July 21st, 2013
My craving for short ribs started in the a.m. All it took was a look at a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with the meat of a short rib. It looked so delicious that I started checking out my cookbooks for a good and, of course, easy recipe for dinner.
And, when the rain arrived…I knew it would be the perfect dish. I think this dish is full of flavor and the gravy incorporates the veggies making a complete dinner. Short ribs are larger, more tender, and meatier than pork spare ribs.
The recipe is not my own. It is a little bit of Barefoot Contessa and a little bit of that… my own. You will be able to put your own signature on it very easily.
At the market the butcher told me that he had just prepared the short ribs. So, they were very fresh. The recipe called for 6 short ribs but I think I had 11 of them. I wanted leftovers. The following recipe is for 6 short ribs, so just double it if you want to.
SHORT RIBS
6 beef short ribs (trimmed of fat)
Sea Salt (optional) I used a Cajun, salt free, seasoning.
Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups diced celery
2 carrots, diced
1 small fennel, fronds, stems, and core removed, diced (I did not have fennel, so 1 tablespoon of Anise seeds went in instead.)
2 leeks, cleaned and only the white part only…diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 regular size bottle of dry red wine
Rosemary sprigs
Thyme sprigs
4 cups beef broth (I used low sodium.)
1 cup of your choice of BBQ sauce (I used a gluten free one.)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cornstarch to thicken the gravy.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place short ribs on a cooking sheet lined with foil, sprinkle with salt, seasoning, and pepper. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and roast for about 20 minutes.
In a large frying pan heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel, and leek. I had Anise to add instead of fennel. Cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes. Pour the wine over the veggies, bring to a boil, cook for a few minutes and then add the salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and add to the pot.
Take the short ribs out of the oven.
In a roasting pan pour the veggies and broth and place the roasted ribs on top of the vegetables. Add the beef broth and brown sugar.
Cover with foil or top and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. I think I baked mine for about 2 1/2 hours.
After the first hour add the cup of BBQ sauce. This is when you might want to also add the Apple Cider vinegar. I like the tartness it offers, so I use it a lot. Your choice, though.
Once baked, removed the short ribs from the roasting pan and set aside. Discard the herbs and skim the fat off.
To make the gravy, just transfer the vegetables and sauce over to a pot or large frying pan, add about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir until it thickens. If you like the gravy a bit thicker, add more cornstarch. Go a little bit at a time.
Serve with salad and new red skin potatoes. Enjoy!!
Note: In my household the meat was cut off the bone and served over rice for breakfast!! And, this recipe was gluten free!!
July 11th, 2013
I will have to thank Beth for this wonderful recipe. Serve it as a main meal for any meatless day of the week, just add a salad or sliced summer tomatoes. Perfect for company if you are cooking outdoors, as well.
The recipe uses buckwheat. Buckwheat is gluten free. It is not related to wheat, but to sorrel and rhubarb. Thought you might want to know.
This recipe can be modified to be gluten free very easily. First, instead of using Pam, just lightly oil the roasting pan. Secondly, instead of the commercially sold balsamic glaze, then, just reduce your own balsamic vinegar by placing a whole bottle (I use Pompeian) in a small saucepan and cook it medium low for several hours, depending on your stove. It will reduce to about 1/2 cup. Be patient, watch it and don’t let it burn. I have done that too.
KASHA PILAF WITH ROASTED VEGGIES
13 ounces Buckwheat – cooked according to directions on the box
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
Saute the above veggies and add to the cooked buckwheat. Set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Oil roasting pan with either Pam or your favorite oil.
Cut: onion, red pepper, sweet potato, yellow and green summer squash. I cut about 1/2 cup each, but make it your own and cut more or less. Place on roasting pan and roast for about 45 minutes.
Mix pilaf and roasted veggies together.
Chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze or your own before serving. And….Enjoy!!
June 27th, 2013
It is that time of the year when friends stop by, families visit because you live at the beach…or you offered to bring dessert to a gathering. I think this one is not only a winner, but a keeper!! It’s the best combination; peanut butter and chocolate.
The group is following a low fat diet. It has been said that eating a diet in high fat, even good fats, it is the root of the havoc caused in our system…..Once a week we got together. We did not know each other. But, just like I mentioned on yesterday’s post, we are now friends. At the pot luck dinner, this dessert, along with the Skinny Strawberry Shortcake Trifle, “No Bake”, was a hit. Completely modified from the recipe found on Allrecipes. It became much lower in fat. And, even though it had Natural Peanut Butter, it was better than the regular peanut butter.
