Ramen egg lovers, rejoice. These soy-marinated Asian deviled eggs are filled with a creamy miso-yolk filling and topped with chili crunch, green onion, and sesame seeds.

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It’s no surprise that deviled eggs are showing up for my birthday month of favorite things. These Asian deviled eggs mark my 15th deviled egg recipe – 18th if you count the non-egg versions (potato, strawberry, and cookie). I should also get bonus points for sharing this recipe during National Egg Month and National Vinegar Month.

I was inspired to make Asian-inspired deviled eggs after recently making soy-marinated eggs for the first time. I might be obsessed, I don’t even need ramen to crave them. Best part is that you can reuse the marinade for a couple weeks because it seems wasteful not to with all the soy sauce and seasonings.

Personally I love reusing those 32 oz deli containers from takeout orders (that build up in our food container drawer, making it difficult to open) for this purpose because they are *just* the right size to fit 6 eggs and the marinade. I can even carefully squeeze some of the air out to ensure complete coverage. But you could also use a zip-top bag if you don’t have anything similar on hand.

After the eggs marinade in the soy sauce mixture for at least 8 hours, the process to make the Asian deviled eggs is very similar to traditional deviled eggs. Slice the eggs open lengthwise, scoop out the yolks, and blend them with mayonnaise. The changes are adding white miso paste and rice vinegar instead of mustard. I did consider using Chinese mustard instead, but I’m not made at how these turned out. Clearly, otherwise I would have remade them with Chinese mustard.

After spooning or piping (you can just use a zip top bag with a corner snipped off) the filling back into the egg halves, they are topped with chili crisp, green onion, chili powder, and sesame seeds. You can obviously play around with the toppings based on your preferences.

I brought these soy-marinated Asian deviled eggs over to our friends’ house for dinner as they requested I bring an appetizer. I knew they were making garlic noodles with veggies so they fit right in! In fact not a single one remained by the end of the evening. Guess that means I get to marinade more eggs to make more – oh darn!

SOY-MARINATED ASIAN DEVILED EGGS

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Yield: 1 dozen Prep Time: 8 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

MARINATED EGGS

• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, skins removed and lightly crushed
• 2 whole star anise
• 3 black peppercorns
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• Approximately 1 cup cold water

FILLING

• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tbsp white miso paste
• 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt

TOPPING

• Chili crisp
• Fresh green onions, thinly sliced
• Crushed red pepper or chili powder
• Sesame seeds

Directions

1. Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath to let cool, then peel.
2. In a quart sized airtight container, add soy sauces, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, anise, black peppercorns, cardamom, and red pepper. Stir until the sugar dissolves then add peeled eggs. Add enough water to cover the eggs. Cover with lid and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours.
3. Remove eggs from the marinade and slice in half lengthwise. Remove egg yolks from the egg and place into a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, miso, rice vinegar, black pepper, and salt, then whisk until smooth.
4. Spoon or pipe filling into each egg half. Refrigerate until ready to serve**, garnished with chili crisp, green onion, crushed red pepper, and sesame seeds.

Notes

*Marinade stored in the fridge can be reused for a couple weeks to marinade more eggs. **Can be made a day ahead, but wait to garnish until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from The Flavor Bender and Misfits Market.

Sweet, tangy and crunchy kale slaw is the perfect side for BBQ and more. Serve it next to BBQ ribs, top it on a pulled pork sandwich, or even a taco.

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I used to hate coleslaw of any kind: mayo-based, vinegar-based, it didn’t matter. So when I moved to Memphis, TN in 2007 and ordered a pulled pork sandwich for the first time, not knowing that they serve it topped with coleslaw, I was most perturbed.

After years of remembering to order said sandwich without the coleslaw, eventually, I grew to not only accept it but to enjoy it. I am not sure exactly when the moment happened, but I am fairly certain it was when I had a batch of fresh coleslaw instead of the mushy less flavorful kind. I’m not going to say I loved it, but I enjoyed it in the right circumstances (like on a pulled pork sandwich or sloppy joe, particularly an apple slaw version).

