Pantry Who Hash - Lazy Cooker

Almost a year ago, I did Roast Beast Who Hash (recipe HERE) for Dr. Seuss' birthday. I made it after realizing no one else had a recipe for an actual Seuss-based hash! So, I had to come up with something!

As it turned out, my family actually kind of liked it! SCORE!

And then I was so excited when my hubby wanted me to make a version of it for Halloween! So...after some thought & and his considerations, I made a couple of slight changes to make it Beastly Boo Hash (recipe HERE).

I don't make it too often, but it was really awesome when my kids were so pretty OK when I needed a lazy cooker meal for a busy Sunday & I decided to pull out the Who Hash. YEA!

But I thought I'd bring it down a bit. I was out of cider (*ugh*) & needed to save some money, plus I figured I needed to try to pull more of what was in the pantry than going out to get specific things...

So...here's what I did (and my line of thinking):

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PANTRY WHO HASH - LAZY COOKER

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef, brown & mostly drained
1/4 C minced onion OR 1 small onion, diced
1 lb potatoes, quartered (including a small sweet potato in about 1 inch pieces)
4 C bell pepper (any or mixed color), diced OR frozen bell peppers
1/2 C water
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope apple cider mix
1 T liquid smoke (optional)
3 T worchestershire sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
approx. 1/2 bag of frozen hash browns


Directions:

Brown meat in a skillet, add the onions (I used dried minced onions), drain & allow to set. I didn't rinse mine to keep in more flavor, but you may rinse it to keep it on the healthier side, if desired.

Spray the inside of the lazy cooker insert.

Add the meat & the veggies (I used fresh bell pepper, but usually have frozen pepper strips on hand).

Pour the water over the meat & veggies.

Empty the onion soup mix, ranch dressing mix & cider mix envelopes to the lazy cooker.

Add in the liquid smoke (if using) & the worchestershire sauce.

Place the bouillon cubes in with the other ingredients.

Give a good stir, then close the lid & allow to simmer on low for 6-8 hours.

An hour before serving, add in the hash browns, stir & allow to cook on low for another hour.

Serve.

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If you use mostly frozen & dried ingredients, there is very little work involved! Just browning up the meat & cutting up potatoes would be the closest grunt work for the meal.

You can fry up an egg to place on top, if you'd like...or just get ready to serve it with your favorite bread.

And, just another way to change up your Dr. Seuss celebration or your Halloween meal...plus makes it even easier!

You're welcome.

ENJOY!

Scandinavian-Inspired Almond & Cardamom Cakes

I have been on this Scandinavian kick, lately. It all came from doing some research on Leif Ericsson Day, which I missed celebrating this last year, but I wanted be ready for the next time around.

As I had been researching...like I do...I started getting drawn to some of the foods & decor. I also discovered St. Lucia Day, and in researching, will be better prepared for next time around for it, too.

But I digress...

I have taken a liking to the Scandinavian culture & finding out about it. However, I am not Scandinavian at all (I don't think)...but I'm taking on some of the dishes like I have with my Irish dishes (find recipes HERE), but I do have a lot of Irish in me.

Again...I digress...

I took on some baking a few years ago, and really took a hold of the cupcake. But I would play with cake mixes. I've done a couple from absolute scratch, but if I can have a base already, just use it & expound upon it! Right?

Now, if you remember, I discovered the Scandwich, and have been playing, in a near obsessive manner here lately. (see what I've done HERE) But I wanted to try some of the desserts. I've cheated some pastries, but I wanted something different!

Now, I've got some bundt cake pans that I love making breads & cakes with...because they turn out so pretty! They are already presentable, or near presentable, just as they are right out of the oven. *sigh*

Quite some time back, I saw a pan with a set of 6 smaller bundts. So cute! It was like 6 top tiers of a wedding cake...but in bundt form! I really wanted a pan or two of these. Then, because it's my brain we are talking about here, I thought about calling them "baby bundtings"! hehe

So, I had asked for a pan or 2 on my Christmas wish list for the last couple of years. Imagine my surprise when I received a pan that contained 12 tiny bundts! *SQUEEE* I didn't know they made 'em so little! Then, later on Christmas...I got another one! I was so excited!!!

Cake mixes generally make about 24 cupcakes. I now had 24 itty-bitty baby bundtings so I could bake a whole batch at once! Woo Hoo!!

So, I started researching Scandinavian cakes to make...and hopefully, since there's a company called Nordic Ware (so fitting though the pan shape is not Nordic), I thought they were a perfect match...so I matched 'em up!

After doing some research & with my preference of cake mixes, I made some Baby Bundtings out of this:

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SCANDINAVIAN-INSPIRED 
ALMOND & CARDAMOM CAKES

Ingredients:

Baby Bundtings
1 box Pillsbury Traditional Vanilla cake mix
5 eggs
3 sticks butter, melted
1 1/4 C milk
2 tsp almond extract
2 tsp ground cardamom

Glaze Topping
1 C granulated sugar
1/4 C milk
1/2 T vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
sliced almonds


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, put in the cake mix, eggs, butter, milk, almond extract & cardamom

With a standing mixer or hand-held mixer, mix all of these ingredients together until very well blended & completely moist

In your mini bundt cake pan (or cupcake/muffin pan), spray rub down with butter or shortening & flour, or spray with a cooking spray that has flour in it; I used the spray
* If you are using a cupcake pan, you can just use cupcake liners, if desired

Fill each space 2/3-3/4 full

Place the pan(s) into the oven & bake for about 18-23 minutes (depending on your oven), or until golden & a toothpick comes out clean

Once done, pull out of the oven & allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan (if using the mini bundts); if using a regular cupcake pan, allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan

While cooling, in a small bowl, pour in the sugar, milk, and vanilla & almond extracts and stir well, until the sugar is dissolved; add in more sugar or milk until you have your desired consistency - and set aside

When cooled, remove from the pan & place each small cake into a cupcake liner (if not already in one)

Take a small spoon & begin to drizzle the glaze over each small cake

Sprinkle a few sliced almonds on top of each cake

Serve

Yield: up to 24 mini cakes/cupcakes

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Aren't they adorable? I was so happy with how they turned out! I used cupcake liners that resembled a Scandinavian-type pattern to give it a certain je ne sais quoi to match the feel. But you can, of course, use any you'd like.

You could use it as one big bundt cake, too, if you wanted.

As I was "testing" them (*wink-wink* someone's gotta do quality control), I realized how delicious they would be with a cup of coffee! What a great after dinner finisher! Or even after lunch...

ENJOY!

Smokey Mexi-Mocha Chili

My hubby makes great chili! I know a lot of guys (even gals) claim they have the best, but my hubby's is kind of different & so good. He makes a chili that's sweet & spicy.

OK...he tones down the spicy so I can eat it, but he puts in his own special ingredients. And I'm a sucker for the sweeter side of foods. Creamier, too. And his chili is more of a stoup (a Rachael Ray term for "thicker than soup & thinner than stew"). It's got a good, bold flavor that is sweet & savory.

It's important to know this about my hubby's chili, but let's jump to my own  ingredient search:

I love chocolate. No really...I. Love. Chocolate. And I will try all kinds to see if it's to my liking or not. One day, as I was searching the candy aisle at the grocery store, I discovered something that began my brain's wheels to start turning on overdrive. Lindt has a dark chocolate bar that contains chili pepper in it! Did you know that? And I questioned why...

Quite some time later, I learned that there are people who have added cocoa to their chili recipes. wha-WHA?? I know, right?

Then I got thinking about that chili chocolate bar from Lindt...
I had already been adding a square of it to my Spicy Mexi-Mocha (recipe HERE).

My hubby has talked about trying a Tex-Mex seasoning in his chili, and I remembered him saying that...so I got thinking about the whole spicy chocolate in chili, much like my Mexi-mocha. And, mocha includes coffee...so I thought I'd throw in some coffee, too! Because...well...I also LOVE coffee!! I. Love. Coffee.

