Shop Cheap

Today, recipe researcher Sheila O'Kern offers a couple of last-minute ideas for what to do with left-over corned beef - or what to make if you were out celebrating and still want a St. Patrick's Day meal over the weekend. Also, if you missed our Shop Cheap recipes just for St. Patrick's day, check out last week's column at www.sacbee.com/shopcheap

Once you are done being green, we have a couple chicken and beef recipes for you, too. Enjoy!

Corned Beef Hash

From www.eatingwell.com

From EatingWell: March 1998

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cups diced cooked potatoes, or frozen hash-brown potatoes

1 cup chopped lean corned beef brisket, (4 ounces, see Tip)

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 large eggs

Directions

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until it starts to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, stirring, until they brown in spots and become crusty, about 8 minutes more. Stir in corned beef and broth and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is absorbed, 5 to 8 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, fill a large skillet with 2 inches salted water and bring to a gentle simmer. Break eggs, one at a time, onto a saucer and slide into the simmering water. Poach eggs until set to desired firmness, 4 to 5 minutes.

Divide hash among 4 plates. Place eggs on top of hash.

Corned Beef Sandwich Melt

From www.southernfood.about.com

Ingredients:

bread

butter

corned beef

mustard

finely minced onion

sliced Swiss cheese

Directions

Place slices of roast beef on buttered bread slices. Spread with mustard and sprinkle minced onions over the spread. Top with sliced Swiss cheese then broil until cheese is melted.

Corned Beef Biscuit Sandwiches

From www.pillsbury.com

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

2 Pillsbury Grands! frozen Southern Style Biscuits (from 25-oz bag)

2 oz thinly sliced cooked corned beef, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons finely shredded Swiss cheese

2 teaspoons Thousand Island dressing

1 teaspoon butter or margarine, melted

1/8 teaspoon caraway seed

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Place biscuits on microwavable plate. Microwave uncovered on Medium (50%) 45 to 50 seconds, turning over halfway through microwave time. (Biscuits should still be cold for easier handling.)

On lightly floured surface, roll or press each biscuit into 5-inch round. Place half of corned beef on half of 1 biscuit round, 1/2 inch from edge. Top with 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 teaspoon dressing. Repeat with remaining biscuit round. Carefully fold to enclose filling. Press edges to seal.

Brush tops of biscuits with butter; sprinkle with caraway seed. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.

Pillsbury Oven Baked biscuits are individually frozen and packaged in a freezer bag. Just take out the number you need; tuck the rest back into the freezer to bake another day.

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chive Sauce

From www.eatingwell.com

EatingWell: December 2005/January 2006

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 pound), trimmed of fat

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 large shallots, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup chopped chives, (about 1 bunch)

Directions

Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Season both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow glass baking dish and dredge the chicken in it. Discard the excess flour.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour; stir to coat. Add wine, broth and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. Stir in sour cream and mustard until smooth; turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Stir in chives and serve immediately.

Oven Fried Chicken

From www.foodnetwork.com

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Show: Paula's Best Dishes Episode: Dine with the Deens

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons freshly minced thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons water

2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 -inch thickness

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack over pan and spray rack with nonstick cooking spray.

Herbed pot roast with vegetables

From www.cooks.com

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

4 lb. beef arm, blade or cross rib pot roast or boneless chuck eye or shoulder roast

1 1/2 tsp. snipped fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1 tsp. snipped fresh or 1/4 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 c. apple cider

1/4 c. water

5 med. carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces

4 med. turnips, cut into fourths or red potatoes

1 med. onion, cut into fourths

1 c. 1 inch pieces celery

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tbsp. snipped fresh parsley

Directions

Trim excess fat from beef roast. Rub Dutch oven with fat. Cook beef over medium heat about 10 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle with marjoram, basil, salt, pepper and garlic; add cider and water. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add vegetables, parsley and, if necessary, 1/4 cup water. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes or until vegetables and beef are tender.

NOTE: Meat improves in flavor and texture if it's prepared a day in advance, refrigerate overnight, reheated and sliced.

Dijon Herb Cross Rib Roast

From www.raleys.com

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

1 (6-lb.) USDA Choice Beef cross rib roast

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. butter, softened

1 tbsp. coarse black pepper

1/2 tbsp. each: basil, rosemary, sage and thyme

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place roast, fat side up, in

a large shallow baking pan. Stir together the

remaining ingredients and spread over the top

and sides of roast. Insert an oven-proof meat

thermometer so the tip is in the center of the roast.

Cook for 2 to 3 hours or until meat thermometer

reaches 135°F for medium-rare or 150°F for

medium. Remove from oven and let stand for 10

minutes before carving.

Fresh Green Beans, One Way

From www.thepioneerwoman.com

Ingredients

1 lb green beans

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil)

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt; use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)

Ground black pepper

Directions

Snap the stem ends of green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you'd like. Just don't tell Granny. Melt bacon grease in a skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green. Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp. You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don't be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can caramelize.

Roasted Green Beans with Fresh Garlic

From www.epicurious.com

Bon Appétit | February 2006

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound green beans, trimmed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss green beans with olive oil on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until browned and almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle beans with garlic, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Continue roasting until beans are tender, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl.

Citrus Pound Cake with Blood Orange Sauce

From find.myrecipes.com

Cooking Light, November 2006

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 cake slice and 1 tablespoon sauce)

Ingredients

Cake:

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

10 tablespoon butter, softened

1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchâtel cheese, softened

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

3 large eggs

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 large egg whites

Sauce:

2 cups fresh blood orange juice (about 12 oranges)

2/3 cup sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare cake, coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside. Lightly spoon 2 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well with a whisk.

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, and cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 7 minutes). Add rinds; beat well. Add 3 large eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine buttermilk, 1/4 cup orange juice, and lemon juice. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Place egg whites in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form, using clean, dry beaters. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-third of egg white mixture into batter, and fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare sauce, combine the blood orange juice and 2/3 cup sugar in a large, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 1 cup (about 30 minutes). Serve sauce with cake.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

From www.frenchfood.about.com

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup blood orange juice

2/3 cup olive oil

1/2 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

Directions

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake until the dressing is well blended. Alternately, you can vigorously whisk the ingredients in a small bowl until they are completed incorporated together.

Strawberry Sherbet

From www.eatingwell.com

EatingWell: May/June 2009

Makes 8 servings, 1/2 cup each

Ingredients

2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries , (about 10 ounces), divided

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups nonfat or low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Directions

Combine 1 cup berries and sugar in a small bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally until the sugar has begun to dissolve, about 10 minutes. Transfer the berry mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Meanwhile, combine buttermilk, half-and-half, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl. Press the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl. Stir, cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

Whisk the sherbet mixture and pour into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the remaining 1 cup chopped berries. If necessary, place the sherbet in the freezer to firm up before serving. (If the sherbet becomes very hard in the freezer, soften it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before scooping.)

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2 up to 1 day ahead. Freeze sherbet in an airtight container for up to 4 days. | Equipment: Ice cream maker

Strawberry Watercress Salad

From www.calstrawberry.com (California Strawberry Commission)

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup each grapefruit juice and orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup honey

Dash salt

2 pint baskets fresh California strawberries, stemmed

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into wedges

1 cup stemmed seedless grapes

2 bunches watercress, trimmed

Directions

In large bowl mix citrus juice, honey and salt to blend. Add strawberries, avocados and grapes; toss. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour. To serve, arrange watercress and fruits on eight salad plates. Serve with Brie or blue cheese, and crackers.