Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower

I love spicy chicken wings, in particular Buffalo and Szechwan.  There’s a restaurant near us that has a great happy hour and in the summer we love to walk up there, sit on their patio and enjoy some appetizers.   And either Buffalo or Szechwan wings usually end up on our table.

But as delicious as those wings are, I know they’re loaded with fat and calories and not something I should eat on a regular basis.  That got me to thinking about cauliflower.  It has such a neutral flavor that I started wondering if I slathered them in Buffalo sauce they could be a good substitution for wings.  I decided I would take on the challenge and give it a try.

To make this, I roasted the cauliflower until it was really browned (for extra flavor)  and then tossed it in Buffalo sauce that I had mixed with a touch of melted butter.  I was very pleased with the result.  The cauliflower got a really nice texture to it from being roasted and the texture was not that far off  from that of a chicken wing (minus the crispy skin).  Served up with crunchy celery sticks and blue cheese dressing it was a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of Buffalo wings without any guilt!

•     1 head cauliflower
•     1 tbsp olive oil
•     salt and pepper
•     1 tbsp butter
•     1/3 cup buffalo sauce
•     celery sticks
•     blue cheese or ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut cauliflower into smaller florets.  Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread out on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Roast in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until browned.

Melt butter and combine with buffalo sauce.  Place roasted cauliflower in a bowl, pour sauce over and toss until well coated.

Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Sticky BBQ Ribs

If your child is a really fussy eater you may find that offering finger foods helps. Burgers fill the bill, as do meatballs. These ribs make delicious finger food too, and the added attraction is the sticky mess you get into chewing on them, so have the wet wipes handy.

You can pop some medium-size baking potatoes into the oven at the same time as the ribs for a perfect accompaniment or boil some corn on the cob for around 12 minutes and serve with a little butter.

Hands on time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 to 6 portions

Ingredients

    BBQ Sauce
    1 small red onion, chopped
    1 tbsp olive oil
    1 garlic clove, crushed
    1/2 cup tomato ketchup
    1/3 cup fresh orange juice
    1/4 cup clear honey
    1 tbsp dark soy sauce
    2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

    2 3/4 pounds Saint Louis-style spareribs, cut into individual ribs
    salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Directions

1.Pre-heat the oven to 325 F. In a frying pan, sauté the onion in the oil for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring up to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly then whiz together in a blender.

2.Put the ribs in a large roasting pan (line it with foil for easier clean-up) and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the sauce and toss the ribs to coat. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400 F, uncover the ribs and cook for a further 30 minutes, turning over halfway. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool slightly before serving.

3.Alternatively you can broil or BBQ the ribs -- season and cook in the broiler or over coals for 10 minutes on each side. Brush the ribs with some of the sauce then turn and broil or grill for 5 minutes. Repeat 3 to 4 times until the ribs are cooked through, with a sticky coating.

Egg Pudding

Ingredients

3 tbs sugar
2 tbs water
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
Vanilla essence
250 ml water
4 tbs. sugar

Directions

Take an oven safe pot(this shold be the pot you will 'bake' the pudding in).
Add 2 tbs water and 3 tbs sugar.
Place on low heat on the stove.
Sugar will melt and then turn brown.
Take the pot off when it is nicely caramalised, a golden brown colour.
Leave this to cool. pre heat oven to 200 C.
Now in a separate bowl, mix the 4 eggs, can of milk, 250ml water, and 1 tsp vanilla essence and sugar.Mix well.
Adjust sugar according to taste.
Pour this mixture into the bowl with the caramalised sugar covering the base. Cover with foil.
Place on a baking tray with water in it. Put the tray with the bowl into the oven. Let it cook for about 30 mins. Check with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, pudding is ready, otherwise give it 5 more mins.
Take out let it cool.
Then turn over onto your serving dish.
Pour the juices from the pot onto the pudding.
Decorate with whipped cream, refridgerate.
Enjoy!!

Tres Leches (Milk Cake)

Ingredients

    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 cup unsalted butter
    1 cup white sugar
    5 eggs
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    
    2 cups whole milk
    1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
    1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
    1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
    1 cup white sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.
6. Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
7. Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy!

Almond Coconut Brownies

Ingredients

    1 1/2 cups butter (no substitutes)
    4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
    2 1/4 cups sugar
    3 eggs, beaten
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    3/4 cup chopped slivered almonds
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    FILLING:
    1 cup sugar
    1 cup milk
    24 large marshmallows
    1 (14 ounce) package flaked coconut
    TOPPING:
    1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
    3/4 cup sugar
    1/4 cup butter (no substitutes)
    1/4 cup milk
    1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

1. In a saucepan, over low heat, melt butter and chocolate; cool slightly. Add sugar. Stir in the eggs, flour, almonds and vanilla. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

2. In a large saucepan, combine filling ingredients; bring to a boil. Pour over cooled brownies.

3. In another saucepan, combine chocolate chips, sugar, butter and milk; bring to a boil. Spoon over the filling. Sprinkle with almonds. Chill for 2 hours or until set. Store in the refrigerator.

Crab Cakes

Ingredients
1 pound fresh crab meat
1 egg
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces buttery round crackers, crushed
2 cups oil for frying, or as needed

Directions
 1. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine crabmeat, egg, mayonnaise, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.
   
2. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil to a high heat. Roll heaping spoonfuls on the crab mixture in the crackers, then place the ball in the hot oil. Flatten lightly with a spatula so that the crab cake is 1/2 inch thick. Fry the crab cakes, flipping to ensure both sides get browned.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

    1/3 cup Dijon mustard
    1/4 cup honey
    2 tablespoons mayonnaise
    1 teaspoon steak sauce
    4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat the grill for medium heat.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning!