KC Style Oven-Baked Ribs

Summer is soooo close, but it's still supposed to freeze this weekend.  I spotted a nice rack (of pork ribs...) at Trader Joe's this week so I snagged them, hoping to fire up the grill this week.  With near freezing temps and an epic thunderstorm yesterday evening, grilling wasn't an option.  I dug up an old oven recipe and the three ingredients proved magical as always: A lemon, my favorite rub, and my favorite BBQ sauce.  Low and slow in the oven and you have fall-off-the-bone pork, baby back ribs.  It was a picnic at our kitchen table last night while listening to the rain...not too shabby.

Ingredients: 

-1 rack of pork baby back ribs

-1 lemon

-favorite pork rub

-favorite BBQ sauce

Baked Brie with a Brown Sugar Brandy Sauce

Baked Brie is a pretty amazing holiday party appetizer. If there isn't some of this melted cheese at a party, it's a real shame.  Bring this EASY appetizer recipe to your next get-together. It's only a few minutes hands-on time to make the sauce, drizzle on the brie and then bake.  If you're bringing it to a party you can make the sauce beforehand and just bake once you get to there.  Here are a few more easy holiday appetizers. 

Ingredients: 

-1 cup brandy

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1 wheel of brie

optional garnishes: 

-nuts such as pine nuts, pecans, or walnuts

-earthy herbs such as lavender flowers, rosemary or sage

PeteyBird Goat Cheese and Fig Ice Cream Roll with Short Bread Cookies

Photographing for Amanda at 5280.com means I get to meet some of the greatest chefs and entrepenuers in town.  My most recent assignment was to photograph these amazing mini ice-cream sandwiches from PeteyBird. Pete of PeteyBird uniquely crafted ice cream sandwiches is engineer turned baker which is fabulous for us Denverites. The creatively flavored sandwiches are ideally sized and will melt in your mouth...just in time for summer!  Pete has mastered all things ice cream and cookies during his lengthy R&D process and this was one of his fabulous creations.  Similar to a savory, spreadable cheese log and cracker duo, this sweet version is a perfect dinner party dessert. The recipe may look a bit daunting but Pete swears it's not that bad (it's really not!).  Well worth a show-stopping and interactive dessert. Also, here are a few of his few ice cream sandwiches first talked about on Amanda Faison's Table Talk blog post.

Beer Cheese Dip

This is made in the microwave! Had to get that out there first.  My roommate has made this a few times out of an ancient Junior League Cookbook, Denver Cache.  It's seriously circa 1980's but has some great classics.  Annie (my roommate) has bumped up some of the measurements and tweaked it over the years. We've used a variety of beers in this recipe so feel free to be creative.  We've use dark lagers, amber beers, and basically anything that is darker than a Bud Light.  Please don't use a "college beer" in this recipe.  Splurge a little bit and buy a $2 bottle of beer; it will be worth it.  We serve this with crusty bread or veggies such as carrots and broccoli.  Basically, anything you can dip in beer-flavored-cheese.


Ingredient:


-1 block (8oz) light cream cheese
-6 oz cheddar cheese, grated
-2 green onions, chopped
-1/2 cup dark beer (about 1/2 bottle)
-1 Tbsp horseradish
-1 tsp dry mustard

Reckless Abandon Photo Shoot

Two of my great friends, food photographer Laurie Smith and food stylist Erica McNeish joined me last week for a fun evening of appetizers, wine and photos. Laurie was gracious enough to snap some pictures of me cooking and Lola trying to steal food in the process.  If you're local to Denver make sure to check out Laurie and Erica's newest website that launched last week.  It's called The Urban Almanac and is a seasonal online guide to Colorado featuring the bounty of food, drink and artisanal products. 

 

The afternoon started at 2pm poaching little pink shrimp for an appetizer. 

Erica taught me about "driveway gardening" so we went to the side of the house and picked some fresh dill in the potted kitchen garden. 

The second appetizer was smoky deviled eggs with a healthy glass of chardonnay.  

