Baked Burritos with Sour Cream-Poblano Sauce

Tags

beef, black beans, burrito, Mexican, poblano, sour cream

I’m thinking I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big fan of Mexican food. Yet, whenever I think that, I seem to contradict myself because then I crave Mexican food. But not restaurant Mexican food… can’t stand that stuff! But good ol’ homemade Mexican Tex-Mex, or whatever this is considered… love it! Or anything with taco seasoning! Hehe. Horrible logic, I know.

These burritos, though, are amazing. I made them a couple weeks ago before the move, and now I’m making them again! What can I say, I got a craving! You can change out the meat to any ground meat of your choosing, and they’re quick to cook up. Also, they reheat awesomely and apparently, you can freeze them once they’re baked, all of which makes them a great make-ahead option. If you’re a burrito-fan, these are a must try for you!One Year Ago: Cheddar-Herb Biscuits and Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Baked Burritos with Sour Cream-Poblano Sauce

Burritos:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup beef broth
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
1½ teaspoon chili powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Kosher salt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
4 to 6 burrito tortillas
Cooking spray

Sour Cream-Poblano Sauce:
2 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
⅔ cup chicken broth at room temperature
½ cup sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the burritos: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned; drain any excess fat.  Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30 to 60 seconds; add the beans, broth, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, and brown sugar. Stir to combine and salt to taste. Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Place 2 tablespoons of the cheese in a line in the middles of each tortilla and spoon about ¼ of the beef mixture over the top of the cheese. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla in, and then roll the tortilla up, from the end closest to you, to the top. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet and lightly spray the tops of the burritos with cooking spray.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

To make the sour-cream poblano sauce: To prepare chiles with a gas stove, turn one of the burners to high. Using tongs, char the poblanos on all sides until black. To prepare the chiles with an oven, preheat the broiler. Place the poblanos on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until black, using tongs to turn the chiles to blacken all sides. Transfer the blackened poblanos to a resealable plastic bag and seal the bag; set it aside for 15 minutes. Remove chiles and peel them; discard the seeds and membranes to lessen the heat, if desired, then dice them; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly, to cook off the taste of flour. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the poblanos; continue to simmer, whisking frequently, until thickened. Stir in the sour cream and warm through; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce over the baked burritos.

Source: Slightly adapted from Smells Like Home

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Spicy Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream

Tags

beef, burger, chile, chipotle, poblano, sandwich, sour cream

I know, it’s been forever since I last posted… and I’d like to say I have legitimate excuses, but they would only be excuses! I have been keeping busy, though. My husband and I are moving in a couple of weeks so we’ve been getting things set up for that, and I’ve been working on setting things up for my own pet sitting business. Cross your fingers for me, please! My other big distraction has been due to my nerdy side. Diablo III came out, and I just had to try it! Yay for video games. Hehe 🙂

So, onto the burgers. I’ve been coming across a lot of burger recipes on the blogs I follow, and with summer coming and the weather warming up, they’ve all sounded really good. I have quite a few burger recipes I’m hoping to try this summer! These were the first ones I tried, and they were fantastic! I’m not usually a fan of spicy things, but I read that poblano chiles were relatively mild and they sounded too good to pass up. Besides, I love to try new things! The burgers were incredibly moist and delicious, and the chipotle cream was the perfect topping. Even on its own, the cream was wonderful and I’m hoping to find other uses for it since I loved it so much! But all in all, these burgers are awesome, and you should definitely add them to your summer menu!One Year Ago: Portobello Fettuccine

Spicy Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream
Yield: 4 burgers

2 poblano chiles
1 tablespoon milk
1 (1 oz) slice white bread, crusts removed and torn into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound ground beef
½ cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 teaspoons adobo sauce
4 hamburger buns, toasted
lettuce, tomato or other toppings

To prepare chiles with a gas stove, turn one of the burners to high. Using tongs, char the poblanos on all sides until black. To prepare the chiles with an oven, preheat the broiler. Place the poblanos on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until black, using tongs to turn the chiles to blacken all sides. Transfer the blackened poblanos to a resealable plastic bag and seal the bag; set it aside for 15 minutes. Remove chiles and peel them; discard the seeds and membranes to lessen the heat, if desired, then finely chop them; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the milk and bread, using a fork to mash them together into a thick paste. Add the chiles, 1½ tablespoons cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; mix to combine. Add the ground beef, and use your hands to gently combine the mixture, making sure to not overwork it. Divide into four equal portions, and shape each into a ½-inch thick patty. Using your thumb, make an indent in the middle of the burger (this helps keep the burgers flat instead of doming in the middle). Let patties sit at room temp for about 15 minutes before placing them on the grill.

Whiles the burgers rest, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 400 to 450 degrees F). Oil the grates lightly.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the remaining 1½ tablespoons cilantro, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, sour cream, lime juice, chipotle chile, and adobo sauce; set aside.

Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until cooked to desired level of doneness. Serve on toasted hamburger buns with the chipotle cream, lettuce, tomato, or your favorite burger toppings.

Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, via Cooking Light

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes

Tags

chocolate, cupcake, sour cream, strawberry

I know I’ve been gone for a while… again… In my defense, I’ve had no internet or computer for the last week, which makes it a little hard to do posts! 🙂 To make it up to you, I’m going to share some amazing cupcakes! Cupcakes make everything better, right? I totally thought I was being brilliant when I thought these up, that these somehow must be something that no one has ever made. Of course, I was wrong… It seems virtually impossible to make something that no one has made before, nowadays! But, in my defense, I do think these are different than most of the other chocolate-dipped strawberry cupcakes out there. Or maybe I’m just being hopeful!

