Carolina Honey Ribs

 

Remember the restaurant Tony Romas? They had some delicious ribs called 'Carolina Honeys.' My mom gave me this recipe probably about 20 years ago. I hadn't made the recipe in years! Why? I just forgot about it. I make ribs fairly often but I always make a BBQ sauce with a ketchup base. 

Why had a forgotten about this recipe????? My family and I have missed out for years!!

Seriously....this is an amazing recipe.  Try it!

Carolina Honey Ribs

2-3 lbs Pork Ribs (I like the St. Louis style rib because they are meaty!)

Sauce

1 1/2 C. Maple syrup

2 TBLS. Chili sauce

2 TBLS. Apple cider vinegar

2 TBLS. Onion- finely diced

2 cloves pressed garlic

1 TBLS. Worcestershire 

1 TBLS. Spicy brown mustard

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/2 tsp. Liquid smoke (I used hickory but mesquite would probably be fine too)

Mix the sauce ingredients together. I used a Slow cooker. I just put the ribs in standing them up with the bone against the pot, cover with the sauce and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Drain the fat off and use the drippings as a gravy for the ribs. The sauce is also delicious on mashed potatoes. So easy!

You could also put them in an oven at 325° for 6 hours. But the Slow cooker is just so easy especially if you put a Slow cooker liner in first. Super easy clean up!

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

I came across this Hungarian Mushroom Soup recently and as I looked over the recipe it seemed it might be really good! It was!! It was full of flavor! If you love mushrooms like I do, this is a must try! This recipe only makes enough for about 4 bowls so if you are feeding a family I would double the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 TBLS. Salted butter

16 oz. Cleaned, dried and sliced crimini mushrooms (you could use button but crimini has more flavor)

1 1/2 C. Chopped white onion

2 tsp. Dried dill weed

1 tsp. Thyme

1 TBLS. Paprika

2 cloves fresh garlic grated or minced

2 1/2 C. Chicken Stock

2 TBLS. Soy sauce

1 TBLS. Lemon juice

1 C. Half and half or whole milk

3 TBLS. Flour

In a dutch oven or soup pot, saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then, season with dill, thyme, and paprika and allow the mushrooms and onions to continue cooking for an additional 7-10 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle the grated garlic over the mushrooms 30 seconds before the mushrooms are done. (Garlic burns easily)

Slowly pour in the chicken stock, soy sauce, and lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen anything that might be stuck on. Allow the soup to gain a simmer and then let cook and reduce for 5 minutes. While the soup is reducing, whisk together the milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth Pour the mixture while whisking into the soup and continue to cook the soup for 8-10 minutes, or until the soup thickens, stirring as required.

Garnish with parsley and creme fraiche (or sour cream)

*little spice jar Pinterest

Creamy Crack Chicken Soup

Made a new soup for dinner tonight. You know those nights when you don't know what to make and you check out Pinterest for some ideas? That was me tonight. I came across this recipe and I had all the ingredients so I decided to give it a go.
I am so glad I did! I will definitely be adding this to my soup repertoire. Delicious! 
https://pin.it/cohqtrk5elg6sf

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 to 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 to 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• sliced green scallions, for garnish
• Instructions
  1. Cook diced bacon to a crisp in a Dutch Oven or soup pot.
  2. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon, leaving bacon grease in the pot.
  3. Add butter to the pot and melt over medium-high heat.
  4. Stir in onions and cook for 3 minutes.
  5. Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
  6. Add chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  7. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, chives, salt, and pepper.
  8. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil; lower heat to medium low and cook for 5 minutes.
  9. Stir in shredded chicken; cook for 5 minutes.
  10. Add cream cheese and whisk in until completely melted and combined.
  11. Stir in shredded cheese; whisk until melted and thoroughly combined.
  12. Add baby spinach; cook for 2 minutes.
  13. Stir in heavy cream and cook for 1 minute.
  14. Taste for seasonings (salt and pepper) and adjust accordingly. Remove bay leaf.
  15. Remove soup from heat; top with scallions and previously prepared bacon

Ham and Swiss Sliders

You have to try these!! That is all.
http://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/ham-swiss-sliders/

1 package Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (12 count)

18 slices of thin deli ham

12 slices Swiss cheese

1 stick butter

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 tbsp dried minced onion (I used onion powder)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Parmesan cheese (I used about 1/4 shredded and sprinkled on top of rolls) 

dried parsley 

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Cover 9×13 baking pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray.

Step 2: Remove rolls from package in one piece.

Step 3: Cut entire slab of rolls in half lengthwise. (You will end up with one slab of “tops” and one slab of “bottoms”.)

Step 4: Place bottom slab in foiled cover pan.

Step 5: Layer with half of the ham , then the Swiss cheese, then the rest of the ham.

