Brisket Tamales

This is Guy Fieri's recipe, but I used green chile sauce instead of red because I prefer the flavor.  I also made a couple other changes, for which I changed the recipe below.  These tamales rock!  I like that they do not have lard in them, but still have a great texture-- and they were so easy to make!  You could really use any meat with these, but I really did love the brisket.  Oh, and Derrick wanted me to say that these tamales "are the all-time favorite tamales.  WAY better than the ones I had in Cancun, and better than my employee Dora's."  I don't think they are better than Dora's.  But they are a good second when I am craving her's.

3-Pound Beef Brisket

2 T kosher salt

6 C water, divided

4 T Canola oil

2 Cups enchilada sauce, store-bought (I used Costa Vida's green chile enchilada sauce)

24 Tamale husks

2 cups masa harina (fine corn flour)

3 cups water (approximate)

2 T melted butter

3 t salt

In medium braising pot, simmer beef in salt and 3 cups water for 1 hour or until meat can be shredded with a fork (I ended up cutting up the brisket after an hour and cooking it for another hour before it was shredable).  Shred beef and let it cool completely.

In a medium saute pan, add oil and fry meat for 3 to 5 minutes or until crispy.  Add enchilada sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Soak husks in water for 30 minutes.

Mix masa, water, butter and salt into a THICK paste.

Apply 5 T of the masa mix into the center of the corn husk.  Cover with plastic wrap and roll into a thin layer.  Add 2 T of the meat to the center.  Roll one edge of the husk over and press masa around the meat.  Peel the husk back from the masa you just rolled over the meat, and bring the other edge over to cover the entire tamale.  Fold end over.

Place a colander in a large pot of boiling water, but do not let the colander touch the water.  Place the tamales in the colander, cover and allow steam to rise to the top.  Steam the tamales for 30-40 minutes, or until ready.

These are great served with the Cilantro Sour Cream.

Cilantro Sour Cream

Thanks Guy Fieri--This is a great variation on sour cream.  I think it would go well with any Mexican dish.  I made it with the Brisket Tamales.

8 oz Sour Cream

2 T chopped cilantro leaves

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lime, juiced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine together and cover with plastic.  place in the refrigerator and let flavors meld for 30 minutes, or until ready to serve.

Mexican Beef Brisket

Found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com (surprise surprise).  Make sure you have a baking dish big enough for all the liquid!

3 1/2 pounds beef brisket

1 T coarse salt

2 t freshly ground pepper

Flour for dredging

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths

2 medium onions, chopped

10 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

3 dried chipotle or morita chiles

2 T tomato paste

1 T dried oregano

2 quarts chicken stock

5 bay leaves

Salt to taste

4 scallions for optional garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Sprinkle the brisket with the coarse salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour to coat and shake off any excess.  In a large Dutch oven heat oil over high heat.  Sear the meat until browned on all sides.  Set aside.  Reduce heat to moderate and add the carrots and onions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes longer.  Return the meat to the pan along with all remaining ingredients except the salt and garnish.  Bring to a boil, cover the pot and transfer to the oven.  Bake for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat slips off a fork when pierced.  Lift out the brisket and place on a cutting board.  Cover with a damp towel.  Pour the broth with vegetables into a tall container and skim off the layer of fat that rises.  Remove and discard the bay leaves and chiles.  Pour the broth and vegetables into a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Puree until smooth, add salt to taste and strain.  Reheat the sauce.  Slice the brisket against the grain and arrange on a platter.  Pour the warm sauce over it, sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve.

Chocolate Chunk and Toffee Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 C shortening

3/4 C sugar

3/4 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 T hot water

2 C flour

2 C oatmeal

1/2 pkg toffee chips

1 pkg chocolate chunks (or have your husband buy chocolate chips and leave them in the hot car so that when he finally gives them to you, they are one solid piece that you have to break up)

Combine and mix well. Bake at 325.

Lemon Pudding Cake with Raspberry Sauce

This recipe is SO good!  Very refreshing!  Recipe from Foodnetwork.com.

4 eggs, separated

1 3/4 C sugar

1/4 C all-purpose flour

1 C freshly squeezed lemon juice (I only had enough for 3/4 C, so I cut the sugar to just 1 C)

1/4 t salt

1 1/4 C milk

4 C raspberries (I only used 2 C and it was plenty.  I didn't add all the sugar, either)

8 sprigs mint (optional for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Whip the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar until it reaches the ribbon stage. Add the flour and mix well. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt and milk until completely combined. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add a 1/2 cup of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture. Pour the batter into a plastic wrap-lined 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To make the raspberry sauce: Reserve 16 raspberries for the garnish. Puree the remaining berries with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Place a piece of plastic wrap over the pudding cake and flip it onto a flat surface. Cut eight 3-inch circles with a ring cutter. Serve with sauce and garnish with raspberries.

Almond Rice Pilaf

Another recipe that I forgot to take a photo of, and this was the closest I could find.

1/4 C olive oil

1/2 C diced onion

1/4 C diced carrot

1/4 C diced celery

1 t minced garlic

2 C long-grain rice (I did a mix of white and brown rice)

2 t salt

1 t white pepper

3 C chicken stock

1/2 C toasted sliced almonds

2 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 350

Place a 2-quart, ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots and celery.  Sweat the vegetables, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the carrots begin to soften (about 4-5 minutes).  Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds.  Add the rice to the pan and saute (being sure to stir the rice and coat it with the oil), until toasted, about 4-5 minutes.  Season the rice with the salt and white pepper.  Add the chicken stock to the pan and stir occasionally until the water comes to a boil.  Stir well, cover the pot, and transfer the pot to the oven.  Bake, undisturbed, for 25 minutes.  remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.  Remove the lid, and use a fork to fold the almonds and cilantro into the rice, as you fluff and blend it.  Serve while hot.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Derrick requested this dish for Father's Day, so I made it yesterday.  I admit that touching raw chicken for as long as this recipe requires was a little trying for me, and I swore I'd never do it again.  But the flavor really was fantastic, so I guess if I get adventurous, I will make the dish again!  The Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper really give it a kick, but then I love anything with spice!  This photo isn't actually the real thing.  I took it off the internet because I forgot to take a picture!

4 T butter

1 C flour

4 boneless, skinless breasts of chicken

2 eggs lightly beaten

4 thin slices smoked ham

6 oz Swiss or Gruyere cheese, cut into 4 chunks

2 C bread crumbs

1 T garlic powder

1 T salt

1 T freshly ground black pepper

1 T paprika

1 T Cajun Seasoning

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Breading:

Combine all the ingredients from Bread Crumbs down.  Mix well and place in a large dish.

Preheat oven to 375.  Melt butter in glass baking dish.  Lightly flatten chicken breasts between plastic wrap with mallet.  Lay 1 slice of ham and 1 piece of cheese on flattened chicken breast.  Fold in half and seal closed with toothpicks.  Repeat process for remaining chicken breasts.  Coat each piece with flour, then eggs and then bread crumbs.  Place chicken pieces in glass baking dish.  Turn to coat with butter.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.  

Lasagna Rolls

This is one of Giada De Laurentiis's recipes from Foodnetwork.com (obviously my favorite recipe website!).  It tastes awesome, and I like it because Cecily will eat the spinach in it.  Anything to get her to eat veggies!

Sauce: 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour 
1 1/4 cups whole milk 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna: 
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese 
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped 
1 large egg, beaten to blend 
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 
12 uncooked lasagna noodles 
2 cups marinara sauce 
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Kelly's Salad Dressing

I got this recipe from Melinda Stailey.  The only thing I changed was to mix it in the blender, rather than whisking it.  Everyone loved this dressing and requested the recipe when I made it for a dinner party a few weeks ago.

2/3 C. Sugar

1 t. Salt

1 T. Dried Onions

1 t. Dried Mustard

1/2 C. Red Wine Vinegar

1 t. Poppy Seeds

3/4 C. Oil (1/2 Canola and 1/2 light Olive Oil)

Beat all of the ingredients in the blender.

Swiss Cheese Fondue

This REALLY is that good!  I love it!  Lots of fun if you are getting people together for appetizers.

2 Cloves Garlic (or more if you LOVE garlic, like I do!)

6 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

6 oz. Swiss Cheese, grated

1/4-1/2 C. flour (enough to coat cheese)

1 1/2 C. Apple Juice

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. pepper

In a fondue or crock pot, rub one clove of garlic around the inside of the pan.  Mince or press the other and throw into the pot.  Add apple juice, nutmeg and pepper and heat until hot enough to melt cheese.  Add cheese bit by bit, stirring constantly.  Keep warm.  Really good dipped with breads, apples and veggies.