Planning For Saint Paddy's

 One of the biggest party days is coming up,Saint Patrick's day is a day for tradition but also for fun. You can combine the two into a festive feast.

  A new twist on the holiday is combining old and new. Yes you can serve corned beef but make it crisp and juicy in the air fryer.It;s pickling the brisket first in apple cider vinegar and then rubbing it with dry mustard. Cook it for one hour at 359 degree Fahrenheit. A tasty side is air fried cabbage steaks that can serve as a base for the corned beef.slice the cabbage thin through the middle. Brush with olive oil or melted butter and season with salt and pepper Air fry for ten minutes at 360 degrees Farenheit. They should be crisp and golden. Keep in mind this is also the perfect meal for vegetarians and vegans celebrating St.Patrick's Day. Colcannon is a must also  You can buy the potatoes now so you don't have to run out or just used mashed potatoes to make this Irish classic. Buy the greens for it the day before. Here you can use fresh baby spinach mixed with kale for a Spring-y green flavor. Minced garlic gives it a true flavor but you could add a pinch of garlic powder too. It can be fried into little rounds too ro turned into colcannon bombs. Make sure you have either vegetable oil and olive oil both for frying.

Of course Saint Patrick's Day is a drinking day too. do you just serve only Guinness or have different beers? Guinness can be strong and you may have guests that may find it so. There may be some guests that also find it too strong in taste too. You could have Smithwick's another Irish beer with a great following.It's a red ale that has a strong barley flavor. This ale pairs well with a variety of foods and perfect with a plate of corned beef.some may prefer what's known as a cream ale such as Kilkenny's It has a caramel flavor that people may like better than the more robust ales along with a creamy head. You could also throw ina few American ales such as Sam Adams Irish ale or even Yuengling . Another aspect to consider is dessert. Although it's not as important at a Saint Paddy's Day party as it is at others, there should be a sweet or two along with Irish coffee. decide what you want to make.it could be stout cupcakes or Irish cream fudge made with Bailey's. Another must buy is plenty of bottled water. You don;t want guests driving home drink. Give them water to dissipate the alcohol's effects.

Get ready for a fun day. Make sure you have the ingredients and beers to have a memorable st patrick's day. enjoy planning it and hosting it.

A Juicy Cauliflower Steak

 Cauliflower is versatile.One of the best recipes for it is cutting into steaks. This makes not only for a good vegan meal but also a tasty one too.

I was inspired by an episode of Chris Kimball'sMilk  Street. His recipe called for peppers and capers mixed together with cheese. I used Lidl's Italiamo bruschetta mixed with Violife's shredded vegan Parmesan and breadcrumbs. I liked this mix better 

I added just a pinch of the VIolete and a pinch or two of breadcrumbs

As for the cauliflower it has to be soaked in salt water for fifteen minutes

It was them sliced into one in ch steaks (Milk street suggested one and a half inches but the inch work). The it was brushing them with olive oil.After deasoning they were put imto q 500 degree Farenheit oven for ten minutes The bruschetta was then layered on and let sit in an turned off oven (which cooks just as well as a lit

one)

This was the most flavorful dish I've made so far.

I loved it .The bruschetta was mot overcooked and it just leaned a tangy , fresh flavor to the cauliflower - which is good raw or cooked./

It's a lovely , fulfilling meal that I will be making for Easter too. There is something about the marriage of different flavors that makes this dish simg. My version was really delicious.

Cauliflower steaks topped with a bruschetta mix is an excellent meal choice. The blend of tomatoes, cheese, and peppers with cauliflower is a unique taste. Try it for a one of a kind dinner.

An Oscar Party For One

 The Oscars are a big deal. The Oscar parties are not - really. It's is fun to sit with friends but it's even nicer to sit in your jammies and enjoy goodies alone in front of the TV set. Ther'es nothing like a good old fashioned party for one. Eat what you want .Drink what you want. It's all up to you .

