50th Anniversary Ribs Throwdown

My amazing parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last month. That's half a century, people, which definitely warranted a hardcore anniversary party and full blown family reunion over Memorial Day Weekend.

Obviously nothing says 50 years of wedded bliss like heaping platters of baby back ribs, which must be why my sister, Anne, chef and culinary genius behind Chefanti, (check out their awesome concept for simplifying dinner here) challenged Mufasa, husband extraordinaire and King of the Big Green Egg, to a cut-throat friendly, family-style ribs throwdown. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad. Don't forget the wet naps.

Meet the competitors. That's Chef Anne there on the left, or Chefanti, as she's known to a slew of nieces and nephews. And there's Mufasa (apparently along with his towel collection?!) on the right. The way they're cradling those beers and mugging for the camera you'd think the day was all hugs and rainbows. But you would be wrong.

Here was the scene just moments before...

Check out the chaos in kitchen stadium. Sauces simmering, meat getting garnished, anxious chefs pacing the floor, Paparazzi hovering around the corn. No joke.

And then...a last minute surprise from Mufasa who pulls out not one but two types of ribs - traditional BBQ and a second platter with a sesame scallion Asian flavor twist!

The contenders...

The judges swarm the table

The votes are in and despite some discontent with the voting process...

The winner is....
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Chef Anne! 

Despite a two vote deduction for flagrant trash talk and losing two more votes for not making enough ribs (c'mon, seriously, Chef!), Chef Anne pulled off a heroic victory. Now, there is a theory floating around that Mufasa may have split his votes by throwing two types of ribs into play at the last minute, but it doesn't really matter. The real winners here were the family of hungry judges who got to tear apart three platters of crazy good ribs. That's a party, my friends.

Mufasa has already made public his Fork-Tender Baby Back Ribs recipe here and rest assured, they are awesome! For now Chef Anne is keeping hers quiet but I'm guessing if you pop on over to Chefanti and shoot her a harassing encouraging email, maybe we can convince her to release the secret winning recipe. What do you say, Chef Anne?

And don't worry. We gave the 'rents a real anniversary party too complete with pretty dresses, heartfelt speeches, cloth napkins, and very little trash talk

Chef Anne's winning ribs

Sesame Sweet Potato Miso Dip

I owe many a luxurious and enlightening Sunday afternoon to one fine group of ladies. How else would I justify needing to spend a cozy hour curled up in an armchair furiously finishing a novel? And more importantly, when would I get to chomp pecan cookies, start drinking at one in the afternoon or have the excuse to make egg-filled cakes and other contraband delights? Give it up for book club.

Sure, sometimes we overdo it on the wine, but typically not until after we discuss the book. Briefly.

Not only do my book club ladies read, they cook. And they eat (with enthusiasm I might add) all the stuff I don't normally get to make at home. And I love them all the more for it.

Every time book club rolls around I'm faced with the impossible decision: sweet or savory? Clearly the answer is both. This time around blueberry-lemon yogurt cake with lemon cream was an easy sell and will be coming in a later post. I have promised Roo an egg-free version. Wish me luck.

The real dark horse though, is this crazy good sweet, silky, salty dip.

Sesame is such a rock star - all that toasty deep earthy flavor of nuts, without the nuts. Add the creamy sweetness of the potatoes, salty bite of miso and my friends, you have one heck of a dip on your hands. 

I actually had no intention of sharing with the kids but when Bean came by asking what that yummy smell was (toasting sesame seeds) I couldn't pass up the opportunity. The kiddos dipped snap peas and carrots and somewhat shockingly, no one snorted, choked, or exhibited odd facial contortions. A couple of kids even came back for a second round. That's a winner in my book.

Sesame Sweet Potato Miso Dip
adapted from Sunset Magazine December 2010

1 pound sweet potatoes
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp white miso
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp soy sauce
1 scallion, thinly sliced
toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until soft but not falling apart, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the sweet potatoes from the water and allow to cool slightly. Reserve the cooking liquid.

Combine the cooked potatoes, ginger, miso, tahini, and soy sauce in a food processor or powerful blender. Puree the mixture, adding cooking liquid from the potatoes as needed until the mixture is smooth and silky. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with fresh vegetables for dipping.

Homemade Dog Cookies

It's been four years since we said goodbye to our buddy, Scout, (aka Scooter-booter, Bubba, Boo, Smunchy Munchy Pants, and many more) after a cruel but swift bout of bone cancer.

