Author: Lisa Leahy

Surviving the chaos of life with good food and great friends ... and maybe the occasional glass of wine.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned Beef and Cabbage is that once a year meal I think I don’t like and then I make it and it’s great! I think the problem is, it’s not the prettiest meal to make. But it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in this Irish House without it.

 

May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows your dead – Irish Blessing

 

Ingredients: 

  • Corned Beef- 3-4 lbs in Brine with spices included
  • 4 potatoes, quartered
  • 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • One large onion
  • 1 medium size green cabbage
  • Mustard (optional)

Put the corned beef in a large heavy pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain off the water and cover it again with cold water. My friend Kristen gave me this tip and I don’t know what I did before. It takes a lot of the salt out. Add the seasoning packet. Bring to a boil again and then lower temperature and simmer for about 2 hours.

Add potatoes, carrots and onions. Bring to a boil again, then lower to simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add the cabbage and cook for about another 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve warm. Enjoy!

Just remember….everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

Additions: Mustard for Corned Beef

Allergens: Gluten Free, Nut free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Peanut Free, Soy free

Throwback Thursday Post: When a restaurant is more than a restaurant. The Chieftain Pub, Plainville Ma.

chieftain

May your heart always be full & May your glass never be empty… Sláinte!

Sometimes you go to a restaurant to get something to eat, but sometimes the meaning is greater. I have always believed that food is memories. When you eat that meal your grandmother always made you are honoring her and remembering her. That is how I feel when I go to The Chieftain Pub in Plainville, Ma. My late father loved this place. He lived about an hour away and it got so the only way he would make the drive is if we promised him that we would take him to “The Chieftain” for lunch. It got so bad, he wouldn’t even come to our house first… “We’ll just meet you there.”

“The Chieftain” is an authentic Irish Pub if there ever was one outside of Ireland. The food is wonderful and legit.. from the Bangers and Mash to the two types of hot Irish Bread on the tables. Do not forget to try the Coconut Teriyaki Chicken Wings! Mary and Tom Cahill along with their daughters Olivia and Lynne have brought Ireland to our very own backyard and it is worth the drive.

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The people at the pub are family and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. They came to know how much my father loved the place and embraced it. I even got a delivery of hot Irish Bread to my door on Christmas Eve so my kids could give it to him for Christmas….It was a big hit!

In addition to having great food, they are also very allergy friendly. The gluten free menu is fabulous. I have a child with multiple allergies and they always do their best to be accommodating. The Chieftain Pub is very kid friendly and allergy friendly.

Today on this St. Patrick’s Day, my family and I will go to “The Chieftain” and make a toast to my Dad on our first St. Patrick’s Day without him and I am sure he will be smiling. See you there!

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Spinach, Lemon and Bacon Risotto

My first attempt at Risotto! Do you believe it? I have always been a big fan, but very intimidated to make it. It was so worth it.

No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing – Julia Child

Ingredients:

  • 5 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
  • 4 cups of low-salt chicken broth (plus 1/4 to 1/2 cup for the end)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
  • Zest of the lemon
  • 1 cup of cooked chicken (chopped)
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 3-4 cups of fresh spinach
  • 1 roasted shallot (chopped)
  • 1/2 -3/4 cups of freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large, heavy, oven-safe pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.

Add the onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for about 3 more minutes, stirring frequently. Add the lemon juice and 4 cups of the chicken broth. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil. Cover the pot and put in the oven for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and return to stove top over medium-low heat. Now add the spinach, chicken and roasted shallots and remaining chicken broth. Stir for about 2 minutes (until spinach is wilted). Add more broth if needed. Add the bacon, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese and stir until creamy.

Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

 

Allergens: Dairy

 

Sharing the Sunday Fun

 

I just love that my family is embracing all this. My sister and her husband have always made Sunday Dinners a priority and I have been so jealous. With the loss of our father, who was such a fabulous cook, I feel that my children have been missing out on this wonderful tradition. My brother-in-law made this very impressive Ginger Swordfish on Sunday and he got the recipe from the fabulous website Yummly. I will need to make this soon. Pair it with a great wine and you are good to go!

My hope is for family and friends to share their stories of fun Sunday Dinners …the good, the bad and the ugly! Thank you Kathy and Ron, Hopefully this is the first of many….

Swordfish courtesy of Snug Harbor Fish Company. Wine courtesy of Snug Harbor Wine Company. 

A recipe is a story that ends with a good meal – Pat Conroy

 

 

Fish Chowder

This is the recipe that started it all – Aunt Betty’s Fish Chowder. Aunt Betty was the best, I don’t know where to begin to even describe her. Betty was my dad’s sister and was like his second mother.  My dad was the baby and the only boy and she loved him fiercely.  Betty never had children of her own, so she doted on him, even though he would never admit it.  She also showered us with love and treated us like her own children as well. Her house in South Boston, Ma., by the beach, was a warm and welcoming place that we would gladly allow our parents to leave us there whenever they wanted. Sadly, Aunt Betty died when I was in college and never got to meet my children, she would have been so thrilled to see our children and to spoil them rotten.

I was cleaning out a drawer one day and found this recipe for a simple fish chowder in her hand writing and remembered it immediately. (As a bonus, it is a great recipe from a food allergy perspective. It is very easily adaptable). I was a very picky eater as a child, but I loved this chowder. I can still see her in the kitchen on Ticknor Street making it for us.

I made the chowder that night and had such a flood of memories that I sat at the kitchen table and cried. My only explanation for the tears is that making her recipe made me remember the love.

The next morning I told my father about the recipe and he said “I make that all the time, what’s the big deal?” My response was, “You have changed it over the years and made it your own, this is the original, just make it.”

