Brisket like none other!

I found this recipe for brisket so long ago I don't know where I got it. I would like to give credit to the person who put it out there, but unfortunately I can't! Whoever you are...THANK YOU! It is amazing!


I have made this several times and it turns out perfect every time!


RED WINE & BALSAMIC VINEGAR BRISKET

5 lb brisket
salt, pepper and fresh garlic to taste
1/4 cup Merlot Wine
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup beef stock
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 large onion, sliced into rings
2 stalks celery, chopped with leaves
3 large carrots, chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, diced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary




Rub the brisket with salt, pepper and garlic and place in a shallow baking dish, marinating tray or large resealable bag. Combine the Merlot and Balsamic vinegar and pour over the brisket. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. I suggest overnight.




Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.


Arrange onion rings in the bottom of the roasting tray. Sprinkle the garlic, thyme and rosemary over the brisket and rub in. Pour the remaining marinade in the bottom of the pan along with beef stock and stewed tomatoes and lay the roast on top of the onion rings so they form a roasting rack. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.








Roast for 3 hours in the oven, then uncover and add carrots and celery to the pan. Cover again and roast for another 1 to 2 hours until the brisket can be pulled apart with a fork.





I suggest serving with mashed potatoes and a lovely red wine! ENJOY!!

Cinnamon Rolls...yet another disaster!

Okay, so I have tried to make cinnamon rolls twice now with disasterous results. I didn't post the last time, because I thought I had learned from my previous mistakes and had it all figured out! The first time they came unrolled, leaked filling all over creation and my oven, but tasted like heaven! I had even improvised a bit with the icing and it turned out fantastic. So, I learned they had to be baked squished tight together so they don't come unrolled or fall over. I learned that I shouldn't baste butter across the whole inside or they won't "glue" together once they are rolled up and I learned to let both the butter and cream cheese get soft before I mixed the frosting, instead of melting the butter. Okay, so I "fixed" all those issues. Today I rolled out my dough perfectly, put butter all over the inside-except for about an inch by the top, filled it with cinnamon/brown sugar mixture, rolled them up TIGHT, pinched the ends together so they didn't unroll and then placed the individual rolls in a greased muffin tin (as was suggested by a friend). Everything went completely as planned and they looked marvelous! While they baked, I mixed together the icing and it was of a spreadable consistency. Yippee! I thought I had fixed all the issues and should have some delicious cinnamon rolls to send to work with my sweetheart.
Alas, it was not to be. Although I baked them for the same amount of time as last time, the filling burned to the bottom of the muffin tin and they are stuck in the tin....I PRIED one out and frosted it. Tasted burned. Certainly NOT like heaven. They look perfect! They look like they should...so why is it that I cannot master the art of excellent taste and perfect presentation? I am going to get another batch of dough going and I am going to attempt them again! I am going down with a fight!! No easy cinnamon roll is going to beat me! Stay tuned for the next round of Cinnamon Roll vs. Cowgirl Helen. The odds aren't good since the score is already Cinnamon Rolls - 2 Helen - O, but I am going to give it another shot before I completely give up on making cinnamon rolls because they smell fantastic and taste even better! I am going to post the recipe below, but if you have a better one...please let me know!

Cinnamon Rolls

White bread dough (I use the frozen white bread dough)

Filling -
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter (softened)

Frosting -
1 (3 oz) packed of cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Once dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes. In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough out to about a 16X20 rectangle. Spread softened butter all over the dough, leaving a 1 inch area without butter along the top of the rectangle. Sprinkle the filling mixture onto butter. Roll up the dough tightly and once you reach the top, pinch dough together so the roll stays rolled up. Cut into 12 individual rolls and place tightly in a lightly greased 9X13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake rolls until golden brown (not burned like me), this takes between 11-15 minutes. While rolls are baking combine ingredients for frosting in a bowl and mix well. Spread frosting over warm rolls before serving.

Enjoy!

Cowgirl Helen

Dutch Apple Pie!

You will certainly want to write this recipe down! It's easy, it's delicious and goes well with ice cream. No need to say more...

I decided to surprise my sweetheart, Matt, with an apple pie made from scratch today. He isn't used to such treatment and so I like to give him a treat every now and then to make sure to keep him happy!

I didn't actually mess this one up either, so I will give the recipe and post the end picture...I got tied up with work (yes, that ugly word) and so wasn't able to take pics of the process. Maybe next time. I got a little help from my sister on the bottom crust, since I am a rookie at such things, but she was able to text me the simple recipe and I was able to make a success of it, so I will include that as well!

DUTCH APPLE PIE!

5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter

In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon and 2 tbsp flour. Add apples to pie pan and then sprinkle with this mixture. Then drizzle lemon juice over the top of this.

In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of flour. Cut in the butter until it forms a rough crumble. Top the pie with this mixture.

Pie crust
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
3-4 tbsp ice water

Mix together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until it is in small crumbles. Add ice water until it forms a soft dough ball. Roll out the ball and place in pie pan.


