I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet - this Braised Shortribs recipe is up there in my Top 10 favorite recipes of all time. If you are not sure about trying recipes from random places you find online - this one is an exception for you! This is a must try, must make, must eat and must share type of recipe. Invite your neighbors, invite your friends, family, strangers. It's that good.
I saw this recipe prepared on our local television Saturday morning show by a chef at a local restaurant called "Wildfire". At first, I wasn't paying too close attention to what was being made, but as I watched, I remember thinking - "wow, that looks really, really good" and "I think I can make that, too". My husband was sitting with me and he said "yeah, you should totally make that". Deal.
And the rest is history. It's a great go-to, Sunday night, warm your bones on a cold winter's night kind of meal.
Oh, and stay tuned for a follow up recipe on how I use leftovers!
Braised Shortribs
Original recipe by Wildfire Steaks, Chops & Seafood
4 - 12 oz cut rectangles of cleaned, boneless short ribs
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb peeled carrots, sliced ½" thick
1 lb cubed onions, 1" square
12 oz sliced celery, ½" thick
¼ cup sliced garlic cloves, 1/8" thick
2 tsp minced, fresh rosemary
2 tsp minced, fresh thyme
2 ea bay leaves
2 cups red wine
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups beef stock
1 cup diced tomatoes in juice
Make sure short ribs are cleaned of excess fat and silver skin. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Place large sauce pan on high heat on stove. Add olive oil and brown meat on both sides. Remove short ribs from pan and add vegetables.
Caramelize vegetables, then add garlic and herbs and cook for two more minutes.
Pour in red wine and balsamic vinegar and cook down until half the liquid has evaporated. Then add chicken and beef stocks and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
Add short ribs back to pan. Place parchment paper over short ribs, then cover with aluminum foil or pan lid and place in a 370 convention oven. Cook in the oven for two hours, 40 minutes.
Remove pan from the oven and let sit for a half an hour. Remove short ribs from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add short rib pieces to sauce, and heat until hot.
My Personal Chef's Note: I take the leftover sauce and vegetables, place it in a food processor and make a gravy. It is an absolute must do! Salvage as much of the sauce as possible, as the sauce makes for great leftover meals!
Serve with roasted root vegetables and mashed potatoes (with sauce, too!). Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
served on mashed potatoes. . .
What do you think? No meal screams "H-O-M-E" like a good old meat and potatoes kind of meal.
For a printable version of this recipe, please click here - Kitchen Groovy
Enjoy and live with gusto!
Happy Day After Thanksgiving! Happy Black Friday! Happy Shopping! Happy Day Off!
Whatever this wonderful, lovely day is to you - may it be happy! Hopefully, you are still high off of all the delicious Thanksgiving food you gobbled up yesterday!
We truly had a feast fit for a Thanksgiving King - my family agreed that I topped myself out. Aaaahhhh . . . words and feelings I love to hear from my kids and hubs. I tried a new salad this year - and it was loved by all.
I wanted to share it with you because not only is it perfect for the holidays, but it's really a great salad at any time during the fall and winter months. It was DELISH!!! There were a few ingredients that she listed as "Lunds and Byerly's" - I didn't use them except for the Island Breeze Seasoning.
Harvest Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Original recipe by Sue Erickson, Byerly's
4 T pomegranate juice
2 T sherry wine vinegar
1 T Lunds & Byerly's Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Lunds and Byerly's Island Breeze Seasoning
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
6 T grapeseed or canola oil
2 HoneyCrisp or Braeburn apples, cored, diced
2 - 5oz. packages mixed spring greens
1 C shaved aged Gouda cheese
1/2 C thinly sliced shallots
1 C roasted, salted pepitas
1 C pomegranate seeds
In mixing bowl, whisk together pomegranate juice, vinegar, syrup, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil.
Place diced apples in bowl; pour 1/2 C vinaigreete over, tossing to coat. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Place spring greens in large mixing bowl; pour remaining vinaigreete over, toss to coat.
Arrange tossed greens on 8 salad plates, using slotted spoon to divide apples over each salad. Garnish with cheese, shallots, pepitas and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over each salad.
To prepare ahead: vinaigrette will keep, tightly covered, in refridgerator for up to 3 days.
I could have eaten this all day! Well, I suppose I could have eaten turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, apple pie all day too - but you get the picture!
Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy
Also - I'd like to thank Pip & Ebby for passing an award on to me - I am super honored! This dynamic duo also live in the same area as myself, so it's always fun for me to know that I'm blogging "next" to them!
But, be sure to check them out (click here to get to their website)- they have amazing recipes and I have tried a number of their recipes and have absolutely loved them! Thanks Pip! Thanks Ebby! xoxo
Enjoy and live with gusto!
A dear friend of mine and I went to a cooking class last week, and the menu was to die for - especially this dessert. I literally wanted to lick my plate, but being that we were supposed to act somewhat civilized, I restrained myself!
I decided to try it out last night at home, and found that it is probably one of the easiest desserts to make. Added bonus and perfect for the holidays!!
Nutella Tart
original recipe by Carmela Hobbins
serves 8-12
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 C Nutella
1/2 C semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 C white chocolate morsels
1/2 C sliced almonds (I like a lot of almonds, so I used closer to 3/4 C)
Cocoa for dusting
Whipped cream for garnishing
1. In an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together for about 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add almond extract, followed by flour. Mix until combined.
2. Press dough into a 10x1" tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes, or as long as overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove tart pan from refrigerator and drop spoonfuls of Nutella evenly over the crust (don't attempt to spread as it might damage the tart). Bake tart for about 5 minutes, remove from the oven and now spread evenly the softened Nutella over the crust. Sprinkle chocolate morsels over the Nutella, then top with the sliced almonds.
3. Bake on the lower rack of the oven until crust is golden, about 20-25 minutes. Cool, remove side of tart pan and serve at room temperature or warm. Dust the plate with cocoa and garnish with whipped cream.
Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy
Enjoy and live with gusto!
Happy "BELATED" Memorial Day to you! I meant to send this out yesterday, but annoying computer issues kept me from blogging. Boo! I actually wrote most of this yesterday, so please keep in mind that it actually was Memorial Day when I wrote it! :-)
Yesterday was a day where we were to remember those who fought for our country. It's quite possible you know someone who is currently serving our country, or has served for our freedom in the past. I think it's our civic duty to honor and say thank you to those that serve us so selflessly.
But, the holiday is also known as a day to gather with friends and family - to none other than barbeque! I have this cookbook from David Zinczenko - the author of the Eat This, Not That series. The cookbook I have is "Cook This, Not That" and everything I've made so far has been great. I've been dying to try this bbq rib recipe - I love ribs, but I so do not love the calories that come with it. This recipe addresses that issue. It only has 400 calories per serving, compared to a potential 3,000 calories at your run of the mill restaurant. Crazy, huh?!!
I did make a couple of changes to the recipe, based on a pre taste-test of the sauce. It just tasted too vinegary for me and the hubs. So, I added sugar and honey to it to cut through the acidity. So, going forward, I would recommend either adding honey and/or sugar to the recipe, or simply cut the apple cider vinegar. You choose. :-) The recipe is posted in its original form.
Also, I increased the recipe by 1.5 times, as the original recipe indicates it will feed only 4 people. We were feeding our family, plus a few teenage boys - which in my eyes, feels like an army!
Dr. Pepper Ribs
Original Recipe by David Zinczenko, Cook This, Not That!, pg. 192
2 racks baby back ribs (I used regular pork loin ribs)
1 bottle (2 liter) Dr. Pepper
Salt and black pepper
1 T chili powder
1 C water
1/2 T canola or vegetable oil
1/2 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 C ketchup
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1. Place the ribs in a baking dish large enough to hold them comfortably. Pour in enough soda to cover, saving at least 1/2 C for the barbecue sauce. Add 1/4 C salt and soak for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refridgerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the ribs from the liquid and pat dry; discard the liquid. Sprinkle rib with the chili powder and return to the baking dish. Add the water and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and nearly falling off the bone.
3. While the ribs are in the oven, make the BBQ sauce. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant, then add the ketchup, Worcherstershire, vinegar, cayenne, and the reserved 1/2 C soda. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
4. Heat a grill until hot. Brush the ribs with BBQ suace and grill for 10-15 minutes, rib side down, on a cooler part of the grates. Flip over and cook on the other side until lightly charred and smoky. R emove from the grill, brush with more sauce, and serve.
If you think these pictures look good, how do you think they taste? Is your mouth watering yet??
Notice the cornbread next to it? That was also so good - recipe to come later this week!
Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy
This is one of my kids' favorite leftover ham recipes - I haven't made this in years! They were happy to see this one return to the dinner table last night :-)
What I love about this is that it's so flexible, just throw in what ever sounds good to you and how ever much you want. I usually do ham, brocolli, potatoes and cheese and tend to stick with just that - but, I challenge you to be creative! Ha!
Ham and Potato Skillet
Original Recipe by Kitchen Groovy
Ingredients:
Leftover ham, cut up and chopped - roughly 2 cups
Brocolli
1 package hash browns - I use Southern Style (diced potatoes)
Cheddar Cheese - roughly 1 cup
Cook hash browns according to package directions.