Fast forward to my second (and current) stint in Columbus, OH and I discovered the magic that is kale slaw at a local BBQ joint, The Pit BBQ Grille (sadly closed). Kale slaw I can say I love and would eat straight up as a side. Although it was also particularly delicious on their BBQ Pit bowl as well.

While I never determined their exact “Pit slaw” recipe, it reminded me of a cross between broccoli salad and and the Chick-fil-A kale salad. So when I decided to make my own kale slaw copycat, those are the two recipes I combined.

The result was as close as I can remember based on my taste bud memory and photos. The best thing about this kale slaw is it’s versatility. Sure it’s delicious with BBQ, but I’ve also had it on top of tacos (as pictured) and found it to be the perfect compliment.

How would you serve this kale slaw?

KALE SLAW

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

KALE SLAW

• 8 oz. of kale, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced (about 1 bunch)
• 1/4 of a small head of red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced

DRESSING

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or plain Greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss together the kale, cabbage and Brussels.
2. In a small bowl*, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour dressing over the slaw and toss to coat**. Serve immediately or up to a day later.

Notes

*Or shake in a jar with a lid. **Can can be prepped the day before and tossed together when ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from Perry’s Plate and my Bacon & Blue Cheese Broccoli Salad.

This shop/post has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #ItsAMatch #DietCoke #CollectiveBias

These zesty banh mi sliders are assembled with layers of ginger-marinaded pork, pickled carrots and daikon, avocado, cucumber, and sriracha mayo.

Since the New Year I’ve kind of overloaded you with dessert recipes, with only one being savory, and I figured it was due time to balance things out a bit. Sure this blog may be called The Spiffy Cookie, but I never intended it to be dessert-only. So let’s dive into the savory side, shall we?

The inspiration for today’s recipe actually came from discovering the new Diet Coke® flavors while doing my usual grocery shopping at Kroger and deciding to create a recipe pairing. I chose Diet Coke® Zesty Blood Orange, but there is also Feisty Cherry, Fresh Ginger Lime, and Twisted Mango. Heck they even come in sleek cans, in packs or singles so you can try one of each. For all your Diet Coke purists, don’t worry they have not changed the original despite the exterior facelift. But if you’re willing to take a break from the ordinary, which flavor would you choose?

What kind of food would you think pairs well with Diet Coke Zesty Blood Orange? This bold and yet refreshing flavor needs to shine! How about something exotic, and yet approachable? I’ve been on a banh mi kick lately and have made a taco version several times in recent months. So I took that same recipe and adapted it into sliders, perfect for dinner or hanging out with your friends – just make sure you buy enough Diet Coke Zesty Blood Orange to go around!

While this recipe has a lot of components, each part is easy to execute. The pork marinades in a ginger mixture while you quick pickle carrots and daikon (I actually couldn’t find daikon and used radishes instead) and mash up some avocado. After cooking the pork, all that’s left is assembly, topping it off with some cucumber slices, sriracha mayo, and maybe you’d even like a fresh slice of jalapeno on there. It is being paired with Diet Coke Zesty Blood Orange after all, may as well play up the zesty!

Can’t decide which flavor to try first? There’s a quiz for that! Because who can resist a quiz telling you what kind of Diet Coke you match with? I got Diet Coke Twisted Mango and now I want to make tacos with a mango salsa on top to go with it… which Diet Coke flavor is your match?

Two years ago: Blackberry Tart

Three years ago: Maple Walnut Blondies

Four years ago: Southwestern Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing

Five years ago: Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder

BANH MI PORK SLIDERS

Makes 8 sliders

Ingredients:

PORK

4 boneless pork chops

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp for cooking

2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp sriracha

Salt and pepper, to taste

PICKLED CARROTS AND DAIKON

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup matchstick carrots

1 cup matchstick daikon (or radish)

AVOCADO

2 avocados, mashed

2 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp garlic powder

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS & ASSEMBLY

8 slider buns, toasted

Thinly sliced cucumbers

Cilantro

Sriracha mayo

Sliced jalapenos

Directions:

1. Add your pork and all marinade ingredients to a zip top bag. Close and massage marinade until mixed and evenly dispersed. Marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add carrots and daikon, tossing to coat. Set aside (or cover and refrigerate if marinading for longer than 30 minutes).
3. In a small bowl, mash the avocados, then stir in the lime juice and garlic powder. Set aside (or cover and refrigerate if marinading for longer than 30 minutes).
4. When the pork is done marinading heat your grill (or skillet) over medium high heat and coat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Cook pork on both sides until cooked through (about 4 minutes per side depending on thickness or until internal thermometer reads 135F). Remove to a plate, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing (pork will continue to cook and reach 140F).
5. To assemble, spread the mashed avocado onto the bottom half of ear slider bun. Add pork and top with pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, cilantro, sriracha mayo, and jalapeno.

