Beef Tacos

Often I crave corn tortillas. This recipe is essentially an excuse to eat them. The proportions in this kind of recipe are extremely flexible -- you can double or half anything you like, but my approximate favourite is given below.

Makes about 12 6'' tortillas.

Brown in a skillet on medium heat

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or chicken, pork, vegetarian substitute)

You want the meat to be very dark, beginning to stick to the pan when you add

14-19 oz black beans

Stirring gently and scraping the bottom of the pan as the moisture from the beans hits the meat. Add your favourite spices and herbs. I usually go after

1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili flakes
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric

but you can use whatever flavour combination you crave. Let this mixture stew until it begins to approach the consistency of tomato paste. Meanwhile, saute in a separate skillet

1 large onion
1 large red bell pepper

Once the onions are golden but not soft, remove from heat to prevent overcooking. Now stuff
corn tortillas with the meat mixture and the vegetables, topping with

grated cheddar cheese
a spoonful of sour cream

Stuff your corn tortillas while they are hot, frying or baking them at high temperature if necessary.

Basic Brownies

I can whip this together in 5 minutes with 25 minutes of baking time. Fastest. Dessert. Ever. This batter can also be poured into small custard dishes and baked at a much higher temperature to produce 'molten brownies.'

Preheat oven to 350F, positioning a rack in the middle of the oven. Combine in a large bowl:

1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder

Then, mix thoroughly in a separate bowl

3/4 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, optionally adding

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix until all ingredients are combined, about 25 strokes. The mixture will have the appearance of chocolate icing. Pour into a greased and floured 9'' square pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top begins to darken and a toothpick, when removed, comes out clean.

Flaky Pastry Dough

Mix in a large bowl

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp salt

Add

1 cup solid vegetable shortening, or 1/2 C shortening and 8 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Break shortening into large chunks; if using butter, cut it into small pieces, then add it to the flour mixture. Cut the fat into the dry ingredients by chopping vigorously with a pastry blender or 2 knives, one held in each hand. The mixture should seem dry and powdery and not pasty or greasy. Drizzle over the flour mixture

1/3 cup plus one tbsp ice water

Cut the mixture with a spatula until it looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough with the flat side of the spatula. If the balls of dough stick together, you have added enough water; if they do not, drizzle over the top

1 to 2 tbsp ice water

Cut this water in as before. The dough should look rough, not smooth. Divide the dough in half, press each half into a round, flat disk, and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and preferably for several hours, or for up to 2 days before rolling.

Oatmeal Casserole Bread

1¾ c boiling water
¾ c cooking oats
¼ c molasses
1½ tsp salt
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp sugar
½ c warm water
1 pkg instant dry yeast
4 c flour

Pour boiling water over oats in large mixer bowl. Stir in molasses, salt, oil and sugar. Cool to lukewarm. Combine yeast and 1½ cups flour. Add to oat mixture along with ½ cup warm water. Beat on low speed of electric mixer for ½ minute, then on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl often. Stir in by hand the remaining 2½ cups flour until thoroughly blended. Cover with greased wax paper and tea towel. Let rise in warm place until doubled (45-60 minutes). Beat 25 strokes with wooden spoon. Dough will be sticky. Grease a 2 quart casserole or 9" x 5" loaf pan. Sprinkle oats lightly on bottom and sides of pan. Place dough in pan and sprinkle oats lightly on top, pressing down gently. Cover with tea towel and let rise in warm place until dough is 1" above top of pan (30 minutes). Bake in 350 F oven for 35-45 minutes. If necessary, cover loaf with foil for last 10 minutes to prevent over browning of crust.


Note: Casserole bread stays moist and makes wonderful toast. This is the bread I used to make when I made home baked beans. So easy to make and delicious to eat.