Saturday, February 28, 2009

DEeeeelicous Oven Baked BBQ Ribs

Hi everyone!

This is my first time making ribs. I always thought that they needed to be grilled over a BBQ, but I was ohhh so very wrong. Ribs slowed baked in the oven was tender, moist and absolutely delicious! Here is how I made them.


2 racks of pork baby back ribs
156 ml Can tomato paste
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup cider vinegar, i just used regular white vinegar
1 cup orange juice, I substituted with apple juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chili powder
Salt to taste

  1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Put ribs into a large roasting pan.
  3. Whisk together the tomato paste, juice, brown sugar, Dijon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chili powder and salt. Pour over the ribs.
  4. Cover with foil and bake for about 2 hours
  5. At the end of the 2 hours, remove foil and brush sauce that is left in the pan over the ribs, and bake the ribs uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is fork tender.
  6. Remove from heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
  7. ENJOY!!

Hugs,
Annie

Recipe adopted from Michael Smith, The Food Network

Monday, February 9, 2009

Blueberry Grumble

Hi Everyone,

Blueberries have always been one of my favorite fruits of life. Just the other day, the little grocery store outside my apartment had blueberries on sale and I jumped on it like nobody's business!! Normally, I would just sit and devour 5 lbs of blueberries without thinking, but that day, I felt extra kind (a very rare occasion), and decided that I should probably save some for Derek...So to pass time, I decided to make this grumble while waiting for Derek to get home.



What you will need:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
1 cup rolled oats, toasted **
4 cups blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Butter an 8” by 8” baking dish.
  2. Make the grumble topping: Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Cut in the ground almonds and the oats. (You could add some cinnamon and ginger if you like)
  3. Toss the fruit with the sugar and flour and tumble into the baking dish Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit and press to pack it down a bit.
  4. Bake until the fruit is soft and the top is crisp, about 40 minutes. Let sit about a quarter hour before serving.
** To toast the oats: I placed a thin layer of oats in a frying pan and turned the heat to med. high. Flipping the oats frequently until toasted, about 5 minutes.

Recipe adopted from Laura Calder, The Food Network

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Hi everyone!!

I have always wanted to try and cook risotto but have always been a bit intimidated by the thought of it. I was sick at home one day and watched Giada on the Food Network make this risotto and I was inspired to give it a try (must of been because of all the medication). Suprisingly enough, it turned out to be very delicious! We used store bought grated Parmesan cheese, so if you use those fancy Parmesans, I am sure the dish will be even better!



Here is what you will need:

8 cups low-salt chicken broth ( I used the chicken stock I made on my own); use veg broth if making vegetarian dish
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
10 ounces white mushrooms, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or short-grain white rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

  1. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.
  2. Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.
  3. Add the white mushrooms and garlic.
  4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms from broth to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan.
  5. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes.
  7. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes.
  8. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth).
  9. Mix in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Recipe adopted from Giada De Laurentiis, The Food Network