Spring Newsletter

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Spring Newsletter

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Of course corn beef and cabbage is the typical meal on St. Patrick's Day but really do you need a recipe for that?  Here is a great Irish Stew recipe handed down through my family.

Thanks to my mother, Julie Kane, I can bring you this.  For an Italian girl she sure can make some great Irish Stew!

This is "Grammy Kane's" recipe. She, too, was an excellent cook and she taught her Italian daughter-in-law a few of her irish recipes. She was an entrepreneur in her own right. She ran a boarding house and also had a side business serving lunches out of the boarding house to factory workers from the Smith-Corona and the Cresent Corset. I ate very well while staying with her in those days. Such fond memories for me and I'd say I definitely had and still do have the luck of the Irish!

Irish Stew

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. of chuck stew beef

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 medium potatoes - cubed
3 carrots - sliced into 1/4 in slices
1 medium onion - rough chop
6 c. beef stock
salt and peper
Wondra flour

Directions:

In a large soup pot add the olive oil and the stew beef over medium heat. Salt and pepper the beef to your taste and brown it, add the onions and the beef broth and simmer for about an hour and a half.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot after simmering for about an hour and continue to simmer for the remaining time. It is now time to thicken the stew with Wondra. Slowly add the Wondra while continually whisking. This must be done carefully not to over thicken the stew. If you prefer you could also use cornstarch mixed in water to thicken the stew. After the stew is thickened cook until the carrots and potatoes are completely cooked.

Serve over fresh hot biscuits. This is definitely a comfort food that warms my heart and soul!

Italian Shepherd's Pie

Italian Style Shepherd’s Pie
Denise Mironti

Although Shepherd’s Pie is an English dish I’ve been dreaming about how to put an Italian twist on it. My Italian family has turned their noses up to traditional Shepherd’s Pie as have I over the years. This recipe will turn any fussy Italian into a believer that this comfort food is fit for a cold winter’s night.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Beef Layer

1 lb. ground beef – 85% lean
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ c. beef stock

1 medium onion

¾ c. frozen peas
¾ c chopped carrots

½ c chopped onions

1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove of minced garlic

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Pasta Layer
1 lb. of short cut pasta – I use mini cut ziti

1 28 oz can of plum tomatoes – use San Marzano

½ c. chopped onions

2 cloves of minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp of all spice
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Béchamel Sauce

3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. 2% milk
Salt and Pepper
¼ tsp. garlic Powder
Freshly grated Nutmeg about 1/8 tsp.
½ c Parmigiano Cheese

Other
1 c shredded whole milk mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Beef Layer
In a large frying pan over medium heat add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan and the ground beef with approximately a tsp of salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the minced garlic, tomato paste, beef broth and the carrots. Cook for another few minutes and add the onions and cook for approximately 2 minutes and finally add the peas. Reduce on simmer and set aside.
Pasta Layer
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta to the water and cook just shy of al dente.

In another large sauce pot over medium heat add the other 2 Tbsp of olive, the minced garlic and the onions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and crush them with a tomato masher. Add the all spice, salt and pepper garlic powder (approx ¼ tsp of each) and bring to a bubble. Simmer and set aside

Béchamel Sauce
In another medium size sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute or so the whisk in the milk, adding slowly. After flour is dissolved in, add a generous pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder and the nutmeg. Bring to a slow bubble and add in the Parmigiano Cheese and allow dissolving in the sauce. Gently simmer –stirring frequently.
Assembly
Drain the pasta and mix with the tomato sauce. Leave about a ½ c of sauce for the beef. Spray a lasagna baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and layer the beef mixture in the bottom of the dish. Pour the reserved sauce over the top. Layer the pasta over the beef and pour the Béchamel Sauce over the top. Layer some shredded mozzarella over the top and place in the over for about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Super Bowl Sunday!

We just love Super Bowl Sunday in our house.  It's like another special holiday!  I grew up loving football and I happen to think Sandro is the luckiest man in Cortland because of it.  He doesn't have to listen to a wife whining to turn the channel to Desperate Housewives on a Sunday evening.  In fact there are some Sundays that he begs me to change the channel to something else after several hours of football.
Of course James loves football too.  He's been going to SU Football games since he was three years old and he's learned that winning isn't everything :)  As an SU Football fan he has had to take it in stride.

I thought I would post some of what's on the menu for us every Super Bowl Sunday!

Super Bowl Chili

I have learned to make chili in a crockpot - something that I rarely used in the past.  This is a quick and easy recipe and there's no standing over the stove with this one.

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground beef (I use 85%) lean
1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
1 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 can of chili beans or red kidney beans
1 can of great northern or cannillini beans
1 small can of mushroom stems and pieces
Salt and Pepper to your taste
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
Chili Powder to the heat you can tolerate
Olive Oil - approximately 2 to 3 tbsp.

Directions:
Preheat a frying pan with olive oil (2 turns of the pan) and add the ground beef, add salt and pepper to the beef and cook until all the meat has browned.

