Father's Day Ribs

For Father's Day, Dad received a rib rack and of course ribs!  They turned out oh so delicious!  The top right are meaty beef and on the left are Baby Back pork ribs.  Both are fall off the bone yummy, but my personal favorite is the pork.

Here's how it's done:

 Because we were cooking both ribs on the same rack at the same time we wanted to keep it pretty simple, using the same rub and cooking time for both racks.  We chose a beautiful half rack of Beef and a whole rack of Baby Back pork.

 
With the meaty side down, using a knife, lift the corner of the membrane that runs down the entire backside of the ribs.  After you have enough to pinch with your fingers, place a paper towel between your finger and thumb to use as a grip, and yank the membrane off!  (It is highly recommended that you remove this as it becomes chewy and plastic like if you leave it on).

Next, season and massage your ribs generously with your favorite dry rub and spices.  We used a combo of McCormicks Brick Oven, garlic powder and salt and pepper.

Using a gas grill, prepare the grill for indirect cooking, using only the otter burners. Medium temp.  Place the ribs onto the rack so they are standing up and away from the heat, and close the lid.  ( You may have to cut the large racks in half to fit, depending on the size).

Rotate and turn the ribs every twenty minutes, and after about 1 1/2 hours they should be ready.  The internal temperature for the pork ribs should read 180 degrees and 160 degrees for the beef.  Mop the ribs with any good BBQ sauce, and remove from the grill.  Yum Yum!

BBQ Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza?  My husband and I have been pizza patrons for many years and after trying so many different variations we finally decided to start trying to recreate some of these wonderful combinations here at home.  Our favorite type of pizza is a thin cracker crust, wood fired, and topped with simple fresh ingredients.  However, we do not have a wood burning pizza oven, but have learned to substitute with our gas burning grill. (it works great!)  The combinations for pizza are really endless.  This weekend we experimented with 3 different combinations:

                                                                  Pizza Margherita

   Prosciutto and fresh veggie pizza

                                                                  BBQ Chicken pizza

Here's how you do it:

1.  On a floured work surface roll out and hand stretch the dough into a thin semi-round shape. (I used store bought dough, but if you have a great homemade recipe that works too).   The dough should be room temperature as it will retract it's size as it cools. 

2.  Heat your gas grill to the med/high setting, using all burners, around 500 degrees F.  Brush dough with olive oil and place directly onto the hot grill.  Watching closely, and only flipping the dough one time when it starts to bubble up in places.  This process happens pretty fast so keep a close eye.

3.  Once the dough is just cooked, remove from the grill and place onto an oiled sheet pan.  Decorate with your favorite toppings.  This is the fun part, you can be a pizza purist or be adventurous with whatever flavor combinations you can dream up.  Here are the ingredients we chose.

Pizza Margherita:

• Fresh basil
• 1 roma tomato 
• fresh mozzarella
• minced garlic lightly cooked in olive oil
• Olive oil  (brushed directly onto the pizza crust)

Prosciutto and fresh veggie pizza:

•  fresh basil
• diced cooked prosciutto
• sliced red onions and garlic cooked in olive oil
• 1 diced roma tomato
• fresh mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons of store bought tomato sauce

BBQ Chicken pizza:

• diced grilled bbq chicken (about 2 ounces)
• minced garlic lightly cooked in olive oil
• sliced red onions
• sliced black olives
• fresh mozzarella
• 1 diced roma tomato
• diced green onions
• fresh basil
• fresh cilantro
• bbq sauce (brushed onto the pizza crust as it's base)

4.  After the pizza is dressed with toppings, return the pizza to the hot grill (leaving it on the sheet pan).  it's important to leave it on the sheet pan, otherwise you will risk burning the bottom of your pizza. Watch closely and remove the pizza when your toppings are heated through and the cheese has melted.  Yum Yum...

Carol's Chicken Curry Salad

This is a recipe from my Sister Carol.  It's a great dish for warm weather, it has sweet and savory elements, and the curry adds just a little something different.  You can use a variety of fruits and nuts, but I like apple and almonds best.  Serve it with a green salad or as a sandwich with your favorite bread. (The portions for this recipe are enough for a large family, it makes about 4 lbs of salad.)

