Braised Beef and Sweet Potato Hash Bowl

https://www.modernhoney.com/braised-beef-and-sweet-potato-hash-bowl/

Photo off of website

I REALLY loved this recipe! I do not eat horsey sauce so I didn't use any but I really liked the flavors here!

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time: 8 hrs

Braised Beef and Sweet Potato Hash Bowl. Tender braised beef on top of a sweet potato onion hash and topped with feta cheese and herbs. 

Ingredients

(1) 2.5 to 3 lb. (approximately) Beef Roast (such as a chuck roast)

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

1 cup Beef Broth (optional)

4-6 Sweet Potatoes (peeled and diced into small pieces)

1 large Onion (diced)

2-3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Salt

3/4 cup Feta Cheese

2 ounces Horseradish Aioli or Sauce

Fresh Parsley (chopped)

Instructions

Place beef roast into slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add beef broth, if using. Set on LOW setting and cook for 8 hours. You may set it to the high setting and cook for approximately 5-6 hours. Low is preferred.

Place peeled sweet potatoes and diced onions on baking sheet. Set oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil all over the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Toss with a spatula to evenly coat all of the sweet potatoes. Add more oil, if needed.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until tender. Flip over with spatula, halfway through baking time.

Once the beef is fully cooked and tender, shred with two forks. Check for seasoning.

To assemble the bowls, place sweet potato hash on bottom of the bowl. Top with shredded braised beef. Sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles. Drizzle horseradish aioli or sauce over the beef. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

I don't always use beef broth since the beef roast releases so many juices on its own but it does add a bit more flavor.

 NO KNEAD ARTISAN BREAD

A SUPER EASY homemade bread recipe! Soft on the inside with a a chewy, crunchy crust! A no knead bread with no special ingredients needed, just a pot and your oven. This recipe has been adapted from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery, published by The New York Times.

Image is off the website

https://cafedelites.com/artisan-bread-recipe/

My family quite liked this bread. It was pretty easy and I used my actual dutch oven (the one I put over a fire but added foil inside because the inside looks a little nasty). 

Update: I now have a real enameled cast iron Dutch oven pan that I use and love and it's perfect!

-Annette

PREP: 10 MINS

COOK: 42 MINS

RISING:: 2 HRS

TOTAL: 2 HRS 52 MINS

SERVES: 12 SLICES

INGREDIENTS

3 cups bread flour, or plain/all purpose (15.8 oz. or 450g)

1 tablespoon white granulated sugar

2 teaspoons dried, instant or rapid rise yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) warm water

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil, mixing to incorporate all of the ingredients together. Dough will be wet, sticky and shaggy.

Lightly spray the top with cooking oil spray. Cover with plastic wrap and place a dry tea towel over the top.

Leave in a warm, draft-free place for 2-3 hours, until doubled in size. Dough will have a lot of little holes or bubbles and be wobbly like jelly.

Place a large (10-inch or 26cm) dutch oven or heavy based pot in the oven with a lid. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) 30 minutes before baking.

Lightly flour work surface and plastic spatula with up to 1 tablespoon flour. Scrape dough out of bowl onto work surface with spatula. Sprinkle the top of dough with a large pinch of flour and fold it over on itself with the spatula (about 5-6 folds). Roughly form a round shape.

Measure out a large piece of parchment paper, large enough to transfer the dough into the pot. Place paper next to the dough and roll dough onto the paper, smooth side up. Carefully move it to the centre of the paper and reshape if needed, or shake pan a couple of times to evenly distribute dough. (It will even out while baking.)

Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rest while oven is preheating.

Use oven mitts to carefully remove hot dutch oven from oven. Grab the parchment paper from each end to pick up the dough and transfer it into the pot.

Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, until loaf is beautifully golden browned.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

NOTES

FLOUR: Bread flour results in a softer, fluffier bread because of the higher protein content. All purpose or plain flour also work really well, with the texture being only slightly different.

SUGAR: Yeast feeds on sugar and starch, the perfect pairing in bread dough. The mix releases carbon dioxide gas, causing the bread to rise while baking. The bubbles push the dough up and out, creating a soft and spongy texture.

YEAST: we have tried this recipe over the years with dried, instant and rapid-rise. We found the dried yeast did not need activating before mixing it through the dry ingredients. If hesitant, feel free to activate it first in the warm water and oil for a couple of minutes before adding the rest of your ingredients.

OIL is what makes our bread even softer. You need this sneaky little addition for a silky, soft crumb.

WARM WATER: not too hot or it will kill your yeast. 130°F or 55°C is the perfect temperature. You can also do the finger test: if you dip your finger in the water and its nice and warm, it's perfect. If it burns, let it cool down slightly until warm.

RISING TIME can vary according to a couple of elements: humidity levels, room temperature, different flours, different yeast, etc. Let the bubbly surface be your guide. As long as the dough rises to double its size, it's ready to continue as per the recipe above. Just remember, yeast thrives in warmer temps.

