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Spray the inside of your 8-10 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Place the corned beef brisket in the crock pot. Add the beer and enough of the water to cover the beef. Next, add the bay leaves, the peppercorns, the parsley, the Worcestershire, and the salt and pepper. Also add the potatoes and the carrots to the pot.

In a heavy skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Add the garlic, the leeks, and the yellow onion, sautéing for 4-5 minutes. Add these veggies to the crock pot.

Cover the pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is very tender. In the last hour or two of cooking, add the turnips and the cabbage. Taste the broth and season as needed with the salt and pepper.

Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve hot in generous bowls with a wedge of Irish Soda Bread.

Chicky-Chicky-Parm, Chicky-Chicky-Parm

Have I ever mentioned that my brothers are a little bit silly? Yeah, they used to sing "Chicky-Chicky-Parm, Chicky-Chicky-Parm" whenever my mom would make us Chicken Parmesan. And they always did it with this incredibly catchy but annoying rhythm to it. So now I'm cursed because what I think of every time I have Chicken Parmesan!!

Here is an easy and "lighter" (i.e. not fried) version of this dish that you can make in the crock pot. It even came out pretty crispy on the top. Don't ya just love it when things are easy AND delicious?!

Crock-Pot Chicky-Parm

4 raw skinless boneless chicken breasts;
1 cup flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh parsley or basil for garnish

NOTE: Chicken can be fresh OR frozen. For frozen (which I used here), simply add an extra hour of cooking time.

Apply cooking spray to the inside of your crock pot. Next, set up three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, place the flour and half of the salt and pepper. In the second bowl, place the lightly beaten egg. In the third bowl, place the panko bread crumbs, the parmigiano reggiano, the rest of the salt and pepper, and the Italian seasoning. Take your chicken breasts one at a time, and dip them first in the flour, coating completely. Next coat with the egg mixture. Finally, coat with the panko mixture. Then place the chicken breast in the bottom of your crock pot. Repeat with the other chicken breasts.

Pour your marinara sauce around the sides of the chicken breasts. (Around, not on top - this will keep the tops crispy.) Sprinkle a few more tablespoons of the parmigiano reggiano cheese on top of the breasts. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. During the last hour of cooking, top the chicken with the shredded mozzarella cheese so that it can melt and get nice and bubbly. Garnish each serving with fresh parsley or basil. Serve with spaghetti or angel-hair pasta.

Hearty Black Bean Soup

I love black beans, and it's still cold enough here in Georgia to justify my cravings for nice, hot, steaming bowls of soup. Heck - we even have snow on the ground, lingering after the storm that dumped 6 inches on our little town over the weekend! This is exciting for those of us who only see a light dusting once a year or so!

So I wanted a hearty, chunky black bean soup to warm us up. Forget all of your wimpy pureed soups - this soup is thick, filling, and delicious! Here is what I came up with!

Hearty Black Bean Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 15-ounce cans black beans
2 15-ounce cans of water
2 shakes of your favorite hot sauce
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube or seasoning packet
Finely minced red onion, for garnish
Sliced avocado, for garnish
Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and peppers. Stir and allow the veggies to cook until the onions are translucent and the peppers become slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes. Next, add the beans, the water (use the bean-cans to measure), cumin, oregano, lime juice, salt, pepper, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the soup to simmer for about 1 hour, uncovered, until reduced and thickened. Serve hot with garnishes of your choice.

This recipe can be easily converted to a crock pot. Simply measure all ingredients into the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Note: To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the chicken bouillon cube and the water. Substitute with 2 15-ounce cans of vegetable broth.

Hummus My Favorite Tune

Hummus is a favorite snack in our household, and I've been wanting to try making my own hummus for a while now. I've heard that not only is it cheaper to make it yourself, but it's also much more delicious to make it from scratch. I am one vintage lady who loves to make things from scratch on the cheap, so I was excited to try this out!

I got this basic hummus recipe from a fellow food blogger - Katie from Good Things Catered. You should definitely check out her blog for lots of fabulous recipes and tips.

Hummus
From Katie of Good Things Catered

1 12-ounce can of chick peas (also called garbanzo beans)
1-2 large cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons tahini (sesame paste)
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon salt

Drain chick peas, reserving their water/juice in a small bowl. In a food processor (or blender), mix together the chick peas with the rest of the ingredients, being careful to add second half of lemon juice and tahini slowly, stopping to taste. Slowly add some of the reserved liquid from beans and a bit of water for correct consistency. Process for about 1-2 minutes until a smooth paste is formed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This changes the taste of the hummus by allowing the flavors to form.

To dress the hummus up for the table, the traditional way of serving is on a plate, with an extra drizzle of olive oil on top and a sprinkle of paprika and chopped parsley. Serve with warm pita bread or pita chips, and fresh veggies like sliced cucumber, baby carrots, or grape tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Spinach Casserole

This spinach casserole has been one of my favorite dishes since childhood. The recipe came from the little booklet that came with my mom and dad's Crockpot that they got back in the early 70s. Over the years, we've upped the amount of spinach and also adapted it for a dutch oven, but it's still a family classic.

It's a great way to get kids to eat their spinach; it's a great way to get kids to love their spinach. It makes a delicious veggie side to go with dinner or it makes a great dip served hot with crackers. No matter how you serve it, you are going to love it!

Mom's Spinach Casserole
Adapted from Rival Crock Pot booklet from the early 70s

3 10-ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups (about 8 oz.) american cheese, cubed (recommended: Velveeta)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

Apply cooking spray to the inside of your crock pot. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into prepared crock pot. Cook on high for 1 hour, then turn it down to low for 4-5 hours.

You may also use a dutch oven for this dish. Simply bake, covered, at 375 for 1 hour.