Moxy’s Braised Beef Short Ribs

Dinner Ideas January 12, 2013 Leave a comment

Short ribs2

I just indulged in one of my favorite meals, Braised Short Ribs. Not to be confused with back ribs, or barbequed ribs. Short ribs are meatier and from the rib of the beef. I’ve looked at all kinds of recipes for short ribs and still feel my recipe is easier and much less complicated, yet my ribs are full of flavor, tender and well, just plain yummy.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 lbs of short ribs of beefshort ribs
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 small sliced carrots, sliced
  • 4 ribs of celery with leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bay leaf

Directions

  • Place ingredients in a stock pot and cover with cold water
  • Bring to a boil, cover pot with lid and lower heat to a simmer
  • Simmer for 2-1/2 hours
  • Turn the heat off and cool in pot for about ½ hour
  • Remove meat from broth and put into a strainer
  • Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

  • Now you have two choices you need to make a gravy;
    • You can put the pot of broth in the refrigerator until cold and the fat rises to the top where you can scrape it off and proceed to making a gravy or
    • You can use a can of beef broth purchased from a store and proceed with the gravy
      • Either way, do not discard or throw the original beef broth away, place in the refrigerator overnight and let the fat come to the surface and scrape off, pour into freezer containers and place in freezer to use in soups or sauces.
  • To make the gravy, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Bring the broth you chose to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture to the broth.
  • Let boil until thickened.
  • In an oven-proof skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat, brown the ribs in the oil, add the vegetables that were cooked with the ribs and pour the gravy over the ribs.
  • Place in oven uncovered for 45 minutes, ribs will be crispy and tender.
  • Enjoy with mashed potatoes or noodles.

Hearty Ham and Potato Soup

Dinner Ideas, Soup January 11, 2013 Leave a comment

Well it is snowing up here in Montana, we gave 6 inches of new snow and I am thinking “hibernation” this weekend. There is nothing like the smell of homemade soup simmering on the stove and bread rising in the kitchen.

Well I have my smoked ham hock cooking away for the next two hours in a stock pot. I threw a sliced garlic clove and about 8 peppercorns in the water to cook along with the ham hock. When that is finished cooking it will be “fall off the bone” yummy. I will remove the meat from the bone, and cut the gristle and fat off the meat and put it aside for my potato soup. Let’s not waste the broth, skim any fat off the top of the water and bring to a boil. Let boil for about ½ hour or 40 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Use this broth in soups or mix with beans for a real treat.

Now you can by-pass the above if you are pressed for time or just don’t want the hassle of pre-cooking your meat and but a smoked ham piece and cut into small pieces for your soup. OR if you prefer not to add meat to your soup – that is okay too. There are some great tasting vegetables here that will make your soup tasty.

potato soup

Potato Soup Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots , finely chopped
  • 2 large potatoes, 2 small sweet potatoes
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt (optional, especially if you add ham)
  • 1 cup ham – cut fine or meat from a ham hock (as much as you like)
  • 2-3 cups of chicken stock or broth
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

*The vegetables above can be “chopped” in your food processor – I like mine chopped small. I will use store bought chicken broth and some of my ham broth.

  1. In a stockpot, melt butter and add all the vegetables; celery, carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic
  2. Sautee for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir often, do not burn.
  3. Cover the vegetables with water, about 2 cups (just until vegetables are covered) and add the bay leaf & salt if using.
  4. Bring liquid to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until all of the vegetables are tender.
  5. Mash the vegetables with a hand masher still in the liquid – you want chunks – do not mash into a puree. The vegetables should make the liquid thick.
  6. Add your ham meat and chicken broth and/or ham broth until vegetables are covered again with liquid.
  7. Season with Worcestershire sauce, add ¼ cup of sherry if desired.

Serve with crusty bread and butter.

Strawberry Angel Food Dessert

Dessert January 10, 2013 Leave a comment

Angel Food - with fruit

In my family this was always a welcome dessert. This is a very dressy, and refreshing dessert in the summer months. Enjoy

Ingredients

  • 1 Angel Food Cake (boxed cake mix is fine)
  • 2 pints of fresh strawberries (or blueberries or 2 cans of Mandarin oranges sliced lengthwise)
  • 1 Large container of Cool Whip
  • 1 regular size box of instant vanilla pudding
  • 1 stick of butter (soft)
  • 1 lb of Confectioners sugar

Cake

  • Prepare cake according to box directions, cool completely
  • Slice into 2 layers

Filling

  • Add 1 cup of milk to 1 regular size box of instant vanilla pudding – beat 2 minutes
  • Add ½ size Cool Whip container, blend pudding mix and cool whip with a spoon
  • Spread ½ of the pudding mix on the first layer
  • Spread sliced strawberries or whatever fruit you choose on top of the filling
  • Cover with first layer of cake
  • Repeat steps above and put top of cake on second layer

     

Frosting

  1. Beat the butter until smooth
  2. Add confectioners sugar
  3. Stir in the other half of the container of cool whip
  4. Frost sides of cake and then the top. Decorate with sliced fruit

 

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Dessert January 10, 2013 Leave a comment

This is the best pound cake I’ve ever

Pound Cake

Yummy Pound Cake

eaten. It is truly an old fashioned, dense pound cake. Enjoy it with powdered sugar sprinkled over its cracked top or drizzle with a butter glaze, dress it up with whipped cream and strawberries!

