These ribs cook very slowly in your oven. The final result is a tender rib that is loaded in flavor. You will need to marinate these ribs overnight so make sure you allot the time for that. Here is what you need for this:

Serves 4

1 sparerib pork rack – about 3 pounds

FOR THE MARINADE:
¼ cup sherry
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Hoisin sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp. hot Chinese mustard
1 head garlic cloves – peeled and smashed

FOR THE GLAZE:
1 cup plum marmalade
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ TBS prepared horseradish

Remove the fascia or membrane from the back of your ribs. You can do so by separating it carefully from the bone and pulling it away with a paper towel. Trim off all the excess fat from the front.

Place all the marinate ingredients in a bowl – except for the garlic. Whisk it well. Add the garlic and mix.

Place the ribs in a large zip bag and pour in the marinade. Make sure the whole rack is coated well. Refrigerate for 24 hours – turning the bag a couple of times.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the ribs on a rack in a roasting pan. Add some water to the bottom of the pan. Remove the smashed garlic from the marinade and place in the water. Discard the marinade. Cover the ribs with foil and bake for 3 hours.

While the ribs are baking, place all the glaze ingredients in a heavy bottom pan. Whisk until the marmalade has dissolved completely. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce is reduced and thick.

Remove the ribs from the oven – after 3 hours – and brush with half of the glaze. Return the ribs to oven and continue baking – uncovered – for another hour. Re-glaze the ribs and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cut. Enjoy with many napkins!

4 ribs – CALORIES 459.74; FAT 34.36 grs (sat 12.61; mono 15.28; poly 3.1); PROTEIN 33.27 grs ; FIBER 0.06 grs; CARBS 2.43 grs; CHOLESTEROL 137.21 mg; IRON 2.22 mg; SODIUM 317.40 mg; CALCIUM 54.66 mg

Print the Asian Style Baked Ribs Recipe Here

Between the garbanzo beans aka chickpeas and the kidney beans this salad packs quite a bit of protein and fiber. Add the vegetables and you have a really healthy salad. You can use canned beans for this if you want to speed up the process. Simply drain and rinse them before you add them to your salad. The soy ginger vinaigrette that I use for this complements the ingredients beautifully. However, you could dress this with whatever you like. Here is what you need for this:

Serves four

2 cups cooked or 1- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
2 cups cooked or 1- 15 oz. can red kidney beans
½ cup finely sliced red onion
½ cup sliced red bell pepper
2 celery stalks – finely chopped
1 medium carrot – finely sliced
Soy ginger vinaigrette dressing

If cooking your beans at home – wash them thoroughly, making sure to pick out debris and little rocks, and place in individual bowls. Cover with hot water and soak overnight. Rinse out re-hydrated beans and cook in salted water until fully cooked through and tender. Your best bet is to use a pressure cooker. The beans will cook a lot faster.

If using canned beans – drain and rinse both kinds of beans. Place them in a bowl and mix with all the other ingredients. Pour soy ginger vinaigrette on mixed salad and toss to coat well. Serve and enjoy!

Salad w/o dressing – CALORIES 274.38; FAT 1.92 grs (sat 0.23; mono 0.35; poly 0.91); PROTEIN 14.18 grs ; FIBER 12.20 grs; CARBS 51.67 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 3.76 mg; SODIUM 387.19 mg; CALCIUM 87.41 mg

Print the Kidney Bean & Garbanzo Salad Recipe Here

Depending on your appetite, you could easily feed eight people with two whole chicken breasts. Generally, when I make these I cut the stuffed breast in half. If anyone wants to have seconds great. If not, I have lunch for the following day. These are delectable and very easy to make. Here is what you need for these:

Serves eight

2 – 8 oz. chicken breasts – skinned and boned
4 slices ham or Prosciutto
½ cup shredded cheese – any cheese that melts well
¾ cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. crumbled dry sage
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 TBS Dijon mustard
¾ cup flour
2 TBS Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish and add garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and sage. Mix well. Set aside. Beat the 2 eggs. Add the milk and mustard. Mix well. Set aside. Place the flour in a shallow dish.

Cut the breasts in half. Remove any excess meat and keep for other use. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit on the thick part of the breast to form a pocket. Be careful not to cut the breast all the way through. Add salt and pepper on both sides and in the inside. Use salt sparingly.

Place a folded piece of ham and some grated cheese into the breast. Set aside.

Place the chicken in the flour and shake off excess. Dip it into the egg and shake off excess. Place the chicken on the bread crumb and coat well. Shake off excess.

Heat a skillet with some olive oil. When the skillet is really hot – place the chicken in the pan and cook until one side is browned. Flip and brown other side and brown as well. Be careful not to burn the coating.

Place the chicken in a baking pan and bake for about 17 minutes until breast is cooked through and cheese melts. Cut each breast in half and serve. Enjoy!

