Brisket Tacos with Red Cabbage

This recipe is from the Food Network Magazine and it's by Alex Guarnaschelli. I've never made any of her recipes before, but this was a great way to start. Even though it takes a bit of time...It. Is. Amazing.

If you bring these tacos to a cinco de Mayo party you'll be a hit, I promise. Oh and the red cabbage slaw is a must. The caggabe is cold, tangy, and crunchy and pairs perfectly with the warm and tender meat. YUM.

Ingredients:
2 heads garlic, unpeeled and halved crosswise, plus 6 cloves garlic
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
4 to 4 1/2 pounds brisket
Freshly ground pepper
1 T. smoked paprika
1 T. chili powder
3 T. canola oil
3 large red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 c. dry red wine
2 c. beef stock
2 bay leaves
16-20 small flour tortillas
Red cabbage slaw, for topping

Full Recipe

Serves 8-10

It takes about 50 minutes of prep and cooking before you place the brisket in the oven to finish cooking and then about another 25 minutes once you take it out of the oven in order to reduce the sauce and rest the meat prior to slicing it. This is not that difficult it just takes a bit of planning ahead.

Also, make the cabbage slaw (please! It's so good!) right after you put the brisket in the oven so it has time to soak up all those yummy, tangy flavors.

If you make this (or any of my recipes) please comment on it. I know I love this recipe, but I would like to know what everyone thinks!

Chicken-Ramen Soup

Who doesn't love a good chicken noodle soup? This is a twist on the original and tastes just as good! Oh, and it's from my handy dandy Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2007 edition cookbook.

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 cup ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup sliced (1/4-inch) celery (2 medium stalks)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cut-up deli rotisserie chicken (from 2- to 2 1/2 lb. chicken)
6 cups water
1 package (3 oz.) chicken-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Directions:
In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.

Stir in chicken, water, contents of seasoning packet from soup mix, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in noodles from soup mix; simmer uncovered 3 minutes longer or until noodles are tender

Serves: 6 (1 cup each)


Okay...
I didn't actually use baby carrots because I had regular carrots already. And since you have to slice them anyway, just use whatever you want or what you have in your fridge.

I think I used 3 or 4 cloves of garlic because I like garlic and thought this wasn't enough. My soup was by no means garlicky.

I've made this with the rotisserie chicken (which I liked quite a bit) and with plain cooked, shredded chicken. Both are good so don't stress about using a rotisserie chicken if you don't want to, though I do think I liked it just a bit more with the rotisserie chicken.

Also, I use about 3 cups water and 3 cups chicken broth/stock to give the soup more flavor. Even though you add the flavoring packet to the soup there's no way it will add enough flavor to 6 cups of boring old water. OR you could add chicken bullion cube(s)/crystals to the water to get more flavor.


I think this soup tastes more complicated than it is to make, which is always nice :) Enjoy!

Spice-Rubbed Pork

This recipe is also from Food Network Magazine. The spice rub is delicious. The cumin adds a nice smokey flavor and there is some definite kick from the red pepper flakes. I really liked it paired with pork but I'm sure it'd be good with some other type of meat if you want to experiment.

Sorry I don't have a better picture. I forgot to take one so I had to use the pic from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:
2 t. smoked paprika -I just used regular ol' paprika. I've had a hard time finding smoked paprika and I thought it worked just fine.
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 t. ground cumin
Kosher salt
2 pork tenderloins (1 3/4 pounds total), halved crosswise
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper
Jarred salsa verde for serving (optional)

Full Recipe

Serves: 4


Honestly, I didn't like the quinoa. At least I didn't like the way this recipe has you prepare it. It was just too boring for me. And I even tried cooking it in chicken stock to add flavor. I understand that you should have a more mild side to go along with this rather spicy meat, but this was just blah to me. But, because it's part of the recipe I put it up anyway. Maybe you'll like it more than I did. I like the idea of using quinoa because it's so good for you, but next time I'll use a different recipe.