Source: Adapted from The Garlic Diaries.

Homemade BBQ sauce is a must make this summer, especially when it involves fresh sweet cherries and root beer! Slather it on ribs or your favorite grilled meats.

Well, Argentina laid into the USA soccer team last night. While the outcome was not surprising, I had hoped it would’ve at least been a good game. Alas, it was not the case. Thankfully prior to such destruction I had a most enjoyable time with friends, testing out Lineage’s new rhubarb beer made from local rhubarb. I love that we are able to walk to such places from our neighborhood, especially with weather as beautiful as it was last night. Then on the walk back home the lightning bugs were working overtime as they looked like twinkling Christmas lights in all the trees along the river trail.

As I’ve mentioned before, with all this wonderful weather I’ve been making sure to make use of the grill as much as possible. That patriotic dessert I shared on Monday? It was not the only thing to appear on the menu this past weekend. I also whipped up a homemade BBQ sauce that has sweet cherries and root beer in it – heck yea! I then slathered it on ribs and plan to put it on pretty much everything from now until the end of time (or until I run out). This recipe certainly makes plenty of BBQ sauce to use for many other purposes.

One year ago: Sweet Orange Risotto with Strawberries

Five years ago: Roasted Potato Salad

CHERRY-ROOT BEER BBQ RIBS

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

BBQ SAUCE

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups dark sweet cherries, pitted

12 oz. tomato paste

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup honey

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1 cup root beer

2 Tbsp chili powder

1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

RIBS

5 lbs. Baby Back or St. Louis ribs

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the onions, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are translucent but not browned.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until cherries are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Use the sauce immediately or pour into a container and refrigerate.
2. For the ribs, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil.
3. Place the ribs on the sheet pan meat side up and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Pour a generous amount of the BBQ sauce on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake for 1-1/2 hours for baby backs and 1-3/4 hours for St. Louis ribs, or until the meat is very tender when tested with a fork.  As soon as the ribs are out of the oven, spread them generously with additional BBQ sauce.  Grill right away or refrigerate to grill later.
4. Heat a gas grill to medium-high heat.  Brush the coking grate with oil to keep the ribs from sticking.  Place the ribs on the grill ribs-side-down, put the lid on top (be sure both vents are open), and grill for 5 minutes. Turn the ribs meat-side-down, put the lid back on, and grill for another 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned.  Place on a cutting board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the ribs to rest for 10 minutes.  Cut into ribs and serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Source: Adapted slightly from Ina Garten’s Foolproof Ribs with BBQ Sauce.

Everyone loves a good chopped salad, but with summer on the rise it’s time to test the limits of your grill and prepare not only your meat but also salad with this grilled romaine.

I hope you have given your grill a workout this weekend! I haven’t had the chance until today and you better believe I’m gonna do my best to make up for lost time. But first we have a lot of work to do in the garden, assuming the garden are open today for the purchasing of plants to be put in said garden. But I digress.

In honor of this grilling holiday, the Secret Recipe Club got together to host a picnic/BBQ themed reveal day today!  And in case you are scrambling last minute like I am, today’s recipe is nice and easy.

For today, I was assigned to Julie’s blog, Little Bit of Everything. Originally I thought I would pick a good grilled meat recipe, such as her pineapple glazed baby back ribs, but then I was drawn into the world of grilled side dishes and had to finally try my hand at grilled romaine.

With a crispy crust of Parmesan cheese, it’s not hard to believe it was a knock out. And who would’ve ever thought of freezing red wine vinegar to be used not only as garnish but also as dressing since it inevitably melts? I cannot wait for the lettuce in my garden to get growing so I can do this all summer long.

