corned beef

if you still have any corned beef leftover from saint patrick's day on wednesday, here's a great thing to do with it. and if not, it's a great reason to get out the slow cooker and make some more! we have a special place in our stomachs for deli sandwiches, especially from Katz's or Brent's, but sometimes it's fun to make it at home just the way you like it. this is the way we like it, but you could always add sauerkraut, sliced tomato, swiss cheese, spicy mustard . . . how do you like it? have a great weekend.

Corned Beef Sandwich

makes 2

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 carrot, peeled & shredded

1/4 small jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/4 cup plus 1 tbs mayonnaise

1 tbs cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp celery salt

1 tbs ketchup

1/2 tsp sweet pickle relish

1/4 tsp worcestershire

4 slices rye bread

8-10 thick slices corned beef

in a medium bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, jalapeno, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and celery salt. set aside. in a small bowl, combine remaining mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and worcestershire. spread 1-2 tablespoons of dressing on two slices of bread. top each with corned beef and divide coleslaw between two sandwiches. top with remaining bread and enjoy!

take-in

i have a soft spot in my heart for rice pudding. i grew up with two amazing grandmas who knew a whole lot about all things cooking and baking. grandma grabe always had at least three different kinds of cookies in the cupboard and a fresh batch of rice pudding in the fridge when she knew i was coming over. we love chinese takeout. but i've never understood exactly why they give you SO much rice and we always have leftovers. so here is an easy and delicious recipe to utilize that leftover rice next time.

Chai Spiced Rice Pudding

2 cups cooked rice

3 cups milk ( i tried this with vanilla soy milk but use whatever you have on hand)

1/3-1/2 cup sugar (adjust the sugar depending on what kind of milk you use)

pinch of salt

1-inch knob ginger, peeled & cut into chunks

1 cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

20 black peppercorns

ground cinnamon, for garnish

combine rice, milk, sugar, ginger and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. put cloves and peppercorns in a tea infuser or make a small packet with cheese cloth and string and place in saucepan. bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. cook for 15-25 minutes, until desired consistency is reached. dust with ground cinnamon to garnish and enjoy!

everything but the kitchen sink

one of the many perks of our profession is leftovers. sometimes i'll come home from a shoot with grocery bags full of leftover ingredients and then need to figure out what to do with twenty onions, two acorn squash and five boxes of fresh thyme. soup! better yet soupe au pistou with some crusty bread to soak up the flavorful broth on a cool autumn evening while watching the presidential election results and enjoying a nice bottle of pinot noir. pistou is just like pesto but without the pine nuts and adds great flavor to any vegetable soup. hopefully you'll use whatever random ingredients you have in your pantry to make some soup soon too!

Leftover Soupe au Pistou

5 sweet italian sausage, removed from casing

2 medium onions, chopped

2 carrots, peeled & chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 zucchini, chopped

1 acorn squash, peeled, seeds removed and chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, smashed

about 6 cups chicken stock (or half stock & half water)

1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes

2 cups cooked brown rice

In a large pot, saute sausage until brown. Drain and set aside. Saute onion, carrot and celery 5 minutes until soft and then add zucchini and squash. Cook 5 more minutes and then add rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Cover with stock, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add cooked sausage, tomatoes and brown rice and simmer until you're ready to eat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with a spoonful of pistou and grated parmesan cheese.