Apple Butter Braised Short Ribs

If you all haven't noticed my love for apples is a little extreme. It's my favorite fruit, I mean it only doubles that it is so versatile when being used to bake, cook or just eat in general. My favorite dishes are savory dishes that apples tend to compliment - pork chops baked with apples, sweet potato gnocchi with chicken, bacon, apples and a brown butter sauce. I could go on and on, but apples are forever my go to if I want to add a little sweet to my dish. 

I made apple butter and boy, was it good. I've been craving the goodness of southern cooking lately and it brought me back to home. Though, when you make apple butter in the slow cooker, you tend to end up with many, many batches of it. Not complaining but as I didn't make it thinking of canning, I had to use it within 2 weeks. Lets just say the other posts that are about to show up, all pretty much use apple butter. Apple butter got my creative kitchen juices flowing, so this is how this delicious, mouth-watering, fall off the bone dish made its way into my kitchen.  

These braised short ribs got two thumbs up from my husband as he stuffed his mouth and told me how good they were, oh - and that we must have them again. Braised short ribs are so easy to make your own sauce, and just go, but when you come back, you come back to the best, easy meal.

Ingredients:

makes 4-6 servings

Braised Ribs:

salt & pepper to taste

extra virgin olive oil

Apple butter (best to make ahead in advance in crockpot or use store bought):

adapted from brown eyed baker.

3-6lbs apples (a mixture of fuji, gala, and pink lady is what I used)

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

a pinch of cardamom & ginger

Additional needs:

apple cider or apple juice

2 cloves garlic, chopped

sweet onion

water

I highly recommend that if you don't have a cast iron, that you get one. If you don't have one, you can use a normal pan.

First, place crockpot on low heat. Then, get a large pan and cover the bottom with just enough olive oil. Now, take your braised ribs and season them with salt and pepper to your taste. once the oil is heated sear all sides about 1-2 minutes. You're not trying to cook these, just seal the juices in. Now that all sides are seared, place into crockpot.

Take a medium size bowl and combine apple butter, and just enough apple cider or juice and very little water. You don't want the mixture to be watery, but you don't want it as too thick either. I recommend using apple cider if you can find it, as it will give your ribs an even stronger flavor but if you don't have any, apple juice will do just fine. Add chopped garlic, and your desired amount of sweet onion to the apple butter mixture.

Top the braised short ribs with the mixture, making sure they all are nicely covered with the sauce and let cook for 6-8 hours. Some may fall off the bone, but that is perfectly okay. 

If you want, take the sauce after placing the braised ribs on a cutting board to cool, strain the sauce over a pot on medium high heat and boil for about 5-10 minutes or until sauce is thick and drizzle over your meat before serving. Sweet potato mash goes great with this meal. White or brown rice with veggies would as well. 

Tell me what you paired these delicious ribs with! 

Best Filet Mignon, EVER!

I only have one picture of this, simply because it was an experiment. I honestly, had no clue what to do with the filet mignons I pulled out of the freezer the other night and thawed. My husband said this was the best I'd ever done on a filet, and he wants it again very soon! I love when my little cooking adventures turn into something far beyond what I had imgained.

Here is everything you'll need.

For Filet:

2 6.oz Filet Mignon
1 tsp Garlic
1 tsp Mediterranean

Salt & Pepper

1/2 tsp Cilantro
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For Homemade Mash:

4 Red Potatoes
Boiled Water
1 tsp Salt
Fresh or Frozen Spinach

For Caramelized Onions:

Yellow Onions

1 tbsp White cooking wine

Sugar


This is actually very fast and easy to cook. Fill a pot with hot water, and place the stove on medium. Put some salt in the water, cut up red potatoes with or without skin and let cook for about 30-40 mins. Once done, season to your own taste. Take a pan and cook fresh spinach until wrinkled or take frozen spinach and cook in microwave, and drain water. Add spinach to mash potatoes and set to the side.

Take filet mignon and place on a napkin for a good 30 to 60 mins before cooking to let some extra water out, so you don't end up steaming the filet, instead of pan searing it. My filet mignons came with bacon on them - if yours comes with bacon as well, heat the oven to 350 and cook the bacon for about 10 mins and set aside when done. Heat up a skillet or cast iron with a little extra virgin olive oil to coat it. Do not add any seasoning to filets before cooking them, you'll understand why afterwards! Once the skillet is heated, place bare filets into skillet and let them cook for 4-6 mins on each side for medium-rare, and longer for medium and up. When it's to your desired taste, place on a wooden cutting board that is seasoned with the seasonings recommended for the filet or experiment on your own. Place hot filets on cutting board for 5-10 mins and let the juices drain. Sprink a little more seasonings on top of filet, and let sit. You can either cut them into slices at this point or leave it whole.