Our first baby prepared us in so many ways for the two-legged children who now race the halls where he once jingled and pranced, from his delicate constitution and frequent bellyaches, to waking us up at the crack of dawn demanding breakfast, and taking over our bed at night by poking his elbows into our backs. He and our cat, O.C., were dear friends from the beginning, and O.C. missed his best bud right up to the day he passed away this spring. 

 

Since O.C. died a few months ago, Roo's allergist put us on strict orders to remain pet-free for the foreseeable future. That seems particularly unfair - the kid who can't eat a cupcake at a birthday party or go out for breakfast can't have a dog either? What's next? Grass allergy? No more playing outside? It's supposed to be rhetorical. Please don't answer that.

So, missing our dear departed fur babies and filled with futile longing for a new four-legged friend (or two), imagine our delight when we were asked to dog-sit this week for our best dog pal, Cali!

Cali is every kid's dream dog. She is smart, agile, active, obedient, big enough to roughhouse but not big enough to break bones in the process. She runs a mean agility course, fetches balls and frisbees like a champ, and just in case you think she might be a little too cool for school, she also cries like a baby when there's thunder. Just like Bean.

We relished Cali's visit the best way we know how, with homemade dog treats.

Apple Chicken Oat Cookies for Dogs

2 apples, peeled and grated

1/4 cup honey

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup apple juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well-mixed. The dough will be sticky. 

2. Roll the dough into balls (choose the size based on how big your dog is. We made medium sized treats for Cali and some tiny ones for the little dog next door). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each ball with the palm of your hand to flatten.You might need to dip your hands in flour since the dough is so sticky. Just do your best, dogs aren't picky about presentation.

3. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, flip the cookies and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Smaller treats will cook more quickly so keep an eye on the oven. Remove from oven when the treats are crisp and golden brown. Cool completely and share with your furriest friends. 

Cali likes them!

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

Looly will have you know she does not like potatoes. I believe it's a texture thing but she argues that potatoes are just disgusting. Despite a few Ruffles here and there, the ubiquitous tubers are off limits to her. No baked potatoes, hash browns, french fries (I don't know what's the matter with her. Maybe I should have her tested), tater tots, and don't even think about mashing or smashing them. Gag city.

As far as I know no one else in the family is quite so averse to potatoes, but we still don't eat many. No one's big on the mashed variety, myself included. I like to chew my food. Unless it's ice cream. And most of the time potatoes are a waste of carbs for Mufasa who has a family history rife with diabetes. He'd rather save up his carbohydrate allowance for a generously buttered buttermilk biscuit.

When we do eat potatoes they tend to be cubed, roasted, and lightly salted. In other words, b-o-r-i-n-g. Roo and Bean like them that way, but trust me, that recipe is not winning any contests for creativity. I've tried jazzing them up in the past and you should hear the hysteria that ensues.

Kid: "Why are there red things in here?"
Mom: "They're poisonous sea urchins (roasted red peppers) because I'm trying to kill you. Obviously."

Kid: "Somebody put dirt on my potatoes! I'm not eating dirt." (That's black pepper, by the way, for those of you unfamiliar with the I'm not eating this dirt defense)

Kid: "What are those onions for? Because I don't want them in any of my stuff."

Ahh, yes, the majesty of parenthood.

But with a little help from the Olympics, I've found a winner. Tangy, salty, malt vinegar sauce seems decidedly British, so I primed the kids with an enthusiastic description of Olympic synchronized diving and water polo followed by a quick lesson on British pub fare. Basically I convinced them they'd be supporting the Olympic athletes by partaking in a potato and vinegar dip feast. What? It's not like it's not helping the Olympians if they eat a few potatoes. Bear with me here.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes
adapted from Vegetarian Times

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 head of garlic, peeled and sectioned into cloves
2 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup malt vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar

1. Soak the cubed potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the dry potatoes and garlic cloves in the oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally to promote even browning. Season with salt and pepper (use white pepper instead of black if your kids don't like "dirt" on their food)
3. Meanwhile, combine vinegar and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Serve sauce as a dip alongside the potatoes and garlic or drizzle it right over the top. The drizzle is great for adults but I don't recommend it for kids. They like to control their own destiny. Give them the dip on the side and see what happens.

Good stuff! Even if you don't like potatoes like Looly, make this just so you can dip the roasted garlic cloves. Crazy delicious. For the record Looly did try a potato, sans dip. She didn't like it. But she tried it. Roo was a fan and Bean's favorite "potato" was actually a roasted garlic clove. That girl has a refined palate.

Thai Steak (or Chicken) Salad

I'm always on the lookout for ways everyone get what they want out of a single meal. For the kids this means things they like, not too spicy, small colorful portions, followed by dessert. For Mufasa it entails big robust flavors, plenty of heat, and meat. I want something that tastes good and still allows me to button my pants in the morning. It can be tricky to manage, but this little ditty fits the bill.

Oddly enough, Looly adores cabbage, so the salad portion of this meal is right up her alley. Roo is all about meat and while we've just started venturing into beef territory with him due to his allergies, this recipe works just as well with chicken. Bean likes the meat, veggies, mint leaves, and most of all, using chopsticks.

The flavor is big, bright, bold and spicy which makes Mufasa very happy, and since the meat gets tossed in the sauce after cooking, it's easy to keep the heat turned down for the kids. To dial it up for the grown-ups add plenty of Sriracha after you've tossed some cabbage and meat for the spice averse.

Thai Steak (or Chicken) Salad
adapted from Cooking Light June 2012

1-1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed or 1-1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp Sriracha
1 cup red cabbage, sliced
1 cup green cabbage, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Cook about 6 minutes per side or until done. Remove meat from pan and let stand 5 minutes. Slice meat across grain into thin slices.
2. Combine lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, and Sriracha* in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
3. Combine both cabbages and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Dress the salad mixture with 6 tbsp of the juice mixture and toss to coat. Add meat to the remaining juice mixture and toss to coat. Distribute salad onto plates and top with meat.

*If you're serving kids, hold off on adding the Sriracha until after you've tossed some meat and salad in the dressing.

Serves 6

Roasted Pepita Honey Butter and 25 Nut-Free Alternatives to Peanut Butter

Looly loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which is a problem because, in case you missed the memo, Roo is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. So, sadly, no almond butter or Nutella for us either. For years we've relied on Sunbutter for sandwiches, cookies, and pretty much everything else peanut butter-inspired. Huge props to Sunbutter. I don't know what we would do without you, my friend, and seriously, it is pretty freaking good. We're not tossing our jar of Sunbutter but with the school year looming and roughly 540 lunches to pack (that's 180 days times 3 kids!) perhaps it's time to expand our nut-free horizons.

Yup, that's a a smothering of homemade roasted pepita honey butter, baby. Chunky, salty, sweet, crunchy, nut-free yet nutty in flavor, and loaded with good stuff like amino acids, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Pepitas, by the way, are pumpkin seeds, but "pepitas" is a much snappier way of putting it, am I right?

Bean worked the blender and helped taste test. After giving up one too many spoons to her constant lick stealing, I finally gave her a bowl and a spoon. Roo was intrigued but not ready to actually sample quite yet. And Looly, my usual holdout, she gobbled up half a pepita butter and jelly sandwich then wolfed down another thick slice of bread slathered in pepita butter. Yeah. That was after her lunch.

Roasted Pepita Honey Butter

2 cups pepitas, roasted and salted (I bought our pepitas already roasted and salted but you could easily roast your own pumpkin seeds instead).
3 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup canola oil
salt

Combine pepitas and honey in a food processor or powerful blender and pulse. Slowly drizzle in oil through top of lid and process until you have reached your desired consistency. I left ours just a little chunky and the extra crunch is awesome. Taste and adjust salt and honey to suit your mood.

And just in case you aren't swayed by my recipe, here are 25 more nut-free sandwich spreads to help get you through the school year.

25 Nut-free Sandwich Spreads

1. Sunbutter
2. Wowbutter (soy butter)
3. Nonuts Golden Peabutter
4. Biscoff Spread
5. Guacamole
6. Simple Foods Organic Chocolate Soy Butter
7. Mashed banana
8. Hummus
9. Edamame Hummus
10. Black Bean Hummus
11. Baba Ganoush
12. Roasted Vegetable Spread
13. Lemon Curd
14. Triple Berry Curd
15. Apple Butter
16. Vanilla Pear Butter
17. Pumpkin Butter
18. Mascarpone cheese
19. Goat cheese
20. Ricotta cheese
21. Schuler's Cheese Spread
22. Whipped honey
23. Marshmallow Fluff
24. Nut-free Kale Pesto 
25. Olive Tapenade
26. And of course, Roasted Pepita Honey Butter

Pineapple Mango Sorbet with Chili, Lime, and Salt

Digging through the freezer for a long lost package of onion bagels to go with my smoked salmon, I stumbled upon the ice cream bowl for the KitchenAid and realized we had yet to make ice cream this summer. Utter blasphemy.

With half a carton of Costco mangoes ripening on the counter and a fresh pineapple looking for a home, the recipe pretty much wrote itself.

