What's For Dinner? Book Review and Giveaway

Well HELLO from Seattle where the weather is absolutely PERFECT! I hope all of you are doing well!  I am having SUCH a nice vacation! 

Last Saturday I attended the WHO (Washington Homeschooler Organization) Convention and had the pleasure of meeting the author of a wonderful cookbook called "What's for Dinner?"  Jana Schofield has written, I believe, a very useful tool to helping busy families plan dinner and make time to sit together for a nightly meal.  I LOVE this cookbook and I cannot say enough good things about it!  The book provides 30 weeks (that's over 6 months) of weekly dinner menus and provides easy recipes as well as tips for planning ahead.  The best part?  There are NO REPEATS!  Love this book!  The recipes can and menus can easily be switched around to provide for even more variety in weekly menus!  Each menu includes a main dish, a vegetable and a dessert, so you could make as much of the menu or as little of it as you like!  In addition, it is really easy to substitute some ingredients for lower fat or whole grain options.
Since I am staying with my mom, she and I decided to pick a week and make the recipes for that week!  It was really easy to go through the recipes and find the ingredients we needed to get at the store, we did our shopping and then we made the recipes!  We chose to go with Week 15.  We opted to skip the desserts but made the main dishes.  Here's the menu:

• Sunday- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, Crunchy Green Beans, Pomegranate Cream Salad, Cherry Pie
• Monday- Taco Soup, Pretzels, Peach Cobbler
• Tuesday- Chicken Supreme, Paprika Whipped Potato, Broccoli Salad, Banana Pudding
• Wednesday- Barbecued Beef on a Bun, Three Bean Salad, Caramel Chocolate Cake
• Thursday- Salmon Patties, Potato Fans, Corn, Cabbage Carrot Slaw, Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Friday- Leftovers, Go Out, or Try New Recipe
• Saturday- Soft Tacos, Bean Dip, Picnic Cake

Now many of you know that I like to mess with recipes, but for the sake of reviewing I made the recipes exactly as printed by the author.  The only thing I did differently in the following recipe is that I used 12 grain crackers instead of saltines for the topping.  This was a very easy recipe that can be made ahead of time and frozen.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

• 2 cups cooked rice ( I used brown rice)
• 3 cups cooked chicken cut into pieces
• 6 slices ham
• 6 slices swiss cheese
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used homemade, there is a recipe in this cookbook for homemade cream of chicken)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 10 saltine crackers, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. parsley

Spread rice in a 13X9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Arrange chicken over the top of rice.  Layer swiss cheese on top of chicken followed by a layer of ham cut into bite sized pieces.  Mix soup, milk and sour cream together and spread on top of ham.  Crush saltine crackers and add spices.  Sprinkle on top of soup mixture.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  

Jana Schofield sells her book for $15 but she has agreed to give away one copy to a lucky Foodie Mommie reader!  Here's how to enter:

1.  Leave a comment on THIS entry telling me how this book would make your life easier!

2.  Get an extra entry for becoming a follower

3.  Get another extra entry for "liking" me on Facebook

Winners will be chosen from Random.org on SATURDAY JUNE 26th!  Be sure to leave your e-mail address so that I can notify you that you have won!  Book will be sent directly from the author!  

Chili Lime Pork Burritos- Another FABULOUS Chili Lime Recipe

Be sure to check out this month's Mother's Day Giveaway and Sale! Going on NOW through April 29th!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Pampered Chef's new Chili Lime Rub...L O V E!  We are big burrito fans in our house, going to Panchero's at least twice a month.  Back home in Seattle we used to visit Taco Del Mar, or as we called it TACO DEL YUM YUM YUM! LOVE BURRITOS!  So, I decided to marry my love of burritos and my love of the chili lime rub to make Chili Lime Pork Burritos.  Of course, you could do this with chicken too, or beef for that matter.  Fold this the meat up with some black beans, brown rice, salsa, and cheese, serve this up with a dollop of sour cream and you have a really beautiful meal!  The leftovers make a great lunch too!

