Sweet and Spicy Beef Taco's

Here is a recipe that I make for my annual Christmas party, needless to say its a hit with everyone even my Hispanic friends, so look it over and hope you enjoy:

Sweet and Spicy Beef Taco's

Ingredients

• 4 dried ancho chilies*, stemmed, seeded, and ribs discarded
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 3-4 lbs. beef roast (can also be made with chicken)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Warm corn tortillas
• Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Lime Wedges
• * can be found in the Hispanic section of grocery stores

Directions



Soak the ancho chilies in boiling water until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid. Transfer the softened chilies to a blender. Add the onion, garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, beef broth, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Puree until smooth.

Pat beef roast dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown beef roast about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned roast  to a slow cooker.

Pour the sauce over the roast (liquid should reach about halfway up sides of meat),

cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high until very tender. Allow the roast to cool slightly in the sauce.

Remove the roast from the sauce. shred the meat into a large bowl. Skim the fat from the surface and discard. Mix the sauce into the meat and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the meat and sauce into warm corn or flour tortillas and serve with Mexican crema and chopped fresh cilantro then squeeze fresh lime on top

BBQ Beans

here is something to go with any back yard BBQ, also goes well with the recipe for potatoe salad

BBA Beans

Ingredients

·         2 - 28 oz. Cans Baked Beans

·         ½ pack Bacon
·         1 small diced Onion
·         1 cup diced green peppers
·         1 tablespoon Mustard
·         2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
·         1 tablespoon liquid smoke
·         1 teaspoon hot sauce
·         1 tablespoon Cajun season all
·         ¾ Favorite BBQ Sauce

 

Place all ingredients into crockpot and mix thoroughly. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours and stirring occasionally

Spice Information

Spice:     Poblano/Ancho Chile
Source: Wikipedia


Ancho Chile is actually a dried Poblano pepper. Poblano translates to “people chile” and is a mild chile native to the Mexican State of Puebla. The dried poblano is called chile ancho which translates to “wide chile”. Poblanos are from the species C. Annum.

The poblano is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called a chile ancho ("wide chile"). The ripened red poblano is significantly hotter and more flavorful than the less ripe, green poblano. While poblanos tend to have a mild flavor, occasionally and unpredictably, they can have significant heat. Different peppers from the same plant have been reported to vary substantially in heat intensity. A closely related variety is the mulato, which is darker in color, sweeter in flavor and softer in texture.

One of the most popular peppers grown in Mexico, the bush (of the species Capsicum annuum) is multi-stemmed and can reach 25 inches (0.64 m) in height. The fruit is 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15 cm) long and 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) wide. An immature poblano is dark purplish green in color, but the mature fruits eventually turn a red so dark as to be nearly black

 

 

Dried Ancho Chilie

 

Fresh Poblano Chilie

 

 

 

Halloween Idea

was reading the Food Network website for some fun halloween ideas when i ran across the following on how to make a smoking cauldran for handing out candy. Looks like loads of fun and will make any kids giggle and point



How to Make a Cauldron o'Candy

Grilled Steak

Grilled Steak

·         A 4-6 oz Steak

      ·         Salt
      ·         Black Pepper (freshly grinded)

Bring steak to room temperature

Salt & Pepper both sides

Heat Grill to 350-400 degrees

Place on grill and cook for 3-4 minutes

Turn 45 degrees and cook for another 3-4 minutes
Flip steak and repeat

This will give you a good medium well steak

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving

Spice Info

Spice: Oregano
Source: Wikipedia

Oregano (UK  /ɒrɨˈɡɑːnoʊ/ or US /əˈrɛɡənoʊ/), scientifically named Origanum vulgare by Carolus Linnaeus, is a common species of Origanum, a genus of the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is native to warm-temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.

