This recipe is courtesy of my favorite cookbook that came out last year The Essential New York Times Cookbook This recipe is the ONLY way I make short ribs/pot roast now. I prefer the use of a crock pot over the oven.  I can start this at 9am and it’s perfect by dinner time and I don’t have to touch it all day I do add a few tablespoons of brown sugar, but that is the only change I make. The sauce/gravy this dish makes is amazing SUPER delicious.

4 lbs beef short ribs OR a 4 lb chuck roast works great too

1/2 cup cracked fennel seeds

salt & fresh ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 med or 1 large red onion sliced into very thin rounds

1/4 cup minced garlic

1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef broth

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1/2 cup coarsely chopped oregano

1. Heat oven to 350. Rub ribs/pot roast with fennel seeds and salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large dutch oven on high heat without smoking.  Add ribs/roast and brown well on all sides. Remove and set aside.

2. For me at this point I simply combine all other ingredients into my crock pot and place roast on top and cook on high for 2 hours, then low for 6-7 hours. If you would prefer to use the oven method follow further instructions.

3. After removing roast from dutch oven, keep oil inside, add thinly sliced red onion. Saute for 7 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes stirring frequently for 2 minutes.  Add wine, broth, orange juice, and balsamic vinegar and bring just to a boil. Scrape any brown bits from bottom of pan. Add ribs/roast into dutch oven along with ketchup, mustard, oregano, and salt and pepper. Return to a boil. Skim any fat from surface of pot.

4. Cover the pot and place in oven and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove ribs from pot, skim any fat and place pot back on stove top on high heat to thicken the sauce. Return ribs to sauce and serve.

the smell this exudes is amazing

As we ring in the year of 2011 we start fresh with a clean slate.  For many of us that means healthier eating habits and a resolution to shed some of those holiday pounds.  Well, there’s a great new product out there that can help you still be able to enjoy a yummy snack and achieve those goals.

Introducing Popchips, the all natural fresh popped snack chip.  It’s nothing like a baked lay or any other chip you’ve ever tasted..and you wanna know the best secret? It’s delicious and only 120 calories per 3oz snack bag.  To me that is awesome when you’re trying to stay below a certain number of calories all day and the fact that they taste terrific is a great bonus.  Popchips currently has seven yummy varieties out there for you to enjoy.  Original, BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion, Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Garlic, Sea Salt & Vinegar (my personal fav) , and Salt & Pepper.

Popchips has teamed up with Kroger and Jillian Michaels to sponsor the Popchips Flyaway Sweepsteaks. Enter to win a health retreat in L.A. and a personal fitness consultation with Jillian herself. Prize includes wellness consult with Jillian Michaels, round trip airfare for two to L.A., 3 nights at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa, spa session, prizes from K-Swiss, and of course, FREE Popchips. You have until January 31st to enter to win, by the link above or at any Kroger, Ralph’s, Fry’s, Fred Meyer, or King Sooper  food stores.

Popchips is also doing a fantastic giveaway for my readers here at Food Tramp Diaries.  The grand prize winner will win a YEAR supply of popchips and the runner up a 1 month supply!! That may be the biggest giveaway in FTD history.

Follow these instructions for your chance to win a year supply or month supply of popchips from Food Tramp Diaries:

1)Fan Popchips on facebook and twitter (if you tweet)

2) Fan Food Tramp Diaries on facebook  and twitter (if you tweet)

3) Suggest Popchips and Food Tramp Diaries to one friend on facebook and twitter (if you tweet)

4) Enter a comment ON THE BLOG, not on my facebook page. Your comment must include what your New Year’s resolution is and why you would love to try Popchips.  If you have already had Popchips, what is your favorite flavor?

5) You may enter as many times as you like AS LONG as you suggest a NEW friend to Popchips and Food Tramp Diarie’s facebook/twitter for each entry.

