Mangoes with Sour Cream

My new favorite "potluck " dish.

1 - 3 lb bag of frozen mango chunks

1 - cup of sour cream
1/2 to 1 cup cane sugar
1-2 tsp salt to taste

1 - 2 TBS of unflavored gelatin (optional)
1 tsp - 1 TBS cream of tartar (optional)
1 cup of milk (only needed if using gelatin)

I have decided that sour cream makes the best dressing for just about anything.  Fruit salads, instead of mayonnaise for tuna fish, dips, whatever.  The sour complements the mangoes so well and it's so  to just defrost the fruit in the fridge, then apply sour cream sauce.  If you leave the fruit slightly frozen, it will be its own chilling mechanism if its not going to be eaten immediately.

The first time I made this, I was in a hurry and just threw it together and was thankful that it turned out ok.  The second time I made it, I wanted to sneak a little protein in there....mostly so when I ate the leftovers as a snack, it would be a wee bit more balanced.

If you want to add the gelatin, dissolved it in the milk first.   Then add everything else except the mangoes.  Stir well until declumped.  Heat to dissolve the gelatin, then pour over the mangoes, stirring or folding over quickly.  It will usually last the day, but overnight, the mangoes get a little soggy.

Beef Tongue Tacos and Broth

The dogs are so NOT getting the tongues anymore.
 
I don't know why it took me so long to get around to cooking one. Tongue is so tasty and flavorful...now I'm wanting mutant animals so I can get more than one tongue per steer.  And the broth from the skin...wow...wow....ummmm, wow!

There are quite a few methods for preparing tongue.  I got impatient and used the pressure cooker.  It was a 1.35 lb tongue and I cooked it at 8 lbs of pressure for a half hour.  I used a trivet and about a half cup of water on the bottom.  I used the natural release method.

While the meat was cooking, I heated the coconut oil for deep frying some white corn tortillas.  While that was heating, I dissolved some gelatin/sugar/cream of tartar/salt in some diced tomatoes and chilies.  The tongue is a high gelatin muscle, like rib eye, but I always like to make sure I am getting enough.

When the pressure was out of the pressure cooker, I grabbed the tongue with some tongs and ran it under some cold water.  When it is cool enough, the skin is SUPPOSED to just release.  I guess I was too impatient again and ended up cutting it off until I got to the tip.  The skin at the tip pulled right off with ease.  I diced the meat into small cubes and put it in with the tomatoes.  In hind sight, it would have been down right decedent to fry them up a little first, fajita-ish, then put them in the sauce.

The only thing needed now was the taco "shells".  I tried "draping" the tortillas on the end of a wooden spoon.  They didn't drape well and the hot oil actually made the sides float up.  Then I tried tongs, holding onto them on one half while pressing them against the side of the pot.  That worked better, but then they puffed up a lot while being held under.  I stopped at 2 tortillas per person.  They weren't pretty but it's the thought that counts, right?

Ok, so the end product was a fresh fried tortilla, yummy meat topping and a glop of sour cream.  A fabulously messy meal that we all enjoyed immensely!

But that's not the end......

No, now I had this delicious smelling liquid at the bottom of my pressure cooker and tongue scraps, mostly skin, but some meat on there too.  So out comes the gallon bag of frozen onion skins and leftover bones/gristle from other meals.  I took the trivet out and emptied the contents of the bag into the pressure cooker.  I added water and some vinegar and salt to 2/3 full.  It's a 6 quart cooker.  I brought it to pressure and cooked for 45 minutes according to the instructions.  I let it the pressure come back down naturally and strained the big stuff out  of the broth with a slotted spoon into a strainer over the pot.

Total yield 3/4 of a gallon of double strength, very gelatinous broth.

The broth has become a simple potato soup, sausage and potato soup, and potato and cheese soup.

