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You'll find over 450 of my favorite recipes here, including ideas for Quick meals, Cooking for 2, Feasting on Leftovers, and cooking with 5 Ingredients or Less. I'm adding new posts regularly; you can subscribe by email or RSS feed if you'd like to receive the latest recipes. Bon appétit!
Sous Vide Beef Back Ribs
By Kath Dedon
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These Sous Vide Beef Back Ribs taste like they’ve just been cut from a Perfect Ribeye Roast. And that was my goal!
The Anova recipe that I used as a guide used a barbecue rub. I’m sure that would be delicious, but I really wanted the taste of a ribeye roast. I just used salt and pepper and finished the ribs with a bit of garlic powder. I also cut the sous vide bath time from 48 to 30 hours and that worked perfectly.
I’ve had my Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker for a little over a year, and I have just recently become comfortable using it. I don’t know why it took so long, because it’s really quite easy to use. I’m using it more and more often, but I don’t post all of the recipes to this blog. I recognize that probably most of you are not using a sous vide cooker.
I couldn’t find a lot of information on the Internet about using a sous vide cooker for beef back ribs. Bob and I enjoyed these Sous Vide Beef Back Ribs so much that I had to post this recipe so I would have it for the future. 🙂
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Bob’s ready for his beef ribs, seen served with spaghetti squash.
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Sous Vide Beef Back Ribs
(Adapted from an Anova recipe online for Sous Vide Dry Rubbed Beef Back Ribs)
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Note that I did not add the garlic powder until I was ready to grill the ribs. I was concerned that it might develop an odd flavor after 30 hours in the sous vide bath.
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Serves 3 – 4
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1 (3.3 pound) rack of beef back ribs (sometimes referred to as prime rib bones)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder, for finishing
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- Fill a large container with hot tap water. Put your sous vide cooker in the container and set the temperature to 141°F (60.5°C). Set the timer for 30 hours.
- Generously season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper.
- Seal the ribs in a vacuum seal bag, or use a 2-gallon Ziploc bag. (If using a Ziploc bag, use the water immersion technique to seal the bag.)
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4. When the sous vide water has reached the cooking temperature, put the bag of ribs in the water, making sure the ribs are fully submerged.
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5. Use a lid, as I did, or cover the top of the container with aluminum foil to minimize water evaporation. (If your water does evaporate, you will have to add more water to keep the ribs submerged. I had no evaporation with my 12-quart container and silicone lid.)
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6. Just before the 30 hours are up, heat your grill to high. (Or heat your oven to 450°F, 232°C.)
7. When the sous vide timer goes off, remove the ribs from the bag and pat them dry with paper towels.
8. Season the ribs with more salt, pepper, and the garlic powder.
9. Keeping your grill at the highest heat, grill the ribs for about 1 minute on each side. (Or roast in the oven on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.)
10. Cut into individual ribs and enjoy!
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Blondies
By Kath Dedon
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To me, Blondies are what you get when Brownies marry Chocolate Chip Cookies. You get a chewy bar, like a brownie, loaded with chocolate chips. It’s a great combination!
On Friday I said I would bring Blondies to a birthday party on Saturday. I realized that I don’t have a go-to Blondie recipe, so I turned to Eat Your Books for suggestions. The Cook’s Illustrated recipe came up high on the list. The Food52 blog shared it. Eat Your Books also said the recipe is in the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. I know you’re not supposed to try new recipes for entertaining, but I trust Cook’s Illustrated so I decided to go for it.
My, oh, my! I now have a go-to Blondies recipe! These Blondies were incredibly good. The texture was perfect. I loved the crunch of the pecans. Cook’s Illustrated said they tried adding the white chocolate chips on a whim, and using them with the semisweet chips turned out to be the winner. I have to agree.
I would not change a thing about this recipe. It’s very easy and produces fabulous Blondies. Put this one in your back pocket to pull out when you want to take a dessert to a summer barbecue. You’ll be a hero!
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Blondies
(Adapted, barely, from a recipe in the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook and on the Food52 blog)
Makes 36 bars
(I haven’t tried it, but I’m confident that this recipe could be cut in half and baked in an 8-inch square pan if you wanted fewer Blondies.)
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About 1 tablespoon of softened butter to grease the pan
1 cup pecans
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups packed (10 ½ ounces) light brown sugar (Tip: if you have a kitchen scale, measure the brown sugar by weight in a small bowl.)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup (3 ounces) white chocolate chips (For best results, Cook’s Illustrated recommends Guittard Choc-au-Lait or Ghirardelli Classic White Chocolate Chips. I found Ghirardelli at Safeway and that’s what I used.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Use 2 long sheets of heavy-duty foil to make a sling in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Use one sheet lengthwise and the other across the width of the pan. Gently press the foil into the corners and along the edges, leaving the extra foil to hang over the edges. Use a paper towel to grease the foil with the softened tablespoon of butter.
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4. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, until they’re lightly toasted and aromatic. Watch closely because they can quickly burn. Coarsely chop the pecans and set them aside.
5. Melt the 12 tablespoons of butter and set aside to cool slightly.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
7. Put the light brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the butter until it’s well-combined with the sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
8. Use a spatula to fold the flour mixture into the brown sugar mixture. Do not overmix; fold just until it’s combined.
9. Fold in the pecans and the semisweet and white chocolate chips.
10. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
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11. Bake until the top is shiny and a bit cracked and the surface feels firm, 22 – 25 minutes. (In my oven 24 minutes was perfect.)
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12. Put the pan on a wire rack and cool completely.
13. Use the foil sling to lift the Blondies to a cutting board.
14. Cut into 2 x 1½-inch bars. (I used my pizza cutter to cut the bars and it worked great!)
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Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower
By Kath Dedon
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I have made this Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower about 4 times now. I love it!
The recipe was developed by Carolyn Ketchum for A Sweet Life. She has contributed many great recipes to the site, which is a program of the Diabetes Media Foundation. Their goal is to help people with diabetes live better lives.
The first time I made Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower I followed Carolyn’s recipe exactly, including the 6 slices of bacon. Bob and I both loved it. But Bob, Mr. Bacon-Lover, actually said he didn’t think the bacon was necessary. So I’ve made it without bacon ever since.
Since you cook it on Low for 3 hours, this isn’t a slow cooker recipe that you can start in the morning before working all day. But it’s great if you’re home and want to get a great side dish going a few hours before dinner.
This makes a really good vegetarian main course, too. I doubled it for Easter (which is possible if you have a 6-quart or larger slow cooker) and served it with ham, green beans, and a Greek salad. I think our vegetarian guest appreciated having something a bit more substantial to eat with the beans and salad.
Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower will certainly be something that we will enjoy now and then. It’s easy and tasty. And did I mention that leftovers are delicious? I may have eaten some cold out of the refrigerator for breakfast. But then, I am someone who thinks cold pizza makes an acceptable breakfast.
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This particular night I served the Pepper Jack Cauliflower with pork chops and a big salad.
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Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower
(Adapted from Carolyn Ketchum’s recipe on asweetlife.org)
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Serves 6
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I have included the bacon as an optional ingredient. It truly does take it over-the-top and is delicious, but we like it without the bacon, too.
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Cauliflower cut in fourths.
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It’s easy to cut the core out after cutting the cauliflower in fourths. Then break, or cut, it into florets.
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1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
4 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (optional, but really good)
- Grease the inside of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
- Put the cauliflower, cream cheese, whipping cream, and butter in the slow cooker. (No need to stir them together.)
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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4. Cook on low for 3 hours.
5. Stir in the cheese and continue to cook on Low for another 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Stir in the bacon, if using, and serve.
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Instant Pot Bacon and Cheddar Egg Bites
By Kath Dedon
We love these Instant Pot Bacon and Cheddar Egg Bites!
My friend, Becky, introduced me to Starbuck’s Sous Vide Egg Bites when I was visiting her. Have you tried them? Well, they are quite tasty and are popular enough that the Internet has many copycat recipes for egg bites.