DON'T FORGET TO PREHEAT YOUR OVEN WITH THE POT!

The very first time I saw this recipe was on Pinch of Yum and The New York Times.

NUTRITION

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

 Norwegian Pancakes (Pannekaker)

Image is off of the website

This recipe came from: https://www.norwegianamerican.com/what-makes-a-pancake-norwegian/

Recipe initially published in Daytona’s Scandinavian food blog, Outside Oslo:

www.outside-oslo.com/pannekaker-norwegian-pancakes-for-dinner

I like the denseness of this pancake. It has a lot of egg in it which I like. Don't know if it was a big hit with my family, maybe if we had put syrup on it. I just ate it plain which is good but does lack some flavor. If I were to eat them plain again I might think ahead and add some cinnamon or almond or coconut extract to the batter. 

Ingredients

3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 ½ cups whole milk

2 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan

 Directions

Mix all ingredients except butter in a medium-sized bowl using a whisk or fork until the batter is smooth and you have no lumps. Stir in butter. Refrigerate for a half an hour to let the batter rest.

Meanwhile, warm a pan over medium heat. I prefer a well-seasoned cast-iron pan, which minimizes the need for additional butter to keep the pancakes from sticking.

Melt a little butter in the pan. To get started on your first pancake, pour in enough batter to thinly coat the bottom of the pan—I find that a 1⁄3-cup measure is just right for my 10-inch pan. Twirl the pan around to coat the bottom, and when the top starts to set and the edges begin to color slightly, carefully but confidently and swiftly slide a heat-safe silicone spatula under the pancake, jiggling it slightly as you do, and flip the pancake. It will probably need about 2 minutes on the first side and a minute or so on the second. When done, use the spatula to roll the pancake in the pan and transfer to a plate.

Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter, adding a little butter to the pan between pancakes if necessary. Cover the pancakes with a tent of foil paper as you go to keep them warm.

Serves 2 to 3.

 CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-ice-cream-sandwiches/

This photo is off the website, it is not my own.

These were really yummy and fun and different to make. They weren't too hard but the ice cream can be a little melty to work with if it gets too soft and they can be a little messy to eat if they are too soft as well but if they are too hard then they are hard to eat also.

YIELD: 9 ICE CREAM SANDWICHES 

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES 

ADDITIONAL TIME: 3 HOURS 

TOTAL TIME: 3 HOURS 20 MINUTES

4.5 Stars (58 Reviews)

INGREDIENTS

 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

 1/4 cup granulated sugar

 2 tablespoons milk

 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

 1 cup mini chocolate chips

 Nonstick cooking spray

 Quart cookie dough ice cream, softened to spreadable consistency

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cookie dough, in a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter with the brown and granulated sugar. Stir to combine. Stir in the milk, vanilla, and salt until well blended. Stir in the flour until completely smooth. Let the mixture cool completely (so the chocolate chips don't melt) then stir in the chocolate chips.

Line an 8X8-inch baking pan (preferably with very straight sides) with two pieces of parchment paper (cut into 8-inch strips) so they extend well beyond the edges of the pan on all four sides; this will help to lift up and easily remove the frozen sandwiches.

Scatter half of the dough into the pan and use your hands to press it into an even layer.

Top with a second set of parchment strips that extend over each side. Lightly coat the parchment with nonstick cooking spray. Scatter the remaining dough over the top and press into an even layer.

Fold the overhanging parchment over the dough and freeze for at least an hour (can be frozen for several days in advance.)

Use the parchment strips hanging over the edge to lift out the top layer of cookie dough. Then remove the second layer.

Place another set of parchment slings (I know, enough with the parchment already!) in the pan. Peel the parchment from one square of cookie dough and set it inside the pan with the smoothest side down.

Spread the softened ice cream over the top into an even layer. Peel the parchment from the remaining square of cookie dough and place it, smoothest side up, on the ice cream. Gently press it into the ice cream.

Cover the pan (with the parchment overhangs, if desired) and freeze for at least 2-3 hours but preferably 6-8. Using a long, sharp knife, run it under hot water, wipe dry, and slice the cookie dough ice cream sandwiches into squares, repeating with hot water after each slice (you can lift up on the handles to remove it from the pan before slicing - I found I had to run a knife around the edges to loosen any ice cream that had stuck to the pan corners). Eat fast so they don't melt!

NOTES

This Recipe Contains Raw Flour: when I posted the recipe way back in 2013, there wasn't an outcry over raw flour like there is today. So please do your reading/research to decide whether you feel like it's sensible to eat raw flour. Here's an article to reference from the CDC. You can experiment using other types of flours in place of the all-purpose flour OR you can toast the all-purpose flour in the oven until golden and cooked, let it cool, and then use it in the recipe.