Honey chipotle Riblets

NOTE: 

Hi, my adapted recipe has the chipotle eliminated. I don’t care for it but recipe is posted as it is called for.

I also used pork cut into pieces for my riblets.

Also to give it a kick I added 2 T spicy bbq sauce.

 

Cappelletti Filling:

 Cappeletti's!  Little dough hats filled with Mom's special Cappeletti filling. Mom's record was making 2,000 cappeletti's and I doubt I'd beat that but I'll at least try.  My kids love them and so do my grandchildren.  

Some Italians fill them with finely minced chicken with a touch of lemon but not Mom..Her filling was a little spicy but oh so good..She'd make chicken soup and that's where the Cappelletti's come in..She boil some and add to the soup..Great taste and we'd have them usually at Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas too..

Here is her recipe:

2 lb. ground lean beef 
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tablespoon cinnamon( I use 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. nutmeg( I use 1/2 tsp.)
1- 6 oz can tomato paste
1-can water
1 egg slightly beaten
2 cups Italian cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons oil



Fry meat in oil until all red disappears, add salt, pepper and tomato paste plus 1 can of water. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes..Take off stove add cheese, egg  and breadcrumbs.  This recipe should make at least 8- 1 cup portions which she would bag and put in freezer..Take out as many bags as needed..Each bag should make 100 caps.. Note:  Her caps were on the small side..

I will post photos as I make them.

Homemade pasta dough recipe in separate post.

Buon Appetite from my kitchen to yours,

 11/16/2013 original 

Crockpot ribs Another new recipe

Another new way to make pork spareribs or a full rack of ribs.

I had bought a buy one get one free rack of pork spare ribs at our local grocery store.  

I’ve made them before but decided to try another way to season and cook them.

I made ribs today in my crockpot. 

 2.5 lbs. pork ribs

salt, pepper

1/2 large onion  

1 large clove garlic 

1/2 cup water. 

Your favorite barbecue sauce (approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup)

Cook 6 hours low. 

 Remove ribs from crockpot.  Discard cooking drippings.

Place on cookie sheet.  Brush with BBQ sauce and bake 375° until sauce starts to bake on to ribs. Approximately 15 to 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Delicious!

 

Allrecipes

Barbecue pork ribs

Tonight’s Barbecue dinner. Thanks Sheri for your recipe.  Delicious

1-whole rack of ribs 

(Note; I  used the original Sticky fingers Barbecue sauce today)but use any barbecue sauce your family enjoys).

Salt and pepper.

Bake in 300° oven for approximately 3hours

Covered.

Note; I used a disposable aluminum pan for convenience.

Uncover ribs.  Brush barbecue sauce heavily on both sides of ribs.  Bake an additional 40 minutes or until top is coated well and sauce has baked slightly dry but still moist.

Homemade potato salad and fresh homemade peach pie with whipped heavy cream.  

Sausage , peppers,onions and potatoes

Stove top meal !  

All on top of stove in my ceramic pan on medium heat. First some vegetable oil then hot and mild sausage.  (I remove casing and cut in half). Add peppers and onions keep moving sausage around until onions and peppers are tender.  Note: I slice my potatoes add enough water to cover them and microwave for 5 minutes. Drain and add potatoes to mix. Turn over with spatula and allow potatoes to brown slightly.  Good summer meal in no time!

Baked Sausage and Peppers

If you are looking for a really good holiday recipe that involves your oven or your grill you have come to the right place.  I either make sausage in the oven or on the grill.  Since you can't predict the weather sometimes it's best to play it safe with some baked yummy sausage, peppers and onions....YUMMY!

A family favorite any time of the year is baked sausage and peppers.  I grew up eating either my mom's homemade sausage or Uncle John's.  Uncle John  had a fresh meat market when hubby and I were growing up.

I met Uncle John when hubby and I were first dating; a perky, feisty Italian who was a master of seasoning meat for sausage.  People came from all over for his sausage and I am totally serious.  They'd even bring coolers if they lived far away.

Unfortunately Uncle John passed away many years ago and so did his recipe.  Today I still buy the freshest and best quality sausage I can find and below is how I make it easily in the oven.  Enjoy!