Surprisignly you can indulge on a budget.If you;re craving lush food but don't have the budget , try Lidl. The store features frozen lobster tail for around $14.99. Add some butter and grill some asparagus and you have a Hollywood worthy meal.LIdl also has excellent deals on shrimp and scallops too if you want something a little less rich. You could also get wings and nuggets and just pop them into your air fryer. Serve with a variety of different sauces, from ranch to barbecue. You could also buy  a rotisserie chicken, eat what you want and save the leftovers for either Monday's lunch or dinner. Buy a side of macaromi salad giardniera , pickled veggies for a tasty late supper. A simple pizza for one can also work. You can easily whip one up using already made dough and sauce. Toppings can be anything from spinach and onions to pepperoni and salami. a smaller version is an English muffin pizza, easily baked in a toaster oven.  One can satisfy anyone with a small appetite. You could also whip up a mini hero too, using your favorite cold cuts and cheese along with  sliced tomatoes and lettuce.

Of course an Oscar party means indulging on snack food too. You could use the air fryer again to make your own potato chips. It just takes Russet  potatoes  - use these because they are the best for not maintaining moisture). olive oil  and seasonings.After the slices have been soaked and  drie coat them in olive oil and air fry for twenty minutes at 325 degrees Farenheit.  A simple onion dip is perfect here.It;s just emptying a packet of French onion soup into sour cream ro plain Greek yogurt and stirring.If you use the Greekl yogurt for dipm you don;t have to worry about extra calories.Loaded nachos are another fun Oscar night snack.It;s just ouring queso cheese on nachos and then topping them with sliced jalapenos, black olives and tomatoes Microwave for a minute or two for the cheese to get all melted. Add some kidney or black beans for protein. Open a Corona and enjoy. If these are too much, then stick with that movie classic - popcorn. It pays to have a microwave popper like Colonel Popper to give you a better type of kernel without all those additives. Melt butter to drizzle over and enjoy.

It;s your Oscar party. Make the foods you love , sit back and root for your favorites to win. Enjoy any of these treats while you sit on the couch .

A Precooked Feast

 The worst paart about throwing a dinner party is prepping and cooking for it. Suppose you didn;;t have to? NO you don;t ahve to cater - everything can be made the day and night before.

Regular contributor Dave Tanis wrote about this easy fix in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Why make everything the day of, creating chaos and stress in an overworked kitchen. Do ti in stages and you can spend the time before cleaning the house and getting yourself ready. He gives spiced roasted lamb with whole wheat za'atar flatbeads. dessert is walnut sponge cake. The spicy lamb pot roast is a mash up between a North african tangine and a Western pot roast .it's fragrant redolent with spices that should be allowed to rest a day before serving. The meat used should be a three inch bone in lamb shoulder . There is a wide array of spices used, from fennel and all spice to ginger and cayenne. The veggies used are, turnips, chilies cabbage and carrots, They;re steamed last minute and served with the stew.  The za'aatar can be bought at any grocery store nowadays. Fresh parsley and thyme is sprinkled on the bread and then it'sbaked for twenty to thirty minutes.

 The whole whear flatbreads made from scratch are easy to bake.. These are an easy three ingrdient, water flour and yeast bread, topped with the equally fragrant za'aatar. Again this cna be made the bay before.dessert is the walnut sponge. This is a light airy cake, perfect after a spicy meal. there are two cups of walmut pieces that are ground into a type of flour in a food processor. It's rich with eggs, using six yolks anwhites spearated. The whites are beaten into a meringue then stirred into the egg mixture to lighten it. don;t overbeat and deflate the airness .A ew streaks are OK.It's baked in a springform pan in a 325Farenheir oven for forty minutes. Let cool and dust with confectioner's sugar. Mr. Tanisha serves it with whipped cream and strawberries but you could try this with ice cream too.Again this could be made not just a day in advance but two days too. It can be kept in a cake container until it's ready to be served.

Don;t spend the day cooking and baking. Do everything the day before.It;s a much easier way of having a dinner party/

Question Time Your Favorite Casserole

 With all this writing about casseroles  which is your favorite?

Baked mac your way or original

Lasagna  vegan or non vegan

Breakfast stratas - from cheesy to downright maple-y

Anything with tuma or chicken and a Campbell's soup added

Classic green bean

Let us know here. There may be a recipe and how to in the near future. In the mean time chew on this.