I actually have a sous vide cooker, but I’m not really as comfortable with it as I am with my Instant Pot. So when I saw recipes for Instant Pot egg bites I was excited to give it a try.
Some recipes use cream and/or cream cheese. I was drawn to the simplicity of Erin’s recipe on her Platings and Pairings blog. She uses just eggs and cottage for the egg base. And she gives five different variations. You can easily customize the egg bites to suit your taste.
I admit that I used a lot of specialized equipment for these Instant Pot Bacon and Cheddar Egg Bites. If you have an Instant Pot and love egg bites, you may want to consider a couple of accessories to make it easier to make them. This is the egg bite mold that I used. And I bought this silicone sling that makes it much easier to lift the egg mold (or any other dish or cake pan) out of the Instant Pot. (Alternatively, Jill, on her blog, shows how to make a sling using aluminum foil. I haven’t tried it, but I have no doubt that it works.)
So far, I’ve only made this cheddar and bacon version. I’d love to try swapping the bacon for some cooked broccoli or mushrooms. (Bob might object to that.) I’m thinking that leftover Easter ham and Swiss cheese would be good. Be sure to check out Erin’s blog post to see some of her other versions for inspiration.
Bob and I both love these Instant Pot Bacon and Cheddar Egg Bites for a quick bite to eat in the morning. Frankly, I think they’re great cold out of the refrigerator. But they reheat beautifully in the microwave. In ours it takes 20 seconds at 70% power to heat them up beautifully.
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Instant Pot Bacon and Cheddar Egg Bites
(Adapted from Erin’s recipe on Platings and Pairings)
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Makes 7 egg bites
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4 large eggs
½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
4 slices of cooked bacon (or about ¼ cup cooked vegetables or ham or sausage)
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- .Put the eggs and the cottage cheese in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Distribute the cheese among the 7 egg cups.
- Cut the bacon slices in half. Crumble 7 halves into the egg cups. Eat the 8th half.
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4. Pour the egg mixture into the egg cups.
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5. Cover the egg mold tightly with foil to keep moisture out of the eggs.
6. Lower the egg mold into the Instant Pot with a silicone or foil sling.
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7. Seal the Instant Pot and press Steam. Set the time for 10 minutes.
8. When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then do a quick release for the remaining pressure.
9. Let the egg bites cool for a minute or two before removing them from the mold.
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Easy Cashew Chicken
By Kath Dedon
This Easy Cashew Chicken was truly very easy. It required a bit of time to prep the ingredients, but then it took less than 15 minutes to cook. I loved it! Bob thought it needed some heat, but he remedied that with some Tabasco. (I tried to tell him that not every dish needs to be, or should be, spicy.)
I found the recipe on Megha Barot’s and Matt Gaedke’s Keto Connect blog. If you click on the link you can see Megha’s excellent video that shows just how easy it is to make.
Megha says it serves 3. It made 2 servings for us, which was perfect. It would double easily for a family dinner.
I will definitely be making this Easy Cashew Chicken again. I loved the non-spicy flavors and the ease with which it came together. I’ll just make sure we have Tabasco or Sriracha on hand for Bob. 😉
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Easy Cashew Chicken
(Adapted from Megha Barot’s and Matt Gaedke’s recipe on ketoconnect.com)
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Serves 2 – 3
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3 raw boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ medium green bell pepper
¼ large white onion (about 4 ounces)
3 cloves garlic
1½ teaspoons chili garlic sauce (I used the Huy Fong brand)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons soy sauce (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
¼ cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for serving
1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional, to drizzle on the finished dish – I didn’t use it.)
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It looks like there are a lot of steps, but I wanted to make the directions really clear. The recipe is so much easier if you have all of the ingredients prepped before you start cooking.
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- Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
- Cut the green pepper and white onion into equal-sized squares and set aside on a different plate from the chicken.
- Mince the garlic and add it to the green pepper and onion.
- Measure out the chili garlic sauce into a small dish.
- Measure out the ginger and salt into another small dish.
- Put the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar in a small dish.