GUILT FREE!! PEANUT BUTTER PIE
1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 (8 ounces) Greek Yogurt cream cheese, softened (This is delicious and new on the market.)
1/2 cup Stevia
1 (12 ounce) container light frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
1 prepared chocolate pie crust
1 (11.75 ounces) jar Smuckers Hot Fudge Microwaveable Ice Cream Topping, divided
2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
Beat together 1 cup peanut butter, cream cheese and Stevia in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium. Beat until well combined. Gentley mix in 3 cups whipped topping until thoroughly combined, as well. Spoon mixture into pie shell. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to edges of the pie.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of hot fudge topping into the corner of a resealable plastic bag. Microwave remaining topping, on High, for 1 minute. Stir. Spread topping over pie, covering the entire peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until set. Spread remaining whipped topping (1 1/2 cups), over hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the two layers.
Cut a small corner from bag containing topping. Squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pie. Place remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in another resealable food storage bag; cut bag corner and squeeze to drizzle in opposite direction from topping.
Refrigerate until ready to serve….Enjoy!!
On the left…there it is…the Peanut Butter Pie!! Thanks Stacy!!
April 29th, 2013
I will be the first one to tell you that when I first tasted “mole”, let’s say I was not that thrilled. Was it a sauce to cover otherwise a tasteless piece of beef or chicken? Over the years I have learned to acquire the taste. So many variations of this sauce…some nutty, sweeter, more cumin, less cinnamon. Mine just has a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder and brown sugar. Not traditional but it tastes good.
The pork mole is gluten free; so is the rice timbale and salsa. Make sure your store bought ingredients are gluten free. It also does not take long to make, either. Pretty easy and tasty, actually.
You can make both dishes at the same time or start with the pork mole, keeping it warm while making the rice. Make it your own, remember?
PORK MOLE!!
1 1/4 lbs. pork tenderloin. Cut into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (store bought or your own)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, no salt added (No salt added stewed tomatoes can be substituted.)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teasppon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar, lightly packed (Splenda has a Brown Sugar substitute that can also be used.)
Spray or lightly oil a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until the pork is no longer pink. Stir occasionally.
Add garlic and oion and cook for a couple of minutes until tender and lightly browned.
Add remaining ingredients, bring mixture to a boil. Then, reduce and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
SALSA & RICE TIMBALE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red pepper, seeded and finely diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (store bought or your own)
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 cups low sodium, chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 cups fresh salsa
In a medium sauce pan heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper, shallots and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Add rice and stir well. Add the stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 17 minutes, until rice is tender.
Mix in the cilantro.
Spray or lightly oil (your preference), the timbales (tartlet pans), or ramekins. You might need 40 to 6 depending on size.
Once rice is ready, mix one cup of the fresh salsa into the rice. Then, spoon rice into the timbales, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon. Turn one timbale on each serving plate to unmold and garnish with the rest of the salsa.
Place 1/2 – 1 cup of the pork mole on the plate.
I served mine with sauteed spinach….it gave it more color!! Cook your favorite veggie!
Note: I bought “fresh salsa” from the supermarket, by the vegetables…or, you can prepare your own.
Enjoy!!
April 17th, 2013
I have expanded my friends with an added group of individuals that get together once a week. Our goal is nutrition, lifestyle changes, health, and shedding some pounds along the way. That’s all I can say….what we say in our meetings, and we say plenty, stays in that meeting.
But, Pat did bring a recipe that is worth sharing. If I say Turkey Meatloaf in my house…the answer is hmmm. Nothing else. I decided to get some meatloaf history.
Meatloaf is usually made from ground beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison, poultry, or a combination thereof is often used, as well. With European origins; meatloaf of minced meat was mentioned in the Roman cookery collection, Apicius, in the 5th century. Apicius is the term that has long been associated with the excessively refined love of food.
It is a traditionally German and Belgian dish; a cousin to the Dutch meatball.
But, my biggest surprise was to learn that the American meatloaf has its origins in scrapple. Are you kidding me? That’s my favorite! Anywhere I find scrapple, I try it. I also cannot wait for the Apple Scrapple Festival in Bridgeville, Delaware. Scrapple is a mixture of ground pork and cornmeal. I can see the resemblance.
