Easter Dinner, Pig of the Month Style
Easter Dinner, Pig of the Month Style
One of the very best things about holidays is the gathering of family for a big meal or it could be the worst thing. With so much to do on a holiday it’s tough to make a great big spread also. Frankly I’d rather be out Easter egg hunting than spending all my time in the kitchen.
Easter is also the end of Lent, a 40 day time period of fasting, prayer and penance. Many people who observe Lent give up meat not only on Fridays but for the entire period. For me that’s more penance than fasting!
Easter isn’t only the end of Lent; it is also a celebration of Spring! In the pre-Christian era the pagan believed in the goddess Eoster. During Eoster-monath there would be huge celebrations (which happened to be in April) that are said to have involved bunnies and eggs. Our modern terminology stems from this Pagan celebration.
Whether you are celebrating a traditional Easter or the celebration of Spring, what better way to celebrate a holiday and the end of Lent then going all out carnivore with some Pig of the Month’s Dry Style BBQ Baby Back Ribs! They are the perfect ribs for family and friends (plus they are on sale right now!), I know my mom isn’t super fond of overly saucy ribs, she prefers them dry so she can add just the right amount of sauce and the kind of sauce that is more suited to her taste. To make everyone happy, why not get the BBQ Sauce Sampler to serve with the ribs?
To celebrate spring how about serving this Grilled Asparagus and Egg salad (a perfect way to use some of those Easter eggs) with some Lemon and Blueberry Mason Jar cakes to finish off the meal?
Grilled Asparagus & Egg Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
½ cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 bunch ‘fat’ asparagus, washed and trimmed
3 tablespoons Meyer or regular lemon juice (about 1 ½ lemons)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon minced thyme
½ teaspoon sugar
Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 hardboiled eggs, peeled and chopped
3 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Shaved parmesan for garnish if desired
Spread the asparagus across a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and generously salt and pepper. Roll the asparagus around until it is completely coated. Grill asparagus on high heat, flipping occasionally until tender crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Return to baking sheet and set aside to cool.
In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, shallot, lemon zest, thyme, sugar and some salt and pepper. Set aside. Note: dressing can be made the day prior.
Cut the asparagus into 2” pieces. In a large bowl toss together the cut asparagus, eggs and bacon with the dressing. Garnish with parmesan shavings if desired.
Lemon & Blueberry Mason Jar Cakes
Base cake mix:
1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 box Lemon Cake Mix
Per Jar:
6 tablespoons prepared dry cake mix
1 lemon zested and juiced (2 tablespoons juice)
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup blueberries (frozen is fine, no need to defrost)
In a large zipper top bag add 1 box of angel food cake mix and one box lemon cake mix, mix well. To each jar add 6 tablespoons of angel lemon cake mix, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water and lemon zest. Stir to mix, drop in ½ the blueberries. Microwave uncovered for 90 seconds. Let cool and top with the remaining blueberries and the lemon whipped cream if desired (recipe follows).
Lemon Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
Zest of one lemon
Freeze a metal bowl and beaters for 10 minutes. Add all ingredients to the frozen bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Whipped cream can be made up to 4 hours in advance (do a quick rewhip before serving).
Note: If transporting cake, store whipped topping in a separate container and keep cool, put canning jars on cake for the perfect picnic cake!
You can read more recipes and ramblings at The Kitchen Witch, or follow on Facebook and Twitter@TKWblog. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of The Kitchen Witch. All rights reserved by Rhonda Adkins.
What Kind of Grill Master Are You?
Today we’ve got a fun post that can once and for all help you decide on the gas versus charcoal debate (maybe add in sous vide these days for all you foodies?). Augie Bering from Berings Hardware is Houston, TX is here to help you settle the debate and argue the finer points of grilling with you.
What Type of Grill Suits You Best
What is the grill for you? What kind of griller are you? If “Hey let’s grill a steak” occurs to you 20 minutes before you want to eat, if you don’t care for the clean-up and delay a wood-based fire entails, you need to go gas.
As with so many things, when you are about to buy a grill, get what you can afford but only what you’re going to use. If you are only going to grill occasionally, and just for a handful of folks, you probably won’t need the six foot, stainless steel grill you may secretly lust over; the two or three burner number with storage space beneath, preparation shelves on one or both sides that is piped into your house gas supply is going to be perfect.
If you want to move your grill around, and the hassle of buying a bottle of propane (perhaps minutes before you had wanted to grill and forgot to replace the bottle last time) doesn’t bother you, go propane.
If, however, you are an artist on the grill, and you want to be able to color your grilling with the subtleties of mesquite wood chips over a pecan fire, you are going to want a coals-based charcoal grill.
Looking at the Weber grill, a grill master can see the entire spectrum of a coal-based fire. The Weber enables you to place coals in a pile in the middle for maximum heat, or spread them around to create hotter and cooler cooking zones.
The Portable Kitchen allows you to do pretty much the same thing, but also, because it has a longer area for coals, and multiple airflow vents, can really serve, as it says, as an entire kitchen: you can cook an entire meal on this grill or one like it. With coals at one end for maximum heat, and carefully venting the fire, a person can have areas ranging from as hot as you like, to warming temperatures, enabling you to grill steaks at one end while you sauté vegetables in the middle and bake a cake at the far end from the fire.
Beyond the basic design of the grill, a griller must select tools. This is where the fun starts.
Grill Tools You Gotta Have
While some simply pour charcoal briquettes into a pile, soak the pile with fuel then strike a match (think Homer Simpson here) a true griller has many other options. You may use an electric element, on top of which you pour the coals. This has the benefit of starting the coals from the bottom up. Alternately, one may use a sheet metal, two-chambered chimney: crumpled newspaper or a small tepee type wood fire goes in the bottom chamber, while the coals are poured in the top. Again, this lights the coals from the bottom up, uses a minimum of kerosene (which doesn’t taste or smell that great) and gets the coals ready more quickly.
- You will need tools (this is probably why men grill more than women) at the very minimum:
- Tongs,
- A spatula and a
- Fork, all with long handles to keep from cooking your hand.
- For grill preparation, you will want a scraper and a stainless steel brush to clean the grill after grilling.
You would do well to have one mop to oil the grill before cooking on it to reduce sticking, and another to baste meats. A portable light (battery powered) will help you when you are cooking at night with sub-optimal lighting.
You will want to experiment with different woods to impart different flavors, textures and subtleties to the meats. If you are cooking fish, you may want to cook with a cedar plank, which allows the fish to bake without burning. This is the only time a soft wood is used in grilling.
There are a rich variety of baskets to use for grilling vegetables or more fragile meats like fish. Most are adjustable, with some more specialized, some with tubular areas for cooking corn on the cob. Corn you may alternately soak un-shucked in water for half an hour and grill over a cooler fire. Consider, also, soaking bamboo sticks in water to use for kebabs. If you are serious about cooking vegetables this way, you may first soak, then freeze the bamboo sticks to have them ready for future grilling.
A visit to any decent hardware store or the grilling area of a big box store will reveal to you a treasure trove of tools, devices, and implements that will turn your grilling into a gourmet’s inspiration.
About the Author
August Bering V, “Augie” to his friends, is President of Bering’s Hardware in Houston, TX. Bering’s is well known for a broad range of carefully selected home goods such as housekeeping products to grilling products and accessories, and red carpet service that has delighted customers for generations since 1940. From your bridal registry, decorating your first home, to your first baby registry, Bering’s has special gifts for special occasions and the right tools for the right job. Augie enjoys spending time with his family and friends, grilling and cooking, playing hard outside, travelling, design, art, live music, and spending as much time as he can with his family.
What are your favorite tools you just can’t live without? Let us know below!
Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket
I’m going to let you in on a little secret.
The slow cooker is your friend.
For those that already know this, awesomeness!
For the rest of you, what are you waiting for?
If it’s the beast that mine is, I know it’s a pain to lug it out of the cabinet.
To clean up the pot after you’re done using it.
Especially if you have to configure your other dishwasher contents to not only make sure it fits, but also that it gets clean.
Every time I think “slow cooker,” I think of Ron Popeil’s popular saying “Set it and forget it.” Of course he’s talking about his fancy rotisserie cooker thing. That none of us needs. But it’s still the basic concept.
Put a bunch of ingredients into your slow cooker.
Go to work.
Forget about it.
Work all day.
Come home tired, spent, and ready to occupy the middle cushion of your couch and watch the newest episode of fill-in-your-blank favorite show.
Open your front door and exclaim, “What IS that smell? It smells delicious.”
Oh right. That’s YOUR DINNER. That’s all done. As soon as you walk in the door.
Is it any wonder that the O’Malley slow cooker is in service at least once a week?
I should probably use it even more than once a week. Eventually I’ll work up to that, but for the past six months or so, I’ve been keeping good with my once-a-week commitment.
A few years ago, my Mom did some research and found out that the best slow cooker on the market was this one by Hamilton Beach. Hers? Still in the box. Maybe this post will shame inspire her into finally unpacking it.
Last week while I was at work? The slow cooker was working too. On a delicious BBQ Beef Brisket. A new recipe I snagged off Sarah’s site. I made the recipe once and got two dinners out of it. The first time, it fed two adults, two kids and I used the brisket in sandwiches and served it with grilled vegetables on the side. The second time, I served it alongside mashed potatoes, a salad, and one other thing that has since escaped me. That time it took care of four adults. The brisket turned out beautifully moist and packed full of flavor.
