My favorite Green Beans

Adapted from allrecipes.com but changed a few things.

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cooked ham or bacon (can leave this out)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender. 

Barbecue Baby Back Ribs

by Ellie Weightman - Adapted this recipe from Taste of Home & America’s Test Kitchen recipes and combining parts of each.

Baby back spareribs (bone or boneless)
*amt of ribs is optional, sauce should be enough to cover 4 lbs, cook time won’t change

Brine
½ cup table salt or 1 cup kosher salt
½ cup granulated sugar

Seasoning – will make more than you need for less than 4 lbs of ribs, save in plastic bag or shaker bottle for future use
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp ground pepper

1 medium onion, sliced

Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tblsp Liquid Smoke, optional
1 tblsp molasses
(this sauce recipe makes a large amount, after preparing, dish out the amount you may need and place the rest in a jar and store in frig for future use within 1 month – do not expose any you store to meat juices).

Brine ribs: Dissolve salt and sugar in 4 qts of cold water in a large stockpot, plastic container or foil roasting pan (which can later be used to cook the ribs). Submerge the ribs in the brine and refrigerate for 1 hour until fully seasoned. Remove ribs from brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.

Seasoning:  In a small bowl mix together garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Sprinkle over ribs (on both sides if using boneless ribs).

Place the ribs in a large roasting pan or the foil pan used to brine. Top with sliced onion. Cover tightly and bake in oven or on temperature controlled grill at 350 degrees for 2 ½ hours.

While the ribs are cooking, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

When ribs are done, drain the fat from the pan and discard the onion. Brush the ribs generously with some of the sauce sauce and return to the oven/grill for 30 minutes longer. Remove the cover and continue cooking for 10 more minutes. Serve as is or with more sauce.


NOTE: I made this one the grill using the above procedure, but you have to watch and make sure your grill keeps the temperature at 350 degrees.

Ellie's Potato Salad

by Ellie Weightman

2.5 lb red potatoes, scrub and cut into large bite-size pieces

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3 hard boiled eggs, chop

½ cup celery, chopped

½ cup red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, mince in garlic press

½ cup lite mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon country style mustard

1 tsp dried parsley

½ tsp celery seed

1 tsp dried chives

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground pepper

Place the scrubbed, cut up potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Once the water boils, simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender when poked with fork.

While the potatoes are cooking, mix together in a bowl the celery, onion, garlic, parsley, celery seed, chives, salt and pepper. Add the mayonnaise, eggs and mustard and stir to combine.

Drain the potatoes, place in a bowl and drizzle the apple cider vinegar over the potatoes and lightly stir. Place the bowl of potatoes in the refrigerator for 30-45 until they are chilled.

Once the potatoes are chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Add the mayonnaise mixture and stir well.

Chicken Fried Rice

by Ellie Weightman, adapted from "Cooking with Paula Deen" cookbook

3 cups cooked rice (see RICE below)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

4 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

3 tsp sesame oil, (toasted or reg)

2 large eggs, beaten

¾ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup broccoli florets
4 oz sliced mushrooms
4 oz sliced water chestnuts, drain and rinse
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
1/8 tsp crushed red peppers

Garnish: Sesame seeds, chopped green onions

In a zip lock bag, combine chicken and 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce; massage and let sit 30 minutes while you chop your vegetables.

Remove chicken from soy sauce, discarding soy sauce.
 In a large wok, heat 1 ½ tsp sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes or until cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon; set aside and keep warm by covering.

Add eggs and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly until scrambled. Remove from pan; set aside and keep warm by covering.

Heat remaining 1 ½ tsp oil. Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic and 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add broccoli and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.

Stir in pre-cooked rice, water chestnuts, peas, red pepper flakes, cooked chicken and any accumulated juices, scrambled eggs and remaining 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce.

Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions if desired. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Be careful adding any additional soy sauce, can be salty, so go easy.

RICE: Cook your rice earlier in the day or the night before. Put in bowl and cover. Put in refrigerator. If rice is pre-cooked and cool, it will not mush in the wok. You can use white, brown, long grain, basmati or whatever your preference.

Freezing Garlic

by Ellie Weightman

Buy your garlic in bulk, Sam's sells a large net filled with garlic for approximate $2.28.

Pull apart each head of garlic, separating each clove.  Remove the garlic paper from each clove.  Remove the top and bottom of each clove with a sharp paring knife.

Place all the cloves of garlic in a freezer bag, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil.  Close the bag, removing all the air then massage the oil into the garlic being sure that it looks like all the garlic is coated in the oil.  Mark the bag with permanent marker.  Lay flat in freezer only until frozen so avoid the garlic clumping together, then you no longer need to keep it flat.

To use: simply remove the amount of cloves you need and use a garlic press to chop. 

This method is excellent for using garlic in cooking, however, for dishes where you want fresh chopped garlic, this method may be work as well since it will be slightly soft after thawing.

I keep one head of garlic aside for fresh usage and freeze all the remaining garlic for cooking.

Homemade Bread Crumbs

by Ellie Weightman

1 loaf multi-grain bread
1/2 loaf whole wheat bread

Note:  You can use any type of bread you prefer

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

On a large cookie sheet, place pieces of bread without overlapping.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, then turn and bake other side for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Continue baking all the pieces of bread until complete.

After cooling, break each piece of bread into quarters.  Place the pieces of bread in a food processor, you will have to do this in batches - usually one cookie sheet of bread will fit in a 12 cup  processor.

Pulse at first, then run consistently until the breadcrumbs are of the consistency you prefer.

Allow to cool.  After cool, place in a freezer bag, squeezing out the air and store in your freezer for up to 3 months.  Lay the bag flat at first until the breadcrumbs are cold to avoid clumping, then you no longer have to lay flat.  Mark the bag as well as the date they will expire.  Scoop out as necessary for each of your recipes.

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

by Ellie Weightman

2 1/2 cups SELF RISING FLOUR

2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup shortening (or 1/2 cup butter and omit the shortening)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar.  Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter/shortening until crumbly.  Stir in buttermilk until dough leaves sides of bowl.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons or a large muffin scoop onto a cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 12 -18 biscuits.