Asian Candied Ribs and Thai-ish Rice

We ran across some beef short ribs on sale at the market yesterday, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try something new.

 Asian Candied Ribs
4 cloves of garlic diced
1/2 cup of soy sauce
2 inches of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
juice of 1 lime
2-3 cups of beef broth
2 T of sesame oil
2 star anise
and a handful of cilantro (stems an all) chopped

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil in a medium sauce pan and simmer for just a few minutes and then pour over the ribs in a large roasting pan. 

Covered them up and cook them on low heat (300) for hours (3-4). Delicious.

Thai-ish Rice

Prepare what ever rice you have on hand according to the directions  for 4 servings (We had sticky sushi rice, so that's what we used). While the rice is cooking prepare the vegetables:

2 medium carrots - peeled and diced
1 medium red pepper - peeled and diced
1 cup of frozen peas - thawed
1/4 cup of cilantro chopped - divided
juice of 1/2 lime
1 T sesame oil
1/4 c of Thai basil chopped - divided

Use half of the basil and cilantro and combine with the carrot, pepper, lime juice and sesame oil in a medium size microwave proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

When the rice is done mix together with the vegetables and top off with the remaining fresh herbs.

Hungarian Beef Goulash

2 pounds beef stew meat

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1 1/2-2 tablespoons sweet or hot paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

      Place beef in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. 

  Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan. 

  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well. Top with onion and bell pepper.

     Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Pour over the beef and vegetables. Place bay leaves on top. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high or 7 to 7 1/2 hours on low.

    Discard the bay leaves; skim or blot any visible 

     Fat from the surface of the stew. Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

I have never made this before and it's not an original recipe. This is from Eating Well and it was delicious.

Dutch Apple Cranberry Pie

1 ready-made pie crust

5 1/2 cups cooking apples (peeled, cored and sliced) – I used Cortland this time

1 cup cranberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

¼ cup tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2  cup oats

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup butter  softened

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Fit pie crust into pie plate.

3. In a large bowl, mix sliced apples, cranberries, lemon juice, sugars, flour, cinnamon. Pile into crust.

4. Prepare topping: In a medium bowl mix flour, oats, sugar and butter until coarsely crumbled. Sprinkle evenly over apples.

5. Bake at 375°F for 50 minutes.

(If your crust gets too brown early on, cover the edges of the pie crust with tin foil and continue baking)


I did try and incorporate chopped cranberries in the topping, but they got too well done, so I would not recommend it...other than that - this is a damned good pie.

Homemade for the Holidays

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

6 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

2 to 3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate

2 cups peanut butter

1 cup butter - softened

Melt Chocolate on top of a double boiler.

While the chocolate is melting mix together sugar, butter, peanut butter and vanilla extract in a medium size bowl. Dough will be loose. 

Form 1- to 2-inch balls from the dough and refrigerate until firm. 

Dip balls into chocolate with either a wooden pick or a fork. Set on wax paper and cool.

Makes about 8 dozen (really).

I'm not going to lie: This is a labor of love. A whole day adventure of rolling and dipping and waiting, but it makes tons of balls and they are really delicious. 

This is one of the (almost 100) candy recipes I've compiled here:

Christmas Candy Gifts from Katie's Kitchen

On Sale for the Season

Apple and Pear Crisp

6-8 Medium Assorted Apples (I used Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Rome)

3 Pears

½ C Cranberries

¾ C Sugar

½ C Flour

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

Topping

2 C Oats

¾ stick of real butter softened

¾ C brown sugar

2 T sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ C Flour

Preheat oven to 375.

Peel, core and chop apples. Core and chop pears - I did not peel the pears for mine, but you can if you would rather. In a large bowl combine all of the fruit and the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine all topping ingredients and mix well.

Spray a 11x7x2 baking pan with nonstick spray and pile the fruit in – depending on the size of your fruit you may need a larger pan, but the apples do cook down.

Spread the oat topping evenly over the fruit and pat down.

Bake for 45 – 60 minutes or until apples are tender.

Pumpkin Pie Corn Muffins (or bread)

2 Packages Cornbread Mix (I used Jiffy)

1 Egg

½ C Milk

2 T Maple Syrup

¾ C Pumpkin Puree

1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together and pour in either a prepared 8x8, 9x9 or individual muffin tins.

Bake for 30- 40 minutes (unless making muffins – 20 minutes for those).

I don’t use mixes very often, but I think for under a dollar a box this cornbread mix is fun every now and then. This recipe is great for fall with pork roast or served with Thanksgiving dinner.

Fall Farrow Pilaf

1 Cup of pearled Farro
1 Small Onion
1 Medium Carrot
2 Stalks of celery
1/2 Tsp of Salt
2 T  Olive Oil
1 T Butter
2 1/2 C  Chicken Stock
1 Medium Bay leaf
1/2 C Dried Cranberries

While you dice all the vegetables heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add all of the vegetables and satue for 5 minutes. Add in the butter and farro and saute for a few more minutes - just to coat the farro.

Add in the chicken stalk, salt and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to a low boil. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until al dente and most of the moisture is absorbed.

Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the dried cranberries.

Makes 4 servings.

Sorry for the bad picture, but it was delicious!

