Best Burritos Ever!

I keep trying to get this recipe right and I think this time I got it! This is not a recipe for a beginner cook. I do not give amounts because you need to work with how much chicken you have and I do not measure seasonings when I add them. So you need to use your cooking experience to estimate the amount of onion and pepper and seasonings etc. My main trick was to use a lot of seasoning in everything that went into it and using many different rich flavors. And of course everything made with bacon fat is going to be yummy!!!
Guten Appetit!

Ingredients:
Tortillas, (I use sprouted wheat ones)
Cooked chicken, (I use what I have from my broth chicken, usually tender and shredded)
Refried beans, one can
Black beans, one can
Shredded Cheese
Enchilada Sauce (I make red one myself)
Bacon fat
Onions
Green Pepper


Method:
1.In a cast iron pan in plenty of bacon fat sautee your sliced onion and green peppers until soft but not limp. Season with some salt and chili powder. Set aside.
2.In same pan add a little more fat and add cooked chicken and black beans, season well with salt, onion powder and chili powder or whatever your favorite seasoning is. Just heat through on medium heat. Don't fry. Take off heat.
3. Get ready to assemble your burritos. Put a tortilla on a plate and line up all your ingredients. Layer them as follows: Spread refried beans on the middle of tortilla, add chicken mixture, spread onions and peppers, sprinkle with cheese and drizzle a little sauce. Roll them up and place upside down in a 9x13 pan that has a little of the sauce in the bottom.
4. Do this with the rest of your tortillas and then pour sauce over the top of them and sprinkle with more cheese. Cover with foil and put in 350 oven until heated through, about 30-40 minutes. Check to make sure sauce is bubbly but not burning.

Brown Rice Pudding

2 cups uncooked, soaked brown rice
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 cups of raisins

Cook brown rice. Beat eggs. Add cream, syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon to eggs. Put cooked brown rice into a large baking dish. Pour egg mixture over it and stir. Add raisins. Bake for 50-60 minutes @350 degrees or until set and brown.

Tip:
I always cook the brown rice the day before. I might be making it for dinner and I will just make extra. The amount of rice does not need to be exact. Then in the evening I throw this together and just put it in the oven in the morning. It takes so long to bake that is helps to have it all ready to go in the oven in the morning. When it sits overnight the raisins plump up real nicely and taste like grapes!!

Dilly Salmon Dip/Spread

3.75 oz can of water-packed salmon, drained and flaked
3 oz cream cheese ( I think I used half a regular one, so maybe 4oz.)
Mayonnaise (didn't measure, use enough to get to desired consistency)
1 tsp. dried dill weed
Worchestershire (maybe a 1/4 -1/2 tsp.)
1 tsp. Vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp pickle juice
Lemon juice (maybe 1/2 tsp.)

Blend it all up and refrigerate. Really can't go wrong with this. Add your favorite flavors. 

Nut crunch chocolate PB bars

I just came up with these and they are out of this world!!

1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup raw honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 nuts of your choice 
1/4 cup coconut chips, unsweetened (optional)

In a medium saucepan melt peanut butter, coconut oil and chocolate chips on medium low heat. Stir often.  Add honey just til blended in well. Turn off heat and add vanilla. Combine nuts and coconut in a metal or glass bowl. Pour chocolate mix over nuts. Spoon into mini-muffin cup pan. (Fills one pan.)
Place in freezer for a few hours.
They easily pop out of the cups just by gently pushing a knife down on one side. There is no sticking at all. They come out clean. If you don't have a mini-muffin pan, you could use a normal muffin pan and then chop them into pieces. You could also put this into a square pan and then just cut them into bars I bet. I just love the way they look coming out of the mini-muffin tins. Sorry no photo yet!

They are so rich and delicious and you can use any kind of nuts you like. They do need to store in the freezer or fridge or they will get to melty and oily.

Chicken Liver Pate

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter, plus 4 Tbsp, softened
1 pound chicken or duck livers
1/2 pound mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 med. garlic clove, mashed
1/2 tsp. powdered mustard
1/4 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt

Melt the 3 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy skilled over medium heat. Add the livers, mushrooms and scallions, cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the livers are browned. Add the wine, garlic, powdered mustard, herbs and lemon juice. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid is gone. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and allow to cool.
When completely cooled, add the 4 Tbsp. if softened butter. Process until smooth, then taste and season with salt as needed. Transfer to a crock or mold, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 week.

