Korean BBQ Ribs

Mom, please make these. You will love them.

This recipe is originally from Tasty.co

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SAUCE:
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons honey
30 mL bourbon whiskey
15 mL fresh lime juice
4 medium cloves garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 teaspoons corn flour
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

FOR THE RIBS:
1 whole rack of pork ribs

FOR THE RUB:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.

Mix together the salt, pepper and sugar for the rub and apply liberally over the ribs.

Wrap entirely in foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours at 150 degrees celsius / 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a saucepan, combine all of the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil then immediately reduce the heat until the sauce thickens and then set aside.

Remove the ribs from the oven and unwrap from the foil. Brush a generous amount of the BBQ sauce over both sides of the ribs and place back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, brush more bbq sauce on and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Carne Asada Guacamole Burgers

These burgers take a few steps to make but are SO good!

Recipe is from Cafe Delites, www.cafedelites.com.

INGREDIENTS

Burgers
1 lb lean ground/minced beef
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 of a red onion, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 small slices pickled jalapeños (optional)
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (or chili powder)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 small bread rolls of choice

Guacamole
2 ripe avocados
1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (or lemon juice)
2 small slices pickled jalapeños
Salt to taste

Pico De Gallo:
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 of the remaining red onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons shredded fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Burgers
Combine beef, lime juice, orange juice, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeños, chilli flakes, cumin, paprika and salt in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands for about a minute, until the meat has combined with the other ingredients. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal parts and firmly mold them into round patties about 1-inch thick. 

Drizzle a skillet or non stick pan with a small amount of oil; preheat pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, sear the burgers for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked to your liking. In the last minute or two of cooking, add the sliced cheese over the patties and allow the cheese to melt.

Build burgers with lettuce (optional), beef, guacamole and pico de gallo.

Guacamole
Cut the avocados in half lengthwise. Remove the pit from the avocado and discard. Remove the avocado from the skin and place the avocado flesh into a bowl.

Add the orange juice, lime juice, red onion, jalapeños, and salt. Mash with a fork until half smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Pico De Gallo
Combine the tomatoes, onions and cilantro together in your serving dish. Drizzle with the lime juice; salt to taste.

Juicy Roasted Chicken

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

INGREDIENTS

1 (5-6 pounds) whole chicken, giblets removed

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 tablespoon onion powder, or to taste

3/4 cup margarine, divided

1 stalk celery, leaves removed

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place chicken in a roasting pan, using your fingers carefully separate the chicken skin from the body on both sides without piercing skin and place pieces of margarine underneath skin (1/2 cup), using your palm spread margarine under the skin and over the body as much as possible (this will give you a crispy skin). Rub 2 tablespoons of margarine all over outside of chicken.

Season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder. Place 2 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.

Bake uncovered 2 hours in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.

Creamy Medi Tuna

Sara Bostrom served this to us 24 years ago and it became a favorite. Thankfully I found the recipe card this evening because we had a hankering for it. Too bad I'm fresh out of the pecans because it really does add a nice flavor and texture. And sorry to say canned tuna is not what it used to be. 

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c mayo
1/2 c chopped ripe olives
7 to 10 oz. drained canned tuna
1 c finely chopped pecans

Blend first five ingredients lightly together in a food processor, sitr in pecans. Chill. Serve in sandwiches or dip. Goes especially well on Club Crackers.

Yorkshire Pudding

Shamelessly lifted from my tattered wedding gift copy of the Betty Crocker cookbook this is a necessary item for our Christmas roast beef, shared here with all my offspring and the rest of you readers. This is basically a big cream puff flavored with meat drippings.

“Thirty minutes before rib or boneless rib roast is done, prepare Yorkshire Pudding. Heat square pan, 9x9x2 inches, in oven. Remove roast from oven; spoon off drippings and add melted shortening, if needed, to measure ½ cup.

“Increase oven temp to 425 degrees. Return roast to oven.

“Place hot drippings in heated square pan; pour in Yorkshire Pudding batter. Bake 10 mintues. Remove roast; continue baking pudding 25 to 30 minutes longer. Cut pudding into squares, serving with roast.”

6 to 9 servings.

Mix together just until smooth:

1 c all purpose flour

½ tsp salt

1 c milk

2 eggs

Marcia's Orange Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter, hardened and shredded into flour mixture.

3/4 orange juice, and add orange zest to make 1 cup total
1beaten egg

2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Mix in orange juice mixture and beaten egg. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

Pour into greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.

Bake 350 for one hour.

Top with melting butter and powdered sugar.

Slices best after refrigeration.

Bang Bang Shrimp

My favorite is the Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill. Cal was going to take me there tonight where they sell it for only $5. on Wednesdays. But out all day on business, we elected to buy the ingredients and try it ourselves at home. Here it is for easy reference next time: 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

3 drops Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (or to taste)

1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp

Dry cornstarch

oil for frying

lettuce

chopped scallions

DIRECTIONS:

Mix mayonnaise with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. Add hot sauce to taste. Dredge the shrimp in cornstarch. Deep fat fry the shrimp until lightly brown. Drain on paper towel, put in a bowl and coat with the sauce. Serve in a lettuce lined bowl, top with chopped scallions.

Caesar Salad

Learned in 1988 from Suellen Wenz whose excellent Caesar salad impressed my toddlers, this has been a family staple since. This is also very useful for pastas and anything else! (Okay, not chocolate cake.)
Fresh, crisp romaine lettuce torn into pieces.

Dressing:
juice of lemon or lime
twice as much olive oil
2--4 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed
lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Toss lettuce with dressing, then sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan cheese.

Variations: sometimes I substitute mayo for half of the olive oil for a creamy dressing. In these instances, I can add the parmesan right to the dressing. Sometimes I add a 1/4--1/2 teaspoon of mustard or brown mustard for a more caesary flavor. In my twenties, I worked as a country club waitress where I watched the hostess make the real thing in a cured wooden bowl with all these ingredients plus anchovy which was rubbed in the bowl before proceeding with the rest, as well as a raw egg yolk (we waitresses, in putting together the order, would place a fresh egg in its shell in a coffee cup of boiling water. By the time the hostess made the salad, the whites would be solid, and only the yolk would come out. Ostensibly.

I like this WITHOUT croutons, so I ain't sayin' anything about them.

Dana Skogen's Cherry Pork Roast

Generously salt and pepper about 6# pork butt with or without bone. Roast uncovered at 325 degrees for about 4 hours. Take out of pan, drain grease, place back in pan and pour cherry sauce over roast. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.


Sauce:
10--16 oz. jar of cherry preserves
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 T light corn syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Bring to boil and boil one minute, stirring constantly.

Enjoy the flavors! Enjoy the compliments! Pass on the recipe.

Potato-Carrot Casserole

My late friend, Ruth Lagasse, brought this recipe along with some delicious barbequed pork country style pork ribs 26 years ago when I was put to bed with my first pregnancy. I'm making it tonight again. A little labor-intensive, but well worth it.

4 large potatoes, peeled
4-6 large carrots, peeled

Cook until very soft.
Mash or sieve into a large bowl.

Beat until light and fluffy:
1 egg
1 c. sour cream
salt, pepper, dry mustard to taste

Combine potato-carrot mixture with egg mixture

Pile into buttered casserole dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and butter

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Death by Chocolate Cake

1 box Duncan Hines Butter Chocolate Fudge Cake mix

3.25 oz. pkg. instant chocolate (or fudge) pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 c cooking oil or 1 stick butter melted

1 c dairy sour cream

1/2 c warm water

Combine on low till mixed, beat on medium for 3 minutes.

Add 6 oz. chocolate chips and beat for 1 minute more.

Grease & lightly flour two 9" cake pans or one bundt pan or one flat pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-38 minutes 9" rounds, 55-60 minutes bundt, 40-45 minutes flat pan.

Do not frost till cool.

Frosting for layered cake (this is 50% more than original recipe)

3 c chocolate chips melt for 30-60 seconds in microwave and stir, add 10 seconds as necessary

Blend until smooth with:

1.5 c sour cream

1/4 tsp. salt

3 T 10x sugar

1.5 t. vanilla extract

Happy frosting! Happy eating!

Karen Gonzalez’s Chicken Divan

Okay, Mikyoung, here is what we ate last night. Along with a focaccia made according to Becky's COOKS magazine.

Steam 4 heads broccoli
Spread on bottom of casserole dish
Boil 6 whole chicken breasts, chop
Top broccoli
Make sauce of 4 cans Cream of Chicken soup
two cups mayonnaise
juice of one lemon
Top chicken/broccoli with sauce
Top casserole with cheddar cheese and bread crumbs

Bake at 350 one half hour or until bubbly

Aunt Marcia’s Carrot Pickles

And this post is for Mark.

Combine:

2 bunches carrots
4 jalapeno peppers split
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
½ tsp red pepper flakes

Mix, boil, and cool:

1 pt. cider vinegar
1/4 c water
3 T salt optional
3 T sugar
2 t mustard seed

Pour over carrots and let marinate. Keeps in refrigerator for several weeks.

Cranberry sauce

Wash one bag of whole, fresh cranberries.

Place in medium saucepan with one cup water and one cup sugar.

Bring to boil and remove from heat once cranberries are popping well.

Cool and serve warm or cold.

Excellent topping for Baked Oatmeal

Shannon's sausage cheese muffins

The morning after we dropped Kilby in Yazoo City to live with Mrs. B and kids, Shannon served these delicious muffins to us. If you're hosting Jay Fontanini, make sure to make them. They also serve as great travel food.

3 c Bisquick mix
1 can cream of cheddar soup
1/2 can warm water
1 # browned sausage
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Mix and spoon in to 20-24 greased muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Karen Gonzalez's "Zippy Dip"

Ingredients:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream

1 pkg. dry taco mix

3-5 drops tobasco sauce

1/4 c. taco sauce

8 0z. shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese

1 can refried beans

Preheat oven to 325. Combine cream cheese and sour cream, then add beans, taco mix, tobasco, and taco sauce. Add 3/4 of each cheese, mix well and put into 9x13 greased baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake 30 minutes or until center is bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Danish Puff Pastry

This is a major favorite in the family. Poor Grace. She ordered it for her birthday cake in 2009 only called it the wrong thing and did NOT get it. It was first served to Cal and me during our engagement by his elder's wife, Regina Kling. She was kind enough to share with me where she got it. And I am glad that Betty Crocker is now posting recipes online because my wedding Betty Crocker book is MISSING THIS PAGE! Wonder why? It fell out long ago from overuse. Well, I can almost remember it in my head, but for newbies, click here.

There are some technical secrets to doing this well. And I must admit that it has never worked for me down here in Florida. It just doesn't rise like it did in higher, dryer places. Still tastes almondy good. And how cool is it that there is sugar only in the frosting. Almost hard to believe when you taste it. For the secrets: send me specific questions by comment and I'll try to clue you in to what I have learned about it.

Enjoy!

White Cheddar Macaroni with Bacon and Thyme

This is what I invented one night when I wanted mac'n'cheese, but was feeling creative. It was pretty much amazing. And everyone who's tasted it since agrees.

Ingredients:
1 lb. mezze penne pasta
1 lb. thick sliced bacon
1/4 c. reserved bacon grease
1/4 c. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/3 c. flour
4 c. milk
1 tsp. whole dried thyme
3 c. extra sharp white cheddar cheese (+ extra for topping)
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese (+ extra for dusting)

fresh cracked pepper and sea salt to taste

Boil pasta, drain, and set aside. Cut bacon strips into 1/2 inch pieces, and cook on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup of the grease. In a medium sized sauce pan melt butter and bacon grease over high heat until sizzling, add onion and saute until tender. Slowly add flour, whisking rapidly until a thick roux forms. Reduce heat to medium and slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Add pepper, salt, and thyme and stir white sauce until thickened. Stir in cheddar and parmesan until smooth. Remove from heat. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish and dust with remaining parmesan cheese. Combine white sauce with penne, then gently mix in the cooked bacon pieces. Pour mixture into baking dish and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil and broil for 5 more minutes to crisp up the cheese on top.

Katriona Trice's Baking Powder Biscuits

Katriona made these biscuits for our family when, as a Covenant College freshman, she spent some time in our home. Until then I had never known how to make biscuits. And these flaky ones are especially loved around here.

2 c flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/3 c shortening

3/4 c milk

Mix the first three ingredients. Cut the shortening in to the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse meal. Quickly stir in milk, not overmixing.

I dump this mixture onto a flour covered counter, folding the dough in upon itself about eight times, shaping dough as I go. Roll out dough and cut into biscuits.

The less you can handle the dough, the flakier the biscuits will be.

Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown at 450 degrees.

Cincinnati Chili

Susan just called for this. How could this recipe not already be on this blog as it is one of the chiefest favorites of all. Diane Gilcrest introduced me to Cincinnati chili when we were single girls in Chicago. She had grown up in Cincinnati and had "Skyline chili" all the time. Shortly after she served it to me from pre-made packets, we found the recipe in the newspaper. That is the recipe I have used ever since. Made it for a church chili supper one time in Arkansas (Covenant PCA, Fayetteville) and elder Mike Walsh recognized it for what it was and got very excited that someone had made Cincinnati chili. The Cincinnatians serve this over spaghetti noodles and topped with red kidney beans, chopped onions, shredded cheddar, and oyster crackers.

1 qt. beef broth (4 cubes bullion & 4 c. water)

2 lbs. ground beef

Boil water and add beef, stirring until meat separates into small pieces. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Add:

1/4 c. onion flakes (or 1 large minced onion)

4 T. chili powder

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground cumin

3/4 t. minced instant garlic (or 8 cloves minced fresh garlic)

1/2 t. salt (sometimes this is too much, depending on saltiness of broth and tomato sauce. So hold until end.)

1/4 t. ground allspice

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/16 t. red pepper

1 bay leaf

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 T. cider or white vinegar (cider vinegar is nicer)

1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (or 1-1/2 T cocoa powder)

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Refrig. overnight and skim fat off before reheating. (This step can be done between broth/beef stage and spice stage if you like, which, I think, retains more spices.)