A true Barbacoa uses parts of a cow that I prefer not to use, so when I ran across this recipe I thought it was wonderful. I think of this as a Mexican Sauerbraten. You do serve it shredded, but this was so pretty I just had to show you the before shredding picture.
SLOW COOKER BARBACOA
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons cumin
3 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoons fresh ground sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup beef broth
1 medium Walla Walla onion, slivered
3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
Place the lime juice, vinegar, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, cloves, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt and cloves in a blender and pulse until smooth.
Add broth and pulse until well blended.
Place roast in slow cooker and pour sauce over top.
Cook on low 7-9 hours or until meat is tender.
Shred meat into juices.
Prepare rice 20-30 minutes before ready to serve.
Serve over rice.
RICE
3 cups water
2 cups uncooked Jasmine rice
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground sea salt
1/2 cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
In a large saucepan combine water, rice, butter and salt.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer covered 12-15 minutes or until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed.
Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
I started with this one recipe since I can eat carrots mushed up and we LOVED the flavor! I had 3 slices of crumbled bacon leftover from a recipe I took to Christmas Eve at a friend’s house that I sprinkled over the carrots. I really think they enhanced the flavor a lot. So, we’ll start with several more next month when I can eat “regular” food again!
CANDIED MAPLE THYME CARROTS ala HELL’S BACKBONE GRILL
2 pounds carrots, sliced on an angle
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoon FRESH ground salt
2 teaspoons FRESH ground black pepper
1 LARGE clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup PURE maple syrup
2 sprigs FRESH thyme
3 slices bacon, diced and browned crisp
In a small saucepan whisk together everything EXCEPT the carrots, bacon and thyme, heating until well blended, syrupy and warmed through.
Remove from heat and toss with carrots until they are well coated.
Pour into a baking dish.
Nestle the thyme among the carrots.
Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, cover and bake 30 minutes.
Uncover and back another 15 minutes until carrots are cooked through and caramelized.
I found this recipe made for shrimp, but it is ALSO awesome with chicken. ASIAGO SHRIMP RISOTTO adapted from What The Fork’s for Dinner?
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
4 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided 3 + 1 1/2
Juice of 1 lemon
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound large shrimp, thawed, peeled and de-veined**
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup tarragon and flat-leaf parsley, chopped for garnish
In an electric pressure cooker set on sear, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Add shallots and garlic, sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
Add wine and cook until wine evaporates, about 30 seconds.
Add 3 cups of chicken stock and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
Secure lid.
Set pressure cooker on rice setting for 10 minutes.
Vent pressure, then remove lid.
Reset to sear setting and stir in shrimp with remaining 1½ cups broth, and cook until shrimp are opaque, 3 to 5 minutes.**
Stir in cheese and remaining 1 tablespoons butter.
Finish with herbs and serve immediately.
NOTE ** If using chicken use 1 pound cut into small bite sized pieces and adjust cooking time until chicken is cooked through. I have also prepared chicken in a skillet getting a good sear on all sides before adding to risotto and then only stirring to coat well with sauce.
These really are the best soft and flavorful homemade dinner rolls ever! I found the recipe over at The Stay at Home Chef and all I can say is that she did not waste that 5 years perfecting this recipe.
Prep time 3 hours
Cook Time 12 mins
Author: Rachel Farnsworth
Yield: 24 rolls
2 cups warm milk
2 tablespoons instant dry yeast
¼ cup white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon melted butter
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs.
Add in 5½ cups of flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low speed. Once the flour starts to incorporate into the dough, increase the speed to a medium range. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough mixture should be slightly sticky and soft. Add more or less flour until the dough reaches the desired consistency. The amount of flour you add in bread making is always an approximation and you should go by feel.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise 90 minutes – it should double in size.
Lightly grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and form into 24 rolls. Place on the greased baking sheet in six rows of four.
Cover and let rise 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly browned.
Remove rolls from oven and brush with melted butter. For a sweet twist I sometimes use a honey butter.
Serve the rolls warm, or to cool, let rest on the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Once cooled completely, store in a plastic bag.
These are some of my favorite go to danish for a holiday morning. They can be made ahead and served room temperature or warmed up with a dot of butter for decadence.
ALMOND WALNUT DANISH
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons yeast
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup + walnut crumbles
In a saucepan melt butter.
Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
Cool 5-10 minutes so you don’t kill the yeast.
Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
Add the eggs until uniform consistency.
In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
Chilis restaurant USE TO have a sweet corn soup that was fantastic! Then, they took it off the menu and I was forced to try and recreate it! I am very happy with the results. Today I made a grilled turkey and cheese with caramelized red onions – YUMMY!
SWEET CORN SOUP
Safflower oil
7 ears sweet white corn, kernels removed
1 large leeks, whites only, chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of 1 lime
In a large stock pot saute’ the corn, onion and leeks until translucent. 5 minutes or so.
Add sugar and cook a few minutes more.
Add stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or so.
Add heavy cream and simmer 15 minutes more.
Whisk together water and cornstarch until well blended.
Add lime juice, salt, pepper and cornstarch mixture until well blended.
Normally I leave these plain, but just for the holiday we added a little cheery icing and sprinkles. MOLASSES CRINKLES
3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
turbinado sugar for dipping
Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
Cream butter, add sugar gradually until consistently smooth.
Blend in beaten egg and molasses.
Gradually stir flour mixture into creamed mixture.
Chill dough 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Shape dough into small balls and dip tops in turbinado sugar.
Place cookies on WELL greased cookie sheet or silicone mat. DO NOT FLATTEN.
Do you have a recipe that calls for candied citron? Don’t know what it is? Well, it’s not candied lemon or grapefruit peel. Citron is an actual semitropical fruit that’s similar to a lemon but with a thicker skin. To make candied citron, the citron is blanched in water, boiled in sugar syrup, and dried. It lends a mild floral note to fruitcakes and other such confections. While I love candied citron know that you have other options. Each shines in a different way, but they can pretty much be used interchangeably in most recipes, so if you happen to have one kind on hand, try that in your recipe.
Photography by: Chelsea Cavanaugh
ORANGE SLICES (Top Left) – They’re great as a decorative flourish on top of cupcakes. CITRON PEEL (Top Right) – Though the pulp is sour, the candied peel is perfect for baking into stollen or stirring into granola. LEMON RIND (Middle Left) – Finely chop it and mix into muffins and pancakes for a bright flavor. ORANGE PEEL (Middle Right) – Dip pieces in dark chocolate and serve as an after-dinner treat. CITRON SLICES (Bottom Left) – Serve thin slices as part of a holiday cheese plate. CLEMENTINE SLICES (Bottom Right) – You can also garnish cocktails with these.
Candied citrus is available at specialty stores (especially around the holidays) and online at stores like junetaylorjams.com, but you can also easily make your own at home. Either way, store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a month.
LEBKUCHEN
Traditional Lebkuchen German Christmas cookies are a form of gingerbread descended from medieval times and taste spicy and nutty in flavor. They were typically a combination of spices, honey, and dried bread crumbs. They are often cut into “sugar” cookie shapes and ornately decorated. I made a super “simple” version this year for hubby since I am unable to make neighbor plates and do my normal holiday baking.
Prep time: 15 minutes.
Cook time: 10-12 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.
COOKIES
½ cup honey
½ cup molasses
¾ cup brown sugar
1 LARGE egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2¾ cup flour, plus flour for dusting
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice & nutmeg
⅓ cup candied citron, diced (I prefer candied ginger)
⅓ cup hazelnuts, finely chopped
ICING
1 cup sugar
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
GARNISH
Sliced almonds
Candied citron or ginger
Melted chocolate
In a medium saucepan, bring honey and molasses to a boil.
Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar, egg, lemon juice and zest.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and all spices, and stir in molasses mix, citron and hazelnuts. Cover; chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a floured, hard surface roll out a small amount of chilled dough to ¼-inch thick. If dough is sticky, use more flour.
Cut dough in 2-inch rounds or shapes; transfer to prepared baking sheets.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile, make icing by heating sugar and liquids in a small saucepan (do not boil).
Remove from heat; stir in confectioners’ sugar. If icing crystallizes, reheat and add a touch of water or milk.
Transfer cookies to rack and while still hot, brush with icing and decorate with almonds, citron, ginger or sprinkles; or, let cool completely and drizzle with melted chocolate.
Now there is much debate over Gran’s cranberry salad recipe, but one thing was for sure, she’d have to make a double batch, one for my mom and aunt and another for everyone else. Now while I usually helped prepare the above recipe, I hated it!! One year she even decided the grapes needed to be peeled – need I say more? I much prefer the recipe below that is a FUN version of hers. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but I have been known to eat a whole batch by myself. In my defense it was while I wasn’t feeling good and had a sore throat.
GRAN’S HOLIDAY SALAD aka FESTIVE CRAN PINEAPPLE JELLO 1 package (3 ounces) cherry Jell-o 1 package (3 ounces) black cherry Jell-o 1 1/2 cups boiling water 1 can (14 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained 2 cups seedless green grapes, quartered chopped pecans (optional)
Dissolve the jell-o in the boiling water in a large bowl.
The Marsala wine is the key to this dish. Hubby HATES mushrooms so I often substitute shallots and the recipe is just as good. PORK MARSALA
4 boneless pork tenderloin pork chops, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
2 eggs, well beaten
Fresh ground black pepper and salt, to taste
1/2 cup Wondra flour
2 tablespoons avocado oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch or Wondra gravy flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
Buttered egg noodles
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Heat oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in large skillet over medium high heat.
Generously season pork pieces with fresh ground black pepper and salt.
Dredge pork pieces through egg and then flour before adding to skillet.
Cook 3-4 minutes per side until browned and cooked through (based on thickness). Set aside and keep warm.
Add onions and mushrooms to the skillet cooking 5-6 minutes until golden.
Add Marsala wine and beef broth, scraping bits from bottom of pan as you deglaze it.
Cook 5-6 minutes until liquid is reduced by half.
Whisk the cornstarch into the heavy cream until smooth.
When Marsala is reduced and a deep rich color, add the cornstarch mixture and cook 2 minutes until begins to bubble and thicken.
ASIAGO SHRIMP RISOTTO adapted from 
MOLASSES CRINKLES
PORK MARSALA