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Potato Salad with Pickled Eggs

Ingredients:

Cooked potatoes

Diced Beet Pickled Eggs

Mustard 

Diced Butter Pickles or Relish

Pickle Juice or ACV

Sour Cream

Cane sugar/Cream of tartar to taste

Salt to taste

I thought I had posted this a while ago, I guess it got lost in the shuffle. 

I know I used a Russet type potato and adding the pickle juice gave it the right moistness.

Adjust proportions to your personal tastes...I kept adding stuff until it tasted "right"....and I can't remember what I did anyway.....

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Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie

I make a mean fruit dip.  I love it for dipping strawberries and it goes great as a brownie topping too.  I got my recipes confused the other day and put WAY too much gelatin in the dip.  Seriously, dip should not be slice-able.


Directions:
I added 2 slices too firm cheesecake dip to 2 eggs in the blender and whipped. Much to my delight, the gelatin dip actually did blend in. I was concerned I would get a chunky smoothie....like adding coconut oil that turns gritty in the cold, ewwww.  I added OJ for liquid as needed and a large handful of frozen strawberries. "Seasoning" was some salt, cream of tartar, cane sugar and homemade vanilla extract.

No Bake Cheesecake - GF

The original recipe: Rich No Bake Cheesecake

I replaced the whipping cream with sour cream, orange juice for the water in the filling.  The crust I made with cocoa butter (didn't have any butter) and chopped, dried coconut instead of crumbs and I added a little homemade baking powder. Oh and a little salt and cream of tartar, well, because I add it to almost everything.

Ingredients:

.5 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
2 TBS unflavored beef gelatin
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 TBS cream of tartar

Dissolve gelatin in OJ, then add the rest of the ingredients from the above group.  Heat, while stirring, until the liquid become translucent.  Let cool a bit.


16 oz cream cheese (softened)
8-16 oz sour cream
1-2 TBS coconut oil (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the above ingredients in a blender or food processor, then add orange juice mix.

Crust: (Optional)
2 cups dried coconut, chopped fine in blender or food processor
1/2 cup cocoa butter
1 TBS arrowroot powder (optional?)
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp baking soda

The To-Go Version

 Chop coconut as small as you can, then add in cocoa butter, then the rest of the ingredients.  Fill pie pan or spring form pan and bake at 350* F for 5 minutes.  Let cool completely. (If you make the crust first, you can stick it in the freezer to chill while prepping the filling.)

Put filling in crust and chill for about 2 hours.  The filling makes 1 large cheesecake in a spring form pan or 2 pies....or 1 pie and 4 individual serving sized crust-less cheesecakes for "To Go" food.

Future variations:

• Using baking chocolate in place of some of the fat in the crust, perhaps with butter.  The crust had an awesome flavor and texture, but was a little bit firm for cutting a bite off.  (The first piece I thought I cut lifted the WHOLE thing out of the pan.)  Butter would be a softer fat when chilled.
• Using rice flour in part or instead of coconut.  Every once in a while, the dried coconut taste was too strong or slightly "twangy."
• Omitting or reducing the sour cream to make a summer weight cheesecake.  The flavor was spectacular, worked well, but I wanted a little more "cheese" in the cheesecake.
• Cherries! (Does that really need explanation?)

UPDATE:
This makes a fabulous brownie topping at room temperature, just add extra OJ. Seriously, it's good.

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Coffee and "Cream" Beef with Rice

This is a "use it up" meal.  It was "sticky" sweet and a little overwhelming for me after one meal.  Ketchup boy was THRILLED and was quite pleased to hog most of the leftovers.


I had 3 chubs of lb packages of my beef in the upstairs freezer.  They don't stack well and I needed to freeze some goat milk, so they got defrosted in the fridge all at once.  I had a partial container of sour cream and nuefchatel, so they got tossed in.  I also had a Tupperware container of brown sugar (a light Muscovado, I think) that has been sitting in the cupboard for a LONG time because it was too hard to use.  I tossed that in too, in one big block.  The gelatin balances the meat and the cream of tartar balances the sugar.  You can get away with cream of tartar with the coffee in moderation because of all the other ingredients.


