Barbequed Ribs

I don't know what it is like where you are but here it is beautiful; unseasonably warm and sunny and that can only mean one thing...it's time to barbeque.  Canadians are a sun crazed lot. As soon as the temperature inches above 10 degrees you start to see people in full summer mode: shorts, flip flops and the scent of barbeques being fired up permeates the air. Canadians have a growing interest in casinos, drawn by the thrill of gaming and social interaction. The convenience of seriöse online Casinos mit echtem Geld enhances this excitement, allowing players to enjoy a wide variety of games from home. This trend reflects Canada’s evolving gaming landscape and a desire for accessible entertainment.

I am no exception when it comes to the barbeque (although I draw the line at shorts and flip flops on 11 degree days), so ribs seems like a good way to kick off the season. My six year old whole-heartedly agrees as I have seen her devour almost a whole rack by herself. That, I must say, was an unexpected sight! Besides, there has been a lot of "sweet" on this site, what with Toffee Chocolate Pretzel Cookies, Chocolate Cake and Coffee Walnut Blondies...it's time for a little "savoury".

Now, there is a lot of debate about what makes the perfect ribs. Do you boil or bake, smoke or slowly cook on the grill?  I will not claim to have the definitive answer but I will tell you I think I make a pretty mean rack of ribs so I am going to give you my method.

 

To my mind, the first issue is, of course, the pork.  I like back ribs, they are meatier, less fatty and more tender...but they also cost a bit more. As well, I want traditionally raised or organic meat and I do like Berkshire pork so I buy mine from a local butcher, such as Cumbrae's or Rowe Farms.

There is really no mystery to making tender ribs. Like any tougher cut of meat they need to be cooked in a way that will cause the tough fibers to break down.  Yes, that could mean boiling them but to me that is a good way to lose a lot of the flavour as well. 

What I prefer to do is slow roast them in a low oven before I finish them on the barbeque.  This way I am able to infuse the meat with flavour while it bakes. I arrange sliced onion, garlic and thyme over the ribs and pour a bit of apple juice in the bottom of the pan and then cover it and let them braise in a low oven for an hour or so.  When they are done and the meat is falling off the bone, I finish them on the barbeque with a fantastic homemade barbeque sauce. No muss, no fuss and amazing ribs! Now that is the way to welcome Spring!

Barbequed Ribs

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Total time: 2 1/2 hours

Yield: 2 full racks

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork back ribs
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Arrange the rib racks on a baking sheet. Remove the membrane that runs along the underside of the ribs against the bone if it is still attached before you place them on the baking sheet. You can ask your butcher to do this or simply grab a hold of one end of the membrane and pull it away from the ribs.
3. Divide the sliced onion, minced garlic, thyme and salt and pepper evenly over the top of both racks of ribs. The salt and pepper should be to your taste, I use about a teaspoon of each sprinkled over each rack.
4. Pour the apple juice or cider in the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the centre of the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender enough to pull up easily when you test it with a fork.
5. Remove the ribs from the oven and scrape the cooked onion and garlic off the top.
6. Heat your barbeque to a medium high heat. Place racks on the heated grill and cover with barbeque sauce. I start with the bottom side facing up first, cover with sauce and leave for 5 to 10 minutes until the top side starts to brown and caramelize, then I flip the racks over and add the barbeque sauce to the top side. Close the lid and leave for 5 to 10 minutes again until the barbeque sauce becomes a richer caramelized colour. Remove, cut into portions and enjoy with lots of napkins!

Homemade Barbeque Sauce 

This recipe is adapted from a recipe by Tyler Florence

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 slice bacon
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cooking molasses
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Saute the bacon slice with the olive oil and thyme in a large sauce pan until the fat is rendered. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and turn the heat down to low. (You will probably not need much salt so I would taste it first before adding any.)
2. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Leave to cool in the fridge while the ribs are cooking. Right before you are going to use it strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Squeeze out all of the sauce with the back of a spoon. Discard the leftover bacon, onion, etc. 
3. Reserve about 1/2 cup for serving with the ribs. Use the rest to coat the ribs on the barbeque. Enjoy!

Toffee Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

I have been hard at work with The MIY Kitchen, posting tutorials on How to Properly Measure Flour, How to Measure Brown Sugar and How to Make Homemade Brown Sugar. Now I think it is time to put these skills to good use, and have I got a great over-the-top recipe for you!

My sister called the other day to tell me about a new variation on our good old Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  We are always mixing it up and adding new ingredients and this time she tried crushed pretzels, mini Rolo cups and chocolate chips.

I thought that sounded pretty good. I like the combination of salty and sweet and I thought that bit of crunch from the pretzel pieces would add a nice texture.