I recommend baking at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and then covering with foil and baking for another 20 minutes. This will ensure the crust doesn't over brown (like mine!).

You can top with homemade whipped cream or ice cream! Your choice.

Well, have fun baking and Bon Appetit!!

To school or not to school....that is the question

I toured a private culinary school today.

Needless to say, I held my breath the whole time! We went over curriculum, schedules, tuition, and then toured the "campus". When we reached the 2 huge kitchen classrooms, I was all aflutter inside! Huge gas ranges, GIGANTIC mixers (my gosh...I was ready to take one home with me!), and all the tools required of proper cooking!

It was like being Charlie in the Chocolate Factory for me! I was thrilled from the moment I went in to the end of the "interview". This private school only accepts so many students and so they were interviewing me as much as I was interviewing them. I was beaming when he said I was exactly the type of student that would fit in there. I didn't want to think that was what they said to all prospective students!

The curriculum alone was thrilling to me! Courses called Advanced Patisseries and Chocolate Confections, whole quarters spent discovering the cuisines of a region/country. It appealed to me on so many levels! I am a perpetual student. I will always have the learning bug and seek to know more about the world around me. I was excited at the prospect of buying books again, and when they showed me the "kit" for the Baking and Pastry Arts program (a bunch of lovely tools of the trade!), I was sold.

Of course, they saved the cost of tuition for last. The large number that represented cost per year deflated my bubble a bit, but I was still elated enough to think I could possibly swing it somehow. All that mattered was that I was smitten. I was sold. I was already envisioning myself in the chef coat and sitting in the classroom.

Well, once I left the school, reality set in and by the time I got home and peeked once again at the curriculum sheets, the catalog, the TUITION sheet, I realized it probably wasn't to be.

The dream hasn't gone away completely, but I need to hunker down and get creative about how I could possibly pay for a private school when I am unemployed and barely keeping my head above water. Nothing is impossible, right?

I know there are many roads to Rome, but the feel and the formal college feel of this program appealed to me on many levels. I want to be a professional. I want to know all I can about baking and pastries. I want to get this. I really do. At least my tour solidified that for me. It made me realize that I am very passionate about this and that it is worth some sacrifice and definitely more exploration!

So...time to research!

Western music under the starry skies...and dessert of course!

Last night was just magical! I was lucky enough to attend a Juni Fisher concert (she's an award-winning Western music star) in Sonoita, Arizona. It took place in the courtyard of the lovely local B&B, La Hacienda de Sonoita (http://www.haciendasonoita.com/). The setting was gorgeous and with lights strung around the columns of the flagstone courtyard and a big mesquite fire roaring in the outdoor kiva fireplace it was truly inspirational and a one of a kind venue! The cool night was lovely and clear, so you could look up from your seat and name the constellations as you listened to the clear, beautiful voice of Juni singing her original songs about cowboy life, women rodeo stars, and life on the range. I personally love cowboy/western music. It is a far cry from the whiny ballads and countrified rock of modern country music. It harks back to folk music and Irish music and soothes the soul and takes you back to a time of simplicity and beginnings of the West. So the evening was really wonderful and I wish more people had taken the opportunity to experience Juni's music in such an intimate and awe-inspiring setting.

Of course, one cannot forget the important things...libations and dessert! The cool night air was tempered by hot decaf coffee, offered with several "tonics" to add some kick and warmth to the body! It was a nice, gourmet cowgirl's touch, but the real pièce de résistance was the delicious, warm, freshly prepared, pineapple upside down cake made in a dutch oven! It was fantastic! My mother used to make this dessert when I was a child, but I don't remember it being this fluffy, this light and this delicious! And of course, there is nothing like a real dutch oven, over the fire dessert to complete an evening that celebrated Western life and the cowboy legacy!

So, I thought I would post the dutch oven pineapple upside down cake recipe I like the best and throw some Juni Fisher info your way as well. Maybe you can purchase a CD, build a fire, brew some coffee (spiked with Bailey's was yummy), bake a pineapple upside down cake over your fire and look up at the stars and maybe feel some of the blessings that we did last night! ENJOY!!


Juni Fisher
2008 Western Heritage Wrangler Award Winner
2008 WMA Songwriter of the Year
2007 WMA Song of the Year Songwriter
2006 WMA Female Vocalist of the Year
2005 AWA Western Female Performer of the Year
2005 WMA Crescendo Award
Red Geetar Records
www.junifisher.net
615-289-1292

Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can sliced pineapple rings (10 slices), with juice
10 maraschino cherries


Preheat a 12-inch Dutch oven with about 8 coals underneath and 18 on top.
In a mixing bowl or gallon-size storage bag, combine dry cake mix, eggs, oil and pineapple juice. Stir until lumps are gone. If more liquid is needed, use a bit of the cherry juice. Set aside.
Melt butter and brown sugar in the preheated Dutch oven, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Place the pineapple rings evenly in the oven. Place a cherry inside each ring. Pour cake batter evenly over the rings. Return heated lid to the oven and bake about 35 minutes or until the cake is done in the center. The cake will shrink away from the sides a bit when done.

