by TheLastWonton | Jun 2, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, BBQ, Beef, Pork & Lamb, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sauces, Dips & Condiments
Slide-off-the-bone tender, moist, deeply delicious ribs, swathed in a tangy, robust, lip-smackingly addictive barbecue sauce.
The glorious make-ahead secret to these more-please ribs is cooking them in the oven first. Eureka! And then, Ta Da! firing up the grill to ensure a good schwack of those crusty, darkly tasty, edges.
I'm sold on this method. Way! That's it, end of story. This is how ribs are done at our house.
But wait, oh yes, waaaiiit just a momento! The easy-peasy, do-ahead-if-you-want, cooking method is only half the fun.
The tangy, sweet, salty, robust sauce, that you can whip up ahead and store in the fridge, is wickedly good. No really, I'm serious. Wickedly good. And I get to smear and spoon and brush it all over these foolproof ribs. Told you the cooking method was only half the fun!
Now you want to rev up your summertime making and eating pleasures, don't you? Well then, I double dog dare you!
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Adapted from FoodTV with Ina Garten (my recipe goddess!) for
The Last Wonton. Thank-you Ina, you rock!
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FOOLPROOF BARBECUE RIBS – 6 servings
About 5 pounds Danish baby back ribs (4 racks)
or meaty back ribs (2 racks)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Wicked Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
Place the ribs on the sheet pan meat side up and sprinkle them with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour the barbecue sauce generously on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours for baby backs and possibly another 15 minutes for really meaty back ribs, until meat is very tender when tested with a fork.
As soon as the ribs are out of the oven, spread them generously with additional barbecue sauce. Grill right away or cool and refrigerate, to grill later.
About 30 minutes before you want to serve, heat your gas grill to medium-high heat. Place the ribs on the grill ribs-side down, lid on and grill for about 4-5 minutes. Turn the ribs meat-side down, put the lid back on and grill for another 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned.
Place on a cutting board and cover lightly with aluminum foil and allow the ribs to rest for 5-10 minutes. Cut into ribs and serve hot with extra barbecue sauce on the side. Ta Da!
by TheLastWonton | Jun 1, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, Beef, Pork & Lamb, Burgers, Chicken & Poultry, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sauces, Dips & Condiments, Sides
Plump with tangy, sweet, salty, spicy perfection. This sauce is wickedly good!
Wicked ~ awesome, excellent, cool, amazing.
Seriously, this sauce is all of those things. I wholeheartedly admit I've never before waxed poetic about barbecue sauce. Uh uh. And didn't count on it happening.
But Ina changed all that. Of course it had to be Ina Garten. I cannot even begin to tell you how many of my treasured recipes were sparked from Ina's unerring mission of cooking, making, baking, entertaining, perfection.
Actually you know, a very cool thing happened to me one gorgeous sunny day, just a handful of years back. We were whiling away a tropical Sunday afternoon, sitting on the patio at Quinn's Almost by the Sea in beautiful Kona. Quinn's has the best damn fish & chips, ever. Fresh caught Ono was on their Specials board and that's exactly what I wanted to have.
The friendly, chatty waitress came to take our orders and smiled a coy, 'knowing' smile at me. Then gushed, "I just love your cookbooks and your TV shows". I smiled at her whilst thinking, "Hmmmmm….I don't know what to say next who the heck does she think I am I wonder what to say WHO is she mistaking me for???……." And then she looked at our group of friends around the table and asked,"Is Jeffrey with you?"
Ahhh, there it is. She thought I was my Ina! I think I smiled out loud. I was all giggly inside and completely charmed by this mistaken identity. So I played with it, just a bit. I never said I wasn't Ina, I couldn't. The words wouldn't cross my lips. So I smiled way more than usual whenever she came to the table and now today, telling you this, I once again have a silly smile stuck on my face.
Good timing though, as my smile is completely apropos whilst I share this ridiculously good sauce recipe with you. I've never before had any passion whatsoever for barbecue sauce. I mean, I like it, every so often on steak, or chicken or of course ribs, but you know, it's good. That's it. That was then, this is now.
