Not much happening around here since I last posted after Hurricane Matthew. After cleanup I packed & headed to the country. I had volunteered to work the Ag Expo again this year. Not much different than last year (2015 Expo) except for a few new veggies to display, plus they had a few white fly problems on several beds. Oh, & I had Nelly this year. The Expo is about 8 miles from our house so I left each day to go home to let her out & to change into cooler clothes each day. It got hot in the afternoons. It was a lot of work 7:00a - 5:00p each day, standing outside talking to strangers (w/1 hour break for lunch). Much like the job I used to have ...
Our refrigerator in the Country House died a few weeks back & when they brought out a new one they damaged the doors in the process. So, another new fridge was to be delivered while I was there. They got that one in on Friday & I finally found some time to rest over the weekend.
Came back to the city & haven't been doing much of anything except trying a few new recipes.
My friend Debbie gave me a recipe for broccoli casserole a few years ago. Instead of the one I used to make (w/Velveeta & water chestnuts), it is now my go to broccoli casserole recipe.
I made mustard chicken Monday night. Had some broccoli & cauliflower that I decided to roast with a red bell pepper (toss in olive oil, sprinkled w/s & p & bake on 375 for about 30 - 45 minutes). Served with some Quinoa cooked in meat broth & it was all very good.
We got a 1/2 cow recently, yes that's right a 1/2 a cow!!!! Of course that comes with brisket which I had never cooked before. I had the processor cut me 3 small briskets so that if the 1st or 2nd didn't turn out, then I wouldn't have ruined all of them. Yesterday I took out the smallest of the briskets & searched the Internet for a recipe. I settled on a braised recipe. Seasoned the brisket w/salt & pepper & seared all sides.. Removed from pan, added carrots & onion to the pan & then 2 T. of tomato paste. Then added 3 c. of meat broth, about 1 c. of red wine & a splash or 2 of red wine vinegar. Put brisket back in pan & put lid on to braise at 325 degrees for 1 hour in the oven. Then turned the oven down to 225 to let it finish cooking for about 2.5 additional hours. Very good.
I had the left over roasted broccoli & cauliflower & decided to make the famous Burgess Broccoli Casserole to go w/the brisket. I adjusted the recipe just a bit & here's my version:
1 small head broccoli & 1 small head cauliflower - roasted in S & P & olive oil
1/4 c. chopped onion (I used about 1 T. freeze dried shallots this time)
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. sour cream
1 egg
Buttered bread crumbs (I prefer Panko) Plus, I added a bout 1/4 c. of freshly grated parmesan.
Roughly chop broccoli & cauliflower, add onion & cheese & mix until combined.
Mix soup, mayo, sour cream & egg.
Add to broccoli mixture, stir well & put in buttered casserole dish.
Top with buttered bread crumbs & bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Served brisket & casserole with real life mashed potatoes & it was another fine meal! Gotta stop cooking like this during the week. My waistline doesn't need to grow any more before the holidays, or maybe it does ....
8 comments:
DFW,
That hurricane was a handful, good to hear you were able to clean up the mess from the hurricane and go out to your country place. All these yummy dishes and recipes is putting weight on me as I sit here and read your post.
I've never made broccoli casserole, this is something I need to try to make.
Hugs,
Sandy
Thanks Sandy. The broccoli casserole is delicious & freezes well too. Just make & par cook w/o breadcrumbs. Add them when you cook later.
Hurricane Matt was a mess up here too. I was worried about my mom because her home is along the St. Johns in Riverside, fortunately they got all the patients moved to the second floor. Thank God it did not get as bad as predicted down there, because I know how that Stockton Street Area can flood.
We smoke our brisket all the time. I rub that baby down with coffee and a good mesquite rub and let it soak in the fridge over night. I have not tried braising it like you did yet.
Glad to hear you guys are all well...ttyl
Glad your Mom was relocated during the storm. It was pretty bad & could have been so much worse. We want to try smoking a brisket too.
That sounds like a delicious rendition of the Famous Burgess Broccoli Casserole! :-) It's a very flexible recipe! :-)
I agree!
The broccoli casserole sounds lovely. Broccoli and cheese, yummy. The Expo sounds like a lot of work but worth it.
It is so good Leigh.
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