He called me a few days later to thank me for the memory. He loved it. Food is love and food is memories, so that is why I have chosen to write this blog. My children have never met my husband’s late parents but maybe making the food they loved and passing on the recipes will help them get to know their loved ones a little better.

What is done in love, is done well. – Vincent Van Gogh

Sunday Chefs

Easy Fish Chowder

This recipe is a simple basic chowder fabulous on its own but can be adapted in a lot of different ways.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: American, irish
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium Onion Diced
  • 3 tbsp Butter Salted or unsalted
  • 1 8 oz bottle Clam juice I use Snow's Bumblebee Brand
  • 1 12 oz Evaporated Skim Milk Can
  • 2 cups Potatoes Cubed
  • 1 lb. Cod Any white fish (haddock or cod)
  • 1 cup Water

Method
 

  1. Brown onions in butter. After the onions have browned add the potatoes, clam juice Snow’s,Clam Juice All Natural, 8 oz and water. Lay fish on top, skin side up. Simmer, peel skin off fish (most times, I find there is no skin on the fish).  Stir, breaking up fish a little. When the potatoes are tender, add the evaporated milk and simmer a few minutes.  Add butter a few minutes before done.

Notes

Possible additions: crisp bacon, green onions, corn, heavy cream, substitute clams for fish, carrots.
TIP: If you get the fish home and it smells a bit fishy, soak in milk for at least a 1/2 hour and it usually takes most if not all of the smell away.
Allergy Information: Contains shellfish (clam juice), Fish, dairy, but egg free, nut free, peanut free and gluten free. 
Serve with Chowder Crackers

Sunday Chefs jamblaya

Super Bowl Sunday!

My husband and I have a tradition of making Jambalaya on Super Bowl Sunday and we have become quite superstitious about it. I have recently finished a long battle against breast cancer and last year I was too sick to do anything. Too sick to cook, eat or even watch the game and the Patriots lost! Well this year I am cancer free and feeling good. So the menu for today is Jambalaya, corn bread, cheese steak calzones and homemade onion rings. Don’t worry there was a salad made so we could say there was something healthy! Lets hope it helps the Patriots in their battle against the Rams! If not, we will at least get a great meal.

It’s not whether you get knocked down, It’s whether you get up. – Vince Lombardi

Serve over white rice with a side of corn bread.

Sunday Chefs jamblaya
Sunday Chefs

Jambalaya Recipe

This easy and allergy friendly recipe never fails to impress.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, cajun
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Onion Large, chopped
  • 1 Green bell pepper Chopped
  • 3 Celery Stalks Chopped
  • 2 Garlic cloves Chopped fine
  • 1 15 oz. can Diced Tomatoes No salt, undrained
  • 1.5 cups Smoked Sausage Fully cooked and chopped (Andouille or Chorizo)
  • ½ tsp. Dried Thyme Flakes
  • 1 tbsp. Parsley Chopped or 1/2 tsp. dried
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • ¼ tsp. Hot Sauce (red pepper based) or more if you like
  • 1 lb. Shrimp Uncooked, peeled, non-frozen and de-veined

Method
 

  1. Saute the sausage in a large cast iron skillet or heavy pot on medium heat. Once browned remove the sausage and set aside. Add the onions, peppers and celery to the pot, saute for 2 minutes and add garlic. Saute for another minute. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the shrimp. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and curled up.
  2. (Even works great in the crock pot, just throw everything in and cook on low for 4-6 hours and add the shrimp in cook for another 20 minutes).
    Additions: Can substitute chicken for shrimp if you want. Okra
    Allergy information: Contains Shrimp. Nut Free, Peanut Free (depending on the sausage you use, so double check), egg free and dairy free.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

I am on a journey to bring back the Sunday Dinner. When I was a child, my family had the most fabulous Sunday Dinners! Multiple courses spread out over the whole day. The neighbors would show up, it was wonderful. My dad loved to cook and experiment. Over the years, he became a fabulous chef. But in the beginning, there were some rough days. We had 18 Fettuccine Alfredo’s in a row, before he got it right, then he never made it again!

I did not appreciate these days at the time, but now with my father gone and my children growing up, I want to start them up again. I miss them.

I have realistic goals, I do not expect to do this every Sunday. At this point, I will be happy with a few times a year. A more realistic goal is for my family to eat dinner at the kitchen table together a few times a week.

I would love to share these recipes from our Sunday Dinners and learn more about yours. Lets bring the Sunday Dinner back!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Bobby Van’s SteakHouse, new york city

I am not in the business of writing restaurant reviews, but what the hell, I feel the need. My wonderful family took me to Bobby Van’s Steakhouse on Park Avenue in New York City last weekend for my birthday http://www.bobbyvans.com and it was an outstanding experience. There are a lot of steak places out there, but this is by far my favorite. I am not a steak everyday kind of person, but this place is the real deal. Having been to Bobby Van’s once before, I was thrilled to see that their dedication to superior dining was still there. The staff is outstanding and remembered us from our previous visit (Is that good or bad? .. You decide) There are a lot of us and we like our food and wine.

I have a daughter with food allergies and the staff went out of their way to understand and accommodate us, never making us feel that it was an imposition….what more can you ask for? If you want to know how the food was, here is a sampling ….

I would have been in heaven if this is all we had, but we had a little bit of everything and it was all cooked perfectly.

The sommelier knew I wanted a Chardonnay and surprised me with my new favorite wine. It is a 2012 Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay from California.  The wine is fabulous and the bottle is pretty fantastic too.  I almost asked for it to bring home, but I figured I should just go home and buy my own bottle ….or a case. http://www.mersoleilvineyard.com/

If you are looking for a fabulous meal and great service Bobby Vans on Park Avenue will give you a memorable experience.