In the crockpot put about a tablespoon of olive oil and add the green and red peppers and add a dash of salt, pepper and  some of the garlic salt and stir.  Then add the chopped onions and the mushrooms, again adding the salt, pepper and the rest of the garlic salt.  Add both cans of beans and add another dash of salt, pepper and garlic salt. 
Finally add the crushed tomatoes and the chili powder to the heat your family can tolerate.  Start slow and add more as needed.  Mix all ingredients well and then add the cooked ground beef.
Cover and turn on low - cook for at least 4 to 6 hours.

Cheese Fries

When I was a student at Syracuse University there was a place called Hungry Charley's or I think it was nicknamed - Hungry Chuck's.  I'm sure my brother-in-law Ken remembers this place well as all the SUNY Upstate students hung out there too!  They had the best cheese fries you ever have wanted to taste or at least on a Saturday at around 2:00 in the morning they tasted great!  Right Ken?! These are really easy and in fact so easy I won't claim this as a recipe but an idea.

Ingredients
Frozen Garlic or a Spiced French Fry or if you so please you can make your own homemade fries.
Cheez Whiz

Directions:
Deep fry the fries (you really need to deep fry them as it makes the fries taste so much better - start the diet on Monday!)
Melt the cheez whiz and pour it over the top of the fries or serve the cheez whiz on the side for dipping.
Oh these are great and they bring back such fond memories of being on the SU Hill/Marshall St!
The kids will love them too!

Taco Dip - Featured Chef - Colleen Munro

This is my sister Colleen's recipe.  And for anyone who knows the story you are laughing right now, so whatever you do - DON'T put this dish in the oven like my cousin Patrick and I did.  We made that mistake one time and Colleen will never let us forget it!  I think she wanted to bop us in the head, but we've since had many laughs over it!

Ingredients:
8 oz package of cream cheese softened
8 oz of sour cream
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt and Chili Powder (amount varies according to heat you like)
1 green bell pepper - chopped
1 small onion - chopped
1 large tomato - chopped
1/2 black olives - chopped (optional)
16 oz Taco Sauce
1 pkg of shredded cheddar
Nacho Chips

Directions:
Blend the cream cheese and sour cream together and add the garlic salt and chili powder.  Layer this in the bottom of a glass baking dish.  Then layer the peppers, tomatoes, onion and black olives on top of the cream cheese and sour cream.  Pour the taco sauce over the top and sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top and it's ready to serve.  Serve with nachos and enjoy! 

Remember don't put in the oven! :)

Chicken Wing Dip

This is also a recipe that Colleen gave me and I think she got it from one of the nurses at the hospital, but I put a little twist of my own in the recipe. Nurses are always good to trade off recipes with because we love good pot luck lunches once in awhile to feed our tummies and our souls!

Ingredients:
2 packages of cream cheese -softened
1 cup of Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup of hot sauce
1 boneless chicken breast
1 tbsp of chili oil

Directions:
Coat the chicken breast with chili oil and grill it on the stovetop.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together - set aside.  After the chicken cools chop it into small pieces and add it to the rest of the ingredients.  Serve with crackers, nachos or celery for a lighter version.

Chips and Homemade Onion Dip

Every now and then I like to make my own French Onion dip and this will be one I will be serving up on Super Bowl Sunday!

Ingredients:
8 oz of sour cream
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Salt
2 tsp of Steak or Burger Seasoning
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat olive oil (one turn of the pan) on low.  Chop or slice the onion and add them to the frying pan, add a pinch of salt, pepper and steak seasoning.  Carmelize the onions and allow to cool.  Drain the oil from the onions and add them to the sour cream with the Worcestershire sauce and mix together.  Add salt, pepper and steak seasoning to the dip according to your taste.

Serve in a bowl with your favorite chips!

That is probably about enough snacks for Super Bowl Sunday for the Mironti bunch.  Oh boy, serve up the Pepcid or Zantac after these goodies.  I'm glad I'm going to be off on Super Bowl Monday!

Corn Chowder

What about this cold snap that is pretty much taking a hold on up and down the east coast.  Even my family down in Miami is experiencing 30 degree temperatures and that's not even funny!  I thought that my corn chowder recipe would be perfect for these cold days.  It's perfect as a meal by itself or along side your favorite panini!

I made some croutons to top ours off.

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

1 - 1# bag of frozen corn (I use about half to 3/4)
1 stick of butter

1 TBSP of olive oil

1 small onion - diced

2 carrots - peeled and diced

2 celery stalks - diced

2 Idaho potatoes - diced

6 cups of chicken stock

2 cups of half and half
1/4 cup of flour

1 clove of garlic - minced

6 sprigs of fresh thyme - leaves only
salt and pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

Melt the butter in the bottom of a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the olive oil and the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes, add the carrots and celery for about 5 minutes and then add the onions and salt and pepper all the veggies (few shakes of each).  Cook until vegetables are soft.  Sprinkle vegetables with flour and stir coating all very well.  Add in the fresh thyme and the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add the half and half and the potatoes and boil hard for approximately 10 minutes until the potatoes break down and soften.  This will help thicken the soup.  Add the corn and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add more salt and pepper to your taste and grate in a pinch of nutmeg.

Croutons

Use day old Italian bread (about a half loaf) - cut into cubes.  Heat olive oil (a couple turns of the pan) in a large frying pan, add the bread and Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, garlic powder.  Cook until toasted and serve atop the chowder!

Enjoy!