Texas Sheet Cake

3/4 LB butter

4 TBS cocoa

1 Cup water

2 Cups flour

2 Cups sugar

1/2 Cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

ICING:

1/2 Cup butter

4 TBS cocoa

6 TBS milk

1 lb powdered sugar

1-1 1/2 Cups pecans chopped

1 tsp vanilla

 Melt and bring to boil butter, cocoa and water.  Sift together flour and sugar.  Pour hot mixture into sugar mixture then add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla.  Mix well.  Pour into long cookie sheet with sides and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.  Prepare icing while cake bakes.  In sauce pan bring to boil butter, cocoa and milk; add powdered sugar and beat in; add pecans and vanilla.  Pour over cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Let cool and serve.

Herbed Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Salad

  7 cups mixed greens

 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
 1 large avocado, sliced
 8 ounces burrata
 2 ears of corn
 1 pound chicken breasts
 5 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked
 salt + pepper
 Olive or avocado oil
 Fresh basil + rosemary, small bunch of both

1 | Start by seasoning your chicken with salt, pepper, and rosemary to taste. Then grill until cooked all the way through, approximately 12 minutes on each side. While your chicken is cooking shuck your corn and coat in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Throw the corn on the grill for about 5 minutes, rotating continually. Just long enough to get grill marks.

2 | Once the chicken is done let it rest and cut the corn kernels off the cob and set aside.

3 | Now you can start by assembling your salad. Place the washed greens in a bowl. Add the sliced chicken, tomatoes, avocado, corn, bacon, and burrata. Drizzle a little avocado oil and season with salt + pepper.

4 | Serve the dressing on the side + enjoy!

BASIL + ROSEMARY BACON DRESSING
– 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
– 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
– 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
– 2-3 tablespoons honey
– 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
– 1 tablespoon fresh basil
– 1 strip of bacon
– 1 tablespoon leftover bacon grease, cooled a bit
– salt + pepper to taste

1 | Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve alongside the salad and store any leftover dressing in the fridge for up to one week.

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

 4 Quarts popcorn - popped

1 cube Butter

1 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup Karo Syrup

1 TBS vnailla

few shakes salt

Put popped popcorn in brown paper bag that has been sprayed with Pam.  Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil.  Take off heat and add 1/2 tsp soda.  mix well.  Pour over top of the popcorn.  Roll up the bag and microwave one minute on high.  Shake bag.  Microwave one minute on high - Shake Bag.  Microwave 30 seconds on high - Shake bag.  Microwave 20 seconds on high and Shake bag
.  Pour out onto cookie sheet and let cool. 

Caramel Popcorn

Equal amounts of the following 5 ingredients:

white sugar
brown sugar
butter
Karo Syrup
Sweetened condensed milk

Combine in sauce pan and cook until soft ball stage.  Pop popcorn removing all kernels.  Put in a bowl and pour hot caramel over popcorn.  Let cool and harden.

Slow Cooker Smothered Beef Tips

 INGREDIENTS

Beef:

• 3 pounds tri tip or sirloin beef roast. cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, avocado oil or canola/vegetable oil
• 1 cup diced onions
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 cups beef broth or beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch dried thyme

Gravy:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Season the beef pieces on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet until hot and rippling. Add some of the beef in a single layer, not touching, and cook for 30 seconds or so until golden, flip and brown on the other side. Transfer beef to the insert of 6-quart slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef, adding additional oil, if needed (let it heat up before adding more beef pieces).
2. Once the beef has all been browned and transferred to the slow cooker, add the onions to the skillet set over medium heat. If the skillet is dry, add a teaspoon or so of oil.
3. Cook the onions for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the beef broth or stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer, scraping up bottom of pan.
4. Pour mixture into the slow cooker with the beef. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or 4-5 hours on high until beef is tender.
5. Transfer the beef to a dish and cover to keep warm. At this point you can strain the liquid in the slow cooker to remove any solids/onions or use as is for the gravy. You should have about 3-4 cups of liquid.
6. For the gravy, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until bubbling (it's ok if it browns slightly). Add the reserved liquid from the slow cooker about one cup at a time, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps.
7. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in the red wine vinegar and season to taste with additional salt and pepper, to taste. If the mixture is too thin, stir together equal parts softened butter and flour until smooth and quickly whisk into simmering gravy. If the mixture is too thick, thin with additional beef broth.
8. Add the beef pieces back to the slow cooker or to a serving dish and pour the gravy over the top. Serve over mashed potatoes with fresh parsley (optional).

Brioche

Ingredients
1 kg bread flour 2.2 pounds or 7 1/2 Cups
400 grams sugar (2 cups)
5 eggs
250 ml Warm Whole Milk (1 cup)
3 packages of yeast (7 grams each)
pinch of salt
80 ml sunflower oil (1/3 Cup)
80-100 grams butter (1/2 Cup) - unsalted - Pulgra or President
(Available at Tropicana)
Raisins if desired (rinsed)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 TBS lemon zest

Directions
For the greatest success make the dough in a warm room - 82 degrees plus. Have all the ingredients at room temperature and be careful of drafts. Sift the flour twice. Place flour into a large bowl and make a well in it. Reserve 1-2 Cups of the flour for incorporating during the mixing. In a separate bowl begin to proof the yeast by placing yeast in the milk that has been warmed to around 95 degrees. Add 1 TBS of the flour and ½ tsp of sugar to the milk mixture to feed the yeast. Add the remaining sugar and the pinch of salt into the bowl with the flour. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Crack the 5 eggs into the well of the dry ingredients and slowly begin to incorporate the eggs and flour. Work the dough slowly with a wooden spoon in one direction. Add the yeast mixture. Add the vanilla and the lemon zest. Melt the butter and combine with the oil. Add this butter mixture several tablespoons at a time. Knead until small bubbles appear. You will not use all the butter mixture or all the flour but keep for additional steps. The dough is a
soft dough but shouldn’t be too sticky because of the butter. Place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and then a towel. To hasten the proofing process you can heat the oven to 100 degrees, turn off the oven and place your bowl in the oven. Let double in size, about 1 ½ hours. Butter your loaf pans with the remaining butter and dust with flour. Punch down dough and incorporate more butter. Divide dough into three equal balls. Separate each of those balls into three even
balls by greasing your hands with the butter and continue to work it into the dough. Roll each ball to a 16" x 6" rectangle. Roll the rectangle up longwise. Do this with all three pieces of the dough. Bread in a Dutch braid pattern. Place dough, being careful to tuck under the ends into
the loaf pan. Repeat with other loaves. Drizzle with butter. Let the dough raise (in the oven if preferred) until double in size (takes about 30-40 minutes). Make an egg wash with 2 eggs and a tablespoon of milk. Brush on the raised loaves. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 325 on lower rack for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes three large loafs

Cabbage Rolls

I had the wonderful opportunity to learn to make Cabbage Rolls from my wonderful neighbors from Bulgaria.  It was a beautiful day - they were so generous and I learned so much from utilizing everything you have to exquisite technique. 

Enjoy pictures from the day below!!

Vegetable Filling
Ingredients
3 TBS sunflower oil (Zergut - available at Tropicana market)
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves chopped garlic
300 ml (1 1/4 - 2 Cups) rice
300 ml (1 1/4 - 2 Cups) chicken stock
1 TBS sweet paprika
2-3 TBS combination of fresh and dried mint
1/3 Cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 Cup Canned tomatoes
1 TBS kosher salt then salt and pepper to taste after cooking

Directions
Add sunflower oil to the pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for several minutes. Add rice and cook until rice is browned. Add herbs, seasoning and tomatoes. Warm chicken stock and add to the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10
minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. Let cool. While mixture is cooling prepare the grape leaves - rinse and remove stems. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the filling in each grape leaf. Roll nice and tight. Prepare large pot by placing several layers of grape leaves on the
bottom of the pan. Place finished rolls tightly in the pot. Layer as needed. Place several more grape leaves on top. Place a plate on top of the rolls for condensing pressure. Add hot water (use the fry pan that was used for filling to warm the water to make sure you get every drop of flavor). Use just enough water to cover the rolls. Bring to a boil. Put lid on, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meat Filling
Ingredients
2 TBS sunflower oil
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 pounds ground lamb/pork or hamburger
2 Cups rice
2 Cups water
1/2 Cup tomato paste (Greek - available at Tropicana market)
1 TBS sweet paprika
2-3 TBS combination of fresh and dried mint
1/3 Cup fresh chopped parlsey
1 TBS kosher salt then Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Add sunflower oil to the pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for several minutes. Add ground meat and cook until it has just lost pink color. Add rice and cook until rice is browned. Add herbs, seasoning and tomato paste. Heat the water and add to
the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. Let cool. While mixture is cooling prepare the cabbage leaves - rinse and cut out stems. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the filling in each cabbage leaf. Roll nice and tight. Prepare the pot by placing several layers of grape leaves on the bottom of the pan. Place finished rolls tightly in the pot. Layer as needed. Place several more grape leaves on top. Place a plate on top of the rolls for condensing pressure. Add hot water and several tablespoons of pomegranate molasses to the pot (use the fry pan that was used to make filling to warm the water to make sure you get every drop of flavor). Use just enough water to cover the rolls. Bring to a boil. Put lid on, reduce heat and simmer for 30- 40 minutes.