Vanilla & Cinnamon Sunflower Butter

It's always fun to make your own nut butters at home.  I try to stick with sunflower butters now, because using peanuts of other nuts are too hard on my food processor.  Sunflower seeds are much gentler.  This sunflower butter is infused with vanilla bean and roasted cinnamon.  This was good- I used salted sunflower seeds though, and it was a little too salty because of this.  Next time, I would use non-salted (and add a pinch of salt) or just lightly salted.  And, do not add any additonal salt if using salted seeds!  Another fun recipe to try is this Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter. 



Vanilla & Cinnamon Sunflower Butter

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

2 cups / 225 g raw sunflower seeds*
1/4 cup / 60 ml sunflower oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more as needed (do NOT add salt if using salted seeds)
2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste (OR seeds scraped from 2 vanilla beans)
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I used roasted)
zest of 1/2 a lemon, or to taste, optional

1.  Toast the sunflower seeds in a 325F / 165C oven, on a rimmed baking sheet, until fragrant and golden.  Stir them once or twice to ensure even roasting. Let cool for ten minutes.

2.  Puree the seeds in a food processor along with 1 tablespoon sunflower oil, and the sea salt (if using). As the motor runs drizzle in another 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Scrape down the sides once or twice along the way, you're aiming for an even, creamy consistency, and it may take some time. Once the mixture starts to look smooth, add the vanilla paste and cinnamon, and pulse to incorporate. At this point, evaluate the consistency, if your sunflower seed butter is on the thick side, drizzle in the remaining tablespoon of oil while the processor is running. Taste, and add more salt if needed (and the lemon zest. if using), as well.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups / 380 g.

*If sunflower seeds are already roasted, skip this step.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**



One Pot Stovetop Mac & Cheese

I made this a while ago, like maybe two months ago?  It was a fun little experiment one day for lunch while the kids were home.  Only half of the kids really liked it, so I probably won't do it again, but I thought it was pretty good, and it actually worked!  You just boil macaroni noodles in milk until it is all absorbed and the noodles are tender, then stir in your cheese.  Read the original post over at White on Rice because there are a lot of helpful tidbits over there. 

One Pot Stovetop Mac & Cheese

adapted from White on Rice Couple

2 cups large elbow Macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb)
2 cups low fat Milk (about 16 oz) , or more if needed **if more is needed, additional 1/4 cup milk at a time for final cooking.
1 tablespoon Butter, for flavor
1/2 teaspoon Mustard powder
1/2-1 teaspoon Salt, plus additional for final season later
1 cup Grated Cheese, any one or combination of ( jack, cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, gouda, parmesan*, asiago*, pecorino*) *Hard cheeses are best combined with a secondary, softer, better melting cheese. Cheese varies in flavor and salt level too!
black pepper to taste (optional)
additional toppings: bacon bits, bread crumbs, chopped parsley, diced tomatoes (optional)

1.  Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.

2. In medium-large sauce pan (about 3.5 qt), add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, and mustard powder. 

3. On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove stop.

4. Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW.  Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly!

5. Continue to stir the mixture frequently so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly. If you don't stir your mixture frequently, you will get a big clump of macaroni in the end! Keep stirring! 

6. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed.  **If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water to mixture ( in small amounts) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes.

7. When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the cheese evenly into the macaroni.

8. Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.

9. Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.  Serve immediately.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Cranberry-Poppy Seed Almond Quick Bread

This is a fun, festive bread for the Christmas season.  My husband and I loved it, and when my baby had his first taste, he started clapping.  My other kids didn't really want to try it, but oh well.  Our family made caramels and fudge last night; very fun!  Merry Christmas!



Cranberry-Poppy Seed Almond Quick Bread
adapted from Taste of Home

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed and chopped

Icing:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, butter, vanilla and almond extracts. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries.

