Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

|
By
|
18 comments

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

In my quest to make more and more things homemade in my kitchen, I was shocked to realize I hadn’t tried and shared a great recipe for a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. I’d been relying on the packet style mix – which is still better tasting than the stuff from the bottle, and more economical. It’s also full of weird stuff I can’t pronounce in the ingredient list, which is just no good!

Not the case with this version. Basic ingredients found in your refrigerator, a mix of herbs (dried and fresh) and a touch of fresh garlic from the pantry, and you’ve got yourself a delicious homemade salad dressing that comes together in just a few moments. It keeps for a couple of weeks too, which is also convenient. We love to dip fresh veggies into it for an after-school snack or while waiting for dinner to finish up. Or, it’s also pretty amazing to dip pizza crusts into as well.

I’m always happy to find yet another item that I can kick the store-bought variety to the curb for, and I’m stoked to add this one to my repertoire. 

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk (less if you like a  thicker consistency)
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 tsp dried dill (or 1 tsp fresh)
1 large clove garlic (very finely minced or microplaned)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Source: adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook via Confections of a Foodie Bride

(Crockpot) Red Beans and Rice

|
By
|
5 comments

Red Beans & Rice (Slow Cooker)

I’m convinced that I was Cajun in a previous life. Maybe it’s just something about the land and the lifestyle that reminds me so much of my life here on the Eastern Shore – but I definitely feel a connection to those bayous in Louisiana. Even though I’ve never stepped foot in one…

I was shocked when I realized I’d never made red beans and rice. Sausage isn’t my favorite thing on the planet, but after feeding my three guys – who love it – for a couple of years, I’ve started to come around. The flavor that it gives to whatever it is you’re cooking it with can’t be attained by any other means, and it holds up well to cooking in a slow cooker. Yesterday I had a really busy day running errands and spent most of the afternoon in the dentist chair, so I threw this together in the morning before I left to head out the door. By 4:30 PM when I was finally heading home I was so thankful to know that dinner was ready and waiting for me when I returned.

I used andouille and kielbasa, for a double wallop of smokey porky flavor. Combined with tender and creamy red beans, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and a thick tomato sauce – it was the perfect meal at the end of a long day. I served it over rice to soak up all of those delicious juices, but served it with a salad and homemade cornbread for good measure. The boys both wanted seconds, and I’m looking forward to enjoying the rest for lunch this week. With Mardi Gras coming up next Tuesday, it would be a perfect meal to put together in the Crockpot while you’re at work.

Giving you more time to pour yourself a Hurricane, and laissez-les bon temps rouler when you get home! This one is definitely a keeper in my book, I hope you guys enjoy it too.

(Crockpot) Red Beans and Rice

1 lb. dried small red beans, soaked overnight or use the quick-cook method
8 strips bacon, chopped
2 lbs. of sausage cut into 1 inch slices (I used 1 package andouille and 1 package of kielbasa)
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 (4 oz.) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Worstershire sauce
1 Tbsp hot sauce
Additional hot sauce, for serving
Cooked rice, for serving
chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)

Cook bacon in a large frying pan, drain on paper towels and set aside. Add sausage to rendered bacon fat and cook until browned. Remove and place in crockpot.

Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook until veggies are starting to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook for an additional minute. Add the tomato paste and mash into the veggies to combine, letting cook in the skillet until starting to brown – about 5 minutes.

Carefully add the water and combine with tomato paste, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits that have accumulated. Pour mixture into slow cooker.

Add the beans, bacon, chicken broth, bay leaves, salt, pepper, Worstershire, and hot sauce to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the beans are soft and starting to break down.

Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions and serve with additional hot sauce, if desired.

Source: adapted from My Biscuits are Burning

Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs and Grits

|
By
|
5 comments

Short Ribs and Grits

We have been eating a lot of short ribs lately. They’re always a delicious comfort food that can be thrown together in the early afternoon, then braise away in the oven for a few hours while you go about doing other productive things in the house…or maybe, take a nap – then wake up to the smell of a delicious meal bubbling away.

This is another recipe I sent over to my friends at Avalon Winery, along with the red wine cupcakes. It was a spin off my first short rib recipe, but I chose to braise them in a delicious Cabernet and a bit of coffee too – for some added richness. The gravy that came out of the bottom of that pan was pure deliciousness. I served them over a bed of grits, as kind of a nod to our trip to Charleston. Grits are the perfect vessel to soak up delicious flavors from gravy, and it’s a nice change from the standard mashed potato that I usually find myself turning to in these kind of applications.

