Main Dish Archives - Craving Cobbler

Beer Braised Short Ribs

November 6, 2013/0 Comments/in Main Course /by kerrycolin

This is comfort food at its finest!

Short ribs are one of those magical meats that you just really can’t overcook. The longer they braise, the more deliciously tender and moist they become. Braise is kind of a fancy way of saying that you’re gonna stew something. The hardest thing about braising is to plan ahead enough to allow yourself plenty of time for it to go in the oven. Kinda like planning a crockpot meal… as long as you start early enough in the day, you’re golden!

All kinds of liquids are great for braises: wine, beer, any kind of broth, colas, or even water. Here I pair dark beer with chicken broth for delightful results! The addition of onions, garlic, carrots, and thyme round out the flavors, and turn it into a whole meal in one pot!

Join me in welcoming in the cooler weather with these delicious Beer Braised Short Ribs!

Beer Braised Short Ribs Recipe

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Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot

Ingredients

6 big meaty beef short ribs (this is probably around 3 pounds)
1 really large onion (diced)
1 one pound bag of baby carrots (cut in half)
kosher salt
cracked black pepper
all purpose flour
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6-7 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 11.2 ounce bottles of dark beer (like Guinness)
2 cups broth

Directions

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees, pull out a large dutch oven, and position an oven rack so that your pot will be in the center of the oven once its lid is on. This is definitely an occasion to pull out the big guns.
Step 2
We received this 8 quart Caphalon dutch oven as a wedding present, and it's probably the nicest thing in our house. I love it! Thank you again Miss Joyce! The veggie prep is pretty simple for this dish. First, the entire onion gets diced. Just so you know, when I say very large onion this is what I mean...
Step 3
Not to get weird... but we're talking fill your whole hand, feed a family for a week, use it as a weapon in the zombie apocalypse onion. Second, the baby carrots get chopped in half.
Step 4
And third, the thyme sprigs (about 6 or 7 nice leafy ones) get tied together with kitchen twine.
Step 5
Now that the veggies are prepped (not a very veg-friendly meal I know), move on to the ribs!
Step 6
As you can see, no two short ribs are alike. I always check out both meaty sides of the rib, because it's not uncommon to have a nice meaty side paired with a fatty or small side. If you shop somewhere that prepackages its' meat, then you're kinda stuck looking at whatever is face up. If you shop somewhere with a full service case, try asking to see the other side of the ribs (without being a pain)... or you could always tell your butcher that you're hoping for some nice meaty ones and trust their judgement! I love it when customers actually trust/listen to me btw! Anyway, generously season the three sides of the ribs where you see meat and fat instead of bone with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
Step 7
Scoop a heaping tablespoon or so of all purpose flour,
Step 8
and sprinkle it over your ribs.
Step 9
Rub the flour on the same three sides, so that you're left with a nice light coating.
Step 10
Heat 2Tbs. of olive oil in your dutch oven over just above medium heat. When it's hot, add three of the short ribs... meaty side down.
Step 11
You want to brown the three seasoned sides about 1-2 minutes each. When the ribs have a nice developed color, pull them to a plate. Add another 2Tbs of oil, and brown the last three ribs. Browning in two batches will help avoid steaming due to overcrowding, and will actually brown the ribs faster than trying to do it all at once.
Step 12
Add the last three browned ribs to the plate, and add another 2Tbs oil and 2Tbs butter to the hot pan.
Step 13
Once it's brown and bubbly, add the diced onion. Toss around and cook for about a minute or so.
Step 14
Toss in the chopped carrots, along with 1tsp kosher salt and a few more cracks of black pepper.
Step 15
Give it all a good toss, and cook around 3 minutes.
Step 16
Add a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic, and cook for another minute or so.
Step 17
Using a slotted spoon, scoop all of the veg out of the dutch oven.
Step 18
I put the browned ribs and barely cooked veggies onto the same big platter to await their bath.
Step 19
It looks like dinner already! Albeit a chewy crunchy dinner... but still. Anyway, now is not the time to get distracted. Remember you've still got a hot pan on the stove! I didn't go nuts trying to get every last bit of onion out of the pan, so this is what I was left with.
Step 20
It's time for some braising liquid! Here are my liquids of choice.
Step 21
Ok, so maybe not. If I'd had beef broth instead of chicken, I would have totally used that. But hey, any tasty liquid would work here, so use what you've got. Pour in both bottles of beer along with 2c. of broth.
Step 22
Turn the heat all the way up, and keep it at a rolling boil for at least 5 minutes. This will reduce the liquid just a touch.
Step 23
Cut the heat off, and get ready to add all of the tasty bits back into the pot. First, add in 1tsp. of kosher salt, and a few more cracks of pepper.
Step 24
Then nestle all of the ribs (meaty side down) into the liquid, along with the bunch of thyme.
Step 25
Next, transfer all of the onions and carrots into the pot. Make sure to scrape all of the residual juices in as well.
Step 26
Spread around the veggies evenly.
Step 27
Almost completely cover the dutch oven with the lid, and place in the center of your preheated oven.
Step 28
See how the lid isn't completely on? Close the oven, and forget about it! This is what you'll see 3 hours later...
Step 29
Yum! It'd probably be delicious now... but I like to braise it a bit longer with the lid off. Place the whole heavy pot back into the oven, and cook for one more hour. Now this is what I call yummy...
Step 30
These would be great with all kinds of sides. I served mine very simply atop a pile of mashed potatoes.
Step 31
Mashed potatoes, carrots, onions, and of course deliciously moist short ribs... I can't think of many things that sound as warm and comforting as that!

