TGIF: My Favorite Baby Back Ribs

5 Comments | Written on July 16, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

When I first tried this recipe, I had the neighbors peering over the fence to see what smelled so fantastic!  These ribs are lick your fingers, enjoy every last bite good.  The meat simply falls off the bone and a bit of rum in the bbq sauce is my secret ingredient.  I also like to make sure that the ribs are from top-quality pork to ensure the most tender and delicious results.  I purchased these baby back ribs from US Wellness Meats where their motto is, “Our animals eat right so you can too!”  After my organic education in Vermont, my eyes were opened to the importance of sustainable farming practices in order to avoid harmful additives like hormones and antibiotics.  Grass-raised animals pass the best of their nutrient-rich diet on to you and the meat simply tastes better!

Barbecued Baby Back Ribs with Rum

2 slabs baby back ribs, about 3-4 pounds total

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup dark rum

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Wrap each slab in double thickness of aluminum foil and place on a large pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours.  Unwrap and drain drippings.

2.  Return ribs to pan.  Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over ribs, coating each one well.  Marinate at room temperature for 1-2 hours; or cool, cover, and marinate overnight in refrigerator.

3.  When ready to grill, lay ribs above medium-hot coals.  Grill for 30 minutes, turning and basting with sauce about every 10 minutes.  Serves 6.

Peace, Love and Ice Cream At Ben And Jerry’s

2 Comments | Written on July 15, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

One creamy and delicious side trip to our blogger adventure in Vermont was a chance to explore the Ben and Jerry’s headquarters.  There you can tour the facilities, order a scoop of your favorite flavors, browse the gift shop or even visit the “Flavor Graveyard” where retired flavors are laid to rest. Check out our facebook page for a photo tour!

I picked up a copy of the Ben and Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book in the gift shop and wanted to share one of the recipes with you.  Their recipe for a “Vermont Sweet Tooth” ice cream sundae was the perfect fit.

The key ingredient, of course, is Vermont pure maple syrup.  Luckily one of our new farmer friends gave us a bottle of maple syrup sourced right from his property!  Along with some chopped apple and walnuts spooned over Ben and Jerry’s Vanilla ice cream, and you have a quintessential Vermont dessert.

VERMONT SWEET TOOTH

3 scoops ice cream, your favorite flavor

1/4 cup Vermont maple syrup

1 small apple, cored and coarsely chopped

1/4 to 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Scoop the ice cream into a dessert bowl.  Top with maple syrup, apple and walnuts.  Makes 1 serving.

Beat The Heat! Summer Slow Cooker Supper

No Comments | Written on July 14, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

No need to fire up the stove during the summer heat, now is a great time to use a slow cooker!  This recipe for “Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken” is an easy, budget friendly supper your family is guaranteed to love.  Serve it up with some coleslaw and a pickle spear and dinner is served!

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, with excess fat trimmed

1 cup barbecue sauce (use your favorite, but hickory or mesquite flavors are great!)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir to coat chicken.  Cook on high heat for 3 hours, or until chicken is very tender.  Remove chicken and shred with forks.  Return to cooker and heat another 5 minutes.  Serve hot on hamburger buns.  Serves 6.  (The chicken can be made a day ahead, cooled, and refrigerated.  Reheat in a saucepan)

Better Recipes Cook Of The Week: Julie Hession

5 Comments | Written on July 13, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

It’s time we started showcasing all the fabulous foodies we have here on Better Recipes!  I would like to highlight a reader each week and share some of their stories and recipes with everyone.   Let’s start off with our first “Cook of the Week” Julie Hession!

Earlier this month, the Summer Fancy Food Show was held in New York City.  Imagine row after row, booth after booth of the best specialty food and drinks from across the country and across the globe.  (Yes, and every single booth offers samples.  It was my lunch and dinner that day!)  I even had the chance to meet famous foodies like Padma Lakshmi and Lidia Bastianich.  Check out our Facebook page for a gallery of pics from the event!

