Killasonna Lodge Breakfast
Serve with “eggs over medium,” buttered toast and some fruit.
Serves 6
4 medium potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil +
1/2 lb. slice of ham (preferably a smoked honey ham), 3/8″ thick, diced
Salt
Black pepper
2-3 T Oregano
2-3 T Thyme
2-3 T Basil
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Hot pepper flakes (optional)
Microwave potatoes for 6 or 7 minutes; cool; slice into 1/4″ thick rounds. Dice the ham into 3/8 inch cubes.
Arrange the potato rounds on a cutting board and generously sprinkle with salt, pepper and spices.
Pour about 1/4 cup of olive oil into a skillet and turn the heat to medium high.
Place the rounds into the skillet, seasoned side facing skillet. While browning, season the clean side generously with more salt, pepper and spices. Flip occasionally so everything gets nicely browned.
Once browned, push the potatoes to one side of the skill and add the ham. Use a spatula to turn the ham so it gets thoroughly coated with the oil and seasonings.
Note 1: The potatoes soak up the oil, so add a little oil at a time, as needed, but don’t over do it.
Note 2: Be generous with the oregano, thyme and basil.
Killasonna Lodge Beef Stew
This red wine beef stew is an ideal one-pot meal for group that wants a hearty dinner. The advantage of this meal is that all the ingredients can be obtained locally and the stew can be prepared the day before. Indeed, stew is always better the following day. Don’t forget to include a loaf of crusty French or Italian bread for sopping up the rich gravy.
Serves 6.
- 1.5 pounds chuck roast (or pre-packaged beef stew meat), cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- salt
- black pepper
- all-purpose flour
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 226 gram can of tomato sauce (i.e. small can)
- 500ml red wine (3/4 of a bottle)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon Vegeta (or substitute with 2 Knorr’s chicken or vegetable bullions)
- 1 piece Knorr’s vegetable bullion
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 5 large carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” thick rounds
- 8-10 small red potatoes, quartered
Season the meat with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place 3 or 4 tablespoons of flour in a large bowl and add half of the seasoned meat. Toss to thoroughly coat the beef.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Cook half of the meat, stirring occasionally, until all the pieces are well browned on all sides; 6 to 8 minutes. Adjust the temperature, as appropriate, to prevent burning, but be aware that the flour will stick to the bottom of the pot. Don’t let that worry you. Transfer the meat to a plate once browned. Add some additional oil after the first batch has been transferred to the plate. Repeat the browning with the remaining meat.
Add the tomato sauce and the following 7 ingredients, and bring to a boil. Return the meat and any juices back to the pot. The meat should be barely submerged in liquid. Cover and simmer for 1 hour on low heat, stirring once or twice.
Add the onions, carrots and potatoes. Mix everything together and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 to 1.5 hours more.
Note 1: You can substitute the onion with 2 dozen frozen pearl onions … for aesthetics reasons. And give it a bit more zip by throwing in a dozen or two whole black peppercorns.
Note 2: If you make this a home, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months, although we can’t imagine how there could possibly be any leftovers. 😉
Note 3: Alternatively, exclude the potatoes and serve the stew over mashed potatoes.
Lake Michigan Breeze (Cocktail)
2 oz. Vodka
0.5 oz Grand Marnier
6 oz. Cranberry juice
Quarter of a lime
Squeeze the juice of a quarter of a lime into a highball glass and drop in the lime quarter. Add the vodka, Grand Marnier and cranberry juice. Stir and fill the remaining space in the glass with ice.
Stiff Breeze
3 oz. Vodka
0.5 oz Grand Marnier
1.5 oz. Cranberry juice
Quarter of a lime
Squeeze the juice of a quarter of a lime into an old fashioned glass and drop in the lime quarter. Add the vodka, Grand Marnier and cranberry juice. Stir and fill the remaining space in the glass with ice.