Roast Beef with Marsala Gravy

I'm a bit behind getting this posted, but I figured you won't mind. You're busy making all your holiday plans that you've not had time to stop by and check out my new recipes. It's okay. I'll forgive you if you forgive me for taking so long to post this.

A week or so ago was Sunday dinner. Being December, and the holidays, I wanted to do something special. I originally planned on a standing rib roast. Then after being revived in the grocery store after passing out over the price, I opted for just a standard roast.  Worked out well since I just watched a Food Network Chef, Melissa D'Arabian do a roast with Marsala gravy.  Um, Yes please.

And so I made it. And it was delicious.  I had to cook mine a bit longer than she recommends because, well, I like it not to moo when I cut into it. Other guests at the table would prefer it moo'ing...ick.

Roast Beef with Marsala Gravy
Recipe by Food Network

1 (3lb) boneless beef roast, such as bottom round or rump
1 1/2 T kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, cut into thick slivers

1 1/4 c water

1 c beef broth

3/4 c Marsala cooking wine

Sprig fresh rosemary

1 tsp all-purpose flour

1 T butter

Place the roast in a shallow baking dish and rub with the salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator uncovered 8 hours or overnight. Before cooking, let the roast sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Using a thin sharp knife, poke slits all over the top and sides of the roast and stuff each slit with a garlic sliver.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium roasting pan fitted with a rack, place the beef on the rack and pour 1 cup water, 1/4 cup broth, and 1/2 cup wine into the bottom of the pan. Roast the beef for 15 minutes and turn down the heat to 325 degrees F. Cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour, until the internal temperature of the beef is 120 degrees F, adding the remaining 1/4 cup water to the pan, if necessary.

Remove the roast from the oven, transfer the roast to a warmed platter and tent with foil to rest. Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over high heat and deglaze with the remaining wine. Add a large sprig of fresh rosemary to the sauce. Reduce by 1/3. Stir the flour into the remaining 3/4 cup broth and then whisk into the sauce. Simmer until thickened. Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the sauce with the sliced roast beef.

Hello Dollies

I have very fond memories of cooking with my mom. Every holiday season we had a list of sweets we'd make. Some turned out, some didn't.  We had a heck of a time ever getting peanut butter fudge to turn out in the Great Northwest...too wet apparently.

One treat we'd make that always turned out was Hello Dollies. Simple and delicious, this has become my favorite holiday treat. I hope they become part of yours.

This year I changed it up a bit and instead of making a 9X13, I made individual Hello Dollies in a mini muffin tin. The up side is they are individual servings. The down side is they are bite size.

Sorry about the photo, it's from the iPhone.

Photo by Jenn Wraspir

Hello Dollies
Makes: a lot. In a 9X13 probably makes 24 servings.

• 2 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 c melted butter (I use about 3/4 c melted butter with the mini's. I found the crust stayed together better.)
• 1 package chocolate chips
• 1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 c chopped nuts (DOH - I forgot the nuts)
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F.
Melt butter and mix it with the graham crackers. Press the graham crackers into a greased 9X13 inch pan.  Top with chocolate chips, then nuts, then coconut.  Pour over the condensed milk, covering every inch of the pan.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the coconut gets golden.

Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini

MMM Salmon!  Love Salmon! And when I type or see the word "salmon" I say "sal" "mon".

This is a quick, easy recipe. Admittedly I didn't cook the rice in the oven. Not a fan of rice being cooked in the oven. Mostly because it rarely gets done and it's more "al dente" than I like.  Still, this was a delicious way to fix salmon.

Photo by Epicurious.com

Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini
Recipe from Epicurious

• 1/4 c fresh lime juice
• 2 T finely grated lime peel
• 2 T honey
• 2 T chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for sprinkling
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 1 T olive oil
• 3/4 c sliced shallots (about 3 large)
• 1 1/2 c basmati rice (9 to 10 ounces)
• 3 1/4 c (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• 4 5-to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
• 1 bunch broccolini, bottom inch trimmed, stalks separated if necessary

Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and soy sauce in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in large deep ovenproof skillet or casserole (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then 3 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid; place in oven and bake 10 minutes (rice will be almost cooked through and most of broth will be absorbed; mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry).

Remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and arrange on rice, pressing in lightly. Tuck broccolini in around fish, with stems anchored in rice. Spoon 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each salmon fillet. Cover skillet tightly and return to oven; bake until salmon is just opaque in center and broccolini is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice; sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and serve from skillet.

Ropa Vieja - Cuban stewed meat

Wow. I'm a fan. This was such a good meal. So full of flavor and tender beef. Side of rice and tortillas finished the meal.  I love tearing a tortilla up in quarters, stuffing it with a yummy stewed meat and some rice.  Reminds me of my days in Mexico.

This meal was easy and tasty. It uses a lot of ingredients specifically from Goya - because, well, that's the place I got the recipe.  I followed this one completely, minus the bell pepper and sofrito (I couldn't find sofrito in my store and couldn't remember how to actually make a sofrito.)

Ropa Vieja is a main course of shredded and braised beef with plenty of healthy, tasty vegetables, like onions, peppers and olives. This recipe could feed a bunch of people and could be adjusted easily to feed a small army.


Ropa Vieja
Serves 6

• 2 T GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 ½ lbs. flank steak, cut in 3”x 4”pieces
• GOYA Adobo with Pepper, to taste
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 2½ cups)
• 1½ green bell peppers, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
• 1 jar (6 oz.) GOYA Sofrito
• 3 tsp GOYA Minced Garlic or 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 can (8 oz.) GOYA Tomato Sauce
• 1 packet Sazón GOYA with Coriander and Annatto
• 1 packet GOYA Powdered Beef Bouillon
• ¼ tsp GOYA Ground Black Pepper
• 1 c GOYA Spanish Olives Stuffed with Minced Pimientos, sliced
• 1 jar (2 oz.) GOYA Capers, drained
• 1 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 c cooked CANILLA Extra Long Grain Rice

1.	Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season meat with adobo. Add steak to pot and cook in batches, flipping once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium. Stir in onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add Sofrito and garlic to pot; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2.	Stir in 3 of cups water, tomato sauce, Sazón, beef bouillon and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Return beef to pot. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Cover pot; simmer until meat shreds easily with fork, 1 – 1½ hours, adding more water in ¼ cup measurements, if pot becomes dry. [Jenn Notes: I probably used about another two cups of water. I had the heat on a little too high and it boiled down quickly. So watch your heat.]
3.	Transfer meat to work surface; shred meat with two forks. Bring remaining sauce to a boil. Mix meat and cilantro into sauce. Serve with white rice.

Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw

I am not a big fan of coleslaw.  The dressing is often too sweet for me and has a weird combination of flavors.  But I am weird that way.

THIS slaw however, has a nice tang without a lot of sweetness. It's a nice alternative to coleslaw too. I made this for Sunday dinner last night and it was loved by all.

Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw

Photo by Food Network

Recipe from the Food Network
Serves 6-8

• 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon Garlic-Ginger Paste, recipe follows
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 2 (10-ounce) bags broccoli slaw
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional, can substitute pomegranate seeds)
• 1/2 cup skinless sliced almonds, toasted

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the broccoli slaw, cranberries, and almonds. Taste for seasoning and adjust according to your palate.

Add the slaw, cranberries, and almonds and gently toss. Chill before serving.

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

• 1/2 cup cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup (1/2-inch slices) fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar; it should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir-fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

New York Style Crumb Cake

I took one look at the photo on this blog and I knew I had to make this cake. What's not to like? Cake and crumble!

Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy has quickly become one of my favorite cooking blogs.  Take a gander - you'll get addicted soon too.

The cake has been in the oven for about 30 minutes and it smells so absolutely delicious.  In fact, it sorta smells like apple pie.  I'm not sure I can wait until dessert time at Sunday Dinner tonight to dig into this. 

The original recipe is here.  I've copied it below for your convenience though.

New York-Style Crumb Cake
Recipe from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

For the crumb topping:

• 1 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 T cinnamon
• 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 c all purpose flour

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cs granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 c sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the rack in the center position. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.

To make the crumb topping, stir together both sugars, the salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour until it is absorbed and set the mixture aside.

To make the cake, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is completely smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat the mixture until it starts to look fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again for 30 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl before each addition, beating only until it is just incorporated.

To assemble the cake, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use your hands to scoop up a handful of the topping and make a fist. The topping should hold together. Break off in chunks and drop them over the cake. Repeat until you’ve used all of the topping. The layer of topping will be thick.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Rotate the pan two times during the baking process. Cool the entire pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before serving.

 

Pappardelle with Creamy Chicken Sauce

I closed out the week with a pasta dish that I was sure would be delicious just based on the photo.  The Pantry Goat came over to help me "taste" this dish and taste it we did.

The overall recipe is boring and didn't seem overly flavorful to me after I read the recipe.  So, I did what I do best and added my 10cents to the dish. At the end of the day it displayed a surprisingly similar appearance and flavor to my other favorite chicken and pasta dish - which it turns out doesn't seem to be on the blog.  That can't be right. I'm gonna keep searching...I know its on here.

Anyhow, I added a few items to this dish and made it way better. You be the judge.

Photo courtesy by Everyday Food

Pappardelle with Creamy Chicken Sauce
Recipe from Every Day Food
Serves 6

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 7 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 c heavy cream
• 1 pound pappardelle

Cook chicken with oil after seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for 7 minutes. Add onion and cook 6 min. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook about 15 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Boil pappardelle. Reserve 1 cup cooking water. Add to sauce and toss pasta with sauce.

Jenn's additions:

5 sliced mushrooms
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

So after I cooked off the onions, I pulled them out of the skillet and sauteed the mushrooms.  I added it all back in, followed the rest of the recipe. When it was done and ready, I tossed in a palm full or so of Parmesan cheese. 

Firecracker Wings

I love Guy Fieri. I watched the Next Food Network Star that season and knew from the beginning I'd buy anything he was selling. Recently I was meandering through Costco with no purpose - always a bad thing - and I found his cookbook. 

I immediately went through it at home and found several recipes to add to the bowl.  This one stood out because of the flavor profile it had.  It just sounded so darn good.

First things first, I didn't do wings. I'm not a wing person and so used chicken breast instead.  I cubed my chicken breasts and BBQ'd them on skewers.  Delicious.

Make this recipe. It's really quite good. It's hot, I won't like. Anything with "Firecracker" in the title should say it's hot. If you're not a spicy person you can easily tone it down by not using all the types of hot sauce in this.


Firecracker Wings
Recipe from Guy Fieri
Serves 4

• 5 lbs chicken wings (or 2 chicken breasts)
• 6 c water
• 1⁄4 cup kosher salt
• 1⁄3 c chili- garlic sauce
• 1 c honey
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1⁄2 c Sweet Soy Sauce (see recipe below)
• 3 T sriracha sauce
• 1⁄4 c apple cider vinegar (I didn't have apple cider vinegar. Which is weird considering at one point I had 4 bottles.  I used Rice vinegar instead.)
• 1⁄4 c minced ginger
• 1 tsp ground sea salt
• 1 T freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 T minced green onions

Sweet Soy Sauce Recipe
Note: You can buy sweet soy sauce in Asian markets. I figured this recipe was super easy and I had all the ingredients so I opted to make it.

• 1 c soy sauce
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp wasabi powder

Whisk them all together in a bowl.

Cut the wings apart at the joints and discard the tips. In a large glass bowl, combine the water, kosher salt, ¼ cup of the chili- garlic sauce, and ¼ cup of the honey. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the wings and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

To make the basting and dipping sauce, in a small bowl, combine the remaining chili- garlic sauce, the soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, sriracha, the remaining honey, vinegar, and ginger and mix well. Set aside half of the sauce for serving in order to avoid contamination.

Preheat a grill to medium- high. Drain the wings and season them with sea salt and pepper. Grill the wings until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, turning as needed. When the wings reach the right color, continue cooking over indirect heat until they’re at the desired doneness, then baste them with the sauce, turning as needed until the wings are glossy and well coated. Garnish the wings with the sesame seeds and green onion and serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

Beef Stroganoff

If you've been a reader of this blog, you're aware that I have a Kick Ass recipe for beef stroganoff.  My recipe is GREAT in a pinch. If you need dinner on the table within the hour, that's the recipe for you.

