How to Please a Man in 5 Easy Steps

We have been making this for years and it is a great meal to serve for a family, a date, or if you are entertaining friends. The reason I precook the ribs is to add taste and it also cuts down on the grilling time by 80% if you decide to grill them. There is a lot of truth to the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

XOXO,
Esra

5 Easy Steps to Please a Man

1-2 Racks of Ribs

Salt & Pepper

1 Bottle of Kraft BBQ Sauce– Thick-n-Spicy

Preheat oven to 300

Step 1 – Line a baking sheet with foil (makes for easy clean up), barely cover the pan with a thin layer of water.

Step 2 – Rub salt & pepper all over both sides of the ribs then place on the baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 1 ½ hours.

Step 3 – Take the ribs out of the oven; pour the water out of the pan (without dropping your ribs into the sink). Cover both sides of the ribs with Kraft BBQ Sauce and cover the ribs with foil again.

Step 4 - Place ribs back into the oven for 15 minutes. Flip the ribs and finish cooking the ribs for another 15 minuteswhile still covered with foil.

Step 5 – Watch your man melt and realize how much he loves you when you serve him this tasty meal.

**It was a rainy day in Richmond today so I decided to cook this meal in the oven. Normally, I would slow cook the ribs in the oven on 200 for about an hour and then cook them outside on the grill for about ½ hour or more, depending on thickness. The thicker the meat, the longer it takes to cook. Cut into one and check the color or use a meat thermometer to check.**

Double-Cut Pork Chops with Butter Rum-Raisin Sauce

I thought I would make the man something fresh and different for dinner. Plus we always love adding new meat recipes to our blog that you can cook up for your man. I changed a few things in this recipe and any substitutions I made to the recipe I put in parenthesis. This was a huge hit with the gents and they even went back for seconds. Rather quick recipe to throw together, but it is a bit fast paced. I would recommend starting with the casserole since it takes the longest to cook.
XOXO,
Esra

Double-Cut Pork Chops with Butter Rum-Raisin Sauce
Compliments of Rachael Ray

Ingredients
• 4 double-cut pork chops
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoons orange or lemon zest (I used lemon)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc) very important side note: save the extra wine and have some while you finish cooking dinner and feel free to serve it with dinner as well.

• 4 tablespoons butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 cup loosely packed golden raisins
• 1/2 cup spiced rum
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (I used almonds)
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, packed

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pat chops dry and cut 2 slits in each chop near the bone. Nestle the halved garlic pieces into each slit. Rub chops with a combination of the rosemary, fennel, citrus zest and lots of salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add chops and brown 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to oven and roast 12-15 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and let meat rest a few minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add shallots and soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in raisins then take pot off heat. Add rum and return pot to heat. Reduce 2 minutes at a low simmer. Add stock and simmer 7-8 minutes more.
Toast the pine nuts while the raisins soften. When the nuts are golden brown, stir the nuts and parsley into the sauce and turn off heat. Sauce should be very thick, like a warm relish. Serve chops with pan drippings and lots of rum raisins.

Blue Cheese Green Bean Casserole
3 Gals and a Kitchen's spin on Green Bean Casserole

• Fresh or frozen green beans

• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 milk (I used skim)
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/3 cup french fried onion
• 1/2 blue cheese (I used reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 350
Mix the cream of mushroom soup and the milk, then add salt and pepper, beans, and 2/3 cup of french friend onion. Pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle blue cheese onto of the casserole, bake for 30 minutes or until hot, stir and top with remaining onions.
Serve immediately while still warm.

**And finally, yes, I cheated on the mashed potatoes. I used instant potatoes and topped fresh chives before serving.**

There's More to Garlic than Fighting off Vampires

Garlic has more to offer then bad breath. In this post you will learn how and when to use garlic, what a clove of garlic is, and how to select the perfect bulb.

As early as the 1800's, ancient Greeks, Romans, Turks, and various other groups have used garlic for culinary and medicinal purposes. Since this is a cooking blog we will focus on the culinary aspect of garlic and how you can incorporate it into your meals.

When to use garlic:
You probably have noticed from the recipes I have posted thus far that I am a huge fan of garlic. Let's first start by deciding if the recipe you are using would benefit from a clove of garlic. I enjoy using garlic with red meats, pasta, potatoes, and various soups. Be adventurous, even if a recipe doesn't call for an ingredient and you think it might add more flavor to it, go ahead and toss it in. You live, you learn. Cooking is an experience and you will soon enjoy the good with the bad.

Trick to Selecting Garlic
When selecting the perfect garlic to use in the kitchen these are the key features it should possess:
1. Paper-white skins are the best
2. Firm and plump
3. No visible brown or soft spots.
4. I typically select large garlic because I can get about 10-15 cloves from a piece of garlic

What is this clove you speak of...
I have been speaking about cloves in recipes as well as this post and it is time to explain what a clove truly is. A garlic clove is technically one of the small bulblets within the garlic. When a recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic you would separate two small bulblet from the garlic and follow the directions of the recipe (mince, cook, chop, etc).