I started rooting around in the cupboard to see what I could come up with. I had pretzels and, of course, chocolate chips but I decided to go with crushed toffee bars. The combination was pure decadence: sweet, salty and crunchy perfection. I can't think of a better way to use those new baking skills!

Toffee Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup crushed pretzels
• 2 crushed Skor bars

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Position oven rack to the middle of the oven.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugars and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in dry ingredients just to incorporate, do not over mix. Stir in chocolate chips, crushed pretzels and Skor bars.
3. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 2 minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool further. Enjoy!

Launch of The MIY Kitchen and a Chocolate Cake too!

I am a little behind schedule. I was a bit ambitious when I promised the unveiling of my new project last week. What set me back most was the fact that my daughter had the second operation on her arm.

Back in November she broke her arm and, as it was quite a bad break, she had to have pins inserted to set the bones. She had the pins removed last Thursday. 

Everything went well and she is doing great but I was a bit of a wreck before the surgery, so I was not as productive as I would have liked.  I think I set an ambitious date for the launch of my new site because I hoped it would distract me from worrying about the surgery. HA, no such luck.

Well, things are good and it is over so now I am back in business!  That means...ta da...I am officially launching The MIY Kitchen!

And now you are saying, "Another cooking site, really?" Well, good point but I will tell you why.

My intention with The MIY Kitchen is for it to be a companion to the recipes and stories of Radishes and Rhubarb. This is a site for the basics and that means a couple of different things.

First, I want this site to be a resource centre of sorts. Under the various page headings you will find essential kitchen equipment and some of the basics of cooking and baking (such as how to correctly measure out flour). Through conversations with my readers I began to see a need for back to basics instruction to accompany my recipes. My aim is to provide this information in a more methodical step-by-step manner with as many pictures as possible.

Second, this site is devoted to MIY projects. I am finding there is a strong resurgence of interest in making things such as preserves, condiments and other kitchen staples at home. I recently published Radishes and Rhubarb's 10 Most Popular Recipes and I was struck by how many were of a MIY nature. Homemade jam, homemade bread, apple butter, items that can easily be purchased and yet more and more people seem to want to make these things for themselves.

Whether the reason is to economize, to be more healthy or for the challenge of it, I think this is a great trend and I want to provide recipes that will help those with a MIY spirit. Here you will find bread recipes, jam recipes and recipes for other everyday basics. They will be explained and, hopefully, made easy to follow with the same step-by-step approach.

As the site evolves I will add more adventurous MIY projects and even some MIY projects for the rest of the home.

So that is what I have been diligently working on for the last few weeks!  I will be loading posts on The MIY Kitchen quite quickly for the next little while, so check back often.  I am trying to get a lot of the basics in place so we can move on to more adventurous stuff, like making Ricotta Cheese!

Now for cake!

I know I have been doing a lot of baked goods and especially chocolate lately but this seems like a good recipe with Valentine's Day right around the corner. As well, this cake has a special place in my heart as it was the cake my mom often served when I was little.  This was the quick little cake she would make as a treat during the week.  It is called the Think Small Chocolate Cake. 

I don't know where the recipe originally came from, (it is on a beat up little kitchen card) but it is a real gem of a cake. Small, as it's name suggests, but big on chocolate flavour, dense and moist.  Make it for someone you love this Valentine's Day. They will thank you for it!

Think Small Chocolate Cake

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: serves 9

Ingredients

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat melt together the chopped chocolate, oil and butter. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl or using your stand mixer, cream together the sugar and egg until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and the oil, butter and chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.
4. In a separate small bowl mix together the dry ingredients.
5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the chocolate mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, do not over mix.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and let rest on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake and then turn out from the pan and leave to cool before icing.
8. Frost with Chocolate Buttercream. Enjoy!

Chocolate Buttercream

This is the recipe from my Triple Layer Chocolate Cake cut in half.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup room temperature butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Using a hand beater or stand mixer, at low speed, cream together butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and icing sugar. The mixture will be stiff and dry and this point. Continuing at low speed add milk a tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. Turn your mixer onto high speed to make the frosting light and fluffy. Spread immediately over the top and sides of cake.

Coffee Walnut Blondies and a New Project

This week Radishes and Rhubarb celebrated its second anniversary and as you may know my last article was dedicated to the 10 most popular posts of the last two years.  At that time I also alluded to a new project that I will be unveiling soon (ooh, that sounds to formal). 

Well, I have been diligently working away, trying to get everything ready and the happy news is that I will be sharing my new site with you next week. I hope you can come back then and take a look.

In the meantime, I thought you might be hungry. Feel like a little snack?  I know I do and goodness knows I am ALWAYS in the mood for something with a little chocolate in it. A quick look at the recipe index will show I have a serious weakness for chocolate, but I am also quite partial to coffee and walnuts.
Today I bring all three in lovely harmony, I bring you Coffee Walnut Blondies.