HINT: If you get the rice cooking first, they should both be ready about the same time.

Coffee and Cream Beef

Leftover coffee (2 cups?)
Beef gelatin (1 cup)
Grass fed ground beef (3 lbs?)
Sour cream (1 cup?)
Cream cheese or neufchatel (1/4 of a package)
Balsamic Vinegar (A few generous shakes)
Brown Sugar (pint sized container, 3/4 full)
Cream of Tartar (1 tsp, at least)
Sea Salt (2 TBS?)

Soak the gelatin in the coffee.  Meanwhile, brown the burger and toss in ingredients in the proportions that appeal to you. Add gelatin coffee mix and heat until blended.  Adjust salt to taste....more salt balances the sweet....up to a point, so does the vinegar. ;)


Rice Cooker Rice
4 scoops jasmine rice
1 TSP cream of tartar
1 TSP sea salt
2-4 TBS Coconut oil
Water to 4 scoop fill line

Place all ingredients in cooker and stir with rice paddle a few times to mix powder with rice and water.  Cook and serve.

Baked Potato with Nacho Sauce

We made some homemade Nachos the other day.  Our eyes were bigger than our stomach, so we had quite a bit of leftover sauce.  We never have leftover homemade tortilla chips.

This particular version of nacho sauce is as follows:

1 lb grass fed ground beef
4-8 TBS beef gelatin
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis
coconut oil (for cooking the beef)
sour cream
sea salt to taste


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Beef Borscht (Slow Cooker)

Layer in the cooker, in order:

Ingredients:
slathering of coconut oil on sides and bottom
2 lbs homegrown grass fed beef, cubed (mine was still frozen)
1/2-1 cup beef gelatin
1 onion, sliced
3-4 cups sliced beets (fresh, canned or pickled)
3-4 cups bite sized potatoes (fresh or canned, drained)
a lot of sea salt...a few TBS
1/2-1 cup homemade broth, water or juice from canned/pickled beets
fresh ground pepper to taste

Cook for about 8 hours on low or overnight, correct seasoning before serving.
Add a dollop of sour cream per bowl, if desired.

P.S. This is NOT a purple soup, but a dark, savory brown.

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Baked Potato

1. Collect a bunch of whole potatoes (from garden or bag)
2. Scrub potato skins under water, let dry
3. Stab top with a fork a few times  
4. Place directly on oven rack (holes up, evenly spaced...I use a toaster oven)
5. Bake at 400* for 45-60 minutes depending on size
6. Split with fork and serve with desired topping and generous dashing of salt.                                     (Butter, Sour Cream, Coconut oil, Cheese etc.)

Mochanoff (Beef Stroganoff with Coffee/Cocoa Sauce) GF

I was wandering around online and found a delicious looking recipe for a Beef/Coffee Stew.  I also had a large portion of fresh mushrooms that needed to get used.  We are experiencing a bit of cold spell* but Soup/Stew was vetoed...so I decided to sneak the coffee into some Stroganoff instead.


*Ok, it's not THAT cold but 60's at night and 70's during the day IS cold compared to 100+ weather...I like it!

Here is my basic recipe:  Beef Stroganoff.   I doubled all the ingredients because of the amount of mushrooms I had, except the meat.  My skillet was practically overflowing with mushrooms, so I cooked the meat separately in the wok, using this recipe:  Deep Fried Beef.
I substituted the Sugar/COT with a 2:1 cane sugar/cocoa powder mix when I remembered that coffee and cream of tartar taste absolutely horrid together.  I mixed the dry ingredients together (gelatin, cocoa, cane sugar, salt) then sprinkled it slowly, while stirring, over the already sautéed mushrooms.  It looked like fudge with mushrooms. ;)
I added coffee to thin the sauce, about a cup or so, then the sour cream, then the meat.  The noodle were done right when I was finishing the sauce,  so I added a little extra salt and served everyone a small portion (just in case) over penne rice noodles.  It was a well received.

