Mesquite Kabobs

 

Mesquite Marinade

2-3Lbs of petite sirloin roast

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp liquid smoke

1 gallon ziplock storage bag

First, cut up your roast into 1 inch cubes. In a small bowl mix ketchup, water, brown sugar, white vinegar and liquid smoke. Stir to combine. Place cubed meat in ziplock bag and pour marinade over meat. Let side sit in fridge for a couple hours before making kabobs.

Kabobs

1 large yellow onion, quartered

2 green bell peppers cut into square pieces

2 red bell peppers cut into square pieces

2 zucchini cut into rounds

6 kabob skewers

Once you have cut up all your veggies, take your meat out of the fridge and start building your kabobs on your skewers. Once you have all your kabobs made start up your bbq and grill. We like ours medium so it takes about 15 minutes on the grill. ENJOY 🙂

 

Artichoke Heart Mushroom Risotto

 

4 Tbsp Butter, divided

4 cloves of garlic, diced and divided

1-1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice

3-1/2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp white wine, divided

8 Artichoke hearts, quartered

1-1/2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms

1/2 cup shaved fresh Parmesan Cheese

In a small skillet melt 2 Tbsp of butter on Medium high heat add diced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add Mushrooms and let them saute for about 5 minutes, Add Artichoke hearts and 1 Tbsp of wine toss to coat. Turn heat down to low and let rest while you cook your rice.

In a large saute pan Melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium high heat.  Add last 2 Tbsp of Garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add rice and toss to coat with butter and garlic. Add 1 Tbsp of white wine and toss to coat once again. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and gently stir with a wooden spoon, letting it begin to simmer. When most of the chicken broth has evaporated, add another 1/2 cup. Repeat the process over the next 15-20 minutes until the rice has cooked to almost soft and creamy and liquid has evaporated.

Place risotto in a bowl and top with Artichoke hearts and Mushrooms mixture. Top with Parmesan Cheese and ENJOY!! 🙂

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 3 nine inch round pans with parchment paper. Do NOT grease and flour.

 

CAKE

7 eggs, separated

1/2 tsp cream of tater

1-1/2 cups sugar divided

2 cups flour

2-1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup veggie oil

3/4 cup whole milk

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

Separate eggs carefully saving your yolks in a separate bowl.

In bowl of stand mixer place egg white and cream of tater. Whisk  until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and whisk until stiff. Set aside

Mix together remaining 1 cup sugar, flour,  baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. In bowl of stand mixer beat oil,milk, eggs yolks, vanilla and almond extract until pale yellow in color.  Add your dry ingredients that you set aside and continue beating for 2 minutes. Gently fold in your egg whites. Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes and then turn oven up to 350 degrees for 10 minutes. It is very important that you do NOT open your oven door during cooking time at all. Your cake is done when finger gently pressed in center does not leave a finger print.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan upside down for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove pan and let cool completely.

FROSTING/FILLING/TOPPING

3 cups heavy cream

5 Tbsp sugar

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

2 pints strawberries, cleaned and hulled and then sliced

1 Tbsp sugar

Place bowl and whisk of stand mixer in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Clean and cut strawberries and place in a small bowl toss with 1 Tbsp of sugar, set aside.

In cold bowl of mixer place heavy cream, sugar and vanilla, whisk until stiff.

ASSEMBLY

Place one layer of cake on cake board fill with whipping cream and 1/3 of strawberries.

Place second layer of cake on top and fill with whipping cream and half of the strawberries left in your bowl.

Place third layer of cake on top and then frost cake with whipping cream. Place the last of the strawberries on top and ENJOY!! 🙂

Homemade Pizza

 

Makes two 12 inch Pizzas

Dough

2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 package)

1 cup warm water

1-1/2 Tbsp olive oil

2-1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting

1-1/2 tsp salt

In bowl of stand mixer with dough hook attachment Place yeast, water and olive oil. Let sit for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl place flour and salt.

Once your yeast mixture has sat for 5 minutes add 1/2 of your flour salt mixture and mix on speed 2 until combined. Add second half of flour and continue to mix on speed 2 until dough is smooth and all flour in combined. Spray a bowl with nonstick spray place dough into bowl and flip over dough once to cover in nonstick spray. Cover with a damp warm tea towel and let set for at least an hour, dough should double in size.

Spray 2 pizza pans lightly with nonstick spray and sprinkle with a little corn meal. Cut dough in half and set one piece on each pizza pan let set 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

Roll dough out on a floured surface and then place in pizza pans.

Top with sauce and cheese and whatever pizza toppings you are craving. We used pepperoni, Canadian Bacon, white onion, green pepper and olives.

Bake at 475 for 12-18 minutes to your desired crispiness. ENJOY!! 🙂

Cheddar Cheesesteak Bread Bowl

1-1/2 pounds thinly sliced Ribeye

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp onion powder

4 Tbsp flour, divided

olive oil

2 white onions, sliced in rings thinly

2 green bell peppers, sliced thin

1 tsp sugar

1 package mushrooms

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup white wine

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups (32ounces) beef stock, hot

4 bread bowls, centers hallowed out

8 slices cheddar cheese

Place sirloin in a bowl season with salt and pepper and onion powder. Place 2 Tbsp of flour in bowl with sirloin and toss to coat.

In a stock pot add 3 Tbsp olive oil and heat over medium high heat, add sirloin in 2 batches and sear, remove and place on plate, sear second half of sirloin.

Once your are done searing the sirloin, in the same pot add your onions and green peppers and 1 tsp sugar, allow onions to caramelize and green pepper to soften. Add Mushrooms and white wine and let them cook down. Add garlic and thyme.

Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of flour on top of your veggies and then slowly stir in Hot Beef Broth. Let Simmer 10 minutes

Preheat oven to broil.Place Bread Bowl and tops on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Ladle Cheesesteak mixture into each bread bowl top with 2 pieces of cheddar cheese each. Place under broiler watching carefully not to burn put just until bread bowl edges are toasty and cheese is bubbly. ENJOY!! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from the cozy apron

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9inch round pans.

 

In bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment add

2 cups Sugar

1-3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

mix on low until all is combined

ADD

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup milk

1/2 cup veggie oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cherry extract

Mix on medium for about 3 minutes

ADD

1 cup boiling water

Stir in by hand

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center removes clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes on cooling rack(s) Turn out of pans onto cooling rack(s) and let cool completely.

Once cooled completely…

Mix in a small bowl

1 can cherry pie filling

1/2 tsp almond extract

place 1 cake on cake board, fill with cherry pie filling and then place second cake on top.

Chocolate Butter Cream

1 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Place butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and cream in a bowl of a mixer with paddler attachment. Beat until creamy and fluffy adding more cream if needed to loosen.

Frost cake completely with chocolate butter cream.

In a small bowl mix

1 can cherry pie filling with 1/2 tsp almond extract. Place cherry topping on top and continue to decorate as you please. ENJOY!! 🙂