I came up with these a couple of weeks ago when I tried making a recipe for fudge squares that turned out to be a total flop. The original recipe was a disaster; cloyingly sweet and completely unsatisfying. But it did lead me to make fudge for the first time, so not all was lost.

As for the squares, I was determined not to let a crappy recipe keep me from a chocolate treat so I ended up making these little beauties.  A cross between a cookie and a brownie, they have a rich, buttery texture with a nice bitter note from the coffee and walnuts. Determination paid off in the end.

Coffee Walnut Blondies

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon brewed strong black coffee or espresso
• 1 extra large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 3/4 cups chocolate chunks (I chopped up a 65% cocoa chocolate bar)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl or with a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy. Add in the coffee, egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. In a separate small bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the butter, sugar and egg mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks and the walnuts.
4. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. They are ready when a toothpick inserted near the centre come out with moist crumbs attached.
5. Leave to cool 5 minutes before cutting. They are great warm or cold. Enjoy!

Radishes and Rhubarb Turns 2!

February 1st marks the second anniversary of Radishes and Rhubarb! In honour of that momentous occasion I wanted to take a few moments to reflect back on the experiences of these last two years.

I started this blog back in 2010 as a means to express my love of food and cooking but over these past two years this website has become so much more than that. I have felt the frustration of trying to keep the inspiration going week after week. I have pushed myself to develop and grow as a cook, a writer and a photographer. But what has been most rewarding is that through writing this blog I have met some really extraordinary people.

I have met food activists and fellow bloggers. I have connected with others passionate about cooking and with those just starting out. I have connected week after week with people who have been good enough to follow me from the beginning and I keep meeting new friends and cooking enthusiasts every day. So THANK YOU to all of you who visit and all of you who read my words and try my recipes. You have been the best part of this project. It is still amazing to me, but I have had over 200,000 visitors in this short time.

So I thought it would be fun to share my Most Popular Posts from the last two years:

Banana Cream Pie

Number 1 with a bullet is my Banana Cream Pie recipe. It's a great recipe and my husband's personal favourite but I have to thank Endless Simmer for linking this recipe to their article "100 Things To Do With a Banana". What can I say, sex sells folks.


Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

 Number 2 is my Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes.  Vegan or not, you must try them. These are the BEST Chocolate Cupcakes. Quick to make, delicious and moist. You cannot go wrong with these little cakes.


Shepherd's Pie with Garlic Mashed Potatoes


Number 3 is Shepherd's Pie with Garlic Mashed Potatoes. I was honestly surprised this was on the list, only because I posted it three months ago and it has already rocketed right to the top.  Everyone loves comfort food and this definately fits in that category.


Apple and Fennel Salad

 Number 4 is Apple and Fennel Salad. This is a brilliant, simple little salad that packs a lot of flavour. Perfect for a summer barbeque.


Chocolate Cake

 Number 5 is Chocolate Cake. What can I say, who doesn't love Chocolate Cake. This one is a winner, three layers, full of dark chocolate flavour. It is THE Birthday Cake around our house.



Spicy Hot Chocolate

 Number 6 is Spicy Hot Chocolate. Thick, liquid chocolate heaven. This is like drinking a chocolate bar. Forget your wimpy powdered cocoa, this is the way to make Hot Chocolate.



Strawberry Jam

 Number 7 is my Strawberry Jam recipe. That makes me happy. It is nice to see that so many other people are looking to make their own Strawberry Jam.  This was the first time I tried making my own cooked jam and I am truly glad I did. It is not so intimidating once you try it.


Cheater's Lasagna

 Number 8 is Cheater's Lasagna. This is a great week night dinner. Easy to prepare and a hit, especially with the kids.


Apple Butter

 Number 9 is Apple Butter. Again, I am glad that this is so popular. I think there is a real DIY movement out there right now. More and more people are looking to make jam and other preserves for themselves!

Whole Wheat Bread

Finally, Number 10 is Whole Wheat Bread. More of that DIY (or MIY, make it yourself) enthusiasim. This is a great recipe to start with if you have never made your own bread. Quick, not a lot of kneading or wait-time and great flavour.

So there you have it, my Top 10 list.  So what is next? Well, this year I have vowed to myself that I am going to try to be even more fearless in the kitchen. I have my comfort area and I stick to it, even if some of my recipes are quite involved. So I want to try to continue to move out of my comfort zone. Making fudge for the first time was a start, I'm going to keep forging ahead with the untried.

Also, watch for a new project coming soon!  Something for all of you MIYers.  Thanks again for visiting!

Allison