Ribs

So last year I remember cooking ribs in the crock pot, but I truly couldn't remember how I did it.  How much sauce did I use, how long ect.  So I asked my dad for advice and he said he cooks his in a tightly wrapped pan in the oven.  Last night I decided to try it and it came out wonderful!  I started by washing the ribs off a little, then putting them in a large throw away pan.  Added a whole bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce (the large bottle).  Then I put tin foil on top and tightly wrapped it up.  I cooked it at 250 for 4 hours then checked it (careful there will be a lot of steam!)  It was basically done but we wanted to eat around 7 (this was 6pm).  I turned the temp to 200 and spread the sauce that had fallen off back on the meat and then re-wrapped it in the tin foil.  Left it in the oven at 200 for another hour.  Paired that with a salad and it came out oh so good, fall off the bone, yummy!

The ribs I used were Bone-in Pork Loin Baby Back Ribs

Yummy ribs, fall off the bone good!

Crock Pot Chicken Paprikash

Chicken Paprikash is a traditional Hungarian stew.  It's spicy, creamy, and even a little bit sweet.  I could eat it every night for a month!  I came up with this crock pot version to make my addiction a little easier to manage.

Note: Hungarian paprika comes in two varieties, sweet and hot.  Most of the paprika sold in the US is the sweet variety.  Instead of hot paprika, I use chili powder (basically the same thing).  You can also use cayenne if you like things a little hotter.

2-3 pounds of chicken (breasts, legs, or a whole chicken)
1 medium to large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream

Put all ingredients except sour cream in the crock pot.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours (6 hours for frozen chicken), or on low for 6-8 hours.  You can't hurt this recipe by cooking it longer than necessary.  It's done when the chicken falls apart and the onions are transparent.  Adjust seasonings to your taste, and mix in sour cream.  Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.

Parmesan Chicken Mini Pies

So tonight I tried a new recipe.  It turned out well!  I found it on Pillsbury's website.  You start with Pillsbury seamless dough.  Cut it into 12 squares.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a muffin pan and then line the muffin cups with the squares of dough.  You can use regular crescent rolls, but it took 1.5 cans.  And you have to cut them and piece them together.  Take Tyson's Popcorn Chicken and microwave enough pieces to to fill them (12-15 depending on how big/small they are) and microwave them for 1 minute.  Put enough in each cup to fill it (1 big piece 2 small pieces).  Then cover it with a spoonful or so of sauce.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Back for 15-18 minutes (or less mine was ready in 10-12 minutes, just depends on the oven.)  Serve and enjoy!

I used crescent rolls so had to piece them together

Horrible blogger I forgot until after I put them into the oven to take a pic!

Finished product!

Link to the original recipe: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/parmesan-chicken-mini-pies/499a7473-42f9-47d4-a47c-2684fa37a7f9

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

My family loves sweet potatoes.  They're tasty, healthy (yay beta-carotene!), and pretty versatile.  We often like to do baked sweet potatoes--just like normal baked potatoes, bake until soft and top with butter, salt, pepper, cheddar cheese, whatever.  That was my plan for lunch today, until I lost track of the time.  Once I realized that I didn't have enough time to bake potatoes (I prefer not to microwave potatoes, I don't like the finished texture.) and get Richard down for his nap at a reasonable time, I decided to do baked sweet potato fries.  The sliced up potatoes cook a lot faster than whole ones, and lunch was saved!

3 medium to large sweet potatoes
Gallon zipper bag
2 tablespoons (more or less) olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400, and coat a sheet pan with cooking spray or parchment paper.  Peel and slice potatoes to whatever size you desire.  (You want your sizing to be consistent so your potatoes are all done about the same time, but they can be thick or thin according to your preference.)  Put potatoes in zipper bag.  Add oil, salt, and pepper; adjusting quantities as needed.  Close bag and toss until potatoes appear to be evenly coated.  Dump out of bag onto sheet pan, and spread them in an even layer.  Bake 15-30 minutes (depending on thickness) or until a fork can be easily inserted and removed.  You may wish to turn/stir your fries about halfway through baking for even browning, but I'm usually too lazy!

As a side, these would probably be good for 4-6 people.  As a meal (because I'm lazy) it works really well for 2 adults and a child.