Cuban Sloppy Joes & Baked Plantains

Adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cloves garlic, cracked from skin
1/4 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, eyeball it in your palm
1/4 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball the amount
1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 tablespoon paprika, eyeball it in your palm
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1/2 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco) eyeball it
1/2 cup tomato sauce
A palm full grill seasoning blend (recommended: McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning)

Hamburger buns

Slices of Pepper Jack cheese

Directions:
Make the mojo sauce: put the garlic and onion in a food processor with cumin, lemon zest and juice. Turn processor on and stream in extra-virgin olive oil. Turn off processor and reserve.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown. Add the mojo and crumble the meat as it cooks, about 3 minutes. Add paprika, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, tomato sauce and grill seasoning. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat 10 minutes.

Split buns and pile the bottoms with hefty spoonfuls of Sloppy Jose mix. Cover meat with sliced pepper jack cheese. Serve with Baked Sweet Plantains, recipe below.

Baked Sweet Plantains

Adapted from this recipe from recipezaar.com.

Ingredients:

2 ripe plantains (when the skin is yellow with spots of black they're perfect)

Cooking spray

Cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray. Cut the ends off of the plantains and peel. Cut each plantain on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange in single layer and coat tops with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until plantains are golden brown and very tender.

Israeli Couscous with Roasted Vegetables

Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe and this recipe from allrecipes.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 green zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
2 yellow zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
1 bunch asparagus (about 13 spears), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium red onions, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup basil chiffonade (stack leaves, roll in a cigar shape and cut crosswise into thin strips)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Israeli couscous
8 cups Vegetable stock, heated

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and garlic, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 the marinade over the vegetables and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. Place the vegetables in a large roasting pan. Roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the couscous and toast until lightly golden brown. Cover the couscous with the hot stock and bring to a boil, cook until al dente and drain well.

4. Place in a large serving bowl, add the grilled vegetables and herbs and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Recipe from Cooking Light and Recipezaar.

I forgot to take a picture! :( I'll just have to make these again...

Ingredients:
For batter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt (or 1/2 cup buttermilk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest and juice, Meyer lemon preferred
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

For frosting
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour standard muffin tin. In a medium bowl, whisk the four with the baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt (or buttermilk) vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the four mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of the yogurt mixture.

3. Divide evenly amongst the muffin cups (perfectly portioned when using a standard level ice cream scoop). Bake until the toothpick inserted in teh center of a cake comes clean, 15 - 20 minutes (closer to 15 with convection bake). Cool for 10 minutes in tin, then cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Set the rack over wax or parchment paper. To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Chocolate Caramel Matzah

This is the original recipe, so far when I've made it, I've halved it, using 3 pieces of matzoh, 1/2 the sugar/butter, and all of a 10oz bag of chocolate chips (making the chocolate extra thick!).

Ingredients:

5 to 7 pieces of matzo
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
12 - 16oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Salt for topping
Toppings, as desired (try chopped pistachios, craisins or slivered almonds)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and/or parchment paper.
Place the matzo in one layer on one or two baking sheets, breaking it when necessary to fill the pans completely. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula. Once the mixture reaches a boil, continue to cook for an additional three minutes, still stirring, until thickened and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and carefully pour over the matzoh, spreading an even layer.
Put the pan in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn't burn. If it looks like it is starting to burn, turn heat down to 325.

After 10-15 minutes, the toffee should have bubbled up and turned a rich golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the pan. Let sit for 5 minutes, then spread the now-melted chocolate evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle a little salt over the top, and then add toppings (if desired) while the chocolate is still melted.

Let cool completely, then refrigerate until hardened. Break into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch round cake pan, and dust with cocoa powder.In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Slices can also be reheated for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.