But let's say you have some time to linger.  You have time to braise some meat.  If you find yourself in that situation, I recommend this recipe. You really only need an hour, so it's not like it lasts all day.

This recipe was deep in flavor - I think in part by the 2T of tomato sauce.  It was well rounded, and oh so tasty. 


Beef Stroganoff

Recipe from Cuisine At Home
Serves 6

• 1 boneless arm roast, tenderized and cut into 2 inch cubes - I had no idea hat an "arm roast" was so I just bought stew meat and tenderized it.
• All purpose flour
• 2T vegetable oil
• 2c button mushrooms
• 2c cremini mushrooms
• 1T unsalted butter
• 2c diced onion
• 1T tomato paste
• ½ c dry sherry
• ½ c chicken broth
• ½ c beef broth
• 1 c sour cream
• 2T fresh chopped dill

If using an arm or other beef roast cut in two lengthwise and tenderize both strips. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and sear well in the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Sauté mushrooms in butter until golden. Remove from the pan. Add the onion and tomato paste and sauté.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the broths and return the beef to the pan. Cover and braise in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to braise another 15 minutes. Prepare egg noodles according to the package directions. Top each serving with dilled sour cream by combining 1c sour cream with 4T chopped fresh dill.

I, personally, like the sour cream mixed into the stroganoff.  I dropped the dill (not a fan) and mixed the cup of sour cream in to the stroganoff before serving.

Coconut Flavored Chicken Soup

Also know as Tom Ka Gai.  I LOVE Tom Ka Gai. It's one of my favorite soups to get during the fall/winter months when I go to Thai food.  It's rich, filling, and oh so good.

I've never been successful making Tom Ka Gai.

Until now.

Martin Yan's recipe is super easy and quick.

The hardest part was finding lemongrass (If you have a Uwajamaya in your area or any Asian food store, I'm sure they'll have it. That's where I found it. In a pinch, I read somewhere you can use lemon rind.)

If you do nothing else this winter, make this soup. You will not be disappointed.

Little note about coconut milk. It can curdle. It curdled on me when I added it to the chicken broth. I'm not a fan of curdled milk. I knew logically it was fine, but it looked gross and the texture is weird.  I was deeply concerned. Then I turned my back and almost over boiled the entire soup.  Turns out boiling makes the curdling go away. So boil this soup long enough to avoid curdling.

Unless you like curdling.
Coconut Flavored Chicken Soup
Recipe from Martin Yan
Makes: 4 servings

• 3/4-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 stalks lemongrass
• 2 slices ginger, each the size of a quarter, lightly crushed
• 3 c chicken broth
• 1 can (13 1/2 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 T fish sauce
• 1/2 c straw mushrooms, drained (I used button mushrooms)
• 3 T lime juice
• 1 fresh jalapeno chili, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 T chopped cilantro
• Thinly slice chicken. Lightly crush bottom 6 inches of lemongrass with the dull side of a kitchen knife; trim and discard remainder.

Place lemongrass, ginger, and broth in a 2-quart pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and add coconut milk, fish sauce; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add chicken, lime juice, lime zest, and chili; stir once to separate slices of chicken. Simmer until chicken turns opaque, 4 to 5 minutes.

Just before serving stir in cilantro.

Pea - Prosciutto Sauce

Again, one of my favorite recipes I've tried that didn't make the blog. Such a slacker.

This recipe I made for the August Sunday dinner. It was a small group, so making something like this was easy. 

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork

Pea - Prosciutto Sauce
Recipe from Food Network
Serves: 4

• 4 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• 1 pound ravioli
• 1 c frozen peas
• Handful chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese

Cook prosciutto in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat until crisp, 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1 T tomato paste; cook 1 minute.

Ladle in 1 cup pasta cooking water and simmer until reduced by half, 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and simmer until thickened, 3 minutes. 

Toss with cooked ravioli, frozen peas, parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Beef Stew with Noodles

I noticed there are a couple of recipes that I've tried this year that didn't make it to the blog. Tisk Tisk. This particular recipe was one of my favorites and I thought it would be in bad blog taste to not post it.

Super easy, and super flavorful.  Great for leftovers - which says a lot considering I am not a fan of leftovers.

Beef Stew with Noodles

Photo by Everyday Food

Recipe from Every Day Food
Serves 4

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
• 2 T flour
• 3 cans reduced sodium chicken broth (14.5 ea)
• 1/2 pound carrot, cut 1" chunks
• 2 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1" dice
• 2 c egg noodles
• 3 T finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over high. Add beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until seared and brown, about 6 minutes. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion begins to soften (reducing heat if necessary), about 5 minutes. Stir in flour until beef and onion are coated and cook 1 to 2 minutes (do not burn). Add broth and 3 cups water, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until beef is tender, about 25 minutes.

Add carrots and potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add noodles and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, stir in parsley and vinegar.

Hard Rock Cafe Twisted Mac & Cheese

Its rare that I can make mac&cheese from scratch and have it turn out creamy. For whatever reason the cheese sauce always has a gritty texture to it and it's just not good that way.  I read in a Food Network article that the way to avoid this is to slowly add the cheese to the rue. 

This recipe doesn't call for a rue, but I slowly added and melted the cheese to the milk. Turned out creamy!  This particular version of mac&cheese is delicious. I avoided the red peppers which I'm sure would add an extra excellent element to it, but not a fan of peppers.

Super easy recipe and super delicious. I mean it has Velveeta in it, what's not to like?

Hard Rock Cafe Twisted Mac & Cheese
Serves 4 (as a side dish)

• 2 c uncooked cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni
• 1/3 c whole milk
• 4 Ounces Velveeta (which is 1/2 a cup in case you know your measurements)
• 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 c diced roasted red bell pepper

Parmesan Breadcrumbs

• 2  tsp seasoned breadcrumbs (Italian style)
• 2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp finely minced parsley.

Cook pasta following the directions on package. Drain.

Combine milk, Velveeta, cheddar cheese, Jack cheese, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in saucepan. Cook over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Add pasta and roasted pepper to the pan, and then toss to coat the pasta.

Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley in a small bowl. Pour pasta into a serving bowl, and then sprinkle Parmesan breadcrumbs over the top.

Paella

My history with Paella goes way back to 1986 when Mom, Dad and I spent some time in Spain.  I had been studying Spanish for about 3 years by this time and Dad thought it would do me some good to practice while in Spain. Fine.

So the first or second night in Spain - I can't even remember what town we were in I was too scarred - we were out having dinner. We decided to have paella and dad asked me to ask the waitress if the paella had fish in it.

Side not: looking back now that was a ridiculous question to ask. Every paella had fish in it.

Anyhow, I rambled off something to the waitress - absolutely sure I knew what I was doing - and her look was that of pure confusion.  I repeated my question again in what sounded like perfect Spanish me, "Hay pescador en el paella?"  She nodded, looked confused and walked away.

Concerned that I may have said something slightly off I grabbed the trusty Spanish dictionary to see what I had said. Turns out I had asked the waitress if the paella had fishermen in it.

I assure you this recipe does not have fishermen in it. 

The story I was told about paella is that the people of a small town in Spain heard news that her majesty the Queen would be passing their way.  They decided to fix a very special for her, but couldn't decide on the name. Time grew short and they decided to call the dish "For Her" (Para Ella). I bet her paella didn't have any fishermen either.

Paella
Serves 6

• 2 to 21/2 c diced cooked chicken
• 1 med onion, finely chopped
• 4-5 large stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• dash of cayenne
• large pinch of powdered saffron
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 2/12 to 3 cups chicken broth 2 cups pre cooked long grain rice (I didn't understand this precooked rice thing, so I used regular old every day rice and cooked it in the paella)
• 1 c peas
• 1 c cooked shrimp; shelled and deveined
• 4 oz can of green chilies chopped
• parsley
• black olives

Stew a fryer chicken until tender and firm and save the broth.  Bone chicken and cut in to bite size pieces.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven add onions and saute. Add chopped stewed tomatoes and green peppers. Add all seasonings and mix.

To the chicken broth, add the crushed garlic clove and rice, then add this mixture to dutch oven and stir thoroughly.

Cook over medium heat in dutch oven, covered, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add peas, shrimp and green chilies last 10 minutes of cooking time.  Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and sliced black olives before serving.

Emeril's Ruby Red Rocket Cocktail

I love trying new cocktails...at home. I hate paying the prices of cocktails out in a bar so when a party opportunity comes up where I can try a new cocktail, I will.

Being the Annual Pumpkin Carving last night, coupled with the Sunday dinner, I opted to try something that had a more ghoulish look to it.

This is their photo of the cocktail.

This is my version. My glass is way cooler - and I have no idea what that line is going across the top. I'll have to fix that later.

The only modification I made to this was the sugar rim.  I couldn't find the brown sugar rimmer he suggested, and testing it with real brown sugar didn't work so well. So I went with a yellow sugar rimmer. Pretty, don't cha think?

Emeril's Ruby Red Rocket Cocktail

• 1 1/2 ounces citrus flavored vodka, or vodka
• 1/2 ounce triple sec
• 3 ounces red grapefruit juice blend
• 2 teaspoons creme de cassis or raspberry liqueur
• Coarse brown sugar crystals, optional garnish to coat rims of the glasses
• Candied orange slices, optional garnish - JW Note: I didn't have candied orange slices either. I used just regular old oranges.

If desired, wet the rim of a tall martini glass, then dip in the coarse brown sugar crystals. In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, triple sec, and juice with crushed ice. Shake well for 30 seconds, then strain into the prepared martini glass. Gently add the creme de cassis, allowing to fall to the bottom of the glass. Garnish with a candied orange slice, if desired, and serve.

JW Note: Turns out Creme de Cassis is a blueberry flavored.  It made the drink in my opinion.

Chicken Scaloppini with Wine, Mushroom and Green Olives

This recipe is the first recipe I made when I decided I wanted to really start cooking. It's a Rachael Ray recipe, and super easy to make. I've made it a handful of times over the years and have modified it to my taste.  The girls who were over for last night's pumpkin carving certainly didn't have any issues with my modifications. In fact, the general consensus was "YUM!"

I also made a new cocktail last night.  Emeril's Ruby Red Rocket Cocktail. It was so darn good.  It has a slight taste of a Cosmo, but not as sweet since it uses grapefruit.  I'll post that recipe separate and you can find it here.

Anyhow, here's the recipe with my notes of changes with it. Enjoy.

Photo courtesy of Food Network

Veal Scaloppini with Wine, Mushroom and Green Olives
Recipe by Rachael Ray
Serves 4
JW Note: My first change is I use chicken. I'm not a veal fan, so I substitute it with chicken.

• 3/4 pound linguini
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan, plus some for drizzling
• 3 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 16 crimini mushrooms or button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 pound veal scaloppini, cut into 1-inch strips [JW Notes: 1 lb chicken tenders or breasts, cut into bite size pieces]
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 16 pitted, large green olives, coarsely chopped
• A handful chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls

JW Notes:

My additional ingredients

1/4c heavy cream

1 c chicken broth or stock

Place pasta water on to boil and cook linguini 8 minutes, to al dente in salted water. Drain and reserve. Keep warm.

Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add 1 turn of the pan or 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and the pancetta or bacon. Cook pancetta or bacon 1 to 2 minutes alone, then add onions and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook together with the onions 3 to 5 minutes. [JW note: I add the garlic in here too. If I add it in the following step I ALWAYS burn it.]

Season veal strips with salt and pepper. [JW Note: I don't use a second skillet. I take the mushroom mix out and put it in a bowl and just use the same skillet. Mostly because I hate doing dishes.] In a second skillet preheated over medium high heat, add 1 1/2 turns of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 clove smashed garlic. [JW note: see note above about where I add the garlic.] Quick-fry half of the veal searing each side of the strips 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer cooked veal strips and garlic to a plate and repeat.

Add all of the cooked strips and garlic to the onions and mushrooms then add wine to the pan and lift up all of the drippings. [JW note: I add the mushroom mixture back to the pan where I was cooking my chicken.] Cook wine down to evaporate the alcohol about 2 to 3 minutes. [JW note: I add a cup of broth here and let that simmer down for about 10 minutes. I like more liquid with my pasta than this recipe allows.  Once the chicken broth cooks down, I add the olives and parsley to the mixture, then add the heavy cream.  I cook it until it thickens.]

Stir olives and parsley into veal and mushrooms. Serve portions of veal, mushrooms and green olives on a bed of hot linguini tossed with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, butter and grated cheese.

[JW notes: I usually mix the sauce with the pasta.  Last night I added the cheese in with the pasta instead of on top and OMG it was sooo good. Try it.]

Tuscan Chicken Stew

I didn't do very well this week with sticking to my planned menu.  I got lazy mid week and just grabbed something in the pantry to eat - like Mac N Cheese.

Tonight though, I decided to make Tuscan Chicken Stew - which was a selected recipe for this week.  I had, apparently, not shopped well enough last Sunday and was missing some ingredients. So I punted. Though I don't think my "changes" were all that significant to the overall flavor of the stew.

It's from a cookbook I bought a life time ago called "How To Boil Water". There used to be a show on the Food Network called the same thing and this was their cookbook.  The recipes in this cookbook are broken down so even a 5 YO could figure them out.  They're simple, tried and true recipes that do not disappoint.

Tuscan Chicken Stew
Recipe from How to Boil Water
Serves 4

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
• 1 can cannellini beans (15.5oz), drained and rinsed
• 8 bone in skinless chicken thighs (I didn't have chicken so I used some beef stew meat I had)
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 large sprig rosemary or 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (I didn't have the rosemary so I went for the Italian seasoning).
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1/2 c dry red wine
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (14oz can) - I used Fire roasted tomatoes...yum.
• 3/4 c chicken broth
• 1 head escarole or 4 cups baby spinach (yah not a fan of cooked escarole or spinach so I opted out of this ingredient. I did have a nice spinach salad to go along side it though.)
• 1/2 c freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Chop the onion, smash or mince the garlic and drain/rinse the beans. Set aside

Heat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken down with paper towels. Add the oil to the Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add chicken skin side down, and brown, in batches if necessary, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter. (I browned the beef in my version to get the yummy dark bits on the bottom of the pan for later.)

Reduce the heat to medium, add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and seasoning.  Cook, stirring until onions are slightly soft. Add tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute.

Add wine and deglaze the pan. Let it reduce until it's about a syrup consistency. Add beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth to the pan. Bring to a boil.  Nestle the chicken pieces back into the pan and any juices as well. Cook for 20 more minutes.

Trim the escarole and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. (If you're using spinach there's no need to do this.) Wash the escarole or spinach and drain. Add greens to the stew, cooking only until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in shallow bowls.

Hearty Beef and Barley Stew

Once in a while I am taken back by a recipe...mostly because I planned ahead to make it but didn't read the recipe before. This was one of those recipes.

Turned out this was what I like to call a "round two" meal. Meaning you're using leftover meat or something to make another dish.  Had I read the recipe I would have known I needed to make a pot roast before making this stew. 

Regardless I made the stew. I adjusted it to be what I had purchased and left out all the parts about leftovers.  I've put the recipe how it appears in the cookbook and have also added the pot roast recipe this one builds from.  You'll see my notes here and there with my adjustments.

This was also the first time I've ever used barley. That was interesting. My first attempt I didn't pay attention and all the water evaporated and I had some burned barley. Luckily I had enough to make another batch.

Hearty Beef and Barley Stew
Serves 2

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms, re hydrated in 1/2 c water, then minced, re hydrating liquid strained and reserved. [Jenn note: I'm not a fan of porcini mushrooms so I used regular old button mushrooms]
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• 2 1/4 c water [Jenn Note: I used just 2 cups of water and 2 cups beef broth because I didn't have the pot roast sauce.]
• 1 c pot roast sauce (see pot roast recipe below) [Jenn note: didn't use this see note above.]
• 3/4 c pot roast garnish (see pot roast recipe below)[Jenn note: didn't use this since the garnish wasn't that interesting to me.]
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 c instant barley (instant barley is also called quick barley)
• 10 oz cooked pot roast (see pot roast recipe below) [Jenn note: used 1 lb stew meat.]
• 1 T chopped fresh parsley

Combine oil, mushrooms, tomato paste and thyme in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the reserved porcini liquid, water, pot roast sauce, pot roast garnish, carrots and barley. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the carrots and barley are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the pot roast and cook until heated through. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Jenn's way:
I browned my meat first. Set it aside and then followed the mushrooms, carrots, tomato paste, and thyme from above. I deglazed with a cup of wine (the pot roast recipe calls for wine so I figured I'd add that flavor in). Once that had reduced, I put the meat back in and my beef broth and water. I let it simmer for about 30 minutes give or take.

I also couldn't find quick barley so had to cook my barley separately. I added it once it was cooked.

French Style Pot Roast Recipe
Serves 2

1 boneless chuck eye roast, pulled apart into 2 pieces, trimmed (about 3.5 to 4 lbs)

• Salt and pepper
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 onion, chopped medium
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 T flour
• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 2/3 c low sodium chicken broth
• 2/3 c low sodium beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 1/2 inch thick

Garnish

• 2 c frozen pearl onions
• 1/2 c water
• 3 T butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 10 oz white mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved
• 1 T chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 300 F. Pat the roast dry and season with salt and pepper. Tie kitchen twine around each piece of meat so it won't fall apart. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the meat on all sides, reduce heat if pot starts to scorch.

Remove meat and set aside.

Pour off all the fat left in the pot, add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat until browned and crisp. About 10 minutes.  Stir in the onion and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until softened 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Slowly whisk in the wine, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. It should reduce to about 2 1/2 cups of liquid.

Stir in the broths and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Nestle the meat back in, along with any accumulated juices, and return to a simmer. Cover and transfer to oven.  cook for 2 hours, flipping the meat halfway through cooking.

Stir in the carrots and continue to cook in the oven, covered until the meat is tender for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, flipping the meat once.

For the garnish: meanwhile combine the frozen pearl onions, water, butter, sugar and salt in a 12 inch nonstick skillet.  Cover and cook over medium high heat stirring often until onions are fully thawed and tender, about 10 minutes.  Uncover, and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes.  Stir in mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are dark brown and well glazed, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the meat to a carving board and tent loosely with foil. Transfer the carrots to a bowl and set aside. Using a wide spoon, skim off any fat that rises to the surface of the sauce.  Bring to a simmer over med-high heat and cook until thickened and reduced to 3 cups, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove twine from meat, cut the meat against the grain into 1/4 inch slices and transfer to a serving platter. Stir the carrots and garnish into the sauce and rewarm over medium heat. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the meat, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Phew! That's a lot of work.

Grilled Beef and Vegetable Kebabs

Kebabs are standard grill fare.  And are one of my favorite things to make with beef and chicken.  When I have a marinade recipe, I'll often cube the meat and marinade it that way. More meat surface gets the marinade, then I put them on skewers and grill. Yum.

This recipe was super, SUPER easy and flavorful. The marinade is a very common marinade and is used a lot in grilling recipes.

I adjusted the vegetables of this recipe since I'm not a fan of bell peppers. I used zucchini instead. Just as colorful and just as tasty - in my opinion.

Grilled Beef and Vegetable Kebabs

Serves 2

• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1/4 c soy sauce (I use low sodium soy sauce for cooking. It allows me to control the sodium.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 lb steak tips, poked all over with a fork and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks (I used zucchini here)
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
• 5 ounces white mushrooms, stemmed

Mix oil, soy, garlic and pepper together in a large microwave safe bowl. Measure 1/4 c of the soy sauce mixture and transfer to a large zip loc bag.  Add steak tips to the marinade, turn to coat.  Marinade steak tips in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Add bell pepper, onion and mushrooms to the bowl with the remaining marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temp for 30 minutes.

Microwave the vegetables on high until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent at the edges, 3-5 minutes, stirring half way through.  Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl (be careful of steam) and set aside until the meat is finished marinating.

Jenn Note: Needless to say I did not cook my vegetables in a microwave.  I did marinate them, but I didn't want to precook them and I just grilled them with the meat. Turned out fine.

Thread the meat and vegetables onto skewers, starting and ending with meat.  It makes about 4 12 inch skewers. Grill to your desired doneness.

Chicken Vesuvio

I debate every time I come across a recipe I didn't particularly like as to whether I should or shouldn't post it. And almost every time I decide to post it in case one of my few readers will like it.

This was one of those recipes. It was good, but not great! At least to me.

Chicken Vesuvio
Serves 2

• 1/4 c flour
• 2 (6-8oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 5 tsp olive oil
• 12 oz red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh oregano, or 1/4tsp dried
• 1 tsp minced rosemary, or 1/4 tsp dried
• 1 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c frozen peas, thawed
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Place the flour in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Working with 1 breast at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat 1 T olive oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the chicken in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides, 6-8 minutes, flipping the breasts halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet with a wad of paper towels. Heat the remaining 2 tsp in skillet until shimmering. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, oregano, rosemary and 1/8 tsp salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth and wine, scraping the bottom of the pan of the little brown bits. Nestle the chicken along with any accumulated juice, into the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the chicken registers 160 to 165, 12 to 18 minutes, flipping the chicken half way through.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm.  Increase the heat to medium and continue to cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is thickened slightly, 5-7 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to the platter with the chicken. Off heat, stir in the peas, butter and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Pour sauce over the chicken and potatoes and serve.

Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto

Every year, the Thursday before the Breast Cancer 3 day, I do a "carb loading" dinner for my team.  Truth be told, I "carb load" all year for them. As a former walker changed into Walker Stalker, I need my energy.

This year I chose to make Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto. Its simple and delicious. Just like I like it.

Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto

Serves 4

• 1 lb meat filled tortellini (I couldn't find any meat filled so I used 3 cheese)
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz prosciutto or pancetta, finely chopped (I used pancetta for this recipe because it's what I had on hand. You could even use bacon if that's what you have on hand.)
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• 1 c Frozen peas
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook as the label directs.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and prosciutto and cook until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Ladle in about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and simmer until reduced by about half, 3-4 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.

About 2 minutes before the tortellini are done add the peas to the boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain the tortellini and peas and add to the skillet, tossing to coat with the sauce. Stir in the parsley and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Baked Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

I've been very lax at getting recipes up on this site. So pardon me while I get caught up.

The Not Quite Newlyweds had child #2, Baby B.  I offered to bring them dinner and meet Baby B and they hopped on that offer. 

I wanted to make something Baby B's big brother would eat and was simple, but scrumptious. Lasagna came to mind. I have a few recipes, some take almost all day, and I wanted to try a new one. I rummaged through my recipes and found this one. It was quite tasty and super easy.

I'm not a fan of ricotta cheese so this was the perfect lasagna for me.

Baked Lasagna with béchamel Sauce
Serves 8-10

bolognas sauce (I used my favorite Bolognese sauce that you can find here. I had made some over the weekend so I had some left over for the lasagna.)

• 12-16 fresh egg lasagna sheets or dried lasagna (I can never find fresh lasagna sheets so I used the no cook sheets that are now available).
• 1 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 T butter

For the béchamel sauce:

• 3 c milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp nutmeg (the recipe actually calls for mace blades. I had no idea what those were, but Google helped me determine they are part of the nutmeg plant.  I couldn't find mace blades so went for just nutmeg.)
• 1/2 c butter
• 3/4 c flour
• salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the Bolognese sauce per that recipe. Butter a large lasagna pan. 

To make the béchamel sauce:
Gently heat the milk with the bay leave and nutmeg in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a medium heave based saucepan. Add the flour and mix well with a wire whisk. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove the bay leaf from the milk. Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture and whisk constantly. Bring the sauce to a boil and let it thicken. Cook for another 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lasagna prep:
Depending on the type of noodles you use, you may need to cook your pasta. I used no-cook noodles so I hopped right into putting the lasagna together.

To assemble:
Spread a large spoonful of Bolognese to bottom of the pan. Spread it evenly.  You may need a second spoon full depending on the size of pan you're using. You're looking for a nice even layer of sauce for the first noodles to rest on.

Arrange a layer of pasta, overlaying the edges.
Spoon over the béchamel sauce over the layer of noodles. Evenly spread the sauce.
Spoon over Bolognese; evenly spread the sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Repeat that another layer or two, depending, again, on the size of your dish. END with Bolognese and Parmesan on the top of the lasagna.

Bake at 400for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it's bubbly. Put it on a cookie sheet though, learn from my mistakes.  Take it out and let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Sit back and enjoy.