- Heat a large skillet over low heat. Add the cashews and cook, stirring often, until they are starting to get toasted. It will take 5 – 8 minutes. Remove the cashews from the pan and set aside.
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8. Increase the heat to medium high. After it has heated for a couple of minutes, add the coconut oil and let it melt.
9. Add the chicken to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until it is done. It will take about 5 minutes.
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Chicken cooking. Not done yet.
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10. Add the green pepper, onion, garlic, chili garlic sauce, ginger, and salt to the chicken in the pan. Stir and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
11. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and toasted cashews to the pan. Cook, stirring often, for a few minutes. Cook until the liquid in the pan has reduced until there is no more liquid in the pan.
12. Serve topped with the sesame seeds and sesame oil, if desired.
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Instant Pot Hard-Cooked Eggs in the 6-quart or 8-quart Pots
By Kath Dedon
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If you have followed my blog for any length of time, this post is going to make you think I’m obsessed with hard boiled eggs. I’m not really obsessed, but Bob and I both like having a few hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator for a quick breakfast or snack. So when I see a new recipe for “perfect” hard boiled eggs, I’m eager to try it.
You’ll note that I am not calling this post Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs. There’s a reason for that. I have already posted 3 different methods for “perfect” hard cooked eggs (Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs and Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches, Perfect Instant Pot Hard-Cooked Eggs, and Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs, in case you’re curious). None of them turned out to be perfect.
I have come to realize that there are just too many variables that can affect how the eggs turn out. The size of the eggs (not all of the “large” eggs I buy appear to be the same size), the temperature of the eggs (right from the refrigerator or room temperature), and the freshness of the eggs are just a few of the variables that could make a difference.
And then, of course, there’s personal preference. My idea of a perfectly cooked egg may not be the same as yours. Although I think we can all agree that we don’t want the dreaded green ring around the yolk.
I really thought I had the best method for Instant Pot eggs, but there are a couple of problems with it. I’m not sure every electric pressure cooker has a Low Pressure function. And, if you have an 8-quart Instant Pot, it probably wouldn’t work for you. Carrie tried it in hers and the eggs were terribly over-cooked.
I wondered why it hadn’t worked for Carrie in her 8-quart pot. I turned to the Internet and discovered Kristine’s Kitchen. Kristine did a lot of research and testing and came up with a most reasonable explanation. It takes a bit longer for the 8-quart Instant Pot to get up to pressure, and those extra minutes add cooking time to the eggs. She recommends the 5-5-5 method in a 6-quart pot (5 minutes at high pressure, 5 minutes natural release, and 5 minutes in an ice bath) and the 5-5 method in an 8-quart pot (5 minutes at high pressure, then quick release, and 5 minutes in an ice bath).
Armed with this new information, I decided to try the 5-5-5 method myself in my 6-quart Instant Pot. It worked (ahem) perfectly, so this is my new hard-cooked egg method.
Laura tried Kristine’s 5-5 method in her 8-quart pot and she reported that it worked perfectly!
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I recommend steaming the eggs as I did in Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs. It’s a method that’s practically perfect in every way, and it’s the method I would use if I didn’t have an Instant Pot.
Do check out Kristine’s Kitchen to see the details of her research. She also tells how she makes soft-cooked eggs in the Instant Pot.
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Instant Pot Hard-Cooked Eggs for the 6-quart or 8-quart Pots
(Adapted from methods in Kristine’s Kitchen)
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Some say use older eggs for easy peeling. With this method for cooking eggs, I have noticed that freshness makes no difference in the outcome. I have used very fresh eggs and they are easy to peel.
These directions are for large eggs. I have not tested any other egg sizes, but I assume the timing could be different.
5-5-5 directions for 6-quart Instant Pot eggs
1. Place the desired number of large eggs on the trivet in your Instant Pot. (I used cold eggs, right from the refrigerator.)
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Eggs on the trivet that came with the Instant Pot
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If you have a steamer basket, you can use that instead of the trivet. It does make it easier to take the eggs out of the pot.