Suggested sides – Ginger Garlic String Beans; Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Cajun Style Sweet Potatoes

½ stuffed chicken breast – CALORIES 252.44; FAT 10.27 grs (sat 3.2; mono 4.8; poly 1.2); PROTEIN 20.63grs ; FIBER 1.15 grs; CARBS 17.87 grs; CHOLESTEROL 96.04 mg; IRON 1.78 mg; SODIUM 721.95 mg; CALCIUM 95.31 mg

Print the Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe Here

Serves four

FOR THE CHOPS:
4 pork chops – about ½ inch thick
1 ½ tsp. curry
1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
¾ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 TBS olive oil + 2 TBS for frying

Place the curry, cumin, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix. Add 1 TBS olive oil and form a paste. Rub the pork chops on both sides and let them sit a room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Heat a large skillet. Add the remaining 2 TBS of oil. Place the pork chops in the skillet and cook them until the bottom has formed a brown crust – about 5 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your pan, work on medium-high to medium heat. Flip the chops. Once that side has developed a crust – about another 5 minutes – flip them again. Do this for a couple of times.

To test if your pork chops are done, insert a meat thermometer close to the bone. It should register 160 degrees. Or, cut close to the bone. You should have clear juices running. Serve with the mango salsa. Enjoy!

CALORIES 266.07.; FAT 13.7 grs (sat 3.3; mono 7.86; poly 1.55); PROTEIN 34.23 grs ; FIBER 0.88 grs; CARBS 2.01 grs; CHOLESTEROL 75.84 mg; IRON 1.5 mg; SODIUM 941.78 mg; CALCIUM 27.56 mg

FOR THE SALSA:
1 small mango – peeled and cubed
½ red onion – finely chopped
2 radishes – finely sliced
1 TBS chopped cilantro
½ lime – juiced
½ tsp. salt

Place first four ingredients in a bowl. Mix. Add lime juice and salt. Mix well and set aside.

CALORIES 48.88.; FAT 0.33 grs (sat 0.05; mono 0.07; poly 0.04); PROTEIN 1.23 grs ; FIBER 1.08 grs; CARBS 11.27 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 0.69 mg; SODIUM 299.58 mg; CALCIUM 37.12 mg

Print the Curry Pork Chops with Mango Salsa Recipe Here

This burger comes with its own slice of red onion smack in the middle of the patty so that it grills while the burger cooks. Yum!

Here is what you are going to need for 4 burgers:
4 rolls
1 pound ground beef
Salt & Pepper
Dash Worcestershire sauce
4 thick slices of red onion
4 slices Monterrey Jack cheese
Lettuce
Sliced Tomato
Pickle slices
3 tablespoons mayo
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon sweet relish
Olive oil
Garlic powder

Place the ground beef in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and form 4 patties forming a ‘well’ in the middle. Place an onion ring on the patty and press it into the ‘well’.

Heat the grill. Clean the grids and oil them with a wad of soaked paper towel. Place the burger on the grill, onion side down, at medium heat. Cook the burger for 7 to 8 minutes and flip.

Cover with the cheese and cook for an extra 7 to 8 minutes, until burger is cooked through and cheese melts.

Brush the insides of the rolls with olive oil and sprinkle some garlic powder on them. Place them face down on the grill for 2 to 3 minutes until toasted.

While your meat is cooking, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and relish in a bowl. Smear the bottom of a roll with your sauce. Place the cooked patty on it and top with tomato slice, pickles and lettuce. Smear the top roll and cover you burger. Serve and enjoy!

Print the Grilled Onion Burger Recipe Here

Tacos are a great, fun, easy and inexpensive meal. I like making them when I have lots of kids over. They LOVE them! This recipe feeds eight people but can be easily divided for a smaller crowd. Here is what you are going to need:

2 pounds ground beef
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves – minced
4 tomatoes – chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 TBS taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
Salt & Pepper
16 crunchy taco shells
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced lettuce
Grated Cheese – preferable Mexican blend
2 mashed avocados with lime and salt
Sour cream

Heat a skillet with some oil. Add the beef. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and garlic powder. Mix well and brown. Drain.

Wipe skillet and add some more oil. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic. Cook for another couple of minutes. Return the meat to the skillet and mix well. Add the tomatoes and the cilantro. Mix well. Add the taco seasoning and the water. Mix again. Bring beef t a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Assemble your taco as you please. Enjoy!

Print the Ground Beef Tacos Recipe Here

Here’s a very healthy and colorful recipe for Tilapia. Tilapia is a very mild, white fish that is nicely complemented by the lemon, orange and grapefruit. Talk about healthy, quick and inexpensive!

6 tilapia fillets
1 lemon
1 large orange, peeled, segmented and cut in half
1 small grapefruit, peeled, segmented and cut in half
1 small red onion, finely sliced
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil

Rinse and pat dry the fish. Season it with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet with some olive oil. Add the fish. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon all over the fillets, making to remove any seeds that might fall into the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until bottom is cooked and flip. Squeeze the other 1/2 lemon on the fish.

