Nanny's Hamburgers turned up a notch!

Bridget’s #9

Nanny’s Hamburgers turned up a notch!

I grew up in a meat and potatoes family.  My Mom is 100% Irish……Dennelly and Maloney are my grandparents!  

Meet Bridget (yes I named my daughter after her) Delia Maloney Dennelly and James Phillip Dennelly. 

My Nana taught my Mom to make the best gravy. We say my Mom can take anything and make gravy from it. At Thanksgiving she is the only one allowed to make the gravy!  That is another subject for another blog. 

This is a recipe my Nana use to make for my Mom and her brothers and sister.  They grew up in Port Washington, Long Island NY in a small house.  The two girls shared the same bedroom, my Mom being the youngest of four,  and her two brothers slept on pullout sofas.  They also shared the one bathroom with their parents.  Times were tight with money but my Nana knew how to make it work!  Hamburgers and gravy went a long way for a little bit of money.

I have taken this recipe my Mom made from her mother’s recipe and turned up the volume!!!  Now it is #9 on Bridget’s top 10 favorite recipes.  It seems it is being handed down from generation to generation!!!!

Check it out………

When my mother would make this she would brown the hamburgers and onions and add water and let it simmer and then thicken it with cornstarch to make the gravy.

Here is my ‘turned up a notch’ version…….

Serves 4

1 ½ pounds of ground beef-I use 90% lean formed into 4 pattys

1 red onion cut in half and sliced

1 small box of baby bella mushrooms sliced

1 box of beef broth

2 tablespoons of beef better than bouillon

1/2 cup of good red wine-anything you would drink will do!

6 fresh carrots cut in 1” cubes

Fresh thyme sprigs

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup of cornstarch

Brown your hamburger patties in a large iron skillet.  I always use an iron skillet when I need to brown anything.  My Nana used one, my Mom uses one and now I use one.  This will be the first thing I buy my daughter when she has a house.  There is nothing like the sear and golden goodness you get from this pan. 

Add your sliced onions and cook them down until they are soft.  

Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they are golden and add the beef broth, beef bouillon, red wine, carrots, thyme sprigs and salt and pepper.  Let this simmer on the stove for approximately an half an hour.  This allows the hamburger meat to absorb all of the flavors.

When you are ready add the egg noodles to boiling water.  They do not take long to cook so do this part at the end.

In a coffee or measuring cup add the cornstarch.  Slowly add water to the cornstarch to create a heavy cream consistency.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture….before your eyes you will have decadent gravy!!!

Serve over the egg noodles.

Handed down by generations and approved by my daughter Bridget.  

Shrimp Risotto

As you get to know me you will find out that I am a risotto maniac!

When my sister Wendy brought me this recipe I thought......I have to make this!

Here is how I did it.....

Serves 6

The stock

1 box of chicken broth 

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons of better than bouillon-chicken

The shells of 1 pound of shrimp

The dark green parts of 2 leeks. Make sure they are cleaned thoroughly 

1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns

1/2 cup of sherry/I buy Fairbanks sherry in the wine section of the grocery store.

1 lemon cut in half

10 sprigs of tarragon

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Simmer for a half an hour.

Once the flavors have married together strain the solids and keep broth on low with a lid on. I am a firm believer that the flavor you put into your broth will absorb throughout the aborio rice. 

The risotto

6 strips of fresh bacon

White parts of 2 leeks. Slice them and let soak in water so all of the grit settles to the bottom. 

1/2 cup of sherry

1 1/2 cup of arborio rice

Lemon peel

Frozen green peas. Add as you like!

A palm full of Tarragon leaves

Pinch of Cayenne pepper. The more you add the hotter the dish. 

1teaspoon of fresh nutmeg

Parmesan cheese

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crunchy. Remove bacon and add your soaked leeks. Cook leeks until just golden. Add the aborio rice and let it absorb the leek and bacon flavors. 

At this time I peel a whole lemon and cut the peel into extremy thin stips. They almost look like flat tooth picks. I have learned that if you want major lemon flavor this step is the trick. As the risotto cooks the lemon peel breaks down and creates that strong lemon taste. 

Add sherry wine and once it is absorbed started ladling the broth one cup at a time. This is my favorite part. I love to cook risotto with a crowd. With a glass of wine in hand adding the broth is a great time to chat with friends. This is the key part to making great risotto. As you add the broth you will notice the starch from the rice creating a creamy deliciousness!

Keep adding the broth until the rice is soft and creamy. Tasting is the best way to know it is perfect!

Once the rice is just right add the shrimp and stir until pink and cook through. Add peas, tarragon, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. 

You are ready to serve!!

Approved by my Sister Wendy!!!! Also her husband Frank. He said this was the best meal I ever made. What do you think?

 

Steamed Artichokes with lemon caper butter

My father has been a huge fan of my talent with food but one of his favorite dishes is steamed artichokes. We had a lot in common but capers was something we agreed on every time!  This dish was his last request before he past in October 2011.  Unfortunately I never got to make him this request but I can say that I made him enough to call them close to perfect!

