Pulled Pork... Pregame!!

It's all about Labor Day, and it's all about pulled pork tomorrow, so tonight, we prepare!! And I'm fully aware of how foody-nerdy I have become at this very moment! The pork... The rub... 4 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 2 tablespoons dry mustard, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) kosher salt. The sauce... super late night lazy girl using my favorite store-bought Baby Ray's sauce... not apologizing... being honest. The "all-nighters"! That's right, I'm enlisting my crock pots for one all nighter pulled pork-cooking extravaganza!! And they willingly complied! YOU GO... crock pot girls!!! I'm gonna sleep while you work your low and slow pork cooking magic!! The starting line!!! Pork shoulders have been covered in rub, and I've added some of that sauce to each crock pot (with a little water). It's 11:30... let's give these pork shoulders a night to become flavorful and fabulous! Let's see how it goes.... Good night!! Can't wait!!

Meatballs!!!

So, it's the night before... school! And I might be the ONLY Mom NOT jumping for joy... because now, my kids are gettin' fed outside the home! And I don't like it! Weird, I know... what's WRONG with me???? So tonight, we celebrated with the best "Mama" comfort food ever... MEATBALLS! And they were meaty and tender and fabulous!!! I started with one onion that I fine-chopped, with 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped. I added all the parsley I had left in the garden, about 3 tablespoons, chopped, 1 teaspoon crushed red peppper, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper... 1 teaspoon italian seasoning, and 2 eggs whisked together with some milk (about 2 tablespoons). I also added about 1 cup of grated parmesean cheese and about 1 cup of bread crumbs. After I mixed all the seasoning together, I added my 3 pounds of plain old ground beef (80-20) 'cause it was all I had, and used a fork to gently break up the meat and combine it with everything else. Meatballs are like biscuits.... handle gently, and you'll have a tender, tasty treat at the end! After fully combined, I used my handy-dandy ice cream scoop to measure my meat balls and popped onto a greased baking sheet! Meatballs READY!!! Pop them into a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until done! While the meatballs cooked, I whipped up some red sauce to top those delicious meatballs.... Let's go! Now, this really is easy, and so much better than anything you'll ever buy in a jar! Chop 1 small onion, and saute in a pan with olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 4 (or so) anchovies chopped, and some salt and pepper. Last, add 2 cans of tomatoes, 1 can of tomato paste, another teaspoon of salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let your sauce simmer for at least half an hour, but longer is better! Sauce is looking good!! At the end, I used my potato masher to really crush the tomatoes into thick saucey perfection... and it was seriously amazing!! Ooooo baby!! The meatballs are also ready and smell fantastic!!! Time to EAT!! Here's dinner Joe's way... delicious tender meat balls covered in savory tomato sauce topped with grated cheese and basil from the garden, along with some toasted baugette on the side! Comfort food, Mama's way... on the night before school, and my house smells like heaven... Italian style! AWESOME!

Talapia Po'Boys!! Fish Sandwich Gremlin Style!

How does fish and chips sound? HECK YEAH!! Now, let's add a little home made tartar sauce with toasted baugette and you have a sandwich fit for a queen!! And that's just what we had tonight... and it was EASY and delish!!!! First we started with some home made sauce!!! Tonight I started with 1 cup of mayonnaise and added the zest of 1 lemon and the juice of half of that lemon, 2-3 tablespoons chopped pickle and chives, one tablespoon of country mustard (with all those yummy mustard seeds that pop in your mouth), 1 teaspoon of chopped capers, and a big dash (as in 1 HUGE teaspoon) of sriracha sauce. Taste this sauce and allow your brain to explode with savory-saucy deliciousness!! The sauce is ready, so now it's time for the fish!! To start get a "dry-wet" station ready on your counter. The dry will dredge the fish before you add it to the pan. Put 1 cup of flour, 1 cup corn meal, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and half a teaspoon cayenne pepper. Whisk to combine. Next to your dry bowl, add your "wet" bowl... 2 eggs, a little milk, and whisk together! Now get the fish ready! Seson with a little salt and pepper, drop each talapia filet in the wet (milk and eggs), and then drop in the dry. Shake off the excess and add to a big sauce pan with about 1/4 cup of canola oil. Let the oil get to medium high heat (not too hot) and drop the fish one at a time. Don't crowd the pan or the fish won't get crisp. I had 5 filets, so I had room for 4, and then added the last one after they were done. Cook the fish for about 3-4 minute on each side until crisp, and cooked through. Rest on paper towels until your ready to assemble your incredible fish sandwich!! So, here's dinner Joe's way... delicious crispy talapia on toasted baugette with home made tartar sauce and lettuce and tomato! YUM!!! And dinner Stevie's way... fish and chips style!! Delicious talapia po'boy with all the fixin's and salty, crunchy kettle chips on the side.... YES, please! And my way... crispy crunchy talapia with tangy sauce on top of sweet greens and fresh local chopped tomatoes!!! Soooooo good! This talapia is super easy, quick, and will make you a happy fish eater, for sure!!

