Thai Thighs And Ribs

Marinade Ingredients

"My best Asian dish is Raemen Noodles"


Trying Thai

Have you ever tried to make your favorite Asian meal and it just isn't quite the same as the restaurant?Each time I have tried to duplicate the "restaurant" style I have failed! It's always edible, just not the same. This recipe is spot on.If you like Thai food this is perfect for you. My family went crazy over it. I did alter the ingredients slightly to adjust the heat and to what was in the cupboard.

• Ribs and Legs:
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey (Used Agave)
• About 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• About 2 tablespoons fish sauce (skipped this b/c i don't like it)
• 4 cloves garlic, cracked from skin
• 2 serrano chile peppers, seeded and chopped(1)
• 1 Fresno chile pepper, sliced(1 jalepeno)
• One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 pounds pork loin ribs, cut into single bones
• 8 chicken drummers (drumsticks), skinned
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part chopped
• 1 lime, sliced
• Sweet and Sour Chili Sauce:

• 1/3 cup superfine sugar
• One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• About 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha (hot sauce)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce(left out)
• 1 Fresno chile, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews or peanuts, finely chopped
• 1 bunch scallion tops, thinly sliced (reserve the whites for the Thai Cucumbers, recipe follows)
• Jasmine rice, for serving (Dynasty brand in lrg bag with few packets of Splenda)If you have a rice cooker use it !!! 
• Thai Cucumbers, recipe follows, for serving

• Thai Cucumbers:
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 carrot, grated(shredded carrots)

• 1 seedless cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced( 6 mini cucumbers)
• 1 bunch scallion whites, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 Fresno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped

For the ribs and legs: Combine the cilantro, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, chile peppers, ginger and the white part of the lemongrass in a blender or food processor. Puree until a fairly smooth, thick sauce forms.


Put the pork ribs and chicken drummers in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow plastic storage container and slather the marinade over the meat. Add the lime slices and the top part of the lemongrass to the bag and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.


For the sweet and sour sauce: Combine 1/2 cup water, the sugar and ginger in a small pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for a couple of minutes to infuse the syrup with the ginger. Pour the syrup into a small bowl and let cool. Remove the ginger, then stir in the vinegar, cilantro, mint, Sriracha, fish sauce, chile pepper and lime juice.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Arrange the ribs in an even layer in a baking dish, and add the marinade and lime slices. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the baking dish from the oven and add the drumsticks. Cover and bake for 30 more minutes.


Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Uncover the baking dish and bake until the ribs and drumsticks are deeply browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with about half the sweet and sour sauce. Top with the nuts and scallions. Serve with rice and Thai Cucumbers. Pass the remaining sweet and sour sauce at the table.

Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, sea salt and lime juice in a bowl until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add the carrots, cucumbers and scallions, and toss to combine. Transfer the mixture to a plastic food storage container and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add the mint and chile pepper just before serving, and toss to combine.

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE

 

  Every night I take a moment to reflect and be thankful. This evening my thoughts are drawn to what a wonderful Sunday dinner I had.
   It wasn't about the location, table setting, or what was on the menu that mattered.... it was the smiles, music, laughter and some cases tears. We not only shared a love for chocolate but the love for our friendship.I can go a long time without many things, one thing I cannot go without is good company.
 I am thankful for each guest that attended:
Jeff for initiating, hosting, and cooking the amazing roast. The crust was outstanding!
Christina for having the chocolate fountain flowing and the music playing through her trusty pink speaker, setting the atmosphere for fun.
Thank you all for your fun loving spirits and cooking efforts.
Most of all thanks for making time. I know that life can be busy, and sometimes hard.
Please remember to enjoy this time we have together.You are all a gift to me. Till we meet again ,you are always in my thoughts and I love you.
Sarah
 "Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life." 

Vanilla Mint Protein Cups

2 cups coconut water
1/3 cup almonds
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/2 orange
1 tablespoon light agave
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 banana
Mix... Pour ... Freeze

Pasta Dinner Minus The Pasta

Zucchini Pasta

"Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out. But I can usually shut her up with cookies..."

