Smoked ribs…..oh yeah!!!

look at that smoke ring!!

 follow the recipe on my blog for awesome ribs!!!!

http://allthingsfoodblog.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/classic-bbq-ribs/

Honey Nut and Oat Pancakes

So I had the biggest hankering for pancakes but I found I was out of my wheat flour!!   So I grabbed the heart smart bisquick only to find it is made of fortified wheat flour!  All was right in the world again.  I made these pancakes and they turned out superb!  Make extra and freeze them individually before you put them in a ziploc bag for a quick, easy, home-cooked breakfast on any weekday.

Honey Nut and Oat Pancakes serves 4-6

• 2 cups heart smart bisquick
• 3 egg whites from large eggs
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 3 TBS butter cut into chunks
• 2 TBS honey
• 1/2 cup water (give or take, use just enough to get consistency right)

In a food processor, add nuts and oats and pulse until ground very fine.  Into processor, add flour and butter chunks.  Process again until butter is cut into the flour and mixture has course crumbles, takes about 10-12 pulses.  Make sure butter is very cold when adding it.  Now add egg whites, honey and milk and process.  From there, start adding water until mixture is just right.  I ended up needing 1/2 cup but this can vary day to day, flour is funny that way. ;p  You want the consistency to be a little runny, but not too thin.  In a frying pan or on a griddle add butter to coat and over medium-low heat add the batter in batches and cook.  You will know when to flip them when the edges are set and you see bubbles in the batter.  In one swift motion flip the cake over and continue to cook until done, about 1 -2 minutes more.  You can keep them warm in the oven if you are making a ton, just set the oven to 200 degrees and pile them in there.

pancakes!!

 I served these with a homemade raspberry syrup.  I took a pint of frozen raspberries, put it into a small saucepan on medium heat with just the smallest pinch of salt.  Once it cooked down, I took some of the liquid out into a separate container and mixed in a tsp of cornstarch and added the slurry to the pan.  Once that was mixed in and thickened, I sweetened it with 2 large spoonfuls of strawberry jelly.  It was perfect!  Still tasted very much raspberry, a little tart still which tasted awesome with these hardy pancakes.  For an extra sweet treat put powdered sugar on top to garnish.  Enjoy!!!

Chicken Kabobs

Last night I made a wonderful chicken kabob that had a mexican flair to it.  They were absolutely delicious!!  I wanted to grill them but I haven’t pulled my charcoal grill out of storage yet.  That will soon change though as the weather has been wonderful lately and is perfect grilling weather.  I served my kabobs with wild rice and asparagus.  Simple, quick and yummy!!!

Mexican Chicken Kabobs serves 2

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 TBS lime juice (juice from 1-2 limes)
• 2 TBS canola oil
• 1 heaping tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder (substitute paprika)
• 2 garlic cloves smashed
• 3 TBS fresh cilantro
• S&P to taste
• 3-4 wooden skewers
• veggies of choice to skewer with meat
  

Take cut up chicken and place in ziploc bag.  Combine the rest of the ingredients and put in bag with chicken.  Marinate at least 4 hours but no more than 12 as the acid from the limes can start to make the chicken mushy.   Place on skewers with veg of choice: bell peppers, poblano peppers, onion, cherry tomatoes, etc.  I used bell pepper and onion.  I only made 3 skewers but with more veggies you can easily stretch this to 4 skewers.  I still say that only serves 2 people though   If grilling, grill them over medium-high heat turning once until cooked through.  Cooking times will vary depending on chicken thickness.  I did mine under the broiler for 5 minutes, turned once for another 5 minutes then I just let them continue to bake in a 400 degree oven until just cooked through, about another 5 minutes.  Super fast!!!

Mexican Chicken Kabobs, make 'em tonight!!!

Hummus

Hummus, the perfect snack food: low fat, high protein and fiber and very, very affordable!  I mean, what’s not to love?  You can easily make this at home, make a LOT of it and freeze it and change it up fifty million ways to suit your tastes.  I could go on and on about hummus but I’ll just let my recipe speak for itself.  This is a good “basic” recipe, feel free to tweak to your likings.  Oh, and for those unfamiliar with tahini it is simply made of sesame seeds that have been pureed to the consistency of peanut butter.  You can easily find this in an ethnic section of a large grocery store.