Something was missing for me though, I couldn't put my finger on it.  Then I remembered, I usually add vinegar....

I added a few dashes of Balsamic Vinegar to my bowl and mixed in.  Oh yeah....it all just came together.  Sweet, savory, salty, sour in balance.....and extremely filling.  Everyone used the balsamic for the second pass and agreed, it was even better.

I can totally see this as a topping for mashed potatoes or use goat meat for a shepherd's pie filling.

If I was going to use a crockpot/slow cooker for this recipe, I would add a layer of coconut oil on the bottom and wipe it up the sides a little to prevent sticking.  I would then add the rest in this order:

Beef

Mushrooms

Onions and/or Red pepper flakes (if using)

Dry ingredients mixed with Coffee (as a paste)

Vinegar

I would cover and cook it low and slow for 8 hours or so, then turn it off and add the sour cream and correct for seasoning right before serving.

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Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Chocolate Drizzle

Ultra rich cherry cheesecake ice cream with a drizzle of homemade chocolate sauce

Do you see that?  That is a single scoop of ice cream.  Our family just doesn't DO single scoops.  This stuff is so rich and yummy, a single scoop is more than enough to satisfy.   It is a meal in and of itself.  Wow!

We had a birthday this past weekend and this is how we celebrated by request....we REALLY like ice cream here.

Cheesecake Base*, **
*this will need to chill at least 2-3 hours before using
**would make a fabulous fruit dip too

1 cup heavy cream (this is the stuff skimmed off the top of 3 day old milk for my non jersey cow)
1 cup sour cream (I used Kalona's from grass fed cows, Daisy would work)
1 cup cream cheese, softened (I used lowfat because that's what I had)
3/4 cup cane sugar
1 TBS Cream of tartar (the original recipe called for 2 TBS lemon juice, this did the job just fine)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I used my homemade vanilla)
1/2 tsp salt (I used 20 rotations on my grinder, just guessing the actual amount)

Stick the above ingredients in a food processor or mixer and blend until smooth.  Resist the urge to eat it all right now.  I used a wide mouth quart jar for chilling.  It didn't all fit and I was FORCED to eat about an 1/8 cups worth.  Oh the sacrifices we make for our loved ones.

The Fruit Filling
2 cups Cherries* (mine were frozen)
2 TBS cane sugar

(add ons to the original recipe)
1 tsp Cream of Tartar
2 TBS OJ **
1 TBS Unflavored Beef Gelatin
1/4 tsp salt

*Sweet Cherry was the fruit requested, but almost any fruit will do
**I think I used more though, there were a few extra shakes in the container and I didn't want to return a mostly empty container back to the fridge.

I measured my cherries, then added everything but the gelatin and let it it for a bit.  I drained the juice off and mixed it with the gelatin in a small pan.  I heated it, stirring frequently, until the gelatin was dissolved.  I let it sit to cool, then added  back to the cherries.  I chose to chop my cherries at this point, but they could be left whole too.

At this point, we started getting a little impatient.  We didn't want to wait for things to chill and firm.  We wanted to eat yummies.....

So......

I mixed the filling into the ice cream maker with the base and stirred a few times and served.
This is what I got:

Still yummy and decadent, but not so pretty and not quite as good as when it was all the way frozen.  Two scoops was too much to eat at one time too, in my opinion.

Next time I'll wait for the individual ingredients to firm up, then fold in the filling and freeze until firm.....THEN serve.

Oh, the chocolate drizzle is this recipe: Homemade Chocolate syrup with Gelatin as thickener

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Fresh Jalapenos and variations

Sauteed mushrooms with sliced jalapeño peppers

I purchased 10 lbs of peppers.  I put up quite a few jars of frozen pickled peppers and salsa and have been using the remainder for fresh summer soup, stir fry and quesadilla toppings.

