Authentic Mexican Chile Rellenos

Submitted by: Kentucky Guera

Ingredients

• 6 fresh poblano chile peppers
• 1 (8 oz) package queso asadero (white Mexican cheese), cut into 3/4-inch thick strips
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable shortening, for frying

Instructions

1. Gather all ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven broiler; set the oven rack about 6 inches below the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Place the peppers on the prepared baking sheet and broil until the skins are blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes, using tongs to rotate them often so all sides char. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl and seal tightly with plastic wrap. Let them steam as they cool, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the skin from the peppers, then cut a slit down the long side of each one to remove the seeds and core.
5. Rinse the peppers inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Stuff with strips of cheese.
6. Whisk the egg yolks and baking powder together in a bowl until combined.
7. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form.
8. Gently fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture. Place the flour in a separate shallow bowl.
9. Melt the vegetable shortening in a skillet over medium heat. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour, tap off the excess, then dip into the egg mixture to coat both sides. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot shortening. Fry until lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes per side.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Best Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 & 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (114g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 & 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (188ml) milk
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and 1 cup of sugar.
4. Then whisk in the eggs, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and gently stir using a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
6. Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups. Generously sprinkle the remaining sugar over the tops.
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes: Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm up the refrigerated muffins in the microwave for 15-30 seconds if desired.

Chimichurri Steak

Steak

• 700g (1.4 lb) flat iron, flank, or skirt steak
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil, for the pan

Chimichurri Sauce

• 1 cup parsley leaves
• 1 Tbsp oregano leaves
• 4 garlic cloves
• 0-2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup (65ml) red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. For the chimichurri, place all sauce ingredients except the oil in a food processor and pulse until the parsley is finely chopped but not pureed (or chop the parsley by hand).
2. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the oil, and set aside for at least 1 hour before using (overnight is even better). Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 3 days.
3. Take the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Heat a BBQ or heavy skillet with the oil over high heat until smoking. Season the steak generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
5. Cook to your liking: about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temp 125°F, rising to 130°F after resting), or 2 1/2 minutes per side for medium (internal temp 135°F, rising to 140°F).
6. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 5-10 minutes.
7. Slice thinly against the grain and serve with the chimichurri sauce on the side.

Source: RecipeTin Eats

Crusting Cookie Icing

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp clear vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment. Whip until well combined.
2. You can add more powdered sugar or milk to get the frosting to the consistency you like.
3. If dying with food coloring, stir the food coloring in by hand at the very end.

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (not melted)
• 1 cup granulated (white) sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 1/2 cups (540 grams) all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a separate mixing bowl, either with a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugars on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally as needed. Mix in the eggs (one at a time) and molasses, and beat on medium-low speed until each is combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredient mixture and beat until it is evenly incorporated.
3. Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the dough is completely chilled.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.
5. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter. Fill a separate small bowl with sugar, and roll each ball in the sugar until it is completely coated. Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the cookies begin to slightly crack on top. (They will crack more while cooling.) Remove from the oven and let cool for 4-5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
7. Serve warm and enjoy, or store in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

How to Decarb Cannabis in a Mason Jar

Materials

• Cannabis buds, ground to roughly the size of a grain of rice
• Butter (or olive, canola, avocado, or coconut oil — coconut retains the most cannabinoids)
• 1 cup water
• Wide-mouth mason jar with lid
• Kitchen towel, dampened
• Baking tray
• Oven gloves
• Saucepan or slow cooker
• Cooking thermometer
• Cheesecloth and a funnel
• Airtight storage container (a mason jar works well)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220-245°F, rack in the center position.
2. Place the ground cannabis in the mason jar and screw the lid on loosely.
3. Lightly wet the kitchen towel and lay it on the baking tray. Set the mason jar on its side on top of the damp towel.
4. Bake for 1 hour, using oven gloves to remove and shake the jar every 15 minutes to redistribute the cannabis evenly. (Heating time may vary by strain, 45 minutes to 1 hour is a safe range.)
5. Remove the jar and let the contents cool for 30 minutes — this is your decarboxylated cannabis.
6. Add 1 cup of water and the butter to a saucepan or slow cooker and simmer over very low heat until the butter melts completely, stirring occasionally so it doesn't scorch.
7. Add the decarboxylated cannabis to the pan and simmer on low for 3-4 hours, keeping the temperature under 180°F with a thermometer. Stir every 30 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 30 minutes.
9. Line a funnel with cheesecloth, set it over a mason jar, and pour the butter through it — don't squeeze the cheesecloth too hard, or plant material will seep through.
10. Chill in the fridge or freezer. Once set, separate the butter from the water with a knife or spatula. Stored in an airtight jar, it keeps up to 6 months. Don't microwave it cold or frozen, as this can degrade the product.