Laurie made sure to snap a few shots of my retro kitchen featuring a circa 1930's gas stove and oven.  Yes, that means a match is needed to light each burner and oven for every use. 

The poached shrimp came together on puff pasty squares with whole-grain mustard butter and a sprig of dill.

I photographed the appetizers as Lola sneaked behind me to try to grab some crumbs. 

    

The dinner started with a roasted chicken over a bed of onions making golden caramelized onions in chicken drippings. I make this recipe at least once a week.  

Handmade pasta is one of my favorite meals and the time is worth the results. We made egg noodle fettuccine. 

The chicken came out of the oven and I made a pan sauce with white wine and starchy water from boiling the pasta.  

Yes, you caught me...wardrobe change.

As the pasta dried a bit, I sauteed shiitake mushrooms and spring peas in coconut oil.

Took a deep breath and finished my glass of wine before dinner was served! 

I threw the chicken, pasta, peas and mushrooms together for a filling meal with fabulous friends! I wish I could do this every day with these girls.

Steamed Mussels with Italian Sausage over Pasta

I make mussels quite a bit and my go to recipe is Steamed Mussels in a White Wine Saffron Broth.  This recipe is similar but minus the saffron and plus some wonderful sausage.  I used locally (and minimally processed) Polidori Mild Italian Sausage.  You can use mild or spicy, whatever you and your guests prefer.  The sausage adds wonderful flavor to the broth and makes a little more hearty, but still light meal when served over pasta.  My favorite noodle in the world is Buccatini. It's basically thick spaghetti with a hole through the whole noodle...or like a very long macaroni noodle. Mmmm...regular spaghetti, angel hair or linguine would work as well.

Ingredients:


-2-3 lbs fresh mussels (I did 3 lbs for 5 people)
-3 shallots, minced (or 1 white onion)
-6 garlic cloves, minced
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 cup white wine
-4 cups chicken broth
-1 Tbsp tomato paste
-2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
-1 lb Italian sausage, mild or spicy - I used Polidori
-1 baguette french bread
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 pkg buccatini, spaghetti or linguine pasta
-1 handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste

Caramelized Red Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini

Blake and I were at a wedding in Crested Butte a few weekends ago.  The food was amazing! In particular the rehearsal dinner had this little appetizer that we all couldn't get enough of.  They were perfect little finger foods for nibbling on while enjoying a glass of wine. I think they paired especially well with a hefty glass of red wine! I asked the cocktail waitress what was on the crostini and my guess was almost spot on.  Not only caramelized onions, but caramelized red onions which I've never made.  The white creamy spread was nothing but my favorite, goat cheese!  I have a whole post on Caramelized Onions that will help you folks that have never done it.  It's not hard, just takes a little time that is well worth it!

Ingredients:

-1 long loaf French bread

-2 medium red onions

-2 (5.3 ounce) pyramids of spreadable goat cheese (make sure not to get the crumbles)

-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

-1/8 cup olive oil for brushing, or olive oil spray

-microgreens or fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

-salt and pepper to taste

Rock Chalk Cake Pops

Win or lose we still love our Jayhawks...and we will eat cake pops.  Yes, Kansas lost the National Championship on Monday but we had a great season and none of us are fair-weather fans. I made these for our party and they were devoured.  I was lucky to have a few to photograph the next day.  I'm not a baker and I was even successful at these!  I know I'm thinking ahead, but tailgates next fall? You betchya!

Ingredients:


-1 box yellow cake mix
-eggs (however many the box calls for...I needed 3)
-butter (follow box ingredients again)
-1/2 can cream cheese icing
-2 pkgs white candy bark (you can get any color at Hobby Lobby or white at the grocery store)
-sprinkles

Other things needed:

-double boiler (or just two different sized pots)
-Popsicle sticks (also found at Hobby Lobby or craft store)
-Styrofoam blocks or large ring

Super Bowl Recipes - Lightened Up

Super Bowl is this weekend for those of you that don't know.  If you're like me food is your favorite part of the day.  This year why not take things to a "lighter" level instead of getting sick off heavy beer and deep fried wings.  Below are some of my recipes that will have you full yet not comatose.  Let me know if you try any of them and how they worked for your party!

