Hoisin Spare Ribs and Coconut Fried Rice

At the store the other day, I snagged 3 lbs of spare ribs for under $2/lb and decided to test them out in the pressure cooker. I also had some leftover white rice and veggies, so while the ribs were cooking, I made some fried rice using a new friend in the kitchen - coconut oil.
Hoisin Spare Ribs in the Pressure Cooker (Food and Wine)
Coconut Fried Rice
3 c cooked white rice, cold
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
A dash of sesame oil
1 1/2 c frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 c of sugar snap peas
2 T coconut oil
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 egg
1 T scallions
1. Heat 1 T coconut oil in a wok over medium heat.
2. Saute the garlic and powdered ginger in the oil for 30 seconds.
3. Add the rice and break up the clumps with a wooden spoon.
4. Add the remaining 1 T of coconut oil and thoroughly coat the rice.
5. Saute, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and mix well.
6. Add the vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. While the veggies are cooking, whisk up the egg in a small ramekin, and pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to make a mini scramble.
8. Add the egg to the rice mixture and use the wooden spoon to break up the egg.
9. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Strawberry season always flies by. Especially when it won't stop raining and the strawberry season is cut short. Since strawberries are pretty high up there on my list of tastiest fruits that can be, I always scoop up as many pints as I can when they become available at the farmer's market. This week, I was lucky enough to get them in my share of veggies from the farm.





To maintain that fresh strawberry taste, I took my first stab at making freezer jam, which doesn't involve cooking the strawberries at all. Use this jam like you would any other. It is especially good on biscuits or English muffins.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Simple Side - Roasted Red Potatoes with Thyme

I received a bottle of avocado oil for Christmas last year, and for the longest time, I wasn't really sure what to do with it. In my opinion, this oil was made for roasting (and fighting cancer, moisturizing your skin. . .) Olive oil could easily be substituted. These potatoes go great as a side with dinner, and are a nice addition to a brunch with friends.
Roasted Red Potatoes with Thyme and Avocado Oil

Skin-on red potatoes, cut into small chunks

Avocado oil
Dried thyme
Seasoned salt (my favorite comes from Penzeys)
Pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with enough oil to lightly coat them (make sure there's enough to prevent them from sticking to the pan).
3. Season with salt, pepper and a generous amount of thyme.
4. Roast on a baking sheet, turning once or twice, until browned and crispy, about 20-30 minutes.

Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potato Stew in the Pressure Cooker

I'll have to admit that when I initially put all of these ingredients together, I was really nervous about what the end result would be. It reminded me of a game I used to play in the kitchen as a kid - "how many random ingredients can I mix into this bowl, and how can I make it look as inedible as possible?" I was totally wrong about this one - and I knew it as soon as the delicious aroma filled up my apartment.
Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potato Stew (adapted from this recipe)
1.5 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into chunks
1 T coconut oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 small can of diced green chiles
2 T spicy brown mustard
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T maple syrup
1/3 c cider vinegar
A dash of powdered ginger
1 1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Seasoned salt and pepper
3-4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1. Set the electric pressure cooker to brown.
2. Saute the peppers and onion in the coconut oil until tender.
3. Add everything except the sweet potatoes and set to "stew".
4. Bring up to pressure and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add the sweet potatoes.
6. Bring up to pressure and continue to cook on the "stew" setting for 10 more minutes.
Tastes great on its own. Tastes extra good with a side of sliced avocado. If you don't have a pressure cooker, the same result could likely be achieved in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours, adding the sweet potatoes for the last hour of cooking.

Caesar Salad

The first time I had my aunt Sue's Caesar salad, I begged her for the recipe. The dressing is lemony, fresh, and super creamy. It's my husband's favorite addition to a meal.

Caesar Salad (Barefoot Contessa)

A few small modifications - halve the recipe, use 1 T mayo instead of egg, and omit the anchovies and pancetta.