American meatloaf did not show up in cookbooks until the later part of the 19th century.
The reviews are good for this turkey meatloaf. I made this recipe my own by replacing the breadcrumbs with gluten free breadcrumbs made from scratch. I also used low sodium Heinz ketchup, and low sodium chicken broth.
So, he (my husband), asked tonight? What’s for dinner? He was so excited. Suddenly his face crumbled as I mentioned Turkey Meatloaf…ha ha.
Turkey Meatloaf
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped to make 1 1/2 cups
2 garlic cloves, minced (I think I put 3)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup fat free, less sodium, chicken broth (I used low sodium)
3 tablespoons ketchup, divided
1 3/4 pounds ground turkey, 97% lean
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper; cook, stirring for about a minute. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, broth, and 1 tablespoon of ketchup. Transfer mixture to a large bowl to cool off.
Then, add turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, egg white, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to mixture in bowl. Mix well; the mixture will be very moist.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat lightly with cooking spray. I used a little bit of oil instead because cooking sprays usually have gluten. Place turkey mixture on the baking sheet and form into a loaf. Brush the mealoaf with the remaining 2 tablespoons of ketchup.
Place in the oven and cook for about 1 hour or until the thermometer measures 170 degrees. Let it rest a bit, slice, and enjoy with your choice of sides.
My husband still was skeptical. He had acorn squash and greens beans as his sides. Once he tried it. he agreed that it was definitely moist and tasty.
I just wanted my meatloaf on top of broccoli cole slaw and plain acorn squash. Sort of boring, but that’s all I wanted..watching the calories!!
I will make it again, that’s a given…..I really enjoyed it. And, my husband? Well, he is having a gluten free meatloaf wrap tomorrow to take for lunch. He just does not know it yet.
Thanks Pat. Good choice!!
Talk to you later!!
January 27th, 2013
It’s 30 degrees at the Delaware Beaches. That calls for a homemade soup; comfort food.
A few yeas ago I was watching Rachael Ray on t.v. and she mentioned a recipe that her mother used to make all the time. Well known cooks do like those meals they grew up with. A well known chef from the Delaware Beaches told me that he still makes those green bean casseroles, etc. etc. during the holidays. They are recipes that are simple, nutritious and well seasoned…most of all, they bring good memories.
Most of the time I pick up a recipe, look at it, make it the way it says it should be done, then, a little bit of this and a little bit of that and it will be changed by adding or deleting ingredients…making it my own.
This recipe was not gluten free, but I have made it so by using ingredients that are gluten free. For example, gluten free flour, cider, and broth. I never buy shredded cheese. A lot of times they put a preservative that has gluten, therefore, I grate my own.
Hope you enjoy it!!
Cider Beef with Smashed Cheese Potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 lbs. top sirloin, cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes. (Any other preference of beef, you know what to do. I had some fillet and that’s what I used.)
Salt is optional…black pepper? Always.
1 chopped large yellow onion; the ones that make you cry.
3 medium carrots, chopped (I never peel them, but do so, if you want to.)
1 lb. turnips, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons of all purpose flour (I used a gluten free flour; rice, almond.)
3 cups of good quality, dark and cloudy apple cider…check the ingredients if you are making this recipe gluten free.
1 1/2 cups of beef broth or stock (I usually buy low sodium. Plenty of them are gluten free.)
2 pounds potatoes, chopped (Again, if you want to peel them, you know what to do.)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese (I did not have any so I used what was in the refrigerator…I think it was Colby.)
snipped chives for garnish
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Place an oven proof pot (make sure you have a lid) over medium high heat on the stove top. Add the olive oil and butter. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add to the pot once the butter and oil have melted.
Brown on all sides. It will take about 5 minutes or so.
Add the onions, carrots, turnips, and cook for about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour and stir to combine and coat, about 1 minute.
Stir in the apple cider and the beef stock, or broth.
Transfer to the oven and braise it for about 45 minutes.
While braising, fix the “smashed” potatoes, by boiling potatoes in a large pot, about 15 minutes. Drain and return them to the pot.
Add milk, sour cream, and cheese. I used a mixer to mash them because it gives them a smoother consistency.
Serve the soup, top it with the mashed potatoes…garnish with the chives and extra grated cheese.
You want more potatoes than soup? You decide. Enjoy!!
Add a salad and you have a complete meal. That was easy.