2.  Pour into a greased and floured 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over cooled loaf. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Peppermint Kiss Cookies

Are you getting tired of all the festive sugar yet?  I am.  I made these last week and gave most away.  Last night, the kids and I decorated Gingerbread Men, too, but I won't get around to posting those.  They were good, but I just don't love gingerbread men, because of the molasses, I think.  The kids loved it though.  I brought the majority to the school for the kids to enjoy.  The kids helped me make these Peppermint Kiss cookies, as well.  They made sure they were really, REALLY coated in sugar.  Like, no bare spots at all.  And they insisted we use both red AND green sugar.  They also unwrapped the candy and stuck it on.  Fun times for all! 

Peppermint Kiss Cookies

adapted from Hershey's

48 Hershey's Kisses Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine , softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar

1.  Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from candies.

2.  Beat butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

3.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar or a combination of any of the sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press a candy piece into center of each cookie.  (Can set cookies sheets in the freezer at this point so candy doesn't melt.)  Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Peppermint Meringue Trees

I thought my kids would get a kick out of these.  They did, but only one of them actually wanted to EAT one of them!  I have no idea why, they all just love meringues.  Maybe the tree shape freaked them out.  I thought these were pretty cool though!  I had 4 egg whites sitting in my fridge leftover from making Peppermint Ice Cream, so I gave these a go. 

Instead of Legos like the original blogger used, I busted out my old Mud Dolls from Spain to take a whimsical Flamenco dancing session among the Peppermint Trees. 

Well, I've got to run- school parties to attend, groceries to get, more and more holiday food to be made, plus dinner.  Do we really still need to eat dinner every night??!  Merry Christmas!

Peppermint Meringue Trees

adapted from Leanne Bakes

4 eggs whites

1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp tartar
1/8 teaspoon of mint extract
a couple of drops of green food coloring
Rolos, unwrapped
1/4 cup powdered sugar

1.  Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment, and heat the oven to 200F.

2.  Very gently, heat the egg whites, sugar, and tartar in the top of a double boiler, whisking just until the sugar has dissolved.  Pour into a (very very) clean bowl of a stand mixer, and add the mint. Beat on medium for a few minutes, and then add the food colouring. It’s okay if it’s quite dark green at this point – it will lighten up considerably.  Beat on medium high (I had my Kitchen Aid at about 6 or 7) until stiff peaks form.

3.  Using a large star tip, pipe the meringue into tree shapes, about an inch or two wide, directly onto the parchment.  Bake for 2 hours, and allow them to cool inside the oven.

4.  When you’re ready to serve, gently sprinkle powdered sugar onto the serving platter. Place Rolos down as tree stumps, and plop the meringue trees on top. Gently sprinkle more icing sugar over top.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **



Giant Peppermint-White Chocolate Cookie

This was what I made my husband on his birthday, instead of cake.  I also made some White Chocolate-Peppermint Ice Cream to top it off with.  It was a delicious combination!  I do want to try this recipe as individual cookies sometime, but no time for that this year!  :)



Giant Peppermint-White Chocolate Cookie

adapted from Closet Cooking

1/2 cup butter, room temp

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

1/2 cup peppermint candy cane, crushed (crush 4-5 canes inside a ziplock, using a meat mallet)

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a 10 or 11-inch pie or tart pan with parchment.  Grease the sides of the pan. 

2.  Mix the butter and sugars in a bowl.  Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.  Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl.  Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.  Mix in the chocolate and the peppermint candy cane.

3.  Spread dough into prepared pan.  Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden brown, about 12-20 minutes.  Test for doneness- underbake just slightly so it is soft and chewy.  Let cool and serve with ice cream.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Slow Cooker Eggnog Steel-Cut Oatmeal

After the tragic events of last Friday, I've been spending even more quality time with my babies.  We had a wonderful warm and cozy homemade pizza party on Saturday night with a movie.  (I majorly burned my hand on a hot cast-iron skillet, but I'm happy to say that it's much better now.)  We went Christmas shopping together as a family.  I made sure to give them multiple hugs and "I Love You's" before sending them off to school today.  We talked with them about what to do in scary situations where they may be away from us.  I even accompanied my 6-year old into the bathroom (he is really scared to be in the bathroom alone, for some reason) for multiple drinks of water and didn't complain.  I realize I complain entirely too much about doing things like that and I need to do better. 

Even though I am so sad about what happened, I'm still trying to find ways to enjoy life and be happy.  I've been listening to this new-ish, upbeat song by Keane and really love it. 

Onto this heart-warming recipe:  this is a warm and comforting oatmeal that any eggnog-person should love; if they also love oatmeal, that is!  My kids aren't huge oatmeal fans so my husband and I ate this for breakfast.  Actually, I made this the day before my husband's birthday so he could eat it for his birthday breakfast.  Like other slow cooker oatmeals, I made this during the day, stuck it in the fridge, and then warmed up individual servings each morning. 

Other steel-cut slow cooker oatmeal recipes: Peaches & Cream and Pumpkin (or Sweet Potato).  I also have a Dulce de Leche version ready to blog about, some other time.  And I want to try an Apple-Cinnamon version that another cooking friend made.  :) 

Slow Cooker Eggnog Steel-Cut Oatmeal

by What a Dish!

1 cup steel-cut oats

1 cup eggnog

1 can (12oz) evaporated milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup almond milk (or cow's milk)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon rum extract, to taste

1/4-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, to taste

1 Tablespoon vanilla sugar (or regular sugar + some vanilla extract)

pinch salt

1.  Spray the inside of crock pot with non-stick spray.  In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Pour into crock pot, and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until oats are done, liquid is absorbed, and mixture is creamy.  Taste and add additional rum extract or nutmeg.

2.  Store in the fridge, covered, and microwave individual servings as needed.  Serve drizzled with eggnog and fresh-grated nutmeg.  :) 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **



Cream Cheese, Chicken & Veggie Soup

This soup was easy to make and very good.  My husband LOVED it.  I made this a while ago and he still talks about it.  I used a grocery store rotisserie chicken for this.  I removed all the meat, chopped it and set it aside, and then boiled the bones to make the broth to use in the recipe.  Other options are using leftover chicken or turkey from another meal, or just use raw chicken and cook it along with the veggies & broth.

                                

Cream Cheese, Chicken & Veggie Soup

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, un-peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular OR light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1.  In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer* and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

2.  In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn.

3.  Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty. I usually place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for one minute at 30% power. Make sure it is really, really soft so it doesn’t leave lumps in the soup. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

*If using raw chicken, add it now.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Homemade Sea Salt

This is a project my husband and I have been wanting to do for over a year now.  A friend posted about this back then; she had found instructions on Not Without Salt.  After talking about making it, and never doing it, my husband finally stopped to gather some sea water last weekend and started making salt with it right away.  He actually did this all by himself on a Saturday while I was busy with other things.  I saw him doing it, and then the day before yesterday, made a batch all by myself while everyone was at school/work.  It was so fun, and amazing that you can make salt out of only some ocean water! 

We gathered the water from a secluded, non-populated, rocky beach, pictured above.  My husband is a science guy, and he knew we should visit a beach that was not part of a bay, since bays can trap pollution and other contaminants.  The water here in the Azores always looks so clean and crystal clear anyway.  And when we brought it home and he filtered it, there was hardly anything to get caught in our filter.  (To filter, we used a cloth yogurt- cheese making bag.  But one can use anything set over a strainer- a few layers of cheesecloth, paper towels, coffee filters, even a clean kitchen towel.)

After filtering, you boil the clean sea water on the stove until it drastically reduces (by about 4/5 of the original volume), and you are left visible salt crystals suspended in very little water.

 

After that step, you just want to transfer to a glass or ceramic oven-safe vessel and gently dry it out in the oven.  We used our convection oven setting, which is perfect for this, because it blows out hot air and cooks and dries at the same time.  Don't bake at too high of a temperature, or you will scorch the salt.  You can bake until most of the water is gone and then let it air-dry overnight, if you want.  Here, we have so much humidity that the salt actually absorbs MORE moisture if left out overnight, unless we turn our dehumidifiers on.  So that is an option, too- leave out overnight with a dehumidifier.  That way you dry it out without scorching it.  (Photo below is of salt drying in the oven- you can still see a little water left at this point). 

Have fun with this-it's so cool to make, and the kids love getting involved, as well! Our 8-year old LOVES anything science and helped my husband with the whole process.  Our 6-year old kept saying how we were going to "save so much money" because we didn't have to buy salt at the store anymore!!  Ha ha.  And last night, he tried roasted cauliflower for the first time ever because he knew I used "Daddy's Sea Salt" on it.  He tried it, LOVED it, and ate only that for dinner, even though we were having other things he really liked. 

You can use sea salt for almost any food, but here are some ideas to get you started.  My fave out of that list- Sea Salt Caramels. 

Homemade Azorean Sea Salt

adapted from Not Without Salt, and other places on the Web

fresh ocean or sea water (easiest to work with 1-2 liters at a time)

a filtering device- cheesecloth, kitchen towels, coffee filters, etc

fine mesh strainer

big pot

ceramic or glass baking dish (not too large)

1.  When gathering your sea water, try to keep the following in mind.  Sea Water for this is best when it comes from an isolated, non-populated, open beach, so, not a bay or lagoon, etc.  Try to find a clean beach, obviously.  Gather a few gallons, if possible; you want to have enough on hand.

2.  At home, set up your filtering device and filter 1-2 liters of water.  My husband just suspended my yogurt-cheese making bag from a pitcher and poured the water through that into the pitcher, then poured it into the pot.  When I made sea salt a few days later, I simply got out the pot I was going to be using, set a fine-mesh strainer over it, and set a clean kitchen towel over that.  I poured the sea water directly into my pot through the filter and was ready to start boiling. 

3.  Boil your filtered water until it reduces to only about 1/5 of the original volume, and you have just a little bit of water with visible salt crystals suspended.  I just boiled on the highest setting on my (induction) stove.  It took less than an hour to reduce enough.  By the time my baby and I had eaten lunch and I had cleaned the kitchen, it was done boiling. 

4.  Transfer everything to a small-ish glass or ceramic oven-safe dish.  Using convection if possible (or just a regular oven), bake at about 250 degrees for 30-60 minutes.  Check on it frequently; you do not want to scorch it.  Bake until all the water has evaporated.  Only salt crystals should remain when you're done.  Let the salt cool.  You can then break it up into smaller crystals or just leave as-is.  (We got a lot of flaky crystals.)  Store in an airtight container. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Homemade Magic Shell

This was delicious and easy, and the kids were so excited about it.  I've seen recipes online here and there over the last few years and kind of combined them to make this treat.  I melted semisweet chocolate chips, butter, and virgin coconut oil together.  About 60 seconds after drizzling onto ice cream, it forms a hardened chocolate shell.

Homemade Magic Shell
adapted from Picky Palate, Food.com, and other sites

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (milk choc. does not work as well)
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

1.  In a heavy saucepan (or a double boiler) over the lowest heat, melt all ingredients together, stirring often.  If mixture is too thick to drizzle, add more coconut oil until it thins out.  Vigorous whisking helps, as well.  :) 

2.  Drizzle over scoops of ice cream.  Wait about a minute for a hard shell to form, then enjoy.  Leftover sauce warms up great in the microwave.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Chocolate "Gingerbread Men" Cut-Outs

First, I have to say that these cookies are not Gingerbread at all.  There is no ginger or molasses- these are just plain sugar cookie cut-outs.  The kids had a day off of school and were begging to make Gingerbread men.  I don't like molasses, so I don't have any in the house, so I decided to just make chocolate men (and ladies) instead.  These were so good- the kids and I loved them, but they still want to make "real" gingerbread men.  So I guess I'll have to suck it up and buy some molasses, lol!  But these are a good sub if you don't have or like molasses.  The kids and I had a blast making and decorating these!