Baked Sausage, peppers and onions.
1lb.+ mild or hot Italian sausage
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
1 large red and green pepper, sliced thin

In a medium to large baking dish place several Tablespoons oil.   Place sausage (I remove casing) in dish along with onions and peppers. Add salt, pepper and slight amount of onion and garlic powder. Cover and place in 350 degree oven approx. 3/4 hour or more.

Remove cover toss and place in oven and bake until peppers and onions are soft but crispy about another ten minutes or so.

 Serve with fresh bread or rolls. YUM

7/27/14

2/24/16

11/12/14

9/2016

Pork chops n potatoes

Tonight’s meal had to be the easiest to make and it took about an hour from start to finish to serve it.

I browned in vegetable oil 4 thinly sliced boneless pork chops.  While they were slowly cooking I peeled and sliced a huge Idaho potato super thin.  I covered the sliced potatoes in salted water and microwaved them for about 10 minutes .  By the time the potatoes were done the chops were browned ( I seasoned with salt and pepper).

I added 1\2 can of cream of chicken soup to my baking dish, layered the cooked and drained potatoes on top of the lightly browned pork chops . Added some water to the other half of the can of cream of chicken soup ,stirred to mix it and poured it over the potatoes.  Covered the baking dish and baked about 45 to 55 minutes.

Hubby had coleslaw with his.  I had thin green beans with mine.  Delicious!  Ps I never have cream of chicken soup handy but by George I had a can and it was still 2024 dated!!👍

 

 

Meat sauce with Polenta

Fresh sauce with fine ground beef, pork and veal meat.

6/24/24

10/22/23

This is the Polenta I used.

Our family knows polenta as a traditional Italian meal. It's been around for generations..

Today I'm making it and although it's hot outside we don't care because I (we)are craving it.
 It's going to be awesome! 

I know I've said this many times and I am aware that family budgets are tight but check for sales and try hard to buy the best quality of meat that you can afford.  I truly believe quality meat for this sauce makes a remarkable difference it the taste.

Here is today's recipe:

1 lb. ground beef (85%)
1 lb. ground pork (90%)
2 cubes of basil, garlic and olive oil pesto or several cloves minced garlic and about 1 tsp.dried basil

Note:  I make my own blend with my garlic, basil and olive oil and freeze it by tablespoons in ice cube trays but feel free to either buy a good pesto blend(I do not have any nuts in mine) and use a little of it when you cook your meat.

Salt and pepper according to your taste
1 large can Hunts crushed tomatoes
1 large can Hunts tomato sauce
1 small can organic tomato paste
1 small can water
1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce
1 carrot cleaned and cut into 3 pieces



In a Dutch place a little olive oil on medium heat.  Add ground meats and cook while breaking meat apart into small to medium pieces.  Once meat has started to brown slightly and there is no longer any pink add garlic/basil pesto , salt and pepper.  Keep stirring until incorporated.  Add small can tomato paste and small can water.  Cook and stir until all starts to bubble slightly.  Add mixture to crockpot that is set on high that you have placed crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and carrot. Stir well, cover and cook two hours on high and then lower heat to low and cook for an additional two hours. Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instant Polenta..........It's really good and cooks in 3 minutes.  Polenta is an acquired taste...Most Italians love it. All it is is thickened corn meal.

You can find a box of Polenta at most grocery stores.  The brand I used was was DeLallo
The box has instructions on it and it serves 3  similar to the portion below comfortably.

FYI:  Just a little note from me.  This was the first year I had so much fresh basil so I decided to try using my food processor(you can use a blender too) and using the basil, fresh garlic and olive oil and after blending it all I froze individual tablespoons in ice cube containers.  I had done this before but varied using pine nuts and cheese.  This year with basil so abundant I am good thru next summer.

You may want to next year grow your own basil.  Containers do well and make your own pesto that have so many uses.  You can add more olive oil when making pasta along with a few of these pesto cubes and top with a little grated cheese and you have an easy meal.

From my kitchen to yours,

Original April 2016