Smothered burritos

This burrito recipe from Chef in Training is so simple and delicious.  I mean, seriously, 5 ingredients??  And the beef gets super-tender in the crock pot.  You can add toppings to the burritos if you like, but we ate them as is.

SMOTHERED BURRITOS

Yield: 5-7 burritos

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. chuck roast, cut in large cubes

1 19 oz. can red enchilada sauce

1 can refried beans

5-7 burrito-sized flour tortillas

1 cup shredded cheese

Instructions:

Put beef pieces into crock pot. Top with enchilada sauce. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is very tender.

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired.  Warm the refried beans. Smear about 2 heaping spoons worth of beans on to the center of each tortilla. Add about 1/2 cup of beef, and roll into a burrito.

Place burritos into a greased 9x13 baking pan until it fills the pan. Pour extra sauce over the burritos to smother them. Top with cheese, and broil until cheese becomes bubbly, approx. 2-4 minutes.

Chocolate chip brioche pretzels

This recipe from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook was my maiden voyage making soft pretzels, and it's a trip I'll be making again and again.  These are so delicious, and all that twisting is fun!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BRIOCHE PRETZELS

Yield: 8 pretzels

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup well- chopped semi-sweet chocolate or 1 cup miniature chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon water
Coarse or pearl sugar, for finishing

Instructions:

Whisk the milk and yeast together in a small dish until the yeast has dissolved. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, stir together fl our, sugar, and salt. Add the beaten eggs and the yeast mixture, and mix at a low speed until the dough comes together in a shaggy pile. Raise the speed to medium, and beat for 10 minutes; the long mixing time creates the soft, stretchy strands brioche is known for. Add the butter, a third at a time, mixing the dough between additions. Now switch to the dough hook, and knead at low speed until a silky- smooth dough forms, another 5 minutes. Add the chocolate and run the machine until it is mixed into the dough.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, until almost doubled. Alternatively, you can rest the dough in the fridge overnight (or up to 24 hours), bring back to room temperature, and let the rise complete before continuing to the next step.

Meanwhile, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll each piece into an 18-inch-long rope about 1/2 inch thick. (It should be easier to roll and stretch on an unfloured or very lightly oiled surface, but if you find yours sticking too much, lightly flour your counter before continuing).  To form the pretzels, draw the ends of a rope together to form a circle. About 2 inches from both ends, twist the rope ends together to close the circle-- a full twist, so that the rope end that started on the right side finishes there. Fold the twist down into the circle, adhering the loose ends of the rope at five and seven o'clock on the base. Repeat to make eight pretzel twists. Transfer them to prepared baking sheets, brush them with glaze, and let them rest for about 15 minutes, during which they'll puff slightly again.

To finish, brush pretzels with glaze one more time, sprinkle with pearl or coarse sugar, then bake for 12 minutes, or until puffed and lightly bronzed. Cool slightly on a rack before serving.

Golden Grahams s'mores bars

I have a confession to make.  A few months ago I bought a box of Golden Grahams to make this s'mores dessert... and ate the entire box before I got around to the s'mores.  Then I bought 3 more boxes... and did the same thing.  I decided enough was enough, and finally managed to make a batch of these BEFORE I finished the box of cereal.  They are super simple to make, and they were a hit at our Bachelor watch party!

GOLDEN GRAHAMS S'MORES BARS

Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients:

8 cups Golden Grahams cereal

6 cups miniature marshmallows, divided (melt 5 cups, stir in 1 cup at end)

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup light corn syrup

5 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Butter a 13x9-inch pan. Measure cereal into a large bowl and set aside.

In large microwavable bowl, microwave 5 cups marshmallows, the chocolate chips, corn syrup and butter uncovered on High 2-3 minutes in 30 second intervals, stirring after every minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour over cereal; quickly toss until completely coated. Stir in 1 cup marshmallows.

Press mixture evenly in pan, using buttered back of spoon. Let stand uncovered at least 1 hour, or refrigerate if you prefer a firmer texture. Cut into bars, and store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days.

Dutch baby pancake

Want to try something new for breakfast this weekend?  How about this Dutch baby pancake from the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook?  The original recipe was for a gingerbread spiced version, but we made ours plain for the kids.  Robert was the chef on this one, and it was a huge hit!

DUTCH BABY PANCAKE

Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

⅓ cup whole milk

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Powdered sugar and maple syrup, for serving

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place the eggs in a blender and blend until smooth and pale in color. Add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and milk- blend until smooth.

Melt the butter in a 9-inch ovenproof skillet over high heat, swirling it up the sides to evenly coat the pan. Pour the batter into the skillet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed up. Remove from the oven, dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup.