Penne with Braised Short Ribs

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

2 hr 40 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 pounds beef short ribs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 5 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the ribs to the pan. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone.

Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the sauce and add to the pasta. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the pasta. Toss well and thin out the pasta with more sauce, if needed. Sprinkle the pasta with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley before serving.

Creamy crockpot hot chocolate

1  1/2 C heavy whipping cream
6 cups milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 C chocolate chips
1 teas vanilla

Stir together in crockpot, on low, for two hours. Stirring occasionally! Serves 6-8

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Chicken Rolls

1 cup Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing
8 Oz cream cheese, soften
6 T butter
1/3 tsp pepper
3 C cooked and cubed chicken
2 T Chives
2 cans Crescent Tools
6 T butter (melted)

Gravy:
4 C chicken stock
4T cornstarch 1 tsp chicken boullion crystals
1 can cream of chicken soup

Combine cooked chicken, cream cheese, buyer, pepper, chives. Spread out crescent rolls, place 1/3 cup filling on each. Pinch edges together. Roll in melted butter then stuffing crumbs. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Cover with gravy.

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Chicken Nuggets...

So I made these for the fam last night while I was going to book club.  They were pretty good and healthier than regular nuggets.  I served 'em up with some tater tots and carrots sticks.  Not the healthiest meal, but it could be worse!  Oh, and I also made the honey mustard at the bottom and Matt and Jace loved it. I am not a huge mustard lover, I prefer to dip all my stuff in homemade ranch!

Martha Stewarts Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• Honey Mustard or Spicy Ketchup, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces. Spread panko on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a shallow dish, then add Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon salt; drizzle with oil and stir to combine. Place flour and eggs in separate shallow dishes. Increase temperature to 450 degrees.
2. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet; lightly coat rack with cooking spray. In batches, coat chicken in flour, shaking off excess, dip in egg, then coat with panko, pressing to adhere. Place on rack. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve nuggets with sauce.

Cook's Note

Honey Mustard
Combine 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons each mayonnaise and honey.

Spicy Ketchup
Combine 1/4 cup ketchup; 3 tablespoons spicy chili sauce, such as Sriracha; and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.

PS I cooked them at 425 with the tater tots on the bottom rack.  I put the tots in first for their 20 mins and when there was 12 mins left, I stuck the nuggets on the upper rack.  I turned them and cooked them another 5 mins after their inital 12, just depends on how big and thick your nugget pieces are! :)

The BEST, EASIEST dessert...

 Ree Drummond's Easy Caramel Sauce:

1 packed cup brown sugar
1/2 cup half and half
4 TBSP butter
pinch salt
1 TBSP vanilla extract

Mix the sugar, half and half, butter and salt in a sauce pan over medium low heat.  Cook while whisking gently for 5-7 mins, until it gets thicker.  Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further.  Turn off heat and cool slightly.  Pour sauce in to a jar and refrigerate until cold.

Then, when dessert time, take fresh pears, pealed and halved or use home canned pears.  In a bowl put in a scoop (or lets be honest, 2 or 3) of vanilla ice cream, add a few pear halves and then warm up the caramel sauce and pour some of that over the ice cream and pears.... It's amazing.  Seriously.  So good.  And did I mention EASY PEASY!!!????!  

Divinity frosting!

This was my grandma Archibald's recipe, very similar to 7 minute frosting!

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cream of Tartar

Combine all ingredients in the top of a double broiler and stir until well mixed. Heat over boiling water, stirring occasionally, until you can't hold your thumb in it. Pour into mixer and beat until it stands on peaks. May add food coloring.

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Cafe Rio Pork Salad...

We had this for dinner last night and I am enjoying it for lunch as I type! It's really not a lot of work, especially since you can do it in stages.
First: Make Best Bites Sweet Pork... it goes in the crock pot for all day, easy peasy!!
While that is cooking away, make Best Bites Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch and let it set up in the fridge all day.
Assembly: Cut up Romaine lettuce as your bed, add some canned, rinsed off black beans, (rice if you like, I was too lazy), add the shredded pork, a simple pico (tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper), make the crunchy tortilla strips (I made these right before serving), also in Best Bites (right next to the pork recipe) top it off with your creamy ranch and yummo!  Store everything separate and make individual salads the next day for lunch, it's so good and I say healthy!