This is a version of the recipe in "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon.

Coconut Flour Pancakes (gluten-free, grain-free)

This is from www.cheeseslave.com, one of my favorite blogs.
It's the same recipe minus the salt and sweetener.

3 eggs
3 Tbsp. melted butter or coconut ol
3 Tbsp. whole milk, or coconut milk
3 Tbsp. coconut flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder (optional)

Whisk together eggs, butter, milk. Add baking powder and coconut flour until well mixed.
Heat coconut oil in a skillet or on a griddle over medium low.
Spoon 2-3 Tbsp of batter onto skillet to make 3-4 inch diameter pancakes.
This makes only a small about of batter, only about 4 medium pancakes. So most of the time I double it.
I like to add mini chocolate chips or almond extract to spice them up a bit on occasion.

Sourdough bread - slow fermentation

After studying different ways and methods of making sourdough bread I settled on information from two main sources. I found the website www.sourdoughhome.com to be the easiest information to understand how to take care of my starter and I found the recipe at http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/sourdoughSlow.php to be the easiest recipe to follow while still providing a slow fermentation. A slow fermentation is important because in that time the gluten is partly or largely broken down as well as other anti-nutrients such as phytic acid. (Visit www.westonaprice.org for more information on how to treat your grains properly and why.)

So, here is the information I found helpful when putting together my 

100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread.

To be ready to start the recipe you need to have a healthy sourdough starter.

If you have a healthy starter here are the 3 rules to maintain it:

1.       It must be feed no less than twice a day to keep its vitality (if it is at room temperature)

2.       Each feeding should be enough for it to double its size.

3.       Each feeding should be equal amouts of water and flour by weight. (2 parts water to 3 parts flour by volume)

*****If your starter was in the fridge you should take it out and give it at least one feeding the night before Day 1 to make sure it’s very active.******

(This information is taken from: http://www.sourdoughhome.com/)

THE RECIPE:

• About 4 cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup very active starter
• ¼ tsp. Sea salt
• 25 g (2 Tbsp.) lard or butter
• Water

 

(65 g = ½ cup of flour)

(65 g = little less than 1/3 c. water)

(The recipe is taken from: http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/sourdoughSlow.php)

Day 1 (Making the Sponge)

9:00 am (First feed)

In a large mixing bowl, mix 65 g whole wheat flour and 65 g of water with ½ cup of your active starter. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for 4-5 hours.

1:00 pm (Second feed)

Add another 65 g each of flour and water to the bowl. Stir and cover.

4:00 pm (Third feed)

Add another 65 g each of flour and water to the bowl. Stir and cover.

7:00 pm (final additions)

Dissolve ¼ tsp of sea salt in ½ cup of water and add it to the sponge, then mix in the melted fat. Then add 325 g (2 ½ cups) of flour. Add a little cold water at a time to form a wet dough. You want the dough to just stick to your hands and countertop. The wetter the better. Knead for about 5 minutes. Drizzle a little olive oil in a glass bowl, cover with plastic and put into the fridge for 12-72 hours. This is the slow fermentation step that breaks down anti-nutrients including some gluten. 

Day 2 (Baking Day)

9:00 am (Rising Time)

Take dough out of fridge (It should have doubled in size.)

Dump onto counter and let warm for a few minutes. Knead for a few minutes, adding water if necessary.

Shape dough and put into greased baking pan (I like pampered chef stoneware greased with coconut oil)

Cover with plastic and leave in warm place until double in size (3 ½ to 4 hours).

1:00 pm (Baking time)

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. If you have a baking stone put it in the oven as you preheat it and add a metal bowl of hot water to the bottom of the oven.

Bread should read about 180-190 degrees inside when done. Cool on wire rack.

Important:

“A warm place” means warmer than a normal house at room temp. I set mine inside the oven with the light on. It is 82 in there and that seems to work perfectly.