Ingredients: 

• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 2 small Gala apples chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
• 2 teaspoons of curry powder
• 2 1/2 cups of good Mayonnaise 

Here's how you do it:

1.  Lightly coat chicken breast with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Cook the chicken in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Cool and dice into small pieces.

2.  Chop 1/2 cup of almonds and toast in a dry fry pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

3.  Finely dice 1/2 cup of onion, 2 stalks of celery and 2 small or 1 large Gala apple. (you can also substitute the apple with grapes or dried cranberries).

4.  In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients along with the curry powder and the Mayonnaise.  Mix thoroughly and salt and pepper to taste.

  

Smoked Salmon Dolmades with Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc

Opa!  This is a fun recipe that gave us an opportunity to use a few fresh items grown right in our backyard.  For our Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) we gathered fresh grape leaves, parsley, and had a few lemons left on the tree to use.


Ingredients:

• About 40 to 50 palm sized grape leaves 
• 2 whole lemons
• 3 ounces smoked salmon
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped capers (drained and rinsed) 
• 1 medium shallot finely chopped
• 8 ounces white wine
• 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cubed)
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

1. To use fresh grape leaves:
In the spring or early summer when leaves are still tender.  Select young, whole, palm sized leaves. (Only use leaves that have not been sprayed with any pesticides).  Pick approximately 40 to 50 leaves, wash in cold water and trim the stems off using scissors.  Place cleaned leaves in a large pot and blanch with boiling water for about 15 minutes.

 

2.  The Stuffing:

To make the stuffing, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add 1 cup of rice and 1/2 cup of diced onions, stir frequently.

When the onions become slightly translucent, add 2 cups of hot water to the pan and stir until all the water has been absorbed.  Add 1/4 cup of chopped parsley and the zest and juice of 1 lemon.

Add 3 oz of chopped smoked salmon (check for bones).  The rice will be under cooked at this stage, but will finish it's cooking process in the oven. 

3.  Stuffing the leaves:

 
                                    Place a leaf onto a plate with the veins facing up towards you.

           Depending on the size of the leaf, place about 1 or 2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of the leaf.

 Fold the stem end up and over the filling and then fold both sides towards the middle (just like you would for an egg roll).  The rice will expand during cooking so make sure the roll is snug, but not overly tight.

Place the rolls into an oiled dutch oven or oven safe dish.  Place the rolls in the bottom of the dish with the seam side down, and gently pour 2 cups of hot water over the rolls.

 Cover and bake in a preheated  350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed.  Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.


4.  Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc:

Combine 1 finely chopped shallot, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 8 oz of white wine in a saucepan over high heat, stirring frequently until  liquid has reduced down to 2 tablespoons.

    Whisk in 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and reduce heat to low.  Add in 1 cube of cold butter at a time.

Continue whisking butter until completely emulsified and the sauce has reached a rich consistency.  Add finely chopped capers.  Stir, and drizzle over room temperature dolmades.

 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my all time favorite comfort meals.  This is a no-fry recipe, and it's healthy, delicious and pretty easy to make.  It also has a little spicy kick of red pepper.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized eggplants
• 2 cups of wheat germ 
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
• 8 oz Mozzarella ball
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 3 medium eggs
• 5 cups jarred Marinara sauce 
• fresh basil for garnish

Here's how you do it:

                                   

  1. Peel and slice Eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds.

 

2.  Lightly salt both sides of the Eggplant and place on a dry paper towel for about 15 minutes per side. The salt will draw out excess water from the Eggplant.  Pat dry.

3.  In a large bowl combine wheat germ flakes, dried red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, and dried basil together.  In another bowl lightly beat 3 eggs together.

4.  Dredge the Eggplant slices into the egg wash and then into the dry mixture, coat both sides completely, and place onto a lightly greased sheet pan.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until tender.

5.  Place cooked Eggplant slices onto a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Layer with sliced mozzarella, another Eggplant slice, and top with your favorite marinara sauce and remaining Parmesan and Feta cheese.  Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

 6.   Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil.  Serve with a small salad or garlic bread and enjoy!