Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Beef Chili

1 slice white bread (‘good quality’)

¼ cup milk
1 pound beef
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, minced
¼ cup chili powder
¼ cup tomato paste
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
28 ounce can tomato puree
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce

Mix bread, milk and beef in a bowl until uniform. Set aside.

In 12 inch skillet combine oil, onions, chili powder, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium low heat for 8-10 minutes. The vegetables should become soft. Add to the slow cooker.

Add the beef to empty skillet and cook until the pink is gone (break it up into smaller pieces as you stir it around). Add to the slow cooker.  Add the tomato puree and scrape up the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Add to the slow cooker.

Add the rest of the ingredients and set on LOW for 6-8 hours. Adjust with salt and pepper and serve with cilantro, sour cream, freshly minced onion/tomato, and avocado.

The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Fluffy Frosting

Fluffy Frosting

3 tablespoon all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening
4 tablespoons sugar 

Combine flour and milk in a blender and whiz until combined well. Add to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it starts to boil - be sure to stir constantly. Remove into a container and add vanilla. Cover and let cool completely in the fridge.

Beat butter and shortening until fluffy. Add the flour mixture and beat for 5 minutes. I do this in stand mixer and really crank up the speed.

Fill a pastry bag with frosting and frost the cupcakes.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread
1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) soft whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5-6 large very ripe bananas that have been frozen and thawed out
1 banana, not too ripe (for the top)
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, plus a little for the top

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 F.

Peel the skin off the bananas and place it in the fine mesh strainer over a bowl. You a spoon to push as much liquid as possible out of the bananas. Take out 1 cup of banana mush.

Transfer banana juice to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons.

Add the banana syrup to the mush. Add the oil, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients on top and mix until just combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into thin slices. Shingle banana slices on top of both side of loaf. Sprinkle sugar evenly over loaf.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Store at room temperature for a couple of days or freezer for up to a month.

If bananas are not frozen, peel them and put in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, make a couple of holes and microwave for 4 minutes. Drain and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Chocolate Mousse

Here are two version of chocolate mousse. I think that the one made with only egg whites is a little bit better, but they are both airy and delicious. If doing the pasteurized egg whites method, then you have to buy egg whites that whip up. Not all the pasteurized eggs whip up. I find that the brand (Eggology) whips up. If using these, be sure to give them a really good shake.

Chocolate Mousse

If using pasteurized egg whites, then this is the ingredient list
4 ounces dark chocolate (115 grams), chopped fine
¼ cup heavy cream, any fat
¼ teaspoon espresso powder, optional

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

4 egg whites (1/2 cup), pasteurized

1 teaspoon sugar

Combine chocolate, heavy cream, espresso powder, and cocoa powder in a large glass bowl (heat proof). Set over a pan of simmering water (double boiler) and stir until the chocolate melts.

Whip up the egg whites with 1 teaspoon of sugar until the whites look like shaving cream in another large (CLEAN and DRY) bowl.

Mix ¼ of the egg whites into the chocolate and then fold in the rest until the mixture is uniform color.

Divide among dishes (or leave it in the bowl and then just scoop it out) and chill until firm. Bring to room temperature and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

If using raw egg whites, then this is the ingredient list

4 ounces dark chocolate (115 grams), chopped fine

1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water, divided
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt chocolate, heavy cream and 2 teaspoons water over double boiler. Remove and set aside.

Combine the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoons sugar in a METAL bowl (glass will take too long to heat the eggs). Stir well to combine. Bring 1 inch of water in a skillet to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Set the bowl in the skillet and whisk the mixture quickly until it reaches 165 F ('bugs' are killed at 160 F but I bring it up a little higher just to make sure). Remove and whip until the consistency of soft whipped cream with a hand held mixer.

Mix ¼ of the egg mixture into the chocolate and then fold in the rest until the mixture is uniform color.

Divide among dishes (or leave it in the bowl and then just scoop it out) and chill until firm. Bring to room temperature and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Whipped Cream
Whip heavy cream (without sugar) in a  bowl until soft peaks or consistency of shaving cream. I do not add sugar because the mousse is sweet.