One year ago: Fruity Sangria

Two years ago: Coconut Pecan Cookies

Three years ago: Spicy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas

GRILLED ROMAINE

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 hearts of romaine, rinsed and patted dry

1 Tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Place vinegar in shallow pan and place in the freezer. Allow the vinegar to freeze, approximately 2 hours. Once frozen, scrape with a fork to create a shaved ice texture. Return the vinegar to the freezer until ready to use.
2. Cut each heart of romaine in half lengthwise so that the root keeps each piece together. Lightly brush the cut side of the romaine pieces with olive oil. Season with the pepper.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat, lightly coat a sheet of grill-foil with nonstick spray, and place over grates. Sprinkle cheese over the foil in 4 spots about the same shape/size as each romaine half. Place the romaine on top of each pile of cheese, pressing to adhere, and cook until the cheese turns golden, approximately 1-2 minutes.
4. Place the romaine, cheese side up onto plates and sprinkle with the vinegar ice. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted slightly from Little Bit of Everything. Recipe originally by Alton Brown.

Change up the way to think of strawberries and rhubarb with this strawberry, rhubarb & pear salad with balsamic-herb dressing. It just might be your favorite spring salad!

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When you hear the word “rhubarb” what is the first thing you think of? I bet most of your answered that with “strawberries” and most likely combined in a pie or crumble.

Well it is time to open your horizons and welcome this strawberry-rhubarb salad into your world, tossed with pears, crumbled, goat cheese, pistachios and spring salad greens. I even made a balsamic-herb dressing to go with it. With all of those ingredients combined together, this salad quickly became one of my favorites. Unfortunately, rhubarb has been difficult to find and may have to sit on the bench for round 2.

In other news I had a phone interview for a job the other day which lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes. I couldn’t believe it! Definitely did not feel like it took that long but at the same time was the most in depth phone interview I’ve had yet.

Before all that happened I managed to screw up the time zone in which I currently reside. She told me 11:00 am central time and I reverted back to thinking I still lived in Memphis, so when 11:00 am came and went I was worried. I even sent an e-mail to check in and suggested other times I was available. Thankfully when my phone finally rang at noon eastern time she understood and we had a little laugh about it. Gotta find the humor in life!

Beat the Heat Recipes

• Best Tomato Sandwich from Palatable Pastime
• Calypso Caribbean Cobb Salad from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Hezzi-D Club Sandwich from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Keto Caprese Wrap from Magical Ingredients
• Mediterranean Chopped Salad in Pitas from Jen Around the World
• Shrimp Ceviche with Pickled Onion from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Summer Fruit Salad from The Freshman Cook
• Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint from Books n’ Cooks
• White Gazpacho from That Recipe

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

STRAWBERRY, RHUBARB & PEAR SALAD

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Yield: 4-6 Servings Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

SALAD

• 12 oz. spring mix lettuce
• 2 cups strawberries, hulled & sliced
• 2 stalks rhubarb, chopped
• 1 pear, cored & sliced
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

BALSAMIC-HERB VINAIGRETTE

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried thyme and/or oregano
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss together all the salad ingredients. Set aside.
2. In a jar with a lid (or small bowl), combine all the dressing ingredients. Cover and shake well (or whisk until combined). Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Drizzle over salads.
3. Top salads with additional fruit, nuts, and/or cheese if desired.

Source: Adapted from Blahnik Baker.

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Fear double dippers at parties? Problem solved with individually portioned veggies paired with homemade green goddess dip or roasted red pepper hummus.

Originally I hadn’t planned on posting the recipes for the veggie dip cups that I also made for my cousin’s shower, but they were such a hit I decided to after all. I actually made two different kinds of dip: green goddess and roasted red pepper. I think the green goddess disappeared first, but both were devoured with satisfaction. Having them prepared in individual cups also made it easy to carry around and socialize without needing to balance a plate full of food. Charcuterie cups would have been a nice addition, too.

Unfortunately due to last minute grocery shopping we didn’t have the diverse array of veggies we had originally wanted, but in all honesty these could have been served  with celery alone and would’ve been just as good. All you really need is a vehicle for the dip! A healthy vehicle of course.

