Cornmeal Biscuits with Chorizo Gravy

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/8 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/8 cup buttermilk
• 
  

• Preheat oven to 425°. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Using your hands, work butter into flour until pieces are chickpea-size. Add buttermilk and mix just to blend.
• Drop dough by heaping ¼-cupfuls into an 8" cast-iron skillet, spacing about 1" apart. Bake at 425 for 6 minutes, 400 for 6 minutes, 350 for 4 minutes, then turn oven off for 6 minutes. Rotate skillet once through. Cook until biscuits are puffed and golden brown. 
• Notes: Seemed like too much butter in the mix. It melted quickly at 425. Next time, I would start at 400 and use maybe 1-2 T less butter.

Chorizo Gravy

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 oz. pound fresh chorizo, casings removed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups milk (I used cashew and almond)
• 
  

• While biscuits are baking, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add chorizo, breaking up any large pieces with a spatula. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chorizo is browned and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Whisk flour into drippings in skillet and cook, whisking constantly, until roux is very smooth and starting to turn a light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until incorporated. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook gravy, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5–8 minutes. Stir chorizo into gravy.
• Top biscuits with gravy, fried over easy egg, avocado, cilantro, and cotija cheese.

• Original source: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cornmeal-biscuits-with-chorizo-gravy-and-scallions

Marinated Mushrooms

2/3 c. white vinegar
1/3 c. red wine (Fiesta Heart of Texas)
2 T. orange olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 T. scilian herb mix
1 T. tuscan sun herb mix

Simmer

Add 2# mushrooms, quartered on cut in to sixths. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Pour into half gallon jar. Top off with 1/6 c. red wine, 1/6 c. vinegar, and 2T fig balsamic vinegar.

Brisket Chili

2 small onions, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
Saute in grapeseed oil.

4 cloves garlic, chopped
Sautee.

2 spoonfuls of tomato paste
Stir in and cook for 1 minute.

1 pound brisket, fully cooked
3 Tbls New Mexico Chile Powder
2 Tbls Ancho Chile Powder
1 Tbls Smoked Sweet Paprika
3 Tbls Fancy Cumin
1.5 Tsp crushed mexican oregano

Stir spices until thoroughly mixed into brisket. Cook for 1 minute.

1/2 bottle nitro milk stout
Deglaze pan with beer.

2 10oz cans rotel
2 cups water
Add and simmer.

Break apart if you have and add 1 hatch green chile sausage patty.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons vinegar + enough whole milk or 2% milk to equal 2 cups)
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly + more for cooking, if desired
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend* or (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
½ teaspoon salt

To a large bowl, add the buttermilk. If using the vinegar plus milk option, let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the milk to turn to buttermilk.

Add the pumpkin, eggs, butter, and vanilla and stir with a whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
Let batter rest for about 5 minutes.

Heat a non-stick griddle to 325 degrees or set large frying pan over medium heat. Melt a little butter on the cooking surface, spreading it evenly, if desired (if the surface is non-stick, you may not need to do this). Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour the batter onto the griddle or into the frying pan. The pancakes are ready to flip when they look a little dry around the edges and start to form little bubbles, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and completely cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes.

Serve topped with butter and maple syrup, if desired.

Jalapeno Beer Bread

12.6 oz flour
3 T baking powder
1t. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. coarsely chopped jalapenos
Mix all ingredients together briefly.

1/4 c. salted butter
Pour melted butter over the top.

Pour in loaf pan and bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove.

Beer Cheese Soup

1 c. onions, frenched (1 medium onion)
6.4 oz bacon
1 c celerey, 2 stalks
1 c carrots, 2 skinny, 1 med.
1 jalapeno
3 cloves garlic
Saute until onions are translucent and veggies are soft.

2 T. butter
1/4 c. flour + 1tsp.
Add butter and sprinkle flour over veggies. Cook 3mins until flour smells nutty.

2 c. chicken stock
12oz beer
Add and simmer 10 mins.

8 oz cheese
12 oz evaporated milk
cayene
1 tsp jalapeno sauce
Add cheese in small amounts until melted and add remaining ingredients.

Leftover Veggie Frittata

1/4c. onion
1/2 red bell pepper
3 green onions
1 extra large garlic clove
1 tomato
green beans
squash, zuchinni, mushroom blend

6 large eggs
1/2 c. sour cream

Sautee onions, add garlic. Add tomatoes. Warm green beans and squash mixture.

Mix eggs and sour cream.

Pour over veggies.

Bake 350 for 10 mins. Sprinkle with cheese, bake additional 3 mins.