Then a friend of mine put her vegan chili recipe out there. Imagine my shock when it, too, included coffee!! Since then, I had seen where a couple of chili recipe demos, on news segments, that also included coffee.

But...none of those recipes had included both chocolate AND coffee!! I had even tried to research other recipes that had those ingredients. Guess what I found! Nada...nothing...zip...zero. So, I was on my own.

I also love a smokey flavor to my chili, along with a lot of other soups & meats. So I thought I'd include it here, too.

So, after some research of spices & other chili recipes, and finally getting all the ingredients I needed for what I wanted to use, here's what I came up with:

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SMOKEY MEXI-MOCHA CHILI

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or turkey; browned, drained & rinsed
1 14.5 oz cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1-2 can(s) black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, drained (I used a can with no salt added)
1-2 sweet red bell pepper, deseeded & diced
1 beef bouillon cube
1½ cup dark roast/strong coffee, brewed
½ cup minced onion or 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced - divided
½ chili dark chocolate bar; broken into much smaller pieces
3 T cumin
2 T parsley
2 T oregano
3 T flour
3 T cinnamon
1 T nutmeg
1cup brown sugar
2-3 T vinegar
3 T liquid smoke
3 T smoked paprika
3 T chili powder
3 pinches ground cayenne pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
garlic powder to taste
3 T honey
3 T vanilla extract
½ tsp anise extract (you seriously don't want too much of this, but just enough to give umph)
2 tsp cardamom
2 T each: unsweet cocoa & dark cocoa
2 T sugar
1 T salt
1 T ground black pepper

Directions:

~ in a large pot, brown meat thoroughly, adding half the onions; drain, rinse & add back into the pot

~ turn heat to mid-high heat, then add the beans, corn, bell pepper, the rest of the onions, and tomatoes (sauce, diced & paste) to the meat; stir

~ add in the coffee, liquid smoke, honey & extracts, then stir

~ begin to add all the other ingredients, stir & allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes

~ stir again & take a test taste to figure out where you might want to adjust seasonings & such, depending on how spicy, sweet &/or smokey you want it, then allow to simmer again to get those flavors all blended

* if you cannot live without a couple shimmy-shakes of tabasco sauce or chipotle seasoning, put it in...they are very fitting for this dish
* serve with cornbread or tortilla chips; sprinkle the top with cheese &/or sour cream, if desired

* use it as a hearty dip at your next fiesta

*serving suggestion: ladle the chili into a pottery mug (or any mug)...cuz...mocha should be in a mug

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This a different, yet yummy flavor for a chili. Perfect for a cold night (cuz...uh...chili) &/or for something like Cinco de Mayo, Dios de los Muertos, or even a different twist to for your Navidad fiesta...or any other night.

There are some surprising ingredients in this chili, but I really did take lead from my hubby's chili & a yummy Mexi-mocha. I even used the mocha idea as the basis for my Mexi-cocoa cake, too (recipe HERE)!

I mean...in ancient times, cocoa was mixed with spices & peppers before sugar & cream. So this is right on track with all of that!

As for the pepper, you can also mix it up by adding orange &/or yellow to make it more festive, too.

ENJOY!

Scandinavian-Style Open-Face Sandwiches

Back in October, my daughter questioned me on what we'd be doing for Leif Ericksson Day. She asked me since I really get into off-beat holidays. However, I didn't realize it was really a day! Now I know that it is, I have been researching viking & Scandinavian foods, amongst other things, to add to our holiday & foodie repertoire. 

I've also been quite drawn to the Nordic designs on sweaters & things...so I began to look into the culture of their Christmastime rituals, too.

Quite some time back, I learned a cheater shortcut to making easy Danish-style pastries & added my own twist (recipe HERE), which I also recreated some Love Danishes to follow up my New Year's Ham & Beans (recipe HERE).

In my researching...I noticed that simple open-faced sandwiches are kind of a staple. And I've been wanting to try some. So I had hoped to serve some up for some company coming over...

