Mexican Salad with Roasted Peppers, Corn, Tomatoes & Avocado

2 large orange or red bell peppers
2 ears fresh corn
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large firm-ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1-3/4 cup)
1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
2 large firm-ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2-1/2 cups)
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1-1/2 cups home-cooked black beans)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro


Roast peppers and corn: Heat the oven to 425ºF. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem, seed core, and ribs. Put the pepper halves on the baking sheet cut side down. Husk the corn and put the ears on the baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the peppers and corn and rub it around to coat the pepper skins and corn kernels evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until the peppers are soft and slightly shriveled and browned and the corn kernels are lightly browned in a few spots, about 20 minutes (rotate the corn occasionally as it roasts). When the vegetables are done, let them rest until cool enough to handle. Scrape away the pepper skin and cut the flesh into 1/2-inch dice. Cut the corn kernels from the cob. You should have about 1-1/2 cups kernels.


Honey-Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette
1 small clove garlic
salt
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
3 Tbs. fresh orange juice
2 tsp. finely chopped shallot
1 Tbs. honey; more to taste
3/4 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and finely ground
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper


Mince and mash the garlic to a paste with 1/4 tsp. salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the garlic paste with the lime and orange juices, shallot, honey, and toasted ground cumin. Slowly add the oil in a thin stream, whisking until well blended. Season to taste with black pepper and more salt and honey, if you like.


Assemble the salad: Artfully arrange the corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, avocado, and black beans in stripes or piles on a small platter or other wide, shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Serve the vinaigrette in a pitcher. Encourage guests to spoon elements of the salad onto their plates and drizzle on some of the vinaigrette. Or drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad platter just before serving.


Make Ahead Tips
Chop all the salad ingredients up to four hours ahead and store them, covered, in the fridge.


Inspired from: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chopped-mexican-salad-roasted-peppers-corn-tomatoes-avocado.aspx

Chocolate Cake from Hershey's

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Add the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt to your mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Give it a couple of whirls until all of the dry ingredients are mixed together. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be really thin). Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

German Coconut Frosting
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 1/2 cups pecans

Add the evaporated milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks to a saucepan. Whisk to combine. Cook over medium low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. This will take about 10 - 12 minutes. When thick remove from heat and stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Frost cake while frosting is still warm.

German Meatballs with Jäger Sauce

1 pound ground pork (or use sausage meat)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup Dijon mustard or grainy mustard
1 small finely chopped onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
½ tsp caraway seed, ground
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp celery powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg beaten
½ cup breadcrumbs
salt & pepper


Mix all together and form into small balls. Bake in 375F oven until cooked through. Serve with Jäger Sauce.

Jäger Sauce (Hunters Sauce)
1 tbsp bacon fat (optional)
4 tbsp Butter
2 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp dried thyme
4 tbsp Flour
3 cups beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper
Bacon, cut in pieces cooked crisp (optional)


Add the bacon fat and butter to pan. When melted add mushrooms and thyme to pan and cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned. Add flour to the pan and cook for a minute or two. Gradually add beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking frequently. The sauce will thicken. Season with salt and pepper.


Add the meatballs, to the sauce. Cook for a minute or two to reheat all. Sprinkle with bacon if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Hot German Potato Salad

6-8 medium potatoes
1 teaspoon salt (for boiling potatoes)
10 slices cooked crisp bacon, crumbled
2 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 3 large cloves)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley


Place potatoes and salt in a large covered pot. Boil potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when stabbed with a fork. Drain water and cool slightly. Slice into 1/2 inch slices. Set aside.

Melt butter in large skillet. Stir the minced garlic into the mixture and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until garlic starts to turn a light golden. Remove from heat and slowly and carefully add vinegar, sugar, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Place pot back on burner, bring mixture to a simmer, and stir for a couple of minutes. Remove pot from heat and toss in the sliced potatoes, gently mixing until potatoes have absorbed all of the liquid. Sprinkle with cooked bacon pieces and chopped parsley. Serve hot or warm.
Inspired from my own recipe and this one with Dijon mustard: http://www.fivehearthome.com/2014/05/19/german-potato-salad/

Cucumber Salad (Gurken Salat)

1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large cucumbers, peeled, very thinly sliced
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
In a medium mixing bowl, mix sugar, vinegar, water, and dill. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Now you need to taste; if it’s too tart, add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time till you reach the point where it’s neither too sweet nor too sour, but a balance of the two. Same goes for the vinegar - if you want it more tart, add more vinegar. If it's too strong, add more water. Set aside. 

In a large serving bowl combine the cucumbers and onions. Sprinkle with salt. Let sit until water is released from cucumbers (about 1 hour), and dill. Drain. Pour the sugar-vinegar liquid over cucumbers and onions, letting them sit in the refrigerator for 4 or more hours. The longer it sits, the better it will taste! I would turn the salad once to make sure every bit of cucumbers gets coated. Serve at room temperature, or chilled.


Inspired from: https://www.theculinarylife.com/2011/german-cucumber-salad/

Pretzels with Beer Cheese Dip

1 tsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water plus 2 to 3 TBSP extra water if needed for dough
2 packages active dry yeast
3 tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
Coarse salt for sprinkling


Soda Bath
½ cup baking soda
8 cups water

Add the 2 packages of yeast and 1 tsp sugar to the 1 cup warm water. Let sit 5 minutes. In the bowl of your mixer, add 4 cups of flour and the 2 tsp salt. Pour the yeast mixture and softened butter into the flour and attach dough hook. Mix on medium speed until the dough starts to hold together. You may need to add a few more tablespoons of water. Once the dough has taken shape, mix on medium speed 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the dough from the hook and leave dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and put somewhere warm for 45 to 60 minutes. It should be about double in size.

Cut the dough into approximately 10 pieces, give or take one or two, depending on how big you want them. Roll each dough ball into a 20 inch long rope (approximately). You will want to roll the strip of dough while moving your hands slowly apart from each other to stretch the rope out. Be careful you don’t break it. Form each dough rope into a pretzel shape and place on a cooking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and let rise for another 30-60 minutes.

To make your bath solution: Place water in a large pot, making sure not to fill more than ¾ of the way full. When the water is boiling, add the ½ cup baking soda slowly. It will bubble and fizz but will settle down. One by one, using a slotted spoon, drop your pretzel dough into the water bath. Let it boil for 10 seconds on each side. Remove with slotted spoon and place back onto parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt. When all pretzels are done, bake them in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are lightly browned.

Beer Cheese Dip
3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
½ cup milk
¾ cup beer (the darker the beer, the stronger the beer flavor)
12 ounces shredded sharp cheddar
½ tbsp steak sauce (or Worcestershire)
1 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add flour and mix until combined. Whisk in milk and beer and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Add the steak sauce and dry mustard, stirring to combine. Slowly add a bit of shredded cheese at a time, stirring well to melt. Continue until all the cheese is added and melted. Salt and pepper to taste.


Inspired from: http://www.turningclockback.com/2014/10/homemade-pretzels-with-beer-cheese.html

Balsamic Cream Chicken with Mushrooms

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1½ cups sliced brown mushrooms
1½ cups sliced white mushrooms
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock (warmed in microwave)
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until cooked through-ie they are not pink!

Add olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until the translucent. Add garlic, thyme and mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and continue to cook for one more minute. Gradually add the stock, using a whisk. Stir in balsamic vinegar. Cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Slice the chicken and place into the mushroom mixture. Cook another minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with parsley. Serve over garlic mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.