Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili ~ adapted from Tasty Kitchen

1 lb sweet potatoes; peeled and cut to 1/2 inch dice
salt and fresh ground black pepper; to taste
2 T olive oil; divided
1/2 one white onion; quartered
2 cloves garlic; minced
2 t cumin
ground cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; dash of each
1 c dark beer; recommended, Guinness
1 ~ 28 oz can whole tomatoes; drained and roughly chopped
2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce; halved, seeded and chopped
1/2 c barbecue sauce
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 c frozen corn kernels
1 ~ 15 oz can black beans; drained and rinsed
3 c tortilla chips, if desired; crushed
Chipotle Tabasco sauce; optional

Preheat oven to 350°. Place sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with one tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper as desired and bake approximately 8–10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are just tender.

Heat large heavy bottom pot over medium heat and add one tablespoon olive oil. Sauté onions until soft and caramelized. Add garlic, cumin, and spices and cook for an additional minute until spices are fragrant. Stir and scrape pot constantly to avoid burning.

Add beer to deglaze pot, scraping all fond off bottom. Add tomatoes, chipotle peppers, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, frozen corn and beans. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add sweet potatoes and additional salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls, top with Tabasco and crushed tortilla chips if desired. Serves 6.


Chef's Note: This recipe is spicy! No matter how much sour cream I added, I could not eat it in a bowl. However, Big D used it to make nachos with loads of cheese and sour cream and it was a-maz-ing. Next time, I will halve the amount of chipotle peppers and see what I think. Stay tuned...

Garlic Mac & Cheese

2 boxes macaroni & cheese, recommended: Kraft Three Cheese Mini-Shells & Cheese
1 stick butter
1/4 c milk
1/2 t garlic powder
shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Boil macaroni per package instructions. Drain and return to low heat. Add butter and stir until completely melted. Add milk, cheese packets and garlic powder. Mix until thoroughly combined and cheese is smooth. Serve immediately garnished with shredded cheese, if desired. Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream Frosting

for the Cake
1 c Guinness Stout
1/2 c (1 stick) plus 2 T butter
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
3/4 c sour cream
2 c flour
2 1/2 t baking soda
pinch salt
1 recipe cream cheese frosting, to follow

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 24 cupcake liners in muffin pans. Lightly mist liners with non-stick cooking spray.

Place stout and butter in medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat until butter is completely melted. Whisk in cocoa and sugar until smooth and set aside.

Thoroughly combine flour, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until well blended. Temper egg mixture by adding a small amount of stout and chocolate mixture; beat well. Add remaining chocolate mixture to egg and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture on low speed and beat just until combined.

Pour batter into prepared muffin pans filling 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pans on cooling rack 5 minutes then remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely before frosting. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 4 days.

for the Frosting
2 c powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 c butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c Bailey's Irish Cream, add to taste

In bowl of standing mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on low. Increase speed to medium high and beat 3 minutes or until smooth. Spread on each cupcake just prior to serving. Refrigerate leftover frosting up to two weeks in an airtight container. Yield approximately 3 cups frosting.

Lemon Icebox Pie

This is the same basic recipe as my Key Lime Pie but this recipe uses lemon juice instead of key lime. Both are delicious but there is a very subtle difference in taste with the lemon being slightly sweeter than the lime.

1 14 oz can sweetened-condensed milk
3 eggs, separated
1/2 c lemon juice
1 T lemon zest
3 T sugar
1/4 t cream of tartar
1 prepared 9 inch graham cracker crust, recommended: Keebler Ready Crust

Preheat oven to 325°. In medium bowl, blend milk, egg yolk, lemon juice and zest. Pour into prepared crust.

Combine sugar and egg whites in a heat-proof bowl and set over simmering water. Stir until egg whites are warm (approximately 120°). Remove from heat and add cream of tartar. In bowl of standing mixer, beat egg whites on high gradually adding sugar. Beat until glossy and stiff peaks form. Pile meringue gently on top of lemon filling and spread to edge.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until meringue peaks are golden brown. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until fully chilled before slicing. Store covered in refrigerator. Serves 8.

Chef's Note: I wouldn't recommend making your own crust from scratch for this recipe. Pre-made pie crusts are delicious plus the pan protector on the crust can be used to cover the pie for refrigeration. Just be sure to wash it before putting it over your pie.

Spaghetti with Butter and Parmesan ~ adapted from Epicurious

1 pound thin spaghetti
2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water over medium high heat until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot and add 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, cheese, and butter. Stir well over medium heat until cheese melts and sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes adding more reserved cooking liquid if needed.

Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with additional grated Parmesan, if desired. Serve immediately. Serves 4 as a main dish, serves 6 to 8 as a side.

Chef's Note: I think I've mentioned before that you can't substitute pre-grated Parmesan in a recipe that calls for freshly grated Parmesan. The anti-caking ingredients in pre-grated cheese greatly affects the melting capability and you end up with all the cheese balled up in a lump that doesn't incorporate into the dish. Buy a nice block of Parmesan cheese and using this storage method, it should last you several months.