grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches

I adapted this recipe from Bon Apetit. These grilled cheese sandwiches are elevated beyond lunch with the addition of shredded beef short ribs and arugula.

serves 4

8 slices crusty sourdough bread
cooked meat from 1 1/2 lbs beef short ribs, shredded
4 slices monterey jack cheese
2 cups baby arugula
butter

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Top half the slices of bread with 1/4 of the meat, 1/2 cup arugula, and a slice of bread. Top with other slices of bread and place sandwiches in pan. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping once, until both sides are browned and cheese is melted.

braised beef short ribs

Short ribs are a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, and easy to prepare: this recipe takes less than 15 minutes of hands on time. The oven does the rest! Make twice as much as you need, the leftover meat shreds nicely and makes great sandwiches or tacos.

serves 4

3 lbs beef short ribs
1 small onion, cut into chunks
handful baby carrots
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large, ovenproof pot over medium high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides. When oil is hot, brown short ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd pan. While ribs brown, process onions, garlic, celery, and carrots until finely diced. Remove short ribs and place on a platter. Add vegetables to pan and cook until lightly browned. Add tomato paste, wine, stock, and herbs to pan and stir to combine and bring to a boil. Return ribs to pan, cover with a lid, and braise in oven for 2 1/2 hours. Serve short ribs with braising liquid.

louisianna shrimp boil

Easy to do - this is all about timing. We love this as an alternative to burgers when feeding a crowd at a tailgate or bbq.

serves 8

4 lbs large shrimp, shell on, defrosted if frozen
2 packages smoked sausage or kielbasa
8 ears of corn, cut in half (or 16 frozen corn pieces)
4 large onions, cut in half
3 lbs baby red potatoes
2 heads garlic, whole
2 lemons, cut in half
2 boxes Zatarains Crab and Shrimp boil seasoning bags
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup hot sauce (optional)

Fill a large boiler (turkey fryers work as well) half full with water and bring to a boil. Add Shrimp boil seasoning, worcestershire, hot sauce, lemons, garlic, potatoes, and onions. Bring back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add sausage and cook for another 10 minutes. Add shrimp and turn heat off. Allow to cook in hot water for 5-7 more minutes or until shrimp is opaque. Remove strainer and pour out onto a newspaper-covered table. Serve with melted butter and extra hot sauce. If there's shrimp leftover, remove from shells before refrigerating.

cook once eat twice: pork enchiladas

These easy enchiladas use the other half of the slow-cooker cuban pork. They take only 30 minutes to prepare, including baking time, and freeze well. All you have to do is reheat in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes and you've got dinner.

Serves 4

1 lb slow-cooker pork
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can diced green chilis
1 tbsp modern grill rub
1/2 cup taco sauce
8 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Mix pork, 1 cup cheese, chilis, and grill rub together. Microwave tortillas for 20-30 seconds, until soft and pliable. Spread 2 tbsp taco sauce in the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a small handful of filling, roll up, and place in dish, edge side down. Repeat until dish is full. Top with remaining taco sacue and cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted on top.