Turkey Tacos

These are really good but I can't get the kids to eat them. You can use ground beef but I prefer ground turkey.

Beef Tacos (from Cook's Illustrated)

Makes 8 tacos

Beef Filling

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped small (about 2/3 cup)

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt & pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons vinegar (preferably cider)
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and brown sugar; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking up meat so that no chunks remain, until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Using a wide, shallow spoon, spoon mixture into taco shells.

Slow-Roasted Beef

From Cooks Illustrated. Serves 4 to 8. Try not to open the oven door too much; don't want heat to escape.

1 (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pound) boneless eye-round roast
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pepper

1. Season all sides of roast evenly with salt. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels; rub with 2 teaspooons oil and season all sides evenly with pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear roast until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer roast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until meat registers 115 degrees (for medium rare), 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours, or 125 degrees (for medium), 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.
3. Turn oven off; leave roast in oven, without opening the door, until meat registers 130 degrees (for medium-rare) or 140 degrees (for medium), 30 to 50 minutes longer. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice meat as thin as possible and serve.

Hot Artichoke Dip

From Best of Bridge.

14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash lemon juice

Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve with crackers of tortilla chips for dipping.

*** I've also added a can of crab to this and it was really good.

Layered Crab Dip

From Best of Bridge.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. grated onion
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup chili or cocktail sauce
7 ounce can crab meat
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Mix onion, cheese, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice together. Spread in a shallow serving dish. Spread chili sauce over top. Drain and rinse crab and spread over chili sauce. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with assorted crackers.

Stampede Casserole

Made this for Christmas morning breakfast. From Best of Bridge.

1 1/2 pounds bulk sausage
3-4 ounce cans green chilies, drained
1 pound cheddar cheese, grated
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
9 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. flour
Paprika

Brown sausage and drain well. Split chilies and remove seeds. Save 1/3 of the chilies and cut in thin strips. Layer sausage with cheeses and remaining 2/3 chilies in a  greased 9 x 13" glass baking dish. Beat eggs, milk and flour together until well-blended. Pour over layered mixture. Decorate top with strips of chilies in a lattice-work pattern. Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serves 12.

Classic Macaroni & Cheese

(From Cooks Illustrated)

Serves 6 to 8, or 10 to 12 as a side. I've taken this to potlucks where there are kids and it's a hit.

Ingredients:

Bread Crumb Topping:

• 6 slices white sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces

Pasta & Cheese:

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 5 cups milk (whole, low-fat or skim work fine)
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. For the breadcrumbs: Pulse bread and butter in a food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.
2. For the past and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain and set aside in a colander.
3. In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.
4. Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by-13 inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are brown. Cool 5 minutes and serve

Salad with Fennel, Dried Cranberries, Walnuts, and Roquefort

I made this salad for an Easter brunch we went to and it was really good. Can also use dried cherries.

(Adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

• 2 teaspoons honey
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 1 small bulb fennel, trimmed of stalks and sliced very thin (about 1 1/2 cups), fronds chopped coarse (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 small head red leaf lettuce (or green), washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces (7 cups)
• 1 small head radicchio, quartered, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I substituted pistachios), toasted 
• 6 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)

1. Whisk honey & vinegar in medium microwave-safe bowl; stir in cranberries. Cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic, and microwave on high until cranberries are plump, about 1 minute. Whisk in oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; while mixture is still warm, add sliced fennel bulb and toss to combine. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Toss lettuce, radicchio, fennel fronds, and dried cranberry/fennel mixture in a large bowl; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Top with nuts and cheese. Serve immediately.

Yorkshire Pudding

From the Best of Bridge. If I'm making for more than just our family of 4 I'll usually double the recipe.

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup water
Melted butter or oil

In a blender mix flour, salt, milk, eggs and water. Blend well and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Everytime you walk by, give it a whirl! When roast is done, remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1 tbsp. beef drippings, melted butter, or oil into 8 medium muffin tins. Place in oven until bubbling hot (watch closely because you don't want the butter to burn). Remove from oven and pour batter into hot butter. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes and then at 350 for 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.