Orange Barbecued Spareribs

From: Heinz Ketchup cookbook

Ingredients:
3-4 pounds spareribs
salt and pepper
1 cup Heinz tomato ketchup
2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Cut ribs into 2 rib sections.

Place ribs in large pot with enough water to cover and parboil until tender - about 40 minutes. Drain well and season with salt and pepper.

Combine ketchup, orange juice concentrate, honey, orange peel, dry mustard, ginger and garlic powder; brush on both sides of ribs.

Grill or broil 6 inches from heat source until ribs are hot, about 6-7 minutes per side, brushing frequently with sauce.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! These were pretty good. The funny thing is that my daughter, who is very picky about the sauce on her ribs, loved this sauce. She ate it instead of the set of ribs I had put her regular rub on. I liked these because they were sweet and tangy, and I would probably make these again.

Barbecued Chicken Wings Bahama

From: Heinz Ketchup cookbook

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken wings
2/3 cup Heinz ketchup
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Cut off wing tips and discard; cut each wing in half at joint.

Place wings on broiler rack. Bake in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, combine ketchup, lime juice, brown sugar, allspice, red pepper and garlic powder; brush on wings.

Broil 2 to 3 minutes. Turn wings and brush with sauce.

Broil an additional 2-3 minutes.

What I did differently:
I always save my wing tips for making chicken stock. Just freeze them for later instead of discarding. Also, I did 2 pounds of wings and I didn't need to cook them 40 minutes - maybe 25 or 30 before broiling them.

Verdict:
These were okay. They weren't my favorite barbecue sauce ever, mainly because I felt like the ketchup flavor overpowered everything else. I probably won't make this recipe again because I have too many other good barbecue sauces I like.

Chicken Pizzaiola

From: Heinz Ketchup cookbook

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 egg, well beaten
1/3 to 1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup Heinz tomato ketchup
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices (1 oz each) mozzarella cheese

Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness.

Dip each breast in egg, then coat well with crumbs.

Slowly saute chicken in butter until lightly browned on both sides and chicken is cooked.

Combine ketchup and oregano and spoon 1 tablespoon mixture over each breast.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place mozzarella on top.

Cover, and heat about 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.

What I did differently:
I always use tenders in this recipe, or I'd use the pre-sliced breasts that are much thinner. It's just faster for cooking. Also, I tend to make this on nights that I need something cooked really fast, so if I don't have sliced mozzarella on hand I use shredded. It's not quite the same for melting purposes, but it gets the job done.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Like I said, this is a great recipe for when you're fumbling for what to cook for dinner. It takes about 20 minutes or less, and I can't say enough good things about one-pot recipes! We always eat ours over noodles.

Minestrone with Tortellini

From: Cooking with Heinz Ketchup cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage (hot or regular)
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
46 oz beef or chicken broth
16 oz whole tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup Heinz tomato ketchup
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 cups sliced zucchini
7-9 oz meat or cheese-filled tortellini
Grated Parmesan cheese

In Dutch oven, brown sausage; drain excess fat.

Add onions and garlic, and saute until tender.

Add broth, tomatoes, ketchup, wine, carrots and celery; simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

Add zucchini and tortellini; simmer, covered, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve soup with Parmesan cheese.
























What I did differently:

I used dried onions instead of raw, 1/4 of a can of diced tomatoes, left out the red wine and celery, and used the tiniest zucchini I could find, all for the sake of my family's taste buds. It was still an amazing soup with incredible flavor.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! This soup was really filling and had such a great flavor. I would definitely make it again.

Beef Barley Soup

Verdict: Thumbs up! Very filling and I loved the flavor of this soup!

Cheesy Florentine Bake

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

From: Sandhills Children's Center cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh strawberries
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Wash and slice berries. Drain. Sprinkle with two tablespoons of sugar. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients. Stir into butter mixture just until moistened. Fold in berries. Top with chopped walnuts and sugar if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! These were really easy to make and they tasted incredible when they were just out of the oven. I will say they weren't nearly as good the next day. But I ate three within ten minutes when they were first made, and both the kids were cramming them down their throats, so it's safe to say they were a hit here!