Hummus makes a lot

• 2 cans chickpeas rinsed and drained (gets the extra sodium off of them)
• 2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup sour cream (optional, you can use yogurt or omit altogether)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (or more to taste)
• 2 TBS freshly chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup water (more or less depending on the consistency)
• 2 TBS coriander
• 1 TBS cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (wasn’t spicy at all)
• S&P to taste

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree for a good 5 minutes adding more water if necessary.  Check for seasonings, adjust (more lemon, more salt, etc) and puree for another minute or two.  Done!  This makes A LOT of dip and recipe can be halved but this freezes well so why not make extra???

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken part deux

Ok, my orginal slow cooker mexican chicken is one of my blog’s most visited recipes so I decided to try another version as well.  Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the version I posted, it’s very tasty, easy and can be modified oh so many ways!  But who doesn’t like a little variety in their diet?  I had some boneless skinless chicken thighs I had picked up on sale and I love how they turn out in the slow cooker so I decided to give my slow cooker mexican chicken a whirl.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken with Re-fried Beans serves 4-6

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (this is typically what is sold in a pack at my grocery store)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 16oz can of re-fried beans
• 1/4 cup frozen corn
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp ancho chili powder (substitute paprika if not available)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp dried cilantro (or 2 TBS fresh)
• 1 tsp dried oregano

Mix the last nine ingredients together to make a spice rub for chicken, set aside.  In slow cooker put salsa and enough chicken stock to just cover the bottom (I use a 5 quart slow cooker and my measurements were enough for mine).  Take chicken thighs and LIBERALLY season with spice rub on front and back, patting it into meat and into crevices.  Boneless skinless chicken thighs are shaped kinda weird b/c the bone is removed, make sure you fill that gap with seasonings.  Whatever spice rub you have left (I had a little bit left over, the recipe makes a lot of rub) put it into the slow cooker and mix it with salsa/stock mixture.  Place thighs on top of this and cook on low for 4 hours.   At this point the chicken is very easily shredded with just a fork which I did then added the re-fried beans and continued to cook on low for another 4 hours.  When ready to serve, I added the frozen corn right at the end and stirred well.

Just a word of warning, some people have issues with their crock pot burning tomato based products.  If yours is like this, I would not suggest this recipe as it is written.  I would cook the chicken first without the salsa and add it in later with the beans.  You could put the beans in at the beginning underneath the chicken but my particular slow cooker burns beans after so long LOL.  The final product is something that is very soft, very flavorful and perfect for burritos, soft tacos or even for enchiladas!!

Grilled pork tenderloin with garlic smashed potatoes

So I was hankering for some grilling action, unfortunately until yesterday night when it was “spring ahead” (HATE losing that hour of sleep) it was still getting dark pretty early in the evenings so I decided to grill my pork tenderloins on my grill pan indoors instead.  Well it still turned out delicious and so did my spud side dish so I’m sharing the entire meal with you.  Try it, you’ll like it for sure!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin serves 4-6

• 2 pork tenderloins about 1 1/2 pounds a piece (my grocery store usually sells 2 individual tenderloins packaged together)
• 1 cup Italian dressing like Wishbone brand
• S&P

Trim pork tenderloins of any large pieces of fat or connective tissue.  My tenderloins were pretty clean, it required no trimming.  In a ziploc bag, put tenderloins in and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Add Italian dressing, zip close and leave in fridge for 8 hours max.  Make sure to take time to turn the bag around every now and then.  When time to cook, on a grill pan on stove top preheat pan over medium heat.  Take tenderloins out of bag and let excess marinade drip off then pat dry with paper towels.  Since you are using an indoor grill you don’t want a ton of marinade dripping off of them, it will cause them to steam on the grill pan and not grill.  I grilled them for about 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat (once I got them on the grill pan I turned the heat down) and then when the outside was seared I finished them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 more minutes.  I placed them in a 8×8 pyrex pan and left them uncovered.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes covered with foil.  They were still the tiniest pink in the center which is ok for pork.  Slice on a bias and serve with juices that come out into pan.  Man, these were delicious and very tender!!!  On to the side dish….

Garlic smashed potatoes serves 4

• 6-7 medium sized red potatoes
• 1 large garlic clove (or 2 small cloves) with skins removed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 TBS butter
• 2% milk (or half and half)
• S&P to taste

Wash and cut potatoes into halves leaving skins on.  Place in pot and just cover with water.  Place garlic clove, bay leaves and some salt (optional) into water, cover with lid and bring to boil.  Let them boil until they are just fork tender (this will vary on size of potato pieces) and drain.  Remove bay leaves but leave clove in.  Take potato masher and mash potatoes until desired consistency.  Add butter, enough milk to make creamy and S&P to taste.  Voila!  Easy peasy garlic smashed potatoes.  Oh, and if you are worried about that garlic clove don’t be.  When it boils with the potatoes it gets real soft and mashes right into the potatoes.  If you want you can cut the clove in half but I’ve never had a problem with just throwing the whole thing in.  I make potatoes like this all the time and yes you can use idaho potatoes as well!

Make-ahead breakfast bowls

I love breakfast.  I love breakfast foods.  What I love even more is having a hot breakfast made of breakfast foods made ahead of time so all I have to do in the morning is pop it into the microwave.  Because I may love to cook, but even I don’t really care to do it that early in the morning.  So, if you have a true love of breakfast give this recipe a shot.  This will make 4 servings that you can put into Tupperware bowls with lids and stash in the fridge (or even freeze, I don’t see why this couldn’t freeze as long as you leave the cheese off of it) to have ready all week long!  Oh, and feel free to substitute for whatever meat you want if you want a healthier alternative like turkey bacon, it’s all good!

Breakfast bowls makes 4 servings

• 1 pound sausage
• 1 bell pepper diced
  
• 1/3 cup diced onion
  
• 8 eggs scrambled
  
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil or butter to coat pan
• hot sauce (optional)
  

Brown and crumble sausage in frying pan, remove and let drain on paper towels.  Remove excess grease from pan and over medium low heat sweat out bell pepper and onions.  If you need more fat in the pan, you can add olive oil or butter.  I used a little bit of butter since I always fry up eggs in butter.  With veggies still in pan, add scrambled eggs and cook together.  Add paprika, salt and pepper and cook eggs over medium-low heat slowly.  When eggs are done, place egg and veggie mixture in bottom of Tupperware bowls you will be using to reheat mixture in.  Place drained sausage on top of eggs and then add cheese and hot sauce, if using.  That’s it!!!  So simple, doesn’t take much time and is very inexpensive.  Not only is this great for a quick breakfast but I like to eat it for a quick lunch as well.  Hey, when you are a brand new mom that has her hands full, quick is the name of the game!!!

Braised pork spare ribs

Ok, so I’m a big fan of ribs, unfortunately I’ve never had any luck with them except when smoking them low and slow in a smoker outside.  Well, needless to say it’s cold outside, didn’t wanna do that and besides smoking is a long and kinda tedious method of cooking (albeit, very delicious!) so I wanted another way to produce awesome pork spare ribs.  Now, pork spare ribs come on sale all the time and can be a very flavorful cut of meat.  I decided to try braising them since they are full of fat and connective tissue so they should become fall-off-the-bone tender if I did low and slow again, but this time in the oven.  Not only did the braising method work, but it was probably the best ribs I’d ever eaten, hands down.  These are cooked in the oven at a very low temperature to kinda produce a slow cooker-type environment.  Seriously, try these, it is perfect winter food!

Braised pork spare ribs with white wine butter sauce serves 2-4 people (in our case, only 2)

• 1 rack of pork spare ribs trimmed up to St. Louis style ribs
• 1/2 bottle dry white wine (I used chardonnay) plus a little extra to use at end
  
• 1 1/2 cups of pearl onions (I used frozen, about a half a bag)
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 can chicken stock
  
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 TBS coriander
• 1 TBS paprika
• 2 tsp dried thyme plus extra to use at end
• 3 TBS butter
• S&P to taste
• olive oil
  