Strawberry Blueberry Rhubarb Pie

I've been wanting to make this pie ever since a recipe was sent to me by a friend of the family. I'll admit, I used a store-bought crust and made a few modifications of my own, but the pie didn't last long in my house. Man, was this good.
Strawberry Blueberry Rhubarb Pie
1 package of pre-made pie crust dough from Trader Joes
2 1/2 c rhubarb, chopped
2 c strawberries, hulled and chopped
3/4 c frozen blueberries
1 3/4 c sugar
1/3 c quick-cooking tapioca (dry)
1 1/2 T unsalted butter

1. Place the rack in the middle of the oven, and in the rack just below it, place a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drippings.
2. Preheat the oven to 425F.
3. In a big bowl, combine all ingredients except the crust and butter.

4. Place one pie dough circle in the pie pan and secure the edges.
5. Pour the berry rhubarb mix into the pie pan, dot with butter, and cover with the second pie dough circle.
6. Crimp the edges of the crust and cut a few vents in the top. Make a ring of tin foil around the crust to prevent it from burning.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for another 10 minutes until the fruit is bubbling.
8. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 I could barely get a picture of it before it was gone!

Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches with Citrus Salad

Sunday is fancy breakfast day at our house. I had an abundance of chives to use, as well as some yummy local spinach. That day, my interpretation of spinach egg sandwiches were born. I will definitely be making these again.
Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
5 eggs, whisked well
1/2 T butter
1/4 c grated romano
1/4 c grated parmesan
1 heaping handful of fresh spinach
2 T chopped chives
2 English muffins
1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat.
2. Add the eggs and stir constantly.
3. When the eggs are almost set, add the cheese, spinach and chives and mix well.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, while the eggs are cooking, toast the English muffins.
6. Lightly butter the toasted English muffin halves and top with scrambled eggs to make a sandwich.
7. Serve with leaf lettuce and citrus vinaigrette (courtesy of Bon Appetit - I used chives instead of shallots).

Goat Cheese Stuffed Grape Leaves

I am lucky enough to have a share of a local farm in Madison, and received my first mystery box of goodies this week. Some highlights - a bouquet (not a bunch, a bouquet) of chives, grape leaves, leaf lettuce, romaine, and rhubarb. I also made a quick stop at the farmer's market on Saturday and picked up some local goat cheese. I knew the grape leaves wouldn't last long in the fridge, so I cooked them up right away.
Grilled Stuffed Grape Leaves with Goat Cheese
Fresh Grape L
eaves, stems removed
Goat cheese
Chopped fresh chives
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
French bread, sliced thin

1. Lay one of the leaves flat and place a heaping spoonful of goat cheese in the middle.
2. Sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp of chives and salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle with a tiny drizzle (maybe even a drop) of olive oil.
4. Wrap the leaf around the goat cheese like a gift package. If you can't get the leaves to stay in place, use a little extra goat cheese to "glue" them in place.
5. Preheat a grill or grill plan over medium heat.
6. Grill the grape leaves until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
7. Serve the grape leaves on top of french bread. If you'd prefer not to eat the leaves, scoop the cheese out and serve on the bread.

Baked Halibut with Chimichurri

Before this year, I'd never really cooked with fish too often. Now that I've discovered how to do it right, I'm making it every week! This recipe made its way into my inbox from another recipe blog I follow pretty regularly. I didn't change a thing about the recipe, and was quite pleased with the results.
Baked Halibut with Chimichurri (courtesy of theKitchn.com)
I roasted up some asparagus and served it with a side of sauteed mushrooms. Yum.

