Porter Beer Braised Pot Roast

I know pot roast isn't very cool or fancy but this recipe is fantastic!

3-4 lb roast (I used eye of round roast)
1 bottle of porter beer
5-6 cloves garlic, smashed
flour (for coating roast)
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, sliced
2 carrots, large chunks
2-3 potatoes, chunks
salt
pepper
dry onion soup mix (optional)

Super easy!  Marinate the pot roast in the porter and garlic overnight.  Remove roast and pat dry.  Don't throw out the marinade, you'll need it in a few steps.
Liberally sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper.  Add enough flour to a plate to be able to coat the roast.  Coat the roast with the flour and shake to remove excess flour. Heat oil (high heat) and then add roast. Sear nicely on all sides (not just top and bottom).   Make sure you really get it nice and brown on all sides.  Add sliced onion to bottom of crockpot.  Place roast on top.  Measure out 1 cup of the beer from the marinade.  Pour it into the skillet and scrape with wooden spoon to deglaze the pan then pour over the roast. Sprinkle onion soup mix on top and let cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Around hour 5-6, add the potatoes and carrots and stir around a little to coat with the delicious broth.

Serve with some crusty bread and a nice green salad.

Homemade yogurt

I've been making my own yogurt for the last couple of months and decided it was time to share.  This is such an easy thing to make and it's a lot cheaper than buying those tiny containers of yogurt at the grocery store.  The nice part is that you know exactly what you're eating.  It is plain yogurt so you still have to add whatever kind of flavor you want but that's the fun part.

1. Pour a 1 liter container of milk (whole, low fat or fat free) into a pot and bring it to a boil.
2.  Allow it to cool until you can just touch it but not completely cool (about 125 degrees)
3. Pour into a container  (with a tight fitting lid) and add 4 teaspoons of plain, live culture yogurt
4. Put lid on container and leave in a dark cabinet for 5-6 hours (longer if it's a cold day)
5. Refrigerate and enjoy

I enjoy a bowl with some fresh fruit, a drizzle of honey and some granola.

Oh, and a little tip - I have forgotten about the yogurt a couple times and left it out overnight.  Now I set a reminder on my phone to ping me and remind me to take it out of the cabinet and stick in the fridge when it's done.

Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Pudding

This is such a good and easy dessert to make.  I recently made it for a potluck (which is perfect because you can eat it warm or room temp or even cold) and I enjoyed it so much, I made a batch for home just a few days later.  This is really good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

1 tablespoon butter
8 slices cinnamon raisin bread
2 cups milk
4 oz chocolate
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
confections sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray or butter a 9 inch square baking dish. Toast the
bread and tear each slice into four pieces. Place them in baking dish. Heat chocolate, milk and butter over med until chocolate is melted (stirring frequently). Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Slowly add the milk/chocolate mixture and stir until combined.  Pour over bread and bake 25 minutes.  Cool for about 15 minutes and top with confectioners sugar (if using).  Otherwise, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake Truffles

Ok, this is my Mom's recipe.  She is the queen of desserts.  When we visit, she makes at least one new dessert a day until I finally beg her to stop.  These truffles are super easy and super addicting, so proceed with caution!

First, you make a red velvet cake (straight from the box).  Just follow the directions to bake.  Let cool. Cut it into chunks and place it in a very large bowl.  Add one can of cream cheese frosting.  You are going to get messy so get use to the idea.  You have to mix it with your hands.  Mix thoroughly.  Using your hands, roll out into small balls (about an inch). Place on a foil or wax paper lined baking sheet and chill in refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

Next, melt the chocolate (white, milk, dark, or all three).  I do it on the stove with a double broiler but you can also do it in the microwave.  Whichever method you use, just make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.  Take the balls and coat in the chocolate and place back on the lined baking sheet.  Once they've all been dipped, place back in the fridge to chill.

Isn't that easy?!

Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake mix and ingredients to make the cake
1 can cream cheese frosting
white/dark/milk chocolate for melting

Enjoy!

German Chocolate Pecan Pie

So, here is my go to pie for Thanksgiving -- German Chocolate Pecan Pie.  HEAVENLY!!!  Pecan pie is so good by itself but the addition of chocolate and coconut really steps it up a notch or five. It is a Rachael Ray recipe that I have changed slightly.  The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup of chocolate chips and (I can't believe I'm writing this) it's a little too chocolatey.  I know, it's hard to believe that I think something could have too much chocolate but it's true.  I also usually just use 2 cups of pecans because that's the size bag I find in my grocery stores.  It makes the perfect amount of filling for the pie so I really don't think it's missing anything by having half a cup less of pecans.  This is a really easy recipe - my four year old helps with the filling.  I usually cheat and buy a pre-made shell so the whole thing takes about 45 minutes.  I do pre-bake the shell for about 10-12 minutes before filling it.  So, that's it - the recipe to the most amazing delicious pie ever.

Pre-made pie shell
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups pecan pieces
3/4 cup sweetened flake coconut
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for pie shell 10- 12 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. In a heavy, medium saucepan, whisk together the  butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt with the brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat until melted and smooth. Whisk the sugar mixture into the beaten eggs. Stir in the nuts and coconut. Put the chocolate chips in the pie shell. Pour in the filling and bake until set, about 25 minutes. Let the pie cool completely before slicing.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I had some banana's that were getting pretty ripe so I decided to make up a quick batch of banana bread.  I happen to have some chocolate chips on hand, so of course I had to add them!  Here is what I used...

1 cup flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

4 medium overripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chocolate chips

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease loaf pan (or muffintin, if you prefer)

In a large bowl, combine banana, sugar, egg, vanilla and oil.  Mix well. Use a small mesh colander and sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda andsalt on top of the wet ingredients and then stir to combine. This will save you from dirtying a second bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan (or muffin cups). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a bread comes out clean. It took me about 45 minutes.  Muffins will bake faster.  Letcool before serving.

This was pretty delicious. I topped it with some homemade whipped cream.   I think next time I'll add a little homemade almond butter to the mix because what could possibly be better than almond butter, banana, and chocolate???

Enjoy

Hummus- a jack of all trades

I love hummus! I could probably eat it every day of my life and not get bored with it.  It can be used in so many different ways.  It's great as a condiment on sandwiches (SO much better than mayo or mustard), it's good mixed into scrambled eggs, and of course as a dip for crackers, chips, carrots, broccoli, celery, any veggie really.  Oh, and I also LOVE it with grilled meats- chicken, beef, lamb...YUM!


I start with a basic recipe and then just experiment. For the basic recipe, I use two cans of garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed), 1/3 cup of tahini, juice of two lemons, 2-4 cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of cumin, salt and pepper and about a 1/3 cup of olive oil.  I put everything in the food processor except the olive oil.  While the processor is going, I add the oil to it.  That's the basic recipe.  Now, from here I start tasting (big delicious spoonfuls) and add whatever else I have lying around.  Today I added chipotle seasoning and Hungarian paprika because I was feeling a little spicy :)  Sometimes I just add extra lemon or extra garlic.  I've also made a nice batch with roasted red bell pepper.  One day, I'm going to take the time to caramelize some shallots and throw in but haven't gotten around to that yet.

Before serving it, I drizzle a little more olive oil on top and dust with paprika.  Yummy and delicious and so very easy!