Chili Lime Pork Burritos

• 2 large boneless pork loin chops
• 2 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub (or equal parts chili powder and lime zest)
• The juice of one lime
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (I used leftover rice)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 cup grated jack and/or cheddar cheese
• 4 burrito sized flour tortillas
• sour cream for serving if desired.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 13X9 inch baking dish, place the onion and green pepper.  Rub the pork chops on both sides with 2 tbsp. of the chili lime rub.  Place the pork chops over the onions and green pepper.  Mix the lime juice and the chicken stock together and pour over the pork chops, onions and garlic.  Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and 1 and a half hours.  Add the salsa and pull the pork apart using two forks.  Bake another 30 minutes.  In another bowl, add the rice, the black beans, and remaining 1 tbsp. chili lime rub.  Microwave on high 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir.  Place tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until warm.  To assemble burritos, spread tortilla with sour cream (if using), sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese,  spoon on some of the beans and some of the meat.  Fold in the sides and roll up!  

These were a BIG hit tonight!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Ham and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

Be sure to head over to The Foodie Mommie Store to take part in this month's Valentine's Sale and Giveaway!

Twice baked potatoes are something we eat a lot of in our house.  They are easy, versatile, easy on the pocketbook, and VERY yummy!  I make several different varieties, including my cheesy chili potatoes.  Last night I made Ham and Cheese potatoes.  These are great for a stress free weeknight dinner!  I served them with steamed broccoli.  Don't like swiss cheese?  Why not try cheddar or mozzarella instead! 

Ham and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

• 3 large baking potatoes
• 1/2 lb ham, diced
• 2 cups cauliflower florets, steamed and mashed
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup swiss cheese, grated
• 1/4 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. dried thyme or herbes de provence

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prick potatoes twice with a fork.  Place potatoes in the preheated oven, directly on the rack, and bake for one hour or until a fork inserted into the middle goes in without resistance (you can also "bake" your potatoes in the microwave if you prefer, but I like the oven better).  Allow the potatoes to cool slightly (don't turn off your oven).  Cut them in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh from the potato into a medium bowl, being careful to leave the skins in tact.  Grease a baking sheet generously and line up the potato skin shells.  To the potato flesh, add the rest of the ingredients and half of the cheese.  Mix well.  Scoop potato mixture into the shells, top with the remaining cheese.  Bake in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are heated through.  YUM!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Oven Baked Pork Chops

Be sure to head over to The Foodie Mommie Store to take part in this month's Valentine's Sale and Giveaway!

Well HELLO Everyone!  I hope all of you are surviving winter!  Here in Iowa we're in the negatives for lows and single digits for highs!  Fun times, fun times.  On another note, I am on week three post knee surgery and doing ok.  My Auntie Raven left on Saturday so yesterday was my first day without help.  It is going...today is better than yesterday but I really am upset that I didn't try to get help for one more week.  So, I have been trying to find things to make for dinner that are really easy and don't require me to stand in front of the stove for an hour.  I had some pork chops on hand, so I threw this together and put it in the oven.  This meal was a BIG hit with Daniel, asking for more three times!  I served the pork chops with couscous and green beans!


Oven Baked Pork Chops

• 4 pork boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat and pounded to about 1/4 inch thickness
• 2 cups cracker crumbs (you can use any crackers you like but I used wheat ritz and some townhouse flatbread crackers my mom bought when she was here)
• 1 tbsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tbsp. minced onion
• 1 tsp. dried thyme or herbes de provence
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a casserole dish or large bar pan with cooking spray.  In a large, flat dish, mix the cracker crumbs, the garlic, the onion, and the dried herbs.  In another bowl, beat the eggs and the mustard together.  Season the pork generously with salt and pepper.  Dip the pork in the egg mixture and coat on both sides, then dip the pork in the cracker crumb mixture and coat on both sides.  Place pork in the baking dish and drizzle evenly with melted butter.  Bake 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees and the coating is crisp and golden brown.

