Spicy Braised Beef Ribs and Potato Cauliflower Mash

Another recipe from France at Beyond the Peel. I've mentioned her blog a few times now so definitely check it out if you haven't already. Her recipes are so reliable. I always know the meal will be wonderful if it comes from her blog. As for this recipe, oh my gosh, I cannot go on about it enough. I LOVE it, hubs LOVES it, and even my picky toddler ate it and THAT is saying something. It's so easy to make too. You just put it in a pot and cook it for 2 hours or so. Simple as that.

We might even have to make this again over the weekend since you can set it and forget it. I've decided that this year we are going to make as many Christmas decorations as we can instead of buying new or just using our old ones. I have a ton of fun toddler activities lined up that I'm excited to try with my little Mimi. Hopefully I'll have some pics to post in the next week or so. :)

Saute the onions and remove from pot.

Place the meat and onions back into the pot and cover. Cook for 2 hours.
By the way, the juices in the pot are AMAZING. Loaded with flavor and
heavenly over the potatoes. Yum!

Spicy Braised Beef Ribs
Serving Size = 2 - 3
Original Recipe: France @ Beyond the Peel
Note: I did make a few changes to the original recipe such as doubling the spices, leaving out the bacon (we don't eat bacon), adding red pepper flakes, and replacing the fresh ginger with ground (I only had ground).

Dry Rub

• 2 1/2 lbs beef short ribs (I could only find boneless beef ribs)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (to replace the 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger that I didn't have. If you have fresh ginger then leave this out)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste

To Braise

• 1 onion cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons Brandy (I skipped this and used beef broth instead)
• Roughly 2 cups of beef stock
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Combine the spices in a bowl and pour them over the ribs. Mix well (remember that turmeric will stain your finger nails so wash well). Set the ribs aside.
2. Get a heavy pot, such as cast iron, and heat over medium heat. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid as well. Add some oil to the pan and saute the onions until soft. Remove the onions to a plate and set aside. Add more oil if needed. Place the ribs into the pot and brown the meat on each side. Take your time and get some nice color. Remove the ribs and set aside.
3. Pour 2 tablespoons or so of Brandy or beef broth into the pot to deglaze. Scrap the yummy bits of flavor off the bottom. Add the meat and onions back to the pot. Sprinkle on a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional) and fill the pot with beef broth until it comes about half way up the ribs (if you have fresh ginger, add it now). If you don't have enough beef broth then add some water. Cover with the lid and turn down to a simmer. Cook for roughly 2 - 3 hours (mine took 2 hours).

The mixture should be a bit thick.

Potato Cauliflower Mash
Serving Size = 2
Note: France served hers over a cauliflower and bean mash.

• 4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon cilantro

1. Place the potatoes and garlic into a medium pot and cover with water (cover above them since you will add cauliflower later). Boil until fork tender. In the last 10 minutes or so of the potatoes cooking, throw in the cauliflower and boil. OR you could also steam the cauliflower separately.
2. Drain the water and smash the potato/cauliflower mixture. Season with salt to taste. Add the cilantro and mix.
3. You shouldn't need to add any milk and it should be a little bit thick. When you place the ribs on top of the potato mixture you will also add some juice from the ribs pot, which loosens up the potatoes.

Linking to: Gallery of Favorites, Friday Favorites, Hearth and Soul

Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings

I've been making this recipe for a while now and it's never turned out bad, not once. It's sweet, spicy, and all kinds of messy. I've reduced the honey before and increased the chipotle and it still turned out great, so it's very easy to customize to your tastes. And the best part is it's a beautiful meal. I feel very impressive when I set these wings on the table and they are decorated with a beautiful dark sauce, sesame seeds, and some bright green spring onions. I wanted to post this ages ago but I wasn't sure if I should because the recipe was submitted in a competition and I didn't want to hurt any feelings out there. But I must say, I can definitely see why this was submitted in a competition. Delicious!!

In other news, my back is still killin' me folks. I have a feeling it will stay this way until baby Emmett arrives. But the weather here has been perfect so having an excuse to sit on the front porch doing absolutely nothing has been nice. Think positive!! :) We're also going to a pumpkin patch this weekend so I'm excited. I think Mimi will have a great time (there are pony rides!).