  Seems  at the start of each year we all try to shed some unwanted weight . In my kitchen I am trying to find healthy substitutes for my family's favorite meals . This recipe is a huge risk in the Miket kitchen, replacing  whole wheat  pasta with Zucchini. I'm sure I can't fool them by covering it in sauce so ......I talk up how healthy and delicious it's going to be.

This is an easy weeknight meal. The most preparation comes when slicing the vegetables. I used a mandolin that  I permanently from my mother! The picture below is what your "pasta" will look like before it is cooked.The recipe goes as follows:

Figure on one medium large zucchini per person. 
Boil some salted water, and add the noodles to the water to cook for about 1 minute.

Take out and immediately blanch in cold water, or cold running water, to prevent over cooking (The hot sauce will heat up the noodles sufficiently)*I did not cool because I did not used marinara sauce.

That's it!
Toss with your favorite tomato sauce, with a garden basil pesto, with a creamy Alfredo sauce, whatever you wish. The noodles are very low calorie, and can be very refreshing on a sultry summer evening.

You could alternatively serve these as a side dish, boiled as above, and then briefly sauteed with melted butter and Parmesan or other hard Italian cheese (freshly grated!!!) and salt to taste. Or try these noodles for a variation on your favorite pasta salad…perfect for a BBQ. Or you could even join the latest food craze and serve these without first boiling them and join the raw food movement (salt the noodles for about 20 minutes, and rinse too soften them).

Perfect for diets, perfect for gluten intolerant people, perfect for low carbers…and perfect for anyone who just has too much zucchini!

The Kitchen Is Where The Heart Is

As the new year rings in I am looking for new foods to spice up my cooking repertoire. This evening my teenage daughter and I are a team in the kitchen! I know what you must be thinking.... teenage daughter, cooking healthy with her mother? This is certainly a recipe, a recipe for disaster? To ease your fears I have removed all sharp objects from the drawer. This idea was actually hers. We are going where no good Italian has gone before, Cauliflower Crust Vegetable Pizza. A classic with a healthy twist.Before we begin music has to be selected. We can't create a vegetarian masterpiece without some musical inspiration. Band Of Horses is our musical compromise. Ben Bidwells voice fills the kitchen & we begin to slice and dice our toppings. Sabrina assures me " a 35 year old white suburban mom like you would not like Earl Sweatshirt " (the other musical choice).Although I am sure I could handle it, I like that she was worried about me. lol The crust enters the oven for 30 minutes and we wait for the timer to tell us dinner is ready. Our pizza is great. After a few moments  of indulging a loud BELCH is let go to my right. Tonight I am a lucky mom lol.  Below is the recipe we followed. If you're feeling healthy give it a try.

      Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
Crust:

1 cup Grated Raw Cauliflower or 100 g (2 Greens)

1/4 cup Egg Beaters (1/8 Lean)
1/2 cup or 2 oz 2% Reduced Fat Three Cheese Mexican Blend (4/8 Lean)
1/8 tsp garlic powder - optional (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp basil - optional (1/4 Condiment)

Toppings:

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp or 1.5 oz 2% reduced fat Mozzarella cheese (3/8 Lean)

1/2 cup Italian diced tomatoes or Rotel tomatoes, canned - less than 5 g of carbs per serving (1 Green)

Directions:
Measure out 1/2 cup diced tomatoes and puree in blended or chopper. I just pulsed for a few seconds in my little chopper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Combine grated cauliflower, egg beaters, cheese, garlic powder and basil until mixed completely. Spoon mixture on prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon to thin out mixture and form a circle about the size of a dinner plate without the rim. The thinner the crust the less chance of it being soggy. Bake for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the pizza crust over by using a spatula to lift all edges of the crust off the parchment first. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until edges are really brown and crisp. Mine are usually burnt around the edges but it won't taste burnt. Let cool.

Add tomato sauce and cheese on top. Broil until cheese is melted about 5 to 10 minutes. If you are making several cauliflower pizza crusts like I usually do, you can wrap the pizza individually in foil tightly with the cheese and sauce already on top. Stick them in gallon size Ziploc bags. I usually can fit 2 or 3 pizza crusts in a Ziploc bag. When ready to eat, take it out of the freezer as you would a normal store bought frozen pizza. Bake for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees or until cheese has completely melted. I can usually get 4 to 5 pizzas from one head of cauliflower! Enjoy!