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Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

This pie is requested every Thanksgiving and tastes delicious warm or cold with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

1- 9 inch pie shell

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. light corn syrup

1/2 c. unsalted butter

4 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp. bourbon

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and butter.
2. Stir together over medium heat until butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
3. Remove from heat and let cool for ten minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt together.
5. Whisk in butter mixture.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans and pour mixture into pie shell.
7. Bake 50 minutes at 325* or until set.

Burgundy Herb Marinade

Burgundy Herb Marinade

1 c. burgundy wine
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp. beef base
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. ground pepper

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together. Roll down the top of a gallon zip lock bag. Place meat in bag and cover with marinade. Seal tightly and place in a bowl in the refrigerator. Occasionally turn bag. Marinate meat for 24-48 hours.

I doubled this recipe and marinated two five pound beef roasts for 48 hours. Then I removed the meat from the marinade, browned it in a dutch oven, and braised it until tender. Delicious.

Borracho Beans

Borracho beans (drunken beans) are delicious served with cornbread or as a side dish with any Mexican dish.

Borracho Beans

1 lb. dried pinto beans

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1- 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

Fresh jalapenos to your taste

2 tsp. Texas Pete

3/4 c. beer

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

Black pepper

Kosher salt

3/4 c. cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Rinse, sort, and soak beans overnight according to package directions.
2. Drain soaked beans and rinse again.
3. Cover beans with fresh water by no more than one inch and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
4. Lower heat to a simmer and stir mixture every 10 minutes or so making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Add more water as necessary and cook until tender. This may make take 1 1/2 hours or longer.
5. Meanwhile, saute bacon for five minutes over medium heat.
6. Add onion and cook until translucent.
7. Add fresh garlic and saute one minute.
8. When beans are tender add in the bacon, onion, and garlic mixture, diced tomatoes with its juices, jalapenos, Texas Pete, beer, cumin, and the black pepper.
9. Stir mixture and add in 2 tsp. Kosher salt. Taste mixture and add more salt to desired taste.
10. Simmer mixture for 15 minutes stirring often. It should have a creamy consistency. If it needs to be thickened, smash some of the beans with a potato masher.
11. Stir in chopped cilantro and remove mixture from heat. 

Easy Enchilada Casserole

This is something easy to make when you have a few cups of leftover chopped meat such as chicken, pork, or turkey.

Easy Enchilada Casserole

12-15 corn tortillas

3 c. cooked meat, chopped

16 oz. can red enchilada sauce

1 small can of diced green chilies

14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

8 oz. can green enchilada sauce

Directions:

1. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
2. Spread a thin layer of red enchilada sauce across the bottom.
3. You will make a total of three layers. Make the first two layers by layering items in this order: 4-5 corn tortillas, meat, chilies, tomatoes, onions, red enchilada sauce, cheese.
4. The last layer has 4-5 corn tortillas, meat, chilies, tomatoes, onions, red enchilada sauce, and all of the green enchilada sauce reserving the last layer of the cheese for later.
5. Cover with foil and bake 375* for 35 minutes.
6. Remove foil and top with remaining cheese and bake uncovered until cheese has melted.
7. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Herbed Cheese Bits

A favorite snack of ours! This is a variation on a Paula Dean recipe.

Herbed Cheese Bits

2- 10 1/2 oz. boxes of Ritz Cheese bits
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 oz. pkg. Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressing mix
1 Tbsp. dried dill
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, dressing mix, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, and cayenne pepper together.
2. Place cheese bits into a gallon zip lock bag.
3. Pour marinade mixture over crackers and seal out the air.
4. Gently turn bag to coat crackers and place in refrigerator.
5. Turn bag occasionally.
6. Refrigerate for 24 hours and serve at room temperature.

Garlic Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

I make these when I have leftover stuffing from Thanksgiving. I remove the dried cranberries from the stuffing before using it in this recipe.

