Asian BBQ Beef Ribs

Asian BBQ Beef Ribs

Not all of my experiments turn out well. These BBQ beef ribs look good in the photo, and the idea was really good, but something got lost in my execution.

Tom had a hankering for ribs. I decided to try beef instead of pork ribs. Never made them before. The butcher counter at Morgan Grocery in Penn Yan has lots of beef ribs from cutting steaks all summer. They put them in the freezer. And are a bargain.

So, I used the Filipino-style Steak Marinade and marinated the beef ribs overnight, then wrapped them in foil and baked them all day at 200 degrees (first 15 minutes at 400 to get them started), then bought an Asian style BBQ sauce at Weggies for Tom to add when he grilled them.

Something was off. Either my marinade choice, or the BBQ sauce or both. I need to try again. And do some research. If anyone has a good way to make beef ribs, let me know.

B

 

Grilled Apricot and Feta Salad for Chelsea

Grilled Apricot and Feta Salad (with Spinach)

Our college-bound niece, Chelsea, arrived with this recipe clipped from a magazine she read on the the plane en route, saying "Doesn't this sound good?!"

We didn't have time to make it while she was here--to pick up her stuff for college which was in our storage unit--but I made it this week, and it is indeed very good.  I cut the recipe in 4 and added spinach to make it my lunch.

Grilled Apricot and Feta Salad
(adapted from Cosmo Sept 2012)

Serves 4

6 T. Extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Champagne vinegar (or any kind you have)
1 T. creamed honey (or regular, as I did)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 garlic clove (I skipped this)
1 T. poppy seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
8 apricots, halved and pitted
1/2 small red onion, finely sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 fresh mint leaves
a bed a fresh, young spinach leaves, washed and dried

For the vinaigrette: whisk together 4 T. of olive oil, 3 T. of vinegar, honey, vanilla, and garlic (optional). Fold in the poppy seeds, salt and pepper. (I put the mint in now, too.)

For the grilled apricots: Heat grill or frill pan to med-high. Baste apricots with olive oil. Sear fleshly sides for 90 seconds, then turn over and sear the skin side for 60 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool.

For the onions: in a small saucepan, add onion slices remaining vinegar, stir and simmer until the onion slices turn bright pink(about 30 seconds). Remove and cool slightly.

Create a bed of fresh spinach in each plate.  Add the apricot halves, 4 halves per person. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup feta and a heaping tablespoon of pickled onions. Drizzle with vinaigrette and garnish with mint leaves.

It was really good!  Don't skip the pickled onions.  They were worth the effort.

B

Miscellaneous Monday

 

Like most people I know, it has been a very busy Summer. Labor Day is almost here, and it feels like the year is going by too fast.

For me, things are going to slow down a bit now, and I am really looking forward to writing again for Feast Everyday.

So, there is time to ponder important questions like: What's the difference between a buckle and cobbler? Or a crumble and a crisp ? Or a Betty and a Pandowdy? And what the heck is a Grunt?

They are all variations on baked fruit desserts. If you are curious, too, here's the best link I found which explains what they are and their history: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/CobblerHistory.htm

Thank you to everyone who has been sending in recipes. The blueberry -picking post really brought out the recipes!

I will be making Christine's Blueberry Zucchini Bread myself this week, as we will be having guests over the weekend.

Happy End of Summer,

B

 

Grilled Chicken with Pistachio Salsa

Grilled Chicken with Pistachio Salsa

 

This summer this is how we've been making our grilled chicken -- marinating it in lemon, garlic, herbs and olive oil. And for special occasions adding the pistachio salsa. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are plentiful this time of year. I love clipping them and bringing their fragrance back into the kitchen.

The pistachio salsa is unique and a very interesting combination of flavors. Hats off to Chef Jeff Cerciello for coming up with it.

Grilled Chicken with Pistachio Salsa
(adapted from a Jeff Cerciello recipe)

For the Chicken:
1 chicken leg and thigh quarter per person
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice ( 1 whole squeezed and rinds included)
1/4 cup olive oil, use basic olive oil, nothing special
Lots of garlic
Fresh thyme
Fresh rosemary
Fresh sage
Fresh parsley (my addition)
Salt
Pepper

For the pistachio salsa:
1 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup minced chives
2 T. Finely grated lemon zest
Salt, if needed (depends if your nuts are salted or not)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, use good stuff, but it doesn't have to be your best

Pat the chicken quarters dry, season with salt and pepper, the place them in a large plastic bag.

Add the rest of the marinade ingredients,

massage it all together, and place in the refrigerator for 4 up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

To make the pistachio salsa, combine all of the ingredients in a small serving bowl, and let the flavors marry. Can be made in advance, and stored in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using. fyi - Tom thinks the pistachios should be chopped up next time.

Grill the chicken over medium high heat for 25 minutes or so, until juices run clear.

This dish will be remembered as Summer of 2012.

B

 

Feast Everyday is a blog created by Barbara Hall Blumer. Comments and contributions are welcome. Please email me at BarbBlumer@aol.com or leave a comment on the blog at wwww.feasteveryday.blogspot.com.