It wasn't all tropical fruit and smiles, though. Blood was shed.

Relax. She's not doing what you think she's doing. Just an unfortunate incident with a vegetable peeler.

The kiddos loved theirs just like this. Icy cold, smooth, crisp, and pure. But I couldn't stop thinking about a summer long ago spent walking the waterfront in Veracruz crunching jicama and pineapple in copas de frutas coated with chili, lime, and a sprinkle of salt. Can you see where this is headed?

Vacation in a Cup Pineapple Mango Sorbet

1/2 of a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into pieces
3 mangoes, peeled and pitted (watch those little fingers with that slippery peeler)
1 cup sugar
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. dark rum (optional)
chili powder (optional)
sea salt (optional)
lime wedges (optional)

1. Puree pineapple and mango in a blender until smooth. Add sugar, lime juice, and rum and process until well combined. The kids gave me a hard time about the rum, but 1 tsp. distributed throughout an entire batch of sorbet is not going to kill them and it lends a nice subtle counterpoint to all that fruity sweetness. Chill mixture in the fridge for an hour or so.

2. Pour cold mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the instructions (or pour into any freezable container if you don't have an ice cream maker and chill several hours until firm). Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

3. Top with a squeeze of lime and dust with salt and chili powder before serving. Voila! Your Mexican tropical beach vacation in a cup.

Cherry Berry Gazpacho

After the tuna event earlier this week I felt I owed the kids a gimme. Typically cold soups aren't my thing. On a sweltering day I'd much rather fight fire with fire with spicy tortilla soup than chilled tomato gazpacho. But fresh berries and a blender? That sounds like a smoothie in a bowl.

Berry Cherry Gazpacho.

Cherry Berry Gazpacho with Honeyed Mascarpone
adapted from Cooking Light July 2012

For the soup
1 pound purple seedless grapes
1 pound sweet cherries, pitted and stems removed
8 ounces fresh blueberries
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. lemon rind, grated
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
fresh mint leaves to garnish

For the Mascarpone
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 tbsp. honey

1. Remove stems from fruit, wash, and pat dry. Put grapes, cherries, and blueberries in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add apple juice and honey. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender (or process in batches in a food processor or blender) until nearly smooth. Strain, discard solids, and chill at least 2 hours. Stir in the lemon rind, juice, and salt.
2. In a small bowl combine room temperature mascarpone and honey. Mix well.
3. Ladle soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of honeyed mascarpone. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and additional lemon zest.

Tuna Tartare Two Ways

We don't eat enough fish. We stopped making it regularly somewhere between the day I wrestled half a filet of lemony whitefish from the cat after Looly chucked it off her highchair tray and the onset of Roo's food allergies.

In any event, Starfish brand fish sticks (don't knock 'em till you've tried 'em) and the occasional salmon fillet round out our current seafood rotation. I've been longing for the return of homemade fish tacos and sauteed scallops and finally decided this week that it's time. Bring on the tuna!

I don't normally advocate lying to kids. My children have a firm understanding of lots of difficult topics...poverty, natural disasters, war, death. They know our beloved cat did not disappear last January to go to live on a farm somewhere. And for the most part, they handle it. But raw fish? Let's just say I didn't send a memo before I put it on their plates.

Tuna Tartare for the Wee Ones (grown-up version appears below)

1/4 pound fresh, high quality tuna steak
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. canola oil

1. Slice the tuna steak into 1/4-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together soy sauce, juice, and oil. Pour over tuna. Marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or more. Serve with rice crackers.

So they didn't embrace their first tartare experience with all the gusto I'd hoped for but miraculously, they each chewed and swallowed an entire quarter inch cube of raw tuna before politely expressing their dissatisfaction - a far cry from the days of "Yuck!" and "Are you trying to kill us?!" All that and no one threw up or even gagged a little bit. That's a victory if I've ever seen one.

Whatever the kids don't finish, just toss into the grown-up version below.

Spicy Tuna Ceviche
adapted slightly from Barefoot Contessa

2 pounds fresh, high quality tuna steaks
1/2 cup olive oil
3 limes, zest and juice
1 tsp. wasabi powder
1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. Sriracha sauce
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

1. Dice the tuna steak into 1/4-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine oil, lime juice, zest, wasabi powder, soy sauce, Sriracha, salt, cayenne, scallions, onion, and jalepeno. Stir well. Pour over tuna and toss gently to coat. Marinate in the refrigerate for about an hour. Add avocado and toss gently just before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with rice crackers, wonton crisps, tortilla chips, or shovel it into your mouth directly out of the bowl with a fork like me.