Birthday on a Stick

As I have mentioned before, I love cooking a meal with a theme. Last week my baby boy turned 19. One of his favorite foods is baby back ribs and I was thrilled to make a meal I knew all my kids would love for his big day. Ribs are the perfect food for a party because you don’t need utensils and this started me thinking about the rest of the evening. A birthday meal with no utensils to clean sounded great and I went with the theme of a “meal on a stick”. Along with the baby backs, I made corn on the cob and decided to go one step forward and create dessert on a stick too. We had a great time and I hope my son will remember the extra attention to detail for his birthday meal.

Baby Back Ribs

Half a rack per person

Brisket rub (I like the flavor of this seasoning and it tenderizes the meat)

Favorite sauce

Foil

Charcoal for grill

Remove membrane from back of ribs. Sprinkle both sides of ribs with brisket seasoning and wrap each rack in foil. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours. Prepare grill and when coals are hot, place ribs on grill brushing barbeque sauce on each side. Grill until sauce is thick and ribs have a nice char.

Corn on the cob

One ear per person

Butter

Salt

This is the easiest and tastiest way to cook corn. Don’t shuck corn. Place ears of corn on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and peel corn. Add butter and salt and enjoy. The only way I cook corn on the cob anymore.

Ice cream pops

Ice cream (I used vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate to have a variety)

Lollipop sticks

Chocolate (to melt for coating, I used candy wafers from baking aisle)

Plastic wrap

Line pan with plastic wrap. Using a melon baller, make small balls of ice cream and place on pan. Put pan in freezer to reset ice cream. Insert a lollipop stick into each ball and freeze again. Melt chocolate in microwave for 30-40 seconds. Dip each ice cream pop into chocolate to coat. Place back into freezer every couple of minutes. You may need to melt chocolate in small batches since the ice cream cools the chocolate off quickly. Freeze until ready to serve. No spoon needed.

Cake pops

Cake mix (I used chocolate)

Icing (one can in a color/flavor to match your cake)

Chocolate (for drizzling and dipping)

Plastic wrap

Bake cake according to package directions and let cool. Take half of the cake and crumble into large bowl. Add about half a can of frosting to bowl. Mix into semi smooth mixture with a fork or use a hand mixer on low speed. Form golf ball sized balls with hands and place on plastic wrap lined cookie sheet. Place in refrigerator to chill. Insert lollipop stick into each cake ball. Melt chocolate and dip each cake ball in chocolate to cover. Place on cookie sheet and back in fridge to cool until ready to serve. I had a little trouble dipping the balls in chocolate because some were too heavy to stay on the stick. I went to Plan B and put the melted chocolate in a squeeze bottle and covered cake balls while they were on the tray. I liked the taste and it was fun having cake on a stick.

Our meal without forks was fun and different. The food was delicious and clean up was a breeze!

Pot Roast 101

I had the unique opportunity to stretch my communication and cooking skills this week. I am teaching a friend of mine how to cook a pot roast. Stephanie is young, single and hasn’t cooked much on her own yet. She loves pot roast and wants to learn a dish that everyone will enjoy and will yield leftovers. Because Stephanie is a novice cook, we are starting from the beginning by choosing ingredients and learning techniques that she can use for many recipes. We are using the most basic equipment to show that you don’t have to have fancy slow cookers and gadgets to prepare a delicious meal.

The list:

Shoulder roast (this cut is my favorite for long and slow cooking; ½ lb each person, more for leftovers)

Gold potatoes (5lbs, good for leftovers)

Carrots (one per person)

2 pkgs Au jus gravy mix

Corn (we are using frozen corn but fresh or canned is perfect too)

Butter

Flour

Vegetable oil

Salt/pepper

Warm rolls/bread (your favorite, cooking a cozy family meal like this deserves the indulgence of bread)

Heat ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup vegetable oil at medium heat in a large pot. Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper then dust with flour. Put roast in hot pot and brown on all sides. Mixed au jus packet with water in cup and added to roast. Cover roast in pan with water and bring to boil. Lower heat to medium low and keep at a simmer for 5 to 7 hours adding enough water to keep roast covered.

After roast has cooked for at least five hours, add quartered potatoes and carrots to pot and cook until fork tender. Heat corn as directed and warm bread. Roast should be fork tender and fall apart for easy serving. Serve au jus left in pan on the side.

Stephanie learned good tips today. She learned how to sear meat to get a good crust on all types of meat and seal in juices. She learned how to pick a good piece of beef looking for marbling for flavor. The technique of braising this roast in liquid for a long period of time allows her to buy a tougher less expensive cut of meat but make it tender and tasty. Stephanie also learned that after seasoning and browning the roast in a pan then transfer to a crock-pot with the au jus gravy will give her the same delicious result and allow her to leave the house.

Stephanie was a great student and I hope we can continue to make recipes together as she grows her culinary skills.