Daddy comes home this week!

We are counting down the days until Brian returns on Wednesday. We've had a blast just the two of us, but we are ready to have him home now :)

Monday
Leftovers

Tuesday (For the neighbors who will have Nora while I'm at PALSS)
Turkey Tetrazzini

Wednesday
Pasta with Mushrooms, Asparagus & Boursin

Thursday
Corned Beef
Potatoes with greens
Cabbage
Soda Bread

Friday
Woodinville Supper Club at Janet's

Turkey Tetrazzini
Yes, this has Velveeta in it which I don't normally condone, but this NEEDS it!

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 C chicken broth

2 C grated Velveeta

6 C cooked spaghetti

4 C chicken or turkey, cooked and cubed

1 can mushrooms

½ C parmesan cheese

½ t paprika

Blend soups, broth and cheese. Add spaghetti, meat, and mushrooms. Put in 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle with parmesan and paprika. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Pasta with Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Boursin Sauce

1 T butter

1 T olive oil

1 pound mushrooms thinly sliced

1/2 t salt

1 1/4 C chicken broth

1 5 1/2 oz package Boursin cheese

1 pound asparagus

3/4 pound Pasta of choice (GF in our case)

In a large frying pan, melt the butter with the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and well browned, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken broth and Boursin cheese and bring to a simmer while stirring.

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1/2 inch pieces. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until almost done, about 6 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until it and the pasta are just done, about 4 minutes longer. Drain. Toss with the mushrooms and sauce.

I just started brining our brisket for corned beef. It should be quite tasty by the time Thursday rolls around!

Corned Beef
(From Simplyrecipes.com)

Brine:

• 1 gallon water
• 2 cups Kosher salt
• 5 teaspoons pink curing salt*
• 3 Tbsp pickling spices
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

*Pink curing salt, or sodium nitrite, goes by many names, such as Prague Powder #1 or DQ Curing Salt #1, and is available online and may be available at your local specialty market or butcher shop. If you don't have it, you can still make corned beef, but it is necessary for that vibrant pink color we associate with corned beef. And it adds flavor too. Without it the corned beef will be a dull grey color.

Brisket:

• 1 4-5 pound beef brisket
• 1 Tbsp pickling spices

Method

2 Add about 3 Tbsp of the Pickling Spices (reserve the rest for cooking the corned beef after it has cured), plus the half stick of cinnamon, to a gallon of water in a large pot, along with the Kosher salt, pink salt (if using), and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until well chilled.

3 Place the brisket in a large, flat container or pan, and cover with the brine. The brine should cover the meat. The meat may float in which case you may want to weigh it down with a plate. Alternatively you can use a 2-gallon freezer bag (placed in a container so if it leaks it doesn't leak all over your refrigerator), place the brisket in the freezer bag and about 2 quarts of brine, squeezing out the air from the bag before sealing. Place in the refrigerator and chill from 5-7 days. Every day flip the brisket over, so that all sides get brined equally.

4 At the end of the cure, remove the brisket from the brine and rinse off the brine with cold water. Place the brisket in a large pot that just fits around the brisket and cover with at least one inch of water. If you want your brisket less salty, add another inch of water to the pot. Add a tablespoon of the pickling spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer (barely bubbling), and cook 3-4 hours, until the corned beef is fork tender. (At this point you can store in the fridge for up to a week.) Remove the meat to a cutting board. Slice thinly against the grain to serve.

Colcannon Recipe (Potatoes with Greens)

(Simplyrecipes.com)

For a variation, sub out half of the potatoes with parsnips. Can add chives, leeks, or bacon too.

Ingredients

• 4 russet potatoes (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into large chunks
• Salt
• 5-6 Tbsp unsalted butter (with more butter for serving)
• 3 lightly packed cups of chopped kale, cabbage, chard, or other leafy green
• 3 green onions (including the green onion greens), minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup milk or cream

Method

1 Put the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender (15 to 20 minutes). Drain in a colander.

2 Return the pot to the stove and set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pot and once it's hot, add the greens. Cook the greens for 3-4 minutes, or until they are wilted and have given off some of their water. Add the green onions and cook 1 minute more.

3 Pour in the milk or cream, mix well, and add the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium. Use a fork or potato masher and mash the potatoes, mixing them up with the greens. Add salt to taste and serve hot, with a knob of butter in the center.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Soda Bread Biscuits Recipe

(Simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet you want them)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds*
• 1/2 to 1 cup of raisins*
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk**

*These add-ins are entirely optional. You could just do plain biscuits, or add in a teaspoon of orange zest, lemon zest, or a couple tablespoons of chopped candied ginger, or a teaspoon of minced rosemary. Have fun with it!

**You can substitute the 1 1/4 cups buttermilk with 1 cup 3 Tbsp of regular whole milk mixed with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar.

Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a standard muffin pan.

2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

3 Cut the butter into tablespoon sized pieces into the bowl of flour. Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into the flour, schmooshing (is that a technical term?) the butter between your fingers and mixing with the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. If you are using raisins, caraway seeds, or any other add-ins, mix them into the mixture now.

4 Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the buttermilk into the center of the well. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the flour into the buttermilk until the flour is moistened with the buttermilk. Then use your hands to form the mixture into a loose, shaggy, slightly sticky ball of dough. The dough should be a little sticky, if it's too dry, add a tablespoon more of buttermilk. If it's just too wet to handle, add a sprinkling more of flour. Do not over-mix! And at this point work quickly. As soon as the acidic buttermilk interacts with the alkaline baking soda, bubbles will form and leavening will start.

5 Break off 12-equal portions of the dough and place them in the wells of the muffin tin. Put in the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes in the pan. Remove the biscuits from the muffin tin to a rack to cool for a few minutes more.

Serve with butter and jam.

Makes 12 biscuits.