Ingredients

  • ½ pound of butter (2 sticks)
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 5-6 large eggs – separated
  • 3 cups flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

  1. Cream sugar and butter
  2. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition
  3. Add sour cream, mix thoroughly
  4. Add flavorings
  5. Mix in 1 cup of flour
  6. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form (do not over-beat)
  7. Fold egg whites into sour cream mixture
  8. Stir in remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt)
  9. Turn into a greased tube pan
  10. Bake 1 to 1-1/2 hours (or more) until a pick inserted comes out clean

Cream Puffs

Dessert January 9, 2013 Leave a comment

cream puffYou can use any recipe for cream puffs or this one.  I make mine small and fill them with a Mascarpone Cheese Whipped Cream Filling – so sweet and yummy. The recipe sounds daunting but really very easy once you get into it.

CREAM PUFF RECIPE

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup butter (4 ounces)
  •  1 cup all-purpose flour
  •  1/4 teaspoon salt
  •  4 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

doug ball 13. Bring the water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the butter.  When the butter has melted, add the flour mixture all at once and stir vigorously.  Cook and stir until the mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate.

4. Remove from the heat and cool slightly (about 1 minute).  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating afBeat-in-the-eggs-one-at-a-timeter each one until the dough is smooth.

5. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough about 2-inches apart Drop-spoonfuls-of-dough-onto-a-greased-baking-sheetonto a greased baking sheet.  Or transfer the batter to a pastry bag with a round tip and pipe circles about 2-inches in diameter and about 1-inch apart onto greased baking sheets.

6. Bake the puffs for about 30 minutes until they are golden brown and puffy.  If the puffs are medium-size, bake for about 22 — 25 minutes, and if the puffs are mini-size, bake for about 17 — 20 minutes.  Remove the cream puffs from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.

MASCARPONE CHEESE WHIPPED CREAM FILLING

MASCARPONE CHEESE WHIPPED CREAM FILLING
• 2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2/3 cup heavy whip cream
• 4 tablespoons powder sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
•
1. In a chilled bowl beat the Mascarpone cheese and vanilla until creamy
2. Add the powdered sugar and whipping cream
3. Beat on high speed until thick and fluffy
4. Cut cooled puffs in half
5. Divide the cream mixture between halves and put the top back on.
6. Drizzle with melted bittersweet chocolate or dust with powdered sugar

Oven-fried Coconut Chicken

Chicken, Dinner Ideas January 9, 2013 Leave a comment

OVEN-FRIED COCONUT CHICKENCoconut Chicken
*This recipe could be used for chicken wings as well*

  • 1-1/2 cups (loosely packed) flaked coconut
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 lb of chicken pieces

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  1. Melt butter in oven in a rimmed cookie sheet (line cookie sheet with aluminum foil & spray with cooking spray.
  2. Mix coconut and bread crumbs in a shallow dish
  3. Beat eggs until foamy in a separate dish
  4. Dip chicken in egg one piece at a time
  5. Roll in coconut mixture
  6. Arrange chicken skin side down in pan
  7. Bake for 25 minutes
  8. Turn chicken and bake for 20 minutes longer or until tender and lightly browned outside.

Chicken Wings: Honey, Barbecued, Mexican, Parmesan and Buffalo !!!

Appetizers January 9, 2013 Leave a comment

chicken wingAre you having a party? The Superbowl is right around the corner – – – lets do some Chicken Wings. Below are recipes for honey,  barbecued, Mexican,  Parmesan and buffalo chicken wings. Great for appetizers or even a main meal.

Hint: For easy cleanup – line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil and  use cooking spray to spray your foil  before cooking.  Also, did you know to make crispy wings – you should use a lipped cookie sheet rather than a deep baking dish otherwise your wings will steam rather than “bake.”

Hint:  Remove the disjointed and tip to get to the meat of the wing – and it will look like a “chicken leg.”

HONEY CHICKEN WINGS

  • 2 pounds of chicken wings
  • Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 1 cup honey
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  1. Season chicken liberally with pepper
  2. Place wings in a large baking dish
  3. In a small bowl, mix together honey, soy sauce, oil, ketchup and garlic until well blended
  4. Pour over chicken and bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is well done and sauce is thick.

