Slow Roasted Tomatoes

French Fridays with Dorie is one of my favorite cook-alongs.

Sadly, I lent my Around My French Table to a friend and have missed quite a few in the past couple of months.

But the book is back! And so am I!

Slow roasted tomatoes. What can I say? Slow roasted (3 HOURS!) grape or cherry tomatoes, with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and herbs!  The simplest of ingredients, the simplest of preparation, and you are left with smokey, sweet, rich, deep flavored, ruby tomatoes.

Yowzer!

Dorie suggested rosemary, but I have an abundance of oregano, so I used that instead. Thyme would be good too! It’s all up to you!

We had these over ribeyes last night and the rest were used up on pasta for my hubby’s dinner tonight.

I wish I could give you the recipe – buy the book, it’s SO worth it!

Cola & Jam Spareribs

One of my favorite styles of cooking is hands down BBQ. And, conversely, the thing I jones for the most during the winter is BBQ.

Leave it to Dorie Greenspan to come up with the perfect solution for my winter BBQ blues in Around My French Table ~ Cola and Jam Spareribs.

The timing was perfect – an upcoming French Fridays with Dorie recipe coupled with a gloomy, chilly Sunday and the ribs were on sale! Trifecta!

I love that Dorie’s recipes shoot different scents wafting throughout the house. There is a marriage of different aromas and flavors that always come together perfectly both for your nose and mouth. The anticipation of what’s to come is mind boggling.

So quick to put together with simple, yet intriguing, ingredients.

I have to admit. I cheated a bit. I bought my ribs already cut. Anything to make my time in the kitchen simpler and more enjoyable.

I let the ribs sit in the marinade for a little over 2 hours in the fridge. Then brought them to room temperature before I put them in the oven.

I confess, I am a baster.  I baste constantly cooking my turkey on Thanksgiving, and I basted these ribs far more than the recipe suggested. Especially after  adding the Coca-Cola for the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

The end result was sticky and sweet from the orange juice and Coke with a depth of flavor from the Chinese 5 spice and ginger. Falling off the bone tender and moist.

This recipe will have MANY repeat performances in our house.

Garlicky Crumb Coated Broccoli

 I am really starting to love French Fridays with Dorie. There are some great cooks there, fun people with a common interest. Lots of support and kind comments back and forth. I also love to see everyone’s different perspective and photos on each dish. The recipes are all the same but the similarities end there.

This week’s recipe was Garlicky Crumb Coated Broccoli. Does that sound amazing or what? Well, I’ll tell ya, it is. It’s simple and fast with a new twist on a favorite vegetable in my house. How many times can you steam, stir fry or roast the same vegetable without people nodding out at your table?

It’s as simple as steaming broccoli.

Sauteing garlic in butter (what can be bad about that?), toasting the crumbs IN the butter and garlic, and adding flavor boosting lemon zest and parsley.

Add the broccoli. Toss to coat. Voila! You are done.

Make sure you spoon over whatever crumbs didn’t stick to the broccoli on the top. You really don’t want to mis out on a single lemony, garlicky, buttery crumb!