Mini Crab Rangoons

My most popular recipe, by far, is the Crab Rangoon Dip.  I've taken the same recipe and stepped it up a notch.  Here, the dip is divided up into little wonton wrappers and baked until golden brown.  It's the perfect party appetizer and to make it even better, I've made the recipe a little lighter!

Ingredients:


-1 package of wonton wrappers/skins (found in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
-2 cans of crab meat
-16 ounces (2 blocks) light cream cheese, softened
-1/2 cup light sour cream
-4 green onions, chopped
-1.5 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
-2 Tbsp. powder sugar
-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
-1/2 tsp lemon juice

Gadgets Needed:


-1 mini-cupcake pan

Spinach Salad with Cajun Pecans and Poppy Seed Dressing

Have a holiday party coming up and you've been selected to bring a salad? Well this is an easy yet, knock-your-socks off of recipe.  Most of it can be done days in advance so you aren't in a time crunch running out the door.  I brought it to a book club last week and it was a hit.  The dressing is homemade, but very easy if you have a food processor or blender. Also, the recipe makes a TON more dressing than needed for the salad so you will have it for weeks in your fridge.

This recipe was first posted on Tutto Bella Blog.  I was so excited when these three sisters reached out to me to do a guest post.  Their blog is a compilation of weddings, parties, fashion, decor and DIY (and everything in between).  It's truly a great place to get ideas and just raise your spirits! Check them out here!

Ingredients:


-2 bags baby spinach salad
-8 ounces pecans
-1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges (or two smaller ones), drained
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-2 Tbsp cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing Ingredients:


-1.5 cups sugar
-1 tsp dry mustard
-3 cups (plus 1 Tbsp) vegetable oil
-1 cup apple cider vinegar
-2 Tbsp chopped white onion
-1.5 Tbsp poppy seeds

Endives with Goat Cheese, Mandarin Oranges and Almonds

This is one of my first restaurant re-creations, which has become my new favorite thing to do.  It's somewhat of a challenge to guess the ingredients and see if I can recreate it.  This was an easy recipe to start with considering the menu basically listed the ingredients for me.  Each quarter we have meetings at our headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland and end up at Jaleo at least once per visit, which then turns out to be around 4-6 times a year and I'm not complaining; it's fabulous!

Ingredients:


-2 Belgium endives (found in most grocery stores near the lettuce..just ask someone)
-1 can mandarin oranges (reserve liquid)
-1 (5.3 oz) Chavrie goat's cheese
-1 small pkg sliced almonds
-2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
-sea salt and pepper to taste

Deviled Eggs with Basil Aioli and Crispy Capers

Those who follow the food blogs surely know of Molly Wizenberg of Orangette. If you don't you really should check her out.  Not only are her recipes fab, but her pictures are just as scrumptious. The deviled eggs themselves are fairly standard, but what makes them so irresistible are the lovely garnishes. The creamy sweet basil aioli is a great balance with the crunch of salty capers. Basically, these became a few continuous meals for me the other week.  You better believe this will be the next appetizer I bring to a party!

Ingredients for Eggs:

-12 eggs

-1 Tbsp olive oil

-2 Tbsp small jarred capers

-6 Tbsp light mayo

-2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

-1 lemon juice

-1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients for Basil Aioli:

-1/4 packed fresh basil leaves

-1 garlic clove

-1/2 tsp lemon juice

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1/2 cup light mayo

-salt to taste

Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin with an Herb and Mustard Seed Crust

So I was house hunting this past weekend in Denver and had the pleasure to use Blake's urban vegetable and herb garden at my disposal! Basically, I was in heaven.  He knows the way to a girl's heart (or at least mine).  This recipe is quite easy and can be substituted for dry herbs if you don't have fresh ones.  I've even used a mixture of dried and fresh before.  The presentation is fairly impressive for the level of work involved so it's great for entertaining guests! 

