I know you probably tuned in here to see a beautiful picture of a slice or two of meatloaf artfully arranged on a plate. In all honesty I realllly wanted to take one and give it too you. However, fading daylight (read NONE) and the inability to make a lump of cooked meat look appetizing meant I wasn't getting a favorable picture tonight. I promise to make this again real soon and work at getting a suitable photography. I promise.
Until then. Here is the recipe.
Chorizo Meatloaf with Tomato Balsamic Chutney
3 slices of bread
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 lb ground beef
2 links chorizo (I use Johnsonville), casing removed
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup pepper, diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbls worcestershire sauce
3 Tbls fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp Lawson seasoning salt
2 tsp Emeril original seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Chutney
6 roma tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbls onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a loaf pan with non-stick foil. Set aside.
In a small bowl, crumble slices of bread.. Pour the cream and milk over the bread crumbs and mix to make them all moist. Set aside.
Mix the beef and chorizo gently in a large bowl. Add onion, pepper, egg, ketchup, worcestershire, parlsey and seasonings. Mix to combine, try not to overmix as this will make the meatloaf tough. Scoop loaf mixture into the lined pan and smooth down the top. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until an internal temperature reaches 185 degrees.
When the meatloaf is done, take out and allow to start to cool. While cooling, make the chutney.
In a saute pan in 2 teaspoons olive oil, add tomatoes, onions, garlic and vinegar. Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down and the onions and garlic are soft. Approximately 5-7 minutes.
When the chutney is down, remove the meatloaf from the pan using the foil to help pull it out. Cut into slices, lay on plate and top with chutney. Serve with mashed potatoes, corn, steamed carrots, or any other vegetable you like.
Have you ever thought about making your own graham crackers? Well neither have I.
I mean, why go through all the trouble when the store bought ones are just about as good as it gets?
Well, I'll tell you why. Because they are soooo much better when you make them yourself. You can control the quality of ingredients, the toppings and have the added benefit of making them gluten free, if need be. I however, do not. So this months Daring Bakers Challenge was time consuming, but cool at the same time. And it was a two-fer! We had to make our own graham crackers and then use them to make Nanimo Bars. Check this out.
The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanimo.ca.
First came the graham crackers. Oh. My. Goodness. These are some sticky suckers! I ended up having to heavily flour the board to get them rolled out and to keep them from sticking. By the time I realized that, the dough was too soft and I had to put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. After I got in the groove of dusting, rolling and cutting all the dough it was time to put it back in the fridge to chill before baking. Gratefully they turned out real well. And my oldest son and my mother loved them! I think they would be good crumbled on yogurt, ice cream or sandwiched with chocolate and marshmallows!
Now that they were finished it was time to move on to the Nanimo Bars. Which essentially was 3 recipes put together to make one, in my opinon. The graham crackers were crushed, mixed with coconut, nuts and chocolate and then pressed into a pan.
A custard filling was whipped up and spread on top.
Then more chocolate was melted and smoothed over the custard. The whole thing goes in the fridge to set up.
The next day I took them out and they cut into perfect little squares!
Now if you wanted to make them gluten free you would use a different mix of flours, that recipe is below. I know these recipes have quite a few ingredients. Try not to let that deter you from trying them. Having homemade graham crackers calling to you from the cookie jar is worth the effort.
Gluten-Free Graham Wafers
Based on recipes from 101 Cookbooks
Ingredients
1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract
Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
7. *** the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.
Graham Crackers (non gluten free)
From 101 Cookbooks
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
For the topping:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
To prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.
Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more flour and roll out the dough to get about two or three more crackers.
Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough. Using a toothpick or skewer, *** the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.
Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the tough, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.
Yield: 10 large crackers
Nanimo Bars
Bottom Layer
½ cup unsalted butter (European style cultured)
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut
Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.
Second Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar
Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.
Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Melt chocolate and butter overlow heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.
I first caught eye of this "holiday" last week and thought "why don't we get this day off from work?". Of course, being a stay-at-home mom, I don't get ANY day off but it would still be nice for those out there who do have "jobs" to go to everyday. It's NATIONAL PIE DAY for goodness sake! Well, it was actually yesterday. Oh wait, it was Saturday, so most everyone had this day off anyway. Well that blows my campaign to make it a required day off work outta the water. Guess I'll have to find another cause to champion.
Maybe tomorrow. I'm too distraught right now.
So for today will just show you what I did yesterday for the (whisper) "Holiday".
Chocolate Cream Pie. My husbands favorite. I have failed so many times before making a chocolate pie that doesn't.....ooze. Not the best of words used to describe food.