These cookies are very sturdy and thick.  They do not spread at all during baking, and that's due to some extra steps when making the dough.  Actually, I almost didn't make this particular recipe because the directions seemed too fussy.  But I wanted cookies that did not spread, so I went with it, and they turned out perfect!  I also got out the ruler when rolling these out, and rolled them out about 1/4 of an inch, which is really thicker than it seems.  I only baked them about 8 minutes, too; I took them out as soon as the surface of the cookies started to look dry.  Then I let them firm up on the baking sheet for a few minutes.  The resulting cookies were soft, a bit chewy, and sturdy at the same time.

Chocolate Cookie Cut-Outs

adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

1 cup (two US sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 scant cup cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

1.  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until just incorporated. Do not over-mix at this stage, or the cookies may spread while baking.  Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix again on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl intermittently as needed.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix on low speed until a dough is formed and there are no longer any streaks of butter in the mixing bowl. The dough will often clump around the paddle attachment while being mixed. This is normal and a good sign that your dough is the right consistency.

3.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4.  Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper and top with a second sheet. Roll dough into an oblong disc between the paper with a rolling pin. Transfer dough - wax paper and all - to a large cookie sheet.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

5.  Remove top sheet of wax paper and roll dough a little thinner (or you may roll dough between the sheets of wax paper.)  It should not be sticky, though. You may dust the surface lightly with flour if it is sticky, but not too much! You don’t want streaks of white flour baked onto your dark chocolate cookies. 

6.  Roll dough to a ¼-inch to ½ -inch thickness.  Cut out desired shapes from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Be careful not to stretch the cutout shapes or they will be distorted after baking.  Refrigerate the cutouts for 30 minutes. This will help the cookies maintain a crisp shape during baking.

7.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Decorate the cookies when completely cooled.  To decorate, we used homemade white frosting, some Christmas sprinkles, and mini M&M's.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Slow Cooker Beef Tacos

I loved this recipe.  It was so easy, and then so flavorful when it was done.  I need to make these again!  This is one I saw on Pinterest- there is some really good stuff on there.  :)  You just place a tough cut of beef, rubbed with spices, into a slow cooker with some veggies.  You don't have to sear it first or anything.  The recipe called for flank steak, but all that was available at the store that day was round steak, so I used that.  It was perfect.  I'm sure either one of those cuts would work.

Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
adapted from Eat Live Run

1-2 lbs round or flank steak
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

For Spice Rub:
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

For Serving:
small flour or corn tortillas (I lightly fried my flour tortillas in some canola oil)
avocado slices
fresh cilantro
your favorite salsa
sour cream
shredded cheese
limes

1.  Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over your flank steak—be generous here! Then, place your steak at the bottom of your crock pot.  Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours. (No need to add liquid.)

2.  After 8 hours, remove meat from crock pot and shred with a fork. It should be incredibly easy to shred. You can either stick the shredded meat back in the pot for another hour or serve as is.  Taste for salt- I like to add just a little and add more later, if needed.

3.  To serve, spoon some beef mixture onto a tortilla, then top with salsa, avocado, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Buttermilk Skillet Cake with Praline Topping

This cake was sooo delicious, and super easy to boot!!  The buttermilk cake itself is light, fluffy, and tender, and the topping is thick, gooey and caramel-like.  The nuts cut the sweetness just right.  I made this last month for a book club gathering.  (We read "These is My Words", which I highly recommend.  LOVED it!!  The book is set in Pioneer times, so I chose this rustic cake baked in a cast iron skillet.) 