No Knead Crusty Bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

***I have added shaved extra sharp cheddar cheese (1/4 Cup) and chopped fresh rosemary ( 1 Tablespoon) and it's amazing***

x

Spinach Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

6 Cups of Baby Spinach

1 Pint of Grape Tomatoes

2 T Olive Oil

2 – 4 Ounces of Goat Cheese

3 T of Balsamic Glaze

Juice of Half of a Lemon

2 T Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Roast the tomatoes for 15 – 20 minutes or until the skin starts to brown and blister.

While the tomatoes are roast combine olive oil and lemon juice – again add salt and pepper to taste.

Crumble goat cheese and set aside.

Toss the spinach with the lemon and oil just to coat. Crumble the goat cheese over the top and then toss on the hot tomatoes. Drizzle with balsamic and serve.

The hot tomatoes make the goat cheese warm and gooey.

Makes 2-4 servings

This is my recipe at Taste of Home - Southern Pulled Pork

Ingredients

• 1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (3 pounds)

• 1/3 cup spicy brown mustard

• 1/3 cup molasses

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1/4 cup cold water

• Baked sweet potatoes, optional

Directions

1. Place pork in a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker. Combine the mustard, molasses, brown sugar and soy sauce; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
2. Remove meat; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into juices. Return to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Shred meat with two forks; return to the slow cooker. Stir in gravy. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with sweet potatoes if desired. Yield: 10 servings.

Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/southern-pulled-pork#ixzz3DyLMaiFN

Turkey Cutlets with Tomato, Asparagus and Capers

Turkey Cutlets with Tomato, Asparagus with Capers

1 pound of turkey cutlets

2 T olive oil

1 lemon

2 cloves of garlic minced

¾ C of chicken stock

1 pint of grape tomatoes

2-3 tablespoons of capers

8 large asparagus spears

Salt and pepper both sides of the cutlets. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan on medium high heat.

Cut 4 thin slices from the lemon and use the other half of the lemon for juice  adding it to the chicken stock.

Brown the cutlets over medium high heat on both sides.

Add the garlic and the chicken stock, lemon juice mixture and as soon as it is simmering add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes.

A Pantry Upgrade

A Pantry Upgrade

There are a handful of items that you should have in your pantry at all times that can upgrade a meal from average to upscale. I’ll start with 5 of the best:

Oil Cured Olives

Found in the Italian section of almost all grocery stores oil cured olives add zip to anything and everything from salads to pasta sauces. They need to be pitted most of the time, but it’s a fairly simple process – just squeeze the pit out and chop.

Capers

Capers come in a wide variety of sizes these days so experiment and see which ones work best for you. They have a delicious salty, briny flavor and are great in sauces and pasta dishes.

Wok Oil (Flavored with ginger and garlic)

This stuff is amazing! And it can be used for so much more than stir-fries. Toss  broccoli flowerets and red pepper strips with wok oil and roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Use wok oil instead of olive oil in a salad dressing. Sautee mushrooms in wok oil and serve with won ton crisps.

Grainy Mustard

Grainy mustard had a less powerful taste than Dijon mustard and can be used as a substitute for any mustard. Mixed with mayo and a little milk it serves as a hollandaise like sauce or heated with apricot preserves it can be a tasty glaze for pork chops or roast.

Artichoke Hearts

Artichoke hearts (marinated or not) are a delicious addition to almost any dish and have an almost universal appeal. A jar of marinated artichoke hearts, thin sliced lemon and a few tablespoons of capers and you have a great sauce for chicken or pasta.

First Nook Book

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 lb of ground chicken, turkey or pork

2 T of oil

2 cloves of garlic – chopped

½ medium white onion diced

2 medium carrots diced

2 celery stalk diced

1 medium red bell pepper diced

1 small zucchini diced

1 1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated

2 T soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 T Oyster Sauce

2 T of Thai basil - chopped

2 T cilantro – chopped

1 head of romain, bib or iceberg lettuce separated into lettuce “cups”

Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic in the oil over medium high heat until cooked through.

Add all the chopped veggies and cook for 5 minutes until soften. Add in the ginger, soy, sesame oil and oyster sauce. Cook 5-10 minutes more or until veggies are at desired doneness.Toss in basil and cilantro just before removing from the heat.

Serve in lettuce cups or over shredded lettuce as a salad.

Serves 4

Pasta with Peas, Mushrooms and Sausage

2 links of sweet Italian sausage
2 T olive oil
3/4 C of frozen peas
1/2 tsp of dried oregano
1 C chicken stock
1 T fresh parsley chopped
1 C of sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 t cornstarch
1 T butter

1/2 pound of wide flat pasta

Cook pasta according to directions and while the pasta is cooking start heating your skillet.

Heat oil over medium high in a large skillet. Remove the sausage from the casing and crumble into the skillet. Brown sausage while breaking into small pieces add the mushrooms and oregano. Add half of the chicken stock and cover. Continue to cook over medium heat for ten minutes.Add in the peas and cook until the peas are heated through - about 5 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch into the remaining chicken stock and add to the skillet along with the butter. Stir until well mixed and thickened. Toss the drained pasta in the skillet with the sausage mixture and top with the fresh parsley.

Makes 2-3 servings