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Braised Short Ribs with Cheddar Polenta

Hello Friends!  I hope all of you are well since I last posted.  I had knee surgery last Monday and am starting to heal up nicely.  I am still in pain and walking on crutches but started physical therapy today so I am hoping that things will continue to go smoothly and my knee will heal.  I am anxious to get back to my active lifestyle!  Anyway, last week my mom came to stay and help me out and this week her best friend, whom I call Auntie Raven, is here!  


Last week, while restricted to my bed, I was watching the Today Show and Melissa d'Arabian was on making  braised short ribs with polenta.  I had never made short ribs before and they looked really intriguing.  Even more intriguing was that she said the entire meal was only $10!   I went online and printed the recipe and Auntie Raven and I decided to make it for dinner tonight! Instead of serving the ribs with Melissa d'Arabian's recipe for polenta, I made my polenta, but used a mixture of cheddar and parmesan to change things up a bit!  If you are not a fan of polenta you can serve this dish over rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, even bread or biscuits!  Being me, of course, I made a few minor changes to the ribs.  Here is the original recipe.  Here is what Raven and I did:






Braised Short Ribs

• 6 lbs bone in country style pork ribs (about 8 large ribs)
• 2 tbsp. granulated garlic
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 carrots, chopped (if you want, you can use baby carrots, I would probably double this next time I made it because I am a carrot fan)
• 1 large onion, or 2 medium onions chopped (to save time you could use a bag of frozen chopped onions)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.)
• 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Trim the fat from the meat.  Pat ribs dry and season with granulated garlic and pepper.  

Heat oil and butter in a large dutch oven or heavy duty stock pot that is OVEN SAFE.  Brown the meat on both sides, in batches if necessary, and set aside.  Add the chopped vegetables, except the garlic, and saute about 5 minutes or until onions are soft.  

Add the minced garlic and saute another two minutes stirring frequently.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until well combined with the vegetables, about 1 minute. 

 Add the vinegar to the pan, and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom (this is called deglazing).  Add the red pepper flakes and bay leaves.  Place the meat back in the pot on top of the vegetables.  

Pour in the chicken stock until it is halfway up the pot (you may not use all of the chicken stock).  You don't need to cover all of the meat.  Cover the pot and bring to a simmer.  Once it simmers, place the pot, cover on, in the oven.  Allow to braise in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and continue to cook for an additional 2 and a half hours, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half.  This will allow the meat to become tender and liquid to reduce in volume. Remove the bay leaves after cooking.

Remove from the oven, and serve meat with sauce over a bed of polenta, or  your favorite side.  This meal freezes easily.  The leftover meat is also excellent served on sandwiches, hot or cold!

This meal takes a long time to make, but it is easy because it is made in one pot.  The prep time is about 20 minutes and then the cooking time is fairly hands off.  Not only is the dish easy to prepare, it is also VERY kid  and budget friendly, thus WORTH THE EFFORT!  I highly recommend it.  I am going to give this recipe the "Daniel Favorite" rating because Daniel ate it up and asked for "MO MO PORK"  not once but TWICE!

First Post of the New Year! SPLIT PEA WITH HAM!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful holiday season!  My mommy has been here visiting.  She is leaving tomorrow and I wish I could just kidnap her and keep her here with me forever!  There is just something about having your mom with you that makes everything great!  Anyway, tonight we are making my all time favorite soup, and David's too!  Split pea with ham!  I LOVE split pea soup.  It is perfect in the wintertime, there is just something about it that screams comfort!  We like to garnish the soup with homemade croutons or parmesan fishy crackers. YUMMY!


Split Pea Soup with Ham

• 1.5 lbs green split peas
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 large  pork hocks or shanks
• 1 cup "emergency" ham, diced (optional - in our house, we love a lot of ham in our soup.  Many times, the ham shanks don't provide enough ham for our liking, so we buy extra ham and dice it and throw it in!  We call it "emergency" ham.)
• 10 cups chicken or ham stock (I prefer chicken, but have made it with ham stock before and it turns out very nicely)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 tbsp. dried herbes de provence 

In a large stock pot, heat the butter over medium high heat until melted.  Add the hocks/shanks, the carrots, the celery, the garlic, and the onions and the herbs and saute about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are starting to sweat and meat is fragrant.  Add the stock and turn down to medium low.  Simmer covered for about an hour.  Remove hocks from the soup and remove the meat. Add the meat plus the emergency ham back into the soup pot, and then add the split peas.  Turn up heat and bring to a boil, then turn heat back down to medium low and simmer another hour uncovered or until peas are smooth.  Serve with your favorite soup toppings and a side of bread!

