Sunday Cooking Channel

Who doesn’t love BBQ Baby Back Ribs? With that sweet, sticky, sauce and that smokey, fall of the bone tender meat? YES PLEASE! The next time you make ribs give my recipe a try and let me know what you think. 

I wanted something decadent to go with my BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Mac and Cheese was the obvious choice. To make my Mac and Cheese a little more decadent, I used Smoked Gruyere cheese and good quality bacon.

There are a few things going at a time on this dish. You have the bacon going, the pasta, the milk, and the bread crumbs. The trick is low heat. Cook the bacon on low heat while the water is coming to a boil, while you are prepping the bread crumbs and the milk. The milk is heating slowly, while you are cooking the bacon, while making sure the milk doesn’t scald. Once the pasta is done, drain it. Now it’s time for assembly.

Pour in the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce, add the cooked, chopped bacon, (if you don’t eat meat, omit the bacon) and season with salt and pepper.

Pour mixture in to baking dish(es) and bake for about 30 minutes until brown on top and bubbly.

On the menu tonight – Turkey Chili!

The temperature dropped in the last couple of days which means one thing in my house – CHILI! I’ve been trying to use up some things in the freezer and fridge lately and chili is the perfect dish to use things up. This version has ground turkey, some onion, garlic, bell peppers, and a pepperoncini pepper (I got one last pepper from my plant this week).

Usually, I’ll let the chili cook a long time but this one was done in about 30 minutes. Of course, the longer you let it simmer the deeper the flavor will get. Even in the relatively short time this cooked, the flavors were great. If you want a little something to warm you up as the temperatures drop, make a batch of this chili!

On the Menu tonight – Shrimp Spring Rolls!

This is another one of those dishes that I’ve eaten many times but never made. After a friend suggested I make it, I decided to try it and I’m glad that I did! Making my own spring rolls was so much fun and SO delicious.

There are definitely a few steps to making the rolls. The shrimp need to be cooked first, then shocked to stop cooking and set aside while you prepare the rest of the components. The veggies need to be julienned, a cooking technique cutting something in fine strips. The rice noodles need to be cooked, and the dipping sauce needs to be made. Luckily, the timing of all the components is forgiving, so you have time to take care of each component without fear of another component of overcooking.

Once you get all the components ready, you are ready to assemble the rolls! If you’ve rolled a burrito, you will do fine. These rolls are rolled like burritos but smaller. One thing though, the wrappers can get sticky, so this is where your preparation pays off. Get each of the components ready and close before you soak your first wrapper. Also, have a large platter or each of the plates you intend to serve ready to place the rolls as you make them. The wrapper is delicate, so the less you have to move them after assembly, the better.

So, the next time you’re craving some spring rolls, try making them yourself! They are SO delicious!

On the menu tonight – Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs! After being on vacation last week, it was time to get back in the kitchen. Summer is coming to an end, so I wanted to make sure I grilled out this weekend. Chicken is one of my go-to grill items, but I wanted to do something a little different.

I went slightly Asian this time. The marinade is soy sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, some thyme, and a little salt and pepper.

After grilling the chicken, I took the marinade and made a nice sauce. It was SO GOOD! You know that sauce your chicken has from the Chinese restaurant? This was that only BETTER!

On the menu tonight – Oxtail with Parsnip and Carrot over Cilantro Lime Rice!

Recently, I reached out on Facebook to see what you all wanted to see me make. Oxtail was one of the suggestions and since I’d never made it, decided I would give it a try. It turned out FANTASTIC!

Even after trimming the fat on the oxtail, this is still a pretty rich dish. The lime in the rice helps cut through the richness and really brightens up the dish. This one takes some time to make. You can make it all in one day or do the prep on the oxtail and then cook the following day.

I got started early by searing the meat, then started cooking the veggies. By the time I had it on the oven an hour, the house smelled amazing. I checked it out after an hour and a half and it was tough not to just start plating right then.

