Three New Recipes

Wow, I think this may be a world record in our home, but we tried out three new recipe dishes this week and I want to pass them along.  They were all hits with the hub, so that’s a win.

We have wildly different palates and diets, so finding meals in common is a challenge.  Truthfully, once I find something that works for me I can literally eat it every single day.  In fact, while I was in college (the first time) I ate a grilled cheese sandwich (with a pickle) every day in the cafeteria.  Every day.  And I sort of look back fondly on that.

Skillet Beef and Broccoli

Skinnytaste is one of my favorite sites for successful meal planning.  I generally have to make very few modifications to her recipes and actually find ways to simplify them.  When this Broccoli Beef recipe popped up on my feed, I knew I had to try it.  This is so good, healthy and easy, I have no reason to ever order takeout again.

We ended up using flank steak sliced thinly and probably a little more than the recipe called for.  I cut the garlic to two cloves and used only green onions since I’m sensitive to those.  I didn’t have any fresh ginger, so I used ginger powder.

I also simplified to cooking the onion, garlic and beef at the same time, so no taking things out of the pan and putting them back in.

We agreed this will make it to our regular rotation.

Bacon Ranch Chicken Foil Packets

This easy peasy meal packed a big taste punch and was a hit.  In keeping with using ingredients we have onhand trying to minimize grocery runs, I quartered russet potatoes instead of using new red potatoes, but otherwise followed the recipe. 

We bought a really huge bag of bacon crumbles a while back. John divvied it up, sealed in his Food Saver and froze.  When I needed to top this recipe with crumbled bacon, I didn’t even have to cook that.

I love that all four of these packets fit perfectly into our toaster oven and we didn’t need to use the big oven.

I got this recipe from Dinner at the Zoo which was a first for me.

We decided pre-making these foil packets and taking with us for our next “camping” trip would be perfect.  “Camping” is staying at the resort in Payson with grills.  Ha!

Cherry Coke Babyback Ribs

This recipe was a bit more prep work and uses more ingredients than I’m generally interested in, but John found the recipe and he 100% made it, including purchasing the cherry Coke.  Which he now has to finish drinking.  Yuck.

These ribs turned out really good, but frankly, the super easy crockpot ribs I made recently were just as good to me.  I could go once a year eating ribs anyway, so these probably won’t make it back into our kitchen for a while, but they were good and pretty to look at.

Here’s the recipe

Cherry Coke Babybacks

Rub:

• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ tsp onion powder
• Salt & pepper

Sauce:

• 1 c Cherry Coke
• 1 c bottled bbq sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

Rub ribs with spices and put on grill with indirect heat, low for 2 hours.

Boil ingredients for sauce and simmer for 10 minutes till it thickens slightly.  After the ribs have been on the grill for 1.5 hours, baste bone-side with sauce and place bone-side down on grill for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, turn and baste the other side and finish grilling.  After cutting and plating the ribs glaze with the remaining sauce

What I’m Reading

I’m going to be reading Vanity Fair for a long while yet, so I thought I’d submit a review of something I read before I started blogging and let you know how much I enjoyed this book.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is absolutely one of my all-time favs.  DF and fellow-reader Jill and I can split ourselves laughing over Ignatius Reilly and his total lack of social skills.  She was recently in New Orleans and sent me a pic of a statue of Ignatius which she said: “Under the clock at D.H. Holmes Department Store, studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste in dress.”

If words which border on very naughty but are not outright offensive amuse you like they do me, you will be delighted.  Minx.  Moron.  Cretin. 

There is not one politically correct line in this book and it’s delightful.

What I’m Doing

John started another smallish project which I’ll share with you on Saturday’s post.  Never a dull minute.  All right, lots of dull ones, but we’re trying to keep busy.  And keep the economy afloat.

What we’re really accomplishing is being tired and poor. But, just in case anyone ever visits again, our house will look nice.

Miss everyone and sending lots of love.