Month: July 2016

Slow Roasted Ribs

Sadly, my Maple Chipotle Rub being sent from Canada seems to have gotten lost along the way. In desperation I sought out another rub recipe on Pinterest as I bought some lovely boneless beef ribs at Costco. The recipe was posted from inthekitchenwithkath.com. (It had been adapted from Mark Bittmans How to Cook Everything the basics). It can be used on beef, pork or poultry. Below are the instructions with the recipe for Southern Barbecue Rub below that. The rub will keep in the fridge…

Slow Roasted Ribs (one 3 or 4 lb. rack)

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 250˚F*
  2. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. This is easily done by loosening an end with a knife and then grabbing the piece with a clean paper towel and pulling it off.
  3. Place the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet, meaty side down. Rub a generous amount of the barbecue rub on both sides of the rack.
  4. With the ribs bone-side down, put the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast for 2 hours.
  5. Turn the ribs over and roast for another hour.
  6. Turn the ribs over so they are again bone-side down and roast for one more hour, or until the ribs are fork-tender and practically falling off the bone.
  7. Cut the ribs into serving pieces and enjoy!

*NOTE Because my ribs were boneless I was able to reduce the cooking time! I cooked them first for 1 hour at 300 degrees F  and then turned them over to cook for another half hour, reducing the heat to 250 F. They were done, but you should check them before turning off the oven, depending on the thickness of the boneless ribs.

*Southern Barbecue Rub (Adapted from a recipe in Joy of Cooking)

 Ingredients

  • ¼ cup sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder (You could use smoked paprika instead.)
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional) I used this
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Mojitos by the Pitcher

We first came to like mojitos when our friend Karen made them at her house in Merida. We dubbed her Queen of the Mojitos, While in Cuba we also enjoyed them at Bodeguita del Medio which is where Ernest Hemingway came to love them as we are told. Some historians would have us believe that they date back to the 1600s and Sir Francis Drake coming ashore in Cuba..??? Summertime and the living is easy, right? What better way to enjoy a sunny day by the pool them with a pitcher of mojitos. Another recipe blissfully discovered on Pinterest!

(If you’ve been following this blog for some time you may recall my earlier recipe according to Hemingway),

Mojitos by the Pitcher (Kitchen is My Playground)

Total Time 15 mins Prep 15 mins

Ingredients    Servings 10

  • 10 limes, fresh pulp and juice
  • 30 leaves of fresh mint1/3 cup sugar (originally 3/4)
  • 1 cup white rum
  • 1 bottle of Sprite 600 ml. (original was Club soda)

Directions

  1. Place lime juice, mint and sugar into a pitcher.
  2. Using a muddle stick mash to release mint oils, and dissolve sugar into juice.
  3. Add rum and lots of ice topped with club soda or Sprite. Adding more club soda or Sprite to glasses if a lighter drink is desired. Fill glasses with ice before pouring!
  4. Garnish with fresh mint and lime slices.

 

Roasted Parmesan Garlic Shrimp

Always looking for a great appetizer and this one surely qualifies. In the case of both the oregano and basil I would use fresh in place of the dried. If you are ever caught with cocktail sauce, a simple recipe blends 1/2 cup ketchup + 2 Tablespoons horseradish!

Roasted Parmesan Garlic Shrimp (http://inspiredbycharm.com)

1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I prefer fresh)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I prefer fresh)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Parsley leaves, chopped for garnish
Cocktail sauce (optional)

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with oil or nonstick spray.

Place the shrimp in a single layer on the baking. Evenly distribute the olive oil, parmesan, garlic, oregano, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss together with a spoon or your hands.

Place the pan of shrimp in the oven and roast the shrimp until just pink, firm, and cooked through. This should take 7-9 minutes. When done, sprinkle with lemon juice.

Perfect Lemonade

Time to make my annual limoncello drink, which takes 15 yellow lemons. The only problem is that I have the fruit of 15 lemons left after I remove the necessary peel. When life gives you lemons (or Costco), the only thing to do is to make lemonade, right? Pinterest to the rescue once again… It was great…you be the judge of how much sugar to add….

 

Perfect Lemonade Recipe (Simplyrecipes.com)

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6.

For more intense lemon flavor, grate the zest from one fresh lemon and add the zest to the simple syrup as you are making it. Once the sugar has dissolved in the water remove from heat and let the zest seep in the simple syrup for several minutes, then strain out the zest when you add the simple syrup to the lemon juice.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white, granulated sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup) I used 1/2 cup
  • 1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 2 to 3 cups cold water (to dilute)

Method

1 First make a “simple syrup”. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir so that the sugar dissolves completely and remove from heat.

2 While the water is heating for the simple syrup, juice your lemons. Depending on the size of the lemons, 4 to 6 of them should be enough for one cup of juice.

3 Pour the juice and the simple syrup sugar water into a serving pitcher. Add 2 to 3 cups of cold water and taste. Add more water if you would like it to be more diluted (though note that when you add ice, it will melt and naturally dilute the lemonade). If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve with ice, sliced lemons.
Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_lemonade/#ixzz4BwfxF5jH