Rodeo Ribs
Cooking the ribs uncovered helps to thicken the barbeque sauce, which is best if made two days ahead. Cut the ribs into small pieces to they are easy to pick up.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds Beef Short Ribs (Cut Into 2 Inch Lengths)
1 ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Onion (Halved Lengthwise & Slivered)
1 Cup Beef Broth
2 Cups Rodeo Barbecue Sauce
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Sprinkle the ribs with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy covered pot over a medium high heat. Brown the ribs well for 8 minutes. Remove the ribs to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pot and wilt the onions over a low heat, scraping up the brown bits. Return the ribs to the pot, placing them atop the onion. Place the pot in the oven and cook, covered for 30 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook covered for 45 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and add 4 ½ cups of the Rodeo Barbecue Sauce. Stir the sauce into the broth and spoon it over the ribs. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes, basting once or twice. Skim and throw away the fat. Serve with extra sauce if you like. Serves 6
Creamy Coleslaw
Coleslaw goes with so many dishes. It sure seems that sitting in the fridge for a couple of days really brings out the flavor. I serve my Creamy Coleslaw with fish & chips, burgers, pork chops, steaks and just about anything that strikes me.
INGREDIENTS
1 Head Shredded Green Cabbage
4 Shredded Carrots
¼ Cup Chopped Red Onion
1 Cup Mayonnaise
½ Teaspoon Celery Seed
½ Teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Sugar
¼ Cup Rice Vinegar
¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
¼ Cup Malt Vinegar
Combine the shredded cabbage, onion and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, celery seed, salt, sugar, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar and malt vinegar. Add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning. Add more salt or sugar if desired. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. Serves 8
Teriyaki Burgers
If you are tired of the same old burger then try my Teriyaki Burger! You can use bottled Teriyaki Sauce or my homemade recipe. Both ways these burgers are tasty and everyone will love them.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Ground Sirloin
1/3 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce
6 Toasted Hamburgers Buns
6 Slices of Cheddar Cheese (Optional)
6 Hamburger Pickles
6 Lettuce Leaves
6 Onion Slices
6 Tomato Slices
½ Cup Mayonnaise
Combine the ground sirloin and 1/3 cup Teriyaki Sauce. Shape into 6 hamburger patties. Grill or broil for 3 minutes on each side. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the sauce halfway through cooking. If you want to add cheese then place the cheese slices on top of each burger at the end of cooking and let melt under the broiler for 30 seconds. Make sure that the cheese isn’t too thick or it will take too long to melt. Remove burgers from the oven and set aside. Spread both halves of the toasted buns with mayonnaise. Place the pickles, lettuce, burgers, onion and tomato on the bottom halves of the buns and cover with the top halves.
Makes 6 Teriyaki Burgers
Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs
These kebabs are so easy to make and very low fat.
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Chicken Breasts Cut Into 1 Inch Cubes
1 Cup Halved Mushrooms
½ Medium Red Bell Pepper Seeded & Cut Into 1 Inch Cubes
1 Small Yellow Squash Cut Into ½ Inch Rounds
1 Small Zucchini Cut Into ½ Inch Rounds
½ Red Onion Cut Into Wedges
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
1 Teaspoon Dried Tarragon
Place the mushrooms, vegetables and onions in a large, self closing, plastic bag. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, rosemary and tarragon. Pour into the bag. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours. You can either grill these or cook under the broiler in your oven. On 12 inch skewers alternate the ingredients. Arrange the chicken cubes, pepper, squash, onion and zucchini. Gook under the broiler for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, turning once. Remove from the oven or grill and place on a serving platter. Serve over rice. Serves 4
Oven Barbecued Spareribs
You’re going to need a shower after eating these!
INGREDIENTS
6 Pounds Pork Spareribs – Cut into 1 Rib Portions
6 Ounces Tomato Paste
¼ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
½ Cup Water
¼ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Grated Onion
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Salt
Preheat oven to 325° F. Arrange spareribs in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Roast spareribs for 1 hour. Meanwhile prepare glaze. In a medium bowl, combine tomato paste, brown sugar, water, honey, cider vinegar, olive oil, grated onion, chili powder and salt until well blended. Brush spareribs with glaze. Continue roasting ribs, brushing frequently with glaze, until ribs are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Serves 6
Toffee Ginger Shortbreads
I used my simple shortbread recipe and added toffee and crystallized ginger chips. These shortbread cookies came out amazingly delicious.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Pound Softened Butter
½ Cup Crystallized Ginger Chips
8 Ounces English Toffee Bits
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar and butter. Mix thoroughly. Add the ginger chips and English toffee bits and mix. The dough should be in the shape of a ball. Press the dough into a medium size baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper don’t worry. You don’t need to grease the pan. Prick the surface with a fork making evenly distribute perforations. Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 40 minutes until the shortbread is delicately brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut into squares and place onto a serving plate. Makes 32 shortbreads.
Note: I like to use Heath English Toffee bits.
Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Why buy bottled barbecue sauce when it’s so easy to make your own?!
INGREDIENTS
2 Strips Chopped Bacon
3 Tablespoons Minced Green Bell Pepper
1 Minced Onion
1 Chopped Garlic Clove
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
½ Cup Vinegar
½ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Cup Tomato Juice
½ Cup Water
Brown the bacon in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the green peppers, onions, garlic and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the salt, chili powder, vinegar, brown sugar and tomato juice. Cook over a medium low heat for 40 minutes. Makes 1 ½ cups.
Oven Baked Chicken
Parmesan cheese mixed with breadcrumbs creates a golden brown crunchy coating on this oven baked chicken. If you add herbs to the recipe it can change the way it tastes. For flavor variations try mixing ½ teaspoon dried herbs, such as rosemary or sate, into the melted butter mixture.
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Dried Breadcrumbs
¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Melted Butter
3 Teaspoons Finely Chopped Garlic
6 (4 Ounce) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper and salt in a shallow bowl. Set aside. Combine the butter and garlic in a pie pan. Dip 1 chicken breast at a time into the butter mixture. Place into the breadcrumb mixture. Turn to coat evenly. Place the chicken breasts into an ungreased medium sized baking pan. Drizzle with any of the remaining butter mixture. Bake for 30 minutes until chicken is lightly browned and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Serves 6
Pounded Pork
One of my all time favorite “go to” recipes!
INGREDIENTS
4 (1 Inch Thick) Center Cut Pork Chops
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Lightly Beaten Large Eggs
1 Cup Bread Crumbs (Lightly Toasted)
¼ Cup Plus 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Bunch Arugula
1 Diced Tomato
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
Using a meat mallet, carefully pound the pork chops until they are ¼ inch thick. You can remove the bone if you want, but you don’t have to. Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper. Dip each pork chop into the beaten eggs. Allow the excess to drip off . Dredge each pork chop in the bread crumbs and set on a plate. In a large skillet heat ¼ cup of the olive oil over a medium heat until just smoking. Add the butter and allow it to foam for 15 seconds. Place the chops in the pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown on one side. The trick is to cook the chops slowly over an even medium heat so that they cook through without burning the bread crumb crust. Using tongs carefully turn the chops and cook on the other side for 5 more minutes until light golden brown. Add more oil if necessary (1/2 tablespoon at a time to avoid scorching the breading).
In a large bowl combine the arugula (remove the stems) and tomatoes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to coat the greens. Place one pork chop on each of the four warmed dinner plates. Divide the arugula salad evenly among the plates and serve immediately. Serves 4
Chicken Taco Salad
In a hurry? Don’t know what to make for dinner? Trying to cut down on calories? This Chicken Taco Salad recipe is so good and easy to make. Even the Salsa Dressing is low fat. What more could a gal want?!
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
4 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce
2 Cups Chopped Roasted Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Chopped Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Chopped Red Onion
15 Ounces Drained & Rinsed Red Beans
1 Chopped Red Bell Pepper
½ Cup Halved Black Olives
½ Cup Grated White Cheddar Cheese
For the dressing:
2/3 Cup Light Sour Cream
2 Cups Salsa
1 Teaspoon Cumin
5 Teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
To prepare the salad: Roast the chicken breasts in advance (salt & pepper, roast for 45 minutes on 350°F). Let cool a bit before removing the skin and bones. You can use skinless & boneless chicken breasts, but honestly I think that they can be tasteless and dry. Chop the chicken breasts and set aside. Combine the lettuce and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, including the chicken. Toss gently and serve with the salsa dressing. Serves 4
Salsa Dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and combine well. Pour into a bowl or a medium size pitcher and place into the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.
