Blueberry Balsamic Barbeque Sauce

This is my entry for the What's Cooking? Ingredient Challenge! Blueberries are not my favorite fruit, in fact, I'm not really a fruit person at all, so I was a little nervous about having blueberries as an ingredient challenge. I thought about going the simple, tried and true route with blueberry muffins or pancakes or coffee cake and figured Zach would get to reap all the benefits. So, I started searching through my (many) cookbooks. In my Best of Cooking Light I found a pleasant surprise -- this recipe for Blueberry Blasamic Barbeque Sauce. Zach loves balsamic vinegar, so I figured it was worth a try.

I made the sauce and we had it on some pork spare ribs -- yum! It was tart and sweet and a nice spin on traditional barbeque sauce. It did stain the meat a purple color, as would be expected, but still looks rather odd. If I make it again I would probably add some diced onion and garlic in with, I think it would benefit from some fresh flavors instead of the dried garlic powder. I also added in a few grinds of black pepper and one shake of cayenne pepper. I might also up the balsamic to 1/3 or 1/2 cup, as it is a flavor Zach and I love.

It makes quite a bit, so we have plans to use some next week on chicken breasts. Mmmm, purple chicken breasts - haha!

Blueberry Balsamic Barbeque Sauce

The Best of Cooking Light

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/4 cup)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat; cool. Place blueberry mixture in a blender; process until smooth.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 67

Fat: 0.2g

Protein: 0.5g

Carbohydrate: 16.9g

Fiber: 1.4g

Giada's Penne with Braised Short Ribs

Yum! This dish was super delicious! We were spending a Saturday morning watching Food Network, as usual, and when I saw Giada make these I knew I'd be making them soon too. They were really easy and fantastic.

I made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand, but they were still excellent. I used about 2 pounds pork ribs (bone in) and 1 pound boneless beef ribs. That's what we had in our freezer, and since we are moving soon it's my mission to use everything up so we have as little as possible wasted. Also, as I went to measure the Dijon mustard I discovered it was practically empty, so I ended up using some spicy brown mustard to make up the difference. I used a shiraz for the red wine and regular beefsteak tomatoes instead of Roma, since again, that's what I had in the house.

Also, I didn't really do the last step. After we saw just how much sauce there was, we simply divided it into two equal portions. I froze one (the picture is from the frozen, then defrosted batch since I forgot to take a picture the first time) and served the other. I didn't see the point of having so much meat with only one cup of sauce, and what to do with the leftover sauce without meat? So, we decided to stretch it out to two good sized meals. With a pound of pasta with each one, it was more than enough for two of us for dinner and many yummy lunches.

I think this would be a good meal to have guests over for too, since you can get the major work done before they arrive, and then it all comes together fairly quickly at the end. When I reheated the frozen sauce we just defrosted in the microwave and then warmed it through on the stovetop. I added in a cup or so of wine to loosen it up as it reheated. You could probably use beef stock too, but we had some wine leftover about a week or so old we didn't really love as a drinking wine, but worked just fine to add more juice to the sauce.

Penne with Braised Short Ribs

from Giada at Home, found on foodnetwork.com

Cook Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

4 pounds beef short ribs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

5 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths

1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

• Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside.

• Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

• Return the ribs to the pan. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone.

• Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid.

• Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

• Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl.

• Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the sauce and add to the pasta. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the pasta. Toss well and thin out the pasta with more sauce, if needed. Sprinkle the pasta with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley before serving.

Bacon Bit and Smoked Gouda Burgers with Steakhouse Onions

This is not the greatest picture, but it is a fabulous recipe! I found it first in one of Rachael Ray's cookbooks, but then found it in an issue of her magazine as well. Even though I had made it from the cookbook, I typically use the magazine cut-out since it's smaller and now filed in my recipe collection. Smoked Gouda, caramelized onions, bacon, what isn't there to love?? These three ingredients are also the base of our favorite mac and cheese recipe, also from an issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray.

