Pork Back Ribs

I have yet to find a meat eatin person who didn’t like babyback ribs.  I am sure there are some out there, but the thought scares me.  Most of the time when folks say they can’t make them, or prefer to go to a eatin house to get em’ It’s because of one thing alone.  ” Ain’t got no grill!!”  I gotcha covered.

Here’s what we’ll need:

2 racks pork babyback ribs

1 12 oz. (300 ml) can of Beer ( I use bud light )

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Garlic powder ( optional )

OK, so you want to put the ribs in a large roasting pan MEAT SIDE UP.  Sprinkle the garlic powder over the ribs lightly, then pour the can of beer in the pan. Put the lid on and place in a 350 degree oven for 35 min to steam the ribs.

While that is cooking, pour the BBQ sauce in a large bowl.  You want it to be large because it will also have to hold the drippings.

when the timer goes off, drain the drippings into the bowl. mix well.   Coat the ribs with the sauce and put back in the oven.  reduce heat to 300 degress and cook for 40 min, and baste about halfway through

Folks never believe me when they hear that the ribs were cooked in an oven.

Enjoy

Hamburgers / Cheeseburgers

The hamburger has been around for ages.   So obviously this is not new.  That being said, here is my spin on the good ole American icon.

Here is what we’ll need:

2 lbs   ground beef ( or textured soy protein for our vegetarian friends )

1 t. ground cumin seeds

1/2 t. chili powder

1/4 c.  Worcestershire sauce

ground black pepper ( optional )

Get ya a big bowl, and combine all the ingredients in it .  For this…. ya gotta use your hands ( so make sure you wash before and after ).

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients until all the liquid is absorbed into the meat.

Form patties of a size to your choice.

Cook /grill  until the liquid runs clear.

Enjoy

Enchiladas

For those who are in for a south of the border taste, without going to the local Mexican Food joint, here is something to satisfy the craving…

For this recipe I am going to cheat.  Making enchilada sauce from scratch is a pain in the ass, but is better than the canned. But, like I said, I am cheating so we are going to use the canned.

Here’s what we’ll need:

1.5 lbs lean ground beef.

2 T. Chili Powder

1/2 C diced white Onion

20 oz. Can Enchilada Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 C shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

14 Corn tortillas ( get the good ones )

11.5 x 9 baking dish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

In a skillet, combine ground beef , onion, chili powder, salt and pepper.

Cook till beef is done.  drain.

add Enchilada sauce and simmer for 10 min.

While meat is simmering, heat Tortillas so they are warm and soft.

Spray baking dish with non-stick spray

place about 3 T of meat on each tortilla, in the center, then roll tortilla and put in dish ( seam down )

repeat till dish is full.

Cover with cheese.

Bake till cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite side dishes

Enjoy =-)

Penne Rustica

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It’s relatively easy to make and feeds about 3 folks.

Here is what we will need for this:

8 oz. Penne Rigate ( I use the 100% whole wheat )

1pk Polska Kielbasa ( sliced thin )

1 clove garlic ( pressed and minced )

1/3 red bell pepper ( sliced thin )

1/3 green bell pepper ( sliced thin )

1/3 yellow bell pepper ( sliced thin )

1/4 medium red onion ( halved, then sliced from center out )

1/2 C Virgin Olive Oil ( I use Bertolli )

1 C grated fresh Romano cheese

Favorite pasta sauce ( cooked thoroughly )

Prepare Penne, and Pasta sauce as directed on packaging.

In seperate skillet, heat Olive oil, and cook sausage till browned, add vegetables and cook for 2 min.

Place bed of Penne on plate and top with pasta sauce. Add meat and vegetables over top of sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Enjoy

Black eyed peas

Some folks just can’t eat black eyed peas plain. I don’t blame them. As a bean they are fairly bland. So I doctor them a bit and they are pretty damned good.

Here’s what we will need.

1 quart fresh shelled black eyed peas ( snaps in is fine )

1 pound ground beef ( browned and drained )

2 Large red Tomatoes ( diced )

1 Jalapeño pepper ( diced )

1 medium red onion ( diced )

2 slices bacon ( cut into 1 inch pieces )

2 t. Cajun spice seasoning

2 T. salt

1 T. coarse ground black pepper

Place peas and bacon in large stock pot with ample water to avoid scorching. Bring to a boil and cover. let simmer 1 hr 30 min, stirring occasionally . Add rest of ingredients and let simmer 30 min. Serve over fresh cornbread.

Enjoy

Bloody Mary Roast

When I saw the name, I knew I just had to try it =-)

This meal will serve 6 comfortably.

Here’s what you’ll need.

A big ass roaster  ( I use a large turkey roaster cause I like leftovers )

5-6lb Beef roast  ( prefer blade roast or rump roast )  p.s.  Do yourself a favor, and use 100% Angus beef.

1 bottle Tabasco brand Bloody Mary Mix

1 C. Wine ( i use a Cabernet Sauvignon but any blush or red will do, DO NOT use a white)

1 Medium ( baseball sized) red Onion     quartered

1 Medium white Onion    quartered

5-6 medium potatoes    quartered

1 16 oz. bag baby carrots

* add any other veggies to taste*  I use fresh mushrooms and celery sometimes

1 sleeve Liptons savory garlic and herb spice/dip mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place roast in pan and surround with veggies

pour wine over meat and veggies to give a nice coating on all.

pour in 1/2 of the bottle of bloody mary mix

sprinkle spice mix over the top of the meat/veggies

cover and cook for 1hr 45 min

Enjoy.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This will feed 4 comfortably and 6 if they eat like birds.

So here is what you will need to start this off proper.

1 10 oz pkg boneless, skinless chicken breast. ( boiled and shredded )

1 8 oz can cream of mushroom soup. ( I use Campbells Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic)

1 can RoTel Tomatos with Diced green chilis

1/3 Block Velveeta cheese ( cubed in 1/4″ cubes )

10 uncooked Corn Tortillas ( quartered )

7 1/4″ x 12″ Baking Dish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a large Microwave safe bowl, or double boiler… Combine the velveeta, cream of mushroom soup, and rotel and heat till the cheese is melted and smooth. Add boiled shredded chicken

Spray bottom of dish with a non stick cooking spray ( makes the clean-up part easier)

Arrange tortilla quarters on the bottom to have close to full coverage on the bottom of the pan, spread 1/2 chicken/cheese mixture over the tortillas, then tortillas then chicken/cheese.

place in oven and bake for 20 min. Serve with a salad or Spanish rice.

Enjoy