Chocolate Pecan Pie

I know this is difficult to believe, but prior to preparing this recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie, I had only eaten Pecan Pie one time in my life. Even more difficult to believe is that Brad had never tasted Pecan Pie at all. When I came across this recipe, I knew that I wanted to make it this year for Thanksgiving; even though I am not a big fan of corn syrup. To be honest, the one time I ate pecan pie, it had me at first bite. When I learned that I could add chocolate to the equation, it was a no brainer. I moved ahead with the following recipe.

Ingredients:
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 recipe Basic Pie Crust, rolled and fit into 9-inch pie plate (or organic pre-made pie crust)
1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In heatproof bowl, set over (not in) saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 2 or 3 minute. Or, melt chocolate in microwave. Set aside.

In medium bowl, stir together (do not whisk) eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stirring occasionally, gradually add melted chocolate. Pour filling into prepared crust and place pie plate on rimmed baking sheet. Arrange pecans in one even layer over filling.

Bake just until set; 50 to 6o minutes, rotating halfway through. Filling should jiggle slightly when pie plate is tapped. Let cool completely on wire rack, at least 4 hours before serving.

This pie was pretty amazing. From the rich gooey center to the chewy edges, the dessert was pure heaven. The chocolate cut through the sweetness of the corn syrup and sugar but I still recommend cutting the amount of sugar in half. I know Pecan Pie is meant to be sweet but I think the corn syrup provided enough sweetness to need very little help from sugar. This is the only change I would make to the pie. Other than only being able to eat a small piece to avoid wonky blood sugar, this pie eating experience was close to perfect. Brad concurred.

Although I am providing the recipe for Basic Pie Crust below, I decided to buy a pre-made Wholly Wholesome Organic Pie Shell from PCC Natural Market. This particular pie crust has no hydrogenated oils and is made with organic ingredients so I felt good about using it. I actually liked it almost as well as the crust I make from scratch. It didn't get quite as flakey during the baking process but it was still delicious.

Basic Pie Crust-
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 to 4 Tbsp ice water

In food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt and sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. If necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Don't over mix.

Turn dough out onto large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough,; press to shape into 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate until firm; at least one hour (or up to 3 days).

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to 14-inch round with floured rolling pin. Wrap dough around rolling pin, discarding paper; unroll over 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate. Do not stretch dough.

Using kitchen shears, trim dough to 1-inch overhang. Fold under itself to form rim and press to seal. Using thumb and forefinger, crimp rim of crust. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to one day.

Recipe Source:
marthastewart.com

Dark and Stormy Cocktail

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

The Dark and Stormy was a perfect choice for our Thanksgiving cocktail because of the earthy color and deep, warm flavor. Our friends Tom and Heidi helped decide which cocktails we would serve. The Dark and Stormy was Tom's great idea and Heidi recommended that we serve hot spiced cider with rum. Both drinks were tasty but the Dark and Stormy was our official Thanksgiving cocktail.

Ingredients per serving:
ice
1/4 lime, cut into two thick slices, one for garnish, one to squeeze over ice
2 oz Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda black rum
4 oz ginger beer

Fill highball glasses with ice. Squeeze lime slice over ice. Add Gosling's rum. Add ginger beer and place slice of lime on rim of glass for squeezing or garnish.

This cocktail was tasty with a capital T! Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda black rum has great depth of flavor without  being too strong. I purchased ginger beer by The Ginger People and the flavor was lovely. I have only tasted ginger beer a few times but this brand is my favorite thus far. (I recommend checking their website for other products. The ginger chews are one of my brother's favorite treats). The only change I would make to this recipe is to squeeze one additional slice of lime. The extra acidity added the perfect touch.

I read about a few alternatives to this cocktail that I thought I would share. The first is to add fresh-grated nutmeg as a finishing touch. The second is to swap black rum for white rum to make a Light and Breezy. As you can see in our photo above, the Dark and Stormy was perfect for our Thanksgiving weather so we stuck with the original. Enjoy!

Recipe Source:
simplyrecipes.com

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Goat Cheese and Celery

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Even though we host Thanksgiving every year, the holiday has become a time to both relax and reflect on our many blessings. How does one relax while hosting a holiday? Wish I could take credit for being zen-like by nature but it is not the case. I am only able to enter a relaxed state by ordering Thanksgiving dinner from Metropolitan Market and then filling in the blanks with homemade pie and an appetizer. Metropolitan Market does such a fabulous job maintaining classic flavors (I am a stuffing junky and their stuffing is amazing!), that I have decided to let them do the hard work. Why reinvent the wheel, right? Last year I was fairly motivated so I prepared two pies from scratch and an appetizer. This year, I decided to make one appetizer, one pie and to have Brad prepare a Thanksgiving cocktail.

Although the recipes were new to me, the bulk of my preparation time was spent setting a beautiful table; which is always enjoyable. The setting was quite a departure in color and complexity from my usual Thanksgiving table (this year's table setting was much simpler) and it turned out even prettier than in previous years.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

The appetizer I chose to prepare was Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Goat Cheese and Celery. The recipe was originally designed to be served as a side dish in place of classic Sweet Potato Casserole. When I looked at the recipe however, I immediately envisioned it as an appetizer instead of a side dish. Served as any part of a meal, this dish would not disappoint.

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp olive oil
3 lb sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch coins
salt
3/4 cup toasted and cooled pecan halves, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp dried cranberries or cherries, minced (optional but I used cranberries)
3 oz firmish goat cheese, crumbled
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp smooth Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat large baking sheet generously with olive oil (about 1 to 2 Tbsp). Lay sweet potatoes in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Roast, without disturbing for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully flip each piece; undersides should be blistery, dark and a bit puffy and should release from pan with no effort. If they don't, cook longer. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and return to pan for another 10 minutes or so, until underside matches top.

Meanwhile, prepare salad. In large bowl, combine pecans, shallots, celery, parsley, cranberries and goat cheese. In small dish, whisk together 4 Tbsp olive oil, vinegar and mustard. Pour half over salad and toss.

When potatoes are done, arrange then on serving platter. Scoop spoonful of salad over each round. Drizzle remaining dressing over top to taste. Serve immediately.

The recipe is savory, sweet, not too heavy and just plain tasty. I do however, highly recommend using the optional cranberries. The sweetness was perfect against the richness of the goat cheese and pecans and the chewy texture partnered beautifully with the crunchy celery. Just a reminder that pecans are easy to burn while toasting. The process works best when using a skillet on low heat and stirring the nuts frequently.

Just a side note that I used organic vegetables from PCC Natural Market and herbs from my garden for this recipe. I also want to give some love to my friend Heidi Matzen for preparing delicious green bean and sweet potato casseroles for our meal. The Matzens were our Thanksgiving guests last year as well as this year and they are lively and lovely guests. The lively comes from her husband Tom, 2 year-old son Vaughan, and 4-year old son Griffin and the lovely is courtesy of Heidi. :) We are truly thankful for such dear friends.

Recipes for pie and cocktail to follow........

Recipe Source:
In Style Magazine, November 2012

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Three Ways: Cinnamon-Sugar, Spicy and Salty

Photos Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Happy Halloween week! Since having Olivia, we have come to realize that Halloween is not a day-long holiday but instead a week-long holiday. We decided to embrace the full week so three years ago, we instituted our annual family pumpkin carving night (which includes Brad, me, Olivia and Brad's best friend, Carl). I usually think of extracting pumpkin seeds as cumbersome but this year, I decided to save them for roasting. We ended up carving five pumpkins (one for each of us and one for our cat). Needless to say, seeds abounded.

Who knew there were so many recipes for roasted pumpkin seeds and so much discussion about how to prepare them? The biggest point of discussion seemed to be whether to boil the seeds in salt or to allow them to dry on cookie sheets prior to roasting. The second point of debate was whether it is better to leave some of the pulp with the seeds for extra flavor or to remove all pulp. I had already spread my seeds across cookie sheets and removed all pulp so I moved forward from there. Next time I roast seeds, I will try boiling them in salt water because this process is supposed to help the seeds absorb and retain a salty flavor. I will also leave some of the pulp with the seeds because I kid you not, it took me an hour to separate the two.

Because there are so many pumpkin seed recipes, it was impossible to narrow my options to one. With an abundance of pumpkin seeds on hand, I decided to roast them three ways; sweet, spicy and salty. The only difference in the recipes is the way they are flavored. Roasting instructions for all three are exactly the same.

Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds-

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp melted butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds-

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I couldn't find my cayenne pepper so I used chile powder.... it worked great!)

Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds-

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter
2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop out inside of pumpkin and separate seeds from pulp. Don't worry if there is some pulp remaining on seeds before roasting..... pulp may add flavor. Just remove biggest pieces so seeds are easy to toss.

In bowl, toss seeds with melted butter or olive oil until fully coated. Add salt and seasoning. Spread seeds in even layer across greased cookie sheet (or cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil). Bake for 30 minutes or until seeds are golden brown. Stir occasionally while baking so seeds toast evenly. 

