June Recipes

It's that time again for the monthly review of recipes tried. I'll put the 4 and 5 stars out of 5 here for future reference.

Breakfasts
Honey Bran Muffins (4 stars out of 5)
Really moist. We finished them in 24 hours so I can't say whether they hold up any longer! Would be great with some raspberries or blueberries tossed in.

Lemon Muffins (2 stars out of 5)
The texture was really strange. It was more of a biscuit than a muffin. They dried out almost immediately but were decent heated up in the microwave with butter.

Crockpot Breakfast Cobbler (1.5 stars out of 5)
I followed the recipe exactly and it burnt most of the contents. There definitely wasn't enough liquid and the granola got too dry after 8 hours in the crockpot. The parts that weren't burnt were okay but the charred taste mixed throughout. Blah. Goes to show that not all new recipes can be winners!

Main Courses
Apple and Cheddar Salad with Maple Dressing (4 stars out of 5)
We added real bacon bits for some extra protein (chicken breast would also be yummy) to make this a main course. Delicious!
Dressing:
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Candied pecans:
1/2 cup pecan pieces (or walnuts)
2 tbsp maple syrup
Salad:
8 cups mixed greens
2 apples, sliced
4 oz grated cheddar cheese

1. Mix cider vinegar with maple syrup, salt and mustard. Whisk in oil.

2. To prepare pecans, combine with maple syrup. Spread on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated 325 F oven for 15 to 20 min, stirring every 5 minutes until browned. Watch closely for the last 10 minutes so they don't burn. Nuts will crisp as they cool. Break them apart.

3. Place greens in a salad bowl and toss with only as much dressing as needed to coat them or to taste. Mix in apples, cheese and pecans.

Asian Glazed Drumsticks (4.5 stars out of 5)
Really easy and tasty.

Crockpot Turkey and 3 Bean Chili (3 stars out of 5)
This turned out extremely soupy but sourdough buns for dunking solved that problem. It definitely had a kick to it.

Malai Chiken Tikka (4 stars out of 5)
We ended up running out of propane while barbecuing these (DRAT!) so we had to pan fry them. They still tasted good but would've been amazing on the barbecue.

Olivia's Bacon Perogie Bake (4 stars out of 5)
1 (16-ounce) package (12) frozen potato and onion perogies
Cooking spray
6 bacon slices, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
a bit of onion, chopped (to taste)
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped seeded plum tomato
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange the perogies in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray (I put tinfoil in too....this sticks pretty bad once it starts to settle out of the oven). Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Set aside.
3. Add garlic and onion to drippings in pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup cream cheese to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over perogies. Top evenly with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomato, and pepper.

Karen's Ribs (5 stars out of 5)
1 rack of meaty pork back ribs, cut into 2 or 3 rib pieces (we substituted with homestyle cut and it worked well)
Marinade:
1 jalapeno, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tsp celery seed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in large ziploc bag, add ribs and squish all around, and marinate in fridge at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

Turn oven to 250 F and arrange marinated ribs on a cooling rack/drip tray placed inside a baking pan. Add about an inch of water to the pan, then cover with tinfoil and bake at low temp for about 2 - 2.5 hours. Remove from oven, turn the oven to 425.

Sauce
1 tbsp EVOO or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2-3 drops liquid smoke *

Fry garlic in oil in small saucepan, then add brown sugar and stir until sugar stars to melt. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat until it just starts to boil. Turn heat to low and let simmer for about half an hour. Dip ribs into sauce one at a time and use a pastry brush to wipe away excess. Bake for about half an hour, basting with additional sauce once or twice. Be careful they don't get too saucy. You want them sticky, not goopy. They're done when they just start to blacken. Serve with salad.

* You could skip the liquid smoke in the sauce and do 'em on the BBQ. Follow exactly except put them on the grill instead of into a 425 oven.

Have you tried any tasty new recipes lately? Share!