Taking on TGI Friday's: BBQ Spare Ribs & Green Bean Fries with Wasabi Dipping Sauce

Tonight was going to be a pasta kind of night--still a bit tired from all the Disney excitement, but I came across good deals on spare ribs at the grocery store. John is a meat guy, so he needs his meat once in a while :) I don't buy spare ribs much so I don't really know the average pricing, but it was $13 for a full rack (4 lbs.) of ribs! That's less than what you would pay for for a half rack in restaurants!

TIP: If you go to the grocery store on the weekends, the butcher usually drops the prices super low to get the next batch for the following week, so make your weekends fancy with low-cost, good quality meat!

I thought cooking ribs was out of my league, but it's so easy! I made Jack Daniels BBQ Ribs that were simply fall-off-the-bone goodness! It had the most amazing smokey, sweet flavor, despite the rushed cooking. The char on the top was as if I grilled it on a charcoal grill, but little do you know that this was baked in the oven--not broiled like most recipes instruct. Now, don't let me get to the juiciness of the meat! It was so moist and tender even though spare ribs are known to be on the tougher side. You didn't even need a dipping sauce for it :)

Here's the secret: 

Preheat the oven to 200 F. 

1. Drain out the blood when you get fresh ribs and pat dry. 

2. Create an awesome dry rub! (Ground chili pepper, red pepper powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder)

3. Generously rub the dry rub all over the ribs (top, bottom, and sides). And when I say generously, I mean complete coat! Then spread a liberal layer of Jack Daniel's Original BBQ Sauce.

4. In a broiler pan, put the rack on and add water! The water is the secret to keeping the meat moist and tender. The water should cover half of the rack.

Here's another secret. Add 3 fresh bay leaves to the pan.

5. Cook for 20 minutes in 200 F. Then crank the heat to 400 degrees. Most home cooks don't have the time to slow cook for hours, so this is just a modification that definitely does not fall short of highly rated ribs around.

6. Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes (this is for 4 lbs.) Check on it every half hour to coat with the Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce. You don't need much--just a thin layer at this point.

7. Let the rack rest for 3-5 minutes. If you cut into it immediately after taking it out, the juices escape! 

8. Serve and enjoy!

The fried green beans were lightly battered in a flour/water mixture (seasoned with salt, black pepper, and ginger) and fried. As a dipping sauce, I tried to recreate Friday's wasabi sauce. John said it was on point! Two ingredients: Wasabi and ranch dressing! Easy!

-------------------

According to John: "Juicy and tender. Perfectly cooked. One of Andi's best dishes yet!"

Anyways, we hope you enjoy. Good food + Good company = A great time!

Thank you, Lord, for providing us food and time to eat and enjoy together. I'll cook for you in heaven one day! Amen =)

Slow Saturday Morning: Blueberry buttermilk pancakes with strawberry banana smoothies

Fresh picked blueberry buttermilk pancakes

Today's morning is summed up by Jack Johnson's song, "Banana pancakes." Without any agenda to stick to, the only thing we intended to do for the morning was to take it slow and start the day with the fresh tastes of blueberry buttermilk pancakes--slight crunch on the surface, soft and moist on the inside with warm blueberries popping in every bite, and a drizzle of warm maple syrup on top! John, my husband--still not use to calling him that, had to jump up to give me a hug after one bite. I'd say that was positive feedback =) The recipe is simple: fresh blueberries (my mom picked them from a local orchard this week!), buttermilk flour mix, eggs, milk, maple syrup, and oil. Make sure to grease the griddle lightly--you don't want greasy pancakes.

To contrast the warm pancakes, I made refreshing smoothies (everyone's favorite so far). Again, the recipe is simple. As long as you stay true to the ingredients' flavors, the perfect combinations make a refreshing drink. For this strawberry banana smoothie...well, that pretty much sums up the recipe! Fresh bananas (1-2, depending on how much of the banana taste you prefer), fresh strawberries (6-10), 2/3 cup fresh orange juice, 1 TBSP sugar, and ice (6-8 cubes). Put it all in a blender and blend until smooth. Remember that these proportions make 2 large servings =)

So here we are--satisfied by the brunch as we (mostly John) watch The Walking Dead. A bit gross for me, but it's tolerable to see when I look up with discretion! What is it with men and zombies?!

Anyways, we hope you enjoy. Good food + Good company = A great time!

Thank you, Lord, for providing us food and time to eat and enjoy together. I'll cook for you in heaven one day! Amen =)

Newlyweds and food lovers.

We are newlyweds. Since day one of our dating period, food has been one of the many things that brought us together. I mean, who doesn't come together when good food is there to share? That's the exact beauty of food--it's to share and enjoy together.

When I'm in the kitchen, food is not only a passion for me, but a mindful integration of love and inspiration. Food is exciting, complex, and simple--a lot like love.

Anyways, when you see the one you love enjoy the combination of textures and flavors in a dish crafted together with a touch of love and finesse, he tastes everything--the smile as he eats says it all :)

I absolutely love to cook, but let me tell you...I have the worst memory. All the dishes friends and family have enjoyed are all but a clouded memory. Sometimes I can recall the gist, but never the exact recipe--quite a frustrating moment when that happens!

So to have an ongoing archive of dishes I make in my kitchen for the one(s) I love, I decided to start up this blog. That way, I can always go back to the dishes that put smiles on people's faces. This isn't, however, just a channel to archive, but it's a blog to share the food that brings my family together.

Hope you enjoy =)