 MEXICAN CHICKEN WINGS

  • ½ cup corn oil
  • ¼ cup chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 12 ounces tortilla corn chips
  • 1 pound chicken wings

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, chili powder, oregano, and cumin to blend well
  2. Pulverize the tortilla chips in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, pour into a shallow bowl
  3. Dip the chicken pieces in the seasoned oil; then dredge in the ground chips until covered
  4. Set on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes until browned and crisp outside and tender inside. Serve hot

 PARMESAN CHICKEN WINGS

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh)
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter melted
  • 1 pound chicken wings

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  1. In a bag combine cheese, parsley, paprika, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper
  2. Pour melted butter into a shallow bowl
  3. Dip chicken pieces into butter, then place in bag and shake to coat
  4. Place chicken on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot

 BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup hot pepper sauce
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 15 chicken wings (about 3 pounds)
  • Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
  1.  Melt butter in a small saucepan
  2. Add hot sauce and remove from the heat
  3. In a large frying pan or deep-fat fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees. Fry wings in batches without crowding until golden brown, about 10 – 15 minutes.
  4. Drain on paper towels
  5. Brush wings with spicy butter and serve warm with blue-cheese dipping sauce

BLUE CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE

  • ¾ pound blue cheese; Roquefort or Gorgonzola
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
  • Several dashes of hot pepper sauce to taste
  1. In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese, leaving some small lumps. Whisk in the mayonnaise until blended. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to blend well.
  2. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

BARBECUED CHICKEN WINGS

  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed through a press or grated
  • 2 pounds chicken wings
  1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chicken
  2. Mix to blend well.  Add the chicken and toss to coat
  3. Marinate at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
  5. Arrange the wings in a single layer in a large rimmed cookie sheet and bake, turning once for 30 minutes.

Biscuits ‘n Gravy

Breakfast January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

This is not a “Weight Watchers” recipe or anything “cooking light” it is not something that should be consumed more than once or twice a year preferably after your physical – HOWEVER, being the nutrition freak I am, there are ways to cut back the fat. I use turkey sausage and skim milk for the gravy – still yummy, but if you want the “real” thing, use pork sausage and whole milk or heavy cream – ouch.

Moving forward –  I’d like to show you how to make a very important cowboy staple: Biscuits and Gravy.biscuitsgravy

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces hot bulk pork sausage (substitute with turkey sausage)
  • 12 ounces mild bulk pork sausage (substitute with turkey sausage)
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 gallon milk or cream
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Biscuits, store bought or homemade

 Directions

  1. In a large skillet, add sausage and cook until browned and cooked through.
  2. Drain the grease into a cup and remove sausage from the skillet into a bowl.
  3. Return 2 – 4 tablespoons of grease and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of flour to the grease.
  4. Cook over medium-high heat until the grease turns into a roux (paste)
  5. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn golden in color – adding flour if mixture is not thick (pasty)
  6. Begin to add the milk one cup at a time and keep whisking to prevent lumps, stir until the mixture is bubbly and smooth, adding milk a cup at a time until gravy consistency.
  7. At this point, you can start add back the sausage or if you made sausage patties, break a few up and throw into the gravy.
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve over biscuits – homemade or store bought.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Bread, Breakfast January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits – (Medium ease)

Nothing like the taste and smell of homemade biscuits.  Here are a few tips & hints to help you biscuitsalong;

  • Do not over-bake.
  • The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
  • The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
  • I have been told that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there’s less chance of over mixing.
  • If not using a food processor – Use a fork to mix the wet ingredients into the dry – do not stir to mix – just “fluff” together
  • Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit, use your hands to pat the dough out
  • You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze freeze them, place in plastic bags when frozen for up to a month.
  • When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder ( use one without aluminum)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
  • 1 cup buttermilk ( approx) * You can make your own buttermilk: Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line. (if possible use whole milk or heavy cream). Let stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
  3. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal, using a pastry dough cutter or two knives.
  4. Add the buttermilk and using a fork mix JUST until combined, do not beat.
  5. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be wet.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
  7. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick. Use flour to dust the board or counter if dough is sticking.
  8. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
  9. You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
  10. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
  11. If you like”crusty” sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
  12. Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.

What do do with the biscuits when they come out of the oven; drizzle with honey, biscuithoneyspread butter, or jam on your biscuit, eat naked, or squirt some whipped cream on each half and add fresh fruit on top.  Or my fav, Biscuits and Gravy – post to come.

Hint; Never cut a biscuit with a knife, always break in half.

Parmesan Chicken Breast (easy)

Chicken, Dinner Ideas January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

Ingredients Chicken Parmesan

    • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
    • 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
    • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts ( about 1 pound)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In resealable plastic bag, combine cheese, crumbs and all seasonings; shake well.
  3. Place one chicken breast in bag of cheese mixture, shake to coat all sides, repeat with remaining chicken.
  4. Spray cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (Pam)  and arrange chicken in a single layer
  5. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 20-25 minutes.