Balsamic Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)
• 1 cup beef broth
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place roast beef into the insert of your slow cooker. In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over roast beef and set the timer for your slow cooker. (4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low)
2. Once roast beef has cooked, remove from slow cooker with tongs into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about ¼ - ½ cup of gravy over roast beef.
3. Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use.

NOTES

If you prefer a more pronounced flavor, once the roast beef has been removed, use a fat separator on the gravy and then pour the gravy into a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the gravy has reduced by half.   

Almond Joy Brownie Bites

Ingredients

• Brownie batter (homemade, from a boxed mix, whatever is your favorite.)
• 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• About 4 dozen almonds
• Chocolate candy melts or almond bark

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven according to brownie recipe directions and generously spray two mini muffin pans with nonstick spray. Fill cups about 1/2 full with brownie batter and bake according to directions. When brownies are done, place pans on a cooling rack and remove brownies once cooled completely.
2. In a medium bowl, combine coconut and sweetened condensed milk. With clean hands, roll coconut mixture into balls and press onto tops of brownie bites. Press an almond into the top of each. Place brownies in the freezer to harden for about 15 minutes.
3. Melt almond bark or candy melts according to directions. Remove brownies from freezer and dip the tops in the chocolate. Place dipped brownies on a wax paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Overnight Coconut French Toast

INGREDIENTS

• 1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 8 eggs
• 1 (15 oz.) can coco lopez
• 1½ cups milk
• 1 cup coconut

Coconut Buttermilk Syrup

• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons coconut extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place bread cubes inside.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, coco lopez and milk together until well mixed.
4. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes and press bread cubes down with hand to coat all of them.
5. Cover with baking dish with saran wrap and place in fridge over night.
6. In the morning when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Sprinkle coconut over the top of casserole.
8. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes until done.
9. Serve with Coconut Buttermilk Syrup.

To make Coconut Buttermilk Syrup

1. Combine butter, sugar and buttermilk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar completely dissolves. Then remove from heat and add baking soda and coconut extract. Stir to combine. Syrup will foam up, but that is part of what makes it SO incredible. Don't be alarmed by that.
2. Drizzle (or if you are like my family then saturate) your french toast with syrup and enjoy!

from www.chefintraining.com

Tuscan Bean Soup with Shrimp

Ingredients

• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 cans (14.5 Ounce) Cans Great Norther Beans, Drained And Rinsed
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
• 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
• 3/4 cups Dry White Wine
• 1 can (28 Ounces) Whole Or Diced Tomatoes
• 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 bunch Kale (more If Desired)
•  Plenty Of Torn Fresh Basil
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1-1/2 pound Raw Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
• 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
•  Fresh Parmesan Shavings

Preparation Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and stir to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to cook about 2 minutes, getting lots of flavor in the bottom of the pan. Stir in red pepper flakes and dried oregano; stir and cook for another 30 seconds.

Pour in wine and whisk, scraping the bottom of the pan a bit as you go. Allow this to bubble up and reduce, cooking until the wine is reduced by half.

Add canned tomatoes. Drain and rinse beans, then add to pot. Pour in chicken broth. Stir to combine and allow it to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.

While the soup is simmering, cook the shrimp: melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high (or high) heat. Throw in the shrimp and chopped parsley and toss to cook until no longer opaque, about 4 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside.

Rinse the kale and tear it into chunks. Stir into soup. (It'll shrink quite a bit, so don't be afraid when you first add it!) Add a bunch of torn basil and stir. Allow the soup to simmer for another 5 minutes, tasting and adding salt and pepper (or even more red pepper flakes) as needed.

Transfer soup to a large serving bowl and top with the shrimp, or ladle into individual bowls and top with 3 or 4 shrimp.

Add big, fat Parmesan or Romano shavings and more torn basil at the end. Utterly divine!

Sandy made this for us--it is utterly divine!  Another tasty recipe from Ree.