Edemame Corn Salad with Grilled Rib-Eye!!!!

THIS is why we stay home on busy weekend nights for an amazing dinner... this rib-eye steak and edemame-corn salad!! Order this out... and it would be at least 30-ish or 40-ish dollars! Seriously! All we did was take a little fresh summer corn and combine it with some super protein packed, healthy partners (red peppers, shallot, cilantro...) for one super fresh summer salad! First, I cooked my edemame for 5 minutes (package directions) and drain. I also steamed 4 ears of fresh corn (though 2 cups of frozen would be just fine), chopped half of one red pepper, fine chopped 1 shallot, added a big handful of cilantro I ripped up with my fingers, and about half a pint of cherry tomatoes. Looks good, right?? Now, to dress this salad I used 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons sriracha, zest of one lime, and the juice of half that lime, with some salt and pepper!! Toss together and taste! Yes, I know... you're welcome... it's THAT GOOD!!!! This salad would also be incredible on a crab cake, on fish tacos, or over grilled chicken.... SO GOOD!! Tonight, because it's Saturday night, and we're feeling kinda "fancy"... we chopped up some of natures wonders... red potatoes, and drizzled with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary and thyme!!! Now, I get it... these flavors don't really go with the zesty-limey-cilantro corn salad... but WE DON'T CARE. Even if we should! These taters are so flippin' good.... roast in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes and enjoy the aromas of your kitchen as they blow your mind!!! And FINALLY... as everything comes together... you can grill these (your) beautiful steaks on the grill! I rubbed my rib-eyes with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I jacked up the grill to medium high and layed those steaks on the grill for about 4-5 minutes per side (mine were big) for medium rare. Rib-eye is fatty (as in a one way ticket to meaty flavor town) but it may "flare-up" on the grill. I love to grill, so I sit there and watch my steaks, the way a soccer Mom watches her children in their first soccer game. I move them when they flare up, and talk to them, unconditionally support them, until their done. Love your steak, and it will LOVE you back!! Tender grilled rib-eye steak with fresh summer edemame-corn salad and roasted reds! Now THAT'S how you do dinner on Saturday night at home!!! Yesssssss!

Blueberry-Habanero-Bone-Sucking Ribs!!!

Holy moly!! RIBS??? Yes please!! I don't know if you remember this spicy lady from last night... Our home made sweet, tangy blueberry habanero sauce! Wow... but what to do with it? How about ribs... BBQ ribs!! Even though I've never... EVER done ribs... you know, the "for real", low and slow, sweet tender succulent ribs, but, tonight, I did! Woohoo! If I can do this, you can too! Here goes... First, I bought some ribs (Costco, and they were 3 racks to one pack). I unwrapped them, put them in a pan, and tried to get that silver skin off the bottom (boney) side. Wicked pain... but it only took about 20 minutes. This, literally, was the hardest part of these amazing ribs, getting that silver skin off. If you buy them from your butcher, ask her to do it! Then I simply covered them with salt and pepper and a little oil and covered them with foil. Then they went in a 250 degree oven for 3 hours... that's right baby... low and slow!! After 3 hours, I brushed those ribs with my blueberry habanero sauce (and the ribs thanked me)... and popped back in that 250 oven for another 30 minutes! Then... I fired up the grill!! Last... but not least, I finished the ribs on the grill. Low heat (there will be flare ups, ribs are fatty, that's why we love them!!!) Low heat will do the job... for about 5 minutes on each side to crisp them up and get a good char on them!! One... of MANY ways to enjoy this blueberry-habanero sauce! These ribs were amazing... and YOU can make ribs at home too!

