Balsamic-roasted strawberry tart with chocolate almond crust

Chocolate almond crust
(adapted from here)

1 1/2 c. almond meal/flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
4 Medjool dates
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. coconut oil

Combine almond meal, cocoa powder, dates, sugar, and coconut oil. Process for about 60 seconds until dates are incorporated and mixture sticks together when pinched. Press into a 9-inch tart pan with removable base. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Balsamic-roasted strawberries
(adapted from here)

2 pounds fresh strawberries
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. good quality, aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Hull strawberries and slice into quarters. Place berries in a 9x13 glass pan. Sprinkle with sugar and balsamic vinegar. Roast for 45 minutes until thick and syrupy. Cool.

Filling and finishing tart
(adapted from here)


8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. balsamic-roasted strawberries with syrup

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and strawberries until smooth. Spread filling over refrigerated tart crust.

Strain syrup from remaining balsamic-roasted strawberries. Spoon strawberries over the filled tart. Reserve syrup for serving. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Chipotle Ham and Bean Soup

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Adapted from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
 
1 lb dry navy beans

1 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar)

1 smoked ham hock

1–2 cups diced ham

3 medium carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1–2 Tbsp. pureed chipotles in adobo*

1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

4.5 cups water

1 can beer (or additional 1.5 cups water)

salt and pepper, as needed

Sort the beans to remove broken beans or rocks. Cover beans with 2 inches of water, add vinegar, and soak overnight. In the morning, drain the soaking liquid from the beans and transfer to a crockpot. Add ham hock, vegetables, seasonings, and liquids to the crockpot. Cook on low for 8–10 hours. Add the diced ham to the crockpot about an hour before you plan to eat and adjust seasonings as needed.

Verdict: For a fairly inexpensive recipe, this is really delicious and filling. It’s even better when served with jalapeno cheddar cornbread.

*You can buy cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the “international” section of the grocery store. Most recipes call for 1 minced pepper and some of the adobo sauce. I’m way too lazy to measure that out and mince the pepper. I puree the contents of the entire can and freeze it. When I need chipotles in adobo, I pull out the brick of pureed peppers, cut off a slice, and put the rest back in the freezer. MUCH easier.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cream Cheese

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 oz. pickled jalapenos, finely diced
1 oz. shredded cheddar
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

Chili v.2

Our first chili recipe was okay, but we needed something different. When we had company for the Super Bowl, I made a fairly simple ground beef chili using a Lawry's seasoning packet, and it was excellent. This is a fairly close reproduction of the Super Bowl chili using a copycat Lawry's seasoning recipe and a combination of ground beef and cubed round steak.

Crockpot Chili

3/4 lb. ground beef, cooked (about 1/2 lb. cooked weight or a little more)
1 lb. round steak, trimmed and cubed in 3/8--1/2 inch dice
1 Tbsp. A1 steak sauce

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (12 oz) hoppy beer (I've used both New Belgium Rampant and New Belgium Shift)

1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 yellow squash, diced

1 Lawry's chili seasoning packet (or equivalent -- see below)
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

As a general rule of thumb for chili, I dice all of the vegetables so that the pieces are smaller than the beans. Brown the round steak cubes with A1, but do not cook through. Cook the ground beef (if it isn't already). Mix all ingredients in a 4 qt. crockpot (it will be full). Set crockpot on high for 3-4 hours, and turn to low until ready to serve.

Verdict: This chili was very good, but not quite the same as the one we made with the original Lawry's seasoning packet. We prefer all ground beef chili.

Lawry's chili seasoning copycat recipe
Slightly modified from The Hayley Daily

1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. oregano

Slow cooker chili

1 c. pinto beans, soaked overnight
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 c. water
1 12-oz bottle beer (I used the New Belgium Rampant IPA)

8 oz bacon, diced
1/2 lg onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. chipotle chile powder
1 tsp. black pepper

1.33 lbs stew meat, cut in bite-sized chunks

Early in the morning (7am-ish), put the soaked beans and all of the liquids in the crock pot. Cook on High. Mid-morning (11am-ish), saute the bacon and onion until the bacon fat is mostly rendered. Add the peppers and saute until softened. Add the sauteed vegetables to the crock pot, along with the spices and stew meat. Continue cooking on High until the beans and meat are tender (about 6-7 more hours). Cook on Low with the lid ajar to thicken, if desired. Ready to serve by 7-8 pm.

We decided this would probably be better with less poblano. 

Cauliflower "mac" and cheese

Adapted from Vegetarian Times.

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 c.)

3 Hatch chilies, diced, or about 4 oz. canned green chilies

1 15.5-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained

2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 c. whole milk
1 c. half and half
2 c. grated extra-sharp cheddar (I used 1 c. aged white cheddar and 1 c. sharp cheddar, packed)
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
salt and pepper, to taste

1.5 c. fresh breadcrumbs + 2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and cook the cauliflower florets for 5-7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and add to a large bowl with the diced chilies and fire-roasted tomatoes.

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour, and cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk in milk and cream. Cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes until the sauce is thickened. Incorporate the cheese one handful at a time. Let the first handful melt before adding another. Once the cheese is fully incorporated, remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool slightly. Whisk in the mustard. Add the egg yolks one at a time, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (Or temper the yolks using a separate bowl.) Season cheese sauce liberally with salt and pepper. Pour over cauliflower and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a 9x13 pan.

In a saute pan, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp butter and toast the breadcrumbs slightly. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the casserole. Bake 30 minutes, or until casserole is hot and bubbly.

Carrot soup

This is a completely made up attempt at carrot soup, based only on what was in the cupboard/fridge.

Carrot soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. yellow onion
8 oz. diced carrots
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
8 cloves roasted garlic
3 c. water
1/2 c. heavy cream

This turned out very well. I would use more carrot than onion next time (to boost the carroty flavor). I'm surprised, but the garlic was not overwhelming. It was very mellow. I'd use the same amount of spices again, even if I increased the carrots. Some bites were a little hotter than I'd expected!