LEMONGRASS BABY BACK RIBS

ERVES 4-6

4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 scallions, roughly chopped

10 cilantro stems, roughly chopped

1 thai red chili, de-seeded and roughly chopped

2 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons coconut sugar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

zest of 1 lime

3 pounds baby back ribs

¼ cup brown rice syrup

chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

garnish

1. In a blender or food processor, combine first 11 ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture over the ribs in the crockpot, making sure to distribute evenly.

2. Cook on “slow cook” low setting for 7 hours.

3. To serve, preheat the oven to 450 and place ribs on a rack-lined baking sheet. Pour the marinade and cooking liquid left in the crockpot into a small saucepan and skim off as much fat as possible. Add brown rice syrup, and cook over medium heat until the sauce has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Brush the ribs with half of the sauce, and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and toasted sesame seeds, and serve with remaining sauce.

Originally featured in Easy Crockpot Meals

Duke's Cosmopolitan

Duke's Cosmopolitan (Makes 4 drinks )

Copyright 2012, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

Photo: Quentin Bacon

In a pitcher, stir together the lemon juice, Cointreau, cranberry 

juice cocktail, vodka, and egg white (if using). Fill a cocktail 

shaker half full with ice and pour enough of the drink mixture into

 the shaker to almost fill it. Shake the cocktail for a full 30

 seconds (it's longer than you think!) and strain into martini

 glasses. Serve ice cold

.4 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
4 ounces Cointreau liqueur
7 ounces cranberry juice cocktail, such as Ocean Spray
7 ounces good vodka, such as Grey Goose
Dash of raw egg white (optional)
Ice 

Lightened-Up Buffalo Chicken Phyllo Turnovers

Lightened-Up Buffalo Chicken Phyllo Turnovers

 

Print

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

37 mins

 

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Serves: Serves 18

Ingredients

• 3 oz. light cream cheese, softened
• 4½ tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1½ cup diced cooked chicken breast
• 3 tbsp (or more) hot sauce, to taste
• 3 tbsp crumbled bleu cheese
• 3 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ rolls Athens Fillo Dough (3/4 box), defrosted
• Cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix together the cream cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth.
3. Stir in the diced chicken breast, hot sauce, bleu cheese, parsley and salt. Taste and add more hot sauce, if desired.
4. Lay 1 sheet of the fillo dough on a large cutting board and lightly coat with cooking spray. Top with another sheet fillo dough, coat with cooking spray and repeat with one more layer of fillo dough and cooking spray.
5. While working with the individual sheets of fillo dough, cover the rest with a damp towel so it doesn’t dry out.
6. Cut the dough lengthwise in thirds. Place a scant 2 teaspoons of the buffalo chicken mixture about 1 inch from the bottom of section of dough. Fold the dough over top of the chicken mixture to form a triangle. Continue to fold, maintaining the triangle shape until the end of the dough is reached. Repeat with the other two strips of dough. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Repeat with the remaining dough and chicken mixture.
8. Bake until the turnovers are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Points+), 2 (Old Points)

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 turnovers | Calories: 105.5 cal | Fat: 1.7g | Saturated fat: 0.8g |Carbohydrates: 16.0g | Sugar: 1.3g | Sodium: 207.3mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Protein: 5.6g |Cholesterol: 10.9mg

Quick Vietnamese Beef Pho

How To Make Quick Vietnamese Beef Pho

Serves 4 to 6

What You Need

Ingredients
For the quick broth:2 large onions
4-inch piece fresh ginger
2 (3-inch) whole cinnamon sticks
2 whole star anise
3 whole cloves
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce (substitute tamari if making gluten-free)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

To serve:1/2 pound sirloin steak, round eye, or London broil
1 pound dried rice noodles (bahn pho, 1/16-, 1/8-, or 1/-4 inch wide)
3 scallions
1 chili pepper (Thai bird, serrano, or jalapeño)
1 to 2 limes
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, Thai basil, mint, or a mix)
Hot sauce, Sriracha, or hoisin sauce, to serve

Equipment
Tongs
Baking sheet
2-quart (or larger) saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
Chef's knife
Second saucepan for cooking the noodles

Instructions

1. Prepare the onions and ginger: Peel the onions and cut them into quarters through the root. Peel the ginger and slice it into quarters down its length.
2. Char the onions and ginger: Using tongs, char the onions and ginger on all sides over high flame on a gas stove, or on a baking sheet placed directly under the broiler (about 5 minutes on each side) — until the onions and ginger pieces show charred spots. Rinse the pieces under cool water to remove any loose, gritty, overly charred bits.
3. Dry-roast the spices: Place the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds in the bottom of a dry 2-quart saucepan and dry-roast over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until toasty and very fragrant. Stir frequently to prevent the spices from scorching.
4. Combine the broth ingredients: To the pan with the spices, add the broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, chopped carrots, and the charred onions and ginger.
5. Cover and simmer the broth: Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and continue simmering for 30 minutes to give time for all the spices and aromatics to infuse in the broth.
6. Freeze the beef for 15 minutes: While the broth is simmering, put the beef on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 15 minutes. The edges of the beef should feel firm to the touch, but the beef should not be frozen through. This will make it easier to slice the beef thinly.
7. Slice the beef into thin slices: Remove the beef from the freezer and immediately use your sharpest knife to slice the beef into very thin slices. Slice across the grain, and aim for slices no thicker than 1/4-inch. Once sliced, keep the beef covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
8. Cook the rice noodles: Bring a second saucepan of water to a boil, drop in the rice noodles and cook according to package instructions (typically 1 minute for very thin noodles and up to 4 minutes for wider noodles). Strain the noodles and run them under cool water to stop cooking. The noodles will start to stick together after cooking, so either divide them immediately between serving bowls or toss them with a little neutral-tasting oil to prevent sticking.
9. Prepare the rest of the pho toppings: Thinly slice the scallions and the chili pepper. Cut the lime into wedges. Place the bean sprouts in a serving dish. Roughly chop the herbs or tear them with your hands. Arrange all the toppings on a serving dish and place it on the table.
10. Strain the broth: When the broth is ready, set a strainer over another bowl or saucepan, and strain the solids from the broth. Discard the solids. Place the broth back over low heat and keep it just below a simmer — you should see a fair amount of steam, but the broth should not be boiling. The broth needs to be quite hot to cook the beef.
11. Prepare the pho bowls: If you haven't already done so, divide the noodles between serving bowls and top with a few slices of raw beef. Arrange the beef in a single layer so that the slices will cook evenly in the broth; slices that are stacked or clumped may not cook all the way through.
12. Ladle the hot broth over top: Ladle the steaming broth into each bowl, pouring it evenly over the beef in order to cook it. The beef should immediately start to turn opaque. Fill each bowl with as much broth as desired.
13. Serve the pho with toppings: Serve the pho at the table and let each person top their bowl as they like.

Recipe Notes

• Vegetarian pho: Use vegetable stock or broth and skip the fish sauce. Instead of slices of beef, top the pho with tofu, seitan, mushrooms, bok choy, broccoli, or other vegetables. See here for a full recipe: Vegetarian Pho.
• Make-ahead moments: The broth can be prepared and kept refrigerated for 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. The beef can be sliced and kept refrigerated for several hours (no longer than 24 hours). The noodles can be prepared, tossed with a bit of neutral-tasting oil, and kept refrigerated for up to a day before serving. The toppings can also be prepped up to a day ahead and kept refrigerated until serving.
• Storing leftovers: Leftover noodles stored in broth will ultimately absorb all the broth and become gummy. If you have leftovers, store the noodles, the broth, the beef, and the toppings in separate containers. Raw slices of beef will keep for a day or two; they can also be quickly cooked in hot broth and then kept refrigerated for up to 5 days. When reheating, assemble the noodles, beef, and broth in a bowl and microwave; top with garnishes before serving.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Prep Time:

2 Hours

Cook Time:

Difficulty:

Easy

Servings:

12

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
•  Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 12 ounces, weight Orzo Pasta, Cooked, Drained, And Cooled
• 1 cup Red Grape Or Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 cup Yellow Grape Or Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 cup Kalamata Olives, Halved
• 1 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1 cup Chickpeas, Drained.
• 1/2 whole Red Onion, Diced
• 3 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley

  Preparation Instructions

  In a jar or bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper until totally combined.

  Place the orzo and all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour the dressing over the top. Stir to combine, taste and adjust seasonings, and refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Top with more feta and parsley and serve as a main dish salad or with grilled chicken, fish, or burgers!
  Posted by Ree | The Pioneer Woman on January 19 2015

Indian Lamb Curry

Feeds 4:

• 1kg lamb shoulder on the bone, cubed
• 2 large onions
• 8 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Half tsp coriander powder
• 1 inch ginger
•  2 large tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground fenugreek
• 1 tsp paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Handful fresh coriander (optional)
• 6 tbsp flavourless oil

Peel and slice the onions finely. Peel and grate the ginger and garlic.

Next, bring the oil to medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. When it is hot, toss in the whole spices, and as they sizzle up, the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and saute for about 15 minutes until golden. If the onions start getting stuck to the bottom of the pan, ad a little hot water and scrape off.

Then, mix in the ginger and garlic and cook for another minute. Roughly chop the tomatoes and toss them in. Cook this masala paste for about five minutes, stirring regularly. When the tomatoes start to disintegrate, mix in the coriander, fenugreek, paprika (or Kashmiri chilli) and chilli powder. Add half a cup of hot water and keep stirring. As the water cooks off, lower the heat to a simmer, add another cup of hot water and cook for another five minutes.

At this point you will see oil oozing out of little pores in the paste. Bring the heat to medium high again, and stir in your lamb chunks. Mix the paste into the meat well, browning it for a good five minutes until it’s well coated. Then add enough hot water to cover the lamb pieces, cover and cook for half an hour then take the lid off and cook for another half an hour uncovered.

Stir in salt and garam masala to finish, simmering for the last 10 minutes until you have a rich, dark, moist lamb curry.  Garnish with chopped fresh coriander if using and serve hot, with rice and a thick dal.

The post Curry favour with Meat on the bone appeared first on Quick Indian Cooking.

Saffron Roast Potatoes

Saffron Roast Potatoes

Feeds 6:

• 1kg medium potatoes
• 4 tbsp whole milk
• Half tsp saffron strands
• Pinch of turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

Peel and quarter the potatoes and then place them in a large pot filled with cold water.

Bring the potatoes to boil, and let them bubble for about five minutes just until the edges turn translucent. In the meantime, warm the milk and steep the turmeric and saffron in it. Oh, and pre-heat the oven to 200 Degrees Centigrade.

Next, drain the potatoes (I always save the potato water for gravy/soup), and tip back into the large pot. stir the golden milk, salt into the potatoes, cover the pot and shake it as violently as possible without causing any spillage. This roughs up the edge giving you the to-die-for, all crispy edges.

Place on a foil covered baking tray and bake for an hour until golden. I find baking them on their rounded sides and stirring once through cooking really helps create crispy bits. Enjoy as a side with a full roast, or anything you fancy really.