BBQ Tacos with Roasted Pepper Relish

These tacos are an homage to some we had this past weekend at my brother-in-laws house.  Smoky BBQ chicken with sweet grilled pineapple is an amazing combination.  The sweet balances the salty smoke for a taste bud explosion.

Here's what you'll need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/2 c BBQ sauce (I used mesquite smoked)
1/2 fresh pineapple
1 red bell pepper
1 c corn (I used left-over)
1/2 c chopped tomatoes
1/4 c cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
flour tortillas, to serve
shredded cheddar, to serve
sour cream, to serve

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Cook on a hot grill 3-4 minutes, until it easily releases from the grate.  Turn over and spread with half of the BBQ sauce.   Cook 3-4 minutes on opposite side (depending on size) or until juices run clear.  Spread with remaining BBQ sauce.  Flip once more, and cook just long enough to caramelize the BBQ sauce.

Remove to a plate.  Cover with foil and set aside.  Thinly slice the chicken.

Cut the pineapple into 6-8 spears.  Arrange on a medium-high grill.  Cook just until it easily loosens from the grate.

Turn.  Cook 2-3 minutes more.  You still want the pineapple to be firm, but have a smoky taste.

Remove and coarsely chop.  Set aside.

Place the whole bell pepper on the grill.  When it begins to blister, turn it over.  When the whole pepper has blistered, remove to a bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 5 minutes.

With hands or a paper towel, remove most of the charred bits and the seeds from the pepper.

Coarsely chop the pepper.

Now, assemble the relish.

Combine the corn, pepper, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir well.

To serve, spread a warm tortilla with sour cream.  Top with cheese, chicken, pineapple and relish.

Serves 3-4.

Enjoy!

Obsessed with Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter is something I eat, pretty much, on a daily basis.  On sandwiches or ice cream.  With apples or celery.  It's right after bacon on the perfect foods list. Obviously, I adore peanut butter cookies!  The ones from my childhood, rolled in sugar and smashed with a fork, have lost their allure though, so I'm always looking for was to increase the flavor.  In this recipe, I've added peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups, making a gooey, peanutty bite of heaven.

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 c butter*
1/2 c margarine*
1 c peanut butter
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg peanut butter chips
12 peanut butter cups

* If you like a crisp cookie, use all butter.  If you like a softer, thinner cookie, use all margarine.  I like a soft cookie that holds it's shape so I use both.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, margarine, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.

Beat on medium speed until creamed together (you won't feel sugar crystals when you rub a little between your fingers).

Roughly chop the peanut butter cups and set aside.

Add the eggs and  vanilla to the sugar mixture, beating well.   Mix in the flour, baking soda & powder and the salt, just until blended in.

Use a spoon or spatula to stir in the peanut butter chips and the peanut butter cups.

Cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

When you're ready to bake them preheat the oven to 375.

Drop the dough by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake 11-12 minutes.  Cool on pan 2 minutes before removing.

Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Enjoy!

Basic Red Sauce

It's been a rainy week here in Central PA, which always encourages me to cook.  I love the smell of sauce simmering, especially when it's dark and dreary outside.  This is just a basic red sauce, a place from where you can start and customize to your own tastes.

Here's what you'll need:
1 28-32 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 TBSP bacon fat (or olive oil)
1 small onion, chopped
salt & pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 TBSP)
2 tsp dried oregano*
2 tsp dried basil*
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the bacon fat (or oil) in a large sauce pan over medium heat.

Add the onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the onions are tender, 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook til fragrant, 1-2 minutes more.

Add the crushed tomatoes.  I prefer crushed tomatoes to tomato sauce because it gives more body, texture, to the final sauce.  Stir in the oregano, basil, salt and pepper.  (*You can use fresh oregano and basil, but you'll need to use about 3 times as much.  Also, they don't need much cooking, so you would just add them toward the very end of cooking).

Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer.  Cover and allow to simmer a minimum 30-40 minutes. I often cook it longer because it really intensifies the flavors, but it's ready to eat in about 30 minutes.

