Friday, October 29, 2010

Carolina Style Nectarine BBQ Pork Ribs

Halloween has come . . . and almost gone again. It is now time to trade in the spider webs and ghoulish decor in our home for fall leaves and turkeys. To welcome fall I made a killer BBQ sauce to baste some amazing ribs for dinner. We loved it!
The next day I shredded the leftover ribs from this recipe, added a little cider vinegar to the meat and made pulled pork sandwiches that were unbelievably delish! I LOVE BBQ! My hubby took me to Troy's BBQ in St. George UT for lunch a few weeks ago and um yeah . . . it was amazing! I am all over their pulled pork and fried leeks! If you haven't been their . . . try it! Carolina Style Nectarine BBQ Sauce
Recipe by: Emily
1 cup *Nectarine Mustard
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup light Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan except butter. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in butter and simmer for 10 more minutes. Use to baste meats, or as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!

For the ribs I put boneless pork ribs in the crock pot smothered in Carolina Nectarine BBQ Sauce and slow cooked them until nice and tender. I usually reserve 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce and lay the ribs on a baking sheet when they are done, baste them with more sauce and broil them for a minute to get an intense BBQ sauce coating.

*I made nectarine mustard this summer and canned it . . . use any mustard in place of it if you need to!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Wonton Noodles

I am a home body when it comes to eating . . . I like eating out here and there but there is nothing quite like cooking at home and knowing what you put into your food and having the satisfaction of presenting something delish to your family and enjoying it together.
This recipe is proof that making dinner surpasses going out in my mind. Last night was the perfect night to kick it at home with my handsome husband, eat chow mein and watch Halloween movies! The wonton noodles were ueber yummy and we dusted the remainder noodles with cinnamon and sugar and munched some more during our flick. Es Smeckt!
Chicken Chow Mein
Recipe by: Emily

1/4 cup Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
1/2 cup Boiling Water
1 medium Onion, sliced into "moons"
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
3 cups low-sodium Beef Broth
3 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola oil
2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 cup Celery, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
2 Large Chicken Breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small can sliced Water chestnuts, drained
1 can Bean Sprouts, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water allowing mushrooms to seep for 10 minutes. Remove mushrooms and save for another recipe. Set the mushroom broth aside to use.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Add the onions and cook until the chicken is done. Set the chicken and onions aside in a bowl while preparing the gravy.

3. Add the garlic to the pan that the chicken was cooked in and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups of the beef broth and the reserved mushroom broth, and bring to a boil.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth, cornstarch, celery salt, 2 teaspoons brown sugar and soy sauce. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken and onions back to the pan and reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the gravy is slightly thickened. Add the water chestnuts and sprouts. Serve over crispy wonton noodles. Enjoy

Crispy Wonton Noodles
2 cups Vegetable oil
1 package Wonton Wrappers, cut into thin strips about 1/4-inch wide

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet or pan with deep sides until it reaches 350 degrees F. Fry the strips in the hot oil, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the heat with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

* Coat any leftover crispy wonton noodles with cinnamon and sugar and enjoy as a snack!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Dulce De Leche Banana Pie

I think we are going to have this pie on our dessert menu for our Halloween festivities! We loved it! Easy, fast, no fuss, and delish!!! I love recipes like that. I think it would also be awesome to add a no bake pumpkin layer to it too! I think this is the easiest and fastest recipe I have ever posted! Dulce De Leche Banana Pie
Recipe: Emily

1 can Dulce De Leche
2-3 Bananas
1 Graham Cracker crust
1 Tub Cool Whip

Spread 1/3 of Dulce De Leche on the bottom of a graham cracker crust. Slice bananas and add one layer over the Dulce De Leche. Spread another 1/3 of the Dulce De Leche over the banana layer and then top with another banana layer. Spread the remaining 1/3 of Dulce De Leche over the second banana layer. Top with cool whip and refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!