Slow Cooker Barbacoa (Shredded Beef)

March 8, 2015

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Oh my goodness this beef is good. It’s meat to mimic Chipotle’s Barbacoa but I can’t say how close it gets because I usually choose the chicken or pork when I order a burrito. But I suspect it’s much much better because WOW, so much flavor! And tender and easy because you just throw it in the slow cooker. Beef roast slow-cooked with onion, garlic, smoky chipotle peppers, lime juice, cider vinegar, cumin, allspice, cloves, and oregano. We melted cheese over tortillas on the stove and then stuffed them full of the shredded beef, lettuce, onion, salsa, and guacamole, etc. And had this favorite Mexican Beans and Rice on the side. This recipes makes quite a bit of meat. Leftovers can be turned into freezer burritos to be enjoyed later.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa (Shredded Beef)

INGREDIENTS

3-4 lbs. beef rump or chuck roast
1/2 yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
3/4 cup chicken or beef broth
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo (I use 3 for medium heat)
juice 1 lime
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 bay leaf

for serving:
warm tortillas
cheese (Monterrey, Colby, or Pepper Jack)
shredded lettuce
diced tomato
guacamole or sliced avocado
sour cream
diced white onion
chopped cilantro
salsa or pico de gallo

DIRECTIONS

1. Trim beef of any fat and cut into several large chunks that will fit in your slow-cooker. Place the onion, garlic, broth, salt, pepper, chipotle peppers, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, oregano, allspice, and cloves in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour over the meat in the crock pot. Add the bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for ~6 hours or low for 8-10 hours, until the meat is fork tender.

2. Remove the meat from the sl0w-cooker and set aside to cool slightly before shredding. Return the meat to the slow cooker and toss with the juices (the more of the leftover juice you use, the spicier it will be). Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with warm tortillas and toppings.

Serves ~8.

(Adapted from The Lean Green Bean and Spicy Spoonful)

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Thai Cucumber Salad

March 4, 2015

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We eat a lot of cucumbers around here. Clara is happy to munch on them with hummus or one of our other favorite dips (Trader Joe’s Cilantro Chive Yogurt Dip or this spicy Chipotle Ranch mixed with some nonfat Greek Yogurt to lighten it up). And cucumbers find their way into just about every green salad or veggie sandwich I make. This crunchy cucumber + red onion + cilantro (or mint) + peanut (or cashew!) salad with a tangy rice wine vinaigrette would complement most Asian, Indian, or Middle-eastern dishes. I served it with this cheater’s coconut curry sauce simmered with rotisserie chicken over rice.

Thai Cucumber Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 medium English cucumbers, sliced
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or mint)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 small or 1 large clove garlic, minced
pinch crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (or minced jalapeno)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 tbsp. crushed peanuts (or cashews)

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and garlic together in a medium bowl. Place cucumbers, onion, and cilantro (or mint) in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

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Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger

March 2, 2015

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Teriyaki is one of those foods that gagged me as a kid. For whatever reason, I couldn’t handle the smell of whatever brand sauce my mom loved using to make her stir fry and so I assumed forever hatred of all things teriyaki. Well… my taste has matured in the last decade and let’s say I take it back. I love a good bowl of rice topped with teriyaki chicken, salmon, or veggies (one of my favorite dinners from Whole Foods). And pineapple teriyaki sauce with grilled pineapple and avocado on top of a burger- yes, please!

This recipe makes quite a bit of that yummy teriyaki sauce so I froze the remainder and a month later made the burgers again- sauce all ready to go! I’m sure ground chicken or turkey (thigh meat for a juicy/rich burger) would be excellent substitutions.

Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger

INGREDIENTS

burgers:
1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce (or more if you like it spicy)
4 slices fresh pineapple
8 whole wheat hamburger buns
8 lettuce leaves (Bibb if my favorite)
sliced avocado

pineapple teriyaki sauce:*
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 small clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the sauce: Combine the cornstarch in cold water and dissolve. Set aside to thicken. In a small saucepan, mix soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, grated ginger and garlic over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce reduces, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add cornstarch and water mixture, simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
*Makes enough sauce for approx. 8 burgers. Leftover sauce can be frozen for later use.