Weep. No
Exude. Eh.....probably not.
Leak. Definitely not!
Flow. Yes. That'll do.
I've struggled to make a cream pie that didn't flow. You know what I mean. When you cut into it, remove a piece and the filling starts to flow out into the hole you made. So while "window" shopping at another of my favorite sites I came across this recipe that guaranteed this pie to set up. I pounced!
So while simmering chili, baking bread bowls and watching 5 kids I decided it was as good a time as any to get started on this recipe!
It was fairly simple. Although I would use this pie crust recipe next time because the one assigned to this pie didn't work for me. And possibly will try a chocolate crust recipe next time. That would work too.
DH thought the filling needed to be sweeter. So next time I will use all milk chocolate and possibly up the sugar a bit. Despite these changes it was a pretty good pie. And holding true to their guarantee, it held up just fine. No flow.
So if you have a loved one that would like this, try making it for them soon. They will feel all warm, fuzzy and loved. And might just leak, exude or weep tears of joy.
At least, for your sake, I hope it's tears.
Chocolate Cream Pie
adapted from King Arthur Flour
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup ice water
Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 cup heavy cream, divided
- 2 cups milk
Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Crust
1) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, and salt. |
| 2) Cut in the shortening until it's in lumps the size of small peas |
| 3) Dice the butter into 1/2-inch pieces, and cut into the mixture until you have flakes of butter the size of your fingernail. |
| 4) Add the water, two tablespoons at a time, mixing with a fork as you sprinkle the water into the dough |
| 5) When the dough is moist enough to hold together when you squeeze it, transfer it to a piece of wax or parchment paper. It's ok if there are dry spots in the pile. Use a spray bottle of water to lightly spritz these places; that way you'll add just enough water to bring the dough together without adding too much or creating a wet spot |
| 6) Fold it over on itself three or four times to bring it together, then pat it into a disk 3/4-inch thick |
| 7) Roll the disk on its edge, like a wheel, to smooth out the edges. This step will ensure your dough will roll out evenly, without a lot of cracks and splits at the edges later. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling |
| 8) To blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan that's at least 2 inches deep. This will make serving the pie easier after it's finished. |
| 9) Roll out the pastry for the pie to a 13-inch circle. Transfer it to the prepared pan, and trim the edges so they overlap the edge by an inch all the way around. Tuck the edges up and under, and flute them. Put the lined pie pan in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes. |
| 10) Line the crust with foil or parchment paper, and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and gently remove foil or parchment with the weights or beans. Return the crust to the oven for 10 more minutes, until it's golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and cool completely. |
Filling
1) Place the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract in a 2-quart mixing bowl; set aside. |
| 2) In a medium saucepan away from heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup of cold heavy cream until the mixture is smooth, with no lumps. Repeat with another 1/4 cup of the cream. Whisk in the egg yolks |
| 3) Place the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the remaining cream and milk. |
| 4) Bring to a boil, whisking constantly as the mixture thickens; boil for 1 minute |
| 5) Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the reserved chocolate and butter. |
| 6) Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. |
| 7) Pass the filling through a strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps. |
| 8. Place plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill thoroughly. |
Topping
1) Place the heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl. |
| 2) Whip until the whisk begins to leave tracks in the bowl. |
| 3) Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until the cream holds a medium peak. |
Assembly
1) Transfer the cooled filling to the cooled, baked pie crust. Level the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. |
| 2) Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top. |
| 3) Chill the pie until ready to serve. |
If you crave chocolate, like I sometimes do, then brownies are my go to treat.
I mean I don't crave it a lot.
Only once in a while.
When the stars are aligned and the moon is in the seventh house.
You know. Like, almost never.
What? You don’t believe me? Whatever.
So today was one of those rare days and I just had to have some chocolate. In a search of my archived recipes I came across one similar to this one. It used a boxed mix (I know. I KNOW!) with added ingredients to make a thick batter that you can add whatever flavor of chips suits your fancy.
Since I already had all but the box mix on hand (I said I know already!), it required a quick trip to the store. However quick a trip to the store can be with a 4 year old and a 2 year old in the rain on a cold day in January! Luckily I needed milk too or I woulda picked a different recipe.
I mean seriously, I can’t be bothered with all that running around stuff when it takes me 30 minutes just to get everyone ready to go then I still have to make the drive into town! I have so many more important things to do. Like... Like… paint my nails or take a nap.
