Baby Back Ribs

 

 

 

Chef Michaels Dry Rub

• 8 parts Brown Sugar

• 3 Parts Kosher Salt

• 2 Parts Your Choice Seasoning... Michael uses , chipotle pepper, cumin, dry mustard and a pinch of cayenne

Put a large sheet of aluminum foil on the counter and put the uncooked ribs on it then apply the dry rub making sure to coat the ribs thoroughly. Create an envelop and put in the refrigerator over night.

• In a roasting pan, ball up several pieces of aluminum foil

• Remove your dry rubbed ribs from their foil “envelope” and place on top of the foil balls

• Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with two to three bottles of your favorite beer

• Cover the roasting pan with foil and braise in 250 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours

• Check after three hours, when meat has pulled back from the bone by ½ inch to an inch, and is super tender to the touch, remove from oven

You can serve as is with sauce on the side, or rub with your favorite BBQ sauce and char on your BBQ grill. The meat should peel from the bone. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

 

 

 

Pastry Chef Lori Ryan gave us this recipe

• 1 C. AP flour

• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

• 1 C. softened sweet cream butter

• 1/2 C. sugar

• 1/2 C. packet brown sugar

• 1 1/2 t. vanilla

• 1 egg

• 1 1/4 C quick or old fashioned oats

• 2 C. chocolate chips divided

• 3/4 C. walnuts, (optional)

Now, here is how we make these delicous morsels

• Combine flour and cinnamon in small bowl

• Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until creamy...add egg

• Gradually beat in flour mixture

• stir in oats, and half the chocolate chips

• Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or so, or until center is set

• Pull out to cool, and immediately cover the top with remaining chocolate chips

• Let chocolate chips sit until they are shiny.. then spread them across the top as a frosting.

You should get a couple dozen bars... unless you are me.. and you get about 4. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

Crab and Artichoke Fondue

 

 

 

Here is what we need...

• 1 lb. Dungeness Crabmeat

• 2 lb. Softened Cream Cheese

• 3 T. dried tarragon

• 3 T. minced shallots

• 1.5 cups red wine vinegar

• 1 lb. quartered artichoke hearts

• 6 oz sour cream

• 1 cup shredded parmesan

Here is how you put it all together

• Add shallots, tarragon, and red wine vinegar to a med. saucepan.

• Heat until boiling and reduce by half.

• Add all other ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until blended.

• Slowly incorporate red wine vinegar reduction into blend.

• Heat in saucepan, or in fondue dish to order. dont breath in the vapor from the vinegar reduction.

Serve with garlic roasted parmesan crostini for dipping... or fancy it up as a fondue.... Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Warm Strawberry Rhubarb Dessert

 

 

 

Here is what we need

• 4-6 cups fresh cut Rhubarb

• 1 C Sugar

• 1 small container strawberry jello

• 1 C fresh cut strawberries

• 1 box white cake mix

• ½ c margarine

• 1 C waterk

Mix fruit and sugar in bottom of standard baking dish. Sprinkle jello packet over the top, as evenly as possible then pour white cake mix over the top evenly. Pour melted margarine and then water over the mixture.

 

Bake at 350 for around 20 minutes, or until the cake mix begins to brown. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

 

Enjoy!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Cedar Plank Salmon

 

 

 

Getting Started… first, the cedar plank

 

Aquire a 5x8 inch cedar plank. You can buy cooking planks at your local specialty foods store.. or what I prefer is to purchase an untreated cedar board at your local lumberyard, and cut them myself. To get rid of any unwanted splinters, just torch them for a few minutes on each side, or set them directly over the open flame of your bbq grill for a few minutes. They don’t have to be smooth, just burn the “splinters” off.

 

Soak your cedar plank in water. You can also add some white wine, or some lemon juice if you would like, but water will work just fine.

 

The Salmon

 

Being from the great Northwest, I prefer locally caught, king Salmon, but you can use whatever type of salmon you prefer. You want a good size portion, probably about 6oz – 7oz . Just leave the skin on. Place the salmon filet (skin side down) on your soaked cedar plank. Dust it with olive oil, and hit it with a little bit of spice. Salt and pepper will do, but I personally prefer my own blend. (I have been using it for years, and I use it as an all purpose seasoning in my restaurants. I have attached the recipe.)

 

Once you have seasoned the salmon, place the plank in your oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until it flakes easily and resists slightly when poked. For the tastiest salmon, it should be served at “medium” not well done. Well done salmon tends to lose flavor and can be very dry. It should just be losing its pink in the center when you pull it from the oven. Lightly butter the top, and serve with fresh cut lemon wedges. The cedar aroma will make your entire kitchen glow with flavor. A true northwest original.

 

Michaels All Purpose Seasoning

• Kosher Salt 1 C

• 1 C Sugar

• Table Grind Black Pepper 1 C

• Garlic Powder 1 C

• Onion Powder ½ C

• Paprika ½ C

• Cayenne Pepper 1 Tbs

• Mustard Powder ¼ C

• Tumeric ¼ C

• Processed Oregano ½ C

Just use regular dried oregano and flash it in your processor for a second or two. Mix all together and keep in next to the stove. It’s a great seasoning for just about anything

 

 

 

 

 

Dungeness Crab with Sweet Corn Chimichanga

 

 

 

Chimichanga Filling

• 1.5 lbs of softened cream cheese

• 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper

• 1.5 cups canned sweet corn (drained)

• 2 T Chili powder

• 1 tsp dried tarragon

• 2 T dried dillweed

• 2 Cups hot chicken stock

Mix all filling ingredients until smooth and creamy. Then Gently fold in 8-10 oz. of fresh dungeness crabmeat.

 

To make your chimis… fold a generous scoop of mix into a warmed 10” tortilla fold the ends in and roll it into the classic chimichanga form. Use a toothpick to seal the edge for frying.

 

Place in a deep fryer, or heat a couple of inches of oil up on your stovetop in a deep wall sautee pan. Make sure to get the oil to 350 degrees, no hotter. Fry the chimis one side at a time until they are golden brown.

 

Serve on a bed of lettuce with salsa mayo and cilantro crème fraiche

 

Salsa Mayo

 

• 2 cups of your favorite salsa (I prefer one either home-made, or with lots of cilantro and cumin)

• 1 cup of thick mayonnaise

• ½ cup buttermilk

Cilantro crème fraiche

• 5 bunches of cilantro

• 1 Tbs. salt

• ½ Tbs garlic powder

• 3 cups sour cream

• 1 cup mayonnaise

 

Place cilantro in a blender, stems and all, add your salt, some water (just enough to make the blender work) and blend until liquid. Mix the liquid in with your mayo and sour cream and whisk until smooth.

 

 

 

 

 

Cappuccino Fondue

 

 

 

Let's put it together

 

 

Here's what you need

• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 (10 oz) package almond toffee bits

• 1/2 cup fat-free caramel topping

• 2 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso granules

• 1 -2 bars of white chocolate broken into chunks

• 1/4 cup dark chocolate morsels

• buttery cracker sticks (Michael likes Ritz cracker sticks)

 

Combine first 4 ingredients in a 3 quart slow cooker. Stir white chocolate into milk mixture. and cover and cook on low 1 hour. Add chocolate morsels; stir fondue mixture until melted and smooth. Keep warm on low. Serve with cracker sticks. Makes 4 cups. Use any leftovers as ice cream topping!! Enjoy!!!