Power Cookie

George Hirsch August 28, 2025

Why wait? Now is the time to make a big batch. I created this recipe for a Power Cookie with a healthy spin on the oatmeal cookie; see the apple sauce and no oil—a definite crowd favorite since I have baked this cookie in the thousands. But you'll have to see for yourself and share with the kids. The true secret is in the quality of the rolled oats. Now, who doesn't like a fresh-baked oatmeal cookie?

George's Power Oatmeal Cookies

George Hirsch Living it UP! cookbook | Makes 1 1/2 to 2 dozen cookies

From George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series companion cookbook

6 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg whites

1 1/2 rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons pecans, chopped

Preheat oven 350° F. Follow the Recipe Below

Mix the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Sift the flour with salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, blending well. Fold in the oats, raisins, and nuts.

Make into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges begin to set.

TIP: Do not overbake! When removed from the oven, the cookies will carry the heat and continue to bake.

**Chef George shares low and slow brisket, pulled pork, ribs, + chicken with plenty of sides!**

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Seafood Chowder, as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch June 16, 2025

My inspiration for this chowder is living so close to the water with an abundance of fresh seafood to choose from. The nice part of this recipe is its versatility. The first part of the chowder is a rich tomato broth base, and the second part is adaptable, allowing you to swap out any of the seafood based on seasonal availability and your own personal preference.

Is it soup or stew? Early versions of chowder originated from the New England area: a frugal recipe consisting of pork fat, onions, potatoes, fish, herbs, and dry biscuits or flour for thickening. The ingredients were layered in a pot and cooked in water, with a bit of milk added at the end. In the 1800s, Manhattan clam chowder was notable for containing tomatoes. Manhattan clam chowder has been described as "that rather horrendous soup resembling a vegetable soup that accidentally had some clams dumped into it." All respect, Mr. Beard, but those are fighting words. As a New Yorker and from coastal Long Island, an East Ender, we take our chowder VERY seriously.

Tomato-based clam chowders emerged with the newfound popularity of the tomato in the mid-1800s, particularly in the New York and Rhode Island regions, where large populations of Italians and Portuguese were established. In 1939, Maine legislators introduced a bill outlawing tomatoes in chowder because it is far more of a vegetable soup. What?

Manhattan Style Seafood Chowder, "Hee-ah er wicked good CHOWDAH"!

Makes 6-8 servings

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1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup fennel, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup carrots, chopped

2 cups Yukon potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/2 pieces

2 cups fresh plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped or 1 (28 ounce can of chopped San Marzano tomatoes)

2 cups vegetable or fish broth

1 teaspoon dried basil

For the seafood:

1 dozen fresh littleneck clams

1/2 pound fresh cod, cut into one-inch pieces

1/4 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into thin rings

1 pound mussels, cleaned

a few leaves of fresh flat-leaf parsley, basil, and oregano

fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat a large soup pot to medium temperature. Add olive oil, onions, fennel, carrots, and garlic, and cook until tender. Add tomatoes, broth, potatoes, and dried basil. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 10 minutes. Add clams and cod fish and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Add fresh basil, parsley, and mussels, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until mussels open.

Add fresh ground black pepper to taste & serve immediately.

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Meatballs and Quick Marinara Sauce

georgehirsch April 5, 2025

Meatballs started with Italian immigrants coming to America in 1880, and then came the sauce. I have prepared this recipe with inspiration from my Italian Nana. There was no recipe, only years of watching and learning by example. The results have always been the same after making this for my family and huge groups. Nana would be proud, and I'm sure you will be, too, when serving your family and friends. And, enjoy watching the how-to video from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series. Feel free to share.

George's Nana’s Meatballs

Makes 12 jumbo, 24 large, or 40 mini meatballs

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

3 pounds ground beef, 80 / 20 blend; can use a combo of beef, pork, and veal

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, chopped fine

2 eggs, cracked and beaten

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cups day-old Italian bread, pulsed into crumbs

1/2 cup chicken broth to soften bread crumbs (variable amount may have to add more broth to soften crumbs)

Fresh ground black pepper

* Note all ingredients should be very cold before blending.

**CLICK to WATCH Meatballs + Marinara preperation**

Mix all ingredients in a mixer or by hand until well blended. Dip your hands in ice water before shaping the meat into round balls.

Spray an oven-roasting pan with grease spray.

Use an ice cream scoop to shape the meatballs; roll by hand until they are round. Do not overhandle to prevent over-warming the meat. Repeat until all the meat is used up. Do not overcrowd the meatballs to make it easier to move them while baking.

Refrigerate the meatballs for at least 30 minutes to chill. Prepare the Tomato Sauce below.

Preheat a large, heavy-gauge sauté pan to high heat, or if making a large number of meatballs, brown them in a hot oven at 425 degrees F.

Roast meatballs for five minutes in the oven or on the stovetop until they brown. If roasting, gently shake the pan to move the meatballs to turn over or use a spatula for the meatballs if browning in a sauté pan. Continue cooking for a few additional minutes (or less if mini) or until the meatballs are brown on the outside. The meatballs will not be fully cooked and will continue to cook in the tomato sauce.

Remove meatballs with a spatula and add to gently simmering sauce and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes.

For the Marinara Tomato Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed San Marzano Tomatoes

2 (6.5-ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon oregano

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons each fresh chopped parsley and basil

In a large saucepot sauté, sauté olive oil, onion, and garlic over medium heat until light brown. Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with dried basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, pepper, and half of the parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked browned meatballs and top with fresh chopped parsley and basil before serving.

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Irish Bread Pudding

George Hirsch March 13, 2025

Lá Fhéile Pádraig: Gaelic for Saint Patrick's Day or St. Paddy's. I like to use day-old French bread in my bread pudding recipe, or Cinnamon-raisin bread, sweet rolls, and even leftover Irish Soda Bread can also be used. Serve with a vanilla ice cream spiked with a wee bit of Irish. Slàinte

Irish Bread Pudding

Makes 10-12 servings

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2 Granny Smith or baking apples, peel, cored, and chopped

3-4 cups cubed dry French Bread, Irish Soda, Brown Bread, or Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup raisins, plumped in 1 cup hot water for 5 minutes

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

4 cups milk

8 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons vanilla

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup Irish Whisky

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pre-grease an 8 x 8-inch or 10-inch round cake pan.

CLICK to Watch classic Irish segment Pubs, Pints, People from George Hirsch Living it UP! — **CLICK to Watch** classic Irish segment Pubs, Pints, People from *George Hirsch Living it UP!*

Combine the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and beat with a whisk until well blended. Add whiskey and slowly pour over the bread mixture. Add optional chopped chocolate. Poke the bread, completely covered with the milk mixture, and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Place a pan larger than the cake pan or skillet in preheated oven and place the pan holding the bead pudding inside. Immediately fill the outer pan with enough hot water to come up one inch on the sides of the bread-pudding pan.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the water bath, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 25 additional minutes. Remove the bread pudding and allow to set for twenty minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream and a good Irish Coffee! Sláinte!

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Corned Beef and Cabbage

George Hirsch March 8, 2025

Since March is officially 'Irish Awareness Month,'’ I want to offer you the luck of the Irish by kicking off a St. Patrick's Day food tradition with Corn Beef and Cabbage...umm, Irish-American, that is, and not part of the repast on the Emerald Aisle.

Since the early 1900s, Americans proclaimed corned beef and cabbage their favorite Irish dish, even though it never had graced dinner tables in Ireland. Since then, Americans have embraced it as the St. Patrick's Day meal, March 17th. Corned beef got its name before refrigeration when meat was preserved using coarse grains of salt, called 'corn.’ Today, beef is corned with spices strictly for flavor, not preservation, so the meat must be refrigerated. Whether you're a wee bit Irish or not, boost your luck by celebrating St. Patrick's Day with friends and a feast.

It is said that President Grover Cleveland once noticed the aroma of corned beef and cabbage coming from the servant’s quarters at the White House. He asked to trade his dinner for the staff meal and commented, " This was the best dinner I had had in months."

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit, Gaelic for Saint Patrick's Day

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Boiled Vegetables

Serves six-eight

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

3-pound corned beef brisket

4 cloves garlic, peeled

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons pickling spices,

3 bay leaves

1/4cup sugar

1/4cup cider vinegar

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

6 carrots, peeled

6 Yukon potatoes, scrubbed

3 turnips, peeled

1 head cabbaged, leave core on and cut into eights

Place corned beef brisket in a very large soup pot. Fill the pot with cold water to cover the meat. Add sugar, cider vinegar, pickling spices, bay leaves, and garlic.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 to 6 minutes, skimming off the any scum that rises to the surface with a large spoon.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 1-2 hours. Test the meat for tenderness with a large fork; it should have a little resistance. Be careful not to overcook corned beef, or the meat will become dry and stringy. If fully tender, turn off the heat and let the meat rest in the liquid.

Add all the vegetables to the pot with the meat one hour before serving and before the meat finishes.

Timetable for the vegetables:

• onions, simmer 1 hour

• carrots, potatoes, and turnips simmer for 30 minutes

• Simmer cabbage for 20-30 minutes

Slice only as much meat as you will immediately serve, keeping the rest in one piece for future use. Serve with a variety of mustards and horseradish.