For me, the highlight of the event was meeting up with fellow foodie and Better Recipes fan, Julie Hession!  She was debuting her simply fantastic “Julie Anne’s Granola” at the show.

The granola can be purchased online or at a stores throughout the country.  Check out her recipe for chocolate chunk cookies using the Sweet Citrus Granola blend.  Give it a try!

Julie Anne’s Granola Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, soft

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups Sweet Citrus Granola

1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  With an electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars in another bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in both eggs, and beat in vanilla.  Beat in flour mixture and then stir in the granola and chocolate chunks.  Drop dough by heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart onto buttered baking sheets.   Bake in batches in middle of oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.  Cool cookies on racks.  Makes 3 dozen.

Besides the great cookie recipe, Julie also offers these tips for granola.  What’s your favorite way to enjoy granola?

10 Ways to Enjoy Granola:

1)  Stir into Greek yogurt

2)  Ice cream topper

3)  Add to cookie dough

4)  Snack at the gym

5)  Mix into muffin batter

6)  After-school treat

7)  Homemade granola bars

8)  Apple pie streusel

9)  Sprinkle into salads

10)  Thanksgiving turkey stuffing

Blondies For A Birthday

1 Comment | Written on July 12, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Happy Birthday to my sister, Kara! (A lot of birthday’s in my family this month!)

In our family I am the red-head, and Kara is the “blondie.”  (Although her real nickname is “The Viking!”)  Here we are exploring the beautiful fjords of Norway, just a hop, skip and a jump from the land of our ancestors in Finland.

In honor of Kara’s birthday yesterday, I made a batch of “blondies.”  Warning, these are completely addictive!  The butterscotch chips, coconut and walnuts are the perfect combination for a moist and chewy dessert.

BLONDIES

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 extra-large egg

1 extra-large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour and 9-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan; set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Remove 2 teaspoons of the flour mixture to a small bowl and stir in the butterscotch chips.

3.  In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Pour this mixture over the flour mixture, along with the butterscotch chips, coconut, and walnuts; stir to form a batter.

4.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until just set.

5.  Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.  Makes 16 blondies.

TGIF: Grilled Flatbread Pizza

3 Comments | Written on July 9, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

TGIF! So far during this summer series, we have grilled up chicken, steaks and veggies but now it is time for something uniquely different.  We are going to grill a pizza!  It is not only the perfect quick and easy summer meal, but it is also great for entertaining.  Why wait half an hour for delivery?  These pizzas can be grilled up in minutes!

I never get tired of making these flatbread pizzas because they are always such a huge hit.  You can use any of your favorite toppings, as desired, or have toppings ready for guests to add their own.  Just be sure to always have all ingredients prepared before you start.  Flatbreads cook fast, but exact cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your crust and the heat of your fire.  They are usually done when they have become puffy and browned on both sides.

Grilled Flatbreads with Fontina, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Fresh Basil

6 balls frozen white dinner roll dough (from a 3-pound package)*

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/2 cup cubed (1/4-inch) fontina cheese

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes- slivered

1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

1.  Remove 6 frozen balls of dinner rolls from package and thaw according to package directions, to make individual flatbreads.  Keep remainder frozen for later use.( * You can also use the whole loaf of frozen, thawed dough to form into larger flatbreads, if desired).

2.  Using your hands, press and pull the thawed dough into 4-inch rounds.  Brush both sides of dough liberally with some of the olive oil, saving rest for grilling.  Place prepared dough rounds on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Meanwhile, have all other ingredients prepared and ready to go before grilling.  The dough cooks very quickly, so everything must be ready and at hand.

3.  Prepare outdoor grill for indirect heating.  Place rounds of dough on grill rack, not directly over very hot area of heat.  Grill for about 1 minute, watching carefully, until dough is nicely browned on the bottom and starts to look puffy.

4.  Turn bread over with tongs, and working very quickly, brush each with some remaining olive oil, then sprinkle each with the salt and pepper.  Scatter cubed fontina evenly over each round.  Grill another minute or so, watching carefully, until bread is nicely browned and cheese starts to melt.

5.  Remove bread from grill and place on serving platter.  Place sun-dried tomatoes evenly over each piece, then sprinkle each with fresh basil and serve immediately.  Serves 6.

Check out our previous “Think Grilling It’s Friday” blog entries:

T-Bone Steak

Portobello Mushroom Fajitas

Martini Steaks with a Twist

Grilled Corn

Beer Can Chicken

Organic “Barnstorming” Tour!

2 Comments | Written on July 8, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to participate in a “Barnstorming” Tour along with three other bloggers.  (From left to right:  Valerie, Anne, Tina and Me)  The wonderful people over at Stonyfield organized the event to educate us (and in turn, our readers!) about the organic farming process.  Stonyfield is dedicated to organic living and producing healthy food.  I have to say, after a few days of learning about the organic farming process versus conventional farming, I am convinced!

I took so many photos on this trip and there were too many to post here!  Check out the galleries on our Facebook page.  Farm Photos and Factory Photos.  If you want to really experience the “Barnstorming” Tour for yourself, check out this video with highlights from the trip.

We learned so much about the organic process, but there was one thing that really stuck with me from this trip.  If you ask a conventional farmer about the lifespan of their cows, he will often tell you around 4 years.  When you ask an organic farmer the same question, he will proudly point out cows who are 14 years old.  All without fertilizers, pesticides, hormones or antibiotics.  Our health and our lifespan mimics what we consume. I would rather live a long, happy and healthy life just like these organic cows!

One of my favorite memories from the trip was being greeted with an ice cold pitcher of milk and a batch of warm blueberry muffins after our tour of the grazing fields at Howmars Farm.  Jonathan’s wife made the recipe from the Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Cookbook and they were hands down the best blueberry muffins I ever ate!  It was so thoughtful of her to prepare this snack and after learning about the organic process you could virtually taste the TLC in every bite and each sip.

I uploaded the recipe to the Better Recipes archives.  Click here for FARM FRESH BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Start with the best organic ingredients!

In one bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, mix plain yogurt (Greek style is my favorite!) with baking soda.  The step is the secret to these perfectly fluffy muffins.  The combination creates an awesome chemical reaction and the yogurt foams and grows!

In a third bowl, combine sugar, egg, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.

Alternately fold in the yogurt mixture and the flour mixture into the egg mixture.  Just be sure to not overmix!  We want to have nice, fluffy muffins.

Fold in the blueberries.  I picked these up at the local farmers market!  When fresh blueberries aren’t available or in season, you can use frozen berries that have been thawed.

Bake in until golden brown and enjoy with an ice cold glass of organic milk.  This is as close to the farm experience as you can get in the comfort of your own kitchen!  Thanks so much to Stonyfield, my fellow bloggers and, of course, the farmers for this fantastic experience!

Serve Up A Scrumptious Baby Shower

No Comments | Written on July 7, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Are you welcoming a new bundle of joy into the world?  Serve up this scrumptious dessert to your guests at the baby shower!  I love that this Lime and Sour Cream Pie can be prepared ahead of time and served right from the refrigerator.  Decorate the table with cute and whimsical fabric or get really creative and use a binky as a napkin ring!

LIME AND SOUR CREAM PIE

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

2-1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

1 cup whipping cream

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1. Combine 3/4 cup sugar with cornstarch and lime peel in a medium saucepan; mix well.  Add lime juice and stir until smooth.  Blend in half-and-half and butter.  Place over medium heat and stir until mixture thickens and starts to boil, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally. Fold in sour cream.  Turn mixture into baked pie shell.

2.  Combine whipping cream and 2 Tablespoons sugar in bowl of electric mixer.  Whip until soft peaks form.  Spread atop pie and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Pie can be made ahead and kept refrigerated.  Makes 8 servings.

Twilight Fever Takes The Cake!