Twinkies

Twinkies at the store are full of chemicals and are a scary to eat. I wanted to make something that I can give to my kids when they ask for store bought Twinkies at the store.

Twinkies
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare 12 cup muffin pan by coating with shortening, set aside. Be sure to coat inside the cups and the top of the pan as well.

Separate the eggs. You want the egg whites to be in a very clean bowl with no sign of yolk or fat in it. You will have 2 egg yolks left over.

Combine flour, ½ cup sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine 3 egg yolks, juice, oil and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet and combine well.

Beat 5 egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add ¼ cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks.

Mix 1/3 of the meringue into the batter and then fold in the rest until no streaks form. Divide the batter between muffin cups (they should be full almost to the brim - may have a little batter left over) and bake at 325 F and bake for 25 minutes.

Filling
3 tablespoon all purpose flour
3/4 cup almond milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons shortening
6 tablespoons sugar

Combine flour, sugar and milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thick paste forms. Be sure to stir constantly. Remove into a container and add vanilla. Cover and let cool completely.

Beat butter and shortening until fluffy. Add the flour mixture and beat for 5 minutes. Fill a pastry bag with frosting (use star tip). Jam the tip into the cake center and squeeze until the sides just start to bulge. 

Store in a covered container at in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.

Makes 12 cakes

Truffles

I made these truffles for my birthday. I adapted the recipe from America's Test Kitchen. They don't look like the traditional truffles that are rolled in cocoa powder. I wanted to make something 'fancier', but you can skip the tempered chocolate coating and just roll them in cocoa powder.

Ganache
4.5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped coarse
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoons Cognac , dark rum, Grand Marnier, Framboise, Kirsch, Frangelico, Amaretto, Kahlua, or port

Chocolate Coating
5 ounces dark chocolate

To make the ganache, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. While the chocolate is melting, microwave heavy cream, butter and honey until the butter melts. Let the cream mixture cool for a couple of minutes and then add it to the melted chocolate. Add the liquor and stir until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes.

Using a hand held mixer, whip the mixture until it becomes slightly lighter in color (about 30 seconds). Refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes.

Line a plate with plastic wrap and scoop out the ganache with a spoon (I like to use 2 teaspoon spring loaded cookie/ice cream spoon). Refrigerate for 15 minutes and roll the balls between palms to make them a little smoother. Refrigerate until hard.

Temper the chocolate. Here is how...

Grate 1 ounce of chocolate on small side of a grater and set aside.

Coarsely chop 4 ounces of chocolate and place into a steel proof bowl. Place over barely simmering water and stir until about 1/3 of chocolate melts.

Remove, stir and check the temperature. Place over the water for a couple of seconds and check the temperature again. Continue to do this until the chocolate reaches 110-115 F.

Move to another bowl and stir until the chocolate drops to 95-100 F. Add a tablespoon of the finely chopped chocolate and stir. When that chocolate gets melted, add another tablespoon and stir. Continue until the temperature drops to 89 F. You may not use all of the chocolate.
 
To make the truffles, remove the chilled truffles from the fridge. Drop a truffle into the chocolate, roll it around and take it out with a fork. Tap the fork a couple of times on the edge of the bowl and drop the truffle on parchment or wax paper. Repeat with the rest. Refrigerate until set up and then move to a sealed container. Store in the fridge for up to a week. Let the truffle 'warm up' for 20 minutes or so at room temperature before eating one out of the fridge.

Baked Brie with Garlic, Almonds and Butter

One of my school buddies was talking about this recipe. I had to try it and it turned out delicious. I like to use a lot of garlic, 3 heads!

Baked Brie with Garlic, Almonds and Butter

8 ounces brie

2-3 heads of garlic, peeled and sliced thin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

French bread

olive oil for drizzling

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Slice the bread and brush the top with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Toast the bread at 350 F until crusty on the outside, but soft on the inside.

While the bread is toasting, place the brie in a small baking dish. Scatter the butter and garlic around the brie. Place the brie in the center of the oven and bake until the brie melts.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with almonds. Arrange the bread around and use it to scoop out the yummy goo while it is warm. Store leftovers in the fridge and microwave for a couple of seconds to melt everything again.