Step 6: Add top slab of rolls.

Step 7: Melt butter in microwave and whisk in remaining ingredients (except parm. cheese and parsley). Pour evenly over rolls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley. (The original recipe says to do that at the end. I liked it adding a little crispiness to the outside of the roll so I did it before I baked them.)

Step 8: Cover with foil and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Step 9: Bake covered for 20 minutes.

Step 10: Uncover and cook 5 additional minutes.

Step 11: Slice into individual sliders and serve warm.

Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

We tried a new recipe last night for dinner. The meat was sooo good!! It was great on the Brioche Bun, but we were thinking it would be good on a tortilla too (or any bread). The meat was good alone and didn't even need the bread if one is trying to keep carbs low.
This recipe is a keeper!
As I was typing this, Jake walked in from work and he and Inna are heating it up for a late lunch! Yep, yum!
http://dinnerthendessert.com/philly-cheese-steak-sloppy-joes/

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 8 ounces brown mushrooms minced
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup beef broth
• 8 ounces Provolone Cheese Slices, chopped (use 6oz if you don’t want it very cheesy)
• 6 brioche hamburger buns
• Directions:
• Add the ground beef to a large cast iron skillet (this browns very well) and brown until a deep brown crust appears before breaking the beef apart. (I just did it in a regular frying pan)
• Stir the ground beef and brown until a deep crust appears on about 50 or so percent of the beef.
• Remove the beef (you can leave the fat) and add the butter and the onions and bell peppers and mushrooms.
• Let brown for 1-2 minutes before stirring, then let brown for another 1-2 minutes before stirring again.
• Add the beef back into the pan.
• In a small cup mix the beef broth and cornstarch together
• Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, beef broth/cornstarch mixture into the pan.
• Cook until the mixture is only slightly liquidy (about 75% of the mixture is above liquid), 3-5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, add in the provolone cheese.
• Served on toasted brioche buns.

Sugar Cream Pie

I found this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks ago. It looked so delicious that I decided to give it a try this weekend.

Do any of you remember TV dinners way back in the day? Every once in awhile my parents would throw in the oven tv dinners for us kids when they went out on a date. The vanilla custard was always my favorite part! I haven't found anything that tastes like it since that time.

Well, now I have! This pie has a very similar taste and texture to that yummy vanilla custard in those TV dinners. It is sweet, but not super sweet. It is rich and delicious! I only put about 2 TBLS cinnamon sugar on top because I wanted to taste more of the vanilla custard and sometimes cinnamon can overpower some flavors. We really liked just the hint of cinnamon on top, but you can adjust for your preference!

Sugar Cream Pie

Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 26 mins

Total time: 36 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 DEEP DISH pie crust, at room temperature (I used a frozen one, but you can use refrigerated pie crusts too)
• 4 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 & 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• FOR TOPPING:
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (1/4 or 1/2 cup sugar with 2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon mixed in. Start with 1/4 cup, but add up to 1/2 cup if you prefer things sweet).

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the pie crust onto a baking sheet. Or, if using a refrigerated crust, lightly grease a 9″ pie pan, put the crust in, and set the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until partially baked. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and sugar until blended. In a medium saucepan, bring the cornstarch-sugar mixture, melted butter and heavy cream together over medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture is done when it’s thick and creamy. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust and smooth out the top. Drizzle on the melted butter and evenly sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Bake for approx. 25 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for about 1 minute, watching carefully. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature before refrigerating for at least one hour to set. Store in fridge.

Island Pork Tenderloin

 I love to make Pork Tenderloin...especially when we are trying to eat healthier!! I had one of my recipes in mind, but I didn't have one of the most important ingredients...So I went to Pinterest to find some Pork Tenderloin recipes. I am so glad I did!! This is "Island Pork Tenderloin" 

It was so easy and an absolute HIT!! The sauce was so delicious and it would be good on chicken too. I didn't have any Tabasco so I used Frank's Hot Sauce. I also ended up cooking mine for 25 minutes, then under the foil for another 15.

This is going to be a part of our regular repertoire when Pork Tenderloin is on the menu!!

For spice rub:

• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 pork tenderloins (2 ¼ - 2 ½ lbs total) trimmed
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For Glaze:

• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp Tabasco

Stir the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl and rub all over the pork.  Heat oil in ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Brown pork, turning occasionally, about 4-5 minutes total.  Remove from heat, but leave pork in skillet.

Stir together brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl.  Pat the mixture on top of the pork.  Place skillet in the oven at 350.  Roast until thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of each tenderloin registers 140 degrees, about 20 minutes.  Let pork stand in skillet, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes. 

(http://fattaincassa.blogspot.cz/2014/11/island-pork-tenderloin.html).