Weekend Fun

Rodeo Ribs

February 5, 2012

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

Victoria’s Easy Classic Lasagna

February 4, 2012

Victoria’s Easy Classic Lasagna

This lasagna doesn’t take much time to make at all. If you want to make this a vegetarian lasagna just leave out the ground sirloin. It is so much nicer to make dinner from scratch and sit around the table discussing the day. Add some garlic bread and a salad and you have the perfect family meal.

INGREDIENTS

1 Pound Fresh Lean Ground Sirloin

30 Ounces Ricotta Cheese

28 Ounces Tomato Sauce

12 Ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

8 Ounces (1/2 Of A 1 Pound Box) Lasagna Noodles

5 Ounces Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Cook the ground sirloin until browned. Add the tomato sauce to the browned sirloin and set aside. Cook the lasagna noodles until done (according to package instructions). Put the lasagna together by placing half of the noodles lengthwise in a 9×13 baking dish, covering the bottom. Spread half the Ricotta cheese over the noodles. Next, sprinkle half the Mozzarella cheese over the Ricotta cheese. Cover evenly with half of the meat sauce. Repeat with another layer. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until lightly browned and bubbling hot. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6

Creamy Coleslaw

February 3, 2012

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

February 2, 2012

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

Three Bean Chili

February 1, 2012

Three Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS

2 Pounds Ground Sirloin

3 Tablespoons Chili Powder

1 Small Chopped Onion

1 Small Chopped Green Pepper

30 Ounces Tomatoes

15 Ounces Chili Beans

15 Ounces Black Beans

15 Ounces Dark Red Kidney Beans

1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt

Brown the ground sirloin in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the chili powder and mix well. Add the onions and green pepper during the last 2 minutes. Drain off the excess grease. Stir in the beans and tomatoes. Add the garlic salt and stir. Lower the heat to simmer and let cook for 30 minutes. Serves 8

Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs

January 31, 2012

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

Ultimate Ginger Snaps

January 30, 2012

Ultimate Ginger Snaps

If you like Ginger Snaps, like I do, then you will love these. They are nice and chewy with just the right amount of ginger. You just might want to double the batch because they are sure to be a big hit.

INGREDIENTS

2 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour

½ Teaspoons Ground Cloves

½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Salt

¾ Cup (1 ½ Sticks) Softened Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Sugar

¼ Cup Dark Molasses

1 Large Egg

3 ½ Ounces Crystallized Ginger Chips

Preheat your oven to 375° F. Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Stir in the molasses and the egg. Add the dry ingredients to the ginger chips. For the best result, chill the dough for 1 hour. Form 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Make sure that they are about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven while the cookies are still soft. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a serving plate. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Camille’s Pita Pizza

January 26, 2012

Camille’s Pita Pizza

Camille created this “Pita Pizza” and loves how it tastes. Try it and see if you like it.

INGREDIENTS

1 Large Pita Flat Bread

½ Cup Humus

½ Cup Feta Cheese

¼ Cup Pitted Olives

½ Cup Diced Artichoke Hearts

¼ Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes

½ Cup Baked & Shredded Chicken

Apply the humus to the pita flat bread. Sprinkle on the feta cheese. Layer with the olives, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes. Finish up with placing the shredded chicken on the top. Bake in a 350° F preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and slice like a pizza. Serves 4

Oven Barbecued Spareribs

January 25, 2012

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

January 25, 2012

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.

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