1 Comment | Written on July 6, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Attention Twi-hards! Whether you are on Team Edward or Team Jacob, everyone will want to sink their teeth into this vampire cake.  It is the perfect recipe for a Twilight Eclipse viewing party!

A marble of devil’s food cake mixed with blood orange cake swirled inside a castle shaped bundt pan, it is sure to please all those Twilight fans out there!

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE MARBLE CAKE  aka Twilight Cake

Cake:
3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 sticks (1 cup)  plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Tablespoon freshly grated orange rind, from a blood orange or naval orange
1/4 cup water

Glaze:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup orange juice, from a blood orange or naval orange
2 teaspoons grated orange rind, from a blood orange or naval orange

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the castle pan with Baker’s Joy, and using a pastry brush, brush the oil into the grooves of the pan, and then turn pan upside down over a paper towel; set aside.
2.  For Cake:  In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, or over very low heat in a small saucepan, melt the chocolate with 2 Tablespoons of the butter, stirring until melted; set aside to cool.  In a large bowl of electric mixer cream the 2 sticks butter, then gradually add the sugar; beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
3.  Into a bowl or onto waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the baking soda, and the salt.  Add to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and blending batter after each addition.  Stir in the vanilla.
4.  Divide the batter between 2 bowls, putting slightly more batter in one bowl.  Stir the orange rind into the bowl with more batter.  Into the bowl with less batter, stir in the cooled chocolate, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and the 1/4 cup of water until the mixture is well blended.
5.  Spoon the batters separately into the prepared pan in 4 layers, beginning with the orange batter, going orange-chocolate- orange- chocolate, and remembering to pour the batter into the corners. Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times, then run a long knife through the batter in a daisy petal pattern around the mold several times for the marbled look.
6.  Bake the cake for 1 hour, 10 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.  Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before inverting. Cool cake for 20-30 minutes before glazing.
7.  For Glaze:  Combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.  Brush glaze all over cake with a pastry brush.

A Lighter “Pick Me Up”

2 Comments | Written on July 5, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Today is my Dad’s birthday!  Happy Birthday Daddy! Every year my Dad’s choice for birthday cake is always Angel Food, and this recipe takes Angel Food cake to a whole new level!  I have created a lighter version of Tiramisu that is also quick and easy through the creative use of a few convenience items.  Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian and I think this dessert will do just that for my Dad on his special day!

Light Tiramisu Angel Food Cake

1 store bought angel food cake, about 8 to 10 inches

3/4 cup strong black coffee, room temperature

1/4 cup coffee liqueur

8 ounce package reduced-fat block-style cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided

3 Tablespoons coffee liqueur

1 Tablespoon instant espresso or coffee powder

1 container (8 ounces) frozen lite whipped topping, thawed

1/4 cup fat-free or sugar free fudge ice cream topping

1 Tablespoon coffee liqueur

1.  Using a serrated knife, cut angel food cake horizontally into 3 layers.  Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter; set other layers aside on a flat work surface.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the coffee and 1/4 cup of coffee liqueur.  With a long-tined fork or skewers, poke holes all over on all three layers.  Drizzle mixture evenly over the tops of all three layers to soak mixture into holes.

3.  For filling:  In bowl of electric mixer, cream together cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, and the 3 Tablespoons of coffee liqueur until blended and smooth.  Spread the top of the cake layer that is on the serving platter with half of the filling mixture.  Place a second cake layer on top of first layer and spread the top with remaining filling.  Place the third cake layer on top of second cake layer.

4.  For frosting:  In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup of powdered sugar with the tablespoon of instant espresso.  Fold mixture into the thawed whipped topping just until blended.  Frost the entire cake with the whipped topping mixture.  Chill cake for at least 2 hours.

5.  To serve:  Before serving, stir together the fudge ice cream topping and 1 Tablespoon of coffee liqueur.  Drizzle over chilled cake.  Using a serrated knife, cut cake, making 16 servings.