Cooking with garlic
When cooking with minced garlic there is one very important rule to keep in mind and that is DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC. Trust me, if you have ever done this you will know exactly what I am talking about. The easiest way to know if you have burned your garlic is by taste. Answer this one question and you will have your answer: Does it taste insanely bitter? If you answered yes, start chopping and start again because it means you burned the garlic. If you are working with minced garlic a good rule of thumb is less than a minute and be sure to stir often. If the recipe calls for other items to be cooked on a skillet I will add the garlic last to ensure it doesn't burn.

I hope this helps you better understand the inner workings of garlic.

XOXO,
Esra



Picture from: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/how-to-plant-and-store-garlic-3.jpg

Farfalle with Turkey Sausage

Who doesn't love Giada De Laurentiis? One of the first presents Wes ever bought me was a dvd of Giada's cooking show - Everyday Italian because I could watch her on Food Network for hours on end. Her recipes are generally very easy and always very good. Now if only I believed she actually ate all of that delicious pasta she makes...

Some side notes - I used one whole package of Jenny O's sweet Italian sausage, but I have used her hot Italian sausage too, which is excellent for a little kick. Since they were out of hot sausage at the grocery store, I added a little red pepper when seasoning the meat. Additionally, the recipe says that the peas need to be slightly defrosted - well, I didn't do that and it turned out fine. Enjoy! - Allison Y.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 pound ground turkey sausage (removed from casing), sea salt and freshly ground black papper, 10 ounces baby bella mushrooms (coarsely chopped), 1 10 oz. package frozen peas (defrosted slightly), 1 pound dried farfalle pasta, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:
In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. In a large saute pan over high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season turkey with salt and pepper. Add turkey and saute breaking any large lumps until the meat is no longer pink. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and heat. Add chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and saute for 4 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the pot of water has come to a boil, add pasta and cook to package directions. Drain in a colander. Return the pasta to the pot and add the meat mixture. Combine thoroughly and gently cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle
in remaining olive oil. If the mixture is dry, add more olive oil! Chances are that you will need to. Check the seasoning. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese. Stir well and serve in a large bowl.

Quick Strawberry Chicken Salad for 2

I whipped this salad up in less than 20 minutes for Louann and she loved it! I had dinner at Rachel's house last week and she introduced me to the greatness of rotisserie chicken! A quick-fix meal staple.

1 rotisserie chicken
1 bag lettuce - use your favorite kind
1 small container of strawberries, sliced with egg slicer (neat trick!)
1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
1 bottle of Fat free or Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Peel skin back and cut the breasts off of the chicken. Slice into bite-sized pieces. Distribute lettuce leaves onto two plates. Top with cubes of mozzarella, sliced strawberries and chicken. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette on top. I served with a slice of Take-n-Bake french baguette. You can find these in the bread section at Ukrops and Kroger and they're super cheap and take about 10-12 minutes to bake.

Note: We agreed that it needs pine nuts for some crunch, and maybe even a tiny bit of finely diced red onion.

Enjoy xoxo,
Alison J.

Mom's Souper Bowl Chili

This is a great dish for company because it makes a large potful. It's a big hit with the guys too!

2 lbs. ground beef
2 or 3 links hot Italian Sausage - we use Johnsonville
2 c. diced onions
2 (15 1/2 oz.) black beans
1 (15 1/2 oz.) can kidney or pinto beans
1 (15 1/2 oz.) can white shoepeg corn, drained
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can of Rotel
2 (4 1/2 oz.) cans diced green chilies
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

Garnish with: sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips

Brown the ground beef, sausage and onions in a large pot. Drain off the excess fat. Add cans of beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix. Simmer on low for an hour. This works well in the crockpot too. You can cook it slow and low for 6 to 8 hours. Ladle in a bowl and top with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips.

xoxo,

Alison J.

Mom's Honey Bun Cake

This cake stays great for days and is delicious with coffee. Great excuse to eat cake for breakfast!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 9"x13" pan.

Mix the following:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (we use Duncan Hines Butter Recipe)
8 oz. sour cream
2/3 c. Wesson oil
1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs

Pour into pan. Mix together the following with a fork until blended:
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans (optional)
4 tsp. cinnamon

Sprinkle this mixture over the batter. Take a knife and make circular swirls going down the cake. (Mom does it in 3 rows) - only going about halfway down into the batter.

Bake 350 for 45 min. to an hour. Check at 45 min. to see if it's done - it will depend on your oven. Let the cake cool. Combine the following with a fork and drizzle across the cake with a spoon.

1 c. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla flavoring
2 1/2 - 3 tbsp. milk

Note: Mom doubles the icing recipe! You can also tint it with food coloring. I tinted it orange for a Clemson tailgate last season.

xoxo,
Alison J.