This roasting project was 2/3 successful. The spicy seeds are by far my favorite with the salty seeds coming in second. The idea of cinnamon-sugar seeds is fantastic but they are unfortunately, quite easy to burn. I turned them frequently throughout the 30 minute roasting time. I even took them out three minutes early but half of the batch was slightly burned. I ended up separating the good seeds from the burned seeds so we were at least able to enjoy a few of them. I highly recommend changing the baking time for the cinnamon-sugar seeds to 20 minutes. 

After realizing that the seeds might cook quicker than the recipe states, I ended up removing the spicy and salty seeds from the oven at the 25 minute mark. The textures and flavors of both were perfect after this slight alteration. 

All in all, this was a fun cooking project and the end result was pretty tasty. I would like to thank my little blonde kitchen helper for measuring and adding the ingredients to each of the batches. She does fabulous work. 

Recipe Source:

seriouseats.com

Easy Manicotti

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

This has been the most beautiful northwest summer that I can remember. Days were sunny and warm without being too hot and evenings were clear and and dare I say, a bit balmy. We had no recorded rain in July, a fraction of an inch in August and about the same in September. Although we could begin to smell Fall in the air, it did not arrive until four days ago. And with a change in temperature, came the rain. Needless to say, it is time to pull out the sweaters and rain shoes and to start preparing comfort foods for dinner.

I ended up choosing this easy manicotti as my first comfort dish. Lucky for me, my friend Kasia had a bumper crop of tomatoes and I was the recipient of the overflow. I started my morning by blanching the tomatoes and then cooking them down into a beautiful homemade tomato sauce. I tend to wing my tomato sauce recipes so my final product is a little bit different every time. This time I added minced garlic from my garden, chopped white onion, olive oil, fresh garden basil and oregano, kosher salt, black pepper and white sugar. I am convinced that the best way to make sauce is to add ingredients based on your personal taste so I am not providing measurements for each ingredient. I also love starting in the morning and cooking the sauce down for 6 to 8 hours. The house smells great as the sauce cooks and the flavors have time to meld.

Once the sauce was done cooking all day, I was ready to prepare the following manicotti recipe. 

Ingredients:
1 box organic manicotti shells ( I used Garden Time organic shells)
olive oil
16 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan plus 1/4 cup for topping
1 lb ground beef, ground turkey, sausage or tofu (I used grass fed ground beef)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp pepper
4 cups spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute meat in splash of olive oil, set aside. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions and set aside. Combine cooked meat, spinach, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and pepper.

Stuff manicotti shells with mixture and arrange in 9" X 13" baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over manicotti and bake for 45 minutes. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese.

I am going to make my overview short and sweet today. This recipe is quite flavorful. My favorite part of the dish is the way the nutmeg compliments the creaminess of the ricotta. I always grate my own whole nutmeg (see photo below) with a microplane zester/grater which adds a depth of flavor that does not occur when you use pre-ground nutmeg.

I also appreciated the ease of preparation. If I hadn't prepared sauce from scratch, total preparation time would have been less than 20 minutes. As a side note, I prepared half of the manicotti with sliced olives instead of beef. I cut large whole black olives into three slices and then added them to half of the ricotta mixture. I liked the vegetarian version as well as the beef version and Olivia couldn't seem to get enough of it. You could easily forego meat and prepare the manicotti with olives or another firm vegetable. 

Finally, I know I often get on my soap box about using fresh and organic ingredients but I swear it makes a huge difference. Grass fed beef has a more robust flavor than run-of-the-mill beef and using fresh herbs adds a brightness to food that can be found no other way. Enjoy!

Recipe Courtesy of Garden Time Organics

Roasted Cauliflower with Green Olives

I have never been all that interested in broccoli or cauliflower but lately, cauliflower has become one of my favorite vegetables. It started with a Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini salad from the deli counter at PCC Natural Market and snowballed from there. Instead of continuing to eat cauliflower in raw form at home, I decided to seek out a recipe that features cauliflower as the main ingredient.

I happen to love green olives so I was immediately drawn to this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower and Green Olives. I love the simplicity of ingredients and the ease of preparation. Recipe follows:

Ingredients:
1 large had cauliflower, about 2 lb
1 cup pitted large green olives, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/3 cup store-bought seasoned croutons, ground to crumbs in food processor

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil 12-by-17-inch nonstick rimmed baking sheet. Cut cauliflower head in half, slicing through core. Using sharp paring knife, remove core from each half and discard. Cut cauliflower into small florets, each about 1/2 inch in diameter.

In bowl, combine cauliflower, olives, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss until cauliflower and olives are evenly coated. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and spread in single layer. Roast cauliflower and olives for 10 minutes. Stir to toss and continue to roast until florets are slightly golden, 10-12 minutes longer.

