Mexican Picadillo

Tip: Read directions carefully before preparing.

Ingredients:

1lb lean ground beef

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2inch cubes

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced fine (1/4 inchor less)

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced fine (1/4 inch or less)

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced fine

2 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh ground comino (cumin)

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup cilantro

2 large tomatoes, cored, peeled, and cut into 1/2inch pieces

Directions:

Heat a large skillet and, when hot, add the canola oil. Add the ground beef, crumbling as you put it in the skillet.

When lightly browned, add the onions, red bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and all the spices. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, and then add the diced potatoes, and then the cilantro.

Add beef stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, put into a bowl and serve over Spanish rice or with hot flour tortillas.

Tip: If you would like to spice it up, add a chopped jalapeno. Picadillo, Mexican style ground beef, is a popular lunch meal particularly in Northern Mexico.  Picadillo is an easy dish to prepare that’s in every home cook’s repertoire.

Irish Shepherd's Beef Pie

Tip:  Read directions completely before preparing.

3 cups mashed potatoes

1 pound lean ground beef (93/7)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons Kerrygold Softer Butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons browning and seasoning sauce

1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme

1/4 cup peas

1/4 cup carrots, finely diced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet over medium heat, cook meat until no longer pink.

Add onion, garlic, thyme, peas and carrots and cook another 3 minutes, then set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Over medium heat, melt the Kerrygold butter in a skillet.  Stir in the flour and cook and until light brown in color, about 5 minutes.

Let cool off a bit then gradually stir in the broth, ketchup and browning sauce until smooth.  Set over medium heat and simmer until thick.

Stir the sauce into the ground beef and transfer to a casserole dish.

Top with mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle the cheese over the potatoes.

Place dish in oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are toasted and cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

Tip:  Truly traditional Irish Sheppard's Pie uses ground lamb instead of ground beef.

Baked Yuca and Potato Fries

Tip:  Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

1 lb. peeled potatoes (1 large potato)

1 lb. peeled yuca (1 large yuca)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin (comino)

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt

Directions:

Prepare the potatoes, by peeling off the skin and cutting into thin French fry cuts, and set aside.

Prepare the yuca, by cutting of the ends, peeling off the tough waxy skin, including the pinkish-purplish layer.

Cut into three-inch sections, then in half and boil for 10-15 minutes, until fork-tender and the ends start to split open a little bit.   Remove from water and let cool.

Once the yuca has cooled, remove the thin, woody stock that runs through the middle.  Slice into fry cuts, then set aside.

In a large bowl add, olive oil, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and coarse Kosher salt, then mix thoroughly.

Place potatoes and yuca in bowl with olive oil mixture and thoroughly coat all the fries.  Being gentle, so as to not breaking up the yuca.  Let potatoes and yuca sit in bowl for about 10 minutes, while oven preheats at 425 degrees.  Then place them on a large dark non-stick sprayed rimmed cookie pan.

Bake in oven for minutes for 20 minutes or until slightly brown, and tender, turning once after 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Servings:  4

Tip:  Serve warm with hot sauce or an aioli.  For my dipping sauce, I used ½ cup mayo, ½ cup ketchup and 2 teaspoons of garlic paste and mixed thoroughly!  

Garlic Bacon Red Potatoes

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes, quartered

2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup bacon bits, real bacon bits

1 tablespoon chives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scrub potatoes, then quarter potatoes with the skin on and place in a large sized mixing bowl and set aside.  In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice.   

Pour over potatoes and toss in bowl until evenly coated.  Transfer seasoned potatoes to a baking dish.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and bacon bits over potatoes.

Bake, covered with foil, in a preheated oven for 1 hour.

 

Remove foil, stir and turn on broiler, place under the broiler and broil until golden brown or however you like them.

Sprinkle chives over potatoes, serve and Enjoy!

Tip:  This makes a great side dish for a variety of meals!

Bacon Wrapped Potato Cheese and Jalapeno

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

1/2 large Russet potato, sliced paper thin

1/3 cup green onion, chopped

1/3 cup white onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed

1/2 tablespoon butter

6 slices bacon, cut in half

5 oz Queso Fresco

Directions:

Using a mandolin slice the potato into very thin slices, so that you can roll them. Place the slices in a large bowl and cover with water.  Add salt and then set aside. This prevents potato from turning brown. (It is best to use a large potato so that you can roll the ingredients in one potato slice.  If you have only a small potato, you can lay them side by side as shown in photo.  Preferable one large paper thin slice is suggested.  I only had small potatoes when I made this recipe.)

In a skillet, add butter and melt over medium heat.  Add green onion, white onion and shallot and sauté until soft. Remove from pan and place in bowl then set aside.

Remove stem and seeds from Jalapeno, cut in thin slices and set aside.

Cut your cheese as shown in large slices as shown.

Lay potato slice (slices) on a flat surface.

Add 1 teaspoon of the onion mixture, jalapeno and cheese.

Wrap the potato around the ingredients.

Wrap 1/2 slice bacon around potato and lay on a large sheet pan with parchment paper. 

Bake at 400 degree for 30 minutes or until bacon is crispy.  Enjoy!

Potato Klubb (Norwegian Potato Dumplings)

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups potatoes, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons grated white onion

8 ounces cooked ham, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 ham hocks (unsmoked)

1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

Bring a large, about 81/2 quart heavy pot of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Rinse ham hocks and add to boiling water, lower heat to medium, simmer for 2 hours.

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, baking powder, and pepper together in a bowl. After you have grated the potatoes, place in a colander and remove as much liquid as possible. Place the potatoes and onion in a large bowl, and stir in the flour mixture until thoroughly blended. Use floured hands to knead the potato mixture in the bowl until it takes on the quality of stiff bread dough. Add additional flour if the dough is too sticky.

Pinch off a piece of dough, a bit smaller than a tennis ball and shape it around a cube of ham, completely covering the ham, to form a ball. Repeat with remaining dough and ham cubes. Set aside any extra ham.

Remove ham hocks from the broth and set aside. Bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Carefully slide the balls into the boiling broth, a few at a time. Loosen any sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add additional water to ensure that the dumplings will be completely covered with liquid.  Add the extra ham pieces. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on a plate. Brush with hot with melted butter and serve. You can also serve with sour cream. Enjoy!

You can use the leftover ham hocks for navy beans, pinto beans, mustard greens, ham and sausage soup!

Tip: This is a traditional Norwegian main dish.  They are a specialty of the Trondelag region around Trondheim, Norway. Also enjoyed by many Norwegian-American families, the dumplings are boiled and traditionally served whole with melted butter, crispy bacon pieces, and stewed peas, or sliced and fried. These dumplings are even better the second day sliced and fried in butter until golden brown. They are great for breakfast with fried eggs.