I totally forgot to take a picture of my soup, but I will be sure to do so with the leftovers and upload it.  

Happy New Year!

Pork Diane

You may know of Steak Diane, a lovely French steak recipe with a rich mustardy sauce.  I used that same principle here to make Pork Diane and it turned out really well!  I served this over a bed of brown rice and a side of fresh green and butter beans. This would also be quite lovely with some garlic mashed potatoes.  


Pork Diane

• 1-2 lbs pork tenderloin cut into medallions or large cubes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or red wine
• 2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. herbes de provence
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder or granulated garlic
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large, deep sided skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Sprinkle the pork with the garlic powder and lemon pepper.  Saute until browned on all sides about 2 minutes and then remove from the pan and set aside.  Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits.  When the wine has reduced by half (about 2 minutes), add the rest of the ingredients and whisk together.  Add the pork and turn to coat in the sauce.  Simmer for another 5-10 minutes on medium low heat until the pork is cooked through.  

Hope all of you are having a fantastic weekend!  Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Playing Catch-Up - Pork Chops in Apricot Sauce

Happy Friday Friends!  I hope you all have been enjoying your week!  Things have been hectic with us.  David is currently working the night shift rotation of his rotating shifts.  That is always hard because he works all night then has to sleep during the day.  Daniel and I are pretty much on our own those days.  Anyway, so now my little Boonelet is in bed and I am sitting here with my cup of tea, resisting the urge I have had the last couple of days to just veg in front of the television.  
As many of you may know, I am not a huge fan of pork chops, but every once in awhile when there is a good price on them, I buy some for the freezer to add some variety to my weekly menus.  This pork chop recipe is one I came up with when I was fiddling around with flavors one day.  This sauce also pairs quite nicely with chicken.  It is the perfect balance of sweet and savory.  I served it over brown rice, but egg noodles or couscous are also quite good.  


Pork Chops in Apricot Sauce

• 4 pork chops (I used boneless tenderloin chops but any cut works just fine)
• 5 slices uncured bacon, chopped (uncooked)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 tbsp. good dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large deep sided skillet, saute the bacon to render the fat.  When bacon is done, remove from the pan (leaving fat) and set aside (allow to drain on paper towels - I added this to my green beans on the side, you can add it back in with the pork if you want or do something else with it later).  Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper on each side.  Saute in bacon fat 3-5 minutes on each side or until well browned and crispy.  Remove and set aside, keep warm.  Add the onions to the pan and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the apple cider and deglaze the pan.  Cook until reduced by half another 2-3 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk together to combine.  Add the pork chops back into the pan and cover.  Simmer on medium low heat until pork is cooked through, turning occasionally and stirring to sauce to prevent it from scorching.    Serve with rice, noodles, couscous or your favorite side dish!

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to comment on my posts!  As always, I truly appreciate it!  
I am working hard on The Foodie Mommie Store which should be opening very soon, I am just ironing out some last details!  

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Garden Vegetable, Sausage, and Polenta Bowls and Sweet Potato Blondies

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IF NOT, BE SURE TO CLICK HERE!  CONTEST ENDS JULY 1ST!

I happen to love all the seasons, but Summer and Fall have to be my favorites because of all the beautiful and fresh produce.  Another one of my favorite things is polenta.  I LOVE polenta!  In this dish, I marry my love for polenta and garden fresh vegetables with italian sausage to make a dish that will make your mouth water!  I rounded the meal off with a lovely Sweet Potato Blondie for dessert.  YUM!