Kale Pesto Meatball Sub Recipe

November 5, 2013/2 Comments/in Main Course /by CorgiAdmin

I have a serious issue with wasting food. If there is a scrap or two on Wyatt or Kerry’s plate, then I will shove it in my mouth no matter how full I am. So, when it comes to leftovers I tend to always find a way to craft them into a new meal. Though the rest of the family may not always agree with my concoctions, in this instance everyone loved the Kale Pesto Meatball Subs!

Earlier in the week Kerry came up with a delicious and healthy kale pesto. It was amazing on pasta, and there was a full jar of it left over. I took the pesto, and reworked it into delicious chicken meatballs, along with using it as a condiment on the buns. Once Wyatt got past that fact that his meatballs were green and not brown, he gobbled them up.

One other idea I had for the pesto was tossing some steamed broccoli in it… but that didn’t seem to warrant a full post. If you’ve tried some different ideas with your leftover pesto please let us know!

Kale Pesto Meatball Sub Recipe

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Serves	4
Allergy	Tree Nuts
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot

Ingredients

1lb Ground Meat (I used chicken)
8 heaped tablespoons Kale Pesto (Some for the meatballs / Some for the bread)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Bread Crumbs (I used panko)
1/4 cup Peorino Romano
4 Sub Rolls
4 medium slices Provolone

Directions

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350°. Add Salt & 4 Heaping Tsp. of the Pesto to the Ground Chicken. Mix it together until combined by hand. (Don't over mix, it will make the meatballs tough)
Step 2
Add the Pecorino and mix by hand.
Step 3
Place some parchment on a baking sheet and roll out some golf ball sized meatballs. Bake for 20 minutes. (Time may vary depending on your oven)
Step 4
While the meatballs are cooking slice into your sub rolls. Spread the remaining Pesto in the rolls.
Step 5
Once the meatballs are cooked add them to the rolls. Ours were extra long, so we only got 3 subs out of them... I also crammed more meatballs into it than I should have.
Step 6
Top each one with a slice of provolone and broil until the cheese starts to bubble or the bread starts to char.
Step 7
Hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Kale Pesto

November 1, 2013/14 Comments/in Kid Friendly Tips, Main Course, Sides /by kerrycolin

My four year old ate a bowlful of noodles coated in kale pesto!

If that doesn’t convince you that this is a tasty way to get some raw kale into your diet, then I’m not sure what will. This is my traditional pesto recipe just replaced with kale instead of basil.

I actually love kale. It’s something that I had to talk myself into trying, but now I can’t believe how much I love it! It’s basically a nutritional powerhouse, being one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. However, as much as I may love raw kale in a nice fall salad with dried cranberries and pears, trying to talk Wyatt into eating a kale salad is laughable. Believe me… I’ve tried. He’s been blackmailed into trying small bites of raw kale before in exchange for the promise of dessert. It’s never been worth it. He takes the smallest bite humanly imaginable, shudders while he dramatically chokes it down, and then gets to eat a cookie for his trouble.

The night I made this pesto, I made sure to use a fun-shaped noodle that he hadn’t seen in awhile. I also never used the “k-word”. It was strictly referred to as “green noodles”. Dinnertime with Wyatt has become hit or miss as of late. Some nights he’ll just eat happily, and others (I’m afraid the majority) he needs to be coaxed or hounded into taking every single bite. I have to say that this was one of the easiest dinners (not to mention tastiest) in recent memory!

Please try this and let me know what you think!

