Onions

These ribs are rubbed with a garam masala, smoked for 3 hours, and then slathered with a vindaloo inspired BBQ sauce.

Ingredients2 Onions (diced) 13 Jalapenos (diced, seeds removed) 3 Cloves Garlic Minced 1 Quart Veggie Stock2 Cups Water1 Can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo20 Dried Arbol Chiles (seeds removed) 2 Sweet Potatoes large diced 1 Head Cauliflower rough chopped 1 Can Black beans1 Can Pinto Beans1 Tablespoon Cumin1 Teaspoon Coriander1 Pinch Cinnamon1/2 Cup CornmealMore water if…

Ingredients1.5 Pounds Sliced Sirloin2 Large Onions2 Tablespoons Butter1 Cup Jack Cheese1/2 Cup Banana Peppers (With Juices) 6 Nice Cabbage Leaves without much ripping 14 Ounce Canned Diced Tomato For: 6 Big Cabbage RollsPreparation: 20 minCooking: 1 h 40 minReady in: 2 h InstructionsSlice, salt, and brown the onions in butter for about 40 minutes until…

Ingredients3 Cups Water2 Onions Diced 8 Jalapenos Diced 1 Red Pepper Diced 1 Quart Chicken Stock4 Cans Coconut Milk (1600ml) 1 Whole Chicken Breast (both breasts with skin and bones) 4 Chicken Thighs (bone and skin) 1 Bunch Basil1 Bunch Cilantro1 Bunch Scallions2 Tablespoons Lemongrass Paste7 Cloves Garlic2 Thumb Sized Chunks Ginger1 Tablespoon Cumin1 Tablespoon…

As I mentioned earlier, My sisters and I threw a big party for my parents last weekend and it was a great success. For the main meal at the party, I did kind of a vaguely middle eastern/greek feast for everyone, the centerpiece being these marinated chicken drumsticks and pork tenderloins. The marinade might seem like a bit of work and a little pricy, but the fact is, it can transform cheaper cuts of meat into a luxurious treat fit for a king.

September is the time when I crave chili the most. I love a veggie packed chili, but this time of the year it is a shame to cook your veggies too long because they are so fresh and tasty! I decided to try and make this chili sort of backwards by letting the meat and spices simmer away in the crock pot all day and then adding the veggies at the last minute. The resulting dish was super tasty with a nice juxtaposition of deep slow cooked flavors and fresh light crunchy veggies.

Tasty Ham and Egg Barley Porridge with asparagus

I’ve made lots of ethnic chili variations over the years, and every fall I like to do at least one cause I loooove chili. I decided to try an Italian version, and much to my surprise, there were already lots of Italian chili versions out there. I guess I should have known cause it’s sort of an obvious combo. As always in this sort of situation, I took some of the ideas out there and combined them with my own additions. My additions this time were using both dried chiles and dried mushrooms as the base flavors in the chili, and loading the soup with salami to add an amazing richness to the whole pot.

A quick note about sponsored posts. I posted a big one yesterday, and there will be more coming in the next few months as food companies try and get their product out for the holidays. I like sponsored posts because they help me find new inspiration and come up with creative recipes. But let’s be honest, I also like sponsored posts cause I get paid. I promise you guys two things. First, I will always stay true to my blogging style and create unique fun recipes for you. Second, I will always post a sponsored post IN ADDITION to my regular schedule. Monday and Friday will always be original unsponsored content. Wednesdays will always be a Tablespoon post. On Tuesdays and Thursdays there will usually be nothing, but sometimes there will be a sponsored post, or with the cookbook coming out soon, there might be updates about the book or links to public appearances or other fun stuff. Anyways, enough housekeeping. Back to the deliciousness!

My hobby: making pasta sauces out of vegetables besides tomatoes. I’ve done it with red peppers, carrots, and now corn. Mandi is obsessed with summer corn right now, and for good reason, it just tastes so damn good! I always get happy when I can think of a fun unique corn recipe, because most of the time I just eat it off the cob and don’t get to feature it on the site. This sauce came out really sweet because of the sweet nature of corn and carrots. Overall it was really awesome and balanced with the cheese and bacon, but once in awhile you would get a bite that was a little too sweet.

As with most families these days, I have some vegetarians in mine. Being the conscious cook, I decided to try and make a vegetarian version of baked beans that would be so delicious that no one would miss the pork or even realize something was different. I based the beans off a hearty Italian tomato sauce, and added every non-meat based version of umami I could think of. Within 5 minutes of getting to the annual 4th of July party, my vegetarian aunt reminded me that she hates beans. Oh well! These beans were worth it anyways.

Finally there’s a date! The much awaited 4th season of Arrested Development will be available on Netflix in full on May 26th. To celebrate, I am dedicating a week of recipes to the greatest food moments of the first 3 seasons. Today is one of my all time favorites, Hot Ham Water. In this episode (s3-e9 “S.O.B’s”), Lindsay is trying to be more of a domesticated mother figure to the family, and her first attempt at cooking dinner is a dish she likes to call Hot Ham Water. I took inspiration from this scene to make a flavorful ham broth and load it up with some sauteed ham, collard greens, and udon noodle. Tasty stuff!

A warming play on a classic chicken and dumplings that infuses just the right amount of Thai flavors into the dish.