Memorable Memorial Day Ribs

It's almost Memorial Day weekend and time to roll out our new grill again! This year we are going for ribs, mainly because Wildtree has an awesome new burger and rib sauce and rodeo rub that I can't wait to try. Here's what's cooking our way!


Rodeo Ribs - Serves 4

*1 lb. beef or pork ribs
*1 tablespoon Wildtree Rodeo Rub
*Leslie’s Smoky Burger & Rib Sauce

Rub Rodeo Rub onto both sides of meat just before cooking. For a more intense flavor, wrap ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

To oven roast the ribs, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wrap ribs in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove ribs from foil, place directly on baking sheet and roast until caramelized, about 30 minutes more. If desired, baste ribs with Leslie’s Smoky Burger & Rib Sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

To grill the ribs, wrap ribs in foil, place on grill over indirect heat and cook until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove ribs from foil, place directly on grill and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes more. If desired, baste ribs with Leslie’s Smoky Burger & Rib Sauce during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Serve ribs with corn on the cob seasoned and grilled with Lemon Rosemary and a fresh salad and enjoy!

Pizza! Pizza!

Something about making a pizza instead of ordering one really gets my creative juices flowing when it comes to toppings. I love me some pepperoni, don't get me wrong. But when the crust is right there and the outcome is all in my hands, I want to step out of the box a bit and try something a little non-traditional. I fell in love with a BBQ Chicken Pizza that way many years ago.

Here are two phenom. recipes that can't be beat for originality and flavor. I like a crisp crust and find that the dough bakes crisper when placed directly on the oven rack. For a softer crust, use a oiled sheet or go deep dish and toss it all in a well- oiled iron skillet.

Looking for a creative pizza with some of your favorite toppings? Send them to me and I'll email you a custom recipe using the flavors you love most! For more ideas of what to do with your pizza dough besides making pizza, click here and choose "download" for product links to work.

Sweet and Spicy Bacon and Pear Pizza - Serves 8

* Natural Grapeseed Oil
*5 slices bacon
*1/4 cup packed brown sugar
*1/4 tsp. chili powder
*1 pear, peeled, cored and sliced
*1 tsp. lemon juice
*4 oz. of cream cheese
*1/4 cup chopped green onions
*1 So Quick and Easy Pizza Dough Mix *
*1/3 cup chopped pecans
*1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
* Honey - optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line bottom of rimmed baking pan with foil and lightly coat with Grapeseed Oil. Arrange bacon slices on pan; set aside.

In small bowl stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on the bacon slices. Bake for 15 minutes or until browned; mix and let rest the pizza dough as directed on the box, while the bacon is cooking. Remove bacon and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.

In small bowl toss together pear slices and lemon juice; set aside. In medium bowl stir together cream cheese, onions, and black pepper to taste. Prepare crust as directed. Spread cream cheese mixture on crust. Chop bacon and evenly sprinkle on cheese mixture. Arrange pear slices on bacon. Top with pecans and feta cheese.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Serve with honey for drizzling, if desired.



Alfredo Shrimp and Roasted Red Pepper Pizza - Serves 8

*1 pound fresh or frozen peeled, cooked, medium shrimp
*1 box So Quick and Easy Pizza Dough Mix *
*1 1/2 cups of Alfredo Extraordinaire
*1 tablespoon Basil Pesto
*1 tablespoon Smoked Mozarella & Tomato Blend
*1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
*1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into strips

Thaw shrimp, if frozen; set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare pizza dough as directed on box.

In a small bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, Basil Pesto and Smoked Mozzarella blend. Spread evenly over the pizza dough. Sprinkle with cheese, then top with roasted peppers and shrimp.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust bottom is crisp and brown.

*Note: You may use Wildtree's Whole Wheat Pizza Mix, if you prefer.

New Product for May

Wildtree is always developing new sauces and culinary blends - it's exciting to see what they come up with throughout the year. This month they introduced an awesome Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato Blend. YUM. It is wonderful for using in any soup, casserole or sauce where you want a kick of old world Italian flavor. How about blending it with some cream cheese for a terrific bagel spread?

And from now until May 31, if you spend $60 with Wildtree, you can get it for FREE, a $10 value! Here's an easy dish to get you inspired and cooking!