Kale Pesto Recipe

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Allergy	Milk, Tree Nuts
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Condiment, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot

Ingredients

6 cups washed baby kale (most of a 9 oz package)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup chopped marcona almonds (or salted nut of your choice)
1 heaped teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Step 1
Even though pesto is a raw sauce, I decided to turn the olive oil into garlic oil. It's a really easy process. Add the 1/2c olive oil into a small saucepan, and add a tablespoon of minced garlic.
Step 2
If I'd had a fresh head of garlic I would have simply added in about 2 or 3 cloves. We always have a jar of minced in the fridge, so even though it's more to scoop out later, it'll taste just as garlic-y! Heat over low/medium heat. Usually I say medium/low heat, but you really want to be careful not to scorch the garlic here so make sure it's set to the lower end of things for this. Give it about 10 minutes to really infuse the oil.
Step 3
Expect some bubbles the last couple of minutes, but pull it off the heat early if you think it's about to really boil! After about 10 minutes pull the pan off the heat; allow to completely cool before you add it into your pesto. Add two overflowing cups of kale into your food processor.
Step 4
I have a mini-prep food processor, which I love, and use for almost everything. Now, however, is definitely the time for your large food processor if you've got two size options. Look how full my larger processor is with just two cups... I can't imagine how long it would have taken if I'd had to use my mini-prep!
Step 5
Pulse kale about 4 times. Add 2 more cups kale; pulse again. Add the last 2 cups of kale; pulse again. Here's what 6 cups of pulsed kale looks like, if you'd ever wondered.
Step 6
Add in the chopped nuts, parmesan, and lemon zest.
Step 7
Pulse about 8 times.
Step 8
Add the tablespoon of lemon juice, and pulse about 3 more times. This smells fantastic by the way! Now, using a slotted spoon, scoop the garlic out of your cooled oil, and add it into the pesto.
Step 9
Replace the lid of the food processor. Turn it onto the lower setting (mine has 1 or 2... I picked 1) and slowly pour in the garlic infused olive oil. Unfortunately I'm not skillful enough to pour a steady stream of oil into a running food processor and photograph it... so here's what it looks like after adding the oil and letting the machine run for about 20 seconds.
Step 10
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add salt and pepper to taste. I added 1/2tsp salt and 1/4tsp black pepper.
Step 11
Run the processor one last time for about 10 seconds, and you're left with this beautiful pesto!
Step 12
Of course the obvious use for this is simply tossed with your favorite pasta shape of the moment...
Step 13
but you can really use as you would any other condiment. Brian's already tried it as a sandwich spread and inside burritos!
Step 14
I was thrilled that Wyatt ate up the "green" noodles without a fight, and I hope that everyone in your house is delighted with these healthy dish as well!

Beef and Black Bean Chili

October 23, 2013/0 Comments/in Main Course /by kerrycolin

With the weather beginning to cool down, I couldn’t wait to make a pot of chili! This beefy chili with black beans makes the perfect dinner or lunch on a cool October day!

I used some local grass-fed beef from my family’s favorite farm White Oak Pastures. They are really a farm that’s doing it right. They care about the welfare of their animals, and giving them a humane existence. Being a butcher, the quality of the meat that ends up on our family table is very important to me. These animals are antibiotic and hormone free, and spend their days grazing on White Oak’s lush pastures. It’s a truly inspirational place.

Wherever you get your beef from, make sure to use a cut that will braise well. I used shoulder clod, but any number of other tough cuts would work: chuck blade, chuck, bottom round, eye round, boneless short rib. I’m a fan of anything shoulder or “chuck” related for chilies like this. Just don’t get anything too tender. If you begin with a cut that’s tender to start with, it’ll overcook in the chili and actually become tough. So save the money and buy something cheap and tough!

I fell in love with the pumpkin beer that I used here. I’d never tried one before, but I’m a sucker for all things seasonal so I gave it a go. It’s smooth and light, and it worked great in the chili! Use anything you’d like to drink on the side. I also think a stout beer would work well here, because I love to use stouts in braises. If you’re not a beer drinker just use an extra cup of beef broth.

Happy fall, and I hope you love this chili!

Beef and Black Bean Chili Recipe

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Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Soup
Misc	Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot

Ingredients

2lb lean beef shoulder (in small cubes)
3 cups diced onion (about one large onion)
2 cups bell pepper seeded and small diced (about 2 on the larger side)
1 cup poblano pepper seeded and almost minced (about 2 large poblanos)
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 cups beef broth
1 can pumpkin beer (or your favorite seasonal beer)
2 cans black beans (15.5 oz cans)
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz can)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus another 2 tsp. later)
2 teaspoons garlic powder (plus another 1 Tbs. later)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (plus another 1 tsp. later)
1 tablespoon chili powder (plus another 2 Tbs. later)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
sour cream
sliced green onion

Directions

Step 1
I like to get everything seasoned and chopped before I start, so that I'm not scrambling around to cook and take pictures. Since you'll just be cooking without the photo shoot, you could probably get away with chopping your veggies while your meat browns. Anyway, I'm a non-multitasking scaredy cat so I chopped my veggies first. Here's my line-up.
Step 2
I had one gigantic onion, a large and a medium bell pepper, and two large poblanos. I wouldn't get too hung up on the measurements or sizes being exact. I measured just to give you a guideline, but feel free to add more, less, or different veggies to make the chili your own! I completely seeded my peppers.
Step 3
I'll be attempting to feed this to an almost four year old. So wish me luck, and feel free to add some seeds for extra heat in your chili. Another thing I did to help get Wyatt to eat this was to practically mince the poblanos.
Step 4
As you chop the veggies, add them into a bowl, and top with the minced garlic. Now is a good time to heat up 2 Tbs. of the olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium high heat.
Step 5
Here's the beautiful grass fed beef. This is exactly 2 pounds of shoulder clod that has been: seamed out, trimmed of excess fat, and chopped into very small cubes.
Step 6
Just so you know, my "chili-sized" small cubes are small enough that you could easily scoop up three or four pieces per spoonful. Toss the first round of spices in with the meat: 1tsp. salt, 2tsp. garlic powder, 1tsp. cumin, 1/2tsp. cinnamon, 1/2tsp. black pepper, 1Tbs. chili powder.
Step 7
Add half of the seasoned beef cubes to your heated oil, and brown for around 2 minutes.
Step 8
After the first batch is brown, pull it to a bowl. Use a slotted spoon so that you leave all of your flavorful grease in the pan for the second round of beef.
Step 9
Now brown round two for another 2 minutes. This smells fantastic by the way! After it's brown add it to the bowl of beef.
Step 10
Add one more Tbs. of oil into the hot pan, and dump in your big bowl of veggies. Give them a good stir to get everyone tossed in the beef flavored oil.
Step 11
Cook around 8-10 minutes over the medium high heat, tossing occasionally. Once they look softened and tasty, it's chipotle time!
Step 12
I scooped 2 heaping Tbs. right out of the can. I avoided any bigger pieces, and also made a point of getting plenty of adobo sauce in both of my scoops. Stir those in with your softened veggies, and let that cook for a minute or so while you crack open some cans.
Step 13
Open and add: a large can of crushed tomatoes,
Step 14
two cans of black beans,
Step 15
one can of beer,
Step 16
and two cups of beef broth.
Step 17
Stir everything together. Add in the rest of your spices: 2tsp salt, 1Tbs garlic powder, 2Tbs chili powder, 1tsp cinnamon.
Step 18
Add back the browned beef and all of it's tasty beef juices.
Step 19
Stir everything together again.
Step 20
Realize you haven't used a big enough pot. Dump the whole thing into the dutch oven you should have used in the first place.
Step 21
*Or you could skip that step by just using a big enough pot in the first place! Anyway, bring the whole shebang to a boil.
Step 22
At this point the beef shoulder still needs to braise a bit. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for an hour stirring occasionally. After it's cooked an hour covered, the beef should be tender enough, but now it needs to thicken up some (unless you'd like Beef and Black Bean Soup). I let mine simmer another half an hour uncovered still on medium low. Then I increased the heat to medium, and let it bubble and thicken for about 20-30 minutes.
Step 23
I strongly recommend serving this with sour cream and sliced green onion.
Step 24
Of course whatever beer you cooked with will be perfect on the side.
Step 25
If I'd had any cornbread it would have been great with this.
Step 26
But since I didn't, I just dove into the bowl!

Creamy Cheese Pasta with Asparagus and Corn

Cream-y Cheese Pasta Recipe with Asparagus & Corn

September 25, 2012/0 Comments/in Main Course, Sides /by briancolin

Kerry recently started working one night a week, leaving Wyatt and I to fend for ourselves at dinner. When it’s just Wyatt and I, we spend a lot of time out of the house. Coming up with quick and easy dishes is the difference between a home cooked meal and the two of us grabbing a burrito.

The flavors of this pasta are light and creamy, accented with bursts of asparagus and corn. If you don’t eat all of it in one sitting, served cold it makes a great pasta salad.

This dish can be prepped, cooked in 45 minutes. During two of the steps, when things are boiling, you have time to wash what you’ve already dirtied. Something else that’s great about this dish, it can all get cooked in one pot!

