Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs and Grits

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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

Chocolate Covered Peeps Lollipops

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Chocolate Covered Peep Lollipops

We sent Andrew in with all the little Valentine’s for his class today. He was so sweet addressing them last night, diligently writing his name on all of them – it just melted my heart. I can’t believe how big my little boy has gotten so quickly!

We also made these to share with his class too. Evidently, Peeps makes marshmallow confections for things other than Easter now – who knew? Not only that, but they come in delicious flavors like vanilla and strawberry cream. These simple marshmallow hearts, when dipped in chocolate and stuck on a lollipop stick make for a super cute little treat to share with friends.

We also had a lot of fun dipping them, and then decorating them with some festive Valentine sprinkles. In about half an hour, we’d made about 30 of them. More than enough for him to take in to share with his class – plus a few extra for our Valentines around here…*ahem* a certain little brother.

A found some lollipop treat bags to seal them up in, and tied closed with a piece of baker’s twine. When put together, I thought they were just adorable. And after sampling one, I have to admit they’re pretty darn delicious too! A nice, lighter change from all the chocolate we’re bombarded with this time of year. And, I mean, how cute and fun? I’m sure this is one we’ll be looking forward to making every year!

Chocolate Covered Peeps Lollipops

2 packages Peeps Marshmallow Hearts
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or semi-sweet chips)
2 tsp vegetable shortening
lollipop sticks
colored Valentine sprinkles

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or wax paper, set aside.

Place chocolate and shortening in a glass bowl, and place over a bowl of simmering water to create a double boiler. Carefully stir until chocolate has completely melted.

Place each Peep heart on a lollipop stick, and carefully dip half of the heart into the chocolate mixture. Let excess chocolate drip off, and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with 4 or 5 lollipops, then apply the sprinkles and let cool and chocolate harden.

Repeat process with remaining lollipops.

Peep lollipops fit perfectly in standard size lollipop bags, if giving as gifts. They can be found in the cake decorating section of most grocery stores. Tie closed with a pretty ribbon or baker’s twine. 

Source: adapted from Peeps Marshmallows

Chicken Bryan Copycat

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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.

Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

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Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

I still haven’t been able to get over my berry craving, even though it’s currently February, and it’s costing me an arm and a leg. So when Lucky Leaf sent me a few cans of their pie filling, including raspberry, I thought that it would be a nice opportunity to feed my addiction without breaking the bank. So after browsing through some recipes, I decided on these delectable raspberry pie bars.

The dough is rolled out into a large rectangle, pie filling is spread on top, then more dough is placed in a lattice formation on top – then it’s all baked, chilled, and finally drizzled with a delicious cream cheese frosting before being cut into individual squares. I chose raspberry, but I think they’d be delicious with just about any variety of pie filling you’d want to use – I’m definitely looking forward to trying cherry and apple in the near future.

I was not having the best day when I made these…not feeling well in general, kids acting crazy, you know how those day go…so when I took the dough out of the refrigerator to take the chill off and roll it out, I let it sit on the counter a little too long. It softened quite a bit, and I had a little bit of a hard time rolling it out, and forming the lattice crust. So, make sure you act quickly when you go to put it together! Once in the oven, it baked up beautifully. The filling stayed in place, and the dough got nice and puffy – creating a gorgeous bar. I let them cool for about an hour before I drizzled them and cut, and enjoyed them after dinner for dessert. Everyone really loved them, and it was great to have all the delicious flavors of a pie in a bar form.

They’d be a perfect sweet treat for Valentine’s Day, either to share with your family – or that special someone in your life. And, it’s a break from all the chocolate that usually goes hand-in-hand with the holiday. We’ve also got something else pretty sweet for you guys – a set of these adorable Rachael Ray Bubble & Brown Individual Servers, and a Lucky Leaf gift pack to go along with them!

luckyleaf

They’re perfect for individual servings of cobbler, bread pudding, or even something like a creme brulee. To enter, just leave a comment telling us what your favorite berry is. I’d say mine is blackberries. Giveaway will run from today through February 14th (Valentine’s Day) at 11:59 PM. I’ll select a winner using the handy, dandy Random Number Generator and contact the winner.

Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (21 oz) can raspberry pie filling

For the frosting:
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs, milk and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture, beating well after each addition. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and grease with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

On a floured work surface, roll out one portion of dough into a 15-in. x 10-in. rectangle; carefully transfer to prepared baking pan. Spread evenly with raspberry filling, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.

Roll out remaining dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into 1/2-in.-wide strips; make a lattice crust over filling.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over bars. Chill until set. Cut into bars.

Yields about 16 bars.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home, October/November 2002

Disclaimer: Lucky Leaf provided me with products to sample. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.