Garlic Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

30-40 large fresh button mushrooms
1 1/2 c. cooked stuffing mixture
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 c. flaked crab meat
1 Tbsp. chives, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 c. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

1. Clean mushrooms and remove stems.
2. Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet.
3. Finely chop mushroom stems.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, gently combine stems, stuffing, cream cheese, crab meat, chives, garlic powder, cayenne powder, black pepper, and salt.
5. Using a small cookie scoop, place a mound of the mixture in each mushroom cap.
6. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and saute the minced garlic until tender but not browned.
7. Drizzle the garlic butter over each stuffed mushroom.
8. Bake 350* for 10-15 minutes or until the stuffing is lightly browned. 

Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Almonds

Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Almonds

2 lbs. fresh green beans, washed and stemmed
1/2 lb. bacon, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. boiling water
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown bacon and remove from pan.
2. Drain off bacon grease except for 2 Tbsp.
3. Saute onion in 2 Tbsp. bacon grease until soft.
4. Add green beans and saute 3 minutes over medium high heat.
5. Add minced garlic and saute for one minute.
6. Add boiling water and cover for 5 minutes to steam the green beans.
7. Remove pan lid and stir in cooked bacon, butter, salt, pepper, vinegar, and sliced almonds.

Mojo Criollo Braised Pork

I like to shred this tender pork and serve it in tacos with guacamole, tomatoes, and red onions or as pulled pork in a spicy barbecue sauce on toasted buns.

Mojo Criollo Braised Pork

2 oranges, juiced
3 lemons, juiced
2 limes, juiced
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried marjoram
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. water
5 lb. pork butt roast
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place juices and seasonings in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Slowly add in 1 cup oil into the blending mixture to emulsify it.
3. Place pork roast into a gallon or two-gallon size zip lock bag.
4. Pour marinade over pork and seal out the air.
5. Marinate overnight in refrigerator.
6. Place 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a dutch oven and brown roast on all sides.
7. Add marinade mixture and water to dutch oven and bring to a slow simmer.
8. Cover and braise over very low heat for several hours until meat is fork tender.
9. Remove meat from mixture and serve.

 

French Onion Soup

I am ashamed to admit that I had my 6 3/4 qt. Le Creuset oval dutch oven for over a year and never used it. Shame on me! I got it for a super deal at Costco and then put it away in my side table cabinet so it wouldn't get scratched in my regular pan cupboard~ then I forgot I had it. Oy. I broke it in by making french onion soup and have used it three times this week. It rocks!

The onions are starting to brown:

I took this photo and later saw that the bread bowl sucked up most of the broth. I added more broth before chowing down.

 

French Onion Soup

6 very large yellow onions, sliced

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 c. dry sherry

8 c. Beef stock

2 tsp. thyme

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt to taste

Fresh ground black pepper

Bread bowls

Gruyere cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Melt butter and olive oil in a dutch oven pot.
2. Caramelize the onions in the fat mixture over medium low heat stirring occasionally.  This may take over 40 minutes.
3. Add sherry and cook for one minute.
4. Add stock, thyme, and bay leaf.
5. Scrape bottom of pan to loosen any hard bits.
6. Bring to a slow simmer and cover for 20 minutes.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Cut tops off of bread and dig out most of the center. Place bread pieces next to the bowl for dipping.
9. Ladle soup into bread bowl and top with the cheese.

Debbie's Lemon Pound Cake

Ooh La La~ this cake is divine and very moist! My friend Debbie who is beautiful inside and out always brings me a slice of this lemon heaven. I got her recipe and made it twice in two days and gave one away. It got rave reviews too from both of my brothers and their families.

Lemon Pound Cake

1 stick butter, room temperature

2 2/3 c. granulated sugar

5 eggs, beaten

1 c. vegetable oil

3 c. all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1 c. whole milk

Glaze

Stir fresh lemon juice into 1 box powdered sugar until glazing consistency

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
2. Blend in beaten eggs.
3. Blend in oil.
4. Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder until combined and gradually add to the cake batter.
5. Gradually add milk and lemon extract and mix until smooth.
6. Bake 320* for 1 hour 20 minutes in a greased and floured tube pan.
7. Test with toothpick until it comes out clean.
8. Use wooden skewer to punch holes in cake for glaze.
9. Drizzle glaze on while cake is still warm.