Remove the lid and invert the cake onto a serving dish.

The Best Pork Ribs EVER!!

Tonight we are having pork ribs! One of my favorite foods on the planet and I have been known to partake in rib-eating contests even!

I wanted to share this with you guys, because it is definitely one of the best recipes I have come across and I now count it as one of my staples in the recipe box.

There are 4 steps, it takes an overnight marinade, but it is definitely worth every minute of preparation once you taste the incredibly tender, flavorful ribs. The 1st step is pre-baking the ribs, the 2nd step is the dry rub and overnight marinade, and the 3rd step is the homemade barbeque sauce and the final step is the grilling.

Step 1: Rub the ribs all over with fresh garlic. I use anywhere from 4-6 cloves crushed up. I rub both sides of the ribs and then place in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 2 1/2 hours at 300 degrees. Let cool once completed baking.



Step 2: Once the ribs have cooled off from the oven. Mix together the following ingredients for a dry rub.


1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper (ground)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin

Rub the ribs all over with spice mixture and cover and refrigerate overnight.



Step 3: In a small saucepan, mix together the following ingredients and simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered for 1 hour. Reserve a small amount for basting the ribs on the grill. The remainder is used for a dipping sauce.


1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped onions
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 clove crushed garlic

Step 4: Prepare grill for medium heat. Grill, covered for about 12 minutes, basting with the sauce until nicely browned and glazed.



ENJOY!!

Cupcakes and Cattle

Who can mess up a cupcake? Hmmmmm....Well...apparently I can!

Sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes in the brain department to actually make a great cook! I made a wonderful Hungarian Goulash for dinner the other night and thought I would top it off with some strawberry frosted cupcakes for dessert! I just happened to have an old cake mix in the pantry along with the appropriate matching frosting flavor, so I dug it out and starting following instructions! I am good at that usually. Well, I got the cake batter mixed, found the cupcake tin (yes, I inherited one of those from my sweetheart, Matt) and even had the paper liners to put in the tin! I felt jubilant! WOW! I actually had all the ingredients in my pantry, which is a goal of mine to develop a well stocked pantry that sports all the necessary ingredients for whatever strange recipe happens to be on the menu, so I was really happy with my little success there. Then I even had the tools necessary for the job. That is an even great accomplishment. My kitchen, as you have probably read in my previous post, lacks a certain number of basics and definitely lacks in the more specialized equipment area, so having the tin and liners was a big COUP!

Okay...back on track here. I fill each liner with batter and use the whole bowl up on the 12 cupcakes as it should be. I thought I was really hitting a home run here. I did wonder at some point if they might perhaps be a little full, but it didn't really worry me enough to seek advice. Heck, how do you mess up something as simple as cupcakes from a box anyway? Right?

I stuck my tin in the preheated oven and baked for the time designated by Betty Crocker. The timer went off and I couldn't wait to see them and start frosting those babies! I open the oven and lo and behold, CUPCAKE TOPS ATTACK! My Lord! I guess I must have overfilled them because they all shared one common top and no matter how careful I was in surgically separating the Siamese cupcakes, the tops promptly tore off and left only the body behind! Ugh! Everyone knows the tops are the most delicious parts! Even Seinfeld had an episode about that!

I was just devastated! It is always very difficult for me to handle failures in the kitchen, but this one was particulary hard to swallow because it all came from a box...no expertise necessary, right? Even a monkey can make cupcakes from a box. So, what to do? How can I fix this?

Cowgirl ingenuity came into play and we had "stuffed cupcakes". I frosted the tops of the bodies and glued the tops back on with the frosting! They looked like plain cupcakes, but they had a surprise filling! At least they tasted fine. Same ridiculously sweet, artificially flavored taste I was hoping for...just a slight change in presentation!

Well, I thought the disaster was averted. We had our dessert, it tasted just fine and we even had a few leftover for Matt to take to work.

The next morning I was contemplating how to store the remaining cupcakes when I was called to duty to help gather momma and baby cows on a 15 section (a section is 1 mile by 1 mile square) pasture. I decided to share in my bounty and offered the ranch owner and the two cowboys helping us cupcakes for the ride out to the ranch. Well, the ill-fated cupcakes once again had a devastating effect. While distractedly eating his cupcake in the truck, the ranch owner didn't pay enough attention to the trailer with our 4 horses in it and struck a curb with the trailer tire, promptly popping said tire and bending the rim beyond repair! UGH again! A quick morning ride turned into a whole morning spent at repair shop and tire dealership instead of out in God's Country in the brisk fall air gathering cattle.

Exactly how can a simple cupcake offer up so much frustration, disappointment and torment? It just did. Simple as that. I guess the moral of the story is that nothing is simple in cooking and baking. Nothing should be taken for granted and finally, DON'T overfill those cupcake tins!