Air Fryer Baby Back Ribs

Yeah, Air Fryer Baby Back Ribs is a real thing.

This was just a delicious dinner. And it was pretty easy to prepare and with cautious plating, it was easy to clean up. The ribs were on sale this week so it was also an economical dinner.

I found the rib recipe on All Recipes. I had to air fry the rack in two batches, but we only ate 1/2 a rack for dinner tonight. We will have the other 1/2 rack later this week.

Ingredients-

1 rack baby back ribs



1 tablespoon olive oil



1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring



1 tablespoon brown sugar



½ teaspoon salt



½ teaspoon ground black pepper



½ teaspoon garlic powder



½ teaspoon onion powder



½ teaspoon chili powder



1 cup BBQ sauce
( we used Guy Fieri Kansas City BBQ Sauce)

Method-

Remove membrane from back of ribs and dry ribs with a paper towel. 

Cut rack into 4 pieces. 

Mix olive oil and liquid smoke in a small bowl and rub on both sides of the ribs

Combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder and chili powder in a bowl. 

Season both sides of the ribs generously with seasoning mix. 

Let ribs rest for 30 minutes to enhance the flavor.

Preheat an air fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Place ribs bone-side down in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching; cook in batches if necessary.

Cook for 15 minutes. 

Flip ribs over (meat-side down) and cook an additional 10 minutes. 

Remove ribs from air fryer and brush bone-side of ribs with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce. 

Place basket back in the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes. 

Flip ribs over, brush meat-side with remaining 1/2 cup BBQ sauce; cook an additional 5 minutes or until desired char is achieved.

The Air Fried Mac and Cheese Balls were a nice side. They were extra cheesy. The recipe is on an earlier post. Click here for that recipe.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

One of our go-to meals when we were first married was Barber's Chicken Cordon Bleu. The frozen meal tasted good and was easy to get on the table.

Today I was scrolling through the New York Times Cooking app and a recipe called the Original Chicken Cordon Bleu appeared on my screen. The key instruction is that the chicken breast needs to be pounded thin.

The dinner was delicious. Thumbs up from both sides of the table.

Ingredients-

4 chicken cutlets

4 thin slices of ham

2 ounces Swiss cheese, cut into 4 equal strips

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/4teaspoon black pepper

1 large egg, beaten

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock

3/4 cup white wine

Method-

Lay the chicken breasts between pieces of wax paper and use a mallet to pound them to ¼-inch to ⅛-inch thick. 

Take care not to pound holes in the chicken. 

Layer each breast with the ham, then place a strip of cheese in the center. 

Roll up to completely enclose the ham and cheese and secure with toothpicks.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. 

Lightly dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg and coat with bread crumbs. 

Place on a baking sheet and chill for at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter. 

Add the chicken and cook, turning carefully with tongs, until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. 

Add 1/2 cup of the stock to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through 10 to 15 minutes. 

Move the chicken to a warm platter.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of stock to the skillet, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring up browned bits clinging to the bottom, for 1 minute. 

Add the wine (or heavy cream or additional stock), lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until the consistency of gravy, about 45 seconds. 

Pour over the chicken breasts and serve.

This is life behind the camera. Lucy likes to sit with us when we eat dinner.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken is from EatingWell.com.

I was not sure about the rating of this recipe but it received a resounding thumbs up.

Ingredients-

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)

1 cup chopped carrots (from 2 medium carrots)

1 cup chopped celery (from 2 large stalks)

1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

2 cups whole milk

4 ounces uncooked whole-wheat egg noodles

3 cups coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken breast (from 2 rotisserie chickens)

1 cup frozen green peas

Method-

Melt butter with olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 

Add onion, carrots, celery and salt and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes.

 Add flour and stir to coat. 

Stir in stock and milk and let the mixture come to a boil. 

Add uncooked noodles to the boiling mixture. 

Cover and cook until noodles are al dente, about 8 minutes. 

Stir in chicken and peas and cook until pasta reaches desired doneness and chicken and peas are warmed through, about 1 to 2 more minutes. 

Serve immediately.

Skillet Chili and Meatballs

A perfect Sunday supper recipe has been found! This is from Delish.com. One bowl to mix the meatballs and one skillet to cook. Gotta love it.

The meatballs used Cilantro and Chili Powder. We are not usually fans of Cilantro but we both loved the taste.

The chili recipe called for 2 cans of beans but we opted for just one.

Will we make this again?

YES!

Here is the original recipe which serves 8. I cut the recipe in 1/2 and left out the black beans.

Ingredients-

2 lb. ground beef

2 large eggs

1 c. panko bread crumbs

1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

3 tsp. chili powder, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1 tbsp. reserved for serving

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes with juices

1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (4 oz.) can of mild green chiles with juices

1 c. water

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese (about 6 oz.)

Sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, and tortilla chips, for serving

Method-

Combine beef, eggs, panko, cilantro, 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. 

Roll into about 24 (1 1/2") meatballs and transfer to a plate.

In a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. 

Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. 

Return to plate.

In the same skillet over medium heat, cook onion, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 2 minutes. 

Add black beans, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, chiles, water, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder. 

Stir to combine and add meatballs.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. 

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and tossing meatballs occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened and meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Heat broiler to high. 