Garden Vegetable, Sausage, and Polenta Bowls

• 1 recipe Soft Polenta
• 1 lb bulk italian sausage (hot or sweet)
• 2 large zucchini, chopped into large chunks
• 1 onion, sliced (I used spring onions tonight because that is what we got at the farm, but usually I make this with a regular old yellow onion)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 lb. leafy greens, chopped, such as spinach, kale, chard or a mixture of those (I used kale and chard tonight because that is what we got at the farm)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (I used chopped garlic scapes tonight.  Garlic scapes are the tops of the garlic that flower.  They are quite good and have a mild garlic flavor.  They look like this: 

We got them at the farm today, so if you are lucky enough to get them from your CSA, I would highly recommend using them in this dish, otherwise, regular old garlic is what I normally use and it tastes just as yummy).

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. italian herbs
• Parmesan cheese for serving if desired

In a large, deep sided skillet heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the sausage and saute until well browned, 5-10 minutes.  Add the zucchini, the onion, the greens, and the garlic and saute another 3-5 minutes until the greens are wilted.  Add the tomatoes, cover the skillet, turn the heat down to medium low and let simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes "pop."  Serve over polenta and garnish with Parmesan, if desired.

Sweet Potato Blondies

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup pureed sweet potato (today I used an orange one but you could use a white one)
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13X9 inch pan and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar, butter, sweet potato, vanilla together, and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time, mixing until just combined.  It is very important that you do not over mix or your cookies will turn out very dense.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  

Before I sign off, here are some gratuitous photos of my adorable son who insisted on wearing his shades this afternoon:

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Burritos

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If not, click here!

Today it was SO hot and humid outside, I really did not want to cook.  I decided use the slow cooker so that I was not slaving over a hot stove in the crazy humidity.  Even though I had the air conditioning on full blast, it was still MASSIVELY hot! 

I had some boneless pork loin chops, so I decided to make pork burritos and they turned out SO yummy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Burritos

• 
  
  1-2 lbs bonelesspork loin chops, or any cut of pork you have on hand
• 
  
  1 onion, chopped
• 
  
  1 cup barbecue sauce
• 
  
  1 cup salsa
• 
  
  1 cup pureed squash or sweet potato
• 
  
  1 can chopped green chilies
• 
  
  1 tsp. ground cumin
• 
  
  1/8 tsp. chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder)
• 
  
  1 tsp. garlic powder
• 
  
  1/2 tsp. paprika
• 
  
  2 cups cooked brown rice
• 
  
  1 can refried black beans
• 
  
  2 cups shredded cheese (if desired, I used a cheddar jack blend)
• 
  
  4-8 large flour tortillas
• 
  
  
  sour cream, if desired

Place the onion and the pork in the slow cooker.  Combine the next 8 ingredients and pour over the pork and onions.  Set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.  Shred the pork with two forks in the sauce.  Heat the black beans in the microwave for 1 and a half minutes until soft.  Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds between two damp paper towels.  Fill the tortillas with pork mix, brown rice, black beans, cheese and sour cream (if desired), fold in sides and roll up the burrito.  Enjoy!  So yummy!

Hope you all had a lovely day!  Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Chef Auntie Teri's Pasta

My Auntie Teri is here visiting me from Seattle this week and she happens to be a chef, so today I am featuring one of her favorite recipes!  
Auntie Teri works for a conference center and camp in the mountains just outside of Seattle.  She has four cats that she loves very much and a very nice husband named Timmy.  On an average week she prepares 24 meals for an average of 40 people.  The meals she serves are always homemade from fresh ingredients and locally produced food whenever possible.  Her advice for the home cook is to keep it simple, and if it takes longer than 30 minutes from prep to the table for the average weeknight meal, it's not worth it.  Also, always use real, whole foods when cooking.  
Tonight Auntie Teri prepared her yummy pasta dish for Boonie, David, and I and OH BOY was it YUMMY!


