If you thought there is no way that I would have kept at cooking and blogging for over three years, I probably would have said you were right.

To be honest, I didn’t think I would do it for so long. I’ve always dabbled in different hobbies, so I didn’t really thing this one would stick. But I really like writing. And I REALLY like cooking. I may even say LOVE.

But when I started cooking and writing about it, I had a lot less responsibility. In life and at work. I had the time to have a drunken dinner party every Tuesday. I could make dinner no matter what work task came my way that day.

I’ve been blessed to be in a more valuable roll than I’ve ever been in, but it definitely cuts into my kitchen time.

Thank goodness I have an awesome mom who will do some shopping, prep work and photography when I’m running late at work. Just so I can come home and dirty her beautiful kitchen while I do what I love. And she barely complains when I spill things ALL OVER the kitchen.

She was gracious enough to get some ribs in the oven for me the other night. But the magic of the sauce was alllllllll me.

You will need…

2 racks baby back ribs

¼ cup ground coriander

½ teaspoon Chinese fire-spice

¼ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 ripe mango, chopped

2 tablespoons palm sugar

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup packed cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the coriander and five spice. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place the ribs in a roasting dish and rub the spice mixture all over both sides. 

Add in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce to the pan and cover it with foil.

Roast the ribs for 1 hour, until tender.

While the ribs are roasting. Combine the mango, Worcestershire sauce, sugar lemon juice, honey, red pepper and remaining fish sauce in a blender or food processor. 

Blend until smooth and set the glaze aside.

Rinse the blender or processor and then fill it with the cilantro, yogurt and lime juice and blend till smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When the ribs have roasted for an hour, remove them from the oven and turn the oven to broil.

Pour any excess liquid from the roasting pan and brush half of the glaze onto the less meaty side of the ribs.

Broil for 5 minutes until they are browning.

Remove the ribs from the heat once again and brush the remaining glaze on the fatty side of the ribs.

Continue to broil for an additional five minutes until golden and sizzling.

Allow the ribs to cool slightly, slice and serve with cilantro dipping sauce.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Sweet Mango Baby Back Ribs with Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce

2 racks baby back ribs

¼ cup ground coriander

½ teaspoon Chinese fire-spice

¼ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 ripe mango, chopped

2 tablespoons palm sugar

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup packed cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the coriander and five spice. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place the ribs in a roasting dish and rub the spice mixture all over both sides. Add in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce to the pan and cover it with foil.

Roast the ribs for 1 hour, until tender. While the ribs are roasting. Combine the mango, Worcestershire sauce, sugar lemon juice, honey, red pepper and remaining fish sauce in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and set the glaze aside.

Rinse the blender or processor and then fill it with the cilantro, yogurt and lime juice and blend till smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When the ribs have roasted for an hour, remove them from the oven and turn the oven to broil.

Pour any excess liquid from the roasting pan and brush half of the glaze onto the less meaty side of the ribs.

Broil for 5 minutes until they are browning.

Remove the ribs from the heat once again and brush the remaining glaze on the fatty side of the ribs.

Continue to broil for an additional five minutes until golden and sizzling.

Allow the ribs to cool slightly, slice and serve with cilantro dipping sauce. 

I know I boast about it all the time, but my family is pretty freaking great.

Seriously, I don’t like to toot my own horn.

But TOOT TOOT!

Every member of the family has things about them that make them particularly wonderful, but today I am EXTRA proud of my youngest brother Joshua.

Josh stands out for reasons. Whether you know him for his big personality, his red hair or his water polo prowess, you know he is a stand out. And yesterday he made the decision to head to Europe to play professionally. How awesome to do something you love and get paid for it. In another country. What a wonderful life experience.

He is headed east in a few weeks and in the mean time, he’s been spending some extra time at the house.

Which means I get a new and excited mouth to feed. He is one of the only people who ever really gives me requests anymore. And this was a great one.

I don’t know why I never thought to make this, but I’m so glad he did. You will be too.

You will need…

2 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons palm sugar

1 lime, juiced

1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bit sized pieces

1 can mandarin oranges

2 cups shredded carrots

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

20 wanton wrappers, cut into strips

4 tablespoons peanut oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Start by preheating your grill to a medium high heat.

Whisk together the sesame oil, sugar and lime juice. Brush the oil mixture onto the chicken breasts.

Grill the chicken until it has good grill marks and are cooked through. About 5 minutes a side.

When the chicken is cooked, set aside and allow it to cool to handle.

While the chicken is cooling, combine the carrots, celery, green onions, lettuce and manderin oranges.

When the chicken has cooled, shred it by pulling it apart with two forks.

Add it to the salad and toss well.

Heat the peanut oil in a small pan.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, add in the wanton strips and fry until brown and crisped on both sides. Season well with salt and pepper and remove to a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

Drizzle the salad with the dressing, toss, top with wanton strips and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Grilled Chinese Chicken Salad 

2 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons palm sugar

1 lime, juiced

1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bit sized pieces

1 can mandarin oranges

2 cups shredded carrots

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

20 wanton wrappers, cut into strips

4 tablespoons peanut oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Start by preheating your grill to a medium high heat.

Whisk together the sesame oil, sugar and lime juice. Brush the oil mixture onto the chicken breasts.

Grill the chicken until it has good grill marks and are cooked through. About 5 minutes a side. 

When the chicken is cooked, set aside and allow it to cool to handle.

While the chicken is cooling, combine the carrots, celery, green onions, lettuce and manderin oranges. 

When the chicken has cooled, shred it by pulling it apart with two forks.

Add it to the salad and toss well.

Heat the peanut oil in a small pan. 

When the oil is hot, working in batches, add in the wanton strips and fry until brown and crisped on both sides. Season well with salt and pepper and remove to a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

Drizzle the salad with the dressing, toss, top with wanton strips and serve.