You can use the same pan you cooked the spinach in for the caramelized onions so there isn't a lot of dishes to wash. Spread extra virgin olive oil on the bottom of smaller skillet pan and place the onions in, sprinkle with just a pinch or two of sugar, mix, and let sit until one side of a light brown, and add 1 tbsp white cooking wine, and let reduce and then brown the other side, and you're done.

After everything, I cut the filet mignons, placed them on top of the homemade mash mixed with spinach and then placed the bacon I set on the side on top of the filet (I cut them into smaller pieces) and last but not least, top everything off with the caramelized onions.

I hope you all enjoy! I've been so inspired lately, so many more recipes to come. <3 p="p">

Beautiful Homecomings // Update

Friday, my husband came home. Ever since then we've been a very busy couple. Rock wall climbing, working out, making up for lost time, date nights, and just spending time laughing and goofing off.  After a 6 month deployment, I'm spending all the time I can with him.

Friday went far beyond what I had ever imagined. I made reservations at Oak Steakhouse. It's a high end fine dining restaurant here. I dressed up in a lace dress, heels and placed my hair in an updo -- the humidity murdered my hair and made it frizzy quite a bit but nothing too bad. The dinner was amazing, we had a 3 course meal, along with a dish compliments of the chef. They turned my reservation into something romantic, candles, and we sat upstairs away from the crowd with our own little section to ourselves. To top it off, the owner of the place came and thanked my husband for his service to our country and paid for our WHOLE meal. It was a fantastic night. We were treated amazingly. Homecoming went off with a bang! You all will be seeing a lot more of my husband on this blog.

I will be getting back to recipes, and now beginning outfits of the day as soon as my tripod gets here. Which should be Wednesday. I'll be back at my blogging game by tomorrow! I'm sorry I've been behind. I still have to blog my lovely gauged hoops I got made from Gypsies Caravan.

Apple Chipotle Salmon and Pumpkin puree.

*I use all organic ingredients for all who have wondered. I try to have the freshest ingredients possible.

This recipe is just in time for Fall. I looked and looked to see if I could find a recipe like this on google, and I didn't not. So, this was me playing Mad Scientist in the kitchen. It didn't come out as I expected....it came out beyond my expectations, and was simply delicious. Proud to say, this was a pair made in kitchen heaven by me.

Everyone else is making recipes for desserts and simple things to go with pumpkin, but here is a real dish for dinner, that you can really enjoy and put your pumpkin to use. Here is what you'll need:

Wild caught salmon
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Garlic
Cinnamon & Nutmeg
1/2 Tbsp Pepper
White Cooking Wine (optional)"
Marinade of your choosing

Your flavors will vary from mine, which is fine! Have fun with it, and season everything to your personal taste. I made my own fresh apple, honey chipotle sauce to marinade my salmon in. I'll have a tutorial soon for all of you!

Marinade your salmon in anything you please. Season it well, and let it sit for about an hour. I found that my salmon doubled in size and flavor when it let it sit within my marinade, that I made for 24hrs - hence, my friend telling me it looked like a chicken leg, haha. You can make pumpkin puree yourself or just buy it in a can. I bought organic pumpkin puree from Whole Foods. When I was ready, I heated the pumpkin and added a bit of raw honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice and milk to make it creamier.

Heat up your skillet on medium high, coat the bottom of the pan in olive oil. Pan sear salmon for 4-5 minutes on each side. It should be a hue of orange instead of red on the outside when fully done. You do not want to over cook a salmon, it is done when it easily flakes with a fork. It's better to undercook salmon, than to overcook it. Just before it is done, pour the white cooking wine and let it reduce and you're all set for dinner.

Once everything is done, serve it with sweet corn, or broccoli. Honestly, anything goes with this! Think of Fall when cooking this, have fun, just experiment. The greatest things are made by accident.

This recipe is easy enough, for those who aren't so confident in the kitchen to enjoy!

-- Be on the look out for homemade Lemon Lavender cookies for your Fall teas, and coffee.  

Pan-Seared Scallops with Apples and Bacon

This recipe is one I'd recommend for a special family dinner, or for a romantic date with that special someone that you can easily make at home. However you choose to serve it, I promise it will be a hit. Here is what you will need:

Large Sea Scallops - Pat Dry
2. tbsp Apple Cider
Golden Delicious and Gala Apples
Onions
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Butter
Panko Bread Crumbs
Garlic
Bacon

To make the Apple Topping:
On medium, to medium low heat in a large skillet or frying pan, warm olive oil. Add onions (optional) stir often until soft. Add the chopped apples to the onions until the onions are brown and the apples are softened. Add 2. tbsp apple cider - salt, pepper, and then remove from the heat until later.

Now, you will need to cook the bacon. I prefer to cook bacon in the oven, less fatty and extremely easy clean up. For oven bacon, preheat the oven on 400 for thin bacon and 375 thick bacon. Place bacon on foil for easier clean up. Cook thin bacon for 12-14 mins, turn over half way through, and for thick bacon, bake for 10 mins and turn bacon over half way through as well. Once done, also set this aside.

In a bowl, add Panko bread crumbs to patted dry scallops. Transfer over to a hot, smaller skillet or frying pan, already coated with olive oil and butter, then sprinkle a little garlic and pepper over the scallops. Cook for 3-4 mins on each side until brown. Add a little Parmesan cheese on top. You should use medium high heat. Once done, add to a plate with a nice side.

Reheat the apples, just a bit and either add under, beside, or on top of scallops. However you prefer. Last, add the bacon and make into small pieces and place on top of scallops. Serve and Enjoy! Hope this is a hit at your home.

Parmesan and Mozzarella Meatballs

Here is another recipe that I absolutely love. It keeps the meatballs moist and keeps them from drying out. If you ask me, that right there is a simple win. Very easy to make, don't need to be an expert in the kitchen to enjoy these with your family, or friends for dinner. Here's what you'll need for these:

Ground Turkey (Use Beef or Sausage if you want)

Grated or Shredded Parmesan
Shredded or Sliced Mozzerella
Garlic, Chopped or Powder
Chopped, Finely Cilantro (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Bread Crumbs (Optional)

1/2 Cup Milk
1 Egg - Slightly Beaten

--- OVEN & CROCKPOT:
Combine all the ingredients together. Once fully mixed together, begin to roll the meat gently into balls. Place on foil covering a non-stick baking pan. Spray the foil with a non-stick cooking spray, or simply add a little olive oil over the surface. Bake on 350 for 10 mins. Transfer over to your crockpot filled with 1/2 cup water (this keeps it from drying out) and your favorite sauce. I made a homemade BBQ sauce using apples cooked in raw honey and a tid bit of cinnamon until soft - put it into a blender and blend until desired consistency, mix together with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and a chipolte seasoning. Once you've placed the meatballs in the crockpot with your sauce and put it on high. Leave it be for about an hour to two hours.

Now that it's done, serve with your favorite sides, pasta, or make a meatball sub. Enjoy.

Mind-blowing Coconut Salmon.

Want something that is a hit with the family, but worried about if your kids will eat it? I'm positive, this is the recipe. You can either make this recipe with a whole salmon, or cut them into nugget pieces for a nice party as appetizers, or a new way to introduce them to children. Here is what you'll need for the fried version:

2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Milk or Almond Milk
Unsweetened Coconut Shreds
Unseasoned or Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Whole Salmon
Oil
Garlic
Cumin
Salt

In one bowl, you will need to mix the bread crumbs with the shredded coconut. Now, this is optional, I had seasoned panko bread crumbs, but decided that I wanted a little more flavor. I added a little garlic, cumin, and salt to my bread crumb and coconut shreds mix - stir it all together and put it to the side.

Preheat the oil on the stove, it does not need to be full or high. You don't want to cook the salmon too quickly or it will become dry. Medium heat is best.

While the oil is preheating, take your whole salmon, or salmon cut into nice square nuggets - dip it within the egg, milk mixture and now transfer to your breadcrumb/coconut mix bowl and coat well. If you feel you want to double dip if it's not well coated do so, it will add even more flavor and breading. If you do decide to use Almond Milk, I'd say mix it half and half with normal milk. You do not want this dish to be overly sweet, but Almond Milk will add a nice extra flavor to this dish.

Once well coated, place within oil, and let each side brown 4-5 minutes each side - actual cooking time with vary because of different stoves. They will be fully done once the salmon gives a bright orange hue and is no longer red.

Serve with homemade mash potatoes, or red rice to compliment this dish. I hope you made extra, because you will definitely be coming back for more.

--- BAKED VERSION:

The only difference with this recipe is that you will need to preheat your oven to 350.
Take a pan with foil and rub olive oil over the sheet, once well coated add breaded salmon nuggets and baked for 10 mins each side or until browned as you desire. Again, cooking times will vary. For a whole salmon the cooking time will need to be 20-25 mins, depending on your oven. Turn over half way through.
Remember, salmon is fine a little undercooked, you do not want it to be dry - once you take salmon out of the oven, it will continue to cook for a few more minutes on it's own.

Once ready, serve.

This was made by me, based on my personal taste. Feel free to twist and customize as you see fit.