Watermelon and Pomegranate Slushy Drink

Summer and sunshine calls for summer recipes!! I have so many ideas churning in my head that it's kind of overwhelming me! I mean, I can barely hear the voices in my head, anymore!

I had a ton of leftover watermelon the other day, and as I sat there drinking some pomegranate juice, I had the idea of putting the two together, to make a drink. And since watermelon is made up of mainly water, I thought about making watermelon ice cubes to make a delicious and refreshing drink! The addition of fresh mint make this drink not only refreshing, but beautiful as well!

Yum to pomegranate, right?!? This super fruit is packed with antioxidants and in some studies, have been proven to protect against diabetes and heart disease!

For the watermelon ice cubes:

4 cups of chopped watermelon

2 Tbsp of sugar

To make the drink:

7 watermelon ice cubes

1/2 cup to 2/3 cup of pomegranate juice

1 scoop of Pure Stevia Extract(http://www.amazon.com/Kal-Pure-Stevia-Extract-Powder/dp/B000VRSR84/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370539596&sr=8-1&keywords=pure+stevia+extract

2 sprigs of fresh mint

A splash of lemon juice

Make your watermelon ice cubes and place them in an ice tray. Put them in the freezer and allow them to set overnight. The following day, place 7 watermelon ice cubes, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and Stevia powder(if using), into your blender and pulse until smooth. Add more pomegranate juice as needed, to get your motor running. Stop the motor and give it a little stir. Then proceed to add in your mint leaves and give it a few pulses. Don't overdo this, because you want to be able to see specks of green mint throughout your slushy. Repeat steps for another 8 ounce drink!

Note: This drink will begin to separate the longer it sits, so make sure to pour it into a glass and serve immediately! 

Oven Baked Spare Ribs

Are you salivating, yet??? This picture pretty much speaks for itself. I'm no BBQ expert but all I know is that these ribs are tender and they just fall off the bone! I finally figured out that slow roasting it at a low temperature, is what really does the trick! I like to start my ribs off on the outside gas grill. I've realized that doing so, gives the ribs a nice crust...almost like giving them a good sear on the outside, before preparing them for slow roasting. This recipe is a must try for your next BBQ or family gathering!!


Ingredients:

3 pound rack of baby back ribs, cleaned with membrane removed
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
paprika
cayenne(optional)
my homemade BBQ sauce(http://eatnowcrylater.blogspot.com/2013/05/homemade-bbq-sauce.html)
olive oil

You will also need:

2-3 onions, sliced into thick onion rings
Baking sheet lined with foil

Line some foil on a baking sheet to make clean up easy. Then, take some thick slices of onion and place them in the middle of the baking sheet. It will act like a "bed" for your ribs, plus you'll end up with some caramelized onions too.

Wash and pat dry your baby back ribs. Remove the membrane(watch the video below on how to do this). Coat both sides of your ribs with some olive oil. Add some salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika to both sides. Be generous with the paprika.

Cook your ribs on an outside burner, using indirect heat at 350 degrees, for 1 hour. This will give your ribs a nice looking crust and prepare them for their slow roast. Remove and place on baking sheet.

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees or 110 degrees celsius.

Put some BBQ sauce on the bone side of your ribs and then transfer them to your foil lined baking sheet. Next, with the meat side up, sauce them HEAVY with some BBQ sauce. Cover tightly with foil and cook for 4 1/2 hours. After 4 1/2 hours, REMOVE THE FOIL, drain the liquid from the baking sheet, and place it into a small saucepan on medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, just until the sauce thickens. Put the thickened sauce back on top of the ribs and continue to cook UNCOVERED for 1 more hour. Wait for it to cool down slightly before slicing.