In a separate skillet, cook up ham and brocolli - just long enough to cook the brocolli. Cover so the brocolli steams and cooks faster. Stir occasionally to keep ham from sticking to pan and burning.
Once everything is cooked, toss cheese into the hash browns and stir. Stir in ham and brocolli to combine.
Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy
Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina
So - as I write this post, I am hoping that I am in good company with what I'm about to share.
I attempted to make Easter cupcakes yesterday afternoon. They didn't turn out quite how I was hoping. . . I know the cupcakes will still end up being good -IF, and only IF, you follow the recipe! Unfortunately, I did not. I think I was juggling too many things at one time, and I ended up putting in 1 C too much of flour. Sigh. So, while the cupcakes turned out fine for everyone else - I could tell that they were too heavy for a cupcake. For something so relatively simple, how did I muck that up? Well, let's see -
We had our exterminator here, and the cable guy here yesterday. I had to still taxi my kids here and there for their after school activities, plus laundry, respond to emails and address my day to day to do list. Oh yeah, and when I went to pick up my daughter from softball practice, she wasn't at the field she was supposed to be at and I had to try to "get in her mind" for a minute and think where she might be. You would think she'd pick up her cell phone when I call, but because I absolutely HAD to talk to her, of course I can't seem to get a hold of her. This may not seem like anything that you can't handle (I know there are a lot of super moms out there!), but I think my mo-jo was just off today. Not sure why. Maybe a new moon? Or, maybe this is a normal thing for our house - remember the fire in the oven when I wasn't home?? Geez! We truly are a travelling circus.
So - I read a lot of blogs and the authors are so great about planning ahead and blogging about a recipe just in time for a major holiday . . . like, ummm . . . Easter. Me? No, of course not! I like to cook, then blog about my experiences as I cook. Plan ahead for a holiday? No. Not me. Maybe this rookie blogger will get better as time goes on.
So - I'm copping out. I'm not posting any recipes that will help you prepare for Easter. Sorry! However, I despise stressing out about anything - and I refuse to become slave to anything! But, I am not leaving you high and dry - that is also something I absolutely despise!
Here are recipes for you to review that will hopefully help you prepare for your Easter feast - all from blogs and websites that I go to on a regular basis. I hope you enjoy their website as much as I do!
And, if I get my act together - I will post my super cute Easter cupcake recipe :-)
Easter Main Courses
Grilled Lamb Chops with Rosemary, Mustard and Garlic - That Skinny Chick Can Bake!
Tangerine Glazed Easter Ham - Tyler Florence & Food Network
Easter Sides
Roasted Asparagus with Grated Parmesan - Kitchen Groovy
Three Cheese Potato Gratin - Kitchen Groovy
Buttery New Potatoes with Parsley - Drick's Rambling Cafe
Orange and Honey Roasted Carrots with Candied Pecans - Simply Healthy Family
Easter Desserts
Peeps On A Pond - My Kids Eat Candy
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars - Ryan Bakes
Chick and Egg Cupcakes - Kitchen Groovy (recipe to come, I promise!!)
As always, enjoy and LIVE with gusto!
Carina
I was surfing the web trying to find something that I can make my kids for breakfast this Valentine's Day morning. I'm not a morning person, so I can't afford to do anything fancy before the noon hour. I found this simple recipe called Heavenly Heart Shaped Pancakes, but they called for mini-chocolate chip morsels. Yum! But, I wanted something Valentine's Day-inspired, so I came up with this recipe - which is just as good, if not better, if I say so myself! Each pancake filled with white chocolate and craisins . . . a perfect way to tell my family how much I love them on this special day. I realize that Valentine's Day breakfast has passed for all of us, so why not make this breakfast for birthdays? Or on Sundays? How about for dinner? Regardless, it's fun and doesn't have to be isolated to February 14th!
"I Love You" Pancakes
adapted from http://www.cooksrecipes.com/ Heavenly Heart Shaped Pancakes
recipe by Kitchen Groovy
2 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 C white chocolate chips, chopped
1/2 C dried craisins, chopped
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 C milk (skim is fine)
2 large eggs
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/3 C light brown sugar, packed
Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter
Powdered Sugar
Combine flour, chocolate, craisins, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Combine milk, eggs, oil and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add to flour mixture. Stir until moistened - it may be lumpy.
Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat (I used a griddle and set the heat at 350 degrees).
Use cookie cutters to place on griddle/ skillet and pour pancake mixture into cookie cutters. Wait a few minutes until it is mostly cooked through, then gently slide cookie cutter off the mixture. Carefully flip the pancake.
After pancake is fully cooked through, and you have it on a plate ready to serve, you may have to cut away and reshape a bit of the heart.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy
Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina
