Certainly anyone with a modicum of creativity and familiarity with a kitchen can come up with pasta salad, but this one was actually pretty darn good... Plus, I actually took pictures and made notes as I put it together, so I'm calling it a new recipe.
I actually used the pasta from a boxed pasta salad, but I picked out the nasty dried vegetables and used frozen, plus threw away the powdered dressing mix and used some dry ranch instead. I guess you could call this a sort-of homemade version of a boxed pasta salad.
When I bought the stuff for corned beef and cabbage, I also bought the stuff so I could make Reubens. I love Reubens! They're one of my go-to meals when I'm out for lunch, but nothing beats the ones you make in your own kitchen. And they're easy! The hardest part is remembering to save enough corned beef so you can make them, but I usually try to buy the biggest brisket I can find so there's plenty.
Here's my thing: Reubens are made with corned beef and sauerkraut. They are not made with turkey. They are not made with coleslaw. They are not broiled, and they are not baked. They are grilled or fried, in butter, and they are not meant to be made healthier. Because if you can't indulge now and then, life gets pretty darn awful.
Corned beef and cabbage is decidedly not a traditional Irish dish, but for whatever reason (and there is much debate about it) it has become a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner in the US. For me, it's very similar to what I've always known as boiled dinner, except using corned beef brisket instead of ham hocks.
Yes, I am aware that I am late. My work schedule got in the way this year, so although I purchased everything I needed well before the holiday, I didn't actually have a chance to make it until well after. It happens.
Usually, I make it on the stove in a Dutch oven, letting it simmer away all day long. Sometimes I make it in the crock pot, although it requires almost as much supervision as simmering it on the stove. This year, I decided I was going to roast it in the oven, and I may never make it any other way again.
I don't know how most of you create recipes, but more often than not how it happens at my house is, "Oh, hey, I have (whatever) and it's really close to going bad. I should do something with that!"
Which is what happened with the eggs. Before she had surgery, my mother used to eat a hard-boiled egg every day for breakfast. So before she went to the hospital, she bought a couple dozen eggs so she'd have them when she came home. But then something happened with her sense of taste (we think it was the anesthesia) and she hasn't eaten any since. Eggs are good for far longer than the date on their carton, but there is still a limit... and we'd reached it. I've been eating egg salad and fried eggs and scrambled eggs and making quiche until eggs are coming out my ears, but I still had six left.
And so a recipe is born.
You know what I love best about Lent? Fish sales. I picked up some acceptable-quality frozen salmon for $4.99/pound, and that just doesn't happen any other time of year. Granted, it's not as good as the wild-caught fresh salmon fillets I love, but it's still acceptable quality. For some reason red and yellow bell peppers were also on sale, so I sat down and came up with a recipe that not only looked nice, but tasted good as well. I count that as a win all the way around, especially since my mother liked it also.
Last week I bought avocados because they were on sale. I had this idea I was going to do some eggs baked in avocado, but then I never got around to it. You know how they have that magical 5-minute window between hard as a rock and rotting? I actually hit it dead on while I was cooking! Made this one up mostly ahead of time but partially as I went along, and it came out pretty darn good. I love when that happens!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)