i know we have talked ribs before but....

you need to make these now. they are so easy it is crazy. you simply wrap a rack of ribs in a double layer of foil, sealed nice and tight. bake in your oven at 300 degrees fahrenheit for two hours. go fire up your grill, gas or charcoal, slap'em on and just start basting away with your favorite barbecue sauce. me? i love sweet baby ray's original. omg! flip often and keep basting till the sweet sauce has caramelized making for a tasty bark on your divine swine.

enjoy!

buffalo burgers

my 100% ground bison started out like this....

had a short stint looking like this.....

and finally ended up like this, a strange looking creature, huh? actually it's my burger smothered with a slice of blue jack cheese topped with a few oven baked onion rings. those rings, real keepers, very tasty. oh, let's not forget the good ol'yellow mustard and ketchup for dipping making for another winner of a dinner.

lets talk about those oven baked rings. gosh they were ever so good and super simple to make. i used a red onion, but next time will definitely use a vidalia sliced thicker. here is how you make them.

beth's easy baked oven onion rings

first you plug in your pink plastic oven to get the light bulb heated. what? just joking....heat your oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

now slice one onion neatly. do better than me would ya. i had to pick out the nicer looking rings and they still weren't so pretty. set aside. get three bowls for your dipping station. in the first bowl put about a half cup of all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper. you really could add anything you like, little garlic salt, cayenne, etc...

next bowl, mix one egg white with two tablespoons of milk. whip with a fork till well combined.

last bowl, pour in about a cup of panko bread crumbs.

line in them up in that order-flour, egg white and panko. dip, shake, dip, drip, plop and pat. do it till you have all the rings you can handle. now bake for about fifteen minutes. i could have let mine go a tad longer to be a bit browner. i was truly surprised how good theses are. now they aren't dairy queen good, but are quite close. well, no, not really, but trust me they are good and a lot less guilt. enjoy.

carne asada buffalo flank steak with grilled corn on the cob

this is one of the best meals i have had in a while. it is buffalo or bison flank steak with a carne asada marinade, fresh pico de gallo, slice avocado and fresh corn, grilled in its husk. it was all unbelievably fresh and delicious. the buffalo came from these folks, edmonds farm, bison ranch and hay farm in lancaster, virginia. i found them at the yorktown market days a few weeks and after giving their bison brats a try we knew we wanted more. we loved them. i made arrangements to get a $50 "sampler" of their incredible meat. it was kinda funny, we rendezvoused in a mcdonald's parking lot at 9:30 at night. they were en route to virginia beach for its famer's market the following day. what nice folks kim and don with their darling daughter valerie and a sweet, little pink piglet named sausage. hmmmmm, interesting name for a pig. well i was lucky enough to get a nice selection to include ny strip steaks, flank steak, ground and summer sausage. i decided to go with the flank first, so....

i reached out to my twitter friends for a marinade recommendation. i should have know my gal barbara over at barbara bakes would hook me up! her recipes are no fail. she recommended a tasty carne asada recipe, smokey chipotle which you can find here. i did marinate the flank overnight. please go pay barb a visit and tell her i sent ya, maybe she will mail me some of those yummy peanut butter cookies she makes. drool.

lastly, i thought i would try my hand at grilling some corn on the cob, still in its husk. oh my lordy, let me just say, too simple and too delicious. i won't boil an ear ever again. hey, why can't you tell a secret in a corn field? too many ears, teehee. sorry, moving on.....

for the corn, take the outer most husks off leaving the last several layers and soak for at least an hour in water. fire up your grill and when ready, drain the excess water off the ears and pile'em on. cook, turning often, for about twenty minutes. my gas grill was on medium.

now if the meat gods are smiling down on you, after ten minutes you will be throwing on your piece of bison flank steak that has been smothered in a smokey chipotle goodness. the buffalo is super lean and literally takes minutes to cook, on each side. watch it! don't kill it twice.

now just look at that ear of corny goodness, those kernels steaming inside the water soaked husks locking in all that sweet corn milk keeping it moist and tender. get the butter ready, the real stuff, not margarine. come one now....

dinner is served. i whipped up some pico de gallo, sliced an avocado, buttered the corn, sliced the steak, salt and peppered the whole plate and dug in. enjoy. i know i did.

how about a buffalo bleu burger next?