Notes: If you use a bigger rack of baby back ribs(or St. Louis style), they will take longer to cook. You can try baking your ribs at a higher temp to reduce oven time as well. Use good judgement and allow yourself some extra time! :)

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Summer is quickly approaching, which means more BBQ's, right?? I had the sudden craving for some spare ribs which also prompted me to come up with my own BBQ sauce. I AM SO HAPPY, I DID! I will never again, go back to store bought! My version is kid friendly so I don't put any spicy seasoning in it, at all, but if you like spicy(like I do), then I would highly recommend throwing in some chili powder/flakes, cayenne, Sriracha sauce, or even some chopped jalapenos into the mix! You are probably going to read through my list of ingredients and say to yourself, "HEY LADY, WHERE IS THE WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE???" Sorry, folks but my recipe doesn't have it(nor need it)...plus, I think that my blend of hoisen sauce along with the concentrated tamarind pulp, give my BBQ sauce the perfect amount of tang and kick!

My Youtube channel trailer for non subscribers

Roasted Chicken on Steamed Buns w/Hoisen Sauce

Every once in a while, I just don't have the time to put a lavish meal together for my hungry, little army. And on those days, I head over to Costco or Fred Meyer's and purchase their whole, slow roasted chicken, and then I'll serve it with a side of steamed veggies. More often than not, I will usually have leftover chicken that's been tucked away in the fridge and forgotten, only to be found a week later. Woopsy daisy, I guess in the garbage, it goes!! NOT ANY LONGER! I've recently come up with my new go-to recipe for leftover chicken! THEY TASTE AMAZING and my kids absolutely love them!! They call them..."the yummy puffs!" Lol! If you're familiar with Peking duck on steamed buns(pancakes)with a sweet hoisen sauce, then you'll love this one cause the only difference here, is that I use chicken!! A MUST TRY RECIPE!

For the chicken you will need:

leftover slow roasted chicken, hand shredded
salt, sugar, onion powder, black pepper, and fish sauce to taste
chopped garlic
some chicken broth or chicken stock
olive oil

For the hoisen sauce:

Hoisen sauce(recommended Koon Chun brand)
a splash of sesame oil
brown sugar to taste

For the fried ginger:

one whole knob of ginger, peeled then sliced julienne
salt, sugar, fish sauce, black pepper to taste
olive oil

You will also need some plain, frozen buns(re-steamed)and then sliced open like a hotdog bun

For garnish:

Some green onions(white parts only), sliced julienne

On medium high heat, add in some olive oil into your hot pan. Next, add in your ginger slices and stir for a few seconds. Add in a little sugar, salt, black pepper, and fish sauce to taste. Fry until crispy. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl with your shredded chicken, add a little bit of salt, sugar, black pepper, onion powder and fish sauce. Next, add just enough chicken stock to re-moisten your chicken. Taste check. Don't make it too salty though, because you will get most of the flavor from your hoisen sauce! On medium high heat, add some olive oil and throw in your garlic. Stir fry it a little bit, and then add in your chicken. Heat it through and taste check once more. Remove and set aside.

Using the same pan, add in your hoisen sauce. Next, add a splash of sesame oil, but don't overdo it. Then, add in some brown sugar to taste. Finally, move your pan over to your stove, and on medium low heat, stir your hoisen sauce paste, just until all the brown sugar dissolves. Remove and place into a small, serving dish.

And that's all folks!! All that's left is steaming up the buns! This is a fun dish to make cause then all of  your guests can assemble their own mini sandwiches, as they please!!

Notes: You may replace fish sauce with soy sauce if you're not a fan. The type of hoisen sauce really does matter in this case. I highly recommend the Koon Chun brand. If you're super lazy, then you probably don't even need to add any additional flavorings to it. Other brands are a lot saltier, and just don't taste as good! Be careful NOT to over season your chicken! You will get a ton of flavor from your hoisen sauce. Also it's best to slice your buns while they are cold. Remove your frozen buns from the freezer, wait 10 minutes and then slice them. If you slice it after you've steamed them, they become difficult to cut because they are so soft.

Watch my video below to get a better idea!! :)