When ready to serve, stir in the parsley and Parmesan.

Makes 4 cups, and freezes well.

Enjoy!

French Bread

Today was a rainy, miserable day so I decided to make bread.  I used to make bread all of the time.  The problem with that was we ate way too much bread.  Anyway, today was bread baking day.  I wanted the smell of rising yeast and baking bread to fill the house. I was not disappointed.

This recipe is easy to mix and requires few ingredients.  The time-consuming part is the rising and resting periods, but it doesn't need babysat.  You can go about your day and still end up with this crusty, chewy piece of heaven.

Here's what you'll need:
1 package yeast
1 1/4 c warm water
1 TBSP sugar
2 tsp salt
3 -3 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 TBSP corn meal
cold water
1 egg white
2 TBSP cold water

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm-- not hot-- water.  You should see bubbles rising up as the yeast begins to bloom.

Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until smooth.

Gradually add 1 1/4- 1 1/2 additional cups of flour, until the dough is easy to handle (it will pull away from the sides of the bowl).

Pour 1 TBSP of oil into a bowl. Use a napkin or paper towel to coat the whole bowl.   Set side.

Turn the dough onto a floured counter top.  Use your hands to knead the dough (push the dough away from you with one and; pull it back with the other), for 5 minutes.  Until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Don't skimp on the time here.  This kneading is what develops the gluten in the flour and gives the bread it's texture.

Shape the dough into a ball.  Put the dough in the oiled bowl, turning it to coat all sides.  Cover with a cloth and let rise, at room temp (I usually put it on top of the stove, away from drafts) until almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough.  Recover with the cloth.  Let rest 15 minutes.

Grease a sheet pan.  Sprinkle with 1 TBSP corn meal.  Set aside.

Divide the dough into two halves.  Roll each half into a 15x10" rectangle.

Tightly roll up each loaf.

Pinch the seam, tightly, between your fingers to seal the dough.

Place the loaves on the prepared sheet pan.  Use a sharp knife to slash the top of the loaves at 2-inch intervals.

Cover with a clean cloth.  Allow to rise, at room temp, until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375.

Place a 9x13" pan on the lowest over rack.  Add 2 cups HOT water.

Brush the tops of the loaves with cold water.  Bake 20 minutes.

Combine the egg white with the 2 TBSP of cold water, whisking well.

Remove the pan of water from the oven.  Brush the loaves with the egg mixture.  Bake and additional 20-25 minutes, until they're golden and sound hollow when you tap on them.  Cool on a wire rack.

Each loaf makes 10-12 slices.

Enjoy!

Roast Redo: Easy Beef Enchiladas

It's pretty hard to find a beef roast that's just the right size for two people.  That means we usually have some leftover, but it's never enough to plan a whole meal around. This was my quandary yesterday when I found some leftover Double Caffeinated Roast in the fridge from an early blog.  I found some cheese and some tortillas and this meal was born.

Here's what you'll need:
leftover beef roast (I had about 8 ounces)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 c chunky salsa, plus more to serve
2 c shredded cheese (I used cheddar and monterey jack)
1/2 c sour cream, plus more to serve
flour tortillas (I used soft taco size)

Place the beef in a small pot.  Add enough water to come about halfway up the meat.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.  Cover and allow the meat to braise until it is fork tender.

Remove the meat from the pan; save the juice.

Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Stir the 1/2 c salsa into the meat mixture.  Don't add too much juice or the tortillas will be soggy.  You mostly want the veggies.

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare your rolling station.

Place some of the meat mixture and some of the cheese into a tortilla.

Roll up so the meat and cheese are enclosed in the tortilla.  Place, seam-side down, in a greased casserole dish.  Repeat til your out of the meat mixture.  Set aside.

Stir 1/2 c sour cream into the meat juices in the small pot.  Do not boil.  They just need mixed together.

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and begins to brown.

Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Enjoy!