Ground Beef Enchiladas

Every morning I have an idea of what I want to make for dinner that night, and then take out a meat to defrost during the day while I'm at work. So I decided I wanted to make enchiladas a few days ago and took out ground beef. Come to find out, while searching for a recipe online, most enchilada's are made with chicken! Obviously I don't know much about Mexican cuisine. So when I got home I just threw a few things together and my ground beef "enchiladas" came out great! They were really easy to make, a very quick clean-up and overall a very pleasing weeknight meal. Keep in mind that I hate spicy food, so these were very mild. If you like a lot of spice, chopped jalepenos would be great in this.

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 medium-large onion, chopped
1 taco seasoning packet
1 oz. cream cheese
6 flour tortilla's (or more if you want)
1 cup instant white rice
1 can enchilada sauce
Mexican shredded cheese
water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of salted water to a boil. Add instant rice, stir briefly, cover and set aside. In a large sautee pan, brown ground beef until cooked through and crumbled. Drain fat if necessary. Add chopped onion and cook with beef until onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Then add taco seasoning packet and however much water it calls for on the packet. Mine called for 3/4 cup. Stir until the sauce is well combined. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and mixed in with the ground beef, about another 5 minutes. Then add your cooked instant rice and 2 tbsp of enchilada sauce to the ground beef mixture and stir until everything is combined.

On a seperate plate, lay out your tortilla's. In the center of each tortilla, add ground beef/rice mixture. You can make them as full as you want. Fold them up and place into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Once you have all of your enchilada's in the baking dish, cover them with the rest of the enchilada sauce. Top with Mexican shredded cheese, and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Bûche de Noël

And I look ridiculous in this picture, no makeup and exhausted from cooking/baking all day....but my husband insisted on taking it because he was very proud of me and my Bûche de Noël!!!


For Christmas this year I decided to make a Bûche de Noël. I remember in 9th grade French Class my friend and I had to make one for class and it turned out horrible. It was pretty bad tasting and the ugliest thing ever. So now that I know a little more about cooking and baking, I was really excited to give it a go this year!

I'm very pleased and proud to say it came out awesome!!! Time consuming, yes. But it was WELL worth it. Not only was the presentation lovely but the cake tasted just delicious.

I consider myself way more of a cook than a baker...baking tends to intimidate me. So when this came out good I was just more than proud! Ok, ok...enough of tooting my own horn! Here's the recipe! I followed it *almost* exactly. The only thing I did different was the chocolate hazlenut mousse, which I'll note in the recipe.

Ingredients
Adapted from Mary Bergin, www.Foodnetwork.com

For the Cake layer:

• 6 eggs, separated
• l/4 cup plus l tablespoon granulated sugar
• l/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

Directions

Butter a jelly roll pan, line with parchment paper, butter the paper and sprinkle with flour, tapping to remove excess flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. Turn the machine up to high, and beat in the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, continue to beat until shiny but not stiff. Add the flour to the yolk/sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Add l/4 of the egg whites to the yolk mixture, whisking to lighten the mixture. Then return the yolk mixture to the egg whites, and fold gently. Scrape into the prepared pan and even the top by running a long offset spatula across the surface. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched, l2 to l5 minutes. Cool on a rack. Set aside.

For the Hazelnut Mousse:

• l l/2 cups heavy cream
• 5 ounces hazelnuts, toasted
• 5 ounces milk chocolate, cut into small chunks
• l tablespoon hazelnut oil

Place cooled hazelnuts on a kitchen towel and rub together to remove skins. Place the skinned hazelnuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for l minute. Add the hazelnut oil through the feeder tube and process until a paste forms.

Melt chocolate in a medium bowl placed over simmering water, or melt in a microwave oven. Add the melted chocolate to the hazelnut paste and set aside.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the hazelnut/chocolate mixture. Keep covered in the refrigerator until needed.

I read in one of the comments on food network to just use nutella instead of roasting the hazlenuts and everything. And since it's Christmas and I was in a bit of a time crunch, I just did that instead. I used about 3/4 of a jar of nutella, melted it in the microwave and then folded it into the whipped cream. It worked out totally great. It still maintained a great consistancy and tasted wonderful!

To assemble the cake roll:

Trim the edges of the sponge cake. Place the Hazelnut mousse on the cake layer. Spread the mixture evenly over the cake, leaving a l inch space along the long side. Using the parchment paper to aid you, carefully roll up the cake into a thick log, enclosing the mousse. Leave the wrapped, rolled-up cake on the sheet pan and refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 2 hours.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• l/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• l/2 cup water or strong coffee
• l/4 cup sour cream
• Melt the chocolate. In a small pot, heat the coffee and cocoa. Add the sour cream. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the chocolate mixture and combine completely. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside until of spreading consistency.

For the Meringue Mushrooms:

• 4 large egg whites
• l cup granulated sugar
• l/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• About 5 ounces semisweet chocolate
• Sifted unsweetened cocoa

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line l or 2 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside. Fit a large pastry bag with a #4 or #5 plain tip and set aside.

Beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Turn speed to high, slowly pour in half the sugar, add vanilla and continue to beat for l minute. Slowly pour in the remaining sugar and beat until the whites are very thick and shiny, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Immediately spoon half the mixture into the prepared pastry bag. (Meringue will begin to break down if not used soon after it is ready.) Hold the pastry bag upright over the prepared baking trays, squeeze out 26 to 30 mushroom caps, making different sizes, placed about l inch apart. The caps can be different sizes, since real mushroom caps are never identical.

Again, holding the bag upright over the other tray, lifting the bag as you squeeze out the meringue, form 26 to 30 stems, each l/2 inch to l inch high, placed about l inch apart.

Place the trays in the oven and bake until the meringues are firm to the touch and can be lifted easily from the trays, about l l/2 hours. The meringues should be dry, but should not take on any color. Remove the trays to a cool dry spot. When cool, with a small knife, trim any pointed tips on the caps and stems, if desired.

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl, and holding the caps upside down, spread a little chocolate on each one. Attach a stem and leave them upside down until the chocolate hardens. When ready, turn mushroom cap side up, and dust lightly with sifted cocoa.

Set aside until ready to use for decoration.

To decorate and serve:

Remove pan with cake from refrigerator and place wrapped cake on a firm surface. Carefully unwrap cake. Using a serrated knife, from one end cut a 2-inch piece of cake on the diagonal. Set the cut piece aside.

Cut out a piece of cardboard the length and width of the cake. Cover the cardboard with foil and place the cake on it. Spread a little frosting on the bottom of the small cut piece and set on top of the cake roll. Using a small spatula, spread the frosting over the entire cake as well as the small piece atop the cake. With a wooden skewer or the point of a small knife, make furrows to simulate bark along the sides and top of the cake.

Arrange Christmas greens, plastic holly, and Meringue Mushrooms around the Yule Log. Sift powdered sugar over the whole thing to simulate snow. Fresh cranberries can be scattered around for added color.

I got tagged!

Colleen from Cooking this and that tagged me on her blog, so now I have to share 7 interesting / weird things about myself!

1) I used to show Arabian horses all over the US and Canada.
2) I use cornstarch, but I hate touching it. It reminds me of nails on a chalkboard.
3) One of my biggest pet peeves is people who break spaghetti in half before putting it a pot of boiling water (my mom does this and it drives me crazy!)
4) I LOVE snow which is good because I live in a snow belt where we get a LOT of it!
5) Escargots is by far my favorite food of all time. I would eat it every day if I could.
6) I hate breakfast foods...so much so that I never eat breakfast.
7) I helped my husband butcher his last deer and I actually had fun doing it. It's good to know where your meat comes from and how it breaks down.

So now the rules state that I need to tag 7 more blogs:

Erica's Kitchen Adventures
Food Alla Puttanesca
Num Yummy Recipes
Love Deliciousness
Woman with a Whisk
Adventures are Better Together
Cook Like a Champion

Christmas Cookie Trays

Every year I give cookie trays to my friends and family. Here are 3 that I made up last night. One for my parents, one for my in laws and one to bring to work. Everyone always loves them and while they are a lot of work to make, they are so worth it!

I wrap each tray in plastic wrap, and tie with a decorative bow made from some pretty ribbon. I then tie a handmade gift card to each tray, so I know who's is who's!

Homemade Marshmallows dipped in Chocolate

I wanted to put one more item on my Christmas cookie tray this year, and I thought homemade marshmallows would be the perfect addition. I had so much fun making these. My Kitchen Aid mixer got quite the workout, but I really enjoyed forming these and then dipping them in chocolate. I thought they came out great...there's nothing like a homemade marshmallow!

Ingredients
Adapted from Alton Brown

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Nonstick spray

Directions

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For miniature marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.

Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.

Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

To dip the marshmallows, all I did was melt chocolate chips over a double boiler with about 2-3 tbsp of shortening. Then, I piped a white chocolate decoration on the top!

Ginger Chocolate Chip Bars

I found this recipe in my Real Simple magazine, and knew I had to make it. I loved that I could freeze them first and then bake them when ready. Plus, my husband loves ginger-anything and chocolate, so I knew he'd love them. I baked them from frozen and they turned out just great. Like I thought, my husband raved over them. They had just enough spice to make them the perfect addition to any Christmas cookie tray.

Ingredients
Adapted from Real Simple

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line it with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, then cut into 32 bars (8 rows by 4 rows).

To Wrap: The tight seal on a take-out container will keep the bars moist and chewy. (Soak containers in warm, soapy water to remove glue from labels.) Wrap with a bow and personalize with a handwritten sticker.

To Freeze: Instead of baking the batter, freeze it in the pan for up to 2 months. To bake, follow the recipe instructions, baking from frozen, and use the upper end of the time range.

Yield: Makes 32 bars

Baked Potato Soup

I've been wanting to try this soup because my husband always orders it when we go out. And since we had a small blizzard yesterday, I thought it would be the perfect time to try it! I loved this recipe. I mean, what's better than cooking onions in bacon grease? While it's not exactly low-cal, this is a really fantastic soup and just pure comfort food.

INGREDIENTS
Adapted from www.Allrecipes.com

• 4 bacon strips, diced
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used about 4 smaller potatoes)
  
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 green onion, chopped
  
• Shredded Cheddar cheese
• Minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and green onions; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.