Roasted To Perfection

 What is the best way to cook any kind of veggie? Try roasting. The extreme heat brings out anot just the flavor but a sweetness and crunchiness to any green. This is a method that once tried will be a favorite.

Regular contributor Ali slagle wrote about this in today's New York Times food section. She suggests the sheet pan method .This gives all veggies a nice even cook and golden color afterwards. It's also good when comining a protein like chicken or fish with any kind of veggie. Keep in mind that roasting can occur any time of year. summer's harvests of tomatoes and string beans are just as good cooked this way as winter parsnips and cabbage. How to ensure a good roast. firstly cut the veggies all the same size in uniform pieces. Keep in mind that smaller pieces get crunchy while larger ones have a creaminess to their centers.Thne season and oil generously. What's the best oil to use? Try olive oil. It's then roasting them on the lowest rach of the oven. You should set the oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. This  caramelizes the outside while retaining a soft exterior. One good thing about roasting that skillet cooking demands is flipping the veggies halfway through the cooking.

The recipes Ms. slagle supplies can be the main course or a tasty side. There are roasted root veggies with hot honey. She combines such root vegetables as carrots, potatoe rutabegas , parsnips and sweet potatoes along with turnips with a hot honey sauce that's spiked with cayenne pepper. The veggies are roasted first after a bath in olive oil and then the sauce is poured on at the end. There is also cheddar roasted broccoli, a new spin on this meal time classic. The cheese is added at the end to make a crispy chewy coating. Theres also roasted sweet potatoes and kale with eggs. The eggs nest on kale and sweet potatoes. Harissa paste and peanut butter are mixed together and drizzled over it. If you;re looking for a tasty spup then try Ms. Slagle;s roasted cauliflower with garlic. This is a super easy soup that just needs water and a good food processor to make.One head of garlic is added for a true flavor experieince.

If you like veggies then roasting them will just rampup their likability.Try these recipes for a tasty intro to them. They are perfect for a good meal.

Hot Meals For A Blustery Night

 With March comes blustery winds and cold nights. This is the time for hot meals that are ribsticking and tasty. What to make? Anything from soups to casseroles,

Stock your pantry with a variety of different broths. These will act as the base for soups and chowders. You can make chicke, beef  and/or vegetable broths if you have the time. Store them in the freezer until they're ready to us. What is a good soup? Try a fragrant leek and potato soup.  This is an easy cook. You can add either freshly boiled potatoes or canned. Leeks are abundant right now. Use all parts of them for a tastier potage. A baked potato soup is also a good recipe to make, Top with shredded cheddar or a blob of sour cream.A good miestrone soup is another hearty broth to try. Add a variety of different veggies, from tomatoes to parsnips and carrots. Add beans for more protein. Try a mix of cannelini and kidnesy beans for color and flavor. Do you add pasta? Yes! Try smaller pasta like ditalini or shells. for a heartier fare try stews.Like soups all sorts of ingredients can be added. Try a beef stew with carrots and parsnips along with potatoes and corn. A chicken stew can resemble a pot pie without the soggy pastry bottom. Have a rich creamy gravy that's perfect with dumplings.

Cassaroles are a tasty and filling dish on a cold March night. The most famous and well liked is lasagna. This can be made several different ways. It can be filled with beef crumbles or it can be vegan, Add plant based crumbles or sausage for a different flavor. Ricotta gives it a creaminess but you don;t have to have it. Try a layer of vegan or regular Parmesan for a different flavor. Try adding sliced eggplant, and bell peppers. Another crowd pleaser is baked Macaroni and cheese. Again you can bake the classic or. vary it. The traditional recipe calls for elbow macaroni and a good sharp cheddar. Butter flour and milk gives it a creaminess and velvetiness. A layer of breadcrumbs is added to give it a nice crunchiness and crispness. You can  vary this with crumbled bacon or have laors of bacon between the macaroni and cheese sauce. You also can sub in other cheeses like a mix of Parmesan and Asiago  - sort of like what Panera offers. If the family is craving breakfast for dinner then try a cheesy strata. This is layering French or Italian bread with egg and cheese. You could add strips of ham ro bacon to it for a more flavorful bite.

A cold March night deserves a hot , filling meal. It can be a soup, stew or cassarole.Try any to warm up the family.