Place the onion, orange and grapefruit pieces on top of all of the fillets. Cook for an extra 5 minutes, until fish is cooked through and flaky. Serve with couscous and green salad. Enjoy!

Print the Citrus Tilapia Recipe Here

I love making pasta primavera – pasta loaded with fresh spring vegetables and roasted tomatoes. This recipe takes some work but it is well worth the effort! This is what you are going to need for this:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place 8 oz. of halved grape tomatoes into an oven proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and oregano. Roast for 20 minutes.
• Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and drizzle with Balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp. sugar. Roast for an extra 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ½ a bunch of asparagus, sliced diagonally, and blanche for 2.5 minutes. Fish out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. Add a cup of diagonally sliced snap peas into the water and blanche for 2 minutes. Spoon out and place in ice water. Set aside.
• Place 16 oz. of spaghetti into the pot you used for blanching your veggies. Cook per package instructions – al dente – and drain. Shock with cold water. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet with some olive oil. Add 4 minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add ½ a bell pepper, cut into thin strips and ½ a summer squash, cut into thin strips. Mix well and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and snap peas. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Form a well in the middle of your veggies and add 2 TBS butter and 2 TBS olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until butter is melted and the veggies are heated through.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to mix well. Add ½ a cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and mix well.
• Transfer the pasta onto a large serving platter. Top with the roasted tomatoes and some extra cheese. Serve.

Print the Pasta Primavera Recipe Here

Here is a super easy recipe that can be made any day of the year! It is also an easy recipe for 4th of July as it is affordable and will feed a crowd. The best part is you really don’t have to slave over this wonderful dish! Let the pork cook on it’s own and make everyone happy! Please keep in mind that you will need to cook this for 7 to 8 hours on high so plan ahead. Go ahead and make it a day ahead if you want. Simply cool it down and shred it before refrigerating. Add the barbecue sauce to the pork before serving.

Serves 12

1 – 5 pound bone-in pork shoulder
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped (keep the adobo)
2 tablespoons of the adobo
12 oz. dark beer
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2cup mustard
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Barbecue sauce of your choice
Dill pickle chips
12 Kaiser rolls

Rinse and pat dry the pork. Trim off the excess fat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with olive oil. Brown the pork evenly on all sides.

Heat a large pot with olive oil. Add the onions and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and soft. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne and garlic. Mix well and cook for 1 minute until aromatic.

Add the rest of the ingredients – except for the pork. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce is thick.

Place the pork in the Crock-pot. Pour the sauce on the pork and coat well.

Cover the pot. Cook for 7 to 8 hours until you can separate the meat with a fork.

Remove the meat from the pot to a cutting board and allow to cool down for 10 minutes. Shred the pork using 2 forks and place it in a large skillet. Discard any excess fat that you might have missed. Skim away some of the fat from the sauce. Add 1/4 cup of sauce to the pork. Add enough barbecue sauce to the pork to make it juicy. Mix well and heat through.

Serve the pulled pork on the bottom part of a bun. Layer with pickle chips and cover with the top part of the bun. Serve with cole slaw and potato chips. Enjoy!

Print the Chipotle Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Recipe Here

Other Pulled Pork Recipes:
Cola Braised Pulled Pork
Citrus Braised Pulled BBQ Pork
Crock-Pot Pulled Pork
Chicharron
Pulled BBQ Pork Shoulder
Beer Braised Pork Butt
Carnitas

This vegetarian tart is great! Serve it with a side salad and you have a wonderful meal. You can also serve it as an appetizer. People will love it! Here is what you are going to need for this:

8 Roma tomatoes – quartered
2 TBS olive oil + more for brushing puff pastry
½ TBS sugar
½ TBS thyme + more for sprinkling on puff pastry
Salt & Pepper
1 large rectangular puff pastry sheet (about 9×13 inches)
About ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place tomatoes in a bowl. Add olive oil, thyme and sugar. Season generously with salt and pepper. Toss tomatoes to coat well.
• Place tomatoes on a roasting pan – in a single layer and without piling on top of each other – and roast for about 1 hour.
• While the tomatoes are roasting – spread out your puff pastry sheet. Drizzle with some oil and brush. Sprinkle with thyme.
• 15 minutes into the roasting of the tomatoes, place the puff pastry in the oven. Cook until puffed and browned – about 45 minutes.
• Remove pastry and tomatoes from oven.
• Grate some Parmesan cheese on the puff pastry. Place the roasted tomatoes on top.
• Grate some more Parmesan cheese on the tomatoes.
• Cut into 8 pieces and serve at room temperature.
• Enjoy!

Print the Roasted Tomato Tart Recipe Here