Saucy Ribs and Parmesan Potatoes

 two weeks ago I made saucy ribs and parmesan potatoes. i was looking for an easy crock pot recipe and came across this recipe for ribs in Renee's cook book. if you don't have her cookbook you should get one; she has some fantastic recipes. but back to the ribs. i've never made ribs before so i decided to give it a whirl. they were good, but not one of my favorites. this is probably due to the fact that i'm not really a big fan of ribs. they're just so messy and i feel like a cannibal eating them. anyways my family did like them a lot, so if you're a ribs fan, i would definitely suggest trying them. the parmesan potatoes came from our church's cook book. i absolutely loved them! crispy on the outside but soft on the inside; now that is my kind of potato!

Recipes: 
Saucy Spareribs
TIME: 7 hours SERVES: 6-8 
 Ingredients:
4-5 lb. pork spareribs or 3-4 boneless country style ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic salt to taste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 c. ketchup
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4c. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. pepper
Directions: 
Season ribs with salt, garlic salt, and pepper; place in crock pot on HIGH for 6 hours or until tender. Meanwhile in a saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add reaming ingredients; mix well. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain juices from ribs in crock pot. Pour sauce over ribs. Cook at least one hour longer.

Parmesan Potatoes
TIME: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Ingredients: 
6 potatoes (5 to 6 c., cubed)
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
1/3 c. butter
Directions: 
Peel potatoes and cut in cubes. Combine flour, cheese, salt and pepper in large baggie. Add moist potatoes to bag and shake gently to coat. Melt butter in 9x13-inch baking dish. Place potatoes over the butter. Bake at 375 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning once during baking.

Cheesy Penne with Broccoli and Herbed Breadsticks!

once again, sorry for the no post last week...my family and i got home from florida the beginning of last week so i didn't cook until the weekend and i haven't gotten a chance to blog until now! so, here we go! i made cheesy penne with broccoli and herbed breadsticks. both of these recipes i got from Cooking Light, and both were easy and fast! i had almost all the ingredients for them at home except for the broccoli. the meal only took twenty minutes total to make and it was delicious. i'd say it was a win-win situation. if you're ever in a rush, or even not in a rush, try this!

Recipes:

Herbed Breadsticks
TIME: 15 minutes SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
4 oz. of leftover Pizza or Bread dough [i used half of this recipe]
1 Tbps. chopped Oregano
1 Tbsp. chopped Thyme
Cooking Spray
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
[1] Pre-heat oven to 425.
[2] Roll out dough in an 8 x 4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle herbs over it. Fold dough over twice; knead 4 times.
[3] Roll into an 8 x 4-inch rectangle once again. Cut into 4 (4 x 2-inch) rectangles; twist.
[4] Arrange on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake for 10 minutes.
[5] Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.


Cheesy Penne with Broccoli
TIME: 20 minutes SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked mini penne pasta
5 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head)
1 1/3 cups fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2.5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2/3 cup)
Directions:
[1] Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to pan; drain. Place pasta and broccoli in a large bowl.
[2] Combine milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add cheese mixture to pasta mixture; toss. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.