After taking a peek, I put it back in the oven. After an hour passed, I added the parsnip and carrot, then let it go for the last half hour. While the meat was resting, I started cooking the Cilantro Lime Rice.

When it was time to plate, I wanted it look as special as it tasted. I started by putting down a pretty dome of rice, then arranged the oxtail around the rice. The plate wouldn’t be complete without some vegetables, so I carefully arranged the parsnip, carrot, and some bell pepper.

The sauce in the pot is gold. I put some of it along with some veggies in the blender to make a sauce to cover the meat and rice. Aesthetically, it looks better without the sauce, but it is SO good it had to go on the plate. 

I couldn’t be happier with the way the dish turned out. If you haven’t made this, I hope you will give it a try, it isn’t complicated. If you have made this before, I hope you try my version and see what you think. 

On the menu tonight - Eggplant “Meatballs”!   This recipe was inspired by Pasquale Sciarappa. I love watching him cook. When I saw him make this, I knew I was going to make it.

This is a great vegetarian dish that doesn’t feel… vegetarian. There isn’t a long laundry list of ingredients but what is there is fresh. Start with a nice eggplant, two different types of onion, some garlic and add in a little parsley – YUM! Serve this dish on its own with some marinara sauce as an appetizer, over spaghetti, or make a “meatball” sub with mozzarella on top, then toasted in the oven.

The next time you are wondering what to do with eggplant, consider making this dish. As always, let me know if you make it and how it turns out.

I’ve been feeling like going to the beach lately but haven’t been able to go. The next best thing to being there is eat something that I’d have at the beach – Fish Tacos! This version of fish tacos is made with Cod. Since it’s summertime, I wanted something cool to go with it – Watermelon Salad.

This dish couldn’t be easier to make. Season the fish how you like along with some lime, then grill it. Fish grills really quickly, so it isn’t a meal that is going to take all day to make. Tip when grilling fish. If your grill grates aren’t really close together, consider getting a grill pan for fish, using some tin foil underneath (but you won’t get the lovely char marks), or a flat/skillet type pan to set on the grill grates.

The watermelon salsa is crazy easy to make as well. Check out the recipe and you’ll be having fish tacos the next time you fire up the grill.

This has got to be one of my all-time favorite desserts. I LOVE Key Lime pie! Summer has arrived when I get a slice of that tangy lime goodness with the graham cracker crust! After trying a few different recipes, I think this is the one.

In the past, I tried using a store bought crust and it was pretty disappointing. My biggest tip for a good pie is make your own crust. I didn’t have access to fresh key limes, so I used the bottled stuff from Key West. The end result was tastier than many a disappointing key lime pie imposters I’ve had at restaurants.

There isn’t anything complicated about making this dessert. Treat yourself and your family by making this key lime pie.

This recipe was inspired from one I saw in a magazine. While I’ve seen plenty of Shrimp and Grits recipes, I hadn’t recalled seeing a version from the Southwest. It looked nice with the strips of red bell pepper and poblano pepper. I didn’t have any poblano on hand but I did have a big jalapeno. I also noticed that the grits in their version were grits, water, milk, and a tiny bit of salt – no butter. I also like to use vegetable or chicken stock instead of water to give the grits more flavor.

One the most unusual ingredients, to me, was the addition of black beans. I guess for a dish to be Southwestern it needs to have black beans. The beans seemed like an odd addition to grits, but it was good. The squeeze of lime gives the dish a nice brightness. All in all, it was a really delicious meal. If you haven’t made Shrimp and Grits – Try it! It isn’t a difficult meal to make and it’s SO delicious.

On the menu today – Sloppy Joe! When was the last time you had a good ole Sloppy Joe? I can’t remember the last time I had one, so I decided to make some. This version has sausage and beef. The sauce turned out tangy and sweet, just how it should be! In addition to the meat, there is plenty of fresh garlic, onions and green pepper.

Next time you make dinner, make a batch of my Sloppy Joes for your family. Don’t worry about making too much, it won’t last!

I couldn’t make this dish without thinking about Adam Sandler’s Lunch Lady Land song. Here’s a link for you, you’re welcome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JANBlEKr9k

Lasagna is one of my favorite Italian dishes and I’ve made quite a few varieties but this version is AWESOME! Because there isn’t any meat, it isn’t that heavy a dish. The trick is to get as much moisture as you can from the spinach, otherwise you can end up with a watery mess in your lasagna pan – nobody wants that!

This is the perfect dish for you to use some of your special, homemade sauce. If you don’t have any ready to go, don’t worry! Recipe for the sauce is included. Whether you’re making this for a big family gathering, a pot luck, or you want to freeze some for later – try this lasagna!

On the menu tonight, for dessert – Lemon Blueberry Bars! Yesterday, I made Chicken Parmesan. It made me think of my trip to Italy a few years ago. One of the places we went was Capri and one of the things it is known for are the lemons. I swear that I saw lemons as big as my head while we were there. I had never seen anything like it. It inspired me to make something lemony for dessert and I landed on lemon blueberry bars.

The chilled lemony goodness is perfect for a summer snack or dessert. They have a delicious shortbread crust and the lemon blueberry top is tart and sweet at the same time. The next time you need bring a dessert to a potluck or your next cookout, make these lemon blueberry bars.

On the menu tonight - Chicken Parmesan! The crispy crust covering the chicken and melted cheese are a hard combination to beat. This isn’t the soggy homemade chicken Parmesan covered with the stuff from that green cylinder that you’ve probably had. This is the chicken Parmesan you had at an Italian restaurant.

While this isn’t a difficult recipe to make, it does take a little time and planning. The chicken needs to be butterflied and pounded. You could probably buy it prepped, but try going through the process. Also, if you want to go all out, you’ll have either make homemade tomato sauce or have some already made. I wouldn’t fault anyone for using a good jarred sauce.

Once you’ve got the chicken and sauce ready to go, you’re most of the way there. Here’s a bonus for you. If you use an extra chicken breast, you can use that extra cooked chicken for an awesome sandwich. I bought some pepperoni and re-heated a piece of the chicken with some pepperoni and mozzarella under the broiler – OMG! It was AWESOME! The prepared chicken is also the beginning of chicken saltimbocca, but that will be another post.

Tonight, I fired up the grill again to make Grilled Shrimp Scampi!

What’s not to like about grilled, buttery, garlic, shrimp? This dish goes together quick. The longest part is the marinade time. After the shrimp marinade for about 30 minutes, they are ready for the grill.

The next time you fire up the grill, get some shrimp and make this Grilled Shrimp Scampi!

For 4th of July, grilling out is a given. I knew I was going to make hamburgers, but I wanted something a little different, a little decadent. I remembered a burger I saw on Diner’s Drive In’s and Dives. Guy was at place that served a burger with Spam in it. Give me a minute… They sliced the Spam into slabs, browned it on each side, diced it, and mixed it in with the ground beef. It looked pretty good, so I thought I would give it a try.

For the ground beef, I used a combination of ground chuck and grass-fed beef. I used Bacon flavored Spam. (You would be amazed how many varieties of Spam there are). But I took it step further. I wanted bacon on the burger. Rather than put slices of bacon on top, I decided to pre-cook the bacon and mix it in with the ground beef as well.

After mixing the different meats together with the seasoning, I put the patties back in the fridge for about a half hour to avoid the patties from falling apart on the grill.

Once grilled, I decided to guild the Lilly and put a fried egg on top. Holy smokes that was a good burger! The Spam chunks and the pieces of bacon were little surprises of happiness – kind of like the bits of candy in ice cream. The yolk from the fried egg provided a nice little sauce. It was fantastic! No cheese, ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise required, though I wouldn’t fault you for adding any of those ingredients.