2. To make the burgers: Combine the ground beef with grated carrots, scallions, ginger, soy sauce and sriracha sauce. Mix throughout but don’t overwork the mixture so the patties don’t get tough. Form 4 equal sized patties.

3. Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the patties on the hot grill and cook until they reach desired doneness, grilling the pineapple next to the patties during the last 5 minutes or so. Optionally, you could brush a little teriyaki sauce on the pineapple slices as they grill.

4. To serve, place a piece of lettuce on the bottom of each burger bun. Top with the cooked burger, teriyaki sauce, avocado, and grilled pineapple.

Makes 4 burgers.

(Adapted from Skinnytaste)

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Buckwheat Crepes

March 1, 2015

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The thing I miss most about Chicago (besides the friends we left behind) is the food. So much amazing food in that city. At least once every week during the spring and summer Clara and I frequented one of the farmers markets (Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park were our favorites)- for fresh fruit and veggies, flowers, and bread. And to visit our favorite crepe stand. Two cute Frenchman ran a crepe truck and made the most incredible sweet and savory crepes. Dessert (or breakfast, occasionally!) crepes with blueberries and fresh cream and honey and buckwheat crepes with ham and cheese (our go-to), or pesto with cheese and ham or turkey, even goat cheese and honey. We’d share a massive hot crepe in the park with a side of just-picked cherry tomatoes and berries before heading home with the rest of our edible treasures.

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Lincoln Square farmer’s market

I didn’t expect this recipe to be nearly as delicious or authentic as those perfect Chicago street crepes. But it is! And it’s simple and can be made 100% buckwheat/whole wheat if you wish. We love them just about any way, but highly recommend ham + freshly grated REAL Parmesan for your first experience. Which is what we had for lunch today (and several times last week) followed by a warm peanut butter + banana + honey crepe for dessert!

Buckwheat Crepes

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use 1/2 cup white whole wheat + 1/4 cup all-purpose)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

fillings:
thinly sliced ham + freshly grated Parmesan + freshly ground black pepper (I’ve also added spinach)
basil pesto + mozzarella
peanut butter + sliced banana + honey
almond butter + sliced strawberries + honey
yogurt + fruit + honey

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth (using a blender, food processor, immersion blender, or whisk). Cover bowl and chill for several hours or overnight. (You can get away with cooking them immediately, but they’ll have a better texture if refrigerated first.)

2. Set the batter out to come to room temperature for an hour before cooking (I usually forget this step and they turn out fine). Preheat a large skillet over medium-heat. Add a small pat of butter and quickly spread the butter around the pan. Add 1/4 cup (for small crepes) -1/3 cup (for large crepes) of batter and tilt the pan so that the batter spreads into a circle. Cook for about a minute, until bubbling and golden on the bottom, then flip (I loosen the edges with a spatula and then slide it under the middle and flip very carefully) and cook on the second side until golden brown.

3. To make a ham and cheese crepe: Immediately after flipping, sprinkle with Parmesan and place a single layer of ham on top. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Fold the crepe over twice and cook a bit longer on each side, until the cheese is melted. Serve warm. The same can be done with pesto and mozzarella or other fillings of choice.

4. Unused crepes can easily be stored wrapped in the fridge for a couple of days, or frozen (layer between wax paper and place in a plastic bag) for several months.

Makes 10-20 crepes, depending on size (mine were large, so I only got 10).

(Adapted from David Lebovitz)

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Smashed Roasted Potatoes

February 27, 2015

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We eat so many sweet potatoes that white ones are a treat (Dustin thinks so, anyway). I’m not that fond of starchy white baked potatoes (rather boring), but boiling baby potatoes until tender, smashing, and then roasting them is another story! Coated in olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and fresh black pepper, they turn crisp and golden- almost potato chip-like on the exterior. Serve with a juicy burger or fish and some ketchup, of course, on the side.

Smashed Roasted Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. small Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/6 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes, until a knife slides through easily. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.  Place potatoes on the baking sheet and using a potato masher, smash each potato gently. Season with kosher salt and pepper; drizzle with half of the oil. Carefully turn potatoes to coat.

3. Roast in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Drizzle with remaining oil, turn to coat, and continue roasting until crispy and golden brown, another 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes). Serve immediately.

Serves 3-4.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

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