The entire reason I put this recipe up was because I liked the spice rub so much. It's just great. The flavor has a lot of depth even though there is only three spices that make up the rub.

Give it a try, I hope you'll like it!

Garlic Shrimp and Chickpeas

This is from Food Network Magazine. It's reminiscent of shrimp scampi, in my opinion. I served it as a main course but I feel like it might make a better side or appetizer. It's filling so just don't eat too much if you opt to serve it as a side. :)

This is what it looks like in the dish. Great presentation, huh?

 

Ingredients:
2  15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6  T extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges, for serving

Full Recipe

Serves: 4


This recipe is really quite easy and quick. I would buy shrimp that is already deveined (because who wants to do that?) and I suggest leaving the tails intact. I don't usually do this because it's easier to either buy shrimp already peeled or quickly peel the entire shell off yourself, but for this recipe I really felt like it just wouldn't look as good.

Also, I omitted the last tablespoon of olive oil you drizzle over at the end. I thought there was plenty of oil already in the dish without adding this last bit. And I'm pretty sure the dish did not suffer at all.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes with Coconut Meringue

It's time for dessert!

I haven't posted a dessert recipe yet and I believe this is a great one to start with. I do have to warn you that it's rather...involved. It's not necessarily difficult, but these aren't your easy peasy cupcakes. But they're SO sweet and tart and wonderful. They're from CUPCAKES! from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. If you like to bake cupcakes this is a great book to own.



Notice the filling and crust on the bottom? They're a great surprise for anyone eating your cupcake!


Makes: 24 cupcakes -maybe even a few more
Prep time: 25 minutes
Baking time: 18 to 22 minutes
Assembly time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
24 paper liners for cupcakes pans (2 1/2 -inch size)

CUPCAKES:
1 large lime, scrubbed (for 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice) -I actually used key lime for this. I had to buy them for the key lime juice you use in the filling so I opted to use key lime rather than lime here...
4 large eggs
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/4 cups water 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

FILLING:
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Key lime juice

COCONUT MERINGUE:
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Reserved 3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. Prepare the cupcake batter: With a citrus zester or fine grater, zest the lime (or key lime if you do what I did) and reserve 1 teaspoon. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over a strainer into a small bowl: you should have 2 tablespoons. Set aside. Separate 2 of the eggs, place the whites in a large clean mixing bowl and the yolks in another bowl. (This was the most confusing step for me. The zest, 2 T. juice, and 3 yolks all go in the same bowl...the bowl you'll use to make the batter. The whites go in another bowl for the meringue.)

3. Add the remaining egg, cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, coconut flavoring and lime zest and juice to the yolks. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.

4. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Increase the oven heat to 450 F.

5. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before filling.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Place the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Press the tip 1/4 inch into the top center of each cooked cupcake and squeeze the bag to release about 1 tablespoon filling into the cupcake. Scrape off any excess filling with a rubber spatula. Place the cooled cupcakes nearby side by side on a baking sheet.

7. Prepare the meringue: Add the cream of tartar to the reserved egg whites and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy, 45 seconds. Add the coconut flavoring and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Continue beating on high, adding 1 tablespoon sugar at a time, until the whites form stiff peaks (if you pull the beaters from the meringue, the meringue should extend from the beaters in straight stiff peaks). Spoon 2 tablespoons meringue onto the top of each cupcake and swirl to spread it just to the edges with a short metal spatula or a spoon. Place the pan in the oven. Bake until meringue is light nutty brown in color, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve at once, or allow to cool 10 minutes then serve.

Store in a cake saver at room temp for up to 3 days.

                                                                                                                

Sorry for the lengthy instructions but that's how the recipe is written out. I followed it exactly with the exception of:

*The lime juice used in the batter. I bought 20 key limes for the filling and decided to use those in the batter as well. When all was said and done I had 7 key limes left over. If you buy Key lime juice, rather than using fresh, then I would use the lime as directed.

