Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

This round of A Taste of Home Cooking's recipe swap had a slightly different set up than usual; rather than being assigned a recipe, we were each given a blog to pick a recipe from.  Yes, that's right, a whole blog's worth of recipes to narrow down to one choice.  I was given The Jey of Cooking, one I already follow and pull recipes from quite often, and let me tell you, it was really hard to choose.  I checked what I already had outlined for our weekly meal plans, and found that what I really needed was an awesome weekend breakfast. 

As I scrolled through Jey's breakfast tag, I saw corned beef hash and how to poach an egg.  It was like the stars aligned- I knew I'd have corned beef leftover from St. Patrick's Day, and I've been looking for an excuse to try poaching eggs.  Perfect!  I didn't change much, just added some bell pepper since I had it, and used thawed bagged shredded potatoes. 

Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

What's in it:

1 c frozen hash browns, thawed
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp chopped chives
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 c chopped or shredded corned beef
white vinegar for poaching
2 eggs

How to make it:

Mix potatoes, onion, bell pepper, chives, salt (go light on this, the corned beef will add a lot) and pepper to the potatoes and mix well to combine.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high.   Add potato-onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Add the corned beef and stir to combine.   Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes, until potatoes are golden and beginning to crisp.  Keep warm in the skillet until the eggs are ready.

To poach the eggs, fill a saucepan with water, a little more than halfway full.   Add a splash of white vinegar.   Bring to a boil.  Break each egg into separate small dishes.   Swirl the water to create a tornado and carefully guide one egg at a time into the vortex.   Reduce heat to medium high.  Repeat with the second egg.  As each egg cooks, serve the corned beef hash onto a plate or into a shallow bowl so that it's ready to go when the egg is done.

For a soft center, cook for 2 minutes.   For a medium center, cook for 3 minutes.   For a hard center, cook for 4 minutes.  When the egg reaches your desired doneness, carefully remove with a slotted spoon and allow water to drip off.   Gently place on the hash and serve immediately.

Broiled Grapefruit

Breakfast during the week is generally limited to easily prepped and transported options for me: lots of oatmeal, Greek yogurt and granola, sometimes muffins or English muffins with a smear of peanut butter.  So when the weekend comes around, I’m usually ready for something a little more time-consuming that probably doesn’t travel well, and often plan for much more elaborate breakfasts, like breakfast tacos with eggs, chorizo and avocado or dressed up pancakes.  This time of year, though, I’m starting to get a little burnt out on heavy food, and with holiday baking, shopping and partying, spending a lot of weekend time on breakfast just isn’t always possible.

Then I saw broiled grapefruit on Serious Eats.  It’s perfect- not something I’d be likely to pack up for work, takes very little time to prep, and isn’t going to fill me up all morning when I’d rather be snacking on seasonal goodies.  The little bit of caramelized sugar softens the tart grapefruit, and the spices make you feel like you're eating something special.

Broiled Grapefruit

What’s in it:

1 grapefruit, halved
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp butter

How to make it:

Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Using a paring knife, carefully loosen grapefruit segments, separating them from the membrane and rind. Sprinkle cut sides with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Dot with butter. Place grapefruit halves on baking sheet and broil 5-8 minutes, until sugar is beginning to brown. Let cook for a few minutes, then serve.

Sausage Balls

Yes, another snack and appetizer post.  I have been cooking real food too; check out my What's for Dinner? page to see what we've been eating.  But my focus lately has been our holiday favorites.  These sausage balls are another tradition from my family, a perennial favorite at my mom's annual holiday open house and one of our must-haves for Christmas morning brunch (the only rule- no flatware required.  Keep those hands free for opening presents!).

While I've seen variations of these a lot of places around the internet, with different ratios of sausage to cheese to baking mix and types of cheese and sausage, my mom first started making this more than 20 years ago from a recipe in the high school booster club's Jaguar Cookbook. 

Sausage Balls

What's in them:

2 c. baking mix
4 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I use sharp with the sage sausage and mild with the hot sausage)
1 lb. bulk sausage (I like to use hot or sage sausage)

How to make them:

In a large bowl, combine all three ingredients.  I usually put them in the bowl in the order they're listed to keep the baking mix from making a dusty mess.  Knead the mixture by squeezing handfuls to form clumps, then break up the clumps and repeat until everything is thoroughly and evenly mixed.  This usually takes about 10 minutes (and can be pretty therapeutic).

When you're done kneading, roll into 1" balls, about a generous tablespoon for each, and spread them on a baking sheet that fits in your freezer.  Freeze sausage balls (they'll hold their shape better when you bake them), and store frozen in an airtight container or bag.

To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake sausage balls until cooked through and browned, about 15 minutes.

Mashed Potato Cakes

Be honest, who still has Thanksgiving leftovers languishing in the refrigerator?  As much as I love the initial few rounds of turkey sandwiches, stage where there's a little of this and a little that left, but not enough for a meal can be tough to deal with.  Our delicious smoked turkey had been used up (or set aside in the freezer, designated for a future meal), roasted veggies snacked on, and rolls used for breakfast sandwiches, but we still had about two cups of mashed potatoes hanging out.

Looking for something a little different than another pile of mashed potatoes on the plate with dinner, I looked for a mashed potato pancake recipe that I had everything for, and hit gold when I saw a recipe that called for bacon fat on How Sweet It Is.  Every once in a while I save the rendered fat from cooking a package of bacon, and lucky for me, I had done this recently.  Let's be real; nothing makes a potato taste better than bacon fat.  I didn't change much here, just added a little cheese and some scallions for a little extra flavor.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

What's in them:

2 c mashed potatoes
3 Tbsp flour, more if your mashed potatoes are on the loose side
1/2 c shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp bacon grease, butter or olive oil

How to make them:

Sprinkle flour on mashed potatoes, add in cheese and scallions (or any other mix-ins you like) and stir gently to combine.  Form into eight patties that are about 1/2-1" thick.  I like them on the thinner side for a higher crust to mashed potato ratio.

Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Add your fat of choice and let it heat for 30 seconds. Add patties and let them brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Don't rush and try to flip them before they're ready, or you'll use that delicious brown crust.

Serve immediately, with more cheese scallion, or even a dab of sour cream.

No-Knead Pumpkin Rolls with Maple-Brown Sugar Glaze

Summer has been hanging on by it's fingernails here, with a few days of temps in the high 70s and low 80s here and there, but in my mind, fall is here.  We've been apple-picking and cider-drinking, we've gotten pumpkins and funny-shaped gourds, and I'm already thinking about my Thanksgiving menu.  So while it might not feel like pumpkin cinnamon roll weather, it is just that time of year.

These are delicious, and ridiculously easy for how impressive they are.  The bread is surprisingly light, and the filling is almost tooth-achingly sweet, which goes just perfectly with a cup of slightly bitter coffee.

No-Knead Pumpkin Rolls with Maple-Brown Sugar Glaze
from the Kitchn

What's in them:

For the dough:
2 Tbsp warm water
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (1/2 package)
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 c pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2-3 c all-purpose flour

For the filling:
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

For the icing:
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 c milk
1/2 c brown sugar
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
pinch salt
1 1/4-1 1/2 c powdered sugar
How to make them:

Stir the yeast and water together and let sit a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved.

While the yeast sits, warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan on the stove top just until the butter is melted. Combine with the sugar in a large heat-proof mixing bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Let the milk mixture cool until it is just warm to the touch, then stir in the yeast and the pumpkin. Add the salt and two and a half cups of the flour all at once, stirring until all the flour has been absorbed. Squish it between your hands if you’re having trouble incorporating the last of the flour. The dough will be sticky, but should come together in a shaggy ball. If it's still more like cookie batter, work in an additional quarter to half cup of flour.

Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled, about 1-3 hours. Punch the dough down and refrigerate it for at least an hour, or overnight.  You can skip the refrigeration, but the dough will be harder to work with.

To shape the rolls, dust your work surface with a little flour and turn the dough out onto it. Pat it down into a rough rectangle and then use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a rectangular shape about a half an inch thick, longer than it is wide. If the dough gets sticky, sprinkle a little more flour on the dough’s surface and on your hands.

Melt the butter in the microwave and stir in the brown sugar and the spices. Spread this over the rectangle of dough, leaving an inch of bare dough at the top. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a cylinder and pinch it closed at the top.

Grease or butter the bottom of and 8"x8" baking dish or a 9" cake pan. Cut the roll into eight or nine individual rolls 1 - 1 1/2" thick. Place them into your baking dishes so they have a bit of space on all sides to rise. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise until they fill the pan and look puffy, 30 minutes for already-warm dough and 1 hour for dough that’s been refrigerated overnight.  Rolls can be refrigerated again overnight, and removed from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before you're ready to bake them.

About 20 minutes before baking, begin heating the oven to 375°. When the rolls are ready, bake them for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden and starting to look toasted around the edges.

While the rolls are baking, mix the icing. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and butter. When the butter has melted, add the brown sugar and salt. Stir until the brown sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar. This should form a thick but still pourable glaze.

Let the rolls cool for a minute or two, then pour half of the icing on top. Eat them immediately, with an extra dollop of icing on each so that the sides get some too.

Leftovers (if you have any) will keep for several days and are best reheated for a minute in the microwave.

Ginger-Orange Blueberry Jam

I know, it's another oddly flavored jam.  But since you can buy pretty good "normal" jam pretty much anywhere, I feel like there should be something more complex, more interesting about the jam if I'm going to put the time and effort into making and canning it.  And really, this stuff is good.  The orange and ginger are pretty strong here, but not so much that the tart blueberry flavor is lost.  It's not so sweet that it would be out of place as a condiment on a cheese plate, but would still be excellent on a morning scone.  I'm especially looking forward to swirling some into oatmeal this winter.

I started with a recipe on Serious Eats, but since I was using regular pectin instead of low-sugar, I used the berry and sugar amounts on the guide that came with the pectin.  My blueberries were on the tart side, so using the regular pectin and more sugar helped balance the flavor here for me.  If you've got very sweet blueberries, you may want to check out the low-sugar version.  Also, if you're new to canning, the Ball website has a lot of helpful information and recipes.

Ginger-Orange Blueberry Jam

What's in it:

4 c granulated sugar
3 pints of blueberries, washed and crushed (about 4 c of crushed berries)
1 1.75 oz package of powdered pectin, like Sure-Jell
Zest and juice of one large orange
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (try freezing your ginger- it makes it much easier to grate)
Pinch ground ginger
1/2 tsp butter

If canning, 7-8 half-pint jars and lids
Boiling water canner (stockpots with pasta inserts also work well)

How to make it:

Prepare canning jars and equipment. 

Measure sugar into a separate bowl and set aside.  Combine everything but the sugar in a large pot and bring to a full rolling boil.  Pour in all of the sugar at once, stirring until it's dissolved.  Bring jam back to a rolling boil, and let it boil hard for one minute.

Turn off heat and ladle jam into warm jars.  Wipe the jar rims, and secure lids, just turning the bands to finger tight.  Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, then let sit in the water for a few more minutes.  Remove jars from water and allow to sit at room temperature until they are cool and the lids have sealed.  Refrigerate any jars that did not seal properly.

Balsamic Strawberry Jam with Thyme and Black Pepper

Summer is officially here.  The weather is hot, and sometimes muggy, schools are starting to go on break, and the pools are open.  But my favorite sign of summer is the abundance of fresh strawberries at the farmers market.  These berries are sweet, dark red when you cut into them, and make the whole car smell like strawberries on the drive home.  To keep a little bit of summer for this coming fall and winter, I decided to make jam out of some of my strawberry stash.

This jam is really delicious.  It's subtly herby from the thyme, with just a little bite from the pepper.  The balsamic vinegar gives it just enough acidity to keep the jam from being too sweet.  But even with all of these flavors, it's still the strawberries that take the forefront here, tasting just like summer.  The savory-sweet combination lends itself equally well to Saturday morning scones or spread with goat cheese on crostini for a quick appetizer.

Balsamic Strawberry Jam with Thyme and Black Pepper

adapted from Serious Eats

What's in it:

2 lbs 10 oz granulated sugar (about 7 cups)
3 lbs stemmed, hulled, and sliced strawberries (about 8 cups)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
5-6 fresh thyme sprigs
1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 (1.75-ounce) package regular powdered fruit pectin
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

If canning:

8 half pint-size canning jars with lids
boiling water canner
 How to make it:

Prepare canning jars.  Measure granulated sugar into large bowl. Set aside.

Combine crushed strawberries, balsamic vinegar, thyme and pepper in a heavy 6-8 qt saucepan or stockpot. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (boiling does not go down when the mixture is stirred) over high heat, stirring constantly. 

Add the sugar all at once, stirring until dissolved. Stir in olive oil (this helps prevent too much foam from forming). Stirring constantly, return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute. Remove pot from heat and skim off any foam from surface of jam.

Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove thyme sprigs as you come across them (using tongs would probably be a good idea, or you can pull them out with your fingers and fling them into the sink, yelling "Hot!  Hot!" the whole time like I did).

Wipe rims of the jars, cover with lids, and screw bands on until just barely tight. Place jars on rack in pot and cover completely with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, uncover pot, and allow jars to rest in water for five minutes. Remove jars from pot and allow them to rest undisturbed on countertop for six hours or overnight.

(Slightly) Healthier Blueberry Muffins

Alexa loves to help bake, and I love to let her, but a ton of baked goods sitting around isn't really good for any of us.  So for this weekend's baking, we started with my favorite blueberry muffin recipe (I love the lemony blueberry jam on top), and made a few changes.  The first swap was white whole wheat for all-purpose flour.  Not a whole lot of effect on taste or texture, but a boost in whole grains.  Next, a few tablespoons of wheat germ added to up the vitamins and minerals.  Finally, no-fat Greek yogurt is subbed for the buttermilk for some extra protein.  Now, with a cup of sugar, these still aren't exactly healthy, but they're definitely more filling, and more nutritious.

And even better, the flavor and texture weren't affected.  These muffins are still moist and tender, and go nicely with a cup of coffee on a weekend morning. 

Blueberry Muffins
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

What's in them:

1 + 1/3 c granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 c frozen blueberries, divided
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp wheat germ
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
4 Tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 c plain no-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 c low fat milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

How to make them:

For the topping, stir together the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 and adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position.  Generously spray a muffin tin with cooking spray, and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of blueberries with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the lemon juice.  Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing the blueberries often.  Continue to cook until the mixture has thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 5-6 minutes.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Toss the remaining cup of blueberries into the flour mixture.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and remaining sugar until completely combined.  Whisk in the butter and oil, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract.  

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the flour-blueberry mixture, being careful not to overmix.  There should be lumps remaining and the batter should be just moistened.

Portion the batter into the muffin tins, using a spoon to create a depression on the top .  Drop a scant teaspoon of the blueberry jam into the each depression.  Sprinkle the lemon-sugar over the top of each muffin.

Bake 17-19 minutes, until the tops are golden and firm.  Cool in the muffin tin 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack before serving.

Mini Bacon-Cheddar Scones

I knew I would love these savory scones as soon as I saw them adapted from The Pastry Queen on Annie's Eats.  I like sweets as much as the next girl, but I love savory baked goods.  Goat cheese and black pepper in a quick bread?  I'm sold.  Jalapenos and cheese to cornbread?  Yes, please.  Cheese, bacon and scallions to a scone?  I must have them now!

I made mine mini this time around since they were for an evening cocktail get together with friends and finger foods always go faster there.  I also added a little maple syrup for a touch of sweetness.  Light and fluffy, but with some sturdiness from the bacon and cheese, a couple of them with a dab of jalapeno jelly and a cup of tea also made for an indulgent afternoon snack. 

Mini Bacon-Cheddar Scones

What's in them:

3 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp ground black pepper (depending on your preference)
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1½ c grated cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled into small pieces
1 c buttermilk
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
½ c milk for brushing

How to make them:

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper; mix briefly to combine.  Add the cubes of butter and mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are about the size of small peas.  (Alternatively, this can be done in a regular mixing bowl, using a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.)  Add in the grated cheese and mix just until incorporated.

Mix in the green onions, bacon, buttermilk and the maple syrup into the flour-butter mixture.  Stir by hand just until all the ingredients are incorporated.  If the dough is too dry to come together, mix in a little of the milk a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough can be formed into a ball.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into an 8-inch square.  Slice the dough into nine squares, then slice diagonally for 18 wedges.

Brush each wedge lightly with milk.  Transfer the scones to an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

If you'd like to make these ahead and keep them on hand in your freezer (and I really think you should), place the baking sheet into the freezer instead of the oven.  When the scones are completely frozen, place them in a freezer bag.  Bake as needed, adding a minute or two to the baking time above.