Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

I received a fun challenge from the Mystery Ingredient Blogger Showcase a few weeks back: have a mystery ingredient sent my way and come up with my very own recipe using it.

I received the package last week and found the following inside:

Coleman’s Mustard and Mustard Powder! Coleman’s has been producing mustard products in England since the early 1800’s so they know their product. As one of the oldest existing food brands, Coleman’s yellow tin is a symbol of quality mustard powder and prepared mustard.

 

I have never worked with mustard powder before so I wanted to use that in a recipe. I was just at a wedding in Texas and didn’t have time to get some barbecue while I was there, so I’ve had quite the craving for ribs. I have no idea what a traditional Texas barbecue sauce would be (and a friend of mine told me mine is actually more of a Kansas City sauce) but I figured mustard powder would be a great addition to my Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs and would hopefully fulfill my craving.

Coleman’s Mustard Powder is no joke; it’s pretty hot. It’s made from a mixture of both brown and white mustard seeds and heats up when added to a liquid. So I used it sparingly in the sauce but for the spice enthusiasts, feel free to increase the amount used.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. baby back ribs
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar (I used Sugar In The Raw)
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2-4 drops hot sauce
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Coleman’s mustard powder
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste Continue reading Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

Bourbon Pumpkin Flan

It’s no secret that I love pumpkin everything. Sweet or savory, it’s a safe assumption that I will enjoy whatever pumpkin treat comes my way. So when I was contacted about restaurants under the Darden Restaurant umbrella featuring pumpkin desserts for the month of October, I was happy to taste test!

 

I was sent a $30 gift card so that I could go to Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Longhorn Steakhouse to try their pumpkin desserts. Here are the yummy offerings:

 

Red Lobster: Pumpkin Pie in a Jar – layered pumpkin and cream cheese mousse with a graham-cracker crust, topped with sugared pecans

Photo courtesy of Red Lobster

 

LongHorn Steakhouse: Pumpkin Spice Lava Cake – warm pumpkin spice cake filled with a cream cheese icing and drizzled with Maker’s Mark® bourbon-caramel sauce and candied pecans

Photo courtesy of LongHorn Steakhouse

 

Olive Garden: Pumpkin Cheesecake – pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce and ginger cookie crumbles

Photo courtesy of Olive Garden

They are as delicious as they look! I unapologetically scarfed down each and every one. They are super rich so I’m sure you should probably share them. But hey, I’m not going to judge.

I was given a second $30 gift card to GIVE AWAY so that one reader can go try one (or all) of these desserts for themselves! More on that after the recipe! {THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED}

I made my own pumpkin dessert inspired by a mixture of the three above: Bourbon Pumpkin Flan with Graham Cracker Crumbs. This recipe incorporates the Bourbon in the Pumpkin Spice Lava Cake, the creaminess of the Pumpkin Cheesecake, and the graham cracker “crust” of the Pie in a Jar. I adapted this recipe from a Bon Appetit Pumpkin Flan recipe.

 

Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided (I used Sugar In The Raw for a deeper caramel flavorMi)
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • 2 1/3 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 cup milk
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 1 cardamom pod, cracked
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)
  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
  • 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • freshly ground nutmeg
  • Continue reading Bourbon Pumpkin Flan
Exit mobile version