Southern Soul: Spinach, Ribs & Mac N Cheese
Treat your family (or yourself) to a delicious and filling dinner tonight. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods- of all time. I always make my cheese sauce from scratch and add just a hint more milk if I'm baking it in the oven to keep it creamy. Adding shredded cheese over top adds a precious baked quality- a crunchy cheese topping.
Ribs have been my favorite part of 'barbecue" since I was little and knew what a grill was. They can be done in so many different ways, on so many grills and with so many techniques, but recently I have been slow roasting until just before the meat begins to fall off the bone. I remove the slab from the oven and place on the lit smoker for the remaining amount of time. This gives the tender meat a hint of smoke and flavor, charring the sides of the rib as well.
❝ I may not have been a southern bell, but I love southern cooking. ❞
-Honey, I'm Home
When I go all out, I like to stick to the classics. Keep it simple, but add a lot of class. The secret here, is a little salt, and a lot of love. The women in my family taught me the secret of a good roux. As long as you can master the butter-flour ratio and keep your milk thick, you can make just about any sauce from scratch. Cheese sauce just happens to be a very familiar treat for me. I typically use several cheeses for a good-blended taste. If you go for a more harsh cheese like Swiss, be sure to add a sharper, less stinky cheese like American or Cheddar, to keep the sauce in balance. While I am making everything from scratch and feeling like Betty Crocker, I might as well go a little crazy and make my own fresh steamed Spinach. Easy, but also time sensitive.
Spinach is easy to make, but needs extra care. You will see that the softer the spinach gets, the smaller it appears. So, for example if you get a large-sized bag of spinach in the salad isle at the grocery store, prepare to be about one or two servings for you and your partner (depending on how much you love spinach). You want to steam fresh spinach in a hot (and large) pot, but you must be careful not to burn or over-steam the spinach leaves. And of course, seasoning is key here as well.
1 1/2 Cups
Uncooked Elbow Noodles
Water
5 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
3 1/2 Cups
Milk
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
1/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Season Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. In a medium pot, boil, cool and drain noodles as directed on package.
Place in an un-greased deep casserole dish and set aside. In a medium saucepan,
melt 4 Tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Add flour in, stirring constantly,
until smooth and bubbly. Add milk and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes,
remaining to stir, and reduce to low heat. Add cheeses, stirring thoroughly
after each until consistency is thick and creamy. Add salt and pepper, and pour
over noodles. Sprinkle with thick and crunchy bread crumbs and bake for 30
minutes, until golden brown, in
preheated oven.
(About 6 servings)
Southern Steamed Spinach
1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Season Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 (9 ounce) Bag Fresh Spinach Leaves
White Vinegar
In a large pot, add olive oil, minced garlic and heat to high heat. As the garlic begins to bubble, add spinach leaves and stir. Season with salt, season salt and black pepper. Stir with a spatula until leaves begin to soften. Cover and let steam with 2 minutes on high heat. Open and stir. Reduce to medium heat and cover cooking for one minute, until spinach has softened completely. Remove from heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar per serving.
(About 2 Servings)
Slow Roasted Smoked Ribs
1 Full Rack, Ribs
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon All-Purpose Seasoning
1/2 Tablespoon Black Pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. On a large, un-greased cookie
sheet, place entire rack of ribs. Sprinkle both sides with salt, all-purpose
seasoning, black pepper, chili powder and ground cumin. In a circular motion,
rub seasonings into meat until both sides are evenly covered. Top with another
equal size cookie sheet and place ribs into preheated oven. Bake for about 3 hours
without opening oven. Ribs should be tender but not yet falling completely off the bone. Place entire rack onto lit smoker and smoke for 3 hours, or if onto a lit grill, another 15-30 minutes until crispy on the outside. Remove from grill and dress
with barbecue sauce, or eat warm.
(About 5 Servings)
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