Smoked Mozzarella and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts Serves 4 INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup panko 2 1/2 tablespoons Wildtree Smoked Mozzarella & Tomato Blend 1-10 ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 425ºF. In a small bowl, stir together the panko and 1 tablespoon Smoked Mozzarella Blend. In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon Smoked Mozzarella Blend, spinach, and cheese. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Cut a deep pocket in the thickest part of the chicken. Spoon the filling into the pocket and seal with a toothpick. Arrange the stuffed chicken breasts in a 13x9 baking dish. Top with the mayonnaise and Smoked Mozzarella panko. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Dog Treats

You are eating healthier, but how about your furry friends? Have you ever read the ingredients in their treats? Here is a homemade treat recipe that my Murray Bear loves, and cats will love it too! It's a fairly large batch - I bake all at one time then cool and freeze in freezer bags, to pull out as I need. Or you could just as easily cut the recipe in half. Remember to store them in the fridge - they are preservative free!!

*3 cups flour
*3 cups oats
*2 cans tuna (6 oz. each)
*1 cup water
*1 cup Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil
*3 tsp. Parmesan Rice Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grind oats in food processor and mix dry ingredients. Blend tuna in food processor and mix in wet ingredients. Mix wet and dry. Knead dough until smooth. Cook until light tan in color (about 20 minutes - but the time may vary depending upon the size of the treats.)

Shrimp Scampi the Wildtree Way

This recipe is easy, delicious and more healthy for you than traditional scampi. The grapeseed oil is lower in calories and fat and higher in antioxidants than commonly used olive oil.


Serves 4

*1 lb. medium shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined
*5 tablespoons Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil*
*4 teaspoons Wildtree Scampi Blend
*1/2 lb of linguine or other type of pasta
*Dry white wine (optional)



Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining and set aside. Drain pasta and set aside.

Place shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons Scampi Blend and 3 tablespoons Natural Grapeseed Oil in a cold skillet. Toss and bring to a low heat, cooking until the shrimp are pink, turning often. Remove shrimp from the pan leaving the cooking juices behind. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of Natural Grapeseed Oil, 1/4 cup of pasta water reserve (or wine), 2 1/2 teaspoons of Scampi Blend to the skillet. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss on low heat until the juices are absorbed. Toss with the shrimp.

* Grapeseed Oil is great for dressings and dipping, but it is absolutely unbeatable for sauteing or frying because it can be heated to a higher temperature than other oils without burning. The higher the heat, the faster the cooking time - so foods stay juicier and retain more nutritional value. And the oil itself has some terrific health benefits! See the Grapeseed Oil Fact Sheet to learn more.

Pound vs. Pound

It is still hard for me to believe, but Wildtree's Not Your Everyday Pound Cake beat mine from scratch for texture and taste. Of course, we KNOW it was faster than making from scratch, but sure enough, it won for flavor and moistness as well. We baked one of each yesterday and glazed both with a lemon icing, and Wildtree's was preferred. Go figure.

Lemon Drizzle Icing

In a small bowl combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel and enough pure lemon extract or juice (3 to 4 teaspoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled Not Your Everyday Pound Cake.





Crumbled Jam Pound Cake- Serves 8

* 1 box Wildtree Not Your Everyday Pound Cake Mix
* 1 jar of Wildtree Wildly Blueberry Jam or 9 oz. any flavor jam
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter

Prepare the pound cake mix according to directions. Mix the flour, brown sugar and butter in separate bowl with pastry blender or by hand til crumbly. Set aside. Pour pound cake batter into greased baking dish and swirl 3/4 jar of jam into mixture. Sprinkle topping on pound cake and bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees.

I haven't tried the lemon glaze icing on this cake but lemon and blueberry are a great combo!

Moroccan Salmon on the Grill

Father's Day is coming a little early for us this year. Last Saturday night we bid an unexpected farewell to our trusty old Coleman ...ceremoniously pouring salt on it as its death march flame got a little out of hand for our liking - I, plate full of uncooked ribeyes in hand. Even with the Rancher Steak Rub they just weren't as good cooked under the broiler as they would have been on the grill.

So. We will be buying a new grill in May instead of June! And I think we will throw on some salmon, real soon.


Balsamic Glazed Moroccan Salmon - Serves 4

* 1/2 cup chicken broth, low sodium
* 1/4 cup Wildtree Moroccan Grilling Sauce
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1 pound salmon fillets
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil
* 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice


Stir together chicken broth, Moroccan Sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper. Pour oil in iron skillet and place on medium-high heat grill. Sear the salmon in the oil until well browned, about 3 minutes per side. Turn fillets and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer salmon to a plate and tent with foil. Pour the vinegar mixture into the skillet and simmer until thick and syrupy. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and pour glaze over salmon.

Welcome to Cooking with Wildtree!

At the (awesome) recommendation of a friend, I begin my Wildtree Blog. Here is the place where I will share super easy, delicious and nutritious Wildtree recipes. AND it is my hope that you will do the same!

I will also post nutrition tips about Wildtree products as well as cooking tips and time and money saving ideas in the kitchen. Welcome - and Happy Cooking!