$14 steaks

if you have not seen food inc., see it. you will then understand why i paid $14 for two grass fed beef steaks. we both felt the need to pay the difference to taste the difference and they were definitely different. i only salt and peppered the meat which was very lean with a stronger, gamey-er taste, much like deer. i will buy more. we liked it. anybody want to cowpool?

italian pot roast with oven baked brown rice

italian pot roast or as my mama would say "eye-talian" pot roast was a family favorite growing up in my house. my brother kevin adores this pot roast recipe and our mom would make it often for him. kevin, the great white hunter or so he refers to himself, would keep the freezer full of game, so mom would often use venison rather than beef. no matter, both options are dang tasty(the beef tends to have less buckshot). admittedly, i had forgotten about this pot roast until recently. i had forgotten just how simple, yet flavorful it is due to both apple juice and apple cider vinegar. i needed an excuse to use my new enameled french oven and this was perfect. i just let it simmer for hours and the chuck roast became so tender it would melt in your mouth. my mom would serve this over white rice, but since i am trying to do the healthier thing these days, i served brown rice. if you think you are not a brown rice fan you have to promise me you will try it my way. if you do, you won't go back to the white stuff. my brown rice is oven baked. it has texture and a wonderful nutty flavor. it is absolutely delicious. all right, without further fanfare, here ya go. enjoy.

beth's italian pot roast

2-3 lb chuck roast, cubed and trimmed of most fat
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic smashed
mushrooms, i use a large can, drained
salt and pepper to taste
cornstarch slurry


combine all in a covered pot over medium heat, once bubbly, turn heat to low and simmer till cooked down and the meat is tender. i then take out some of the liquid and mix about a tbsp. of cornstarch into it to make a slurry, add to the pot and cook till the gravy is thickened.


beth's oven baked brown rice

preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit

in a covered two quart dish, combine 1 1/2 cups brown rice, 2 1/2 cups water or broth, 1 tbsp. of butter or evoo, and a pinch of salt. bake for one hour. fluff with fork and serve.

homemade salisbury steak

if you are meat and potatoes kinda person, you are going to love these salisbury steaks. i made them for jamie the other night and he did. me, i am not so much on "meat patties", but i did make myself a teeny tiny one. it was good, full of flavor. it is a texture thing for me. now, i thought the the gravy and onions were daaaang tasty, too tasty in fact since i am trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. i opted for just a spoonful, so cruel. i paired the salisbury steaks with nice full bodied,not wine, but mashed potatoes! plus some steamed fresh broccoli and garlic bread. overall, this is definitely a keeper. i found and adapted the recipe from one in a magazine. i hope you will try it.

not so healthy, but oh so good. enjoy.


beth's salisbury steak

for the patties-

1 1/4 lbs. of ground chuck
1/4 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp. chopped green onions, all of it
big pinch of kosher salt
big shakes or grinds of black pepper
2 tbsp. flour

for the gravy-

1 tbsp. evoo
2 cups sliced onions(i used one large)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. minced garlic(i used one huge clove)
1 t2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red wine(i didn't use)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves(i didn't use)

combine chuck, parsley, scallion, salt and pepper. divide evenly into 4 portions and shape each into 3/4"-1" thick oval patties. place 2 tbsp. flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour. reserve 1 tsp. flour.

heat 1 tbsp. oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. add patties and saute 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. remove from pan.

add onions and sugar to pan; saute 5 minutes. stir in garlic and tomato paste; saute 1 minute, or until paste begins to brown. sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute. stir in broth and wine, then add the salt and thyme.

return meat to pan and bring gravy to a boil. reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

pork tenderloin, it's what's for thanksgiving dinner

no turkey or ham for us this year. we opted to change it up a bit since it was just us four. i had posted on twitter asking for suggestions on how to cook a pork tenderloin and barbara bakes shared her wonderful recipe for spicey grilled pork tenderloin. i jumped on it. oh my lordy, is this ever so good and easy. this is such a keeper. i know i should have taken a pic of the tenderloin after i sliced it, but oops, i forgot, but let me assure you it is flavorful, juicy and oh so tender. jamie ate so much he was moaning in deliciousness agony. it is good, no great, stuff folks. thank you barbara for you recipe. in the words of jj, it is dy-no-mite! enjoy.

stay tuned because i made some killer vanilla bean whipped sweet potatoes, first ever chocolate almond torte and cook's illustrated pumpkin pie. i will be telling you all about it real soon.

chicken pot pie, dang easy, dang tasty

so pam, over at for the love of cooking, one of my favorite food blogs ever, posted a beautiful chicken pot pie. i want pam to take pity on me and invite me over for dinner one night. it doesn't matter that she lives clear over yonder on the west coast. i will come bearing gifts. how about a smithfield ham and a big ole can of peanuts? well, it is more likely that i will be stuck here munching those goobers while dreaming of her food. pam's mexican creations make my over cheesed heart pitter patter and my overindulged stomach growl. anyway....

