Brittany's PantrySweet & Tangy Ribs
Brittany wrote this on 30 June 2011
dijon mustard, garlic, gluten-free, pork
I always love the days leading up to a holiday weekend. Most people have some extra time off and are happy and excited and full of anticipation for special plans. My house is no exception and when it comes to the fourth of July, we get especially giddy! Our town spends three days (this year it is four because the fourth is on a Monday) celebrating with various activities. Food, two parades, vendors, outdoor movies, concerts, games, pool time, shopping, kids activities, and two nights of fireworks, and that is just the tip of the iceberg! If you take into account the cooking and BBQs with friends, it makes for an extremely busy, but enjoyable, weekend.
Call me crazy, but I also love all the magazines this month. The internet, newspapers, and television are all full of ways to celebrate Independence Day, but the food magazines and blogs are brimming with recipes, ideas and pictures to make us drool! I just love it! I have spent the last few days wading through endless recipes for potato salads, burgers, fried chicken, bars, popsicles, and hot dog toppings. The cherry pie on the cover of Family Circle makes me roll my eyes and groan every time I pass my coffee table! Must. Eat. Cherry. Pie.
So the basic gist of all this is that I am no exception. I want to make sure you have some good food ideas for this weekend and what better food for fourth of July than RIBS! Heck! Who cares about the holiday! I just want to eat grilled pork! All smokey and sticky and sweet and tangy and…*slap*! Huh? What? OK. (slobber slobber) Back to the recipe.
Sweet & Tangy Ribs
The rub is my own concoction but the BBQ sauce is adapted from BHG. When I want something homemade and quick but super tasty, this sauce is perfect. It is so much easier (and faster!) than cooking down onions and crushed tomatoes and the gazillion other ingredients that go into a barbecue sauce. It is great on grilled chicken too, but sticky and tangy and messy and absolutely outstanding on ribs!
3 full racks of pork ribs, either baby back or st louis style
Dry Rub:
2 T brown sugar
1 T kosher salt
1 T smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Barbecue Sauce:
1-12 oz jar chili sauce
1-12 oz jar grape jelly
2 T yellow mustard
2 T Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Mix all dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle ribs evenly on both sides. If possible, let sit overnight in the fridge. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking them at 2 1/2 for doneness. The ribs should be tender but not totally falling apart. *Can be made a day ahead up to this point. Cool and refrigerate if desired then continue with the recipe.* After baking the ribs, brush with barbecue sauce and grill over medium high heat, just to add a little color to the ribs and caramelize the sauce. Cut into serving pieces, passing the leftover sauce on the side.
For the barbecue sauce, combine the chili sauce and jelly in a small saucepan over medium heat until the jelly melts, whisking until it is smooth. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients and heat to a slow bubble. Taste and cool. Will keep chilled for a week or so.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Brittany wrote this on 29 June 2011 cocoa, cream cheese
I mentioned a few days ago on facebook that I had leftover cream cheese frosting and that it needed a home. Well, not so much a home as a reason to continue to keep it in my fridge and eat it with a spoon. I could have froze it-leftover frosting keeps in the freezer for several months, tightly sealed-but I needed a special dessert for this holiday weekend anyway, so….red velvet cupcakes it is! Decorated with blueberries to make them patriotic, of course!
Also, I can now state with absolute confidence that this is my only recipe for red velvet cupcakes. Out of hundreds (thousands?) of cake recipes, I went through every single one and sorted out just the red velvet. I then compared and contrasted the ingredient lists to narrow it down to three. I am going for a classic recipe here. I baked them all and ate them all. Let me tell you, it was rough! Then my family ate some, a friend, some neighbors, and everyone picked a favorite based on flavor, texture, and overall level of yumminess. It was unanimous! All were great, but only one recipe had the moist, traditional flavor of true red velvet cake. So, I threw away all my other recipes. Now I don’t have to wonder if I have a better version stashed somewhere else! This is the best one! And just maybe, coming soon to a BBQ near you!
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
In a large bowl, cream together:
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Add 2 eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition
Add 1 tsp vinegar
Add 1 (1 oz) bottle of red food coloring (Yes! The whole bottle!) and mix thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together:
2 1/4 c cake flour (or 2 c all purpose flour)
1/3 c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
Add the dry ingredients in three installments, alternating with 1 c buttermilk, ending with buttermilk. Mix just until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and finish mixing by hand. Bake in muffin tins sprayed, greased, or lined with paper liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Note: This recipe can also be baked in a 9X13 pan or two 8 or 9 inch rounds. Just adjust the baking time accordingly.
Cream Cheese Frosting
There are lots of recipes out there for cream cheese frosting. Use any one you like, or give this a try!
1-8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick (1/4 c) softened butter
1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat together until smooth.
Hola! It was a Mexican Fiesta this weekend at our house and here is the guacamole recipe I promised you! I also made shredded beef tacos with spicy sour cream, salsa, and mexican rice. We had carrot cake for dessert (my husband’s FAVorite-although not exactly fitting for our Latin theme!) and all I can say is that I am planning on tossing all my carrot cake recipes, in favor of this one. No recipe or pics of it though, but I promise to post it next time I make it. Outstanding. And as for the shredded beef tacos, I was pretty happy with them. Made in the crock pot, it was super easy to throw together and an absolute winner. I think I am going to fiddle with the spices just a bit more, so stay tuned. All in all, great food, great friends, and lots of leftovers. Just the way I like it!
Just like salsa, there are dozens of different ways to make guacamole. I was shooting for plain, classic, simple, with a well balanced flavor. This was my result. If you ever need a resource for classic mexican food, my family and I like the flavors and straightforward simpleness of 365 Easy Mexican Recipes by Marge Poore.
Guacamole
It is easy to vary your dip. Add diced tomato, stir in a small spoonful of sour cream or a pinch of cumin, add more cilantro or skip the onion, add minced fresh garlic or roasted corn-endless possibilities.
3 ripe avocados
2 fresh jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 T chopped cilantro
1/2 onion, diced very small or grated
Juice of half a lime, or 1 T bottled lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Mash all ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning.
Note: Jalapenos contain most of their heat in the seeds and ribs of the pepper. If you want to make this hot, but not add more peppers, leave the ribs and/or seeds in one of them before you mince it. Be very careful chopping hot peppers. Touch nothing else (especially your eyes) and wash hands immediately afterward with soap and hot water. Also, like many of you, my family is not a fan of cilantro, but the quantity in this recipe adds wonderful flavor without being overpowering. And as always, fresh citrus is way better than bottled, but use what you can. And don’t skip the lime! It cuts through the richness of the avocados and keeps them from oxidizing and turning brown.
Love a Good Recipe?
Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Brittany, and I share tested, trusted recipes you’ll love. I prepare & photograph food, obsess over the perfect recipe, and enjoy grins of delight when I serve up something awesome. Enjoy!
