Perfect Short Ribs

4 lbs short ribs
8 oz can tomato sauce
2 Tbs molasses
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp liquid smoke

Directions: Sprinkle the short ribs with salt and pepper. Mix ingredients in bag and then add ribs.

To serve: Thaw and place on 9x13 pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 250 degrees for 5-6 hours or place in slow cooker. Serve with rice or noodles.

Note: I used country-style spare ribs for these (boneless)

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

• 12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing baking sheet
• 6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta diced
• 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cups marinara sauce
• 2 (15-ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan
  
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

Directions:

Lightly oil a 12 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish and set aside. Lightly oil the baking sheet and set aside.

Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on oiled baking sheet, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer stirring often.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.

Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Turkey and cranberry stuffing with cranberry chutney

Bake turkey in bag according to directions.

Add onion, celery and crasins to stuffing. Saute them in butter, then add the bread crumbs. use Chicken stalk for the liquid. (if you're brave, cut up the giblets for extra protein... that is what my Dad always did. Nobody even ever knew! Don't worry though, I left them out of yours!)

For chutney- blend cranberry sauce, fresh cranberries, juice from 1 lemon and a little sugar (about 2- 3TBS).

Caramel Apple pork chops

6 pork chops

1/2 cup apple juice

3 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS brown sugar

S&P to taste

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 TBS butter

2 tart apples- peeled cored and sliced

Or Canned apple pie filling to simplify

brown sugar and pecans for topping

Marinade chops in the Apple juice and Soy.

Cook chops in skillet for about 7 mins., then place in baking dish. Put in a warm oven 175 degrees.

In the same pan as the drippings from the chops, heat up the apple mixture. Pour it over the chops and sprinkle brown sugar and pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for another 5-10 mins.

Serve with a favorite side or vegetable.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

8 T unsalted butter
2 cups breadcrumbs
Salt
1 pound macaroni
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t dry mustard, dissolved in 1 t water
1/4 t cayenne pepper
6 T flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb Colby cheese, shredded (4 cups)
8 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
Pepper

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 2 T of the butter and toss with breadcrumbs.

2. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in 1 T salt and add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain the macaroni and leave in colander.

3. Wipe out the pot, add remaining 6 T butter, melt over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, mustard mixture and cayenne. Cook until fragant, about 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking often until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.

5. Off the heat, whisk in the cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the drained macaroni, breaking up any clumps, until combined.

6. Pour into a 9X13 inch dish. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

To make ahead:
Assemble the casserole as directed through step 6, but do not sprinkle with the breadcrumbs or bake. Store in the fridge, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days before serving. The casserole can also be frozen, wrapped with an additional layer of foil for up to 2 months. Allow the macaroni and cheese to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. (If frozen, thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before letting sit at room temperature.)

From America's Test Kitchen

(Instead of Colby cheese I used cheddar and jack cheese, mostly because that's what Costco had that was pre-shredded.)

Sloppy Turkey Joes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package ground turkey breast or lean ground turkey
1/2 red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend-I usually use more, it depends on how spicy you want them (recommended: McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning or Mrs. Dash seasoning for poultry)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce,( 8- ounce) can

To the sauce I add mustard and cider vinegar and sometimes ketchup.

Finely chop the onion and bell pepper. Add the olive oil to a hot skillet, add the turkey. Break up into pieces, season with salt and pepper and then add the onions and peppers. Cook until turkey is cooked through.

While the turkey is cooking, in a small bowl mix the brown sugar, seasoning, worcestershire and tomato sauce together (and the mustard and vinegar if you want to add it.) When the turkey is cooked and there is no fat left in the pan, add the sauce and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Serve on buns.

By Rachel Ray

Café Rio Pork and Cilantro Lime Rice

CAFE RIO SALAD

There are 3 parts to the salad: the rice, the pork, and the dressing.

[ LIME-CILANTRO RICE ]

2 Tbsp. oil
4 c. long grain rice (6 c. water)
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
2 tsp. crushed garlic

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add rice, cilantro, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water and lime juice and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice (about 20 minutes). You can also use a rice cooker if you have one.

[ CAFE RIO PORK ]

pork roast
1 (16 oz.) bottle of salsa
1 can coke
2 c. brown sugar


Place pork in crock-pot and fill it half way up with water. Cook roast on high for 5 hours. Drain off water. Cut pork in thirds. Mix together ingredients (salsa, coke, brown sugar) and put on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave it on low until ready to serve.

( optional)
[ CREAMY TOMATILLA SALAD DRESSING ]

1 packet hidden valley ranch buttermilk dressing
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. mayo or sour cream
2-3 tomatillas (peel off outer leaf/shell)
1 tsp. crushed garlic
¾ bunch fresh cilantro
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
juice from 1 lime (about 2 tsp.)
salt & pepper
Blend all ingredients in the blender. Refrigerate.

Turkey Burgers with Grated Zucchini and Carrot

from real simple

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground turkey
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 slices crusty bread
• 4 small leaves Boston lettuce
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

Preparation

Heat broiler.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, zucchini, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and egg. Form the mixture into 4 patties.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties, turning once, until no trace of pink remains, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, place the bread on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining oil. Broil until golden brown and crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer the bread to individual plates. Top with the lettuce leaves and burgers. If using, combine the mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl and serve with the burgers.

Upgrade: For extra zest, rub the bread with the cut side of a peeled, halved garlic clove immediately after removing the bread from the oven.