I took a chocolate cupcake, filled it with some macerated strawberries, topped it with a strawberry buttercream, then finished it off with some chocolate ganache to truly epitomize a chocolate dipped strawberry. The components really melded wonderfully to mimic the flavors of the strawberry treats. And everyone loved them, which is always a good thing! 🙂

An interesting little story about when I made these… Whenever I’ve made Swiss meringue buttercream, I’ve never had a problem with the whole curdling effect and whatnot. And every time I make it, I think that to myself and hope that I don’t manage to jinx myself. Well, this time I did. I tried all the tricks that people use to help bring the frosting together again, and nothing seemed to be working. So I cheated, and it somehow worked! Which made me very happy with myself, that my frosting didn’t end up as a total epic fail, especially since I didn’t have enough strawberries to try again. So my personal trick, if all other attempts to fix a curdled buttercream fail, try adding some powdered sugar. A little bit at a time, beating for a while after each addition and crossing your fingers that it will come together. 🙂 But I’m thinking this was just a weird fluke as to why I had a problem, because this strawberry buttercream recipe has been used so many times by so many different people with such wonderful success. Maybe I was just having an off day.

So if you’re looking for a fun treat to serve at a fancy party, or as a way to say I love you to a special someone, or even just to make for fun like I did, please don’t hesitate to give these awesome cupcakes a try!!Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup sour cream

Strawberry Filling:
1¼ to 1½ cups strawberries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Strawberry Buttercream:
1½ cups fresh strawberries (8 ounces), pureed
4 large egg whites
1¼ cups sugar
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Chocolate Ganache:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
½ cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla

To make the strawberry filling: In a small bowl, combine the strawberries and the sugar; toss to fully coat the strawberries. Set aside and allow to macerate while the cupcakes bake.

To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth; set aside and let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly mix in the vanilla extract then the cocoa mixture, beating until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating until just combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the strawberry buttercream: Set a heatproof mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F, or all sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot to the touch.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on low speed for 2 minutes, gradually increasing to high speed. Beat until stiff peaks form and mixing bowl is cool to the touch. With the mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add a couple tablespoons of butter at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating on medium-high speed until thick and smooth. Add the strawberry puree and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat on low speed for 2 minutes to eliminate air bubbles. Spoon frosting into pastry bag fitted with large decorating tip.

To make the chocolate ganache: In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream until very hot, but not boiling; remove from heat. Place chocolate in a heat safe bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth and thoroughly combined; stir in the honey and vanilla. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep it smooth; don’t let it sit too long or the ganache will harden.

To assemble the cupcakes: Using an apple corer or a paring knife, cut out a well in the center of each cupcake; discard the cores. Fill each well with about 1 tablespoon of strawberry filling. Frost with strawberry buttercream then pour a spoonful of chocolate ganache over the frosting to finish the cupcakes. Refrigerate the cupcakes until the ganache has set. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator and bring to room temp before serving.

Source: Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart, frosting adapted from Annie’s Eats, ganache adapted from My Baking Addiction

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins

Tags

breakfast, chocolate, muffin, sour cream

Who wants yummy muffins for a quick and easy Sunday morning breakfast or brunch? I do! You do too, right? 🙂 Then you should definitely make these, because they’re awesome. And yes, they have chocolate in them so they could be a snack or dessert, but being a muffin means breakfast!! And personally, I love making a batch of muffins over the weekend so I have breakfast for the whole week.

I first saw chocolate chip sour cream muffins on Curvy Carrot, and I bookmarked them immediately. But then I came across these muffins on My Baking Addiction. I was home, they sounded delicious, and I wanted them immediately. As I got my ingredients together, I remembered the sour cream  muffins and decided to merge the two recipes, in a sense. End result: super delicious muffins with a slight sour cream tang, studded with chocolate chips. Yum!Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
⅔ cup sour cream
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt; make a well in the center and set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Pour into the well of the dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are just combined; do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Evenly divide the batter in the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Move muffin pan to wire rack and cool for 5 minutes, then remove muffins and finish cooling on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Adapted from My Baking Addiction

Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Tags

artichoke, breadcrumbs, cream cheese, garlic, portobello, sour cream, spinach, vegetarian

When I first tried spinach-artichoke dip, I wasn’t a huge fan. I think I just wasn’t a big fan of artichokes. But thankfully, tastes change every 7 years or so and I have since come to learn that even if I don’t love the dip, I love the spinach-artichoke combo whether it be on pasta or pizza, and even on mushrooms! This recipe has been circulating a lot of blogs lately, and it caught my eye every time. When I finally saw portobellos were on sale, I knew what I wanted to do with them! And thankfully, I had everything on hand already once I got the mushrooms. This is a very simple recipe, and there is something elegant seeming about stuffed portobellos. You can dress them up or dress them down, as needed. We even had stuffed portobellos at our wedding, and they were so good! I actually preferred that over the steak I requested, they were that good! But the point is, these spinach-artichoke stuffed portobello mushrooms are awesome and you should definitely make them soon!!Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
4 medium portabello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, divided
Pinch of red pepper flakes
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (13.75 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic. Brush the insides of the mushroom caps with the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet, oiled-side up. Roast until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to blot up and accumulated moisture in the mushroom caps.

Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and 1 teaspoon thyme in a medium bowl. Stir in the spinach and artichokes and season with salt and pepper.

In another medium bowl, combine the Panko, Parmesan cheese, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 teaspoon thyme.

Spoon the artichoke mixture evenly into the mushroom caps and sprinkle generously with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the crumbs are golden-brown and the filling is hot. Serve immediately.

Source: Slightly adapted from Pink Parsley