Photos Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Remove from oven. Sprinkle with parsley and bread crumbs and toss to combine. Let cool to room temperature. (Cauliflower and olives can be roasted up to one day in advance, covered, refrigerated and brought to room temperature before serving).

To serve, mound cauliflower and olives in center of platter or shallow serving bowl. Serves 8.

Side notes: This dish tastes best at room temperature, making it ideal for entertaining To save preparation time, look for large green olives that have already been pitted. They can be found prepacked in glass jars or purchased by weight from market olive bars.

This recipe is really wonderful. Roasting tends to bring the sweetness out in vegetables and cauliflower is no exception. The brininess of the olives combines beautifully with the savory qualities of the olive oil and the brightness of the parsley. I ate two small bowls because one just wasn't enough! This is definitely going to become part of my arsenal for easy side dishes. It's a keeper for sure.

Recipe Source:
"Williams-Sonoma Outdoor Entertaining"
Page 62

Salmon and Zucchini with Shallot Vinaigrette

Today I am presenting a fabulous recipe that I prepared two nights ago. This is easily in my top ten favorite recipes that I have prepared in the past year and to sweeten the pot, preparation and cooking took less than 30 minutes. I started with a Coho salmon fillet from  Seattle Fish Company in West Seattle. I then added all organic herbs and vegetables from my garden and PCC Market. King salmon is usually my salmon of choice but the Coho was so beautiful that I decided to go with it. I guess nostalgia played a part in this choice as well. When I was 21, I worked the Coho fish run for a cannery in Petersburg, Alaska. At the time, I was literally up to my ears in Coho and I swore to never eat it again. A lot changes in 19 years and I am okay with it now. :) 

Even though I usually provide commentary at the end of my post, I am going to provide you with the highlights of this dish before I give you the recipe. This will hopefully make your tastebuds tingle and encourage you to try the dish. 

First of all, I usually grill or bake salmon but I have obviously been missing out. Cooking skinless salmon fillet in a skillet is going to be my go-to method for preparing a quick salmon dinner. Cooking the salmon in this manner keeps the moisture and flavor in but allows seasoning to bind to the outside of the fillet. Olivia liked it so much that she ate almost half of the fish! I had one of the four fillets, Brad had about 1 1/3 fillets and Olivia ate the rest.

The salmon was good enough to stand on its own but the vinaigrette was the icing on the cake. Rice vinegar, olive oil and shallot always make a tasty vinaigrette but adding the dill was genius. Dill alone partners beautifully with salmon, but I think I liked it even more in the vinaigrette. Finally, I loved the zucchini sticks. The texture was the perfect partner to the salmon. I highly recommend cooking the zucchini al dente to maintain crispness. 

Ingredients:
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/4 lb skinlees salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 lbs medium zucchini (about 3), cut into thin sticks

In small bowl, combine shallot, vinegar, dill, 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Photos Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Heat 1 teaspoon remaining oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season salmon with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve with salmon and vinaigrette.

Recipe Source:
Real Simple Magazine, September 2010
Page 248

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

This is the loosest recipe I have published thus far but it was quite tasty. Basically, you take fresh green beans and pork of your choice, then add the desired amount of each of the remaining ingredients. There is no exact science to this recipe; which makes the process easy and the end result pleasing to the individual palate.

The only details I would like to note is that the green beans and pork were purchased at the West Seattle Farmer's Market. Every Sunday, I purchase thinly sliced pork that is meant to be used for stir-fry from the Olsen Farms booth. The pork is from animals that are naturally and sustainably raised. I can't even begin to explain the difference between Olsen Farms pork and run-of-the-mill store bought pork. Once again, fresh and organic ingredients reign supreme. The recipe for Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork follows:

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh green beans
1 pound stir-fried ground or thinly sliced pork
dry sherry
soy sauce
Asian chili sauce (I used sweet chili sauce)
garlic (the first garlic I have ever grown in my garden!!!)

Cut beans to desired length. Stir-fry until blistered and mostly tender; remove beans.

Photos Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Stir-fry pork about for about 2 minutes. Add dry sherry, soy sauce, Asian chili sauce and garlic to taste; then finish cooking pork. Add beans, stir until hot.

Recipe Source:
interpreted from Sunset Magazine, June 2012
Page 55

Quinoa and Grilled Sourdough Salad

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

This past week was like old times! Three recipes in one week....... I haven't been this diligent in months. I was driven to post so many recipes because we hosted backyard barbecues five out of seven nights. We were able to feed friends and family and I must say, it was my favorite summer week thus far.

