The snow is definitely coming this weekend! I'm tellin yall, winter is my second favorite month behind fall, and I'm pretty sure my love for cozy comfort food has everything to do with that. I'm always hoping and praying for a good snow, and when it happens, I always have a list of fantastic recipes ready to go. Here are my top Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner recipes for a cold, snowy day! BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
Local Memphis Live: Cooking Segment 1/18/16
Cocoa PepsiCola Baby Back Ribs
We are just weeks from Super Bowl Sunday! Lucky for you, I have recipes galore to share for your big party! These baby back ribs are a mix of chocolate (cocoa) and PepsiCola... The combo is out of this world!
Grocery List (4 people):
• 2 racks baby back ribs
• 4 tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 cup PepsiCola
• 4 medium onions - roughly chopped into large pieces
• 1 cup good quality barbecue sauce
Directions:
1. Rinse the ribs and pat dry with paper towels. Mix the cocoa, brown sugar, salt, liquid smoke, all spice, paprika, and pepper together in a bowl. Rub the mixture onto the ribs and press to adhere. Cover ribs and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Prep two baking pans by pouring 3/4 cup of coke into each pan. Add the chopped onions over the coke. Place the ribs on top of the onions. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender and almost falling off the bone (I like my ribs to still have substance to them.. Not quite falling off the bone).
3. Using tongs, move ribs to a baking sheet lined with foil. Strain the onions from the coke. Reserve 1/4 cup of the coke and mix with barbecue sauce. Brush a thick layer of the sauce onto ribs.
4. Put ribs back in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with the extra cola-barbecue sauce on the side!
CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!
Beef Stew Over Polenta
New traditions tend to start with changes in life! We moved into a new house a few weeks ago, and since we've been here I've noticed Sunday nights have turned into Sunday suppers. And because it's so chilly outside I am really inspired by comfort foods right now. I wrote this recipe last weekend and it was a hit!
Grocery list (4 people):
1 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs beef chuck or stew meat cut into 1 in pieces
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp pepper
6 oz thick cut bacon - cut into lardons
2 onions - chopped
2 small parsnips - peeled and chopped into 1 in pieces
4 large carrots - peeled and cut diagonally into 1 in pieces
1 cup sweet potatoes - chopped into 1 in cubes
8 oz white mushrooms - stems removed and sliced
3 garlic cloves - minced
1/4 cup brandy
1 bottle red wine
2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs Rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 cup polenta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
4 tbsp butter - room temperature
Parsley (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large dutch oven. Pat stew meat dry with paper towels. Combine the flour, 1/2 tbsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tbsp of pepper in a bowl. Toss the meat into the mixture, shake off the excess, and sauté the meat until well-browned. Set the remaining flour to the side. Transfer the browned meat to a plate.
2. Over medium heat, sauté the bacon in the pot until crispy then transfer to the plate with the meat. Add the onions, parsnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes with 1/2 tsp of salt to the pot and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic with another 1/2 tsp of salt and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the brandy to deglaze the pot, scraping up the brown bits off the bottom and let it reduce by half. Pour in the wine, beef stock, and Worchestershire sauce. Put the meat back in and add the rosemary and bay leaf. Turn heat to high and let come to a boil for one minute. Put the lid on and transfer to the oven. Let cook for 2 hours or until meat is tender and shreds easily.
3. About 30 minutes before you take the stew out, make the polenta. Heat 4 cups of water and 1 tsp of kosher salt in a large saucepan over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, slowly whisk in the polenta. Let boil for 1-2 minutes, constantly whisking. Turn heat down to low, cover pot and let cook for 20-25 minutes, uncovering and whisking occasionally. Polenta should be a creamy (not too watery, not too dry) consistency. Take off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp of the butter. Taste and add more salt if needed.
4. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tbsp of the remaining flour mixture and the 2 tbsp of remaining butter and stir the paste into the finished stew. To serve, ladle a small serving (about 1/4 cup) of polenta into a bowl and top with the stew. Garnish with parsley if desired.
CHEERS TO HAPPY COOKING!!!
Local Memphis Live: Cohosting 1/6/16
Local Memphis Live: Cohosting 1/7/16
Caribbean Seared Tuna with Mojito Sauce
Last year Tres and I went with a big group of friends to St. Barts. Aside from being one of the best vacations we have ever been on, I also found of my favorite dishes of all time and I’ve decided to recreate it – Caribbean Tuna is fresh and healthy and will make you want to hit up some warmer weather. St. Barts is one of the most unique caribean islands. It’s so tiny, you have to take a hopper jet over, but the flight in alone is worth taking the trip. The scenery is beautiful and the island is full of great food! What makes it so unique is it’s a French colony, so the people speak French and the food is very French, with a slight island influence. What’s so cool about St Barts is it’s known to be the #1 destination place for celebrities so on this new year with everyone sick of the cold weather, I thought why not take you back to St Barts with me by making my favorite dish from there! Plus, it’s a new year, and we all have resolutions to watch what we eat… This is a healthy dish to keep you right on your diet track!
SEE VIDEO FOR STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS!!!
Grocery list (4 people):
1 tbsp olive oil
4 (4-6 oz) good quality tuna steaks
Kosher salt
2 tbsp Jamaican Jerk seasoning
1 tbsp smoked paprika
½ tsp granulated garlic
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 medium ripe mangos or papayas – chopped
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1 lime – zested and juiced
1 large handful of mint – chopped, plus more for garnish
Directions:
1. Add olive oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium high heat. Season tuna with Kosher salt. Combine the Jamaican Jerk seasoning, paprika, garlic, and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir together. Cover each tuna steak liberally with the mixture, pressing to adhere. Let Tuna steaks sit for at least 20 minutes or until they come to room temperature.
2. Make the mojito sauce by combining the mango or papaya, yogurt, honey, lime zest and juice, mint, and salt together in a blender. Blend at high speed until smooth.
3. Sear each tuna steak for 1-2 minutes on each side for rare. They should form a crust on each side. Transfer the tuna to a cutting board and slice thin. Cover a plate with a thin layer of the mojito sauce, top with the sliced tuna and a sprig of mint.
CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!
