slowcooked honey pork ribs

and the meat falls right off the bone…

there are heaps of rave reviews out there by slowcooker enthusiasts who sing the praises of slowcooked ribs. after this delish culinary experiment with pork ribs, i’m a believer. :)

many cooks turn to montreal steak spice as a rub for steaks… this time around, i thought this seasoning staple would make for a fantastic culinary experiment with slowcooked pork ribs… hello!

montreal steak spice is a blend of pepper, salt, coriander, dill, mustard seeds, dehydrated garlic and onions, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, paprika and caraway seeds. check out the fantastic specks of colour it adds to the food prep. beauty.

slowcook the ribs:
add the following ingredients into a medium slowcooker and stir to combine well.
simmer on high heat in the slowcooker for approx 5-5.5 hours.

– 1.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– drizzle of honey
– dash of sea salt
– 1 rack of meaty pork ribs (split into 2-3 portions)
– sprinkle 2 tsp montreal steak spice (divided) over pork ribs
– add 1/2 cup sparkling water (instead of soda)
– add 2/3 water (divided)
– drizzle of honey

note: recommend not leaving the slowcooker unattended. you will need to stir ingredients occasionally and lift the slowcooker lid slightly to release steam occasionally during the slowcooking process, so it’s best to stay nearby. be sure to follow the safety instructional manual that came with your particular model of slowcooker.

food styling:
– nosh on these slowcooked ribs on their own
– or pair them with brown rice or homemade coleslaw

looking for some healthy snacks for your next gameday or superbowl party? check out these simple recipes to feed a crowd!

spiced bison & beet salad

back in the salad again… well, sort of. ;)

bison & beets in a salad, you ask? perhaps a bit of an unlikely combo, but somehow it just worked. and besides, i had to do something fun with the leftover roasted beets from this previous yumyumyummers recipe. oh, and the fabulous montreal steak spice that i picked up from spice station on my culinary travels out east.

montreal steak spice is a blend of pepper, salt, coriander, dill, mustard seeds, dehydrated garlic and onions, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, paprika and caraway seeds. montreal steak spice is typically used as a rub for steaks… why not bison, too? oh yes.

en papillote (french for ‘in parchment’) is a cooking technique where you bake food in a folded parchment paper bag (placed in a baking dish) and essentially steam the ingredients to lock-in the juicy flavours. although some may think it’s fancy-schmancy, it’s quite a simple way to prepare fish, poultry, lamb and bison, too! check it out…

– pre-heat oven to 400F

the bison:
– 500g organic bison (wrapped in kitchen twine)
– lightly drizzle red wine over the bison (i used some leftover zinfandel in this recipe.)
– season w/ 1 tsp montreal steak spice

montreal spiced pork chops w/ roasted fennel & mushrooms

montreal steak spice isn’t just for steak anymore. c’est vrai. true story.

on my recent travels to quebec, i picked up some montreal steak spice from spice station, a little shop for local foodies in the charming neighbourhood of mile end. montreal steak spice is a blend of pepper, salt, coriander, dill, mustard seeds, dehydrated garlic and onions, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, paprika and caraway seeds. montreal steak spice is typically used as a rub for steaks… i thought it would make for a fantastic culinary experiment with pork chops. it did indeed.

here’s how…

the chops:
– heat up 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) in large saucepan on high heat
– brown 1/2 white onion (peeled, rough chop) in pan
– add 5-6 pork centre loin chops to pan
– season both sides of pork chops w/ 2 tsp montreal steak spice
– drizzle 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
– add a dash of sea salt
– add a splash of dry white wine (i used pinot gris.)
– cook pork chops for a few min on both sides until almost cooked evenly through
– remove pork chops from pan and leave onions in pan

the fennel:
the fennel will take approx 30-35min for prep/cooking time, so best to start the fennel before starting the pork chops. check out the previous yumyumyummers recipe for roasted fennel. easypeasy recipe and a fantastic (no-carb) side dish with pork chops.

the mushrooms:
– reduce heat to medium. add 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) to the same saucepan you used to cook the pork chops.
– add 1/2 white onion (peeled, rough chop) to the leftover onions in the pan
– add 3 cups large white mushrooms (sliced) to pan