Shredded Beef Tenderloin Tacos in the Pressure Cooker

I'm not particularly patient when it comes to cooking, so my slow cooker has probably been used only a handful of times in the last several years. Then, along comes the pressure cooker - I can get the same slow cooked taste in much less time. It's a gadget that I now incorporate into my meal plan each week.
I've had about some beef tenderloin in my freezer for a couple of months, and have been avoiding it for no good reason. I decided to give tacos a try, despite a quick Google search returning little to no results for using this cut of beef in a taco. My experiment churned out some incredibly tasty beef with great depth of flavor.
Shredded Beef Tacos in the Electric Pressure Cooker
2 lbs beef tenderloin cut into 4 big chunks
Olive oil
1 jar of salsa (I used Trader Joes Chipotle Salsa)
3 T coarsely chopped green garlic
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
Corn tortillas
Garnishes: thinly sliced radishes, chopped avocado, chopped cilantro, sour cream

1. Set the electric pressure cooker to brown.
2. Brown the beef on all sides in a bit of olive oil.
3. Add the salsa, garlic and jalapeno and mix well.
4. Set the pressure cooker to the stew setting, let it get up to pressure, and cook for 45 minutes.
5. Manually release the pressure and carefully remove the lid.
6. Check the meat using a fork to see if it's ready for shredding. If it's not easy to pull apart with a fork, cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Set the pressure cooker to warm. One chunk at a time, shred the beef with a fork (or you can act like you're Wolverine and use something like these).
8. When it's all shredded, add it back to the liquid in the pot and stir it up.
9. Serve in a corn tortilla with desired garnish. I used my new stand mixer attachment to slice some radishes nica and thin without using the mandoline that I furiously threw away last Thanksgiving (RIP).

Radish Green Smoothies

This year I've made a vow to use every bit of the vegetables I get from the farm, even if traditionally, I don't really love the taste of them. When it comes to something like radish greens, I've tried sautéing them in the past, and am not a huge fan. Why not hide them in a smoothie instead?

Radish Green Smoothies
1 bunch of radish greens
1/2 c pomegranate juice
1/2 c orange juice
1 c frozen mixed berries

Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Three Cheeses

Summer is here! With summer comes delicious greenery from the farmer's market. Here's what I picked up: a bunch of cilantro, radishes, green garlic and asparagus. I'll be using them in several recipes this week.
I don't know when it happened, but once I figured out that pesto didn't have to be made from basil, I started throwing every herb I could in my Cuisinart to see what I could come up with. Cilantro pesto is a bit spicy, and adds a tasty kick to any pasta dish. I bet it would be quite good in scrambled eggs, too.
Cilantro Pesto

Leaves from a bunch of cilantro
1/3 c shredded romano
1/3 c grated parmesan
A few cloves of garlic (I used green garlic)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Add all ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor and process until smooth well blended.
2. Slowly add enough olive oil to make a creamy paste. Season with salt and pepper.

While you are picking the leaves off the bunch of cilantro, set a pot of salted water to boil. When it's ready, cook about half a package of any pasta you'd like according to package directions. I used Archer Farms Radiatore. This recipe serves 2-3 hungry people but could easily be doubled.

Drain the pasta and toss with the pesto and a handful of fresh baby mozzarella balls and some chopped tomatoes.

Turkey Chili in a Pressure Cooker

As soon as I started reading the instruction manual for my new electric pressure cooker, I knew it was going to change my culinary life. I love the idea of popping a bunch of ingredients into a pot, and letting the pressure cooker do all the work. To my surprise, I preferred the taste and texture of my take on this chili recipe to traditional beef chili - fewer calories was just an added bonus.
Electric Pressure Cooker Turkey Chili
1.25 lbs ground turkey
1 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped; divided
1 red bell pepper chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans (I got cuban style black beans from Trader Joes)
1/2 c chicken stock
2 T chili powder
1 T cumin
2 tsp cayenne
Salt and pepper

1. Turn the pressure cooker on and set it to brown,
2. Brown the turkey in the olive oil for a few minutes until it starts to get crumbly.
3. Add half the onions and the bell pepper, season with salt and pepper, and saute for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pressure cooker and turn on the stew setting. Set it to cook for 20 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to get up to pressure before the timer starts.
5. Manually release the pressure and remove the lid carefully.
6. Enjoy with some shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
Serves 4
Note that the same result could likely be achieved in a big stock pot if you don't have a pressure cooker. I'd let it all simmer for about an hour before serving.