Spice rub and chipotle glaze 

The wings

Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings
Serving Size = 8 - 10
Original Recipe: Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

• 1 cup of honey
• 2 - 3 tablespoons pureed canned chipotle chiles in adobo or BBQ sauce (I used adobo and I highly recommend it)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (I use sweet paprika)
• 3 lbs chicken wings
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

*I've followed the exact recipe before. I've also cut back on the honey before by almost half and increased the adobo by 1 tablespoon or so. It still turned out great. So you can adjust to taste.
*Also, I didn't use 3 lbs of chicken this time so the sauce was a tiny bit heavy. Still great, but if your wings look more dry... that's the reason. :)

1. Preheat over to 400F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chipotle puree (I used 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and pureed them in my bullet type blender), 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of oil.
3. In another small bowl, stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of chili powder, coriander, cumin, and paprika.
4. Rinse the chicken wings under cold water and pat dry. Cut the tips off and discard (or freeze for chicken stock). Cut the wings into 2 pieces at the joint.
5. Place the chicken into a large bowl and add the spice rub mixture and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix well to coat. Season with salt/pepper. Place the wings on the baking sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown (slightly charred is fine too).
6. Transfer the wings to a large bowl and pour the chipotle glaze over them. Toss well to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle on the sesame seeds and green onions.

Linking to: Gallery of Favorites, Foodie Friday, Frugal Friday, Friday Favorites, Friday Potluck, Savory Sunday, Masterpiece Monday

Homemade Creole Seasoning and Baked Creole Tilapia with Sauce

I've recently joined pinterest and I'm loving it. The different ideas are very inspiring and I'm pretty sure I save everything I find. I have to say though, it's starting to depress me a bit. I love autumn, the food, decorations, everything, but I love summer even more. When I log on to pinterest I keep seeing all of these autumn ideas and I'm starting to realize that summer is going away. Of course, I can't stop this from happening so I just need to get over it, but it does make me want to spend more time outdoors enjoying every minute.

Enough whining now. :) By the way, I've started a Baby Talk! page for all of my followers that are interested in baby updates. I'm keeping it pretty open to any ideas related to babies. I'll update it from time to time. Please make comments, recommendations and so on!

As for the tilapia recipe, well, first we have to start with the creole seasoning recipe. I'll be honest, I am not a creole seasoning fan. I've never been. I think it's because I haven't been exposed to the food enough (the quality food). I didn't want to risk it and make up a recipe, so I went out and searched for one with high reviews and I must say I was very impressed. This might be my new favorite way to eat tilapia. I have no idea how authentic it is, but I plan to make this in big batches and use it on everything I can. And don't skip the sauce for the fish! It's worth it! Yummmmm!!!!

Creole Seasoning

Serving Size = 1 1/4 cups

Original Recipe

• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon cayenne (cut in half for our toddler)
• 5 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons salt (you can cut the salt back a bit if you're worried, but it worked fine for me)

1. Mix everything together and store in an airtight container.

Other recipes with this spice mix: Creole Pasta, Creole Artichoke Hearts, Creole Rice, Sauteed Duck Breast with Cajun/Creole Mustard Sauce

Baked Creole Tilapia and Sauce

Serving Size = 4
Original Recipe

Fish

• 4 fillets of tilapia
• 1 tablespoon of creole seasoning, or to taste (I probably added a bit more)
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced (about 2 pieces per fish)

Sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I doubled, at least)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (had to use dried)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Season the tilapia on both sides, arrange in a single layer in the baking sheet, top with the lemons and bake for 15 - 20 minutes (or until fish flakes easily with a fork).

By the way, if it's 4,000 degrees out and you want to keep the house cool, you could easily wrap this in foil and put it on the grill.

Also, I served this with mushroom rice.

Linking to: Foodie Friday, Friday Potluck, A Week of Handmade Gifts

Bobby Flay Spice Rub (my original post title was Stubb's Spice Rub)

I got this recipe from Kate over at Pinkpancakes. Hopefully she doesn't mind that I'm posting it, hmm. Well, let's not tell her, just in case. hehe

I actually asked some people what their favorite spice rub recipes for ribs are and was told by my friend Richard that Stubb's Spice Rub is the BEST. I've never had it (although I've had their BBQ sauce and it's awesome), so I started hunting for a copycat recipe. Zero luck. Kate sent this to me, someone had given it to her and said it was a Stubb's copycat recipe. However, a wonderful reader just informed me that this is actually a Bobby Flay recipe. It still might taste like Stubb's, I have no idea, but I do know that it's yummy regardless.