Blueberry Habanero Sauce! Blueberries Get All Fired Up!!!

Tangy, sweet, unusual... almost kinda weird... but so what... blueberries meet the almighty habanero! Let's see how this turns out... So, I had all these blueberries! It's August, and you may have an abundance of blueberries too... as you should! Today I thought I'd try to make something I've tasted before, but never figured out how to make... a sweet, spicy, blueberry, habanero sauce. That's right, I said habanero.... tread lightly!! So, let's see how this experiment goes.... I washed and picked through the blueberries and put them into a big pot (about 6 cups, just shy of 2 quarts). With the blueberries I added 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 cup red wine vinegar, 4 cloves garlic shopped, 1 onion chopped, 1 beer, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon chipotle powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and this... Yes... after I sent the children out of the house and far far away... I put on this rubber glove and trembled in fear as I got ready to chop this habanero chili pepper. By the way, DO NOT tell your children how dangerous habaneros are when you buy them (unless you want a gratuitous trip to the ER)... it's like inviting a moth to the flame... 'nuff said! I added everything into a big pot, including the habanero (which just sat there... taunting me... sort of saying... "don't touch your eyes or you'll burn them out of the sockets... even though I was fully "gloved" at the time... sassy habanero...) and placed on medium low heat, for 2 hours... This is what we started with... And this is what we had about an hour later... the house smells like vinegar... shockarooo!!! Hoping the flavor pays off in another hour... After another hour the sauce has reduced, and actually tastes more like blueberry, and less like vinegar... and the habanero did it's job!!!! Holy cow! Tangy sweet, hot, blueberry flavor heaven!!!!!! After the sauce cools a bit (full disclosure, I actually did this the next morning)... add batches of the sauce to a blender or food processor and whiz it up to a silky smooth richness! All this yielded 3 pints of tangy, sweet, spicy, blueberry, "kick yo' butt into next week", super sauce!!! Treat this like BBQ sauce and add to grilled meat or burgers. I'm going to try this on ribs tomorrow, but will freeze some for pork tenderloins soon! YUM!!

A Blue Cheese Diva!!! #Heckyeah!!!

Tonight's dinner started with my crush on this ol' girl! One big, honkin' wedge of blue cheese from farmer's market. It was all about her tonight, and it started this morning with one of my favorite addictions... blue cheese dip/dressing!! Having made this a couple of times I swore I'd never buy blue cheese dressing again... because it's so freakin' delicious!! Add a heaping half cup of lite or low fat sour cream, heaping half cup of good mayonnaise, this whole wedge of cheese (maybe 4 ounces or more), two shakes of Worcestershire, salt and pepper, and some fresh parsley (about 2 tablespoons chopped). I was out of lowfat buttermilk, but will get it later and add about 1/4 cup to thin the dressing a bit! Mix everything all together and you have one serious "diva-rock-star, call yo' mamma", yes, it's that good, blue cheese dressing! For real... this will kick your blue cheese loving A$$ for sure! And yah, that's blue cheese MONEY! For real!! Now... what to go with? Hmmmm... How about delicious greens with sweet juicy cherry tomatoes? Heck YEAH!!! What else.... hmmmm... How about these potato wedges... otherwise known as "crack-cocaine" since we're so addicted to these suckers!! You know the drill, 375 degree oven, cut those taters into wedges and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and roast for about 30-40 minutes! Killer good! But how about some protein???? OK... So, tonight, in keeping with total lack of attention to healthy or vegan, or gluten free, or blah, blah blah... we cooked us up some burgers... and we LOVED them!! So, here's dinner Joe's way... Salad, burger, fresh sliced tomato, and THAT"S IT! How about Stevie's way... Delicious, juicy cheeseburger on ciabatta roll with some crack cocaine... uh... I mean, roasted potato wedges! And he loved it! But what about our star... the diva of deliciousness... the summer (farmers market) crush of 2013? Where is she (tearing up right now... getting all "emo-"... where is she)???? There she is!!! On top of a delicious, nutritious, salad! Next... Blue cheese next to a delicious burger and potato wedges! And it was soooooo good! Guilty! For tonight... and loved it!