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Mar 16 2012

buffalo chicken bites

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I don’t know many people who don’t like buffalo wings.  However, I do know a lot of people who don’t like to eat them (at least not in public) because of the mess.  Prepare these meatballs for all the flavor without any of the mess.  Treat your friends at your next party by serving them with a little wing sauce or blue cheese dressing as a perfect, poppable, bite-sized appetizer. Or make them a meal over fresh, crisp salad greens drizzled with your favorite dressing and get a cool crunch with every spicy bite.

 

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¼ cup onion, minced
  • ¼ cup celery, minced
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup buffalo sauce
  • ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a large bowl mix together breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, onion, celery, egg, and buffalo sauce. Gently mix in ground chicken until evenly combined.Pinch off small bits of meat mixture to divide into 24 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. With your finger poke a hole down into the center of each ball. Stuff with a little blue cheese. Close holes to seal.Place balls in a greased glass baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes until fully cooked and nicely browned.Serve with dipping sauces of your choice as an appetizer or over a bed of greens as a salad.

 

I dare you to eat just one!

 

Recipe Adapted from www.bakedbyrachel.com

 

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Mariana - Looks yummy Susan!!!

Feb 07 2012

Pork Stuffed Potatoes with Sweet Balsamic Barbecue Sauce

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What to do with leftover ribs? Fix meat and potatoes, of course! Maggie (my middle child) and I were watching Restaurant Impossible… Well, SHE was watching. It was a repeat episode, and I was surfing Pinterest. (grin) She is my very-extremely-incredibly-outrageously-picky-eater so when I heard her say “that looks good” I quickly turned my attention to the tube.  Robert Irvine was making over a restaurant’s menu to include this fabulous looking appetizer he called Re-Stuffed Potato Skins. Only it was a full meal in disquise. The potato shell was hollowed out, as are all twice bakes, but hidden cleverly under the mashed mixture was a filling of pork. We had some leftover ribs in the fridge I had been trying to figure out how to ration among the five of us for dinner. It was a lightbulb moment! I popped some potatoes in the oven while I picked the pork off the bones and made the sauce. And about 90 minutes later… voila!

 

  • 10 baking potatoes
  • 1 stick butter, cut into cubes
  • 5 ounces evaporated milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup smoked gouda cheese
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups cooked shredded pork
  • Sweet Balsamic Barbeque Sauce

Pierce potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.

Meanwhile add enough barbecue sauce to the shredded pork to coat it well. Set aside.
Once potatoes are cooked and cooled enough to work with cut the top 1/3 off the potato. Being careful not to break the shell, gently scoop out the inside of the potatoes leaving enough around the edge of the shell to hold its shape. Set shells aside.
In the bowl of a large mixer add potato, butter, evaporated milk, and sour cream. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Stir in cheese.
Place potato mixture in a plastic bag (or pipping bag). Snip off enough of the bag’s corner (or tip) for the mixture to press through. Pipe a small amount into the bottom of each shell.
Spoon 1/4 cup of shredded pork into each shell. Pipe the remaining potato mixture onto the top of each filled potato.
Place stuffed potatoes in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until the tops are just beginning to brown.
To plate place a few tablespoons of barbecue sauce in the center of a small plate. Use a spoon to move it into a large circle. Place potato on top of sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

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Feb 04 2012

crab cakes with citrus mayo

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Having grown up along the Gulf Coast seafood was a staple around our house. And one of my favorite foods from the sea is crab! Sam makes THE BEST Low Country  Boil as far as I’m concerned, and that’s my favorite way to eat the creeper crawler. But my next favorite way to devour the delectable hunks of meat is in patty form. If you have any seafood lovers under your roof these crab cakes are sure to be a hit.

And the Citrus Mayo is, oh, so good…

(When I made this recipe to shoot, I didn’t realizeI was out of one of the key ingredients – PANKO! I improvised by using an equal amount of crushed oyster crackers and all turned out well. So the photos above reflect the recipe using oyster crackers. Try them both ways and see which you like better.)

  • For the Crab Cake:
    • ¼ cup mayonnaise
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 teaspoon worcestershire
    • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon creole seasoning
    • 1 tablespoon orange juice
    • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons sweet onion, finely chopped
    • ¼ cup red bell peppers, finely chopped
    • ¼ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
    • ¾ cup oyster crackers
    • 1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shell
    • 2 cups panko crumbs
  • For the Citrus Mayo:
    • ¼ cup mayonnaise
    • 2 tablespoon orange juice
    • creole seasoning, to taste
    • fresh ground black pepper, to taste
In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, egg, worcestershire, dry mustard, paprika, creole seasoning, orange juice, parsley, onion, and bell pepper. Mix well.Crush the oyster crackers into a fine crumble. Stir into the mayonnaise mixture. Add crabmeat and gently fold until evenly combined.Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup spoon crab mixture into 12 portions. With wet hands (to help prevent sticking) roll each portion into a ball and then roll in panko crumbs. Flatten slightly to form a patty. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or longer) to set.

Heat oil (1/2-inch depth) in large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches fry crab cakes 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned.

For Citrus Mayo mix together mayonnaise, orange juice, and enough creole seasoning and pepper to give the flavor you want. Drizzle over crab cakes and serve.

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Feb 03 2012

baked eggs in bacon cups

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What came first?  The chicken or the egg?  It’s an age old question begging hours of contemplation.  Luckily for us there is no need to discover the answer. Chickens lay eggs which hatch into chickens which lay more eggs. Supplies are plentiful and recipes are seemingly endless.  And here is one of my favorites.

So basic.  So simple.  So good.  Impress your main squeeze, your kids, or your friends with this EASY lazy Saturday morning breakfast!  GOT COFFEE ?

  • 8  slices thinly-sliced bacon
  • 8  large eggs
  • 1-1/2  teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
  • 2  dashes salt and pepper
Fry your bacon slices for a few minutes until they are just done but still very flexible. Remove to paper towels to drain. Coat 8 cups of a muffin pan with cooking spray. When I’m feeling lazy I like to use Kirkland precooked bacon from Costco so I can avoid that step! It’s already the perfect texture to work with… Regardless of how you get your bacon to this stage you then curve each slice around the outer edge of each cup. Crack an egg into each cup and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until the egg is set and yolk reaches the texture you prefer. I like mine a little runny, so I take them out sooner. Gently remove them from the pan and sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley or chives if you want and a little more salt and pepper. Serve them hot with a steaming cup of coffee!



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Feb 01 2012

Kickin’ Chicken Strip Salad

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Winter blues knocking at your door? Kind of hard for that to happen here in the South when we’ve had record highs in January! If you’re like me, different weather patterns make you crave different foods. Icy cold wind? Bring on a hot bowl of chili in front of a roaring fire. But when it’s warm outside in the dead of winter my taste buds start screaming for something a little more, uh…TROPICAL!

One of the best things about living in Alabama is getting a little taste of each season – although summer does tend to hang on a little too long sometimes!  Don’t get me wrong.  I LOVE cold weather. In small doses. But give me warm breezes, lapping waves, a fruity cocktail… and I’m one happy girl!

And this salad, with its spicy kick and fruity sweetness, is perfect for the warm breeze kind of weather.

(waves and cocktails optional)

 

  • 4 nectarines, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 boneless chicken breasts
  • 8 cups mixed greens
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup roasted pecans, chopped
Place 1/2 cup of the sliced nectarines in a small food processor with orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and mustard. Process until smooth. Add more orange juice if necessary to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to suite your taste if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.In a spice grinder blend together salt, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, thyme, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.Place chicken breasts, one a at time, between sheets of plastic wrap and pound out to about 3/4-inch thickness. Cut each breast into strips and place in a large bowl. Pour spice mixture over chicken and toss well to coat all strips fully.Heat a little olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches add coated chicken strips and cook about 3 minutes on each side until done. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining strips until all are cooked.Place mixed greens in a large bowl. Set aside 4 tablespoons of refrigerated nectarine dressing and drizzle the rest over the greens. Toss well to coat.To assemble the salads place two cups of dressed greens on a plate. Top with 1/4 of onion slices, 1/4 of remaining nectarine slices, 1/4 of chopped pecan, and 1/4 of the chicken strips. Drizzle one tablespoon of remaining dressing over the chicken strips. Repeat to complete four servings.


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