Post updated 1/13/19, picture directly above and below recipe are the originals.

One year ago: Cinnabon Roll Rice Krispies Treats

VEGGIE DIP CUPS

Makes approximately 2 cups each of dip

Ingredients:

GREEN GODDESS DIP

1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley

3 Tbsp packed, roughly chopped fresh chives

1 Tbsp packed, roughly chopped fresh tarragon

2 Tbsp white vinegar

Half a lemon, juiced and zested

2 tsp anchovy paste

1 clove garlic

1-1/2 cups plain low-fat Greek yogurt (I used 2% Chobani)

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 roasted red peppers

1/4 cup tahini

2 cloves garlic

Half a lemon, juiced

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt, pepper, cayenne, and smoked paprika to taste

ASSEMBLY

2 dozen clear plastic cups

Veggies, preferably those than are cut into long slices (such as celery, asparagus, bell pepper, green beans, cucumber, carrots, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes with toothpicks)

Directions:

1. For the Green Goddess Dip: In a food processor, combine the parsley, chives, tarragon, white vinegar, lemon juice and zest, anchovy paste, garlic, and 1/2 cup yogurt. Pulse until the mixture is completely smooth and all the ingredients are pureed. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining yogurt. Cover and chill until ready to use.
2. For the Hummus: Clean out the food processor, and puree the chickpeas, peppers, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and oil. Add more oil if necessary to bring it to the consistency that you like. Add salt, pepper, cayenne and smoked paprika to taste. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and chill until ready to use.
3. For assembly: Layer a little dip on the bottom of each cup. Arrange a group of vegetable sticks in each cup. Serve immediately or keep cold and covered with a damp paper towel until ready to serve.

Source: Green Goddess Dip Cups adapted slightly from The View From Great Island. Hummus adapted slightly from Closet Cooking.

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No smoker? No problem. Ina Garten’s foolproof ribs are slow cooked in the oven and finished on the grill and topped with crazy delicious BBQ sauce.

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It’s that time of the month again! It’s the 4th Thursday and the month and therefore Pass the Cook Book Club time! For July, we were given three recipes from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten. I almost made the blondies but ended up going for the ribs as I have never cooked them myself before.

Bonus points to this recipe because even though I now have a smoker, when I first made these I did not, so an oven method finishing on the grill was more feasible for me. As I am sure it is for many people out there because, while smokers are more common, they are not a standard household appliance.

I prepared the Ina Garten BBQ sauce the day before to make my life easier the next day when cooking the ribs. The BBQ sauce alone smelled amazing as it simmered on the stove and this recipe made a TON of BBQ sauce (I had a lot of BBQ sauce leftover, but I am actually excited about it because it’s delicious).

Then the next day, my plan-ahead-preparations were thrown off by going to the store to buy the ribs and finding out they were frozen solid! I then had to thaw them in the sink full with water but it worked fairly quickly.

Finally, once they were in the oven topped with BBQ sauce, their aromas began seeping through the surrounding rooms. Despite the treat my nose was enjoying, I was still nervous somehow about whether they would be good or not because I am not a grill-master.

But as soon as they were transferred to the grill I was convinced they had to be good when one of the bones literally fell off the meat. This was further verified upon finally sinking my teeth into the ribs and cleaning off every bone – not a trace of meat left on those suckers. Foolproof Barefoot Contessa ribs indeed!

On the side, I served these ribs with scalloped potatoes with bacon & jalapeno and a Ranch version of corn spoon bread. But you could serve it up with whatever your favorite sides are. Maybe get some greens on your plate with a kale slaw or broccoli salad.

Post updated 6/24/2024, photo above is the original.

