Barbequed ribs

(Picture courtesy of Calgary Reviews at flickr.com.)

Maybe you guessed, this is in time for Memorial Day, and if you haven’t had ribs, this may be a good time.   For barbequing, there are lots of special recipes, but I like the excellent sauces that come already made, and have no problems in using what the store offers.

What works best for backyard barbeque is the baby back ribs in the pork section from your grocer’s meat department.   Get enough so everyone will have four to six ribs, more for big eaters.   Have several kinds of sauce on the table, but use a mild on for preparation.

….precook your ribs to speed up the process or to increase the tenderness of the ribs. Ribs cooked on a barbecue smoker at a low temperature for several hours will be very tender. Ribs cooked on a grill, especially a gas grill, will not be as tender even cooked indirectly. To make your ribs tenderer you can precook by either boiling the ribs for about 30 minutes or by placing them in a slow cooker. This will get the ribs going and not dried out. Once you are ready to grill then you can season the ribs and cook them indirectly until done. The disadvantage of this is that the ribs will not absorb the flavor of the smoke very well and you can literally boil out the flavor of the meat. Remember, if you boil, slow cook, or oven roast ribs it must be at a low temperature, around 200 to 225 degrees F.

Now when it comes to seasoning ribs you want to be very conservative. Good ribs have a great flavor all to themselves. It is also important to avoid adding barbecue sauce to ribs early in the process. Most barbecue sauces, whether store bought or homemade, contain some kind of sugar (tomatoes contain sugar). This can cause your barbecue ribs to burn, even cooked indirectly. I suggest using a good rub before you grill and maybe a barbecue sauce after the grilling is done. However if you want to use a sauce, try using a mop. A mop is a thin barbecue sauce (mainly vinegar or water) that you brush on during grilling to help maintain moisture and to add flavor. Sometimes you will hear it referred to as a baste.

So remember, keep the temperature low. A good grilling temperature for barbecue ribs is about 225 degrees F. Also keep a close eye on your ribs. Once the surface of the meat starts to burn there’s no going back. Another good tip is to fill a spray bottle with a thin barbecue sauce. By thin I mean practically water. I use a mixture of paprika, water and a few other seasonings. By spraying the ribs with this mixture during grilling you will add moisture, reduce burning and add flavor to your barbecue ribs.

For my taste, spicy is best, but have something mild like honey mustard barbeque for the more squeamish eater.

To go with this, for some reason in Texas the restaurants serve plain white bread.   Also sliced onions, pickled green tomatoes, and big dill pickles.   All good.

For accompaniment, some kind of baked beans are usually around.    To fill out the menu, I always want some potato salad as well.

Mom gets breakfast in bed

(Picture courtesy of edenpictures at flickr.com.)

Let’s face it, what Mom does not need is a mess.   Let’s talk about breakfasts that you and the kids can do without making one.

Coffee is essential.   Typically, a scoop of coffee per two cups of coffee works, but if you don’t know how to make it, take Mom a cup of hot water and one or two packets of instant, or the jar of instant with a spoon.   She knows what she likes.   If you don’t have Half and Half, or she doesn’t take cream, milk is fine, and yoghurt works in a pinch.  Or throw some ice cream at her and tell her this is a special morning, Go For IT.

It’s hard to mess up toast, betcha you know which bread she likes, spread on some margarine or butter, pull out the jam that she uses.   It’s the one that’s already opened and might even be the one you don’t use, the one in the back of the refrigerator.

You want to make eggs without making a mess, boil or poach them, in boiling water.  A four and a half minute eggs, dunk in cold water, take up on a tray in a cup, with a spoon to break them open.

You can skip the bacon or sausage, no way to cook them without splattering, and she would like that best.   If you thought ahead, or run out first to the store, there are pre-cooked kinds and pop them in the microwave to heat.

Juice is good, but not fresh squeezed which would mean she has to wash up the juicer after you.   If you have some in a jar/can/container, pour it half full, so you don’t spill on the way up.

Picking her favorite rose off the bush, to surprise her, just isn’t a good plan.  Maybe the neighbors have something pretty next to the fence, and you can sneak them in a vase.   Half full of water, not to spill.

Now wait until she’s gone to the bathroom, then take up the tray.

Tell Mom to thank me.

Mother's Day lemon meringue pie fresh from the oven

Taco

(Picture courtesy of jumbledpile at flickr.com.)

Cinco de Mayo is a holiday in neighboring Mexico, celebrating freedom from European rule.   Celebrating the event with a basic dish is great practice, especially since it’s all healthy.

We think of tacos as probably our best known food derived from Mexican cuisine, and most of us have it as a tortilla with a filling made from meat, usually beef.   I love several varieties of taco filling, including fish.   Topping the taco with shredded lettuce, chopped onions and tomatoes, and grated cheese is our usual practice, and pouring hot sauce over it makes this our national celebration of Mexican food.

Here’s a recipe that assures us it’s delicious, hope it’s as good as claimed.   I prefer a crispy corn tortilla base, myself.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds flank steak
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 dried New Mexico chile pods
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 (32 ounce) package corn tortillas
• 2 cups grated cotija cheese(optional)
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

However you celebrate, be sure you have the healthiest snack I know, the taco.

Trail Food Snack Bin

Most of us occasionally want something that we think isn’t good for us, usually sweets.   As a kid, I ate candy compulsively.   Fortunately, I grew out of that craving, and have a new one now, for trail food sorts of items.   Nuts, raisins and other dried fruits, seeds and crackers sit in a bin on the kitchen counter here, and we take a handful instead of going for candy.   Okay, I confess, there are yoghurt covered cranberries in there, almost candy, too.

Researchers combined data from 31 trials conducted across the globe and found that on average, there was very little difference in changes in weight or waist measurements between people who were put on a normal or nut-supplemented diet.

“Most of the nut-enriched studies don’t show that patients gain a significant amount of weight, in contrast to what one might think,” said Dr. David Bleich, head of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.

The craving for sweets isn’t all bad.   I’ve known it to be an indicator that a body is hungry for something, and in my late mother’s case meant a lack of vitamin B12, pernicious anemia.   

Sweeteners may also affect the balance of chemicals in our brain and impair our memory and may be a contributor to chronic joint pain and arthritis. So, if you have ever gotten the sense that your sweet tooth is getting out of hand, I provide the following strategies for you to try.

Respect the craving. Your body is trying to tell you something. Our body is a beautiful interconnected system that is constantly working to maintain our balance and health. When our body feels it needs something, there are many ways it will work to signal our mind of its needs. By really tuning in and listening we can decode these messages and provide our body and mind what they most need to function their best. A craving for sweets may signal general hunger or low blood sugar.

We can always act wisely and substitute something for the urge to eat something sweet.   Taking a walk, or gardening, or eating something healthy are ideal.   Of course, blogging about it works, too.

Try the health food snacks, you’ll be glad you did.

(Picture courtesy of Michele Ursino at creative commons at Wikipedia.)

I do hope you have a bunch of dyed eggs to eat up now.   I did as I always do at Easter, got a bunch of white eggs and dyed them different colors, also used the dinky design stickers and made them silly.   Now to use them up.   Sometimes I make creamed eggs, sometimes deviled.   This year we’ll be devilish.

12 eggs
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons sweet relish
Salt
Pepper
Paprika, for dusting
Directions
Place eggs in a large wide saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil for 12 minutes. Remove eggs and and cool in refrigerator. Remove shells from eggs and slice in half lengthwise. Separate egg yolks and place into a bowl. Place whites on a separate plate. Add mayo, mustard, relish and salt and pepper, to taste, to yolks and mash together with a fork until creamy and smooth. Using a large star tip and resealable plastic bag, pipe the yolk mixture back into each egg, enough to fill yolk holes completely. Dust tops with paprika. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

If you had them in a basket, the family has probably already eaten a few – so figure for less than a dozen and cut back the mixing ingredients.

If you sprinkle them with paprika or cut up a bit of red pepper, it’s prettier.   Olives are a favorite treat, so I cut up bits of olive to decorate the tops as well, sometimes.

Easter eggs, deviling ready

Apple Custard Pie

(Picture courtesy of avlxyz at flickr.com.)

Today I have a few things begging me to use them, and this is the solution.   Incidentally, the local Amish discount/bulk food store sells sleeves of pie filling of several types, and the remaining apple filling just has to find a home.   There’s a graham cracker pie crust in the freezer I feel like pulling out.   And we’ll always have Paris custard, got those farm eggs from the same little store.

With those things in mind I went searching and found a recipe, which is below.

1 1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs (beaten)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk

Mix applesauce, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, salt and milk. Line 10 inch or 9 inch deep dish pie plate with pastry. Pour apple custard mixture into crust and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 45 minutes more or until knife comes out clean.

Okay, obviously I will be substituting apple pie filling for the applesauce.

This is going to happen later this afternoon, and maybe I’ll have a new picture to add in later.

Newmade apple custard pie

Irish soda bread

(Picture courtesy of  Benn W. Bell at Wikipedia commons.)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, wishing you a bit of Irish lilt, and good food to go with.  Please remember those who are hungry, and do something for that increasing number of the needy.

The standard Irish soda bread is worth a try, always something to go with the other parts of the meal and an addition to your day.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

• Place raisins in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins.
• Transfer to a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

Celebrate well, and a pint of Guinness with this is just the top of the day for its proper enjoyment.

Cornbread

(Picture courtesy of iwinatcookie at flickr.com.)

The best known of all the quickbreads, cornbread is one of dishes I am sure is American as apple pie.   Of course, corn was a product of the New World and therefore humble pie, indeed.

Something I’ve discovered lately is that you can butter the crock, and do this one slowly in the crockpot. It will cook verrrry slowly, and when it’s done it will have crusty corners, with an all moist interior.

When the kids were not eating veggies happily, I could tuck some into the cornbread and they’d munch them right up.  Also, because it’s porous, the cornbread will absorb gravies and cream sauces, can be used as a base under creamed anything.

There are lots of basic recipes, and this one is among them.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup half and half
• ¼ cup melted butter or shortening
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup sugar

Preparation:

(Please note that the Microsoft Word programming as usual fouls up when it tries to tell us what we need to do, making the numbering a mess.)

Most likely your family has a favorite recipe, and I love the jalapeno added hot cornbread.   They’re all good.  I like to throw in onions and bell peppers, and of course the bacon lovers will want to have their crumbs of bacon in the batter too.

If you didn’t have cornbread stuffing in the turkey, make-up time is now, and you can throw in some leftover turkey if you like.

Turkey for dinner

(Picture courtesy of cobalt123 at flickr.com.)

During the conversation yesterday at Pull Up A Chair, one of our FDL number asked a question that really needs an answer; how DO you cook the turkey?

First let me say that the first turkey I cooked, in my inexperience I never realized you have a bag of giblets in the turkey’s carcass.   Do remove the giblets before cooking.

You should have a turkey by today if you’re using a frozen one, and put it into the refrigerator for thawing, because they take a few days to thaw completely.

For the dressing, I like whole wheat and grain rich breads, and you can buy those loaves now to begin drying out.   Of course, you could buy bags of pre-prepared stuffing, but you’ll save a lot if you get bread from the day-old shelves or discount store for breads.   Put the bread into a large container, cover with paper towels or any piece of cloth, in the refrigerator, about two days in advance.

The aluminum foil pans at the store now on sale for a dollar are perfectly good, but when you fix up your turkey, put that onto a firm cookie sheet to avoid its buckling under the weight of the cooked bird.  Take all but the bottom rack out of the oven before turning it on, so you’ll have room for everything.

Cooking is going to take awhile, check the weight of your bird and see the chart below.  Stuff the bird before putting in the pan, see recipe below for standard celery stuffing.

You should rinse the bird inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.

If you are stuffing the bird, stuff it loosely, allowing about ½ to ¾ cup stuffing per pound of turkey.

Brush the skin with melted butter or oil. Tie drumsticks together with string (for stuffed birds only).

Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. The thermometer should point towards the body, and should not touch the bone.

Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan, and into a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven.

Cook the turkey until the skin is a light golden color, and then cover loosely with a foil tent. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but will promote even browning.

The only true test for doneness is the temperature of the meat, not the color of the skin.

• The turkey is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.  The dressing should be 165 F.

The dressing of course should be put into the turkey before the roasting.

• 1 (1 pound) loaf sliced white bread
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• cut into cubes.
• 1. In a Dutch oven, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Cook onion and celery until soft. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in bread cubes until evenly coated. Moisten with chicken broth; mix well.
  2. Chill, and use as a stuffing for turkey, or bake in a buttered casserole dish at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes.
  3. Enjoy your dinner.
  4. As you can see, the style of this post has been messed up because I’ve used  a cut a paste that had pre-arranged numbering in it.
  5.  This is one good reason to detest word processing, and for that reason I much prefer Wordperfect to any other program.

Porcupines

(Picture courtesy of jessicafm at flickr.com.)

*No porcupines were harmed in the making of this post.*

While a lot of you immediately made the association with meatballs, I do occasionally encounter some one who got all the way through childhood without being served this dish.   I was given it by a sister-in-law, and my kids were really fond of it, so this is one thing I think of when I grab up some ground meat.

This is so standard in my kitchen, I don’t use a recipe, but here’s one I looked up for you.

Original recipe makes 4 servings; Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water, or more as needed
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Directions
• 1. Mix the ground beef, rice, 1/2 cup water, onion, salt, celery salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a bowl. Roll the mixture into 12 meatballs.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the meatballs. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until evenly browned. Drain and discard any excess grease. Pour the tomato sauce, 1 cup water, and Worcestershire sauce into the skillet; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in more water if the sauce becomes too dry.

Some veggies can be thrown into this dish, and it’s a complete meal.   I had fresh chard from the garden with mine, yesterday.

While the recipe specifies beef, I do not see a difference between that and any other ground meat you may have on hand.   Turkey is a lovely and lower cholesterol meat, and may be your preference.

I also use V-8 juice, even the spicy variety, and a splash of hot sauce or salsa if the mood strikes me.

(Picture courtesy of gander 178 at flickr.com.)

Not to be put in the pan, actual porcupine.