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2. Pour 1 cup of cold water into the Instant Pot.
3. Seal the lid and set it at Manual for 5 minutes.
4. Prepare a bowl with ice water so it’s ready when you need it.
5. When the 5 minutes of pressure cooking are up, do nothing and let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. (I always set the timer on my phone. If they’re left longer than 5 minutes they will continue to cook, risking overcooked eggs.)
6. After 5 minutes of natural release, move the pressure release handle to the venting position to quickly release any remaining pressure.
7. Immediately put the eggs in the ice water and leave them for a minimum of 5 minutes. (A bit longer is OK.)
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8. The eggs are ready to peel and eat or store in the refrigerator for later.
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Easily peeled eggs
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5-5 directions for 8-quart Instant Pot eggs
1. Place the desired number of large eggs on the trivet in your Instant Pot. (I used cold eggs, right from the refrigerator. You can also use a steaming basket, if you have one, instead of the trivet.)
2. Pour 1 cup of cold water into the Instant Pot.
3. Seal the lid and set it at Manual for 5 minutes.
4. Prepare a bowl with ice water so it’s ready when you need it.
5. When the 5 minutes of pressure cooking are up, move the pressure release handle to the venting position to quickly release the pressure.
6. Immediately put the eggs in the ice water and leave them for a minimum of 5 minutes. (A bit longer is OK.)
7. The eggs are ready to peel and eat or store in the refrigerator for later.
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I could say this is the last time that I’ll post about hard-cooked eggs. But I’m not making any promises. 😉
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Stir-Fried Green Cabbage with Fennel Seeds
By Kath Dedon
A few years ago I shared my take on Mark Bittman’s Cabbage Braised with Onions. It’s very good and we enjoy it whenever I make it.
Yesterday I made a very similar recipe, but it has a different flavor profile. Madhur Jaffrey’s recipe for Stir-Fried Green Cabbage with Fennel Seeds (Bhuni Bandh Gobi) is from her Quick and Easy Indian Cooking. Like Bittman, she uses cabbage, onion, and a bit of cayenne pepper. The cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, and garam masala that she adds gives the cabbage a very subtle Indian flavor.
We really liked the cabbage served with Uli’s Famous Sausage Hungarian Kolbasz.
(For those of you with an air fryer: I air fried the sausage. Prick holes in one side of the sausages. Put them holes-side-down in the basket. Air fry at 375° for 8 minutes; turn over and air fry for 8 more minutes. Perfect!)
I will happily make this Stir-Fried Green Cabbage with Fennel Seeds again! As Madhur Jaffrey points out in her book, it’s a great side dish with any meat.
(And…I just ate some leftover cabbage cold out of the refrigerator. It’s.really.good.)
Stir-Fried Green Cabbage with Fennel Seeds with Uli’s Hungarian Kolbasz
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Stir-Fried Green Cabbage with Fennel Seeds
(Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s recipe in Quick and Easy Indian Cooking)
Serves 4
1 medium head of green cabbage (1½ – 1¾ pounds)
¼ cup vegetable oil (I used avocado oil.)
¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
½ large white onion (about 7 ounces), thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1/4 tsp. and it wasn’t really too hot. Use less if you prefer.)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon garam masala
- Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut it in half through the core, and then cut each half again through the core. Remove the core. Cut the cabbage in thin strips lengthwise.
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2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the oil and let it heat up. When the oil is hot, add the cumin, fennel, and sesame seeds. Cook stirring often. When the sesame seeds start to pop, add the sliced onion.
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3. Cook the onion, stirring often, for 3 – 4 minutes or until the onion is just starting to brown.
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4. Add the cabbage to the pan. You’ll most likely have to add it in stages. Fill the pan with as much as you can, and cook, stirring, until it cooks down enough to add some more. Continue cooking, stirring, and adding more cabbage until it is all in the pan. Cook, stirring often for 4 – 5 more minutes, or until the cabbage is just starting to brown.
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5. Stir in the salt and cayenne pepper. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring often, for another 7 – 8 minutes.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and the garam masala and serve.
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