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Take ribs and cut into individual ribs.  Create a seasoning rub for ribs by combining coriander, paprika, dried thyme and S&P to taste.  Rub all over ribs and let sit, overnight would be good but even an hour is fine.  Take a large dutch oven and put it over medium high heat, add some olive oil and working in batches brown ribs.  Once all the ribs are browned, add pearl onions and garlic,  let saute for a minute than deglaze pan with white wine and chicken stock.  Add ribs back into pan, put in bay leaves then cover with lid and put into oven for at least 4-6 hours up to 8 total.  The idea is that the oven is like a slow cooker at such a low temperature.  At the end of the cooking time, remove from oven and place on stove top over low heat.  Remove ribs and put aside.  If a lot of the liquid has evaporated, add some more wine, otherwise add butter one TBS at a time to sauce to finish it and with a sprinkle of dried thyme.  Serve over ribs.

Just three letters for this dish:  OMG

Black bean and corn quesadillas

Ok, so I’m back into my food groove and last Friday, being lent and all, needed a vegetarian dish to make.  I had no fish on hand though there is tons on sale EVERYWHERE, I just can’t get out of the house thanks to my lil’ dictator.    I had to look through cupboards and try to come up with something good but easy and fast.  Here it is, great on a Friday with a cold one:

Black bean and Corn Quesadillas makes 4-5 quesadillas (which in our house is 2 servings)

• 1/2 can of black beans drained, rinsed and dried
• 1/4 cup of frozen corn
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 clove of garlic minced
  
• 4-5 whole wheat burrito shells
• 1 TBS butter melted
  
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (you could use monteray cheese instead to be authentic, but I had this on hand)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (these measurements for cheese are rough, I just used a lot really)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro (or 1TBS fresh cilantro if you have it)
  
• S&P to taste
• EVOO (I can’t believe I just used that expression LOL)
  
• sour cream to serve with

In a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat, add maybe a tsp. or two of EVOO till oil is hot.  Add corn, onions, garlic and beans to pan and saute until everything is warmed through.  You don’t need to really cook the crap out of any of this, just warming it up with a quick saute will do.  Add cumin, coriander, cayenne, S&P to taste and cilantro.  Remove from pan and keep pan warm.  Wipe it out real quick with a towel to remove oil.

Take burrito shells, one at a time and put in pan over medium heat.  When one side starts to bubble up, flip over to warm and brown other side of shell.  When done, remove and place on paper plate covered with paper towel to keep warm.  I like pre-cooking the shells like this b/c it REALLY helps when we go to fry the quesadillas up to make them crispy.  When all the shells are done, take one at a time and first put in a small scoop of mozzarella cheese (these measurements are really rough, it really depends on how cheesy you like it, but don’t add too much, you don’t want it spilling out the edges) then add 2 heaping spoonfuls of the filling (again, not too much) then add some cheddar cheese on top of that.  You want the filling to be in the center of the wrap and when you fold the wrap it should still have some room at the edges.

Fold it in half and brush one side with melted butter, place that side down in heated non stick pan and then brush the other side with butter so it’s ready when it’s time to flip.  I liked using my spatula to press firmly down on it to make it flat and help with the crispiness factor.   You can fit 2 quesadillas in a 12 inch pan at once.  When one side is done it is a nice golden brown and crispy.  Flip over and get other side crispy and brown.  To serve, I used a pizza cutter and cut it into 3 wedges and served with sour cream.

Now, I had a little bit of extra filling left over so I put in the recipe this could make up to 5, which it could if you used more cheese and less filling per quesadilla like I did.  If you use less cheese you could probably get all the filling to fit into 4, but why less cheese?????  Besides, the cheese really helps keep the filling inside the shell and acts like the “glue”.  Cheese is the foundation of quesadillas so I didn’t skimp, just make 5 instead. 

Dang where has the time gone????

The best baked good of all time!!!
Well, I was away for a year and a half and this is what I have to show for it:

awwwwwwwwwww

I had been doing fertility treatments, was stressed, took some time off from blogging, got knocked up, gestated while trying to work full time as an ER nurse and getting ready for baby, had days of prelabor, was in actual labor for 26 hours than finally popped the cutest little bean out that had been baking in mama’s oven all that time.  Whew…….

Anyways, I’m back in the saddle again and want to start blogging again.  Just thought I’d give the world a lil’ update on me and why no new delicious recipes of late.