Sweet & Soy Grilled Pork Ribs

Here's another one of my favorite dishes that I've made so far. Luckily for you I'm nice and willing to share the recipe.

 

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/8 cup yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger (or fresh if you have it)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder

I prepared the marinade in the morning before going to work and used it with 4 country pork ribs to sit in the refrigerator until I got home. (You could also try it with other pork products or I'm sure it'll also work well with chicken.) If you forget to plan that far in advance, then I would at least let it marinate for an hour or so. Then grill each side for about 8-10 minutes and rotate halfway through to get the cross-hair grill marks.  Also, since these were thick pieces of meat, I finished them off in the oven for a couple of minutes at 375 degrees just to make sure that they were fully cooked. (Undercooked pork is a no-no.) While the meat is grilling, take the leftover marinade and boil it in a saucepan so that you can use the extra sauce for drizzling on the meat.

 

My mouth is watering just thinking about how good it was (and the pictures aren't too good for easing my hunger either). Enjoy!

Fresh Grilled Asparagus

A simple and delicious side that will go with almost any meal.

Begin with snapping off the tough, woodsy part of the stalk. Then drizzle with olive oil and season with lemon pepper. I let it marinate in the refrigerator as I prepared the rest of the meal until it was time to eat. Next, grill the green goodness to perfection - I used a new cast iron grill pan that I just got from BB&B the other day.

 

It doesn't really get any better than perfectly grilled asparagus! Now wait until the next post when you get to see what I made to go along with it...

Stewed Tomato Curry Chicken

I think that I remember reading through my Food Network Magazine and coming across some Indian dishes. Then of course I told myself, "I can do that!" I didn't follow any recipe (do I ever?) but could recall some of the ingredients that were mentioned. I also just bought some bay leaves and wanted to use them in something - so what better than a stew of some sort? This is my Indian inspired chicken dish served with brown rice (I try to be healthy every once in a while). Case in point: My chicken curry is fly. (I originally typed this last sentence just as a place holder when I started writing this post the other day, but decided to leave it in. After all, it's a true statement.)

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes with basil
• 1 lb bag of frozen green beans
• 1 lb of baby carrots (quartered)
• 3-4 tbsp yellow curry paste
• 4 bay leaves
• cumin
• paprika
• curry powder
• onion powder
• ground coriander
• olive oil
• 2 cups of water
• salt and pepper
• brown rice (for serving)

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven (or other large pot). While you wait for the oil to heat up, season the chicken with the cumin, paprika, curry powder, onion powder, coriander, salt and pepper. Brown both sides of the meat for maybe 4-5 minutes per side, and then add the rest of the ingredients to the pot (tomatoes, green beans, carrots, curry paste, bay leaves, and water). You can also add some more of the seasonings that you put on the chicken to layer the flavors of the dish - it's a good idea to add more seasoning as you add more components to the dish so that the flavors build and become more complex. Adjust the flame and then let the pot simmer for at least 30 minutes, but since this is a stew after all then the longer it cooks the more the flavors will develop. It's like any good relationship - the more time you spend with someone then the greater the bond will be. Let your ingredients be friends and have a play date in the pot! (Or maybe a romantic date *wink-wink.*)

Mashed Carrots with Cinnamon

I wanted a simple side dish that was slightly different from what I usually make. I decided to boil some carrots and then mash them with some butter and sprinkle with a little cinnamon on top. Also add a little salt to bring out all of the naturally wonderful flavors of the carrots as well. I used a potato masher so they came out a little chunky, but feel free to use a food processor or the like to get a smoother texture and create a carrot puree. I think it'll make a nice addition to my reportoire.

Baked Chicken #5

Why #5?
1. It uses only 5 ingredients.
2. I feel like I have a lot of recipes for baked chicken and...
3. ...I couldn't really think of a name for it.
4. It's really difficult coming up with five reasons.
5. It makes me think of Mambo #5 and puts a smile on my face. :-)

Ingredients:

1. salt
2. pepper
3. herbs de provence
4. olive oil
5. chicken (duh!)

Drizzle the chicken with some olive oil and season with the ingredients listed above. Bake for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven and enjoy.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

These pancakes are so delicious, but yet still so simple because I used a store-bought mix as my base. So as much as I would like to take all of the credit for them, I have to give some of the kudos to Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete Pancake Mix. Here's my semi-homemade take on a breakfast favorite.

Ingredients (makes about 4 pancakes):

• 1 cup Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete Pancake Mix
• 1/2 cup of all natural apple sauce (no sugar added!)
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 tbsp of cinnamon
• cooking spray
• pancake syrup
  

All you need to do is mix the ingredients together in a bowl and pour the batter on a heated skillet/griddle (sprayed with cooking spray if it isn't nonstick). An easy way to know when to flip your flapjacks is that the edges will begin to bubble - this way you won't need to mess around with your pancakes until it's time. Bubbling batter = flipping time! Remove from the pan and serve with your favorite syrup.