Note: You can cut the ingredients in half to make it for just a few of you.
June 17th, 2012
and….roasted beets, as well. If I had put roasted beets on the heading of this post, maybe you would not have even read it. I don’t know why, but they don’t seem to be that popular. I do love them, though. June through October are the best times for beets. They are the sweetest during those months.
Summertime…is, definitely, for grilling. While, Mother’s Day is all about going out to lunch or dinner to a restaurant, Father’s Day is all about cooking outdoors. When you have beautiful weather, nothing beats it.
This is one of those recipes that is just a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Informal; just wing it.
I did mention before how my husband always says that I cook for an army, well I had to buy 2 full racks of babybacks. There were 3 of us eating, and I wanted some leftovers.
I cut the racks in half and marinated it hem in Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing & Marinade. I get this marinade at Giant Supermarkets. It is light and has great flavor. I left them in the marinade all day.
Took them out of the marinade and dry them up a bit. Then, a dry rub. This is when you need to get created. Lots of pepper, cayenne too, herbs, garlic powder and, basically, anything you want. You are the boss.
Using charcoal gives the food such a distinctive flavor. Waiting for it to get just right is no big deal to me. But, it is important. You want those ribs to cook just perfectly; crispy outside, moist inside.
I basted them carefully with a sauce made of leftover barbecue sauces; adding apple cider vinegar to make a light consistency.
Basically, that was all I did. Rave reviews from my family. They thought they were the best!!
The beets came as a side dish, sprinkled with jumbo lump crab meat. Yes!!
Roasting the beets intensifies the flavor, plus the skin comes right out.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Pick beets that are not too large. They’ll take about 35 to 40 minutes to roast.
Wrap them in foil, place in the oven.
When done, let them cool, run them in water to get the skin off.
Slice, marinade in any dressing you might like. I usually use either a commercial one or just make my own with olive oil, vinegar and spices. That’s it!!
And….a sweet ending of ice cream…
Enjoy!! Have a great day!!
June 10th, 2012
The last thing I heard my husband say before leaving for the store was…you don’t have to buy big steaks, there are only 3 of us. You need to learn to cook for just a few and not for an army and, you know…bla, bla, bla.
Well, I guess I did not tell you that our friend, Jay, was coming for dinner. Just out of the blue we called him. I love to grill and love it even better when it is over charcoal. Who, in its right mind would buy tiny steaks for barbecuing? You need steaks with attitude.
I had gotten the charcoal just right. And, here are my tiny steaks. I chose rib-eyes. Rib-eyes are known as a standing rib roast, or prime rib. Their excellent marble makes this cut loaded with flavor; it also remains tender during the cooking process. A dry rub of garlic powder, pepper, cumin, grated lime is all they needed.
This is one cut that is best grilled. It is so delicious that you might need to close your eyes after that first bite and enjoy the moment. I am not kidding; it is that good.
I was going to serve the steaks with a grilled Caesar Salad with homemade Caesar Dressing.
The Caesar Dressing is so easy. Recipe follows.
Caesar Salad Dressing
2/3 cup olive oil
10 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1 egg
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 dashes of Tabasco
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves (1, if you think it is too much garlic)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
4 anchovies (I think the anchovies provide enough salt for the dressing.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( I grated my own.)
Blend all the ingredients, except cheese, together in a blender. Stir in cheese. Put in refrigerator until ready to be used.
I also made my own croutons. I used gluten free bread for the croutons. To make them just cube the bread and place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil and a little bit of garlic powder. Place on a medium hot skillet and toast until golden. Flip over often. Careful not to burn them.
Grilling the lettuce was the easiest thing. Romaine is a hardy lettuce and can take the heat of a charcoal grill. It will only take about 3 minutes on each side to grill the lettuce to perfection. Just smear the lettuce with olive oil, before placing on the grill.
I had roasted sweet potatoes as another side dish to our meal.
The steaks were so big I had to get larger plates out. Steak, Caesar Salad with grape tomatoes, drizzled with homemade Caesar Dressing, topped with homemade croutons, and roasted sweet potato.
For a sweet ending I served a vanilla bean ice cream with chopped mango. A perfect meal!! Gluten Free, as well!!
Talk to you later….more barbecuing coming soon at a later post.
Note: Everything was gluten free!! If you do not have a gluten allergy you can use Italian bread; or your favorite bread, for that matter.
 
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