Smokey Indoor Ribs

On my other blog I wrote a post about my dad being the master of BBQ ribs. We used to joke that the rib recipe was my dowry.  At least I think we were joking.

Anyhow, I thought I'd try my hand at ribs for the September Sunday dinner. Boy am I glad I did.

These ribs are FANTASTIC!  Incredibly flavorful, sticky and tender. It does take about 3 hours to make, but low and slow is the answer for these babies.

So don't be afraid. Go out, buy some pork ribs and have yourself a feast.

Photo by Cook's Country

Smokey Indoor Ribs
Recipe from Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2011
Serves 4-6

Ribs braising mixture:

• 2T instant espresso powder
• 2T liquid smoke (I used the hickory flavor)
• 1T salt
• 2 racks (about 2.5 to 3 lbs) pork spareribs

BBQ Sauce:

• 1T vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• Salt and pepper
• 1T smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 c cider vinegar
• 3/4 c dark corn syrup
• 3/4 c ketchup
• 1/2 c molasses
• 2T brown mustard
• 1T hot sauce
• 1T instant espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

For the ribs braising liquid:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300F.  Bring 3 cups water, and ingredients for the ribs braising mixture to a boil in a saucepan. Pour mixture into large roasting pan. Place ribs,meat side down, in liquid. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

For BBQ Sauce:
Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt to taste.  Cook until softened, about 5minutes.  Add paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the remaining ingredients for BBQ sauce EXCEPT liquid smoke. Let it come to a simmer. Let it simmer and reduce down for about 50 to 60 minutes. The mixture should be thick and sticky.

When it's reduced, stir in the liquid smoke. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Reserve 1/2 cup sauce for serving.

Remove ribs from the roasting pan and transfer, meat side up, to a wire rack set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; discard braising liquid.

Brush both sides of ribs with sauce. Bake until tender and fork inserted into meat meets no resistance, about 1 1/2 hours. Brush meat side with BBQ sauce every 30 minutes.

When done, pull from the oven and let stand for 30 minutes. Brush them one last time with reserve BBQ sauce. (or do what I did, I cut them after they sat for 30  minutes, and then brushed them with the BBQ sauce.)

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

I have no idea how long I've had this recipe. (I really need to start dating them when I add them to my treasure chest of recipes.)  Beef and Broccoli is one of my favorite dishes to order when I'm at a Chinese restaurant. All too often, though, they use MSG to help the flavor along.  Trying to avoid MSG, I avoid this dish.

Then I discovered the little packets of Beef and Broccoli sauce that you can buy in the grocery store. Just add water and soy sauce and you're good to go.  Turns out those packets are a bit too salty for me (and I use low sodium soy sauce).

So I've been on the hunt for a good, easy and tasty been and broccoli.

This recipe was all of the above. Easy, flavorful and had a nice balance of flavors in it. I only made one small modification and that was I didn't put my broccoli in until very last because I like crisp broccoli not soggy, gross, not quite green broccoli. BLECH!

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Courtesy of  - I have no idea where I got this recipe
Serves 6

• 1/2 c soy sauce (I used low sodium)
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 T firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 lbs top sirloin steak, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium heads of broccoli
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, cornstarch, brown sugar, garlic and pepper. Set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry (I tend to pat my beef dry before stir frying since moisture will cause it to boil at times). Cook for about 2 minutes and transfer to a plate.

Heat remaining oil, add onion and stir fry for 5 minutes. Cut broccoli into florets and add to skillet with 1/2 c water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. (I didn't add the water and simmer. I just skipped this step because I knew the sauce I'd be adding would cook the broccoli enough.)

Return beef to skillet and add soy sauce mixture; add ginger. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

If you've been keeping up on this blog, you know two things, 1) I'm no fan of green peppers and 2) I'm no fan of dark meat.

Because of fact #2 I modified this recipe to be Teriyaki Chicken Breasts Kebabs.  I like the kebab idea when chicken is being marinated.  The cubed chicken allows more parts of the chicken meat to touch the marinade or in this case the teriyaki sauce. (I spilled some of the teriyaki sauce on the cookbook and even as I sit here I can smell it and my mouth is watering.)

I love teriyaki. I especially love a thick, rich teriyaki sauce. THIS recipe is just that. A thick, flavorful, and easy recipe for teriyake.  I've put the recipe as it appears in the cookbook below and have added my "flair" to it.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Recipe from Tyler Florence
Serves 6

Teriyaki Sauce:

• 1 c low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 c grapefruit juice
• 1/4 c hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c ketchup
• 1/4 c rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 c light brown sugar
• 2 fresh red chiles, halved (Jenn note: When I do this again I'll use red pepper flakes. I didn't get too much heat from the red pepper I used.)
• 5 garlic cloves, halved
• 2-inch piece fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife

Chicken Wings:

• 2 dozen chicken wings, about 31/4 pounds, rinsed and patted dry (Jenn Note: I used 2 chicken breasts cubed and skewered).
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish (Jenn Note: didn't bother with this)
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (Jenn Note: didn't bother with this)

Prepare the teriyaki sauce by combining the soy sauce, grapefruit juice, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, chiles, garlic, and ginger in a pot. Bring to a slow boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400F.  (Jenn Note: OR if you're going to BBQ them, like I did, start your grill up)

Season the chicken wings generously with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken wings in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until the skin gets crispy. With tongs, dip the wings in the teriyaki sauce and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to glaze. An impressive presentation is to serve these chicken wings family style; arrange them on a large platter, pour the remaining sauce over them and sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. Don't forget the wet naps!

Quick Coq au Vin

This was a Rachael Ray 30  minute meal that I've had on my list for, gosh, almost 7 years.  It got plucked out of the snifter and made.

It was very flavorful and super easy to make.  If you like Coq au Vin but don't want to wait hours for it to cook, try this recipe. It does not disappoint.

Quick Coq au Vin
Recipe from Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals
Serves 4 to 6

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme leaves
• 3-4 T. tomato paste

Cut the chicken into large pieces. Combine flour, salt and pepper to taste. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan.

Add mushrooms, garlic, and onions to pan. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red wine and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add chicken broth and stir to combine. Return chicken to the pan and stir to combine. Sprinkle thyme over the chicken mixture.

Bring to a boil. Stir in tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve over hot egg noodles.

Trailer Trash Pot Roast

My dad's favorite meal is pot roast. He, and mom, can make a mean pot roast. Me, not so much.  I'm not sure how I can dry out a pot roast, but I have been quite successful at that.

THIS recipe however, was simple, delicious and my pot roast wasn't dry at all. 

I found this recipe off my new favorite food blog: Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy.  I just love the name and love all the recipes she's posted out there. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Cajun Fettuccine

So I had the Landlords over on Friday night to celebrate our one year since we all went on the Alaska cruise. You'd think I'd do something like salmon, but instead I had this fantastic recipe I had made once before in my mind. This one. Only I didn't realize that was the name of it and made the recipe below instead.  BIG DIFFERENCE.

This recipe wasn't as flavorful at all. In fact, lacked a great deal in flavor. I'm bummed that I got confused because I think the Landlords and Blueberry would have really liked the other one.

I made one almost pizza ordering mistake. The recipe calls to add an egg yolk to the heavy cream and chicken broth. I added the whole egg on accident. When I added that mixture to the hot pan, I had scrambled eggs. I'm sure it would have tasted fine, but it looked gross.  I dumped, well strained, the whole thing. Cleaned off the sausage and started all over again.

On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being AWESOME. This was a one.

Cajun Fettuccine
Serves 6

• 3/4 lb fettuccine
• 3/4 lb kielbasa, sliced (I used linguisa sausage instead)
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
• 1/4 c sherry
• 1 c heavy cream
• 1/3 c chicken broth
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 c frozen peas
• 1/3 c Parmesan, grated
• 1 T unsalted butter
• Sliced scallions

Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain.

Sauté kielbasa in oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until brown. Add the shrimp and cook just until pink, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic and cayenne; cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze with sherry and simmer until nearly evaporated.  Whisk cream, broth and yolk together. Add it to the pan along with pasta and peas. Bring to a simmer, stir in the Parmesan, and cook until thick.

Finish with butter and scallions.

Holy Crap These are Amazing Cookies

I'm not sure how I stumbled on to this blog, but I'm so glad I did. Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy is it's name. It's an awesome cooking site.  Anyhow, these cookies were one of her recipes and I decided to make them for a dinner party I had on Friday night. Turns out these are AMAZING cookies. Amazingly delicious, and amazingly easy.

Make them. You won't regret it.

The only change to the recipe I made was I didn't drizzle with chocolate. I had some chocolate issues that weren't good, so I decided to pass on that action.

Photo by Sticky, Gooey,
Creamy, Chewy

Holy Crap These are Amazing Cookies
Recipe from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

• 1 c sugar
• 1 c corn syrup
• 1 jar (18 oz ounce) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth (I like creamy.)
• 6 c corn flakes
• 3 ounces good quality chocolate of your choice (I used Scharffen Berger Semisweet 62%.)

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a full boil.

Remove from heat and stir in the whole jar of peanut butter. Mix well.

Add corn flakes to a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over corn flakes and mix well, taking care to coat all of the corn flakes.

With a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out and form into 1-2 inch balls, depending on your preference, and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.

Put the chocolate in a small bowl and melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies.

When cooled, eat these cookies with reckless abandon. Be careful, though. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt!

Hungarian Style Shepherd's Pie

Every once in awhile a super easy and super delicious recipe falls across my desk. THIS is one of those recipes.  A great complex depth of flavor in the gravy of the beef mixture. It had me almost licking the plate it was that good. 

I didn't use parsnips in this recipe either. I didn't have them on my grocery list, so just went with mashed potatoes.

The recipe says it serves 4 - but I think it could easily serve 6 if you had other sides.

If you do nothing else in your life...make. this. recipe.

Hungarian Style Shepherd's Pie
Recipe from Rachael Ray
Serves 4

• 1 large red bell pepper
• 2 pounds top sirloin or sirloin tips cut into bite-size pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flour, for dredging
• 1/4 c  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion or 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 to 3 medium carrot, small dice
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• About 1/4 cup sweet paprika (I used about 3 T and it was a good amount)
• 1/2 T caraway seeds, half a palmful
• A couple sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves picked and chopped or about 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/4 c  tomato paste
• 3 c  beef stock
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed or sliced 1-inch thick
• 2 to 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 T butter
• 2/3 to 1 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• A handful fresh dill, parsley or chives, finely chopped

Char the bell pepper over an open burner flame or under the broiler with the oven door slightly cracked for the steam to escape until black, turning frequently. Place the charred pepper in a bowl until cool enough to handle, then peel the pepper, chop, and reserve.

Meanwhile, pat the meat dry and season liberally with salt and pepper, dredge in flour. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the meat and brown on both sides. Remove the browned meat to a plate and add the remaining olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, paprika, caraway, marjoram and cook to soften 5 to 6 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and stir 1 minute. Stir in the beef stock and Worcestershire and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and slide the meat and peppers into the pot. Cook 30 minutes, until beef is just tender.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and parsnips until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to the hot pot and mash with salt, pepper, butter, sour cream, egg, and herb of choice.

Place the goulash into a casserole dish and top with potatoes. Cool the dish completely and store for make-ahead meal.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Reheat and bake until heated through and potatoes are brown on top, 45 to 60 minutes. If you do not make this dish as a make ahead meal then brown potatoes under hot broiler on the middle rack of the oven 5 to 7 minutes until golden at edges.

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies

I'm not a person who has a sweet tooth, mostly. I'm more the carb, bread, cheese, deep fried craver.  Once in a great while though I like to make cookies.  I only make them when I can take them somewhere otherwise I'll have two or three the first day and be done with them.  I had an occasion to make some cookies this week and opted for these Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies.

Interesting cookies. Flavor wise, they're delicious.  Texture wise they were odd.  The photo shows the cookies more flat which makes them more crunchy type of cookie, which I love. My cookies turned out a bit more puffier and had a consistency of meringue. Which is fine, just not what I was expecting. Still they're good cookies and quick and easy to make.

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies
Makes 3 dozen

• 1 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 c butter
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 c chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift dry ingredients into a small bowl; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture on low speed. Once combined add the chocolate chips and half the hazelnuts.

Drop tsp size balls of the dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. Flatten each with a fork or your hand and top with remaining hazelnuts and press lightly into the surface.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.