Mexican Rice Cassarole

 ONE POT MEXICAN RICE CASSEROLE

1 Pound Ground Beef

1 Small Onion, Diced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Cup Long Grain White Rice

1 1/2 Cups Beef Broth

1 15 Ounce Can Corn, Drained

8 Ounces Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Salsa

1 Cup Shredded Cheese

Cook the ground beef and onion together with salt and pepper to taste in a large skillet over medium high heat until beef is no longer pink. Drain grease if necessary.

Return the pan to the stove and sprinkle the beef with the garlic powder and taco seasoning.

Stir in the rice, broth, corn, tomato sauce, and salsa.

Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 18-20 minutes until rice is tender.

Top with cheese and return the lid to the pan for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.

Honey Cinnamon Butter

 Honey Cinnamon Butter

1/2 cup Butter, room temperature (do not soften in microwave)

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 T Honey

1/2 t Vanilla

1 1/2 t Cinnamon

1/8 t Salt

Mix together and refrigerate until using.

My Christmas Ham & Glaze

I made a 10# pre-cooked spiral cut ham.  I placed it flat side down on a rack on top of a cookie pan and covered with Reynolds Wrap and cooked it at 325 for approximately 12-15 minutes per pound and until it reaches 140 (watch closely). Raise the temp to 425 and Glaze the ham.

Glaze:

3T Dijon Mustard

3/4 c Pineapple Juice

1 cup Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 c honey

1 t cinnamon

1 t cloves

When this comes to a boil, turn down to a simmer until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon.  Brush on the glaze getting some of it on each side of each slice of ham.  Reserve the rest to add to your ham at the table.

Paris Brest Dessert by Jacques Pepin

 PASTRY

3/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

CHOCOLATE CREAM

3/4 cup milk

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into 1-inch pieces

GARNISH

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar

(6-8 servings)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

THE PASTRY

Combine the milk, butter, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the flour in one stroke, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Then place back over the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 seconds, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the dough to a food processor and let cool for 10 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and mix them well with a fork. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg for use as a glaze. Pour the remaining eggs into the processor bowl and process for 20 to 30 seconds, until the eggs are well incorporated and the dough is smooth.

Line a cookie sheet with a nonstick baking mat, or use a nonstick cookie sheet. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip. Pipe a ring with an outside circumference of 8 inches on the cookie sheet. Pipe another circle of dough inside and another on top of the rings until you have used all the dough and have a circle that is 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches high with a hole in the center that measures about 5 inches across. Do not start and end the dough circles in the same spot, since this can cause the pastry to open at the seam during baking.

Brush the dough with the reserved tablespoon of egg. Using a fork, mark the surface and sides of the dough, running the tines of the fork gently around the circle to create a cross-hatch effect. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35 minutes, or until browned. (If the pastry begins to brown excessively, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.) Turn the oven off and let the pastry remain in the oven for 30 minutes with the door partially open to evaporate some of the moisture. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before removing from the cookie sheet.

THE CHOCOLATE CREAM

Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, combine the yolks and sugar in a bowl, mixing them with a whisk for about 30 seconds. Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and mix it in with the whisk. Pour the boiling milk in on top of the egg yolk mixture and mix it in well with a whisk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil, mixing constantly with the whisk. Boil for about 10 seconds, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and is incorporated into the pastry cream. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let cool, then refrigerate until chilled.

THE GARNISH

Whip the cream, rum, and sugar in a bowl until stiff. Refrigerate until ready to use.

TO FINISH THE CAKE

Use a sharp knife to remove a 1/2-inch-thick horizontal slice, or “lid,” from the top; set it aside. Using a spoon, spread the chocolate cream in the bottom of the pastry round, pressing it gently into the cavities of the pastry. Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip, and pipe the cream on top of the chocolate cream. It should come at least 1 inch above the rim of the cake.

Cut the pastry lid into 8 to 10 equal pieces, and reassemble them in order on top of the pastry to make it easy to cut into portions. Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar. (The pastry can be assembled a few hours ahead and refrigerated.) At serving time, using the separations on the lid as guides, cut through the bottom half of the pastry, and arrange on individual dessert plates.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Healthy Smoothie

 Probiotic Banana Smoothie

1 Banana

1 cup Yogurt with active cultures

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

6 ice cubes

Whirl in blender til smooth.

Enjoy

Healthy Breakfast Bowl

Probiotic breakfast bowls

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 and 3/4 cups of water
• kosher salt
• 1 medium avocado
• 2 medium scallions
• 2 tbsp of olive oil, divided
• 4 packed cups or 4 ounces of baby spinach
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup of fermented red cabbage or beet kraut
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

Directions

1.    Rinse 1 cup of quinoa and put it in a medium saucepan. Add 1 and 3/4 cups water and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes until the quinoa is tender. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steam for 5 minutes.

2.    Slice 1 avocado and 2 medium scallions into thin slices.

3.    Heat 1 and 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the 4 packed cups of baby spinach and cook, stirring often for 1–2 minutes until wilted. Divide the spinach between 4 bowls and clean the pan.

4.    Heat another 1 and 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Add 4 large eggs and season each with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes until the edges are crisp and the whites are set.

5.    Divide the quinoa between the bowls and top each with a fried egg. Divide 1 cup of purple kraut, the avocado slices and scallions, 1 cup of Greek yogurt among the bowls.

Tea Party Cucumber Sandwiches

 Cucumber and Lemony Dill Cream Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices good-quality white bread*
1/3 large English seedless cucumber (about 4 inches), thinly sliced
*Cook's Note: Can cut off the bread crusts, if desired.
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, fresh dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Lay the slices of bread on your work service and distribute the cream cheese evenly among each slice, spreading into a thin layer. Arrange the cucumber slices in rows over 3 slices of the bread. Top with the remaining bread, and cut into quarters so there are 4 pieces from each sandwich. Serve immediately.