Argentine Chorizo

Last month Aaron made some chorizo.  Eventually he wrote down the recipe so he could remember and I could post it. It's in metric measurements because that's how he got the recipe, and that's how he'll make it in the future.  I love that our kitchen scale weighs both ways.
 
• Pork shoulder roast, 8 kg
• Pancetta, 2 kg (could substitute other fat)
• 25 grams paprika (I used a mild version)
• 25 grams ground white pepper
• 10 grams oregano
• 170 grams salt
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 200 ml apple juice or cider
 

1. Using a meat grinder with a large (8-10 mm) plate, grind up the pork and the pancetta and mix well together. Add the dry ingredients and mix into the meat. Add the garlic and apple juice and knead the mixture between your fingers until it begins to stick together (5-10 minutes). 
2.  Prepare hog casings per package directions and rinse well with water. Thread the casings onto the sausage-stuffing tube and start slowly filling each chorizo, twisting the casing when it reaches about 4-5 inches long (or the desired length). Let rest a few days in the fridge and then cook or freeze for later use.   

 Note: The best way I (Aaron) found to cook them is to boil them first until at 160-165 degrees and then smoke on the grill for 5-10 minutes.

Snickers Pie

I first made this 8 years ago.  I don't make it very often, which I suppose is why I haven't posted the recipe. It is really delicious.  A bit time consuming, but worth it.  This is my contribution to Pi day 3-14 !!!  I changed a few things from the original recipe just to make it a little easier.

Snickers Pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened
• chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter, diced
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 (2.16 ounce) Snickers bars, chopped
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.  To Make Crust: In a medium mixing bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Mix all together and press mixture firmly into a 9 inch pie pan. 
3. To Make Fudge Layer: In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. In a double boiler melt semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate together with 1/2 cup butter or margarine, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile beat sugar, whole egg, and egg white in a medium bowl until slightly thickened. To this mixture add vanilla and cooled chocolate. Mix until well blended. Stir in dry ingredient mixture and mix until just combined. Pour mixture into crust and bake in preheated oven for about 17 minutes, or until just set. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Place candy bar slices on this layer.
5. To Make Cream Cheese Layer: In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Spread mixture over candy bars and bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Cool on rack.
6. To Make Garnish: In a small saucepan stir milk chocolate and whipping cream over low heat until smooth. Drizzle over pie. Refrigerate and serve chilled. 

Chocolate Cherry Stack Cake

 I made this for Valentine's Day.  I don't have 6 inch cake pans, so I doubled it and used 10 inch cake pans.  I cooked them a little longer, and it worked great.  For some reason my frosting didn't make stiff peaks, but it still tasted great! 

 

 Chocolate Cherry Stack Cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup sour cream

 Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6x2-inch round cake pans or springform pans. Mix 1 teaspoon each flour and cocoa powder; dust pans. Set pans aside.
2. In bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
3. In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.
4. Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.
5. Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with Chocolate-Dipped Cherries. Serves 8.

Cherry frosting
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 8 ounce carton sour cream
• 1 cup whipping cream (do not use ultra-pasteurized whipping cream)
• 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

 Directions

1. In a chilled large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, sour cream, whipping cream, and cherry juice. Beat with the chilled beaters of an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy.

Chocolate Dipped Cherries

Ingredients

• 16 maraschino cherries with stems
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1 teaspoon shortening

Directions

1. Drain cherries; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine semisweet chocolate pieces and shortening. Cook on 50 percent power (medium) 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set. Store, covered, up to 24 hours.

Chipotle Southwest Sauce

One evening for dinner Aaron wanted to spice up the hamburgers on the menu and found this sauce.
Chipotle Southwest Sauce
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp minced fresh cilantro (we didn't have this on hand)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground chipotle chile
• pinch dried thyme
• pinch dried cumin

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Cover and chill for an hour.

Mounds Brownies

Aaron found this awesome recipe and made these for dessert on Sunday. It's a good thing he took half of them to work on Monday, or I may have eaten the whole pan myself.

Mounds Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 Family Size (9x13) pan of brownies, prepared
• 5 1/3 Cups shredded coconut (1 pkg)
• 14oz Can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ½ Cups powdered sugar
• 1 Can of chocolate frosting

Directions:

1. Prepare brownies and let cool completely.
2. In the bowl of your mixer combine coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and powdered sugar until all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Spread coconut mixture over brownies.
4. Place can of frosting in the microwave for 10 seconds (please be sure to remove foil liner and lid) until pourable.
5. Pour frosting over the coconut mixture. Let cool and set up.

Black Bean Quinoa Bread

Aaron found this recipe on Chef Brad's website.  He tweaked it a bit, and came up with this: 
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp yeast 
• 2/3 Tbsp salt
• 1 c. bean flour (we've used black and red)
• 2 2/3 c. Bread flour
• 2 cups water
• 3/4 c cooked quinoa (we used black)

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients together.  Then add the water and quinoa. Knead in stand mixer for 8 minutes.  Add flour as needed.
2. Shape into loaf (round or oblong).  Spray baking sheet or using parchment paper. Let rise for until double in size, about an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450.  Place a pie tin of water on the bottom rack.  Put loaf in the oven on middle rack.  Spray loaf with water. Turn down oven to 400.  Bake for 40-50 minutes until done.

So hearty and delicious!  To get the bean flour he took dry beans and used a wheat grinder to make them into a flour.  There's a video on Chef Brad's link.

Cumin Wheat Berry Soup

We inherited 100 lbs of wheat from Aaron's mom. So Aaron searched for a way to use the wheat besides grinding it.  He found this recipe and it was delicious.  I will forever regret moaning when my mother made soup with barley in it.  I'm looking forward to leftovers!  I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my pressure cooker.  So that's how I cooked the wheat.  Really easy and quick!  Aaron ate the leftover wheat berries for breakfast! 

• 1 1/2 cups French green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups cold water
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large large carrots, finely chopped
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries,
• 1 bunch rainbow or red chard, large stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped*
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Combine lentils, broth and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes (brown lentils take a little longer than green).
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat.
3. When the lentils are tender, stir cooked wheat berries and chard into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chard has wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot mixture and lemon juice.

 *We used spinach instead of chard.