I did want to add mustard powder, but when I checked the pantry, I was out. Boo! My other suggestion is to make sure you sprinkle on an even coating, but do not pile it on. I tend to go overboard and it makes the ribs a bit strong. And do not fear the amount of salt! All spice rubs have insane amounts of salt.

By the way, my daughter's new favorite show is Beauty and the Beast. I think I know every single line from the show now. Save me!!
"Be.... our.... guest, be our guest....."

Bobby Flay Spice Rub (I'm told it's similar to Stubb's Spice Rub)
Serving Size = 1/2 cup or so
Original Recipe: Bobby Flay

• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I reduce to 1/2 teaspoon for our toddler)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper

I love that the white and black pepper are treated like different ingredients. It seems like every time I watch TV, and someone uses white pepper, they say that it's just like black. No, not true, they do not taste the same.

1. Ok, we used beef short ribs. Add a little bit of oil, then the spice rub and refrigerate or set aside for 30 minutes. We smoked them for about 3 hours at 225F or so. Just check them, when they're tender, they're done. We used applewood, our fav. :) I put the leftover spice rub in a baggy for next time.

Linking to: Friday Potluck, Foodie Friday

UPDATE April 9, 2012: A reader told me that this is originally a Bobby Flay recipe, so I linked back to Foodnetwork and updated the opening content and title. I was originally told that it was a Stubb's copycat recipe though, but apparently it's not. I didn't want to remove Stubb's from the content in case some people use this recipe but search for the keywords instead of bookmarking. It still might taste similar to Stubb's Spice Rub though, I've never had Stubb's, so I can't compare. Thanks so much to the reader that discovered this mistake. Like most food bloggers, I always want to cite my sources. :)

Texas Brisket, Herb Bread, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes (... and a Salad)

I've made this brisket in the past and my husband loves it so much that he made a special request for it yesterday. I love it as well, but I think my favorite time to eat it is the second day, shredded up with BBQ sauce in a sandwich. Yum!

I like to slow cook my brisket throughout the day. You CAN overcook brisket, and I usually do a little bit. When beef brisket is cooked properly and the slicing begins, the look reminds me of roast beef. It stays together fairly well. I cook mine a bit longer so that it falls apart a little more. Drying out really isn't an issue because I leave the massive chunk of fat on the top.

Texas Brisket Recipe:
Go here for the original recipe

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• One 3-4 lb brisket
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne pepper)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Stubbs)

Preheat over to 250F

Mix the spices in a bowl, set aside. Mince the garlic and rub it all over the brisket, follow with the spice rub. Wrap your brisket up tightly with aluminum foil, fat side up. Place the brisket in a pan (juices will leak out) and slide it into the oven. Leave it for 5-8 hours depending on the meat, check the temperature after 5 though. The brisket should be around 185-195F.

I would also like to mention that it's pretty important to use new, higher quality spices. If you grab the chili powder and paprika that you've had for 6 years, then your brisket will taste old and disgusting. If the chili powder and paprika are high quality, then you are probably safe to go lower quality on the rest.

Go here to learn how to cut beef brisket. 

We always hear that it is important to cut across the grain, but if the meat is fall apart tender, you might want to consider cutting with the grain. We tried that last night (even though you can't see it in the picture, there are several slices that I pushed together) and it worked fine. The brisket was still easy to eat and it held together better. But when in doubt, cut across the grain.

I steamed the corn. Easy, done! The cheesy potatoes are easy and don't require a recipe. I boil enough potatoes for 2-3 people, drain, mash them up, add a bunch of cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup or so of sour cream, s/p and milk. Done! As you can see, this is a great meal for a busy day. 