I made the recipe exactly as written, but did find that my meat definitely took the full five hours on high to be tender enough.
Go rummage around your kitchen and dig out your slow cooker.
Dust it off.
And start letting it do some of the work for you.
After you’ve given this brisket from Sarah a try, continue the slow cooker trend and make these teriyaki sandwiches, the kids’ favorite version of Cuban Black Beans, or even this Split Pea Soup (that I am totally making this week, super yum!). Go get ‘em!
PS Photo credit to Sarah ’cause we ate all our brisket before I remembered to grab a snap!
Smoky Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
serves 8
3 lb beef brisket
kosher salt
6 oz can tomato paste, plus 1 can water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp liquid smoke
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper, to taste
Rinse and pat dry the brisket. Salt well all over with kosher salt. Place into the slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, water, molasses, liquid smoke, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over the brisket. (or to be even easier just throw on your favorite BBQ Sauce)
Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4-5 hours until fall-apart tender. Or cook on low for 8-10 hours until fall-apart tender.
Pull the brisket out and break apart with two forks into shreds. Return to the slow cooker and stir with the sauce. Serve. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pizza
Sometimes plain old pepperoni pizza just doesn’t cut it. It’s fun to add some creative toppings once in a while. I like to add some nutritional value to my pizza, and butternut squash is a great way to do just that. It is low in calories, and has very high levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and helps to maintain vision and skin health.
The sweetness of the squash is a great accompaniment for the tart goat cheese. A bit of earthy sage to top off the pizza will really put the finishing touch on this delicious meal. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Your favorite pre-made pizza dough
- ½ cup of tomato sauce
- ½ cup of goat cheese
- 1 cup of cheddar cheese, sliced or grated
- 2 cups of butternut squash, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 5 or 6 sage leaves, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook your pizza dough according to the instructions on the package. Meanwhile, sauté the butternut squash in olive oil over medium heat until it begins to soften. Then add the diced onion and garlic, and cook until the whole mixture is tender. Remove your pizza from the oven, and top with tomato sauce, cheddar cheese, onions, garlic and butternut squash. Cook until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Take your pizza out of the oven and add the goat cheese and sage. Season your pizza to taste with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!
Faith Towers
http://designfixation.blogspot.com
Baked Flounder with Risotto Florentine
Baked Flounder with Risotto Florentine
When I was young my grandparents would take my sister and out to dinner once in a while as a special treat. The menu had items like Lobster Thermador, Beef Wellington, Steak Diane and Flounder Florentine. I never got brave enough to order any of them, they seemed exotic and there was too much of the unknown factor going on.
Many years later, I’ve had the pleasure of trying them all. I’ve noticed that these dishes have fallen out of the restaurant favorites, a bit passé. But that hasn’t stopped my love for them. When some flounder caught my eye at the market, I knew exactly what I wanted; Flounder Florentine, but a more updated version.
What exactly does Florentine mean? You may have seen it as Eggs Florentine or Quiche Florentine, along with some other varieties. According to About.com it is:
“In the culinary arts, the word Florentine, or the term à la Florentine, refers to a recipe that is prepared in the style of the Italian region of Florence. “
That still doesn’t offer a very clear answer! What ‘In the style of Florence’ means is that a main such as eggs, meat or in our case fish, is cooked on top of a bed of spinach. In America, we’ve taken the definition a bit more loosely and often refer to things cooked with spinach as ‘Florentine’ like Quiche or in this case the risotto.
Risotto was something I never heard of as a child, it was something I discovered later in life. Risotto isn’t difficult to make but it does require a fair amount of attention; a lot of standing at the stove and stirring liquid in a bit at a time. Who has time for that? Rather than stir, stir, stir I baked it and added the flounder on top. The bonus, I only dirtied one pot!
3 ounces pancetta, diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup Arborio (risotto) rice
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 flounder fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper
Toasted bread crumbs
Heat oven to 425°F. In a Dutch oven or large deep frying pan cook the pancetta over medium heat until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta and drain on a paper towel, set aside. Add butter to the remaining pancetta fat, sauté shallots until they are tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. Add rice, salt, pepper and nutmeg, cook until rice is lightly toasted about 5 minutes. Add wine to deglaze pan. Stir until the wine is mostly absorbed about 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in spinach and parmesan.
Cover pot and transfer to the oven, cook for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce heat to 350°F. Carefully place seasoned flounder fillets on top of risotto, recover and place back in the oven. Cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the flounder is done and the rice is creamy. Top with toasted bread crumbs and pancetta prior to serving.
You can read more recipes and ramblings at The Kitchen Witch, or follow on Facebook and Twitter@TKWblog. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of The Kitchen Witch. All rights reserved by Rhonda Adkins.