Get ready to have something so simple but oh SO decadent!!!

2 or 3 large artichokes. I find they are the freshest durning the summer. 

1 stick of butter

1 clove of garlic

1 lemon

3 tablespoons of capers; drained

In a large stock pot add enough water to cover the artichokes up to the first leaves and bring to a boil. 

Cut the stems of the artichokes and peal off the first layer of leaves. 

Set the artichokes standing up in the pot of boiling water. If you cut the stems flat they should stand on their own. 

Cover the pot and let the steam cook them for about an hour. You will know they are done when you pull the leaves and they come off easily. Make sure they are soft to the touch. 

In a small sauce pan melt the stick of butter. Add the minced garlic (I love my garlic press), the juice of one lemon and the drained capers. 

The key to eating these delicious artichokes is to scoop up a few capers when dipping in the butter and then scrape off the scrumptious meat from the leaves. 

Enjoy!!!!!

Approved by my beloved dad or as we called him Pop!!!!

Outrageous Queso Dip

There is a story about the four fabulous friends......but that is a blog for another time. One of those four fabulous friends introduced me to this simple, delicious and 100% outrageous queso dip!  It is a big hit at every party. Enjoy!!!

See this picture above......that is all you need! 

I spray Pam in a microwave safe bowl and add the Velveeta Queso Blanco cubed and microwave until melted. Then I add the can of Rotel and the defrosted creamed spinach. I used the hot Rotel but if you want to turn down the heat it is just as good with medium or mild. Microwave another 3 minutes and serve with Fritos!!!  I promise you will be hooked!!!

A proven winner every time!

Bridget's Top 10

My daughter Bridget is getting ready to start college in 20 days. She has been my best friend and my best food critic. I always love to try new recipes with her. She tells me the brutal truth!!!

She has said that she is going to miss me but she is going to miss my cooking more!  

I have had her write down her top 10 favorite recipes and for the next 20 nights I am going to cook them for her and share with you our special nights together!

Bridget's #10

Chicken and Portabella Ziti with Goat Cheese

 

For starters.....John Mayer Where the Light Is live in Los Angeles.....we always start our cooking sessions with music!

2 tablespoons of butter...I use salted

1 small or 1/2  a large red onion chopped

2 large portabella mushrooms...I chop them to a medium size but for my sister who does not like the texture I chop them fine.

Kosher salt...this is the only salt I ever use. I fine that table salt has a mineral taste to it that I am not fond of. 

Ground pepper

1/4 cup if white wine....I love Kendall Jackson Chardonnay to cook with and drink!

2 tablespoons of all purpose flour

1/2 cup of chicken broth

1/4 cup of heavy cream

1 bag of organic while wheat ribbed ziti

3 oz of crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Rotisserie chicken from the store

Fresh basil

Start to boil your salted water for the Ziti.

Melt your butter in a sauté pan and add your chopped onion. Cook the onion until the onion is soft and transparent. Add the chopped mushrooms and pinch of salt and pepper. This is where it is key to cook these veggies just right. I cook them until they are golden brown and slightly caramelized. This is where your flavor comes from. Add the flour and let it cook for 3 minutes to cut the flour taste. Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk until thick. Then I add the heavy cream, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese and the cooked rotisserie chicken and let everything marry together on low heat. 

While your flavors are marrying together add your whole wheat ziti to the boiling water. I use the ribbed ziti because all of the creamy goodness attaches to it! It took me some time to get use to the texture of whole wheat pasta but now I can hardly eat the white stuff! I just make sure I cook it really well. 

Once your pasta is cooked add the fresh basil to your sauce and stir in the pasta!  

Enjoy!!!!!

Sealed with approval by Bridget 😊

Dana's Poblano Peppers

My best friend Dana from South Carolina was in town for 4th of July weekend.

We are always swapping recipes but we live too far away to cook them together. What a treat to have her in my kitchen!  

Stuffed Poblano Peppers.....This recipe is something that is so simple but oh so good! Here is how we created it!

4 Large Poblano Peppers

1 block of good Havarti cheese

Sour cream

Olive Oil

Cilantro 

Your favorite crackers/chips

Heat your grill to medium heat or 350 degrees. Rub the peppers with olive oil. When grill reaches medium heat place peppers on grate. Close lid on grill and cook peppers until slightly charred on both side and peppers are soft to the touch.  Let peppers cool. Slice the peppers down one side and with a spoon scoop out seeds and the membrane.  If you like heat you can leave some but be careful! 

Slice the block of Havarti cheese. Place the sliced cheese inside the peppers.  Wrap the peppers in tin foil and place back on the grill until the cheese is melted. 

Place the peppers on your favorite tray with a scoop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro. Add your favorite crackers/chips and you have a simple but delicious appetizer that packs flavor and punch!  Enjoy and thank you Dana!!!!!