This would be a perfect meal for Valentine’s Day – especially where so many of you guys are buried under a bunch of snow. Just throw the meal together and let it do it’s thing, then go about your business preparing a beautiful table setting. I served with some roasted Brussels sprouts (I have a recipe for that coming soon!) and it really was a delicious and impressive meal that we all enjoyed. Plus, there’s plenty of wine left in the bottle to enjoy with that someone special. Win-win!

Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs and Grits

8 bone-in short ribs
Kosher salt
ground black pepper
olive oil
1 large onion, cut into quarters
2 ribs celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon (Avalon Winery is my favorite)
2 cups strong-brewed coffee
water, if necessary

For the grits:
1 cup stone-ground grits
2 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season each short rib generously with salt and pepper. Coat a large dutch oven or brasier with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Add the pureed vegetables to the hot pan. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crust has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape well with a wooden spoon and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Reduce the mixture by about half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add the coffee, and enough water to cover the meat if necessary. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time.

Meanwhile, cook the grits. Place the milk,water, and the grits into a 2-quart saucepan. Cover, and turn the heat to medium high. When mixture comes to a simmer add butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir every couple of minutes until the grits have become fragrant, and are the consistency of thick soup, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often and ever more frequently, for about 20 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook for about 10 minutes more, stirring constantly to prevent the thickened grits from scorching. If your grits thicken too quickly, or if they are too gritty for your taste, add water by the half cup, stirring to incorporate, and continue cooking until tender. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve the short ribs with the braising liquid over the grits.

Source: short ribs adapted from Anne Burrell

Chicken Bryan Copycat

|
By
|
6 comments

Chicken Bryan

Can you guys believe that Valentine’s Day is this week?  We usually don’t do anything big. We open up our Valentine’s box with goodies for everyone inside, I make a heart-shaped meatloaf, and then we’ll enjoy a special dessert that I’ve made. It’s small, but it’s our tradition, and we all love and look forward to it. Valentine’s Day is so overpriced and crowded, the folks who can go out can have it – I’d much rather be at home with the people that I love the most.

So, if you’re on board with that – but want to make something fancier than say…a heart-shaped meatloaf for instance, take a look at this Chicken Bryan copycat recipe from Carrabba’s. I’ve never actually been to the restaurant, which I should remedy that situation, because I think there’s one in Ocean City…but I hear this dish is one of their signatures, and for good reason – because it’s absolutely delicious!

A grilled chicken breast, topped with sliced goat cheese and a delicious sauce comprised of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, lemon, white wine, and butter. What’s not to love in that equation? It was quick, easy, and all of us really loved it. I was thinking the little ones might not be that into it, but again they proved me wrong – gobbling it right up. If you don’t want to grill the chicken outside, you could certainly do it on a grill pan inside, or even just roast it in the oven. I served with a fun pasta shape that I tossed with my super-easy quick marinara sauce, which I added a bit of heavy cream to. I also had about 1/3 of the goat cheese log left, so I crumbled that into the tomato sauce as well. Let me just say that the pasta was so delicious, it could have easily been a meal on it’s own. And probably will in the near future!

Add a salad and a glass of wine onto the meal, and it’s easily something that anyone could make at home for their Valentine – and not have to shell out and arm and a leg, nor fight through the throngs of the masses for…

Which leaves you more time to enjoy each other’s company, which is really what it’s all about, right? I’ll have some more ideas for Valentine’s Day coming up this week, so be sure to check back!

Chicken Bryan Copycat

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
5 ounces goat cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Combine the kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and basil in a small dish. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness in-between 2 sheets of plastic wrap – so they’re about 3/4 inch thick. Season both sides generously with the spice mixture. Grill until cooked all the way through and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from grill to a clean plate, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To prepare the sauce, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, then add in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for an additional minute. Carefully add the wine and the lemon juice, and cook to for a few minutes to reduce the liquid by about half.

Combine the cornstarch with about a tablespoon of water to create a slurry and add that to the sauce to thicken a bit, whisking to combine. Slowly whisk in the butter, piece by piece, until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in fresh basil and reduce heat to simmer to keep warm while you finish up the chicken breast.

Place the cooked chicken breasts onto a baking sheet and top with the slices of goat cheese. Place in oven for about 5 minutes to warm the goat cheese.

Once goat cheese is slightly melty, spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts and serve immediately. Garnish with more fresh basil if desired.