Stick to your Ribs

Sometimes after a day in front of the computer I want a hearty, comforting soup  for dinner and that's the only thing that's going to make me happy. And with real estate taxes due in a little more than 15 days I've been skimping a bit on my grocery supplies and the pickin' have been slim. "Not to worry," I said to myself, "there's always something around here to make you happy." And I was right. If you like the smokey flavor of bacon, don't mind adding a few of Nathan's Bigger than the Bun hot dogs, some canned Great Northern Beans and a small serving of orzo, this soup is seasoned just right and can be done easily on a weeknight. Don't let the long list of ingredients inhibit you, the prep/cooking time goes fast!

Stick to your Ribs Bacon, Franks, Orzo and Bean Soup
Makes 2-3 large bowls or 4 smaller portions

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
1 T bacon fat
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2-1/2 cups no fat chicken broth, I forgot to get the low sodium so I added...
1-1/2 cups water
8 oz tomato sauce
1 dried bay leaf
2 tsp sriracha sauce- or Frank's hot sauce would work nicely with its vinegary flavor
1 T brown sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 can (15.5 oz) Navy Beans rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dry orzo
4-5 frankfuters sliced 1/4-1/2 inch
4 oz baby spinach chopped

Let's cook! Cook your bacon (not too crisp) and set aside. Reserve 1 T of bacon fat. In large/medium soup pot add the bacon fat and 1-2 tsp of olive oil. On medium/low heat add the diced onion and sweat for about 5 minutes. Now add your chopped garlic, cook about 1 minute max and be very careful not to let it burn. Add the Old Bay, kosher salt, and ground black pepper and stir to incorporate into the onion/garlic mixture. Toss in your dried bay leaf.

Add 2-1/2 cups no fat (store bought) chicken broth, 1-1/2 cups water, 8 oz canned tomato sauce and stir to combine. Now let's season this baby up with the srirscha, brown sugar and Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and add your cooked bacon, beans, hot dogs and orzo. Cover and cook on a very low simmer until orzo is done, about 13 minutes. Now toss in your chopped spinach, and cook uncovered until wilted. Taste broth for seasoning and make adjustments.

Ladle up this bit of comfort food. I think you will enjoy!

Peachy Keen Pulled Pork Tortillas

Lillian Russo turned me on to a new taste sensation a few months ago- pork sirloin cooked in salsa. My oh my, is this a nice treat. I use an inexpensive cut of meat, braise it on the stove top and yes my friends, it is delicious! This time I added Lillian's salsa of choice to the braise, which is peach, and thanks to Kevin at Tri Town Liquors, I also discovered a lovely little peach flavored libation (flavor enhancer, you know) to toss in.  So now I have 2 new ingredients to share and both worked like a dream.

Ready to cook? I sure was. Here are the ingredients I used:

Pulled Pork with Grilled Peach Avocado Salad
Serves 5
Inspired by Lillian Russo

1-1/2 pounds pork sirloin
2 T flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T canola oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 jar (16 oz) Paul Newman Peach Salsa - I used medium heat
1 Serrano chili
1 bottle Smirnoff Ice Peach Bellini Malt Beverage
5 flour tortillas (7-8")

Grilled Peach Avocado Salad

1 peach sliced 1/2 inch
1 avocado  diced 1/2 inch
1 Serrano chili minced
3 scallions chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
1 T chopped cilantro

Garnish
Greek yogurt and extra cilantro

Let's get cooking. Pat your pork sirloin dry and dredge in 2 tablespoons of flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Shake off any excess flour and heat oil in a large sauce pan on stovetop on medium. Brown pork on all sides to seal in the juices. Now add the onions, salsa, Smirnoff Peach Bellini and a whole Serrano chili. Bring to boil, cover and lower heat to simmer. For those who are not familiar with cooking with chilis, I must tell you that when they are cooked they become sweet and only slightly spicy. So if you want, you could certainly add another one.

Cook 2 hours and enjoy the aromas as they are wafting through your kitchen. I like to check on this dish every 1/2 hour or so, and turn the meat over, but as I've said before- I'm not sure it's necessary. By the time you get to the 1-1/2 hour mark, you'll find that the meat is done, and pulling itself away. I just give it that extra few minutes to get extra tender. Remove meat from cooking pan and let rest, tented with aluminum foil. Reduce liquid on stove top uncovered on medium heat to concentrate the flavors, about 10 minutes or so.

Ready for the salad?  While pork is resting, take out your stove top grill pan and grill your peach slices on both sides.

My advice to you is grill 2 peaches (I didn't do that)- you're going to want to nibble while you're putting the salad together and there's no better nibblin' than fresh grilled peaches. Dice the peach slices 1 inch, add chopped avocado, minced Serrano chili, chopped scallions, cilantro, a little salt and pepper and dress with lime juice.

I served this lovely dish on warmed tortillas. Pull your pork, toss it in the reduced cooked salsa combo, place on tortillas, add a little bit more sauce, top with the peach/avocado salad and garnish with Greek yogurt and cilanto. So good, and so worth making again and again.  

Mom's Stewed Chicken with a Tex-Mex Flair

My mother Elaine was a good cook. She was never considered a warrior in the kitchen, but even 40 plus years ago she was cooking healthy. And one of my favorite meals of hers was her stewed chicken. I  could smell it walking in the door and couldn't wait for the tender chicken, tomato broth and veggies to be done so I could indulge in one of my favorite meals ever. And thankfully before she passed away she actually gave me the recipe in writing.

I've toyed with her recipe over the years and nothing I did to tweak or impove it seemed to be any better than hers. Until tonight. A little Tex Mex seasoning, some diced jalapeno and of course some corn. This is a pretty quick fix, under an hour- and I promise you if you don't eat it all in the first sitting, you will enjoy the flavors even more the next day. As with most stews, it just gets better and better if you have the patience to let it sit.

Elaine's Stewed Chicken with a Tex-Mex Flair

6 chicken thighs bone in, skin removed
2 tsp canola oil
2 cups onions chopped
4 cloves garlic fined chopped
2 jalapeno peppers diced
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp Old El Paso Hot and Spicy Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried coriander
1/4 tsp dried cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes no salt added
1 8oz can tomato sauce no salt added
1 14.5 low sodium fat free chicken broth
3 green peppers sliced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen corn

In large soup pot on medium low heat add your canola oil. Now add your onions and jalapeno. Let veggies soften about 5 minutes and add your garlic, Old Bay, Taco Seasoning, salt, coriander, cumin and chili powder. Stir to combine and let cook a few more minutes to let the flavors combine. Now add your diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add your chicken thighs. Take a look at the size of these chicken thighs. They are huge!

Reduce broth to a slow simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Now add your fresh veggies and frozen corn.

Continue to simmer covered for 10-15 minutes and dinner is done. I made some brown rice and Colby Jack flatbread as a side. Delicious dinner tonight.

Thanks mom, you've always inspired me.

Oniony Pot Roast

I've been making and loving my mom's pot roast since I started cooking and it's so simple it seems silly. It's 2 or 3 onions sliced, a little garlic, a bay leaf or two, salt, pepper, a bit of beef broth and water. I braise it on the stove top for 2-1/2 to 3 hours and it's ready to serve. How easy is that, right? Well I came across a recipe that was a crock pot roast and it kind of reminded me of mom's and I had to give it a try. Equally as simple, but with a few more flavor boosts. But remember, I don't have a crock pot- so I converted it to a stove top meal and it's as good as any pot roast I've ever made. The aromas will simply have your mouth watering after about an hour, which of course will give you plenty of time to make your side dishes. How about egg noodles and a broccoli casserole, or mashed taters and string beans?

Oniony Pot Roast

2 T canola oil
2-3 pound chuck roast
1 can beef broth (I use the no fat low sodium)
2 onions sliced (this was my addition to the recipe)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (again I use the low fat)
1 package onion soup mix (I buy store brand- it's 1/2 the price of Knorr or Lipton and just as good for this recipe)
1 T Worcerstershire sauce
1 T red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 dried bay leaves (the original recipe called for 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1/4 tsp black pepper

Notice I left out the salt. I don't even think the original recipe called for salt, most likely due to the sodium content in the onion soup mix.

Ready to cook? On medium to high heat sear your roast in oil. I didn't even season mine. Just brown it on all sides to keep the meat juicy while it's bathing in the broth. Here's a picture of mine before I browned the short sides.

While your roast is browning, mix together all sauce ingredients.

When meat is sufficiently seared, remove it from the pan and add the onion/broth mixture to the hot pan. Deglaze the pan by stirring up the browned bits from the roast. Now add meat back to the saucy pot and bring to a high simmer. Cover, reduce heat and cook on low for about 3 hours. I promise you, you will enjoy this meal. And try and save some of the beef and onion sauce for a sloppy sandwich, which is most of the reason I make a pot roast. Very yummy.

Mozambique Shrimp Re-Mixed

I had this idea of making Mozambique Shrimp again, this time omitting the beer. I think the Goya spices combined with the onions, garlic and hot sauce is really the secret to this dish. Plus I'm trying to cut some calories and carbs and came up with this new version. The first thing I always have on hand is the Sazon Goya "Con Azafran", found in the international aisle of your grocrery store.

And of course you need shrimp. So let's get the cutting board out and start the prep.  Here's what you'll need:

Mozambique Shrimp sans Beer
3 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 pound shrimp (16-20 count) peeled and deviened
2 small onions chopped
4-5 garlic cloves chopped or grated
2 packets Goya Con Azafran
1-1/2 tsp tomato paste
2 T srirscha sauce (or any other hot sauce that rocks your boat)
12 oz water
Juice of one lemon

In large sauce pan, heat the butter, olive oil, onions and garlic on low for about 5 minutes. Make sure the heat is low enough so you just sweat them. Add the tomato paste (I love the paste in the tube), sriracha sauce, Goya seasoning and water. Bring to a boil.

Now add the prepared shrimp and lemon juice, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes.

Mozambique shrimp is ready to be served. How easy is that? I paired this with brown rice and garnished with cooling diced cucumber and cilantro. I'd love you to try this- so tasty and simple. Let me know what you think.

Thai Inspired Ground Turkey and Veggies

You know how I've been recently raving about all the great recipes from Just a Pinch, well here's a new one I made earlier in the week that came from Stephanie Morris. She did a great job capturing the sweet, spicy, salty and sour flavors we expect from Thai cuisine, and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry or fridge. Plus it's a quick fix.

Thai Ground Turkey with Vegetables
Inspired by Stephanie Morris

1-1/4 pounds ground turkey or any ground meat you prefer
1 clove garlic minced
12 oz fresh green beans- I bought mine in a pre-washed bag
1 red pepper sliced
4 scallions chopped

Sauce
1 T peanut butter- I used 1-1/2 T
1 T Thai red curry paste- I use Thai Kitchen, it comes in a 4 oz jar in the International aisle of your grocery store
1 T fresh ginger grated
1 tsp fish sauce- I might use another 1/2 tsp next time- see what I think at the time
2 tsp Splenda sweetener- regular sugar is fine as well
1/2 -3/4 cup lite coconut milk- also found on the International aisle of your grocery store

To Make the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a large measuring cup and whisk until incorporated. Doesn't that look good already? And the aromatics are heavenly. I was tempted to eat it with a spoon. Set aside.

Brown meat in a large sauce pan over medium/low heat and add garlic soon after meat starts to brown.


While meat is cooking, microwave green beans and peppers for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and let sit until they're ready to go into the mix.

When meat is cooked through, drain any fat from the pan and add the vegetables. Now pour the yummy sauce over the meat and veggies and simmer until vegetables become hot again.

At this point everything is cooked, so you just want to make sure the vegetables come back up to temperature. Sprinkle with cool, sliced scallions, and maybe a shot of red pepper flakes, and enjoy. I enjoyed mine with perfectly cooked brown rice thanks to Uncle Ben, and a teaspoon of Sambal Olek. It was delicious.

I re-heated a portion at work today, and wished I had brought some lettuce leaves to make a nice little wrap or two. I'll keep that in mind if I decide to serve this as an appetizer someday. Love this recipe Stephanie. Thanks for sharing it with us.