Slow-Cooker Spicy Country Ribs

This recipe was from Real Simple. I love slow cooker recipes. I can just put all the ingredients together in the morning and turn the slow cooker on before I leave for work. When I get home from work dinner will be ready. This recipe was super easy and taste amazing.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 pounds pork country ribs

Directions:
1. Combine the onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, Worcestershire, chili powder, and oregano in slow cooker. Stir in the ribs. Cook on low heat for 6 hours, or on high for 3 1/2 hours.
2. Using tongs, remove the ribs from the cooker and arrange on a broiler pan. Heat the broiler. Broil the ribs about 6 inches from the heat until browned. Serve with the sauce.

Asparagus Pasta Salad

I'm taking this dish to a Chinese dumpling making party tonight. My friend Linda invited us over to make Chinese dumplings at her house. We always talk about how we miss our mom's home made dumplings. This dish will be something we can snack on while making dumplings. It was very easy to make and tasted light and refreshing.

Ingredients:
1 small shallot finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound asparagus
1 small red bell pepper chopped
1/2 pound bow tie pasta, farfalle, cooked to al dente and cooled
1 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup chopped fla- leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil nn a small pan on the stovetop over medium low heat. Place the shallot in the oil and let it cook for 5 minutes. Allow oil to cool back to room temperature.
2. Cut off the touch bottoms of the asparagus. Par boil the asparagusin 1 inch simmering water covered for 3 to 5 minutes. Cool under cold running water and drain. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces on an angle and add to a bowl.
3. Combine chopped, cooked asparagus with red bell pepper, cooked pasta, green peas and chopped parsley. The peas will defrost as you toss salad. Pour vinegar into a small bowl and whisk in cooled shallot oil. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Season salad with salt and pepper, to your taste and toss again.

Pineapple and Red Bell Pepper Salad

This is a super simple and super tasty salad. It goes really well with pork or chicken dishes.

Ingredients:
1/2 pineapple cut into strips
1 Red bell pepper cut into strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Place pineapple, bell pepper and cilantro in a bowl.
2. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper into the salad and mix well.

Chicken-Stuffed Bell Pepper with Tomato Sauce

This recpie was from Wolf Gang Puck's Live, Love, Eat! cookbook. The cooking time was a lot longer than I planned, but the result was great.

Ingredients:
4 green bell peppers
½ lb of ground chicken
½ cup olive oil
1 cup diced onion
½ lb mushrooms, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peepled and minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon slat
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 can of tomato sauce
Minced parsley, for garnish

Directions:
1. In a medium skillet, heat ¼ cup of olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid given up by the mushroom evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside the mixture and let it cool
2. Add the onion and mushrooms to the ground chicken. Add the garlic, egg, parsley, thyme, salt, cumin, and white pepper and mix well. Set the mixture aside and, when it is cool, stir in the cooked rice.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Brush the peppers inside and out with the remaining olive oil.
4. Stuff the peppers with the fillings to the top. In a baking dish just large enough to hold the peppers comfortable, arrange the stuffed peppers in. Spoon the tomato sauce all around the stuffed pepper and top of the pepper. Bake the pepper until the filling is cooked through and the peppers are tender, about 1 hour. With a serving spoon, transfer each pepper to the heated plate. Garnish with minced parsley.

Chicken and Sweet Potatoes With Shallots

Tonight's dinner was super simple and healthy. I just starting to training for the Seattle Rock & Roll Half Marathon and I wanted to make something that hardy with lots of protein. The recipe was found on Real Simple. I also had some green beans in hand so roasted some green beans with my dinner. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

kosher salt and black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each 6 ounces)
4 shallots, sliced into thin rings
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary 

Directions:
1.Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 14 to 16 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water, drain the sweet potatoes, and return them to the pot. Mash with the reserved cooking water.
2.Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side; transfer to plates.
3.Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until the shallots are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve the chicken with the potatoes and drizzle with the shallot mixture.

Roasted Green Beans
Ingredients:
1 pound green beans , stem ends snapped off
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
An aluminum foil liner prevents burning on dark nonstick baking sheets. When using baking sheets with a light finish, foil is not required, but we recommend it for easy cleanup.
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; spread beans on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; using hands, toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss to coat, and distribute in even layer. Roast 10 minutes.
2. Remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, redistribute beans. Continue roasting until beans are dark golden brown in spots and have started to shrivel, 10 to 12 minutes longer.
3. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, transfer to serving bowl, and serve.

Cinnamon Curry Roased Chicken

This Cinnamon Curry Roasted Chicken recipe was from The Oprah Magazine Cookbook.

I borrowed this book from the library this week. This dish is a little bit of sweet and a little bit of daring. Roasting a whole chicken was a lot easier than I thought. My favorite part of this chicken is the crispy skin. I'm planning to use part of the roasted chicken to make another dish later this week if Pete doesn't eat the whole chicken tonight.

Ingredients:
One (4lb) roasting chicken
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon back pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled, plus 6 cloves, peeled
2 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 shallots, unpeeled and quartered
3 cinnamon sticks
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place on a rack in a small roasting pan or baking dish. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl mix the cumin powder, back pepper, coriander powder, curry powder, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon.
3. Finley chop peeled garlic cloves and combine with ginger and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub mixture over the entire chicken. Sprinkle with salt, then with spice mixture. Place unpeeled garlic, shallots, and cinnamon sticks inside the chicken cavity. Tie legs with kitchen string.
4. Roast 30 minutes before basting with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Roast 20 minutes more, then baste with remaining 1/2 cup broth. Continue roast 20 minutes until juice run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife and meat is no longer pink. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

***Update from a few hours later...Pete and I ate the whole chicken.. and then we went to Molly Moons for ice cream. It was a damn good Sunday!

Coconut and Basil Steamed Mussels

Last’s night dinner was from Cooking Light Magazine. It has became one of our favorite seafood dishes. It only takes 20 minutes to make and the mussels are amazing! I serve this dish with warm toasted French Baguette. Dipping the Baguette in the coconut and basil sauce is heavenly.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup light coconut milk
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
2 lbs mussels scrubbed and debearded

Directions:
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in coconut milk and next 7 ingredients (through Sriracha); bring to a boil. Add mussels to pan; cover and cook 5 minutes or until shells open. Discard any unopened shells.

2. Remove mussels from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving broth mixture. Divide mussels between 2 serving bowls; keep warm. Bring broth mixture to a boil; cook 5 minutes. Pour 1 cup sauce over each bowl. Sprinkle with sliced basil, if desired.