One year ago: Strawberry Malted Pancakes

Two years ago: Peanut Butter Sandwich Bread

FOOLPROOF RIBS WITH BBQ SAUCE

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Yield: 4-6 Servings Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes 2 Hours 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BBQ SAUCE

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz. tomato paste
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

RIBS

• 5 lbs. Baby Back or St. Louis ribs), membrane removed
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Directions

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the onions, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Use the sauce immediately or pour into a container and refrigerate.
2. For the ribs, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil.
3. Place the ribs on the sheet pan meat side up and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Pour a generous amount of the BBQ sauce on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake for 1-1/2 hours for baby backs and 1-3/4 hours for St. Louis ribs, or until the meat is very tender when tested with a fork.  As soon as the ribs are out of the oven, spread them generously with additional BBQ sauce.  Grill right away or refrigerate to grill later.
4. Heat a gas grill to medium-high heat.  Brush the coking grate with oil to keep the ribs from sticking.  Place the ribs on the grill ribs-side-down, put the lid on top (be sure both vents are open), and grill for 5 minutes. Turn the ribs meat-side-down, put the lid back on, and grill for another 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned.  Place on a cutting board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the ribs to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into ribs and serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Source: Adapted slightly from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust

Happy belated Easter! I hope you all had a splendid weekend. On Sunday, I went to a friend’s for Easter brunch with other friends who were spending the holiday away from family and I brought along these fun deviled eggs. Not only are they festively colored, but they are stuffed with guacamole instead of traditional deviled eggs yolks.

In other news, my March Madness bracket completely imploded over the weekend. I’m not really a basketball fan aside from always cheering for any Ohio State sport’s team, but I always enjoy making a bracket and seeing how it all plays out. Not a single of my final four made it and of course the most disappointing one was Ohio State. Figures that the one Big Ten team that made it was Michigan. Boo. I guess I should cheer for Syracuse now since it’s close to Rochester where I grew up.

Two years ago: Baked Funfetti Doughnuts

RAINBOW GUACAMOLE DEVILED EGGS

Makes 24

Ingredients:

EGGS

12 eggs, hard boiled and peeled

Food coloring

White vinegar

Water

Cups or mugs

FILLING

2 avocados

1 lime, juiced

1 Tbsp red onion, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 Roma tomato, diced

Chile powder, for garnish

Directions:

1. Mix 20 drops of food coloring* with 1/2 tsp vinegar and 1 cup water in a mug or small cup. Place eggs into colored water and allow them to sit for one hour. Remove eggs from the colored water and rinse well. Slice in half to reveal the beautiful rings around the whites of the cooked egg. Remove yolks and place in a medium bowl.
2. Mash the avocado and egg yolks. Mix in lime juice, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Gently fold in tomato.
3. Scoop heaping spoonfuls of the guacamole into the 24 halved eggs. Sprinkle with a little chile powder for color and arrange on a platter.

*Color variations: Orange = 17 yellow, 3 red, Purple = 15 blue, 5 red, Teal = 15 green, 5 blue, Pink Berry = 14 red, 6 blue, Yellow Green = 14 green, 6 yellow

Source: Color adapted slightly from Crafts by Amanda. Egg filling adapted from Skinny Taste.

I started out by making a homemade Italian salad dressing which was destined for marinating zucchini. The markings on the side of the shaker really helped in reducing the number of dirty dishes created since there was no need for measuring cups (yay!). The dry seasoning then went for a swim before screwing the top on.

Make sure the pour spout is closed and then shake shake shake. Shake your booty! No seriously, when I shake things a lot my whole body starts to join in. But moving on… so once your dressing has been fully shaken, You just push open the spout with your finger and pour all in one fluid motion. Afterwards, any leftover dressing can be stored in the shaker with the spout closed. Did I mention this contraption reduces dirty dishes?

Now that I know how easy it is to make my own dressing at home, you might see a few more salad posts pop up in the future. Maybe I will even use the dressing on an actual salad next time – gasp!

Want a salad dressing shaker for yourself? Just answer this simple question in a comment on this post: What is your favorite salad dressing? Giveaway ends on Tuesday, May 15th at 11pm central time. Winner will be notified by e-mail and given 24 hours to respond. GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.

The winner is #16 Lynna from Hearts in my Oven.

One year ago: Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

ITALIAN DRESSING MIX

Makes approximately 1/2 cup mix (or 4 cups prepared dressing)

Ingredients:

DRY MIX

1 Tbsp garlic salt

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp white sugar

2 Tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried basil

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp celery salt

1 Tbsp salt

DRESSING (Makes approximately 1 cup)

1/4 cup white vinegar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp water