Tonight I spent some time with the girls over fondue. For the party, I prepared a homemade strawberry sauce, buttermilk ranch bread, turkey meatball appetizers (sun dried tomatoes & feta, italian parmesan) and an edible fruit bouquet. Here are pics of the event!
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Tonight I spent some time with the girls over fondue. For the party, I prepared a homemade strawberry sauce, buttermilk ranch bread, turkey meatball appetizers (sun dried tomatoes & feta, italian parmesan) and an edible fruit bouquet. Here are pics of the event!
Me with my eyes closed (lol)
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Tonights dinner was another successful attempt in using pantry leftovers. It’s wonderful to be able to use what you have on hand to make a pretty tasty meal with little effort! So for dinner, we had maple pork ribs with black bean & tomato rice.
The production of maple syrup, or ‘sugarin’, hasn’t changed much since the time of the Indians. Maple syrup comes from the boiled down sap of the sugar maple tree.
A sugar maple tree must be at least 10 inches in diameter for the tree to be tapped. When a tree is ‘tapped,’ a hole is made in the tree and a spout is placed in the hole for the sap to flow. This sap is caught by a bucket. The buckets are then gathered and put in a large cooker. It takes 40 gallons of sap to boil down to one gallon of maple syrup.
After the syrup has been boiled, it must be strained, cooled, and boiled again. It is first graded, and then ready for containers.
Here’s my recipe for maple pork ribs:
1 bottle prepared BBQ sauce (or homemade sauce)
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
Combine the above ingredient to form marinade/sauce.
Marinate pork ribs (bone in or boneless) overnight in marinade.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or grill until done.
Filed under: BBQ sauce, Maple, Marinades | Leave a comment »
Tonights dinner was another successful attempt in using pantry leftovers. It’s wonderful to be able to use what you have on hand to make a pretty tasty meal with little effort! So for dinner, we had maple pork ribs with black bean & tomato rice.
The production of maple syrup, or ‘sugarin’, hasn’t changed much since the time of the Indians. Maple syrup comes from the boiled down sap of the sugar maple tree.
A sugar maple tree must be at least 10 inches in diameter for the tree to be tapped. When a tree is ‘tapped,’ a hole is made in the tree and a spout is placed in the hole for the sap to flow. This sap is caught by a bucket. The buckets are then gathered and put in a large cooker. It takes 40 gallons of sap to boil down to one gallon of maple syrup.
After the syrup has been boiled, it must be strained, cooled, and boiled again. It is first graded, and then ready for containers.
Here’s my recipe for maple pork ribs:
1 bottle prepared BBQ sauce (or homemade sauce)
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
Combine the above ingredient to form marinade/sauce.
Marinate pork ribs (bone in or boneless) overnight in marinade.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or grill until done.
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Lately we’ve been hit with a lot of rain, causing me to crave some comfort food. So tonight I decided to use the remaining chicken thighs I had to make fried chicken.
Fried chicken has a dual origin in the rural American South. The Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to many southern states had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. As Africans were brought to work on southern plantations, the slaves who became cooks incorporated seasonings and spices that were absent in traditional Scottish cuisine, enriching the flavor. Since most slaves were allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken as a special occasion spread through their community.
Here is my recipe for ‘buttermilk’ ranch fried chicken:
1 can evaporated milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 chicken thighs (or preferred cuts)
2 cups flour
1 packet dry ranch dressing
frying oil
In a bowl, combine chicken milk and lemon juice.
Soak chicken in milk mixture overnight.
When ready to cook, heat oil in pan.
In a small bowl, combine flour and dry ranch dressing.
Discard milk and dredge chicken in flour mixture.
Fry chicken until golden brown & juices run clear.
Filed under: Chicken, Lemon juice, Marinades, Milk: Evaporated, Southern | Leave a comment »
Lately we’ve been hit with a lot of rain, causing me to crave some comfort food. So tonight I decided to use the remaining chicken thighs I had to make fried chicken.
Fried chicken has a dual origin in the rural American South. The Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to many southern states had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. As Africans were brought to work on southern plantations, the slaves who became cooks incorporated seasonings and spices that were absent in traditional Scottish cuisine, enriching the flavor. Since most slaves were allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken as a special occasion spread through their community.
Here is my recipe for ‘buttermilk’ ranch fried chicken:
1 can evaporated milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 chicken thighs (or preferred cuts)
2 cups flour
1 packet dry ranch dressing
frying oil
In a bowl, combine chicken milk and lemon juice.
Cover and let sit overnight.
When ready to cook, heat oil in pan.
In a small bowl, combine flour and dry ranch dressing.
Discard milk and dredge chicken in flour mixture.
Fry chicken until golden brown & juices run clear.
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Some people don’t care for fruit and meat combinations… however I like the unique taste of sweet and savory combined. Given this, I had a small jar of raspberry jam and leftover raspberry vinaigrette staring at me so I combined them to make a very flavorful raspberry marinade.
Red raspberries are a healthy addition to everyone’s diet. This fruit has a unique delicious taste and is packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Possibly the most promising benefit from consuming red raspberries is their substantial quantity of ellagic acid, a phenolic antioxidant compound known as a potent anti-carcinogenic compound. Clinical tests show that ellagic acid may inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Here is my recipe for Raspberry Infused Chicken:
4 large chicken thighs
1/2 – 3/4 standard bottle of raspberry vinaigrette
1 small jar of raspberry jam
1 tablespoon garlic
chopped parsley
Combine all the above ingredients except chicken.
Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken.
Allow chicken to marinade overnight.
Place chicken on baking pan and discard marinade.
Bake chicken at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear.
Top with fresh chopped parsley.
Filed under: Chicken, Garlic, Marinades, Parsley, Raspberry | Leave a comment »
Some people don’t care for fruit and meat combinations… however I like the unique taste of sweet and savory combined. Given this, I had a small jar of raspberry jam and leftover raspberry vinaigrette staring at me so I combined them to make a very flavorful raspberry marinade.
Red raspberries are a healthy addition to everyone’s diet. This fruit has a unique delicious taste and is packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Possibly the most promising benefit from consuming red raspberries is their substantial quantity of ellagic acid, a phenolic antioxidant compound known as a potent anti-carcinogenic compound. Clinical tests show that ellagic acid may inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Here is my recipe for Raspberry Infused Chicken:
4 large chicken thighs
1/2 – 3/4 standard bottle of raspberry vinaigrette
1 small jar of raspberry jam
1 tablespoon garlic
chopped parsley
Combine all the above ingredients except chicken.
Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken.
Allow chicken to marinade overnight.
Place chicken on baking pan and discard marinade.
Bake chicken at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear.
Top with fresh chopped parsley.
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My husband loves shrimp to no end… so I decided to make him a stir fry with veggies and tofu.
Tofu is a popular Chinese food and ingredient. It’s made with soy milk that is coagulated, pressed and made into blocks. Making tofu from soy milk is similar to the technique of making cheese from milk. I prefer firm and extra firm tofu. This form of fresh tofu still contains a great amount of moisture. It has the firmness of raw meat but bounces back readily when pressed. The texture of the inside of the tofu is similar to that of a firm custard.
Here is my recipe for Shrimp & Tofu Stir Fry:
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 lb shrimp
1 block firm tofu, cubed
2 cups frozen or fresh asian stir fry veggies
1 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
garlic & onion powder to taste
salt & pepper to taste
In a pan, saute garlic and shrimp.
When shrimps turn pink, add veggies and heat through.
Add sauce & tofu and heat through.
Season to taste.
Filed under: Asian: Chinese, Garlic, Onion, Seafood: Shrimp, Stir Fry, Teriyaki, Tofu | Leave a comment »
My husband loves shrimp to no end… so I decided to make him a stir fry with veggies and tofu.
Tofu is a popular Chinese food and ingredient. It’s made with soy milk that is coagulated, pressed and made into blocks. Making tofu from soy milk is similar to the technique of making cheese from milk. I prefer firm and extra firm tofu. This form of fresh tofu still contains a great amount of moisture. It has the firmness of raw meat but bounces back readily when pressed. The texture of the inside of the tofu is similar to that of a firm custard.
Here is my recipe for Shrimp & Tofu Stir Fry:
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 lb shrimp
1 block firm tofu, cubed
2 cups frozen or fresh asian stir fry veggies
1 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
garlic & onion powder to taste
salt & pepper to taste
In a pan, saute garlic and shrimp.
When shrimps turn pink, add veggies and heat through.
Add sauce & tofu and heat through.
Season to taste.
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Joelen's Culinary Adventures 