BBQ Country-Style Pork Ribs in the Slow Cooker

Among all the type of ribs, I love country-style pork ribs. Why? Because I love pork and they are meaty. We like saucy stuff so we can have some gravy over our rice or mashed potatoes.

3 pounds country-style ribs (trimmed most of the fat with kitchen scissors)

Sauce:

3/4 cup Famous Dave's Sweet and Zesty BBQ sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenner pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Mix the sauce ingredients and pour half the sauce in bottom of a big slow-cooker. Place the ribs on top and pour the remaining sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2-4 hours.

Serve over hot rice or mashed potatoes.

Makes 6 servings

Cheeseburger Paradise Soup

My husband does not like Velveeta Cheese, so I used 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese.
I have also decreased the amount of beef to 1 pound and it has been perfectly fine. Season the beef with salt and pepper when you brown it, it will taste better.

Taste of Home Magazine
www.tasteofhome.com

 

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small carrot, grated
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons chopped seeded Jalapeno pepper
3 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons bouillon granules
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
5 cups 2 % milk, divided
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 package (16 oz) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
Crumbled cooked bacon

In  a Dutch oven, bring the first 9 ingredients to a boil. Redice heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook beef and  mushrooms in butter oevr medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add to soup. Stir in 4 cups of milk. Heat through.

In a small bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until bacon. Garnish with bacon.

Yield: 14 servings (3 1/2 quarts)

Note: Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Thai Chicken Curry

Taste of Home Magazine
www.tasteofhome.com

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons red curry paste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

6 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Cook the chicken in a skillet with hot oil adding salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink.

Mix the sauce ingredients and add to the chicken and cook until the sauce thickens. Add the green onions and remove from the heat.

Serve over cooked brown rice (or white) and garnish with the coconut.

Makes 6 servings

Lemon Orzo and Meatball Soup

This soup is really good. I decreased the amount of lemon zest and lemon juice since I know my kids' taste buds really well.

Southern Living Magazine

www.southernliving.com

1 lb ground chicken
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons loosely packed lemon zest, divided
1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium-size sweet onion, chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (32 oz) containers chicken broth
5-6 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup orzo pasta
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Combine first 4 ingredients, 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary in a medium bowl. Shape into 30 (1-inch) meatballs, about 1 level tablespoon each.

Saute meatballs in two batches, in 1 tablespoon hot oil pero batch in a Dutch oven over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Remove using a slotted spoon.

Saute onion and next 2 ingredients in remaining 1 tablespoon hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 3-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Bring to a boil. stirring ocassionally. Add orzo. Reduce heat to medium; simmer stirring occasionally, 7-9 minutes or until pasta is almost tender.

Stir in meatballs, simmer stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and parsley.

Makes 3 quarts

Note. I only used the grated zest of 2 lemons and 4 tablespoons lemon juice.

El Italiano Sandwich

I came up with this recipe one night that I did not feel like cooking and had some smoked sausage in the fridge and some whole wheat bolillos.

14 oz smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 big red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Shredded Pizza cheese to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 whole wheat bolillos or hoagies

In a big skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon oil and cook the sliced sausage on both sides until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the peppers and onion for about 2 minutes. Put the sausage back in the skillet and add the tomato sauce, oregano and season with salt and black pepper. Mix well and cook for about 2-4 minutes. Add the cheese and cover with a lid, just to melt the cheese.

Divide the sausage mix evenly among the 6 pieces of bread. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Chicken Enchilada Soup (Crock-Pot)

I liked this soup a lot but since I have little kids, I will use regular canned diced tomatoes and some canned green chilies to taste next time.

www.jamiecooksitup.net

 

1 (14.5 oz) can Mexican-Style stewed tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup green or red pepper, chopped
2 chicken breasts (I used frozen)
1 (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
1 (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 cups milk
4 chicken bouillon cubes or 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon lime juice (can be bottled)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter

Toppings:

Tortilla chips
Cheese
Cilantro
Avocado

Pour the whole can of tomatoes into the crok-pot, juice included. Diced tomatoes work best. If you only have stewed tomatoes, cut them up with kitchen scissors.

Add the black beans and corn to the pot. Toss the onion an bell pepper in the crock-pot.

Pour the enchilada sauce into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the cream of chicken soup, the milk and then crumble the chicken bouillon over the top. Whisk it all together until nice and smooth.

Place two chicken breasts over the vegetables in your crockpot. Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken. Cover your crock-pot and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours depending on how fast your crock-pot cooks things.

Remove the chicken and place it on a plate. Shred it with a fork. Add the lime juice, sour cream and butter to the soup. Whisk it in until the butter has melted and the sour cream is well-combined. Toss your chicken back into the pot, give it a stir and you are ready to eat.

Serve with the toppings.

Yield: 8 servings

 

 

 

Julia's Tamale Griddle Cakes

My friend Julia Baker shared this recipe on her blog. I am always looking for vegetarian choices so this was a good one. My husband poured some green salsa on top of his food.

www.neighborjulia.com

1 can corn, drained (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
Heaping 1/2 cup scoop Masa Harina
Pinch salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2-3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth (I used less)

In a blender or food processor, process 3/4 cup of the corn and all of the butter together until smooth. Pour into bowl and add the other 3/4 cup corn kernels. Add all other ingredients except broth. Start by adding 1/2 cup of the broth and mix well. Add more broth as needed to completely moisten batter.
The batter will be thick however.

Shape into 12 small patties. Cook on a non-stick griddle like pancakes, allowing tamale cakes to brown on both sides. I also used the spatula to flatten them a bit which helped them cook. Top with your favorite toppings: Pork, chicken, cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado etc.

Makes 12 silver dollar-sized patties

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

www.pinfoody.com

This is a great recipe, yummy soup. I made a couple of changes to the original recipe.

I did not use 1/2 cup butter, I used 1 1/2 tablespoons instead and only 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
I did not make the roux, I added 2 cups of the cooked soup (let it cool down first and mix it with the flour and butter and cook until it thickens). I also decreased the amount of salt a little bit.

I have no doubt that the original recipe is great but I just wanted to cut on some calories, the result was really good.

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon dried oregano o 1 tablespoon fresh
1 tablespoon dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (I would only go with 1 1/2 cups though)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Add tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, dried oregano, basil and chicken broth to a large slow-cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

About 30 minutes before serving, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add it back into the slow-cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warm half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed. (Spices can get bland on slow-cooker so do not be afraid to always season to taste at the end). Cover and cook on LOW for 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Makes 6 regular servings

Cinnamon-Sour Cream Streusel Loaf

Southern Living Christmas Cookbook 1998

www.southernliving.com

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix the filling ingredients and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar, add vanilla and sour cream and keep beating until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and then add them to the creamy mixture beating on slow speed just until combined.

Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the pan, spread carefully. Sprinkle 1/2 the filling mixture on top of the batter; add the remaining batter on top of the filling, using a knife or small spatula spread carefully. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of the filling on top of the batter.

Bake in a preheated 350 F for 1 hour. If the topping browns too quickly, cover with some aluminum foil. It is ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place the pan on a rack and let it cool for 10 minutes or so. Unmold the bread and cool completely on the rack.

Note: I only baked it for 50-55 minutes and I had to cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil.

Chicken Gumbo

I found this recipe on a magazine last month. I do not remember the name of the magazine but I could remember the ingredients and the instructions today. This Chicken Gumbo was very good. I know that there are many varitions and most of them include seafood but my husband is not really fond of seafood so this was a great choice.

 

3 lb skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup each chopped red and green bell pepper
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 lb andouille sausage (I used smoked sausage), sliced
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water

Garnish:

Sliced green onions

Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning and 1/2 the amount of salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a big pan and cook the sausage there, just to brown a little bit. Remove the sausage to a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil and cook the onion and peppers until tender. Remove to the same plate with the sausage.

Add 1/2 cup oil to the pan and the flour. Cook on very low heat for 30 minutes until the roux is dark brown but not burned. Stir in all the ingredients and cook until it reaches a boiling point. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour.

Remove the bay leaves and the chicken thighs. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into fairly big pieces.

Serve in bowl and add some rice in the center. Sprinkle some green onions on top.

Note: You can add a couple fo dashes of Tabasco sauce.

Oatmeal Muffins with Dried Cranberries

I found this recipe on the back of the KROGER white whole wheat flour bag. Really good!

 

 

2/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 F (375 convection oven).

In a bowl combine the milk, oil, brown sugar. molasses and egg. In a large bowl combine the dried ingredients and cranberries. Stirn in milk mixture until it is just combined. Mixture should be lumpy.
Spoon batter into 12 paper-lined 1/2 cup muffin tins, filling them 2/3 full and bake muffins for 15 minutes (12 minutes in convection) until they are springy on top to the touch.

Makes 12 muffins

Oven-Baked Spanish Tortilla

In Ecuador, a tortilla is not what we find in Mexican food, the flat and round corn or flour tortilla. For us, a tortilla is an omelette same as in Spain.
This is not the traditional way Spaniards make Spanish Potato omelette but it is a great recipe. It can be served with some green salad at dinner time or with some fruit at breakfast time.

Recipe from Woman's Day Magazine with permission from the Casserole Queens, Make-A-Meal Cookbook by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock.

 

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for the dish
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
4 scallions
1 medium red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
10 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
6 ounces extra sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 oz)

Heat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish. Place the potatoes in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat and simmer until just tender 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, chop the white and light green parts of the scallions and thinly slice the dark green parts; keep separate.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped scallion, red pepper, garlic and crushed pepper and cook, stirring until the vegatables are just tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the potatoes and gently mix to combine. Transfer the vegatable mixture to the prepared baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sour cream. Stir in the Cheddar, Parmesan, sliced scallion and 1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper. Our the egg mixture over the vegetables and gently stir to distribute the ingredients.

Bake until puffed, golden brown and just set in the center, 35-40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 10 servings