Short Cut Potato Soup

Back when I was in junior high and high school, Megan and I would often make dinner during the week. At some point, we got a cookbook called Mr. Food Cooks like Mama to try out some new recipes. As I recall, we tried out a number of recipes, but this soup was one of my favorites. I may have to find a copy of the cook book to test other recipes.

Now, one reason that Mr. Food called this a "short cut" potato soup was because he used dried potato flakes to quickly thicken the soup. When Meg and I made this soup, we used potato flakes. I prefer to not use potato flakes, but rather, dice the potatoes into smaller pieces then use a blender or just a fork to mash them up at the end of cooking. Also, the original recipe calls for using some milk and some water, but I usually just use water when actually cooking the soup. But, I do sometimes use milk when reheating the soup, because it does tend to thicken too much when cooled. So the recipe below reflects the changes that I have made.

Short Cut Potato Soup 

• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 4 cups diced (half inch cubes) potatoes 
• 1 carrot, coarsely grated
• 3 to 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. dried dillweed

In a soup pot, brown the onion in the butter. Add the potatoes, carrot, water, pepper and dillweed. The water should just cover the potatoes. Cook on low until the potatoes are creamy, about 45 minutes. Mash up the potatoes using a fork or by transferring portions of the soup to a blender. The final soup should be mostly creamy, but with some potato pieces. Enjoy!

Roast Beef

Roast Beef is a classic Sunday dinner. Mom frequently made roast beef in winter, but not often in summer. Because we did not have air conditioning, Mom often avoided using the oven too much in summer. Also, this is a very filling dinner, the kind of dinner that provides comfort on a cold day, but is too heavy for a hot day. Roast Beef was always a Sunday dinner because it took too long to make on a weeknight and Saturday dinner was always Spaghetti and Gravy.

There are several cuts of beef that you could use to make roast beef, some are fattier than others. Pick the cut that you prefer. Some folks suggest browning the meat before placing it in the oven, but I found that was not necessary. When I made this roast, I used a lower oven temperature, which results in a longer cooking time. You could use a higher temperature and a shorter cooking time, if preferred. Also, the seasoning could be varied based upon taste. I used basil for the beef and rosemary for the vegetables.

Roast Beef 

• 2 to 3 pound beef roast
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2-3 medium potatoes
• 3 carrots
• 2 small onions
• 3-4 stalks celery
• Olive oil
• salt, pepper, and other seasoning, if desired
• For gravy: water or cooking wine, flour

Preheat oven to 325. Trim fat from roast. Place on a roasting pan or broiling pan. Combine water, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon, and basil. Pour some over the beef and reserve about a quarter cup for later basting, if the beef is drying out too much. Bake in the oven for about 90 minutes.

Rinse and cut the vegetables into one-inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and desired seasoning. Add vegetables to roasting pan. Bake for another 45 to 60 minutes, until tender.

If desired, use the pan drippings to make a gravy. In a sauce pan, combine drippings and enough water to equal two cups. (If desired, substitute in 1/4 cup wine for 1/4 cup water). Stir in about 1/4 cup flour. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook about two more minutes. Season to taste. Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

It seems that St. Patrick's day has expanded beyond just March 17 and consumed the month of March, but fear not; there are many good Irish recipes to enjoy. Of course, the classic St. Patrick's day recipe is Corned Beef and Cabbage. But, following a close second is Irish Soda Bread. When I found this version among Grandma's recipes, I had to give it a try because this recipe calls for more buttermilk than the standard recipes I have seen. While soda bread is most common around St. Patrick's day, it is so easy to make that it should be enjoyed year-round.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread, at least the version common in America, contains raisins. I often leave the raisins out because someone I know is not a fan of raisins. But, when I made this recipe, I included the golden raisins, and there were no complaints. I understand that in Ireland, soda bread is sometimes called brown soda bread because it is often made with whole wheat flour. Usually, the soda bread is shaped into a round loaf and baked on a cookie sheet or round pan. Then, a cross should be cut into the top of the bread before baking to allow the thicker part of the bread to cook evenly.

Grandma's Irish Soda Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 egg
• 2 cups (about) buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, soda and sugar. Cut butter into the flour mixture. Rinse and drain the raisins, then sprinkle with flour and add into the flour and butter mixture. Slightly beat egg and add enough buttermilk to equal one cup and add to mixture. Then add one more cup of buttermilk. The dough will be sticky, so it may be necessary to flour your hands before handling the dough. Combine well and form into a ball on a cookie sheet or a greased and floured pan. Let the bread rise for half an hour. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. Enjoy!