Chef Auntie Teri's Pasta

• 1 package pasta - any shape you like, we used Farfalle
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb bulk italian sausage
• 1/2 cup marsala or white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 2 cups of frozen or fresh peas
• 1/4 cup loosely packed italian flatleaf parsley, chopped and fresh basil also as an option
• 1 tbsp. herbes de provence
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• parmesan cheese for serving if desired

Cook the pasta and drain according to package directions and set aside.  Heat the oil and butter in the pan together over medium high heat, then add the sausage, onion, garlic, herbes de provence and cook until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up as needed, approximately ten minutes.  Drain if necessary.  Deglaze (add the wine and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan) with the wine and let bubble over medium heat until reduced by half.  Add the cream and heat through then add the spinach and cook until wilted.  Add the peas and heat until the peas are heated through then add the nutmeg and stir to combine.  Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.  Sprinkle with parmesan and serve with a tossed green salad if desired.  YUMMY NUMMY!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

To Die For BBQ Baby Back Ribs with Baked Beans and Coleslaw - Yummy Nummy!

One of David's absolute favorite meals is ribs with baked beans and coleslaw. He grew up in southern Texas, so I can say without hesitation that he is a "barbecue snob." Fortunately for me, I found a barbecue meal that he LOVES!
Because ribs are SO expensive, especially baby backs, I only make them when they go on sale, which is usually right after Memorial Day around here. This meal also takes quite a bit of time to make - even if it happens to be hands off time - so this is a special meal for a weekend or day when my husband is off work. Actually, many times I make this for him for Fathers Day. I cannot take credit for the rib recipe, even though I have been making it forever. These are hands down the BEST ribs I have ever eaten, and many of my friends have said the same thing. It is Dave Lieberman's Baby Back recipe, but I do make a few adjustments:

• I double the bourbon barbecue sauce recipe and use half of the sauce to marinate the ribs overnight. (I use my Foodsaver to help lock in the flavor, but you can use a regular old Ziplock bag).

• I cook the meat in the oven for 2 hours.
• I brush ALL of the sauce on the ribs while grilling, turning them frequently (after you bake the ribs in the oven you grill them on an outdoor grill for about 20 minutes). We like saucy ribs.

Try making these and you will never eat any other ribs ever again, I guarantee you!

I serve these ribs with my yummy baked beans. This recipe I can take credit for, it took lots of experimenting, but I came up with a recipe that David likes better than that of his favorite BBQ joint in Texas! Even though they take a long time to make, it is mostly a hands off recipe, because they are made in the slow cooker! Gotta love that!

Yummy Slow Cooker Baked Beans

• 1 package (16 oz) dry navy beans
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 lb. bacon, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup pureed sweet potato
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup dijon mustard
• 1-4 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1/8 cup honey

The night before, in a large bowl, combine the water and the navy beans and allow them to soak overnight or at least 8 hours.

The next day or after 8 hours, place the beans (and any leftover water) in the slow cooker along with the onions and the bacon. In a medium sized bowl whisk the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the beans. Add one cup of the chicken broth. Reserve the rest of the chicken broth in case you need it- you will know if the liquid is absorbed and the beans are not fully cooked, then you will need to add the rest of the broth one cup at a time.

Set the slow cooker on high for 8-10 hours. In this recipe, it is ok to OCCASIONALLY lift the lid to check to see if the beans are getting soft, and add more water if needed. The beans are done when they are soft and syrupy. You can make these ahead of time, put them in the refrigerator, cover them with foil and bake them for 20 minutes at 350 or until heated through.

For the coleslaw I cheated and bought a coleslaw mix. Dole actually has a really nice coleslaw mix that is not laden with ingredients off my yucky no no list.

Here is the perfect summer meal. Mmmm...you know you want to eat that!

One quick announcement before I sign off. Next week we start going to the CSA for this year. CSA is Community Supported Agriculture. We bought a share in Abbe Hills Farm in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Next Wednesday I will be going to the farm to interview the owner, so expect a video blog sometime around Thursday or Friday of next week! Also, you can expect more cooking demonstrations next week because my aunt is coming to visit me and she is bringing me a brand new camera that is HD! Way cool! I am going to be scheduling another web class probably in the next month. So be sure to stay tuned in the coming weeks because there will be a lot of great stuff happening.

Well, that is all for now! Enjoy and until next time, happy and healthy cooking and EATING!