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
I have mentioned before that we are a family of 5. Not only are we a family of 5, but 4 of them eat like adults - and out of those 4, they all eat very large portions. It's crazy the amount of food teenagers go through. Oi vey.
So, I shop at Costco for almost everything!! I'm a big fan of the big box stores, I know - sorry local businesses, but I come to you for other reasons. :-)
One thing I purchase from Costco are porkchops - then like all the other meats I buy there, I divide them out and freeze them. One thing about the porkchops - they are super thick. Roughly 2" thick. That's huge, even for my family. And, they take a lot longer to cook, and I usually end up drying them out because I'm in such a hurry to get dinner on the table.
Last night, after coming home from track and softball games for the kids, I thought I'd butterfly the chops in hopes of cooking them a little faster. Not sure if my method of thinking makes sense, but it was worth a try in my own mind. Remember - I'm not a real chef, just a mom trying to get dinner on the table!
I found this recipe on the Epicurious website, and I just modified it to make it fit with what I had in my fridge. The original recipe called for Smoked Gouda cheese and jackpot - I had that in my fridge. I would recommend you don't stray from using this type of cheese - it was SO good and a fantastic pairing with chops. I told my husband that every now and then, it actually reminded me of a ham and cheese sandwich. Delicious.
Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops
Original Recipe by Epicurious.com
Adapted Recipe by Kitchen Groovy
4 pork chops, butterflied
1/4 C Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
Olive oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Pack cheese into pockets of pork chops. Salt and pepper both sides. Heat olive oil in large pan over medium high heat. Place chops in pan, and cook on one side for about 4 minutes. Turn over - then cover pan and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Serve with a side of your favorite vegetables, like Roasted Parmesan Asparagus, or do what I did to make it REALLY easy - serve it with Costco's Asian Coleslaw!!
Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy
Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina
Last week, I came across a deliciously looking recipe from Just One Cookbook. Nami, the author, made braised carnitas - and I thought to myself, wow, I've never made carnitas before and now that someone else has been successful at it, then I can probably pull it off, too!! So, I made it last night and it was gooooodddd. I didn't use the same recipe that Nami used, but incorporated some of the same techniques - she definitely inspired me!! Nami also used beer as a base, which I did not - but I think it's a great idea and I will try that next time.
So, here is my own recipe:
Braised Carnitas
Original Recipe by Kitchen Groovy
3-3.5 lb. boneless pork shoulder
6 cloves garlic, halved
1 large white onion, roughly chopped into large pieces
Zest of 1 orange, cut into thin strips
1 C orange juice
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Canola Oil
Corn or Flour Tortillas
Condiments - i.e. salsa, sour cream, black beans, rice, etc.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Trim pork shoulder of any fat and discard. Cut meat into roughly 5 or 6 large pieces or strips - about 2" thick. Rub salt and pepper on pieces of meat. Heat oil in a large Dutch Oven on medium high to high heat. Once the oil is hot, lay meat in the oil, careful not to crowd the meat. Sear the meat on each side, roughly 2-4 minutes on each side.
Once meat is seared, remove meat to a plate. Add onion, garlic, orange zest, orange juice and 2 tsp. salt. Stir so all is mixed, then add meat back on top of ingredients. Add water (or beer) to barely cover the meat.
Cover and place in oven for 3 hours.
Afterwards, remove meat and shred. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and serve at once. Accompany with warm tortillas and other favorite condiments.
Fold in half and enjoy!
Or, enjoy it like a burrito bowl, which is how I like to eat it :-)
Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy
Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina
So, it's been an interesting last 24 hours. Ever have one of those days where things are so packed into one day that you feel like you're head is spinning? I felt like yesterday was just one of those days. I'm not sure how it happens, but they sure do creep up on you. From having to drop off softball gear to my daughter at school, to having to drive my son to church, to having to drive to the mall to pick up an "emergency" pair of contact lenses so my daughter can play softball. Sigh.
I had every intention of getting dinner on the table by 5:30, but instead, half of us at at 8:15 and my son and I ate at 9:30 last night.
Oh, not to mention that while I was at the mall picking up these "emergency" contacts - my oven caught on fire with just my kids at home alone. Good gravy!
But - it brings me great joy to sit here and give you this recipe, which is something I literally threw together last night - and guess what, I didn't burn it! Ha! It actually turned out really, really good :-)
I served this with green beans, but this would go great with Roasted Asparagus, Spicy Cauliflower, Maple Roasted Butternut Squash or Winter Harvest Rice!
Raspberry Mustard Porkchops
Recipe by Kitchen Groovy
2 T canola oil
4 Boneless Pork Chops
1/4 C chopped onion
1/3 C fruity white wine, such as Riesling
1/4 C Dijon Mustard
1/4 C Robert Rothschild Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves (or any raspberry jam)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Salt and Pepper, to taste
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 C dijon mustard with 1/4 C raspberry preserves. Set aside.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add canola oil, swirl to coat. Add pork chops to skillet; cook until internal temperature reaches 150-155 degrees. Transfer pork chops to a plate; cover and keep warm.
Add onion to skillet; cook until lightly browned. Add garlic powder; stir to combine. Remove skillet from heat; stir in wine, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add mustard and jam sauce with thyme; cook until thickened (about 3-4 minutes). Return pork to skillet; turning chops to coat with sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy
Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina
Last night, we had Pork Tenderloin. I like this cut of meat for a couple of different reasons - 1st, it's healthy. Coming in as a close 2nd, it's super convenient. You just pop it in the oven and let it bake. However, if you're looking to cut your cooking time in half, this is a fantastic dish and was a winner to everyone at the table!
I took this recipe from the latest Cooking Light magazine, but modified the recipe a bit by omitting the anchovies. Just didn't have any on hand - in the words of my 14 year old, "oh, that's just too bad mom". Add sarcasm, and you get the picture!
I present to you, Challenge #3!
Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Bell Peppers
Original Recipe from Cooking Light, Jan/ Feb 2011 edition
1 - 1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1" thick medallions
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, your choice in colors
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add oil to the pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; turn pork over. Add 1 teaspoon rosemary, garlic, and bell peppers; cook 7 minutes or until peppers are tender and pork is done. Drizzle with vinegar. Top with remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary.
Enjoy and live with gusto!!
Carina
