St Louis Style Spare Ribs

 

Everyone does bar-b-que different. For that matter, everyone spells... BBQ different. If you want some good bbq, but you don't have a big fancy smoker or grill, you can make some good bbq in the oven. I usually use baby back pork ribs, but the online shopping service I used substituted St Louis Style Spare Ribs. 

2 lbs pork spare ribs
liquid smoke
apple cider vinegar
garlic powder
salt & pepper
bbq sauce of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat ribs with a few shakes of liquid smoke and vinegar. Sprinkle garlic, salt and pepper on all sides of the ribs. Place in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for about 2 hours. Remove foil and cook for about 20 or 30 minutes or until the ribs are golden brown. Slather with sauce and  cook another 20 to 30 minutes. 

Be sure to watch and not let the ribs burn once you put the sauce on them. Most bbq sauces have a good amount of sugar in them and have a tendency to burn if left too long. (I've even burnt bbq sauce in a crock pot, and I didn't think that was possible!!!)

Homemade Breakfast Hot Pockets

 

You can make your own hot pockets and control your ingredients. No preservatives or processed cheese sauces. Simple four ingredient recipe!

Ingredients:

Crescent Roll Dough
Sliced Ham*
Cheddar Cheese
3 Eggs, scrambled

Scramble 3 eggs in a little butter and set aside.

Take two piece of crescent dough and pinch the seams together to make a rectangle. Layer one half with ham, eggs and cheese. Fold the dough over to make a square and pinch the edges closed.

                            

Bake them at 375 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Enjoy!

*I used deli ham and heated it in a frying pan to remove some of the water content. 

Sautéed Shrimp

I learned this recipe a long time ago from Chef Paul Prudhomme on a morning show. He published a more refined recipe later, but I like the original better. 
BTW... Locally SC sourced Large Shrimp from the Shrimp Guy!

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp
¼ pound (1 stick) Butter
1½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce


Peel and devein the shrimp.

Melt the butter and add the Worcestershire Sauce. Bring up to a hard simmer on medium. Add garlic. Bump the heat up to medium high and add the shrimp. Sauté until nice and white and orange. (No longer or it will be rubbery.) 

This can be served with rice or noodles, but we like it by itself with a side of fries and a salad! 

Chicken Scampi

My guys love scampi. I didn't have shrimp, but I did have chicken breasts in the freezer. It turned out delicious! 

1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
2-4 Chicken Breasts, cubed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Chicken Broth (add a little corn starch if you want a thicker sauce)

Bring a large pot of salted water (with a drizzle of olive oil added) to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair pasta, and cook until done; drain. 

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and fry in a little oil. Remove and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Once the onion is translucent, add the chicken and Parmesan. Cook and stir until heated through. Add in cooked pasta and toss. Add enough chicken broth to create a sauce as thick or thin as you want. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Chicken Lo Mein... More Chinese Takeout at home!

I didn't have the Lo Mein noodles, so I just used what I had in the pantry. Angel Hair Pasta worked just fine! 


Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

8 oz Angel Hair Pasta or Spaghetti

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 head of broccoli cut into flowerets
1 carrot, matchstick cuts
1 onion halved and sliced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic minced

Cook the noodles one minute shy of the directions.
Drain and toss with a little oil in a bowl to coat. 

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat.Cook the chicken about 5-10 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from the pan and add in the vegetables and garlic and cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until just softened.

In a bowl add water, cornstarch, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Mix to dissolve the cornstarch and pour into the skillet. Bring to a low boil to thicken the sauce.

Add in chicken and noodles. Stir until heated through. Serve! 

Chicken Salad with a BLT Twist

I took my normal chicken salad recipe and added a twist. I added bacon and tomatoes and prepared a sandwich... your choice of bread or roll with a little mayo, chicken salad and topped with lettuce!

3 cups cubed, cooked chicken

4 Eggs, boiled and peeled

1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish*

1/2 cup mayo (or more)

1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon mustard

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

pepper, to taste

4 slices of bacon, cooked crispy and chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

Using my processor, I grind the chicken until no large lumps are visible. I process the eggs the same way. In a large bowl add relish, mayo, sour cream,  mustard, juice and seasonings. Mix well. Add the chicken and eggs. Last add the tomatoes and bacon.

Mix until well blended. Store in air tight container in the frig.

*I use pickle juice for those that are freaked out by the green specks in the salad. Add more of less for your taste. 

BLT Chicken Salad! 

Mama's Chicken and Dumplings (AKA Dumplin's)

My Mama used to make Chicken and Dumplin's for her Daddy every Sunday. It was his favorite dish. He died when I was 8 years old. Mama was devastated and refused to make chicken and dumplin's again. One year, close to Christmas, Mama decided to make chicken and dumplin's. I was about 16 at the time. Unfortunately, she cut her hand with a chef knife and had to go to the hospital to get stitches. 

Here's a very old recipe for Chicken and Dumplin's:

Base:
Stew a chicken. When tender, pick the meat from the bones. Put meat in a large pan with tight fitting lid and add 4 cups of broth. Bring to boil.

Dumplings:

1 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup milk
3 eggs, boiled and sliced

Place egg slices on a paper towel and salt them to dry out a bit.

Sift together dry ingredients and cut in the shortening. Stir in enough milk, mixing only to moisten the dough thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls into boiling chicken broth. Dip the spoon into the boiling liquid first so that the dough will slide off easily. Add egg slices. Cover pan tightly and cook 15 minutes. Enough for 6 servings.

* Another alternative for the dumplin's is to roll them out on a floured surface and cut into strips. Some people prefer this because it makes a firmer, less doughy dumplin'.

**Notice with these OLD recipes, there are very few references to time and temperature. These were cooks who knew how to cook by smell, touch and taste. Times or temperatures were often a suggestion to young cooks.