Easy Garlic Spare Ribs

Literally just 2 ingredients and you've got these amazing garlic spare ribs that would give any Chinese food restaurant a run for their money!

So here are the ingredients:

2kg (4 lbs) pork back ribs
2 bottles VH strong garlic marinade

Cut the ribs up and place in a large pot covered with cold water. Bring to a boil and continue on a medium to medium high heat for 60 minutes.

Once cooked drain off the water and pour in the sauce. Bring it back up to boil and cook for 5-10 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.

Unfortunately for those of you not in Canada you might have to find an outlet that'll sell you this sauce online. It's worth the effort!

Fruity Bread Pudding

I finally have an exciting bread pudding recipe to share! Ok, maybe exciting is too much, but it's got a lot of flavour going on!

Ingredients:

250g stale bread slices, heels and crusts
2 cups + 2 tbsps milk
1/2 cup mixed candied fruit and/or raisins
2 tbsps orange juice
zest of 1 orange
2 tbsps shredded coconut
14 or 15 pitted dates, chopped
1 tbsp jam or marmalade, any flavour
1  1/2 tbsps brown sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
splash of vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp rum

Combine milk, orange juice, vanilla, rum and jam. Then combine the rest of the ingredients and mix together. 

Let the bread soak in the mixture for 30-60 minutes.

Grease an 8" baking dish and pour everything in.

Bake at 350 F for 45-55 minutes.

Serve plain, with a brown sugar sauce, with ice cream or with maple syrup like I did here.

Adapted from: http://eatinmykitchen.meikepeters.com/joannas-amazing-maltese-bread-pudding/

Beef Chop Suey

Happy Chinese New Year!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or mixture of beef, veal and pork)
1 or 2 onions, chopped or sliced
2 or 3 celery stalks, sliced
1 carrot, shredded
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
370 g package bean sprouts
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soya sauce
2 tbsps cornstarch

In a large wok or frying pan begin by browning the meat. Once there is no longer any pink add the onions, celery, carrots and red pepper. Cook until vegetables are just slightly golden, about 4-5 minutes. 

Add the ginger, garlic, bean sprouts, salt and pepper.

Combine the broth, soya sauce and cornstarch. Push the meat and veg to the outside of the pan and whisk the broth mixture into a center well in the pan. Stir together.

Cook on medium heat until sauce slightly thickens.

Serves 4-6

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Super fancy and waaaaaayy easier to make than it looks!

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts
8 slices deli ham (I used black forest)
4 slices Swiss cheese
handful of spinach leaves
3 tbsps flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Honey mustard sauce:

2 tbsps mayo
2 tbsps honey
2 tsps lemon juice
2 tsps dijon mustard

First have your breading bowls ready... one bowl each for the flour, egg and panko. Set aside.

You want the chicken breast thickness uniform, about 1/4" so flatten using a mallet or rolling pin. I used the side of my mallet with the chicken in a saved waxed cereal bag. These are ideal, they don't tear and clean up is easy!

Once the chicken is ready layer 2 slices of ham, a few spinach leaves and 1 slice of cheese on each. (I had processed swiss here but "real" swiss cheese would've been even better!)

Roll from the short end, hold firmly and coat in flour. Next dip in egg then coat in panko crumbs. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. I thought I might have to use a toothpick to hold these together while breading but there was really no need.

Sprinkle with seasonings and bake at 450 F for 20-22 minutes.

While baking whisk together the sauce ingredients and drizzle over chicken to serve. 

There you have it, Chicken Cordon Bleu!

Candy Coated Chocolate Cookie Bars

Perfect for game day! Customize the candy to your favourite team.

These were made for Super Bowl LIII ... Patriots vs Rams. However, the Rams made a change and are wearing their throwback uniforms in yellow and blue. No one told me!! 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1  1/2 cups brown sugar
6 tbsps butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup M&Ms or Smarties (or chocolate chips)
1/3 cup water

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
In a large bowl beat together the brown sugar and butter, then add the egg and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture and water, alternating in 2 or 3 additions until well blended.

At this point the candy is folded in. If making for two teams divide the dough in half and add the team colours, 1/3 cup to each. Red, white and blue for the Patriots, yellow, chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles for the Rams. (Could've been Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins!) 

Line one  9 X 13" or two 8 X 8" pans with parchment paper. 
Press the dough into the pans. 

Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

GO TEAM GO !!!

Salad Dressing Chicken

I used catalina salad dressing here but honestly I think most any salad dressing would give you a moist and flavourful chicken.

Ingredients:

6 chicken pieces (3 legs, split)
catalina salad dressing, enough to coat chicken
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Place the chicken in a baking dish and slather with catalina dressing. 

Sprinkle with basil, oregano and garlic powder and pop in a 425F oven for 30 minutes.

Spoon juices from the dish over the chicken and return to the oven an additional 10-15 minutes.

Look in your fridge.... what salad dressings do you have?

Kale Smothered Pork Chops and Potatoes

In this one pot wonder the pork is so flavourful and the sliced potatoes are like a scalloped potato without the heaviness of an au gratin.

Ingredients:

3 pork chops
salt, pepper and sage to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 or 5 red potatoes, peel on and sliced 1/4" or thinner
2/3 cup white wine
1 tsp dry rosemary
1 1/2 cups chopped kale
fresh parsley

Season the pork with salt, pepper and sage and brown in olive and veg oil, then remove to a plate.

If needed, add a little more oil to the pan and gently brown the onions and green pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the minced garlic.

Move this mixture over and place the pork back in the pan and spoon the onions, etc over the meat. Layer potato slices on top and liberally sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary.
Pour the wine in at the side of the pan and cook covered on medium low heat for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes spoon some of the juices over the potatoes and add the kale. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Serve topped with fresh parsley and some homemade applesauce.