Busy cooking, not posting.

So it's been some time since my last post, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking up some delicious dinners!  While my recent obsession with Pinterest is wreaking havoc on my productivity, I am discovering all sorts of great new recipes!

This crispy cheddar chicken recipe is my new favorite comfort food.  Tender chicken dipped in milk, cheddar cheese, and ground Ritz crackers is heavenly on a cold winter's night.   I have also used turkey breasts instead of chicken.  I served mine with a side of asparagus and mushrooms.

Speaking of sides, Pinterest helped me discover these Parmesan Roasted Potatoes.  Smoky paprika, garlic, and Parmesan combine perfectly to create these addictive little wedges. 










Finally, my greatest feat was recreating my Gram's baby back ribs.  I am so accustomed to just throwing the whole slab in the oven and roasting that it never occurred to me to first cut the rack into individual ribs.  The key is to keep the ribs moist for the first hour and a half of cooking.  The result is amazingly tender, succulent, fall-off-the-bone-and-melt-in-your-mouth ribs.  This was by far my favorite experiment.

Barbecued Spare Ribs

Rack of baby back pork or beef ribs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
BBQ sauce

Cut racks into individual ribs.
Oil and season with salt and pepper.
Seal the ribs in heavy aluminum foil.
Place on rack in a roasting pan with one inch of water.  Bake for 1.5 hours at 400 degrees, replacing the water to keep 1/2 an inch of water in the pan.  Remove from oven and unwrap.  Remove the rack and pour off the water.  Pour on BBQ sauce and toss to coat.  Lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake for 30 minutes (covered).  Uncover and bake 15 more minutes.  Serve with a side of BBQ sauce and some Texas Toast.  

A note on BBQ sauce:  Don't be afraid to make your own BBQ sauce, it's easier that you think!  Simmer some ketchup, onion, brown sugar, cider vinegar, a few extras and you've got yourself a great homemade sauce.  I use a entire large container of ketchup and save the bottle to store my excess sauce!  Contact me or comment for the full recipe!