For our fifth night of barbecuing, we hosted my in-laws. Instead of preparing another recipe that involves grilling, Brad ran up to Metropolitan Market and purchased prepared Kalbi Beef Kebabs and Chicken Vegetable Kebabs. I spent my Sunday morning perusing the West Seattle Farmer's Market and ended up purchasing Vegan Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho from  a local company called Got Soup? that I served as a starter and organic vegetables for the following Quinoa and Grilled Sourdough Salad recipe.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup quinoa
4 slices sourdough bread
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra to brush bread
salt
4 ripe medium tomatoes
3 small cucumbers, unpeeled
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 small garlic cloves
black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place quinoa in saucepan of boiling water and cook for 9 minutes, or until tender. Drain in fine sieve, rinse under cold water and leave to dry.

Brush bread with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay slices on baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Bread should be completely dry and crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then break by hand into different-sized pieces.

Cut tomatoes into roughly 3/4-inch dice and put in mixing bowl. Cut cucumbers into similar-size pieces and add to tomatoes. Add remaining ingredients, including quinoa and croutons, and stir gently until everything is mixed together well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This recipe was thoroughly enjoyable. The best way I can describe it is to say that the best parts of  panzanella salad and vegetable quinoa salad collided. The vegetables were fresh and crunchy, the bread was flavorful and the quinoa provided a lovely nuttiness and a textural pop. The herbs were beautiful and they worked perfectly with the acidity from the lemon juice and vinegar. If you are looking for a side dish to accompany barbecued protein, this is a great candidate. I would also prepare it as a main course but I would double the amount of quinoa to provide additional protein. Enjoy!

Recipe Source:
"Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi" by Yotam Ottolenghi
Page 128

Foil-Wrapped Baby Back Ribs

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

My dad's birthday was this past week and we were fortunate enough to get a visit from him over the weekend. We felt an even stronger desire than usual to celebrate this year because he just cleared his one year check-up after having a stem cell transplant. We are so very proud of how hard he has fought over the past few years and we were thrilled to celebrate both his birthday and his health.

It is no secret that I have very little interest in eating any type of meat on the bone. I guess I have always thought of it as animalistic and messy. I must take this opportunity to admit how much I have missed out on due to my lack of interest. After preparing and eating one of my dad's favorite foods for his birthday, barbecued ribs, I am officially converted. I am now able to eat meat on the bone as long as it tastes as good as these ribs tasted. This recipe for Foil-Wrapped Baby Back Ribs was so delicious, that it has officially made it into my top ten favorite recipes featured on this blog. The ribs melted in our mouths and the flavor was amazing. I can't say enough about using this foil method to tenderize the meat before grilling the ribs over an open flame. For those of you that boil your ribs before grilling, I urge you to try this method. You will be wowed by the result.

Ingredients:

Rub:

1 Tbsp kosher salt

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp granulated garlic

2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 racks baby back ribs, each 2 to 2 1/2 lbs

1 cup hickory wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes (we used mesquite chips)

1 cup prepared barbecue sauce

Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium heat; 350 to 450 degrees. Mix rub ingredients in small bowl. Remove membrane from back of each rack of ribs. Cut each rack crosswise in middle to create two smaller racks. Season each half rack evenly with rub. Using eight 18" by 24" sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, double wrap each half rack in its own packet.

Brush cooking grates clean. Place ribs on grill over direct medium heat and cook for one hour, with lid closed, occasionally turning packets over for even cooking, http://http://swinerymeats.com/.com/ sure not to pierce foil. Remove packets from grill and let rest for 10 minutes. Carefully open foil packets, remove ribs and discard rendered fat and foil.

Drain and add wood chips directly onto burning coals or to smoker box of gas grill (we have a Weber gas grill with built-in smoker box), following manufacturer's instructions. When wood begins to smoke, return ribs to grill, bone side down. Grill over direct medium heat, with lid closed as much as possible, until they are sizzling and slightly charred, 10 to 12 minutes, turning and basting once or twice with sauce. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into individual ribs and serve warm with any remaining sauce.

Brad did a wonderful job executing the barbecue process for this recipe. He also chose to purchase the baby back rib racks from a local West Seattle butcher shop called The Swinery that offers exquisite cuts of meat. The quality of meat had a big bearing on how good the ribs tasted. He also purchased their signature barbecue sauce, which was delicious. The Swinery is the first and only sustainable butcher in Seattle. Pretty cool, right? Finally, we prepared two racks of beef ribs from Metropolitan Market that we seasoned with salt and pepper only. These ribs were also delicious but the Baby Back ribs stole the show! 

Recipe Source:

weber.com