her pot pie recipe sounded so wonderful that i had to give it a try. it is 99% pam's with a dash of beth. i am not such a hot pastry chef, so i cheated and used store bought pie crust. when i unrolled the crust, it was too small and too round for my oval baking dish, so i used a cookie cutter to cut circles which i overlapped on top. it worked beautifully. i pretty much followed her filling recipe to a " t" with the exception that i added both sliced celery and pinch of thyme to the mushroom/onion/garlic saute. the pot pie was delicious. big j and i ate over half in one sitting and polished off leftovers tonight. c wouldn't taste any pot pie even if it was spoon-fed to her by a jonas brother. little t, boxed mac and cheese was calling his name. folks, please give pam's chicken pot pie recipe and her delightful site a visit. it will be worth your while. go do it now, go do it for the love of cooking or in my case, for the love of eating! enjoy.

p.s.- i am thinking next time, beef pot pie with a cheesy crust? holey moley. oh, and sorry for the one and only "not so good" picture. i was too busy shoveling it in.

white castle wannabes

when i saw this recipe over at the big red kitchen(a fun read, go check it out) i just knew i had to give these a try. i also just knew big j would love them, and he did. these super simple sliders were just that, super simple. let me take you through the steps, so hang on....
first, sprinkle dried onion all over a 9x13 pan, as many or as little as you would like. you see the naked side? that is for my four year old, little t. he won't eat the onions, no problem, mama hooked him up. next....
you need two pounds of ground chuck, don't go extra lean because you need the grease to soften up those onions and you want flavor, baby. i am sure they are called sliders for a reason, the grease helps them slide on down your gullet. anyway, pat your burger in your pan, pressing down firmly into the onions. now sprinkle with your favorite seasoned salt. i used adobo seasoning because, well, it was all i had. now cook about 25 minutes at 400 degrees fahrenheit , the meat will shrink and there will be a lot of grease. drain and pat the burger with a paper towel. now....
see how the meat has shrunk? also, i put my pan inside a larger one to prevent grease spillage overage. now the good stuff, place six pieces of sliced cheese, real cheese please, not that cheese food garbage on humongo the burger and pop back into the oven till melted, maybe two or three minutes. grab your pizza cutter and cut into nice little squares to fit these....
martin's potato party rolls, my personal favorite, split and ready to receive. you can use any size party or dinner roll you would like. top it off with a dill hamburger pickle chip....
and you got this!
white castle wannabes. enjoy, i know i did, so did big j, little t, lily the dog, but not so much c. i think she ate yogurt. she's no fun.

"make'em think they're special" meatballs

these are delicious meatballs full of flavor from fresh garlic and parsley. these little meat nuggets can make any jar of sauce and box of dried pasta taste homemade. you make these and your family will love you for life. the best part, they won't have a clue as to how easy these guys are to make and what little effort you've really put into their "homemade" spaghetti and meatball dinner. all they will be thinking as they greedily slurp clean their plates how special they must be for you to go through such trouble. only we know better. okay, let's do it.

in a big ole bowl, mix the following:

1.5 lbs. of ground beef or your favorite meat mix, i like a beef/pork combo(1 lb. beef and .5 lb. pork)
1 egg
1/3 cup italian bread crumbs, give or take, you need enough for it to bind the mixture
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove of garlic minced fine, or more if you like garlic
1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
and a big jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

i do this by hand, just until well blended. make into balls roughly the size of a golf ball and drop into your favorite sauce. simmer until done, probably about 30 minutes. don't stir you meatballs for the first 15 minutes to keep them from falling apart. enjoy and remember to just nod your head when your family tells you just how much they love you.

aw mom, you're the best. yes, yes i know. now mangi, mangi!

super simple oven baked spare ribs

this is so easy, i almost didn't post it. i am not sure if it even qualifies as a recipe. a few simple steps that produce some of the most killer and tender oven baked ribs, definitely finger lickin'.

this is for a 2 pound slab of pork spare ribs-preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit

1/2 cup brown sugar(light or dark)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup or so of your favorite barbecue sauce, sweet baby ray's is mine.

mix everything, but the bbq sauce, this is your rub. massage this into your slab of ribs lovingly and generously. wrap your ribs, meat side down, in heavy duty foil or a double layer of regular foil. bake two-two and half hours. once done, cut into smaller pieces and baste with your favorite sauce. switch over to your broiler and broil for about five to ten minutes, till glazed, brown, sticky and sweet. watch these very closely or they might burn. my family likes corn on the cob and cheddar garlic biscuits with these. enjoy.

camp cupcake's swedish meatballs

i made swedish meatballs tonight for dinner, as requested by big j. he had seen the recipe in an old issue of martha stewart's everyday food that i was using as a coaster. let me first say that i usually have no luck with ms's recipes. they just never seem to turn out quite right. the ikea wannabes were not so pretty to look at and a tad bland, but they were simple to make and somewhat tasty. i would make them again. i served them with egg noodles and green peas. big j was "gut bomb" happy, especially as he mounded the green peas on top and gave it all a good stir. ugh.

c & t took one look and whined. they moved out.

swedish meatballs, it's a good thing. well, sorta.

(big j added the tomater for color)