Curried Beef Short Ribs

This was tonight's dinner and damn was it good. I had to go to work this morning so Matty put this together and got it going for us. This was our first exploration into short ribs. Yummy.

Curried Beef Short Ribs
Finishing this dish with lime zest and juice brightens its rich flavors. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces ribs, 2/3 cup rice, and about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce) (We got 2 dinners and 1 lunch) Cooking Light, MARCH 2009 (Their pic is on the left, ours on the right)


2 teaspoons canola oil
2 pounds beef short ribs, trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/3 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (Matty grated it)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (we used tamari soy sauce)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 cups hot cooked basmati rice (we used brown basmati rice)

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add half of ribs to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place ribs in an electric slow cooker. Repeat procedure with remaining ribs.

2. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water and curry paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, sugar, and fish sauce. Add coconut milk mixture to cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours.

3. Remove ribs from cooker; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid through a colander over a bowl; discard solids. (It seemed like such a waste of yumminess so we didn't strain it) Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Stir in remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, rind, and juice. Shred rib meat with 2 forks; discard bones. Serve sauce over ribs and rice.

CALORIES 410 ; FAT 16.1g (sat 6.5g,mono 7g,poly 0.9g); CHOLESTEROL 70mg; CALCIUM 24mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.1g; SODIUM 841mg; PROTEIN 27g; FIBER 0.7g; IRON 4.1mg

Sausage and Spinach Soup

This is another meal that Matty made while I was working late. But it was much easier to put together than the pork-potato hash. It was really really good. Almost surprisingly good considering how easy it was. We served with a baguette. The only thing I would change is the tomatoes. I would either used diced or I would chop the stewed some since the pieces were pretty big.

Sausage and Spinach Soup
Fresh herbs are added after the soup cooks so they'll retain their bright color and flavor. You can substitute 1 teaspoon dried herbs for each tablespoon fresh, but add them with the tomatoes. Serve with a toasted baguette. Yield: 4 servings (We got 2 dinners and 1 lunch from this) Cooking Light, MARCH 2007 (Their picture is the one on the left, ours is on the right.)

10 ounce sweet turkey Italian sausage
Cooking spray
1 cup prechopped onion (have you ever used prechopped onion? why? I dont get it)
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/2 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can organic stewed tomatoes, undrained (such as Muir Glen) (we used the store brand stewed tomatoes)
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons grated fresh Romano cheese (we had fresh parmesan so we used that)

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion and 2 teaspoons garlic to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup water, beans, tomatoes, and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat, and stir in spinach, basil, and oregano. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls, and sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese.

CALORIES 261 (30% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.7g,poly 2.5g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 62mg; CALCIUM 105mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.1g; SODIUM 842mg; PROTEIN 20.9g; FIBER 5.4g

Pork-Potato Hash with Eggs

This one I have to credit Matty for. I did not pay attention to how long it took to make and he patiently stood by and made it for us anyway while I was working late. So as a warning, this is not a quick meal! But it is so tasty! I would suggest maybe making this as a weekend meal. He also cooked this in the buffet casserole that I mentioned in the previous post. However he cooked the eggs separately because there was a lot of liquid in the pan and he wanted to make sure they cooked.

Pork-Potato Hash with Eggs


Pork sold as "country-style ribs" is not always from the rib section; it can be cut from a pork shoulder roast, too. Either way, it's economical and generally cut into individual "ribs," making it easy for you to ask your butcher for just the number you need.$1.81 per serving. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 egg and about 1 1/2 cups hash) (We got 2 dinners and 1 lunch out of this) Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2009 (Their picture is the pretty one on the left, ours is on the right)

12 ounces pork country-style ribs (about 2 ribs)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
2 1/2 cups water
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed red potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup chopped onion
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons thinly diagonally sliced green onions

1. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (enamel covered cast iron in our case) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add 2 1/2 cups water and garlic to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour or until pork is fork-tender. Remove pork from pan, reserving cooking liquid and garlic. Place cooking liquid in a bowl. Cool pork slightly. Remove meat from bones; shred with two forks.

2. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Heat olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and onion to pan, and sauté for 8 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add cooking liquid and garlic to potato mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender and liquid evaporates. Stir in shredded pork and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with one egg at a time, carefully crack eggs over potato mixture, about 1 inch apart in pan. (Matty did this in a separate pan and then we just served the eggs over the pork.) Sprinkle eggs evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Sprinkle with green onions.

CALORIES 334 ; FAT 13.8g (sat 4g,mono 6.6g,poly 1.6g); CHOLESTEROL 244mg; CALCIUM 75mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.2g; SODIUM 845mg; PROTEIN 20.2g; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 3mg

Bacon Mac

Totally not apologizing for not writing in FOREVER and promising to do better. Cuz it doesnt seem to matter. So . . . here's what we ate last week. First up is Bacon Mac which was AWESOME! It isnt as saucy as a mac and cheese. But oh so tasty! And easy. We added broccoli to try to make it a bit healthier. I made this all (besides boiling the pasta) in my brandy new Buffet Casserole (I got it for Christmas!)

Bacon Mac
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup) We got 2 dinners and 2 lunches out of this. Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2009 (That is there picture there, we forgot to take one)

3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
12 ounces strozzapreti or penne pasta (We used Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Penne)
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk, divided
2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (We used Trader Joe's extra extra sharp cheddar)
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
(1 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces, optional)
Cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Bring 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add pasta (and broccoli); cook 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan (buffet casserole) over medium heat. Gradually add 1 cup milk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until it cools to 155°. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. Add pasta (and broccoli); toss. Spoon into a 2-quart broiler-safe dish coated with cooking spray (skipped this since it was all in the casserole); top with 1/2 cup cheese. Broil 7 minutes. (I only left it in for 4 and it was perfect).

CALORIES 399 ; FAT 13.8g (sat 8.5g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g); CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 358mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.7g; SODIUM 544mg; PROTEIN 20g; FIBER 2g; IRON 2.1mg