Ok, here’s the recipe. I divided the dough in half and put white chocolate chips in one and mini semi-sweet chips in the other. They are divine! With that shiny, slightly crisp outside revealing a moist, fudgy center. I also included info on how to make them with a coffee kick. Great for a late afternoon pick me up!
If you happen to have a mix on hand and are craving some cocoa goodness then hop on into the kitchen and whip ya up a batch. It won’t be long before you are lost in confectionary bliss.
Fudge Brownie Cookies
Makes 5 dozen 1 1/2 inch cookies
Ingredients:
1 package fudge brownie mix
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted, cooled
1 Tbls cold water
1 Tbls Vanilla extract
1 cup Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or White chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together brownie mix, flour and brown sugar. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, butter, water and extract together.
Turn mixer on and slowly add egg mixture until it is incorporated. The batter will be very thick. If you notice there is more dry ingredients that aren't being incorporated try adding 1 Tablespoon of water to help it mix in. Avoid adding too much or it will make the cookies spread out and be thin. Fold in chocolate chips and using a cookie scoop, portion them out onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from oven, allow to cool for a minute or two to set up. Then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
To make Mocha Fudge Brownie Cookies.
Substitute cold water and vanilla extract for 1 Tbls HOT water and 1 Tbls espresso powder. Add to melted, uncooled butter. Stir to dissolve. Allow to cool for a few minutes then add to dry ingredients in mixer. Proceed as directed.
On a recent visit to one of my favorite blogs I saw a recipe for "Fancy Macaroni". It had all the necessary things to make good mac and cheese. Like 4 different kinds of cheese's, butter, half & half and.....what else was it?.....ohhh yeaaa, BACON!
Now, if you haven't followed my blog for long (and why haven't you?) then you might not be aware that I have a severe allergy. I am allergic to anything that DOES NOT contain diary or pork fat! Seriously! It seems like most of the things I make either have tons of cheese or bacon in some form in them! It's a quirk, I know.
So this dish is no exception. A great accompaniment to a big ol' slab-o-meat or, for someone like me who is content with a salad for dinner, as a meal in itself! Here is my adaptation of her recipe.
Bacon and Caramelized Onion Mac & Cheese
Serves approx. 12
Ingredients:
4 cups Macaroni
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 whole Medium Onions, Cut In Half And Sliced Thin
10 slices Regular Bacon
1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease (reserved From Bacon Slices)
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
2 1/2 cups Milk
½ cups Heavy Cream
2 whole Egg Yolks, Beaten
Salt & Pepper (to Taste)
½ cups Grated Gruyere Cheese
1 cups Grated Fontina Cheese
½ cups Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, Shredded (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook macaroni for half the time of the package instructions. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.Fry bacon until slightly crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve grease.
In same skillet with the bacon grease add saute onions and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.
In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in milk and cream, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt & pepper to taste. Remember the pasta will continue to absorb moisture and flavor, so don't undersalt the dish.
Beat egg yolks and pour 1/4 cup hot milk mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. You don't want scrambled eggs so they need to be tempered to allow them to come up to the temperature of the milk. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan and cook for another minute. Stir in cheese until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni and toss to coat all the pasta with cheese sauce. Top with cheddar cheese, if desired.
Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Potato and Leek Soup
Adapted from David Lebovitz
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
4 leeks, washed and sliced
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; optional
1/8 teaspoon chile powder
2 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground white pepper (if you have it, black pepper if you don't)
3/4 cups gruyere cheese, shredded
Bacon crumbles, optional
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter or olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced leeks and season with salt. Cook the leeks over moderate heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they're completely soft and wilted.
3. Add the thyme, if using, and chile powder, and stir for about 30 seconds, cooking them with the leeks to release their flavors.
4. Pour in the water, stock, potatoes and bay leaf.
5. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender when poked with a sharp knife. Depending on which potatoes you used, it could take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
6. Pluck out the bay leaves and puree the soup with the pepper, seasoning with more salt if necessary. Remove from the heat.
(Using a slotted spoon, I strained out about 2 cups of potatoes then added them back after blending the rest. To give the soup more texture. Which I like. If you don't, then puree it all.)
Use an immersion (stick) blender, if you use a standard blender, be sure not to fill it more than half-full and secure the lid, and cover it with a tea towel when blending, to avoid hot soup or steam from spraying out and burning you or making a mess. Don't use a food processor as that will make the potato purée gummy. Pour back into the pan. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more water, until it's the desired consistency.
7. Add the cheese and continue stirring until it is all melted. Do not bring back to a boil as this will cause the cheese to become grainy.
Serve with bacon crumbles on top.