Now it's time for the herb bread. I'll be honest -- I was NOT doing cartwheels over this recipe. I followed it pretty close, even though I had strong doubts. I like to stay with the original recipe as often as I can, especially when it comes to bread. My husband and I agreed that the onion flavor is WAY too strong. Cut the onion by at least half, maybe more. Other than that, the bread is great. The consistency is wonderful -- moist, soft, with a flaky crust. Here is the original recipe, and here is my future version:

Herb Bread Recipe:

• 1 cup of warm milk (70-80F)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of butter, softened
• Recipe calls for 1/4 cup of dried minced onion, decrease by AT LEAST half or more
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

(Remember to put them in the order suggested for your machine)

I placed the mixture into the machine, selected basic, medium crust color, 1.5 loaf size. Check after 5 minutes to see if it needs more flour or liquid.

I think this bread will become croutons for a salad and breadcrumbs for a meatloaf. I buy unbleached (chemical free) flour, which costs a tiny bit more than bleached, so it's even more painful to waste.

Oh yes, and we DID get a green veggie in. We had a salad with garden fresh tomatoes. YUM!

Leftovers from the Last Post and Moroccan Spiced Chicken

I was having a Premeditated Leftovers moment last night with my leftover Middle Eastern Lentils, Kale, Leeks and Chickpeas. :) I turned them into a rice mixture and it turned out very well. It was a very mild dish, which is good, but I think next time I might add a few more spices. I paired it with Moroccan Spiced Chicken with green olives.

Here's how it goes....

• Leftovers (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 can of tomatoes or 2 large fresh tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon of ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Rice (about 1 cup)

Heat the butter and a touch of oil in a pan with garlic for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and everything else, mix. Add the leftovers. 
I had about 1 cup of leftovers, so I made 1 cup of rice. Adjust as you see fit. Cook the rice separately and then add to the mixture.
Done! :)


The chicken was spicy and yummy as well. I baked it at 375F until it reached the recommended chicken temperature. Make sure you add the herbs at the VERY end. I added my herbs and walked away, and they over cooked. Oops! I also felt like this was too much chicken for the amount of spices I used. It should have been doubled. In the recipe below, I reduced the amount of chicken.

• 3 chickens breasts (or any other parts)
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Dash of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 or 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil (add just enough to make a thin paste)
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/2 cup parsley
• Handful of green olives

The amounts can be adjusted. I changed them every time I make this dish. Sometimes I add different spices, remove some, anything goes. Just keep the majority of the spices and it will taste Moroccan.
Mix all of the spices, garlic and oil together to make a thin paste. Coat the chicken with the spices. Add the green olives. Cook the chicken until done. 
Add the parsley and cilantro in the last minute or so. Do not over cook the herbs or they will lose flavor, or become chips, as seen above. hehe
Since I cook for a baby, I leave out the cayenne pepper, but you will want to add 1/4 teaspoon or so.

Warm Dijon Potato Salad, Roasted Cauliflower, Memphis Rub

I work part-time (once a week part-time) and when I came home yesterday the house was a complete disaster. I think I'm a pretty laid-back person-- not a lot bothers me. I tolerated the destroyed house for a little while, but then I couldn't stand it any longer. I cleaned, vacuumed, swept, did the dishes, washed the tables -- I went completely overboard since the house wasn't THAT messy to begin with. Around 6, I realized I hadn't even thought about dinner. I started searching for recipes and decided on:

• Memphis rub chicken legs (grilled)
• Garlic roasted cauliflower
• Warm Dijon potato salad

Surprisingly, the star was the potato salad. Yum! I could eat this every night for the rest of my life. It packs a lot of flavor and a little goes a long way. I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and made some changes. I'm sure the original recipe tastes great as well though.

Warm Dijon Potato Salad
Serves: 3-4

• 5 small potatoes
• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon of miracle whip
• 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

*Note: Adjust the dressing accordingly, depending on how much potato you have or it might be too dry (the number one complaint on allrecipes.com) or not dry enough. 

Cut up the potatoes, boil them until tender. Drain. Mix ingredients in a bowl and add to the potatoes until they are lightly coated. Super easy!

Memphis Rub

Sadly, the Memphis rub wasn't a hit. I have a feeling that I need very high quality spices for a rub, and I didn't have any. The result was a cheap taste. I will try it again with better spices and see how it goes.

Roasted Cauliflower

The cauliflower worked though. Just pre-heat the oven to 450F, cut up some cauliflower, drizzle them with oil and add a bunch of minced garlic (maybe 1 tablespoon) and salt. Cook until tender (maybe 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. At the end, add some Parmesan cheese and let it cook for a few more minutes. Add some chopped parsley if you want some color.