how to make ribs without a grill...

For many/most of us, summer inspires ideas of suntans, swimming pools, watermelon, popsicles, and grilled food.

Oh, dolly, do I love grilled food.

The only problem with that is that...well, we don't have a grill. So, I've been enjoying it vicariously through all the savory grilled goodness on foodgawker, but Michael and I decided we just couldn't take it anymore, and the poor red-meat-deprived boy needed some red meat.

Thus was born the ribs idea.

The question is...how to cook ribs without a grill? I tried oven-baking and the ribs were tough and dry. It was very disappointing.

Well, I figured it out... slow-cooking and broiling. Slow-cooking to get that delicious, fall-off-the-bone texture and broiling to get that oh-my-goodness-this-sauce-is-delicious texture on top.
This method = no dryness. Just sweet goodness in your mouth.


Ribs Without a Grill
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 rack baby back ribs (you can use loin-back ribs, etc.)
1/2-1 bottle your favorite bbq sauce
optional: bbq dry rub

Directions:
Remove the silver skin on the back side of the ribs using a sharp knife. (The first layer is the most important.) If using a dry rub, pat ribs dry and coat with dry rub. Let rest at room temperature 1 hour or in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Slice into manageable sections (we did 3-4 ribs per section) and place in a slow cooker and coat with bbq sauce.

Cook on low 7-8 hours. Place on a baking sheet coated with foil. Brush with additional sauce if they look a bit dry. Broil in the oven 5-7 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and a bit thickened.

Makes 4-5 servings.

vanilla-almond custard

I don't know what it is, but I LOVE vanilla and almond flavorings together. So much. So very, very much. Strawberries were $0.88 a pint this week and they were GORGEOUS. Few things make me happier in life than a bowl of fresh berries for breakfast. Sigh...

I digress.

Anyway, berries.

Okay, so strawberries were on super sale and they were beautiful, and my imagination went a-whirring. I dreamed up how delicious a strawberry trifle would be. Oh, sweet Suzie, would it be delicious. No sooner had I thought the words "strawberry" and "trifle" than I knew I could never sleep well at night again until I made one.

So, I thought...okay, what do I want in it? Strawberries....vanilla pudding...whipped cream...and some kind of cake...something sturdy that can handle the pudding...

Oh, and I wanted to make everything from scratch. Don't ask me why, I couldn't tell you.

So this baby was born. I combined a few recipes and this is what resulted. I loved it. It was thick enough to be a pudding without being as thick as a pastry cream. At the last minute, I added the almond flavoring and it was PERFECT. Oh, and you can't even fathom how great it was layered with pound cake and strawberries and whipped cream... drool. If you don't love almond flavoring, just leave it out!


Vanilla-Almond Custard
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2/3c sugar
1/4c cornstarch
1/4tsp salt
2 1/2c whole milk
3 eggs
3 Tbsp butter
2-2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

Directions:
In a saucepan off the heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk and eggs. Place pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and you can see bubbles. If it feels lumpy for a minute or two as it starts to thicken, don't panic, just keep whisking and it will sort itself out. Reduce heat to low and continue whisking 1 minute more as it thickens. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth.

Place a sieve over a large bowl. Sieve the pudding into the bowl to remove any small lumps or bumps. Stir in butter, 2 tsp vanilla, and almond flavoring. Taste and add more vanilla if necessary.

Cover pudding with plastic wrap and press the plastic wrap down onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool. (You can speed up this process by placing the bowl of pudding in a larger bowl filled with ice water).

Daring Cooks Challenge: Potstickers

This month's challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Use Real Butter. It was Chinese Dumplings.

I love postickers, and have only really ever had chicken or vegetable ones in the past. After reading Jennifer's history, I learned that the two most traditional fillings are pork and shrimp, and Michael got really excited when I told him pork was an options, so pork it was!

This month's challenge was primarily focused on making the wrappers from scratch, which I thought was an AWESOME idea, on account of I love making things from scratch. It was fun to try, but I have to admit, my favorite part of these potstickers was the filling! It was INCREDIBLE and SO full of flavor, I think it's going to be my permanent potsticker filling recipe.

It's completely adaptable to the kind of meat you choose, so if you don't eat pork, you could certainly substitute chicken or beef or shrimp.



I usually think the idea of ground meat in general is kind of yucky, so to compensate, I ground my own at home using pork loin chops that were on a really good sale and using the blade in my food processor. I cut the chops into 1-2" pieces and then pulsed them until I got a fairly good ground mixture. One plus is that I control what goes into the ground meat, and I avoid additional fat, since they were already very lean chops and I trimmed any visible fat.

I think I'm going to be "grinding" my own meat from now on. Price-wise it's very comparable, and it's less likely to be full of additives, additional fat, etc.

Anyway, onto the goods. If you want the recipe for the wrappers, visit the link to Jennifer's blog at the top of the post or visit the daring kitchen.

Personally, I think I'll stick with storebought wrappers, even though the homemade ones were fun to try.


