Honey Balsamic Glazed Salmon

*Adapted from here.

Serves: 4
Prep: 20 minutes + time to marinate

INGREDIENTS
4 salmon filets with skin (1 lb.)
1/4 cup light balsamic salad dressing
2 Tbsp honey
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine salad dressing, honey, salt & pepper in a zip-top bag and mix thoroughly. Add salmon filets and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.
2. Heat oil on skillet on medium heat. Add filets (reserving the marinade), flesh-side down, and cook for 6 minutes. Turn and cook 2 more minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Remove and keep warm.
3. Add the rest of the marinade to the skillet and turn heat to high. Allow sauce to simmer until reduced and thickened, stirring frequently. Drizzle glaze over filets to serve.

Serving suggestions: Serve with rice pilaf and/or sautéed vegetables.

Russ & Sharon's Barbecue Chicken

*Adapted from here. I found the original recipe far too spicy after my first attempt so I reduced the chile powder and cayenne by half on this version.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or whatever kind of chicken you prefer)

for "Magic Dust" rub (makes approx. 1 cup):
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp mustard powder
3 tsp chile powder (or less)
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp cayenne

for BBQ sauce:
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 Tbsp magic dust (recipe above)
1/2 tsp black pepper
hot sauce (such as Tabasco) to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients for Magic Dust. Rub all but 1 Tbsp of the Magic Dust over the chicken pieces to coat thoroughly. Cover loosely in the refrigerator for 2-8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place chicken pieces on a broiler pan. Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until internal temperature is 150 degrees. Turn chicken after 15 minutes.
3. While chicken is cooking, prepare barbecue sauce. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer mildly, whisking occasionally, until sauce is dark and thickened, about 10-15 minutes. (This can easily be prepared in advance.)
4. When chicken is heated to 150 degrees, turn on broiler to 400 degrees. Brush sauce thickly onto chicken. Turn chicken every few minutes and re-coat with sauce, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and sauce is caramelized. Remove chicken to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes.

Lena's Spicy Apple Barbecue Sauce

Makes: 2 1/2 cups, prepared
Prep: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup ketchup
2 cups apple juice
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients to a large saucepan and gradually bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking to mix. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until sauce is thickened, about 40 minutes.

Recommendation: Serve with Lena's Dr. Pepper Pork Loin.

Lena's Dr. Pepper Pork Loin

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS
4 cups Dr. Pepper (do NOT use diet soda)
1/2 cup kosher salt
3-4 lbs. boneless center-cut pork loin
glaze: 
1 jar (9 ox.) tart cherry preserves
1/2 cup Dr. Pepper
1/2 cup water
1-2 Tbsp minced canned chipotle in adobo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Pour the soda into a large bowl and slowly add the salt (the mixture will foam up quite a bit so be sure to use a bowl large enough to prevent overflowing.) Stir until the salt dissolves completely, 1-2 minutes. Place a large, disposable plastic bag inside a large bowl and carefully pour the brine into the bag.
2. Trim excess fat and silver skin from the pork. Submerge the pork in the brine, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
3. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients.
4. Remove the pork from the bag and discard the brine. Pat dry with paper towels. Lightly coat the pork with oil and let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Preheat a dutch oven pot on high heat. Sear all sides of the pork for several minutes, then turn off the heat and pour the glaze over the meat. Cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rotate the meat in the glaze every 10 minutes and add a little water or more soda if glaze gets too thick or starts to scorch. Remove meat when internal temperature reaches 145-150 degrees.

*If grilling, do not use a dutch oven. Instead, sear all sides over direct high heat then transfer to a disposable foil pan containing the glaze. Continue cooking over indirect high heat with grill lid closed, rotating the meat as indicated above.

Recommendation: Serve with Lena's Spicy Apple Barbecue Sauce and Lena's Cranberry & Cilantro Quinoa Salad.

Dempsey Depression Burgers

Serves: 12

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups grated carrots (about 4 carrots)
1 cup grated potatoes (about 2 small potatoes)
1/2 cup chopped onion (or dried minced onion to taste)
3 lb. ground beef (also works well with ground turkey)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 lb. bacon (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Combine carrots, potatoes, onions, and ground beef in a bowl. Add garlic powder and barbecue sauce Mix together and form into patties. Wrap with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Grill or broil until done.

Serve with fries, oven roasted potatoes, or mashed potatoes. Make ketchup and barbecue sauce available.

*For those who are interested, since I normally receive several questions about the name of these burgers, here's how they got their name. During the Great Depression meat was expensive, so people had to find ways to make it stretch. Thus, they added shredded vegetables, onions, cracker/bread crumbs, or eggs. I've heard of serving these burgers on buns with lettuce and tomato like any other burger, but my family never has. Nonetheless, Depression Burgers are one of my favorite meals from my childhood. Enjoy!

Nutritional information is approximate and based on the use of lean ground turkey instead of ground beef. I used the recipe calculator here.

Amount Per Serving
Calories		237.2
Total Fat		10.3 g
	Saturated Fat	3.2 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.4 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.1 g
Cholesterol		83.4 mg
Sodium		531.5 mg
Potassium		148.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate		11.3 g
	Dietary Fiber	0.8 g
	Sugars	7.1 g
Protein		23.9 g

Classic Barbecue Spareribs

*From Real Simple magazine, June 2010--found online here.

PREP: hands-on 30 minutes, total cooking time 3 hours
SERVES: 4 (ours actually made 6 servings of 4-5 ribs per person)

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground coffee
1 tsp ground cumin
4 Tbsp brown sugar, divided
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper
6 lbs spareribs (2 racks), trimmed of excess fat
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp tomato paste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 275 degrees. Make the rub: In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, coffee, cumin, 2 Tbsp of the brown sugar, 1/2 tsp of the cayenne, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper.

2. Place the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Rub the ribs with the spice mixture and tightly cover the baking sheet with foil. Bake until tender and the meal easily pulls away from the bone, 2-1/2 to 3 hours. (I baked mine for 2 hrs 45 min and they were great!)

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a saucepan, combine the ketchup, vinegar, molasses, tomato paste, the remaining 2 Tbsp of brown sugar and 1/4 tsp of cayenne, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup of the sauce into a small bowl for serving.

4. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill the ribs, basting with the remaining sauce and turning occasionally, until just beginning to char, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with the reserved sauce. (I broiled my ribs at 500 degrees in the oven for the same amount of time and they turned out wonderfully.)


Serving Suggestions: baked sweet potatoes, corn bread muffins, or a salad.

Tequila Lime Chicken

*From The Pioneer Woman Cooks but unfortunately the link no longer works. (Thanks, Dani, for sharing this new recipe with me!) mmm...

INGREDIENTS:
3 whole limes, juiced
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 whole jalapeno, sliced
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup tequila
5 Tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:
Combine lime juice, garlic cloves, sliced jalapeno, salt, cilantro, and tequila in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined. Turn on the blender/food processor and drizzle in the olive oil until it’s all combined.
Slightly flatten chicken breasts with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Place in a plastic bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag and marinate for several hours or (preferably) overnight.
When ready to cook, remove chicken from bag and place on the grill. Cook until completely done. Toward the end of cooking, top chicken breasts with grated Monterey Jack and allow to melt. (You can also top chicken with cheese and melt under the broiler.)
*Note for myself: consider adding 1tsp cumin to the marinade.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Serve topped with pico de gallo or salsa, alongside refried black beans, Mexican rice, sour cream, avocado slices, fresh flour tortillas…and whatever other garnishes make you smile!