Layered Meat Loaf

Layered Meat loaf

2 tbls EV olive oil

1 onion chopped fine

1 small red bell pepper chopped

1 clove garlic

1.5 lbs ground sirloin

1/2 C bread crumbs

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbls lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbls fresh basil chiffonade

2 tbls flat leaf parsley chopped

3 oz fusilli pasta

4 bay leaves

1 tbls butter unsalted melted

cheese sauce recipe follows

6 oz fatty bacon

salt and pepper

preheat oven to 350

Place loaf pan in freezer to chill

Melt butter in a pan and fry onion and sweet pepper till tender add garlic and sauté for 1 mins.

Place meat in bowl and mash with hands till well incorporated, add and mix in veggies, bread crumbs, cayenne, lemon juice, zest, basil and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper set aside.

Cook pasta with salt and olive oil till almost done drain and rinse. Stir cheese sauce into pasta and mix well.

Remove loaf pan from freezer

Grease loaf pan with butter, place bay leaves on bottom of loaf pan and line bottom and sides of pan with bacon. Covering bay leaves. Place back in freezer while the rest is prepared.

Spoon half of meat into pan. Cover meat with pasta cheese sauce. Spoon remaining meat mixture over pasta. Cover loaf with foil. Bake for 1 hour.  

Cheese Sauce

2 tbls butter unsalted

1 tbls AP flour

1 cup whole milk

2 tbls heavy cream

pinch nutmeg

salt and black pepper

2 oz asiago cheese*note

1 tbls parmesan cheese*note

Cook butter and flour to make roux. gradually add milk to make gravy, stir in the cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. remove from heat stir in both cheese until blended smooth.

*Note: the best cheese you can afford will make the better sauce.

Homemade pickled jalapenos

Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

Boil water in a heavy pot just enough to cover peppers

Ice water bath enough to cover peppers

1-2 quart pickle jar with seal

4 C boiling water

4 C white vinegar

2 tbls salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 to 1 lb Jalapeno peppers with slit cut in top

6 cloves garlic sliced thin or course chop

1/2 yellow onion halved and sliced thin into half moons

2 large carrots sliced 1/4 inch rounds

1/2 tsp prepared pure horseradish not creamed style

1/2 tsp mustard powder Colemans is preferred

Splash of EV olive oil

Wash pickle jar thoroughly rinse to be sure all soap is removed

Remove any stems from top of peppers

Boil water in pan, drop peppers, return to boil then remove from heat for 3 mins

Drain peppers and place into ice water bath till cool about 5 mins

Drain peppers

Boil 4 cups water and add 4C vinegar, salt and sugar

Cut a small slit into the peppers just below the top cap about 1/4 inch

Add the next 6 ingredients to the jar

Add the peppers to the jar

Add boiling water vinegar salt and sugar mixture to the jar to cover pepper up to about 1 inch of the top of the jar

Add splash of oil cap let cool and refrigerate for 2 weeks before eating

They will last for a months in the refrigerator

Do not store un-chilled they have not been canned

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds chuck, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
•  kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
•  Chili Powder I like home made myself
• 2 tablespoons EV Olive oil, plus more for frying
• 1 yellow onions, peeled and sliced in chopped into 3rds
• 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup  beef stock low salt,  I use more than gourmet (www.morethangourmet.com)
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup warm water
• Enchilada sauce
• (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 cups grated Cheddar
• 1 cups grated pepper jack cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 (6-ounce) can sliced black olives
• 1 cup sour cream, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Trim, cut, pat dry and season the beef with salt and pepper and chili powder. Coat the bottom of a large heavy Dutch oven with oil. Heat the oil, over medium heat, and brown the beef, in batches, being careful to not crowd. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, if needed, to finish the beef. As the beef browns, add it to a bowl and keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the pot over medium heat and add the onions; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute more, then stir in the stock to deglaze the pan. Add the browned beef, the vinegar and the water and cover tightly. Put the pot in the oven and after 45 minutes, give the beef a stir half way. Cover lower temp to 300 and cook for an additional 2 hours and 30 minutes, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Shred with forks, incorporating the onions and garlic.

Raise oven temp to 350.

When ready to assemble, put 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat with just enough enchilada sauce to coat the bottom. Dip the tortillas, 1 at a time, into the sauce, and cook until tender, about 1 minute each. Combine the cheeses in a medium bowl. Remove the enchiladas to a flat surface. Fill each with some of the shredded meat and cheese, (reserve some cheese for the top of the baking pan). Roll and arrange them, seam side down, in the baking pan, packing the enchiladas tightly. Add additional sauce to come 1/3 up the sides of the enchiladas, then sprinkle a line of cheese, lengthwise, down the center of the pan. Garnish with green onions and black olives. Bake until bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes and then serve with sour cream

Enchilada Sauce/Red Chili Sauce

Enchilada Sauce/Red Chili Sauce

4 Cups boiling water

6  dried California Chili pods

4 dried guajillo chili pods

3 dried pasilla chili pods

4 dried ancho chili pods

1 chipotle dried chili pod these maybe hard to find if you can't so what make this without.

2 tablespoons EV olive oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano crushed

1 tbls cumin pan roasted until aromatic or bottled cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves measure this correctly

Add the boiling water to a large bowl and add all of the chilies. Let steep in water for 1 hour.

Transfer the chilies and the steeping liquid to a blender and puree for 30 to 40 sec on high. Remove from the blender and strain through strainer.

Heat the oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, sauté until soft. Stir in the diced tomatoes , strained chilies, oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper and cloves. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

Pour into large container and blend with an immersion blender until smooth or use regular blender. If using regular blender be careful with hot liquids they tend to spill over