*I ended up piping on the meringue. It's faster and easier than using a knife to spread it on. Plus, I think it looks prettier. I also sprinkled lightly toasted coconut and just a pinch of key lime zest over the top of each cupcake before baking the meringue. It makes for pretty garnish and tells people what is in your lovely cupcakes.

*I did make one considerable change, or addition I would say, to the recipe. I've had a Key lime pie cupcake before and it had a graham cracker crust on the bottom. It was delicious, but this recipe did not call for it. So I made graham cracker crust mixture with 1 cup crushed graham crackers, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 5 tablespoon melted butter. Toss all those together and place a little in the bottom of each cupcake cup. I just eyeballed how much I wanted but it was probably a tablespoon in each...maybe a little more. Pack it down with a spoon and there you go! I ended up baking it in the oven for a few minutes to crisp it up before I poured the batter in, but looking back I don't think that would be necessary because you then bake the cupcakes. In my cupcakes the crust was slightly crunchy, almost a cookie consistency. I liked it, but I'm interested to see if the crust would be a little softer if I don't bake it before hand.

Anyway. These are SO very tasty. I like the meringue because it's not too sweet and balances the sweetness of the filling. These may take a bit of effort to make, but I definitely recommend them if you have to make cupcakes for a special occasion or for a birthday. They're beautiful AND yummy. I hope you like them!

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi-Ina Garten

I own Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook and that's where I got this recipe from. I'm sure you can look on Foodnetwork.com and it'll be there too.

My husband loves me whenever I make this. The citrus balances the butter and the red pepper flakes add just the right amount of heat. Make this for a weeknight meal or for a special dinner because it looks impressive even though it only takes about 15 minutes to make (and that's including time to boil the pasta!).

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds linguine
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
5 Tbs. good olive oil
3 Tbs. minced garlic (9 cloves)
2 pounds large shrimp (about 32), peeled and deveined
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley -I definitely recommend using fresh. It has flavor than dried and is really cheap and easy to find.
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons) -I've used the bottled kind in a pinch and it tasted fine.
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds -I think this is merely for presentation and I generally only do it if I'm making it for company.
1/4 t. hot red pepper flakes

Directions:
Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. (I don't usually add the oil to the pasta water. It doesn't actually keep the noodles from sticking together..even though all our mothers told us so. And in this case, you're mixing the noodles with the sauce so they won't stick together anyway.)
Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper and sauté until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Serves 6


It doesn't get much easier than that! My only suggestion would be to be careful with how much lemon juice you use. I've made this and it turned out perfectly, but then I've also made it and it was too lemony. I'm not sure how it happened because I swear I was following the recipe but, nevertheless, it did. And it just doesn't taste as good if you go overboard with the lemon. Oh and I think that 1 1/2 pounds of pasta is a TON. A pound is more than enough I think...you can always cook more if you think you need it. I hope you like it!

The Reuben

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day by eating corned beef and cabbage...in a Reuben sandwich.

Ingredients:
Rye bread -I used the marbled kind just because I think it's pretty
Corned beef -1/2 pound makes 3-4 sandwiches depending on the size of your bread and how much you put on the sandwich.
Sauerkraut -a couple Tbs. per sandwich
Thousand Island dressing -a Tbs. or so per sandwich
Sliced Swiss cheese

Directions:
Lightly toast rye bread. Layer corned beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese on one piece of rye bread. Place under broiler until cheese is melted (it melts quickly so don't walk away). Top with second piece of rye bread. Enjoy!

I didn't use a real recipe for this but I rather enjoy Reuben sandwiches and I want to encourage all of you to try this. I know that each of the ingredients may sound kind of gross, but believe me when I say that the combination is delightful. Seriously. If you aren't a fan of sauerkraut this sandwich might change your mind. The Reuben sandwich is bold and delicious and not for the faint of heart. But you should try it even if you are...:)...