Cuban Pot Roast (Boliche)

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 lb eye round roast
• 4 Links of Chorizo
• 1 Red Bell Pepper sliced into strips
• 1 Green Bell Pepper sliced into strips
• 1 Large onion sliced into quarter inch strips
• 7 Cloves of garlic roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup of green olive sliced
• (1) 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• (1) 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup of dry red wine
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 Bay leaves

Remove casings from the chorizo. Insert carving knife lengthwise into the center of the roast and insert the chorizo inside. Salt, pepper the roast; brown on all sides in a frying pan with olive oil. Place all ingredients except the water and wine (including the roast and the oil you browned it in) in a large covered pot or Dutch oven with the potatoes, onion slices, pepper and green olives on top.

Mix the water and the wine. Add just enough of this mixture to cover the bottom 2 -1/2 inches of the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered (leave your lid slightly ajar to let some of the steam escape) for approximately 3 to 4 hours. Check the roast occasionally, turn and add the water/wine mixture as necessary. When the roast is fork-tender, remove it from the pot, slice and return to sauce until ready to eat.

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake

My wife never tried red velvet cake before she had to start eating gluten free. She found a recipe online and decided to bake this cake for Christmas as at our house. I was really impressed with how moist and flavorful the cake was. Our guests were surprised it was gluten free.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 and 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 2 1/2 cups gf flour blend
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp xantham gum
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 bottle (oz) red food coloring
• 1 tbsp cocoa

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix oil & sugar in a mixer, then add eggs one at a time after first beating them. Sift all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add flour to the mixer in parts, alternating the flour with the buttermilk. She did this about 4 times but you could probably get away with 3 since you need to begin and end with the flour. In a seperate bowl, mix the vanilla, food coloring and cocoa then add to the mixer. After mixing well, pour the mix into two round 8 inch cake pans (lightly spray with oil first). Bake 25-3o minutes or until a toothpick comes out pretty clean. Wait until cooled to frost. You can make your own cream cheese frosting, but she used Duncan Hines frosting and it was very good.

Beef Braciole

Ingredients

• 12 pieces of braciole meat (pounded thin)
• 1/4 lb of prosciutto (sliced thin)
• 3 hardboiled eggs (chopped)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1/2 onion (chopped finely)
• 1/4 cup peccorino romano (finely cubed)
• 1 handful fresh basil (chopped)
• 1/2 cup pignoli nuts
• 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Sauce Ingredients

• 2 28oz cans diced tomatoes
• 2 8oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 5 cloves garlic
• Handful of fresh basil (chopped)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Pepper to taste

Preparation

Begin preparing the sauce in a large dutch oven by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauteeing the onions in it. Once soft, add tomatoes, tomato sauce, the garlic (cut into 2 pieces), salt and pepper. After ten minutes add chopped basil. Leave simmering on stove while you prepare the stuffing.

To prepare Braciole stuffing, first lightly sautee the onions with the garlic. In a large bowl you can then combine the satueed onions with the chopped eggs, gf breadcrumbs, pignoli nuts, cubed pecorino romano, chopped basil, salt and pepper. Add olive oil until moist, do not oversaturate. Then take 1 piece of Braiciole meat, add 1 slice of the prosciutto on top, and a heaping tablespoon of stuffing in the middle and roll. Tie with butchers twine and repeat process on remaining pieces of meat. Once all meat is tied, brown on all sides evenly in a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Submerge browned bragiole in sauce and cook for 1 and half to 2 hours.

White Bean & Sausage Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage meat
• 2 ounces diced prosciutto or bacon
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 - 3 celery stalks, split and diced
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped medium fine
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 to 6 cups chicken broth
  

Gluten Free Recommendation: Always check chicken stock for added wheat gluten. Two known brands that are gluten free are Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth and Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock.

Preparation

Heat oil in a large, dutch over over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add sausage meat; break up with into medium size chunks, cook until well-browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and pour off all but tablespoon of drippings. Add bacon or prosciutto to pot and render for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme to the pot; cook, stirring often, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mash one can of beans with a potato masher into a chunky puree. Add broth, whole and mashed beans, and sausage; cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, partially covered, to blend flavors, 20 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes and serve.

Raspberry Dijon Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 4 center cut 3/4"-1" thick pork chops
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
  
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Preparation

In large skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat, salt and pepper both sides of pork chops and begin to brown in pan. Cook 7 to 9 minutes per side or until cooked through. Meanwhile in small sauce pan combine additional tablespoon of butter, jam, mustard, vinegar and thyme. Cook over medium low heat for approximately 5 minutes or until sauce forms think glaze. Spoon glaze over browned pork chops and serve.

Pork Chops with Apples Rasins Compote

Ingredients

• 4 center cut 3/4"-1" thick pork chops
• 3 apples (Fuji, Gala, golden delicious) peeled and cubed
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a medium size oven proof pan that has a tight fitting lid. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper pork chops and start to brown in pan. Turn once browning other side of pork chops, then remove from pan and set aside. Add additional tablespoon of butter to pan and begin to saute onions. Once onions have begun to soften add apples to pan and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add raisins, apple cider, wine, rosemary and sage and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes allowing alcohol from wine to dissipate. Return pork chops to pan covering them with liquid and apple mixture, cover pan with lid and place in oven. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to an hour. As long as the pork chops remain submerged in liquid the longer this cooks the more flavorful and tender the pork chops become.

Dijon Rosemary Crusted Leg Of Lamb

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic
• 5 pounds whole leg of lamb
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 2 beef bullion cubes
  

Preparation
In a blender or food processor, combine the honey, mustard, rosemary, ground black pepper, lemon juice and garlic. Blend until it forms thick paste and apply to the lamb. Place in large zip lock bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt to taste. Add 2-3 cups of water and 2 beef bullion cubes to bottom of roasting pan. Bake at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees F and roast for 60 to 70 more minutes for medium rare. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F when taken with a meat thermometer. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted potatoes and sauteed string beans.