Oregano is a perennial herb, growing from 20–80 cm tall, with opposite leaves 1–4 cm long. Oregano will grow in a pH range between 6.0 (mildly acid) and 9.0 (strongly alkaline) with a preferred range between 6.0 and 8.0. The flowers are purple, 3–4 mm long, produced in erect spikes. It is sometimes called wild marjoram, and its close relative O. majorana is known as sweet marjoram.

Oregano's most prominent modern use is as the staple herb of Italian-American cuisine. Its popularity in the US began when soldiers returning from World War II brought back with them a taste for the “pizza herb”, which had probably been eaten in southern Italy for centuries. There, it is most frequently used with roasted, fried or grilled vegetables, meat and fish. Unlike most Italian herbs, oregano combines well with spicy foods, which are popular in southern Italy. It is less commonly used in the north of the country, as marjoram generally is preferred.

The herb is also widely used in Turkish, Palestinian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Philippine and Latin American cuisines.

Dried Oregano

 

Fresh Oregano

Fruit Smoothie

ran across this recipe for a Fruit Smoothie, i am going to give this a try cuz it sounds really good.

Makes 4 servings

3 cups frozen mixed chopped fruit (cantaloupe, bananas, strawberries, peaches, or others of your choice);

do not thaw

1 cup apple juice or orange juice

Kiwi slices, whole strawberries, or raspberries for garnish

Blend the fruit and juice in a food processor or blender until smooth, occasionally pushing down fruit chunks for uniform consistency. Serve immediately; the mixture melts quickly!

 

Advance preparation

In advance, peel the fruit (if necessary), wrap in a plastic bag, and freeze overnight or for up to 2 weeks. Fruit smoothies are best if served immediately after preparing. If necessary, the mixture can be frozen for up to 30 minutes before serving; if frozen longer, the mixture becomes icy.

 

Hot Dog Mummies

here is a recipe i ran across in the spirit of Holloween on the food network website. its a new take on pigs in a blanket. so give them a try cuz i know pigs in a blanket are great so these shouldnt be too bad

Crispy Phyllo Wraped Hot Dog Mummies

Spicey Boiled Shrimp

well i know that everyone loves boild shrimp but most of the time back home it was dont as a family event w/ pounds and pounds of shrimp. so a few years ago i started trying to come up with a recipe that didnt require 40+ people and equimpent that you use to weld metal together. it was a bit touch and go for a bit but i finally found one. so i hope that you enjoy it as much as i do.

Spicey Boild Shrimp

Ingredients

• 2 lemons, halved
• 4 quarts water
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 tablespoons Zatarainís Concentrated Crab & Shrimp Boil (add more if you like them really spicey)
• 3-4 pounds large shrimp with heads or 2 1/2 pounds headless shrimp

Squeeze the juice from the lemons into a large pot. Add the halves. Add the water, bay leaves, salt, cayenne, and Zatarain’s liquid boil. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp. Return to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain.

Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

Spice Information

Spice:     Basil
Source: Wikipedia

 

Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum (pronounced /ˈbæzɪl/ or, in the US, /ˈbeːzɪl/), of the family Lamiaceae (mints), sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries.

Basil, originally from India^[1], but thoroughly familiar toTheophrastus^[2] and Dioscurides, is a half-hardy annual plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in the cuisine of Taiwanand the Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand,Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.

 

Storage Tip

normally when you get back from your weekly grocery run you start putting stuff away. well when you get ready to put the frozen items up, step back and take a minute. if you put them in as you got them then your may not have enough space for everything and then you start pulling out stuff and moving it around. here is a simple tip that will make things a bit easier.

if the frozen item comes in a box and is in a sealed package then just store it in the package and remove the box.

if your have meats then get out your zip top Baggies and repackage them which will make for easier storage

what i have done in my freezer is separate my items, i know it sounds a bit OCD but for me it makes find things easier, my freezer has a storage drawer at the bottom so this is where i put my bacon packages (box removed) so it looks a bit like a file folder. then i have my meats on one rack and so on. my friends are always commenting or making fun of me on how organized my cabinets and refrigerator are