One of the things I did not get to do, and had planned on for the non-pork/non-ham-&-bean eaters, was to make some Scandinavian-style open face sandwiches. I didn't get it done in time for the crowd that came over, but I still played with the idea later on New Year's Day. I only used hard boiled eggs for the test run. Here's what I did:

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SCANDINAVIAN-STYLE OPEN-FACE SCANDWICHES

Ingredients:

* sliced rye or other harder bread (even pumpernickel), crusts removed

* 2-4 hard boiled eggs, sliced

* mayo/mustard/honey-mustard

* ground mustard (optional)

* chives, fresh or freeze-dried (I used freeze-dried)

* dill weed, fresh or dried (I used dried)

* salt & pepper (optional)

Directions:

~ hard boil your eggs in the best method that works for you - I did mine in the oven (usually 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes...but wanted to speed up the process & did 375 degrees for 15...wishing I used the 325, but it was still OK), peel & slice them; set aside

~ take a slice of your bread of choice (I used Pepperidge Farms Rye) & remove the crusts, leaving the bread in a rectangular shape

~ take your condiment(s) of choice & spread onto the bread - if using mayo & want some of the mustard, sprinkle a pinch of ground mustard on top or mix it in (I used French's honey mustard AND some Miracle Whip with olive oil)

~ sprinkle on some of the chive pieces

~ take a few slices of the hard boiled egg & arrange onto the bread

~ top the egg slices with the dill, salt & pepper (I did not use the salt & pepper this time)

~ serve

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As I researched these sandwiches, I know there's salmon & fish involved, even veggies. I look forward to adding some salmon on them & just play with the idea more, in general!

I used the eggs & honey mustard since my daughter, the non-pork eater, likes scrambled eggs with honey mustard. She isn't fond of hard boiled yolk, apparently, so I can try the egg white rings & egg ends for hers. 

If you noticed, I made designs with my condiments & egg arrangements. They were so mod & adorable! And the rye gave it a really great flavor background.

Along with the arrangement of condiments, I even used the olive oil Miracle Whip AND the honey mustard, too.

These are fun, adorable, EASY, kiddos can help assemble these things easily, and are perfect for a tea, luncheon, brunch, or part of a big ol' smorgasbord!

Pepperidge Farms also makes a rye/pumpernickel swirl sliced bread that I might want to try, too.

Oh the possibilities!!!

Side Note: My friend, Rachael, should be happy I posted this on Thorsday. hehe

ENJOY!

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Update:

Finally got some Rye & Pumpernickel swirl bread, along with some smoked salmon & shrimp...

It's the swirl bread with Miracle Whip, honey dijon mustard, pickle relish, a hard boiled egg (sliced), shrimp, smoked salmon, dried dill (sprinkled) & sprigs of baby dill. So pretty, amm-i-rite?

Served it up as a traditional-style Scandinavian lunch with strawberries.

So beautiful...

So yummy...

And I also tried this, too:

Pumperye (yeah...I just named it that) with Miracle Whip, honey dijon, pickle relish, kale (massaged in lemon juice & sea salt), smoked salmon, cocktail shrimp, freeze-dried chives, dried dill & a sprig of baby dill plated along with sliced strawberries & lingonberry fake-out pastry roulade pastry slices.

YUMMY!!

New Year's Ham & Beans

Happy New Year, everyone! Looking forward to a brand new start...

And, to start the new year, we decided to take in some of the long-standing traditions. In case you need a reminder of what some of the mainstays are, here you go:

= black eyed peas - to bring you luck in the new year for nourishment & survival

= pork - pigs are the animals who root forward while they eat & are associated with their girth size; symbolized moving forward in the new year & prosperity 

= greens - to bring you money in the new year

= cornbread - the color of gold

= round foods - the shape of coins, in hopes of bringing money

Well, I incorporated all of these things in our noon-day meal for New Year's Day! One dish to cover all of this? Perfect!

What might have been that perfect dish? It's my Lazy-Cooker Ham & Beans (my original recipe HERE), but with a twist. I kind of touched on it in the original post, but here's what I ended up doing:

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NEW YEAR'S HAM & BEANS

Ingredients:

~ 1-3 lbs. ham, cubed or chunked (the pork)

~ 1 bag dry beans (I use the 15 bean mix), soaked, drained & rinsed

~ 2-3 cans white beans (Northern, Navy, Cannelli), drained & rinsed

~ 1 can black eyed peas (tradition covered), drained & rinsed

~ 32 oz. chicken broth

~ 1/2 C apple cider

~ 1/4 C lemon juice

~ 2 T liquid smoke

~ 2 T honey

~ 2 celery stalks, rinsed & chopped

~ 2 carrots, rinsed & sliced (left in rounds...for the coin shape)

~ 1 parsnip, rinsed & sliced (left in rounds...for the coin shape)

~ half to 1 whole sweet yellow onion, chopped

~ 1 large kale, cabbage, collard greens, Swiss chard leaf (or more - green of choice), rinsed, spine removed & chopped (greens tradition); massaged in ground sea salt & a tsp lemon juice (may add more greens if desired)

~ 2 handfuls brown sugar

~ handful minced onion (optional)

~ handful smoked paprika

~ handful cinnamon

~ handful garlic powder

~ handful dried parsley

~ sprinkle chili powder

~ sprinkle allspice

~ sprinkle McCorrmick's Smokehouse Maple seasoning

~ 1-2 pinches ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional if more heat desired)

~ 2 bay leaves

Directions:

* soak dry beans in enough water to cover the beans by 1 & a half inches over for about 8 hours

* when beans have soaked appropriately, drain, rinse & discard any pebbles

* spray the lazy cooker insert with cooking spray, then add the beans (not canned) & ham

* pour in the chicken broth, apple cider, lemon juice, liquid smoke & honey

* add in the veggies except the greens of choice

* add in the spices except the bay leaves

* give the mixture a really good stir

* pop in those bay leaves & close the lid

* either set the lazy cooker on high for 4-5 hours

OR

set the lazy cooker on low for 8 hours (if wanting for lunch, so do all of this before bed after you've toasted in the new year)

* remove the bay leaves, add in the canned beans, give a good stir, add the bay leaves back in & close the lid

* set lazy cooker on low for 4 more hours

* in the last 20-45 minutes, remove the bay leaves & discard, then add in the greens, stir & close lid

* give one more really good stir, ladle into bowls & serve with cornbread

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Since we were serving this for lunch on New Year's Day, I started soaking the dry beans at lunch the day before, then started getting everything assembled & started after we toasted in the new year (as a tip: I would have everything already sliced, chopped, cubed, etc. so that you are not trying to do all of the slicing, chopping, cubing, etc. with a champagne buzz at 1:00 in the morning). The beans & ham were cooking for about 12 hours, total. When I got up in the morning, things were smelling like ham & beans, and I got to go right into the last steps.

We had a get-together to start out the new year with great friends...so I doubled this recipe. Yep! I had two lazy cookers going! But I'll tell you what...not everyone showed up and we went thru 1 whole lazy cooker & half of the other one. Many got seconds, too!

If you have someone who cringes at the thought of consuming black eyed peas &/or the greens...you could not taste a difference in this version from my original one! My hubby is not fond of black-eyed peas OR the kale/greens. He is one that got seconds!

And...it was perfect for the super cold day that set it while it filled us up for the rest of the evening.

I also had the whiners covered: I had my daughter make up some cole slaw for the greens, and I made up some canned black eyed peas with a stick of butter, a handful of brown sugar & some [turkey] bacon bits (had to be fake pork due to my non-pork eater).

For something a bit sweeter, I made cheater Danish pastries (my variation of the recipe HERE, but used the original recipe) & added a strawberry half to the top to resemble a heart to bring love in the new year.

bowl of ham & beans with black eyed peas & kale
served with cornbread
and shown with Love Danish Pastries

What a great start to the new year! I think we may have found a new tradition in these traditions! And they were delicious!

Hope this inspires you to keep up & find ways to work in these traditions...even if you have whiners. 

ENJOY!