Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

I have been making this recipe for years and its a family favorite. We usually gorge ourselves on it for Thanksgiving dinner and then everyone sneaks the rest of it for breakfast the next day. It is a really good pie. Just recently I decided to make it in a pre made chocolate crust and it was a game changer. I’ll probably go back to the butter crust at some point but this is a nice option, so you choose which one is best. When I don’t have time to make a homemade crust Pillsbury probably has the best store bough version, they use real lard and it super flaky and light. For today’s purposes, I bought a pre made Oreo crust and I am glad that I did.

What you need:

A pie crust that has been baked, whichever you choose.

(If you want to make a homemade chocolate crust make crumbs using chocolate wafer cookies or chocolate graham crackers, you need 1 1/4 cups. Combine with 1/4 cup melted butter and 2 tbsp sugar. Press into pie pan and bake at 375 for 5-6 minutes. Cool before filling)

1 cup of toasted pecan halves and pieces

1 cup of chocolate chips ( I use Ghirardelli 60% cacao)

1 cup of dark brown corn syrup

4 eggs 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 bourbon (you can use water if you would like to omit the bourbon)

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ teaspoon table salt

Begin by whisking eggs and sugar until creamy. Stir in remaining wet ingredients followed by chocolate chips, pecans, and salt. Pour into pie dish (with pre baked crust). Bake at 325 for about 55 minutes or until the pie is set (no longer jiggly in the middle). Excellent served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream : )

Beef Primavera

The weather has been so warm and sunny the last few days I am thinking ahead to my garden and all the fresh veggies. Spring break is around the corner too and we might be taking our antibodies to the beach, so eating healthy is feeling important right now.

What you need:

Olive oil

1 lb lean ground beef (ground turkey or bison would work too)

3 bell peppers ( I like to use a colored assortment)

1 small yellow onion

5 cloves of garlic, sliced into thin pieces

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups fresh arugula (could also use spinach or kale but the arugula adds a peppery flavor)

salt and pepper

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano)

Fresh basil, about 10 leaves sliced into ribbons

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella

To begin add about 1 tbsp of olive oil to an oven safe sauté pan and then add in your onion, peppers, and mushrooms. Add a bit of salt and pepper (roughly 1 tsp) and stir occasionally until soft. Next add your ground beef and a tad more salt and pepper (another tsp). Your Italian seasoning and garlic should come next. Crumble the beef and cook through. When the meat has cooked through deglaze the pan with your crushed tomatoes. Add your arugula and 1/2 the basil leaves. Stir to combine, the arugula should wilt rather quickly. Turn off the burner and add your half cup of cheese on top and place under the broiler in your oven for about 3 minutes. Add some more fresh basil to the top.

Guinness Pot Roast

This is a fabulous recipe for anyone looking for a really quick and hearty family meal. It has only a few ingredients and the pot roast will melt in your mouth. Last night during my dinner I think my husband said ”this is SO good” at least 5 times in between mouthfuls : ) I just love it when a recipe is turns out to be a crowd pleaser.

What you need:

3-4 lb chuck roast

salt and pepper

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 tsp dried parsley

2 tsp brown sugar

1 small yellow onion

1 pint of Guinness stout beer

1 cup of peeled and chopped carrots

I made this in 45 minutes from start to finish in the instant pot but you could very easily do it in a a slow cooker if you wanted to let it cook during the day while you did other things : ) The first thing to do is make a rub with about 2 tsp salt and pepper, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and brown sugar. Rub it all over the roast and let sit while you prepare everything else. Add a drizzle of oil and butter to the instant pot set on the sauté setting and throw in your diced onion and chopped carrots. Stir around for a few minutes until they begin to wilt. Add about 1 tsp of salt and pepper to the mixture and let some color develop on the onions. Move them to the outer edges of the pot and add your chuck roast searing for a few minutes on each side. Next pour in the pint of beer until it covers the top of the meat, drink whatever is leftover : ) Set your instant pot to pressure cook for 40 minutes and then slow release.

*I served this with a vegetable mash of rutabaga, turnip, and yukon gold potato. What I made was reminiscent of a Colcannon. I like to put equal parts cabbage, leeks, rutabaga, turnip, and potato into a pot of boiling water and cook until everything is soft. Drain the water and add a few tbsp of butter and salt to taste, mashed to your desired consistency. Really good and fairly low in carbs.

Don’t forget to drizzle some of the pot roast pan juices on top of everything for a yummy gravy.