Scatter cheese over skillet and broil until cheese is melted and light golden, 2 to 4 minutes. 

Let cool slightly. 

Top with sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, and reserved onion. Serve with tortilla chips alongside.

Finally a Delicious Chicken Cutlet

Tonight, I must extend my apologies for three decades of chicken cutlets that were less than delightful. While my previous attempts were decent, tonight's endeavor was truly exceptional.

In the past, I opted for baking our chicken cutlets, adhering to the belief that frying is "unhealthy" with baking being the virtuous path. I must confess that frying undeniably imparts a superior flavor.

The decision to fry tonight's cutlets was influenced by Chris's request. I managed to snag chicken breasts at a steal—$1.99 per pound. Following the guidance from two instructional videos (links provided below), I transformed them into succulent cutlets.

1. https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-make-chicken-cutlets-from-chicken-breasts/
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsL90m9JMMY)

For the coating, I adhered to the usual recipe— a blend of plain and Panko breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a touch of cornstarch. The frying process involved a mixture of 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 vegetable oil. As for the timing, I found that 5 minutes on one side, followed by a careful flip and an additional 3 minutes of frying, yielded the perfect result.

A Busy Day in the Kitchen!

A rainy day spend in the kitchen. 

I started the 18-Hour Bread yesterday morning before leaving for work. Click here for the recipe on Food and Wine.

It was a perfect day for a sauce to be simmering on the stove. I opted for Lidia's Bolognese recipe. Just so damn good!  The recipe is here. 

Of course, we had to have fresh pappardelle noodles for the pasta. I used my favorite recipe for the pasta. I have been using this for years. I found it on Tide and Thyme's blog back in 2012! It is still the only recipe I use.

The pasta recipe-

Yields about one and a half pounds of fresh pasta

Ingredients-
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surfaces
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
pinch salt
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed

Method-
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl or on a work surface, creating a well in the center.  

Crack the eggs into the well.  

Using a mixer or by hand, slowly mix, incorporating the flour into the egg mixture a little bit at a time.

Once you have a dry, shaggy dough, mix in the olive oil and water and knead by hand until the dough is fairly smooth and homogeneous.

Divide the dough into four portions and cover with a damp towel.  

Let rest for 20 minutes.  

At this point, proceed with thinning and cutting as desired, depending on the equipment available.

To cook, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes or until al dente. 

Drain well and serve immediately.

While I was hanging out in the kitchen I also made Apple Scones, 

Butternut Squash Soup, and Baked Macaroni!

 

Sunday Kitchen Activities

No. No Friday Night Baking this week. I was quite exhausted after last week.

But have no fear. There is always Sunday.

Scones. Quiche. Baked Crispy Tofu.

First the scones.

I had picked up a store-made blueberry bread on Friday thinking that would get us through for the weekend and into this week (that is how tired I was on Friday). Oh, it was awful.

I picked up strawberries at the store and whipped up these Strawberry Scones. I made them last year and damn they are so good. The recipe calls for icing on the top of the scones but it is really not needed.

The recipe is from Two Peas and Their Pod.

Ingredients

For the scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter into 1/4-inch cubes

1 cup heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon for brushing the scones

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

For the vanilla glaze

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method-

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Using a pastry blender or your hands, quickly cut the cold butter into the flour mixture.

Mix until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with a few larger butter lumps.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until dough begins to form.

Don’t overmix. Gently fold in the strawberries.

Transfer dough to a floured countertop and gently push the dough together with your hands, just until it forms a ball.

Form the dough into a 1-inch circle by patting the dough and gently pressing the dough.

Don’t overwork the dough. You want to work quickly so the butter doesn’t get too warm.

Use a sharp knife to cut the scones into 8 triangles.

Place scones on a prepared baking sheet and put in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. This will prevent the scones from spreading when baking.

Remove the scones from the freezer. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones with the additional heavy cream. Sprinkle the scones with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until scones are golden brown on the bottom and around the edges.

Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer then to a wire cooling rack.

While the scones are cooling, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Drizzle glaze generously over the cooled scones.

The Quiche.

How does it keep happening that even though I have no zucchini plants I have so many zucchini in my fridge? I decided quiche would be a good vehicle for the zucchini. I could freeze them and have them for lunch in the upcoming weeks.

The crust is the house favorite Paté Brise.

Ingredients -

1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 pinch of granulated sugar


5-1/2 Tbsp (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled


3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled

1/4 cup ice water

Method -

Sift the flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl; add butter and shortening and cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture is like a coarse meal.

Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.

Turn dough out onto your work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

The Quiche Filling

For the filling, I used by new Mandoline to slice the 2 zucchini and a small onion.

I sauteed the onion first and put that aside and then sauteed the zucchini, seasoning with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and fresh parsley.

I rolled out 2 pie crusts and divided the onion between the two crusts. I added some feta cheese and then topped with the zucchini.

Then I mixed 2 eggs and added enough heavy cream so there was 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Mixed in mustard, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. I poured that carefully over the tops of both crusts and bake for about 40 minutes in a 350˚ oven.

Baked Crispy Tofu.

For lunch, I like to have a salad. This crispy tofu is the perfect protein to add in. I found the recipe on cookieandkate.com. The only change I make in their recipe is that I add Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce to the oil and soy sauce mixture.

Not bad for 3 hours in the kitchen!