Chipotle’s Barbacoa

Yum. We love Chipotle, and this was very close to their yummy barbacoa. I will definitely be making this again. We buy a cow every year, so I’m always trying to find ways to use the random steaks and roasts that I have. I used a chuck shoulder roast and a round steak, and it turned out great. We ate these fajita style with sauteed peppers and onions.

• 1/3 cup vinegar (I used white. The original recipe calls for apple cider.)
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I use what I need from a can and then mince the remainder. Then divide the minced peppers with sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze. If you make as many cubes as peppers that you minced, you will know how many to use for your next recipe.)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground clove
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 lbs beef roast
• 3/4 cup chicken broth

In a food processor, mix together all ingredients vinegar through cloves. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sear the roasts on each side. Place the roasts in a crockpot.

Pour marinade and chicken broth over roasts. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or until meat falls apart. Remove any bones and shred the meat.

Ham and Bean Soup

This is the perfect meal on a snowy, wintry day like today. Easily done with things we generally have on hand. I freeze any leftover ham after the holidays, so I can usually whip this up pretty quickly.

• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups chicken stock (or ham, turkey or vegetable)
• 2 cups beans (mixed variety, black, white, etc)
• 2 cups ham, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

In a stockpot heat butter and olive oil. Saute the onions, garlic, carrots and celery until soft.

Add beans, ham, chicken stock and spices. Simmer until flavors are well blended.

Balsamic Vinegrette

This is Chris’ new favorite recipe. He was getting tired of me serving salad with oil and vinegar, so I put in the effort to make a salad dressing for him. It’s pretty good.

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tablespoons parmesean, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Whisk all ingredients until well combined. Can store leftovers for about a week.

Garlic Chipotle Aioli

Obviously, if you like super spicy things, add more chipotle pepper to this recipe. I usually buy the can of peppers, use what I need and then mince the rest. Plop the peppers in little piles onto a cookie sheet and put it into the freezer. Once frozen, put the peppers into a ziploc bag and use as needed.

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

Mix all together and chill until ready to use.

Quinoa Cakes

Yum. These are really fantastic. I will definitely be adding them to our menu again in the near future.

• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded (Yellow would be fine, too, I just like how the white blends in.)
• 1/4 cup onions, finely diced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper, freshly cracked
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

Mix all ingredients except butter and oil together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat. In batches, drop heaping spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture into pan and let cook until browned on bottom. Flip and press gently to flatten a bit. Remove once browned on second side.

Serve topped with Garlic Chipotle Aioli. Makes 12 cakes.

Adapted from Spoon, Fork, Bacon.