Pickled Peppers
Using gloves, pack a straight sided jar with shredded, chopped or sliced peppers and fill with ACV and some salt.  Can or freeze.

Peach Tomatillo Salsa
Ripe peaches
Tomatillos
Jalapenos
Sugar/COT
Salt
Lemon Juice (optional)

Chop pepper first, then tomatillos, then peaches.  Add sugar/COT , salt and lemon juice to taste.  Serve immediately or freeze for later. 

Peach Tomatillo Summer Soup
Peach Tomatillo Salsa
Orange Juice (freshly squeezed, if possible)
Lemon Juice
Coconut oil 
Avocado Slices or bite sized chunks
Cream (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)
Coconut Milk (optional)

Mix the ingredients for the salsa and add the juice of one or 2 oranges, one lemon and a few TBS of coconut oil and avocado slices.  Serve chilled for a refreshing meal on a hot day.  You could substitute cream, sour cream or coconut milk instead of avocados and coconut oil.

Mushroom & Pepper Stir Fry
Sliced peppers
Mushrooms, quartered
Coconut Oil
Salt

Heat the oil and cook peppers and mushrooms together until mushrooms are cooked.  Add a generous portion of salt and serve.  Works as a topping for quesadillas with peach salsa or added to potatoes or eggs.

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Beef Stroganoff - GF

1 lb Grass fed beef (ground or thin sliced)
1lb Crimini mushrooms 
Onion (optional)
Coconut oil for sautéing
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt to taste
4 TBS Beef gelatin
1/4-1/2 cup ACV 
2 TBS Sugar/Cream of Tartar mix
Sour Cream
Noodles or Rice


Sauté mushrooms and onions in the oil with some salt and red pepper.  Soak the gelatin and sugar mix in the vinegar in a separate dish. Add the beef to the mushroom and onions and and cook until done.  Turn off heat, add gelatin mix and stir until dissolved.  Add sour cream and serve over rice or rice noodles.  I used Mrs. Leeper's Pasta Brown Rice Ribbon noodles.

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Chunky Tomato Soup

Chunky Tomato Soup
Homemade bone broth
Shredded Potatoes
Coconut Oil
Tomato Puree
Diced tomatoes and green chilis (optional)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cane Sugar/Cream of tartar mixture
Stew Meat
Gelatin
Unrefined sea salt

Heat the broth with a little extra water for rinsing the gelatin out of the jar.   Cook the shredded potatoes in the broth and oil. Add tomatoes, sugar mixture and meat.  Cook at low temperatures, stirring occasionally until meat is tender.   I think we ate after about 2 hours.  Add a tablespoon of gelatin per 1/4 lb of meat and salt to taste.  This will be a naturally thick and hearty soup.  If using a Crockpot, add all the ingredients at one time and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Variation:
Using the leftovers, I made a cream of tomato soup by adding some fresh cream/milk and gently warming.  A dollop of sour cream would be a nice option as well.

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Blackberries and Sour Cream

 We managed to pick a few gallons of blackberries this year from the local u-pick.  We ate some and froze the rest.  Blackberries don't lend themselves to our usual "berries & milk" dish like strawberries do.  The milk makes them taste bland for some reason.   They are enhanced, on the other hand, by sour cream.

Ingredients:

Fresh or frozen blackberries
Real sour cream (should only have 1 ingredient)
Cane sugar (whole cane lends a nice caramel flavor)
Cream of tartar
Pinch of unrefined salt

Mix the sugar and cream of tartar together 1/4 tsp to 1 TBS of sugar and the salt.  Sprinkle over the berries  with a dollop of sour cream or mix with sour cream  and mix into berries like a fruit salad.  I used equal parts sugar to sour cream, about 2 TBS of each for a cup of berries.  Fabulous!

This post part of Two for Tuesday Real Food Blog Hop,   Tuesday Twister