Picadinho de Milho

1 lb beef chopped by hand into small squares
1 onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz can of sweet corn
1-2 Tbsp of sunflower oil (I use this because it adds a wonderful flavor to my dishes and it is ideal for frying and the Brazilian method of cooking called refogado.)
1 Tbsp of tomato paste, optional (tip: buy the Italian tubes of tomato paste because they will last longer and will not spoil).


Sauté onion and garlic until limp. Add beef and brown. Add tomato paste (if you want to use it) and a little water to make a bit of juice. Cook for a few minutes to have a nice sauce. Add corn and salt and pepper to taste.

Navajo Tacos

Brown & Drain
1 pound Hamburger
1/2 - 1 onion chopped

Add
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 10 oz. can  mild enchiliada sauce
1 lb can refried beans
1 small can diced green chili

serve on top of scones with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream

(I use Texas Rhodes frozen rolls for the scones)

Tangy Pepper-Pecan Brie

Tangy Pepper-Pecan Brie

1/2 C pecan halves
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded
1/4 C apricot preserves
1-4in round (8oz) Brie cheese with rind, room temperature
1 loaf (16oz) French Baguette
Olive Oil

Slice cheese horizontally through middle.  Put half of the ingredient in the middle of cheese, then put the top on.  Put the other half of the ingredients on the top of the cheese.  Slice baguette into 1/4 thick bias-cut slice and brush olive oil onto bread slices.  Bake just the cheese on stoneware for 5 min at 425 F, then add bread around the cheese and bake for an additional 10 min.

CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIR CAKE

CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIR CAKE

CAKE:

1 box Graham crackers
2 sm. pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 Cups milk
8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

Butter bottom of 13"x9" pan. Line with graham crackers. Prepare pudding with 3 ½ cups milk. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour half over graham crackers. Cover with another layer of crackers. Repeat with remaining pudding and cover with more crackers.

*Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and then frost with éclair cake icing- Spread over cake; refrigerate for 24 hours.

ICING:

2 (1 oz.) pkgs. unsweetened pre-melted chocolate
2 tsp. light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. butter, softened

1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. milk

Put all ingredients in a small bowl; beat until smooth

Creme Brule

Creme Brule

 

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup white sugar

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 egg yolks

4 tablespoons white sugar

 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line the bottom of a large baking pan with a damp kitchen cloth.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. While water is boiling, combine cream, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally 4 to 5 minutes, until steam rises. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Pour hot cream into yolks, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until all cream is incorporated. Pour mixture into four 6 oz. ramekins.
3. Place ramekins on towel in baking dish, and place dish on oven rack. Pour boiling water into dish to halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover whole pan loosely with foil.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until custard is just set. Chill ramekins in refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.
5. Before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over each custard. Use a kitchen torch or oven broiler to brown top, 2 to 3 minutes.

Rich Spice Cake

Basic Cake Mix ...just enough for 1 cake

2 C (2lbs) cake flour
1 1/2 C sugar
1 T baking powder
3/8 t salt
1/2 and 1/8 C vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder and
salt.  Mix well.  With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until
evenly distributed.

Rich Spice Cake

3 1/3 C Basic Cake Mix
1 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1 C water
1/4 C butter
1 C brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 C sour cream
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Generously grease a 10 X 15 baking pan.  In a
large bowl, combine Basic Cake Mix, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.  In
a small saucepan, combine water, butter and brown sugar.  Bring to
boil.  Add to dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Add sour cream and eggs.
Pour into prepared pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick
inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan.  Prepare
Caramel Icing.  Frost cooled cake.

Caramel Icing

1/2 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C milk
2 1/4 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan.  Add brown sugar and
boil over low heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add milk and bring
to a boil.  Cool to lukewarm.  Put powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
Add butter mixture and vanilla.  Beat with eletric mixer until smooth.

Swiss Chicken

Swiss Chicken

Line everything up in this order in your crock pot....I will start
with the bottom and end on the top.

4 Chicken Breast

Swiss Cheese (a much as you want or just enough to cover the chicken)

Milk & Cream of Chicken mix (1/3 C of milk for every can of cream of
chicken soup -- I do 2 cans of cream)

A bag of stuffing

1/2 cube of butter

Cook on high for 4 hours