I know I'm gushing a bit much about this, but this sauce is worthy. Don't think twice about all the store bought, jarred, bottled ingredients. Ina's genius will not fail you. The depth of flavours, the mingling of east meets west, meets south, result in a robust I'll-never-make-any-other-barbecue-sauce, sauce.
If you are even remotely inclined….do it…..make it….smear it…..spoon it…..brush it…….lick your fingers. Repeat.
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Adapted from FoodTV – Ina Garten – for
The Last Wonton. Big, sumptuous thanks to Ina. Yet again!
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Wicked Homemade Barbecue Sauce crazy delicious with Foolproof Ribs!
WICKED HOMEMADE BARBECUE SAUCE – Makes about 1 1/2 quarts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (I use about 10 ounces, 2 of those little cans) tomato paste
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup (8 ounces) Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add the onions and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook onions, stirring occasionally until translucent with some toasty golden brown edges, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat if onions are cooking, or browning, too fast. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin and pepper flakes.
Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Use immediately or pour into a container and refrigerate for several weeks.
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by TheLastWonton | Jun 1, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast & Brunch, Salads & Bowls, Sides, Vegetarian
A fresh muddle of cool, crunchy cucumber and silky soft, buttery avocado, draped in a tangy dressing with a wee kick.
We would so like them anywhere. We do so like fresh lime and Tabasco. We do so like them, they are fab. We would so eat them in our house. We would so eat them with our spouse.
Sorry! Couldn't stop myself. But, 'tis true. We do indeed love the combo of fresh squeezed lime juice and Tabasco, at our house. In just about anything. So this simple little dressing on this simple little salad, just works.
I mean really, crunchy mini cuke chunks and rich, creamy avo pieces, together, are like some kind of Zen balance that hum a mantra of freshness. Throw in that puzzlingly good tang of lime and fiery pop of Tabasco, and what a refreshing bunch of greens you do have.
This splendid little salad goes equally as well alongside nachos as it does grilled ribs or mac and cheese. Or barbecued chicken. Or spaghetti and meat sauce. In fact……oh, you get the idea….
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Eagerly adapted from Smitten Kitchen for
The Last Wonton. Thanks oodles Deb, for more crazily good inspiration!
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SPLENDID LITTLE AVOCADO CUCUMBER SALAD
2 bigger servings, or 4 smaller servings
2 cups (about 3/4 to 1 pound) mini cucumbers (or English cukes), chopped into bite-size chunks
2 thin or 1 regular green onion, thinly sliced
1 large avocado, pitted and diced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Juice of half a lime, plus more, to taste (I almost always put more, to taste)
Salt and Tabasco to taste (shake, shake, shake that bottle of Tab)
Chopped cilantro or Italian parsley, to garnish
Combine cucumber, green onions and avocado in a bowl. Whisk together mayo, lime and seasonings, adjusting levels to taste. Drizzle salad with dressing. Gently toss, if it suits your fancy to make sure all those glorious greens are cloaked in the dressing. Or just leave the drizzles, as they are. How can you go wrong? Garnish with cilantro or parsley, and serve.
This salad is good. This salad is fun. Tomorrow let's make another one.
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by TheLastWonton | May 31, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, Baking & Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch, Fruits
A crumbly, moist, rich, butter cake, riddled with fresh blueberries, boasting a divinely crunchy cinnamon sugar top crust. Is it for breakfast? Or dessert?
Yes, absolutely. The name stopped me in my browsing tracks before I even knew what manner of 'food' I was about to see.
And then…….a tender butter cake, with puddles of purple berry deliciousness, that gets all golden, crusty on the outside and has a crispy cinnamon sugar topping that is somehow reminiscent of an old-fashioned cake doughnut. Boy bait, indeed.
Way back in 1954, a 15 year old girl stole the show, winning second prize in the junior division of an early Pillsbury Bake-Off with a variation of this recipe, named, she said, after the effect it had on boys.
Good name. Good cake. Good story.
Since then the recipe has been tested, honed and updated. Seems there's only small differences between the variations and all reap the same moist deliciousness, that easily lays claim to luring in boys. And girls!
Now the only thing left to decide is whether to make Blueberry Boy Bait for breakfast, or for dessert.
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Adapted mostly from Smitten Kitchen, one of my all-time fave food blogs,
for The Last Wonton. Thanks Deb for all your delicious inspiration!
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BLUEBERRY BOY BAIT – Serves 12, generously
2 cups, plus 1 teaspoon flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk, or whole milk
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
TOPPING:
Heaping 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
Whisk two cups flour, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl.
Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of the milk. Beat in half of the remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture.
Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.
For the topping: Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter.
Bake until toothpick inserted in centre of cake come out clean, 45-55 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature. Ta da!
Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
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by TheLastWonton | May 29, 2017 | Baking & Desserts, Fruits, Pies
A creamy jumble of rich little nibbles of cheesecake and dreamy, old-fashioned strawberry ice cream, topped with fresh berries. Slice of summer, anyone?
Hot diggety dog! It's almost summer!
Lots of long, hot, sunny afternoons have already laid their glories upon us. Feelin' good, feelin' fine!
♪♫♥ Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days……..
And, of course, all those incredible, edible odes to the joys of summertime munching pleasures. Like strawberries.
Last weekend I made the easy-peasiest, melty-goodnessiest, tastes-like-summer dessert.
Wham bam, thank-you ma'am, I already-finished-making-dessert. Yay, me!
Sure, sure, it's a cheaters kind of dessert, using store bought ice cream and frozen cheesecake. But isn't simple prep part of the beauty of summer desserts?
The best strawberry ice cream you can get your hands on, melted just barely enough to mix in some chunks of good-quality frozen cheesecake, atop a graham crust. That's it! Pop in the freezer to firm up. Then slice and top with sweetened, sliced, fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, if you so please. Makes you want to give it a try, doesn't it?
I used old-fashioned, real-deal, D Dutchman Dairy Strawberry Ice-Cream. D Dutchman Dairy operates in the idyllic little lakeside berg of Sicamous and in 2004 the Vancouver Sun newspaper reviewed them, saying, "B.C.'s Best Ice Cream".
For the chopped up cheesecake that gets thrown into the ice cream, I used a President's Choice 600g Original New York-style cheesecake.
"I daresay there is something sublimely therapeutic about chopping perfectly creamy cheesecake into bite-size nuggets, then swirling into slightly softened, silky strawberry ice cream", said she, as a soft smile spread across her face.
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Adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron for
The Last Wonton. Thanks Chelsea!
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STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM PIE – Makes 1, 9 or 10-inch pie
I always bake my graham crusts, because I think it gives the crust a better flavour and texture. That said, an unbaked graham crust is easier and always tasty.
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
2 litres (or quarts) good-quality Strawberry Ice Cream
1 x 500 to 600 gram (approx. 17 to 21 ounces) good-quality, prepared, frozen cheesecake
Topping:
2 – 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 – 3 tablespoons sugar
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
For crust: Preheat oven to 375F. Mix graham crumbs and sugar in bowl. Stir in butter to evenly combine. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and up sides, just a bit, of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
For filling: Allow the ice cream to soften for 5-10 minutes, or a bit longer if necessary. Plop into large bowl and mix as well as can be with a wooden spoon. Coarsely chop cheesecake into large, bite-sized pieces. Gently mix the cheesecake pieces into the slightly softened ice cream.
Swoop mixture over your prepared, cooled, graham crust and smooth out. Cover and put in the freezer to set at least 6 hours, or until completely firm.
For topping: Mix sliced fresh strawberries with 2 tablespoons sugar and let macerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cut ice cream pie into slices, top with a spoonful of fresh sliced strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. Smile. Enjoy!
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