6) I will take entries until Friday, January 7th until Midnight, MST.  The winner will be chosen by www.random.org

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

I recently had the opportunity to visit Chip and Ruby’s, a new ice cream parlor in Old Town Scottsdale.  More than just ice cream, Chip and Ruby’s has a full game room that give out tickets your child can trade for prizes at the end of their fun.  Chip and Ruby’s has so many delicious flavors of ice cream. I couldn’t believe when I saw on the board one my childhood favorites, Superman ice cream.  Normally you can only find this flavor in Michigan or Ohio, but Chip and Ruby’s had it and it was amazing.  They have frozen custard and also my daughter’s favorite, raspberry and blue raspberry Icees.

love this furniture

 The games in their game room are very child friendly.  My three and four year old had no problem understanding how to play these games and they had a ton of fun.  My favorite aspect of Chip and Ruby’s was their décor.  The one of a kind ice cream/waffle cone tables and chairs are totally nostalgic and bring out the little girl or boy in every person that walks through their door. They are just too cute. Even down to the soda cups and ice cream bowls, everything is so well thought out and chosen for such a fun theme.

fun and easy games

 You can book your child’s birthday party at Chip and Ruby’s and not pay that much more than what it would cost at Peter Piper. However, at Chip and Ruby’s you’re getting a way cleaner atmosphere in a more quaint space with more privacy.  They will even bring over pizza from the neighbor pizza joint Best of Italy. Your child and his/her friends will get a delicious ice cream treat, tons of tokens and of course fabulous prizes after they count up their tickets.  Contact Chip and Ruby’s for more info at 480.990.6000

yummy ice cream

 My children had a really great time at Chip and Ruby’s and I got to enjoy some of my childhood with their unique ice cream flavors. We can’t wait for a chance to return.

Would you like your Thanksgiving meal “Kikk-ed” up a notch for the holidays?  Well, the awesome people at Kikkoman were kind enough to provide me with lots of their product line along with means to purchase a turkey, so I could find out for myself how delicious my turkey would taste after using their Kikkoman savory brine recipe.

brining necessities

I am not being paid by Kikkoman and my review is completely subject to my opinion.  I do have to say that the turkey I cooked last Sunday was the most  juicy, flavorful, and moist turkey I have ever cooked in my life.  I do brine my turkey every year with a traditional brine recipe, however, there is something in the naturally brewed Kikkoman soy sauce that makes your turkey THAT much better!!

ready to go into the fridge

I’ve been using Kikkoman soy sauce in my kitchen for a long time, for many things, none Chinese or sushi related.  Soups, stews, goulash, side dishes…Kikkoman soy sauce is a great way to season your food while being able to control the flavor.  Below is the recipe for the savory turkey brine, alone with a link to Kikkoman’s green bean casserole and also Kikkoman’s glazed yams.  I made all of these this year at my Thanksgiving table and they were a hit.

the finished product

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader gets to try their chance at kicking up their holidays with 2 full sized Kikkoman products.  Simply leave a comment below telling me which recipe you would want to use your Kikkoman products for and you’re entered! I will take entries until Friday November 19th noon, so that the winner will receive their products in enough time for the big day.

No worries for the people who don’t win, simply go to this link to print out a buy one get one free coupon to get your own Kikkoman products in the future. http://www.kikkomanusa.com/homecooks/cookingclass/howto.php

Savory Turkey Brine

2 gallons cold water

10 ounces Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons dried sage

2 tablespoons dried celery seed

1 tablespoon dried thyme

The night before rinse turkey and remove neck and giblets.  Place turkey in large clean bucket, stock pot, or brining bag (I always get a great one for meer dollars at Bed Bath & Beyond.) Put all ingredients in with the turkey and stir. Refridgerate overnight or at least 8 hours, I did mine for 12 hours. When ready to roast, remove turkey from brine and rinse well.  Follow your cooking instructions.

Go here to get the other Kikkoman inspired Thanksgiving recipes: http://www.kikkomanusa.com/homecooks/cookingclass/howto.php