Sunday, March 25, 2018

Beef Burritos


Ground Beef, 7-10% fat 
Pepper

Toppings: 

soft Flour tortillas/hard corn tortillas 
Mexican blend shredded cheese
Sour cream
Rice
Refried Beans 
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Salsa/Taco Sauce

Saute ground beef over medium high heat, until no longer pink. Pepper the meat. 

If using Taco Skillet Sauce, follow directions with the meat. If no sauce you can serve salsa and/or taco sauce on the side. 

Add desired toppings, fold and roll, and eat!  











Thursday, March 22, 2018

Basic Vanilla Granola

Vanilla yogurt with blueberry jam mixed in and topped with crunchy vanilla granola or enjoy the granola dry, even throw in a few chocolate chips! 

Sunny A.

Recipe Found Here

4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp vanilla



Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment, or sprayed foil.

Place the oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.

Stir the melted butter, honey, egg white and vanilla, and pour into the oat mixture. Stir together until well-combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until the almonds look lightly toasted.

Cool completely on the baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container. Keeps for 2 weeks at room temperature.

Serve over yogurt with other toppings:
strawberries, kiwi, banana, blueberries, shredded coconut etc

Cinnamon Orange Granola (NY Times)

Sunny A.

2 1/2 c old fashioned oats
2 1/2 c unsweetened cornflakes
1 c sliced almonds
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c honey
1/2 c real maple syrup
1/4 c canola oil
zest of 2 large oranges
2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 325.

In a large bowl, mix oats, cornflakes, almonds, salt and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.

In a small saucepan combine honey, maple syrup, canola oil and orange zest. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Add vanilla.

Pour hot liquid over dry ingredients and mix well. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread evenly.

Bake until golden brown and evenly toasted 15-20 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and place on cooling rack to cool. Mixture will be soft and sticky while hot but will dry and become crisp as it cools.

When granola is room temp, break apart and store in an airtight container.

Note: a trick to tell if you have baked your granola long enough: remove a small spoonful of granola from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes until cooled. It should cool quickly. If it is nice and crunchy, you know you can remove the rest from the oven.

Serve over yogurt with other toppings:
strawberries, kiwi, banana, blueberries, shredded coconut etc

Chocolate Dulce De Leche Cake

Recipe Found Here

I weighed the flour, sugar, and cocoa and then volume measured the other ingredients. This chocolate cake is perfect, moist, and tender. The icing is creamy and sweet. The ganache is very rich. If you don't like such a rich cake I would even leave the ganache off. 


Cake 
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (187.5 g)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g)
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa, sifted (64.5 g)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature 
3/4 cup hot water
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Dulce de Leche


Buttercream Icing 
3 large egg whites
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter cubed, room temperature 
1/4 cup Dulce de Leche storebought or homemade


Ganache
2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used semi- sweet)
2 oz heavy whipping cream


CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 F, grease three 6" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment or wax paper. I didn't have 6 inch pans, so I used 8 inch pans (baked for 15-18 min).

Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.

In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour water in slowly as not to cook the eggs if very hot).

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin. Pour evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.

Bake for 25mins (less time for larger pans) and rotate pans in oven. Bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. A total of 30-35mins. Cool 10 minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.


DULCE DE LECHE BUTTERCREAM
Place egg whites and dark brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*

Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).

Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins).

Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**

Add dulce de leche and whip until smooth.


GANACHE
Place chopped chocolate and cream into a microwave safe bowl. Stir to combine. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir. Microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until ganache is smooth and silky. Set aside to cool completely and thicken slightly before using on cake.


ASSEMBLY
Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving dish. Top with about 2/3 cup buttercream. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.

Using a small spoon, place dollops of ganache around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula.

Top with decorative dollops of frosting (I used Ateco tip 825).

Drizzle slices with dulce de leche if desired.


NOTES
* Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won't stiffen.

** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.