Pork Potsticker Filling
printable recipe

Ingredients:
1lb ground pork
3 stalks green onion, finely sliced
5 napa cabbage leaves, finely minced
5 small mushrooms, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4c fresh ginger, finely minced
2Tbsp cornstarch
2Tbsp sesame oil
3Tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced-sodium)
generous pinch black pepper
1pkg round posticker wrappers (in refrigerated section)

Directions:
Make sure all vegetables are finely minced. You don't want a mush, you want a mince, but you don't want large chunks of anything in the filling. Combine all ingredients and stir well to combine. Scoop small teaspoons of filling into the center of each round wrapper. Use a pastry brush to brush water on one half of the wrapper's border.

Fold each wrapper in half tightly to enclose the filling and remove any extra air bubbles. Pinch the edge together tightly. Make several small folds at the top of each wrapper and set aside.

If you are making the potstickers ahead of time, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment or waxed paper that has been sprinkled with flour. Place in the freezer until solid, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag until ready to use. Otherwise, use immediately.

To cook, heat a large pan with 1 Tbsp canola oil. Place about 1 dozen potstickers in at a time, flat side down. Cook 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until bottoms are browned. Pour in 1/2c water and cover with a lid. Let steam 5-7 minutes or until water is absorbed and wrappers are transluscent.

If cooking frozen, add an additional 2-3 minutes cooking time.

Serve with dipping sauce or teriyaki sauce.

chicken skewers with pineapple rice

This is one of those pairs of recipes you just make together. I couldn't help myself. I was inspired by something Martha Stewart made and adapted it to fit my tastes. It was soooo good. And made without a grill. On account of we don't have one.

We do, however, have a broiler in our Arizona place, so we used that and it worked just fine!

If you don't feel like making the rice with the skewers, it's easy to make only the skewers using pineapple juice from a can. You can also drain a can of pineapple packed in juice and freeze the pineapple for smoothies or some other delicious use.

One bonus of these is that they are SO easy to pack with fruits and vegetables. I only had one with chicken on it, and while the chicken was good, there is something SO good about grilled and broiled vegetables I couldn't resist!

Originally, when I made this recipe, I only marinated the chicken. Next time I make these, I'm going to use half the marinade on the fruits and veggies in a separate container so that they get the same additional boost of flavor as the chicken. Sooo good.


Chicken Skewers
printable recipe

Ingredients:
1lb chicken, cut into 1" pieces
1/4c honey
juice from 1 (8oz) can pineapple, or 1/3-1/2c juice
salt and pepper
2 bell peppers
1 onion
pineapple, more peppers, mushrooms or other favorite veggies to taste
sweet and sour sauce, optional

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together honey and pineapple juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Stir in chicken pieces and stir well to coat. Alternatively, you can marinate the veggies as well by stirring them in with the chicken or by dividing the marinade in half and marinating separately. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30min-8hours.

Soak wooden skewers in water at least 30 minutes prior to grilling/broiling. When ready to cook, thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers and grill until cooked through or broil for 5-7 minutes per side. Discard marinade.

If using sweet and sour sauce, brush on with pastry brush after cooking to avoid charring the sauce. Serve with additional sauce on the side, if desired.


Pineapple Rice
printable recipe

Ingredients:
1c long-grain rice, uncooked
water per package instructions (about 2c) (You can also use coconut milk)
8oz pineapple tidbits (or chunks), drained and juice reserved for marinade
1/2tsp grated fresh ginger
2 green onions, sliced

Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions. Stir in ginger, green onion, and pineapple and fluff with a fork.

Serve skewers over rice with sweet and sour sauce.

pineapple "upside down" bars

I love when something I love can be made easier. While I certainly LIKED the pineapple upside down cake I made earlier this year, it is always SO tricky for me to turn over a pan of anything and land it elegantly on a plate to serve.

Side note: Tricky is often a word that is used to express something mildly difficult, like finishing a small puzzle or talking your little sister into playing the "let's see who can pick up the most" game when your mom tells you to clean your room. Here, the word tricky is used to denote something that usually makes me feel about as coordinated as an elephant in roller skates.

I usually end up getting some sort of hot, sticky liquid all over my hands, arms, and whatever clothes I'm wearing even under the apron (how is that possible?!). That's why, when I came across the idea of making pineapple upside down cake into bars with the topping already on the top (no flipping required) I was soooooo in.

I've played with the original recipe and come up with something mouthwatering. I loved pairing the macadamia nuts with this cake because it played into the tropical theme and added a fantastic, delicate under-flavor to the pineapple topping.

Biting into these babies was like the part of a movie where everything is silent, and finally the couple kisses at the end and "At Last" by Etta James starts playing and your eyes close and you just know it's true love.

So, do us both a favor. Find some true love here. You'll thank me.


Pineapple Upside Down Bars
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
For cake:
1/2c butter, softened
1/3c sugar
2 eggs
2 generous Tbsp sour cream (I used light)
3 Tbsp milk (I used skim)
2tsp vanilla
1/4tsp salt
1/2tsp baking powder
1 1/2c flour

For topping:
1/2c brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter
1 (14oz) can crushed pineapple, drained well
1/2c chopped macadamia nuts (you could use pecans or walnuts or almonds)

Directions:
Make the cake by creaming together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well incorporated and cohesive. Beat in sour cream, milk, vanilla and salt. Sift in baking powder and flour and stir till just combined. The batter will be thick, don't worry.

Pour batter into an 8x8" pan that has been sprayed well with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool the cake for 15 minutes, and then make the topping. Don't make the topping ahead of time or it will cause the pineapple to release more juice and can lead to sogggy cake. If your topping seems very wet, you can stir in 1/2 Tbsp flour.

Preheat your broiler. Make the topping, blend butter and brown sugar well, until crumbly and sticking together. Stir in pineapple and nuts and stir to combine. Spread over cake, covering well. Broil for 5-7 minutes and remove from oven. Topping will be bubbly and nuts are just beginning to toast. Cool before cutting. (The topping will remain moist and will not crisp like a fruit crisp would).

Slice in 9-12 pieces and enjoy!

basic fried rice

Updated from the archives
It has been three weeks since I originally decided to make fried rice. Michael (bless him) is SO helpful in coming up with dinner suggestions. I rarely have to think up my week's menu alone. He's just so helpful! It's one of the 9,423,715 reasons I have a crush on him. Sigh...

Anyway.

Three weeks ago, Michael told me he wanted me to try making fried rice and some kind of rice and beans dish. So, I got to start researching. After reading through 5 books on Chinese cooking, and perusing about 15 recipes and sites online, I've learned a few things about fried rice:

1. Although Americans LOVE fried rice and think of it as this fun, fancy kind of rice, the Chinese don't see it that way at all. Rather, fried rice is just a way to use leftovers--toss in some leftover veggies and spices here, add some chicken or ham or shrimp there, and voila! (Or...probably not voila...on account of they are Chinese, but...you know)

2. Therefore, there is no such thing as "THE" recipe for fried rice. Which is unfortunate, because I sort of wanted a "this is the magical recipe."

3. When using eggs in fried rice, it's important to scramble them prior to putting them in with the rice. Otherwise, your rice gets teensy little egg coatings. Which tastes fine, just doesn't give you the texture or look you are probably looking for. In conclusion--Scramble before. Learn from my experience.

Putting these things together, I constructed a recipe that Michael said was what he was envisioning--ham, peas, carrots, eggs, a little bell pepper...this was definitely the recipe I'll use forever.

Also, it does make tons. Michael is great about eating leftovers and loves fried rice, but you could half the recipe easily.



Ham Fried Rice
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 Tbsp oil
4-6c cooked rice
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, or more to taste (I use reduced sodium)
3/4-1c frozen peas and carrots
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1c diced ham
2 green onions, sliced

Directions:
In a large wok or pan (I don't have a wok, I used a huge skillet with 2" sides), heat oil over high heat. Scramble eggs and set aside. Add rice, peas and carrots, pepper, soy sauce, ham, and green onions and cook until well combined, heated through, and slightly browned. Stir in eggs and heat through. Serve with your favorite Asian dish!

last-minute bruschetta topping

Sometimes, you just have one of those days. Where you don't have time for the grocery store and dinner needs to be fast, and you're limited to whatever you have in the pantry, fridge, freezer, and imagination.

In these cases, I usually resort to something healthy. You know, like popcorn and ice cream.

But, sometimes, I get creative.

And this was one of those times.

I am usually the queen of produce. About 80% of my grocery purchases are produce every week. I'm a fanatic. Somehow, however, last week I found that I'd run clear through all my produce, and thus had no side dishes for dinner and we weren't going to the market until later, and I really wanted to have something to go with our main dish.

So after looking through the fridge again, which I usually do several times in a case like this, hoping that I'll find something new in there if I look one more time...I realized that I was really out of luck.

I DID, however, happen to notice that I had half of a baguette in the freezer and a few basil leaves in the fridge. So, I decided to see what I could do with that. I found that by draining a can of diced tomatoes, I could come up with an easy and pretty darn tasty bruschetta.

Michael and I liked it so much the next time we needed to use a few more basil leaves, we tried again and loved it. I'm SURE it would be better with fresh tomatoes, but in a pinch, this works great!


Last-Minute Bruschetta
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes (We used olive oil and garlic tomatoes, but Italian would be good too)
1-3 basil leaves, torn or minced
salt, pepper, or sugar as necessary
sliced bread for dipping

Directions:
Drain tomatoes in a seive or tight colander. Toss with basil leaves. Taste and check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste, and if tomatoes are too acidic, add a small pinch of sugar.

Toast bread lightly. You can rub each slice with a garlic clove for more flavor, but we enjoyed ours plain.