Bacon Bit and Smoked Gouda Burgers with Steakhouse Onions

EveryDay with Rachael Ray, April-May 2006

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 yellow onions, 1/4 finely chopped and 1 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
4 crusty rolls
4 slices smoked Gouda cheese
1/4 cup steak sauce


Directions:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the bacon and a drizzle of olive oil and cook until the bacon is crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.
• Return the skillet to medium-low heat and sweat the finely chopped onion in the bacon fat for 2 to 3 minutes. Combine the onion with the reserved bacon in a small bowl and let cool.
• In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the thinly sliced onions and cover them with a lid that fits inside the skillet. Cook until browned, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the onions are cooking, place the sirloin in a large bowl and top with the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and grill seasoning. Stir in the cooled chopped onions and bacon until evenly combined. Divide the meat into 4 even sections and form 4 large patties.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare and 6 minutes on each side for medium-well.
• Toast the split rolls. Place the patties on the bun bottoms and top with the smoked Gouda. Stir the steak sauce into the smothered onions. Top the burgers with the onions and set the bun tops in place. Transfer to plates and serve.
  

In the cookbook version of the recipe, it also includes a quick spinach salad. I used the salad dressing recipe and used the other salad fixings we wanted. It's basically 1/4 cup of steak sauce whisked with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and then a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Quick and easy!

Jenna Dip

My family calls this Jenna Dip. I think it's actualy name is Tiger Sauce Dip. We call it Jenna Dip because the recipe came from my sister's friend Jenna. It started as people asking, "Hey, can you make that dip that Jenna made?" and quickly evolved into just, "Hey, let's make Jenna Dip." It's delicious and gets better as it sits. I'd recommend making it at least 24-48 hours before serving. There's always a lot of liquid left over, which makes a great salad dressing.  My grocery store has Tiger Sauce in the ketchup section.

Jenna Dip

1 can shoepeg corn

1 can blackeyed peas

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 medium onion

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons tiger sauce

Directions:

• Drain and rinse corn and black eyed peas.
• Dice peppers and onion.
• Whisk together sugar, oil, vinegar and tiger sauce. 
• Combine everything in one bowl.  

Ranch Crackers

These are a party staple in my family. My mom has been making them for years for every family gathering. Well, I'd say most of the years if I was home I was the one baking them. They are so yummy and totally addictive. I don't even have the recipe in my possession, I have it memorized. I'm pretty sure it first came from an advertisement for Hidden Valley Ranch. I found this one on their website, but it is not the one I remember learning. The original, as I remember it, included garlic powder and dill weed. Since mastering the basic recipe I've modified it over and over again to fit our tastes. This is my most common variation.


Ranch Crackers
adapted from Hidden Valley Ranch

1 bag oyster crackers
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 packet ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Pour oyster crackers in a 13x9 pan.
• Whisk together oil, dressing mix and garlic powder.
• Pour over crackers and mix well, coating all crackers.
• Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Seriously, could it get any easier? I also usually throw in a few shakes of either a seasoned salt or Goya's Adobo seasoning. If I'm craving some spice, just one shake of cayenne pepper.

Gonzo Garbanzos

This is a great party snack. I found the recipe in EveryDay with Rachael Ray and have been making it several times a year ever since. It makes an appearance at most friend and family gatherings. The trick with these is getting the baking time just right -- you want them to be hard and crispy, not mushy. This requires frequent sampling when in the final segment of baking -- hey, I'm willing to make that sacrifice!


Gonzo Garbanzos
EveryDay with Rachael Ray, December/January 2007

Makes 2 3/4 cups
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 35 Minutes

Two 15.5 ounce cans chickpeas -- drained, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 cup shelled pistachios (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400.
• Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl and discard any loose skins. Toss with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper until evenly coated.
• Spread the chickpeas on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and quickly stir in the thyme and pistachios, if using. Bake until crunchy, about 10 minutes more.
• Let cool and serve at room temperature.
  

Kielbasa and Corn Chowder

This is a recipe I had cut out of EveryDay with Rachael Ray. We had what I thought was kielbasa in the freezer, leftover half & half and broth, and a rainy day coming up so I figured this would be a good way to use up some ingredients and stay warm. The kielbasa turned out to be a spicy chipotle beef sausage and the broth was beef instead of chicken, but I think it turned out just fine. Also, I left out the dill since neither of us like it. Because of the type of sausage this soup had a nice kick to it, and was delicious. It's a keeper!


Kielbasa and Corn Chowder
slightly adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray, February 2007

FOUR SERVINGS
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min

8 ounces kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (I used a chipotle beef sausage.)
2 onions, finely chopped (I used half a large onion and thought it was more than enough.)
1 tablespoon butter
One 14.5-ounce can chicken broth (I used 2 cups beef broth.)
1 large baking potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used about 4 medium sized red potatoes.)
1 cup half-and-half
One 1-pound bag frozen corn, thawed
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish (Omitted)

Directions:

• Heat a deep skillet or a wide 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the onions and butter to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes.
• Add the broth and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the half-and-half and corn and cook, stirring, until heated through.
• Using a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup chowder until smooth. (I used a stick blender; I just stuck it into the large pot and blended until it looked like a good consistency.)
• Stir the puree back into the chowder along with the browned kielbasa and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the dill.
  
  

Homemade Bagels

These were so great! They were a little bit of work, but I'd say definitely worth it. I read on a few blogs about homemade bagels, but they all used the same source recipe -- this one from Baking Bites. I loved her step by step pictures. I did not take such detailed and lovely pictures, so please go to her site and check them out.


I really enjoyed making these and love the finished product. I think I baked mine a touch too short though. I am always afraid of my oven burning things beyond recognition, so I tend to take things out earlier than I should. Next time I will wait until they are all golden brown. That being said, after being toasted the texture is just perfect -- crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Yum! I made these the same day as the soft pretzels because they had similar cooking methods -- knead dough, let it rise, shape, boil, bake. It worked out pretty well and now we are stocked with yummy carbs for quite a bit!

Homemade Bagels

Baking Bites

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1 3/4 cups water, warm (100-110F)

4 cups bread flour (not all purpose)

1 tbsp salt

1 egg, for egg wash

Directions:

• In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine yeast, sugar and water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in flour and salt. Mix dough thoroughly until it comes together in a large ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of flour or water, if needed.
• If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead dough with the dough hook until elastic, about 8 minutes on a low speed. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• When dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces (first quarters, then thirds). Shape each piece into a tight ball, pinching the corners together at the bottom of the piece of dough. When all the balls are shaped, let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.
• Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil and preheat the oven to 400F.
• Once dough balls have rested, the bagel shape can be formed. Using your fingers, poke a hole through the center of each dough ball. Stretch out the dough into a ring with your fingers and be sure to make the hole a little larger than you want the finished bagel to have, as it will shrink slightly while the bagel is expanding during the baking process. Let bagels rest for about 10 minutes.
• Working three to four at a time, drop the bagels carefully into the boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip and boil for an additional minute. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer bagels to a clean towel to drain for a moment, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining bagels.
• Brush boiled bagels with lightly beaten egg and bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown.Cool completely on a wire rack.

Soft Preztels

I think I may be in love with Alton Brown.  Ever since I first saw Good Eats I was hooked on his blend of science and cooking.  This is his Soft Pretzel recipe and it is everything I hoped it would be.  It wasn't too time consuming at all, especially with our Kitchen Aid mixer to do all the kneading.  It was a nice afternoon project and they look fabulous.  

Well, all but one look fabulous.  The first one I put in the boiling water unwound from it's pretzel shape.  I had the water at too high of a boil, instead of gentle boil and I learned a better way of using the spatula to slowely lower them in instead of just dropping them in.  I managed to get it back in a preztel shape, but it was not attractive, so it was my "quality control" pretzel, meaning I ate it to be sure the rest were okay.  :-)

I think these make a great afternoon or late night snack, and would be great with a nice, cold beer too.  

Soft Pretzels

Alton Brown

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 package active dry yeast

22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (1/2 a stick)

Vegetable oil, for pan

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Pretzel salt (I used kosher salt.)

Directions:

• Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined.
• Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
• In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
• Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. 
• Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
  

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Ham

This is another great recipe from EveryDay with Rachael Ray. Quick, easy, yummy. The only change I made was to used dried sage. I know, I'm bad, I usually try and use fresh herbs whenever possible since I love the extra kick of flavor they bring. But, I had everything else on hand for this dinner and was too lazy to go to the store. I thought it tasted great with the dried herb, but next time though, I will definitely being using the fresh. I used whole wheat pasta as well, and I think that really complimented the nuttiness of the roasted cauliflower.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Ham

EveryDay with Rachael Ray, December-January 2009

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower (about 2½ pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup loosely packed sage leaves, coarsely chopped

1 pound penne pasta

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 pound sliced, boiled ham, cut into strips 

salt & pepper

Directions:

• Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. 
• Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and toss; season with salt and pepper. Bake until browned, about 20 minutes. 
• Salt the water and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain and return the pasta to the pot.
•  Meanwhile, in a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until the butter is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the sage and remove from the heat. 
• Stir the ham, cauliflower and reserved pasta cooking water into the pot with the pasta. Stir in the sage butter and season with salt and pepper.