Ingredients: 


-1 lemon and herb marinated pork tenderloin (Hormel is my favorite)
-2 Tbsp apricot preserves or orange marmalade, I've used both before
-2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
-2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
-2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
-2 Tbsp mustard seeds
-1 tsp garlic powder
-salt and pepper to taste

Light Pepperoncini Dip

Are you sick of light dip recipes from Diane Morgan's Skinny Dips? Good! Me neither! As I'm sure you all know by now, chips and dip are my weakness.  This cookbook has become my life saver.  If you don't like the taste or texture of cottage cheese this dip may not be for you.  I think it's awesome though...creamy and a bit spicy from the pepperoncini!

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup light sour cream

-2 oz light cream cheese (1/4 of a bar)

-1 container (16 oz) reduced-fat cottage cheese

-1/2 cup drained, stemmed and finely chopped pepperoncini

-2 Tbsp minced flat leaf/Italian parsley

-grated zest of 1/2 lemon

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1/2 tsp sea salt

Skinny Hot Artichoke Dip

Once again, another recipe I had to try from Skinny Dips by Diane Morgan. I told you I loved chips and dip so when I heard of these light alternatives to my favs, I couldn't stop cooking!!  This is a great recipe for a party to serve a crowd!

Ingredients:

-1 large shallot, halved

-2 cans (13.75 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained

-1/2 cup light mayo

-1/2 cup light sour cream

-1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

-1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

-1/3 cup bread crumbs

-1 1/2 finely minced fresh oregano

-2 tsp olive oil

Roasted Edamame with Sea Salt and Togarashi Pepper

I was browsing through my favorite cooking blogs this afternoon and found this recipe on thekitchn.com. I decided to give it a whirl since I had shelled edamame in the freezer! I added a little spice though...


Ingredients:


1 (16 oz) frozen bag of shelled edamame (shelled means no longer in the pods/shells)
2 tsps of olive oil
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of Togarashi pepper (a japanese seven-spice blend)

Superbowl Series - Oven Fried Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

The Superbowl was weeks ago and I'm STILL posting recipes from my menu that day.  And to think I almost forgot about the best dish served! This is an easy, light alternative to fried chicken fingers.  I found the recipe in Cooking Light, which is probably my favorite cooking magazine. I have one sitting on the table to read today!!!  I tweaked the recipe a bit by mostly adding more spices than the amounts call for.  I didn't add any additional spices, just increased the quantity...

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of Chicken Tenders

1/2 cup of buttermilk (I probably used more...)

1 cup of crushed Cornflakes

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp of dried minced onion

1 tsp of paprika

1 tsp of dried thyme

1/4 tsp of black pepper

1 Tbsp of vegetable oil

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup of spicy brown mustard

Superbowl Series - Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip is one of my favorite appetizers to order at a restaurant.  My mom made this recipe growing up and it's fabulous! It's the one item that the rest of my family requests SHE brings to each gathering.  This is one of my staples.  And the coolest thing? It cooks in the microwave!

Ingredients:

2 blocks of frozen spinach

2 jars of artichokes hearts (liquid reserved)

1 package of shredded monterry jack cheese

4 Tbsp of chopped white onion

2 Tbsp of butter

2 Tbsp of garlic powder

2 Tbsp of lemon pepper

2 Tbsp of mayo

4 Tbsp of sour cream

Superbowl Series - White Queso Dip

This is what I call "My White Cheese Dip" but if you ask my best friend, Erica, she will say it is "Her White Cheese Dip"...because it is.  I somehow convinced her that it should be "mine" in my zip code and "her's" in her zip code.  I didn't get her drunk.  She's just that nice!

This cheese dip is so much better than it looks in the picture.  So much better that it is the ONE dish that my family requires I bring to every gathering.  

Ingredients:

2 blocks of cream cheese

1/2 cup of chopped onions (can be frozen)

1/2 cup of mayo

1 (16 ounce) package of shredded monterrey jack cheese - about 2 cups

1 (16 ounce )package of shredded parmesan cheese - about 2 cups