Notes: Use a dosing guide or edible dosage calculator to figure out an appropriate serving size — too much can cause an unpleasant experience, and too little won't do much of anything.

Korean Royal Court Stir-Fried Rice Cakes

Gungjung-tteokbokki

Ingredients

• 1 lb garaetteok (cylinder rice cakes), thawed if frozen
• 3 oz (100g) beef brisket, cut into matchsticks
• 2 egg yolks, beaten with a pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice syrup (or sugar or honey)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped pine nuts (optional)

Vegetables

• 2 cups white mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, thin strips
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, thin strips
• 1/2 cup onion, sliced

Beef Marinade

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp honey (or sugar)
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Cut the beef into matchsticks and toss with the marinade ingredients. Refrigerate while you prep everything else.
2. Beat the egg yolks with a pinch of salt. Heat a few drops of oil in a nonstick pan over very low heat, wipe out the excess, then pour in the yolks and tilt the pan to spread them into a thin sheet. Let cook through on residual heat, flipping once, then slice into strips and set aside as garnish.
3. If your rice cakes are thick, soak them in water for 5 minutes to soften.
4. Heat a skillet with the cooking oil, minced garlic, and marinated beef. Stir for a few minutes until the beef is half cooked.
5. Add the mushrooms, carrot, bell peppers, and onion. Stir for 1 minute.
6. Add the rice cakes, 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, rice syrup, and black pepper. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes until everything is glossy and the rice cakes soften.
7. Stir in the toasted sesame oil and remove from heat. Transfer to a plate and garnish with sesame seeds, the egg yolk strips, and pine nuts if using. Serve hot.

Source: Maangchi

Lemon Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 6 Tbsp (85g) butter, melted
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Drizzle

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Butter 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then mix in the sugar and lemon zest.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla just until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined — the batter should be thick and lumpy, don't overmix. Divide evenly between the muffin cups, filling almost to the top.
5. Bake for 3 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for 12-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. For the drizzle, sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice until pourable. Once the muffins have cooled, pour the drizzle over the tops.

Notes: Best the same day, but keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Peppermint Holiday Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Icing

• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 5 tsp warm water
• 2 Tbsp crushed peppermint candy canes, or to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg until fully incorporated.
3. Mix in the flour and salt to form a soft dough, then fold in the crushed candy canes.
4. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake until the edges are golden, 8-10 minutes. Cool briefly on the sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, whisk the confectioners' sugar and warm water together until smooth.
7. Dip the top of each cookie into the icing, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Let the icing set for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Skirt Steak with Cilantro Garlic Sauce

Steak

• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 lbs skirt steak, cut to manageable grilling sizes

Cilantro Garlic Sauce

• 1 medium garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp cayenne

Instructions

1. Combine the steak spices in a small bowl. Pat the steak dry so the surface is tacky, then rub the spice mixture into both sides. Heat a grill pan over high heat.
2. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and mash to a paste with the salt. Transfer to a blender or mini food processor with the rest of the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Rub the grill pan with a bit of oil and grill the steak about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Once cooked and rested, slice thinly and drizzle with the sauce.

Source: Serious Eats

The End! Thanks for reading!