It took Wyatt a few minutes to realize the sauce on the outside of the asparagus was a cheese sauce, but once he did he tore through his entire serving.

Cream(y) Cheese Pasta with Asparagus & Corn

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Cream(y) Cheese Pasta with Asparagus & Corn

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Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	25 minutes
Total time	45 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly

Ingredients

1 bunch Asparagus
1/2 box Pasta
1 cup Frozen Corn Kernels
1 sprig Rosemary
3 tablespoons Cream Cheese
Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for finishing)

Directions

Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil
Step 2
Snap the ends of the asparagus off. You should be able to get a sense of where they will break without a lot of resistance. Discard the ends.
Step 3
Chop the remaining asparagus into pieces about an inch long. Then drop them into the boiling water for 4 1/2 minutes.
Step 4
Fill a bowl with ice water. Once the asparagus is done, use a slotted spoon to move them from the boiling water to the ice bath.
Step 5
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as directed on the package.
Step 6
When there is two minutes left on the pasta, add the corn.
Step 7
While the pasta cooks, mince up the rosemary.
Step 8
Drain pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water. The starchy water helps bind the sauce and the heat helps melt the cheese.
Step 9
While the pot is off the heat add cream cheese, rosemary, granulated garlic, pepper, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, pasta, corn, asparagus, and reserved water. Stir well.
Step 10
Plate and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing

September 21, 2012/0 Comments/in Salad /by kerrycolin

Our family’s motto is “when in doubt, put it in a tortilla.” In an effort to lighten things up, we decided to take some of our favorite quesadilla & burrito fare and transform them into a tasty salad.

One of the secrets to adding an extra layer of flavor is using curry powder in addition to the standard taco seasonings. It really brings the other flavors to life and gives the chicken a beautiful golden color without adding a lot of heat (feel free to add chili powder, cayenne, or both for an added kick, we are trying to spare our toddler’s diaper). One thing that Brian and I strongly agree on is eating dinner as a family unit. Not only does that mean sitting down together every night, but also eating the same dish. Sometimes our toddler Wyatt’s is presented slightly differently, but in essence we are only cooking one meal. In tonight’s example we have our chicken mix on a bed of lettuce covered in the dressing, while Wyatt’s is served next to a small cheese quesadilla with the lime dressing as a dipping sauce.

The dressing couldn’t be easier. Its a simple mix of sour cream and lime. The real magic happens at the bottom of the bowl as it mixes with the chicken juices. It creates a whole new dressing, but be careful when plating not to add too much of the chicken juices. No one wants chicken salad soup.

Chicken Taco Salad

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Serves	4 - 6
Meal type	Main Dish, Salad

Ingredients

Salad

1lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (Cut into bite sized pieces with excess fat removed)
1 Large Onion (Diced)
1 can Black Beans (Drained and rinsed)
1 cup Frozen Corn Kernels
1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder
2 teaspoons Cumin
3/4 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Salsa
1/3 cup Dry White Wine
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Tortilla Chips
1 head Romaine (Chopped)

Salad Dressing

1 cup Low Fat Sour Cream
2 Limes
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions

Step 1
Heat Olive Oil in skillet over medium heat
Step 2
Season Chicken with Curry, Cumin, Paprika, Garlic Powder, and Salt
Step 3
Brown Chicken in a single layer (leave it alone for about 4 minutes). Turn each piece over to brown the other side (for about 2 minutes).
Step 4
Remove Chicken and set aside.
Step 5
Add Onions to the pan and add a pinch or two of salt. Cook, stirring two minutes.
Step 6
Stir in Minced Garlic and cook 3 more minutes.
Step 7
Add Wine and stir/scrape bottom of pan. Cook for another minute.
Step 8
Add Tomato chunks with their juices. Season with salt to taste.
Step 9
Add 1 tsp. of Garlic Powder, 1 tsp. of Cumin, Salsa, Black Beans, and Corn.
Step 10
Wait for the sauce to bubble, then add back in the chicken. Stir, cover and cook 5 minutes.
Dressing
Step 11
In a small bowl add the zest of both limes. Then squeeze in the juice of 1 1/2 of them.
Step 12
Reserve the other half as wedges to serve with the meal.
Step 13
Add the Sour Cream and 1/2 tsp of course black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Step 14
Wisk together to make your dressing.
Plating
Step 15
Fill the bottom half of the bowl with lettuce.
Step 16
Cover with the Taco Chicken mixture (use a slotted spoon to remove some of the juices).
Step 17
Serve with the Creamy Lime Dressing, tortilla chips, and a wedge of lime.