 

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Julia Roberts's Fresh Peach Crisp

 

Julia Robert's Fresh Peach Not-so-Crisp (but Yummy)

 

Tom is going off on a trip to Ireland and Wales to golf with his buddies, so I thought I'd make him one of his favorite dishes before he left -- a peach cobbler.

Looking through my cookbooks, I found something even better -- a peach crisp make with Scotch whiskey! One of his other favs.

It's from one of my used-bookstore finds, Newman's Own Cookbook, from the late 90's. I like his cookbook because it reminds me of Feast Everyday. It's his family and friends recipes, and both he and his wife Joanne Woodward liked to cook. But of course, the difference is we are not celebrities. :)

Julia Robert's contributed this recipe. I wonder if she still makes it, or even remembers contributing it. Her recipe calls for 3 sticks of butter (yikes!) which I cut in half. That may be why mine was not so crisp, but it was yummy.

The keys to making this recipe a success are ripe but firm peaches, good quality cinnamon, and good quality Scotch whiskey. Because that's really all that's in it.

Julia Roberts's Fresh Peach Crisp
(from Newman's Own Cookbook, pg. 191)

Serve 6

7 ripe but firm medium peaches, unpeeled, and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Scotch whiskey
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 T. unsalted butter

Topping:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
3 sticks ( 24 T.) unsalted butter, melted (I cut the amount of butter in half)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9x2 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, toss the peaches together with the lemon juice. Add the whiskey, sugar, and brown sugar, and combine well. Spread the mixture on the bottom of the baking dish and dot with small pieces of the butter.

To make the topping: In a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined.

Add the butter gradually, stirring it in to form a crumbly mixture.

 

Sprinkle it evenly over the peaches. Even though the topping should be evenly distributed, you want a rustic, pebbly look to the top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more to brown the top. We had to cook it much longer, more like another 20-35 minutes to get the top to brown.

Let cool slightly,

then serve warm in bowls, topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

B

 

 

 

Feast Everyday is a blog created by Barbara Hall Blumer. Comments and contributions are welcome. Please email me at BarbBlumer@aol.com or leave a comment on the blog at wwww.feasteveryday.blogspot.com.

 

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Grilled Peaches with Raspberry Sauce and Ice Cream by Missy

Grilled Peaches ready to be dressed with Ice Cream and Raspberry Sauce

Barb:

'Tis the season...peaches, that is."

    ---Missy

Grilled Peaches

2 large peaches, washed and quartered

2 tbls brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together in a large bowl and set aside for about 15 minute; toss before grilling to coat evenly.

Place peaches either directly on a PAM coated grill or grill pan.

Stand by to turn every 3-4 minutes, or until grill marks are visible.

Remove to a plate to cool slightly before adding toppings.

Raspberry Sauce

1 pint raspberries

¼ cup sugar

2 tsps lemon juice

 

Put all ingredients into a saucepan. Cook and mash with a spoon until the mixture is soft and begins to boil.

 (If desired), press through a fine sieve or cheese cloth lined strainer to remove seeds. We decided that we liked the consistency and taste of the entire mixture! Makes about 1 cup.

     ---Missy

Curiosity Cookies

 Curiosity Cookies

Sometimes I make recipes because I am curious.  In this case, I wondered why the recipe called for cornstarch.  Would it affect the taste?  Why is cornstarch included?

Plus, I was curious to see how our new Breville would do making cookies.  I don't recall ever making cookies in a toaster oven  Their recipe intrigued me.  Why did they choose this cookie recipe out of all the cookie recipes out there to put in their pamphlet?

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 36 cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 t. pure vanilla extract
2 oz.  bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used unsweetened)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 t. baking soda
2 t. cornstarch
3/4 t. salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips

1.  In a large bowl, cream together the granulated sugar, brown sugar and unsalted butter.  (Be sure your butter is soft.)

2. Beat in the egg.  (Be sure your egg is at room temperature.)

3.  Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and mix until combined.  (Melt your chocolate on the stovetop or in the microwave but watch it closely so it doesn't burn or freeze up.)

4.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. (I use a whisk instead of a sifter.)

5.  Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips to the creamed butter mixture.  (It will be very dry.)

Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix the ingredients until combined.  (Keep at it until everything is combined well.)

6.  Roll tablespoons of cookie dough and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.  (I didn't roll my first batch and they didn't look as nice as when you roll them. )

7.  Bake 9 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Place on a rack in the center of the oven.  (It would be the same in a regular oven.)

8.  Cool one minute, then remove to a cooling rack. (Do not rush this step or they will fall apart on you.)

Let them cool completely.
Here's what we thought:  a little salty, so maybe only 1/2 versus 3/4 t. of salt.  Very chocolaty, nice texture, not your typical cookie texture.  These are a little cakey -- in a good way.  Turns out that the cornstarch is added to make the flour lighter, more like cake flour.  We could not detect the taste of the cornstarch.  I think they would look pretty if they were dusted with confectioner's sugar.  Could be a candidate for our Christmas Eve goody exchange.  They are a sturdy but light cookie.  Tastes great with a cup of coffee in the morning.  I like the smaller size, i.e., 1 T. of dough per cookie.  The Breville was a star:  baked evenly, heated up quickly, but didn't overheat the kitchen which is nice in the summer.

B