I loved this cake so much that I'm having it as my birthday cake.  :)  Now I get to enjoy even more of it. 

Buttermilk Skillet Cake with Praline Topping
adapted from Joy the Baker

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
6 TB unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 buttermilk

Praline Topping:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
good pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1.  Preheat your oven to 375' F. Grease and flour an 10.5" cast iron skillet, along the bottom and up the sides.

2.  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.  In another medium bowl, with a stand or hand mixer, cream together the granulated sugar and butter until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and yolk, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between the two.  Beat in the vanilla.

3.  With the mixer on low, add half of the flour. Beat until incorporated. Add the buttermilk, and beat again until incorporated. Finally, beat in the remaining flour until almost fully incorporated. Stop beating and continue with a spatula to fully incorporate the flour. 

4.  Pour / spoon the batter into your prepared pan.  Smooth the batter in the pan evenly.  Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5.  While the cake is baking, make the Praline Topping:  Combine the brown sugar, butter, cream and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a soft boil and let boil for 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it, stirring frequently.  After 3 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts. Allow to set for about 20 minutes to thicken up a bit.  Spread over warm cake.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Lebanese Spaghetti with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce

I really loved this dish.  It's so easy, flavorful too, and not half bad for you!!  The sauce is make from thick & creamy Greek yogurt, flavored with garlic, cilantro, salt, and pine nuts.  So easy and good!  By the time your spaghetti is done boiling, the sauce should be ready to go.  Then, just mix and serve.  :) 

Lebanese Yogurt Cilantro Spaghetti
adapted from Taste of Beirut

8 ounces spaghetti (or other pasta-I used whole grain thin spaghetti)
4 cloves of garlic (more or less depending on taste)
kosher or sea salt, to taste
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, stems discarded, leaves chopped
olive oil, as needed
1/4 cup pine nuts, fried in a pat of butter
12-16 ounces plain yogurt, depending on how "saucy" you want it (I used Greek)

1.  Boil the spaghetti in lightly salted water until done.  Drain. 

2.  Meanwhile, with a mortar and pestle or small food processor, crush the garlic with salt and then add the cilantro.  Mash up or process in the food processor until combined well.  In a small skillet, heat some olive oil and quickly cook the garlic- cilantro mixture for 30 seconds or until fragrance is noticeable. 

3.  In a large serving bowl, mix the cilantro pesto with the yogurt, and then stir in the spaghetti.  Taste for salt.  Sprinkle on the pine nuts and serve. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Mexican Sweet Corn Cake

I LOVE the Sweet Corn Cake at Chevy's restaurant.  Well, I did love it, about 10 years ago, when I went there like one or two times, lol!!  I still remember how good it was though; my fave part of the meal.  I've been playing around with the idea of making it at home for a while, but I finally did when I spotted a recipe from Our Best Bites.  This stuff is gooood, and just like Chevy's!! 

For those who are not familiar, I think this is kind of like Spoon Bread, although it's weird I'm using that to describe this, since I've never had Spoon Bread, either.  Ha ha!  It's slightly sweet and very corn-flavored, and scoop-able.  It bakes in a water bath- don't be scared.

Mexican Sweet Corn Cake
adapted from Our Best Bites

1/2 cup real butter, softened
1/3 cup masa harina
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup corn meal
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Combine butter, masa harina, and water, and milk in a medium sized bowl and beat until creamy.

2.  Add corn meal, sugar, salt, and baking powder on top of the creamed butter mixture and use a fork or whisk to lightly whisk just the dry ingredients together. Beat the entire mixture until smooth. Place corn in food processor (I leave mine frozen) and pulse until roughly broken up. Add water and corn to bowl and mix until combined.

3.  Spread mixture in an ungreased 8×8 inch pan and top with foil. Place 8×8 pan inside a 9×13 inch pan and place both pans in oven. Pour hot water in 9×13 inch pan just until it goes about an inch up the sides. Bake for about 55 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **