Oatmeal Soda Bread

Ingredients
2 c rolled oats (ground into flour in food processor)
2 1/4 c flour
1 3/4 t baking soda
1 1/4 t salt
1 3/4 c buttermilk
mixed seeds - caraway, poppy, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Prepare large loaf pan (9x5x3): coat inside with butter or oil.  Cut parchment paper to length of pan and fit into pan.  coat paper with butter or oil.  Set aside.

Grind rolled oats into a fine powder in food processor.  Add to a large bowl along with flour, salt, and soda and sift together well.

Add buttermilk all at once, and mix until dough just holds together.

Dump dough onto a floured surface, add flour if needed and knead until the dough is uniform and can be formed into a ball without cracks or fissures.  Form into an ovoid shape slightly smaller than the pan and fit into the pan.

Cut diagonal slices both ways across the top.  Coat with extra buttermilk.  Sprinkle the top with mixed seeds.

Bake on middle rack for 50 minutes.  Bread should sound hollow when thumped and have a nicely browned hard crust on top.

Slightly modified version of recipe found at http://www.101cookbooks.com/

Empanadas Mendocinas with Argentinean Chimichurri

Ingredients
Dough for Empanadas Mendocinas 

3 c flour
1 egg yolk
½ c of grasa - lard or butter or mix of both
¾ c to 1 cup of warm milk
½ t salt

Beef picadillo filling
1 lb ground beef
2 white onions, diced, about 3 cups

1/2 c butter

2 T smoked paprika
2 T chili powder or any ground hot pepper
1 T finely chopped fresh oregano
½ T ground cumin
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
¼ c sliced green olives
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, white and yolk separated and lightly whisked

Chimichurri Sauce
1 1/2 c fresh parsley (or cilantro) leaves
6 basil leaves
3 leaves from oregano sprigs
4 garlic cloves, crushed/minced
3 T wine vinegar
6 T olive oil
2 T chili powder
1 chili pepper
2 T lemon juice (I added this to brighten the flavor)
salt & pepper to taste


Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F

Makes about 20 medium or 30 small empanadas

Empanada dough

1. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor, pulse until well combined.
2. Add the lard or butter, blend well.
3. Add the egg yolk and the milk in small amounts, pulse until small dough clumps start to form.
4. Make a couple of balls, flatten into disks and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
5. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate).
6. Use the empanada discs immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Beef picadillo filling and empanada assembly

1. Combine the ground beef, paprika, red pepper, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and chill until ready to use.
2. Melt the lard in a large frying pan or sauté pan, add the onions and salt, cook until the onions are soft, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the meat mixture to the onions and cook on medium heat until the meat is done, stir frequently.
4. Let the meat mixture or picadillo cool down, and then mix in the chopped green onions and chopped oregano.
5. To assemble the empanadas add a spoonful of the meat mixture on the center of each empanada disc, add a slice of egg and sliced olive.
6. Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg whites, you can also use water but the egg white is a good natural “glue” that helps seal the empanada.
7. Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges gently with your fingers, twist and fold the edges of the empanadas with your fingers, as a final step use a fork to press down and finish sealing the empanadas.
8. Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give them a nice golden glow when they bake.
9. Let the empanadas rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
10. Bake on parchment or silicone baking mat on a cookie sheet for about 25 minutes.
11. Serve warm with chimichurri sauce or other dipping sauces.

Chimichurri Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor
2. Blend until smooth
3. Add salt, pepper, or more chili powder to taste

As seen at http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/06/11/empanadas-mendocinas/

Pizza with Merlot & Cremini Mushroom Sauce Topped with Brie

Ingredients
1/2 wheel brie
8 oz Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 lg shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup unoaked Merlot wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 sprig rosemary plus more for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Heat the butter and oil in a pan and saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant. Add mushrooms and saute until the liquid evaporates. Season with salt & pepper. Deglaze the pan with the Merlot and simmer until reduced by half. Add the stock and rosemary and continue to simmer until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to a 12″ diameter circle and top with mushrooms, and brie. Garnish with rosemary. Bake until cheese is bubbly and the pizza dough is crisp and golden, about 15-20 minutes.

Idea from http://www.busyinbrooklyn.com/brie-mushroom-marsala-pizza/

Crust Recipe is at http://foodiefunk.blogspot.com/2014/03/pizza-on-grill-crust.html

Pizza on the Grill Crust

 

Ingredients

1 c. warm water

1 T. sugar

1 envelope yeast (or 1 scant T. yeast)

3 T. olive oil

3 c. (or more) flour

1½ t. salt

1 T. fresh chopped rosemary (or ground dried)

Combine water and sugar in food processor/mixer.  Sprinkle yeast over; let stand until foamy.  Add oil, flour, salt and rosemary.  Mix well.

Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more flour gradually if dough is sticky, about 5 minutes.  Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat dough.  Cover bowl with a damp towel.  Let stand in a warm area for about an hour, until dough doubles in size.

Turn out dough onto floured surface.  Punch down.  Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.  Stretch out (or use a rolling pin) each piece on a floured surface to about a 9-inch round.

On a medium hot grill, grill crust rounds until lightly brown on both sides.

Refried bean burritos

Ingredients
1lb dry northern beans
1lb dry black beans

4 beef boullion cubes
2c boiling water

1 lg onion
1 green pepper
2T Cumin
1T chili powder

Flour tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Chopped fresh onions
Chopped fresh peppers
Salsa
Grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream

In a large pot or bowl place washed beans. Fill with enough water to double the volume of the dry beans. Soak 24 hours. Rinse beans and soak the beans the same way for another 12 hours. Rinse beans again and place them in a large crick pot. Turn on high. Dissolve boullion cubes in boiling water and mix into beans in crock pot. Cook for four hours in high. Stir and add more water if needed. Continue to cook on low for four to six more hours.

Chop onions and peppers. Heat a large skillet and add olive oil to coat. Saute onions and peppers until softened then mix in spices and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Mash beans in crock pot with a potato masher until at least 50% are broken down and mixture is well blended. Mix in onion/pepper/spice saute. Place in a serving dish.

Serve with warm flour tortillas, lettuce, fresh chopped peppers & onions, salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Double Dark Chocolate Brownies

3/4 c Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1/2 t baking soda
2/3 c melted butter, divided into two 1/3 c containers
1/2 c boiling water
2 eggs
1 1/3 c flour
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
12 oz Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease/butter a 9x13 glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk cocoa and baking soda.  Add 1/3 c melted butter and blend well.  Add boiling water and stir until well mixed.

Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining melted butter.  Add flour, vanilla and salt and mix.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into 9x13 dish spreading evenly.

Bake 35-40 minutes until edges pull away from dish.


Cool completely before cutting.

Cheddar Bacon Dip

24 oz (2 bottles) dark beer
8 oz neufchatel cheese diced in 1/2" cubes
24 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1 bunch green onions
12 oz bacon cooked and diced
6 T cornstarch

Clean onions, dice white parts and keep separate. Dice firm part of greens and keep separate.  Saute white parts until translucent.

Put a few tablespoons of chopped bacon aside with diced green onion for garnish. 

Put remaining bacon, sauteed onion and grated cheese in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with cornstarch. Add diced Neufchatel and coat completely.

In a large saucepan heat beer just below boiling. Slowly add cheese mixture, whisking to melt and blend thoroughly before adding the next batch of cheese. Whisk constantly. When all cheese us added heat and whisk creamy.  Serve with crackers and/or bread in a warmed dish with garnish on top.