Wings and things...

FRIED WINGS! 

Two ways - Cherry Chipotle and Buffalo! 

Extra saucy!

Buffalo Wings
Source: Cindy5_NY
Printable Recipe

4 lbs chicken wings
flour for dredging
optional: cayenne pepper, salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup Frank's hot sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar (I omitted)

Separate wings at joints, snip off wing tip. Dredge in flour (mix in optional cayenne or salt) and choose method of browning:

*deep fry in 2" oil, 10-12 minutes  (I used a bit more! and needed to cook a little longer, I crowded the pot, not a good idea)
*brown in skillet, 5 minutes each side
*bake at 425 for 35 minutes on sprayed sheet, turn once
*grill, until browned and crispy all over

Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients, simmer until slightly thickened, coat browned wings with sauce.

Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. 

And for the Cherry Chipotle Wings, I just used half of the wings I was frying and mixed them up with our favorite sauce...

Cherry Chipotle Sauce
Source: Food and Wine Magazine, June 2005
recipe by Grace Parisi
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I just sliced the onions, it'll get whizzed up when you use the stick blender or food processor)
8 ounces cherry preserves (3/4 cup) (I use a bit more!)
1/4 cup minced seeded chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I use 2 – 3 chipotle's, and leave them whole – it’ll get pureed when you put it in the processor or blender. I use an immersion stick blender)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until bubbling, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before using. The glaze can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

NOTES : Use this spicy, smoky, sweet barbecue sauce to glaze grilled meat or poultry in the last few minutes of cooking. It can also be served on the side.

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It's been a very busy few days at our house, we have a new, very unexpected addition! 

And puppy makes three...

This is Frankie! He's part Rottweiler, part your guess is as good as mine!

Maybe Lab, maybe not! But he stole our hearts. And now he is keeping our other two dogs very busy, not to mention me :)

Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

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Guess what? More chicken...

As part of my 1001 ways to do chicken, or so it seems, here is maybe my 785th way!
GRILLED WINGS! Sweet-hot wings. Very hot, kind of sweet, very sticky, and very, very good!

We love wings. Probably more than we like cutlets. Miss Picky likes them, too, so I get to play around with recipes, knowing she'll at least join in on dinner! There's always a grilled hot dog for just in case though! Found two really great sounding recipes. Both easy enough. and they have that Sweet-hot flavor that we love.

Found a couple of great looking recipes when I was googling for recipes, and then decided to make it easier to search with pictures, went to Photograzing, typed "chicken wings" in the search box, and it gave me plenty to choose from. The first one I found comes from the blog, The Duo Dishes. Exactly what I was looking for, Sweet Chili Chicken Wings! Sweet and hot, our favorite combination!

and then I kept looking, just to be sure!  and I couldn't resist this one, from the blog, What We're Eating! So we're having two kinds of wings today! Both were fantastic, glad I didn't have to choose! The only changes I made to both recipes were to start them in the oven and finish them on the grill. The Griller has less of a chance of charring beyond recognition that way! and I added a little more Sriracha sauce to the recipe, we love that stuff! forgot to add the five spice and the paprika, not to mention the scallions and it was still a great recipe! Grandma is getting used to the heat now, she enjoyed it, too!

Sweet Chili Chicken Wings
Source: The Duo Dishes
Printable Recipe

1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili oil
2 teaspoons sriracha
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Kosher salt
Paprika
Five spice powder
Scallions

Season the chicken liberally with five spice powder, paprika and salt. Spread on a flat layer on a baking sheet and slide into a preheated oven at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

While chicken bakes, mix the remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Once it begins to bubble, reduce to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken.

Remove chicken from the oven and drop the pieces into the sauce. Coat in the sauce, cover and simmer another 5-10 minutes until sauce gets thick and dark and coats the chicken.  Remove from the sauce pan and sprinkle with scallions.

My note: My only changes were to add more Sriracha, the stuff is addicting! and I started the wings in the oven and finished on the grill!

Sriracha-Peach Chicken Wings
Source: What We're Eating
Printable Recipe


1 (15oz) can peach halves in heavy syrup
1 tablespoon sriracha, plus more if desired
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra
1 1/2 lb chicken wings or drumettes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Strain the heavy syrup from the peaches into a small sauce pan. Place the syrup over medium to medium-high heat and reduce in half.

Place three peach halves into a blender or food processor with the reduced syrup, sriracha, vinegar and dark soy sauce. Puree until smooth and transfer to a bowl.

Finely dice the remaining peach halves. Add the diced peaches, kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to the bowl with the peach puree. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Taste the sauce. Adjust the seasonings as desired with more kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and sriracha as necessary.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Season the chicken wings lightly with kosher salt, toss to coat. Place the wings into the lined sheet pan. Evenly pour the sauce over the wings, toss to coat with sauce, and place into the preheated 400 degree oven. Bake at 400 for 50 minutes, flipping the wings and basting with sauce in the pan after 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Using tongs, carefully transfer wings to a serving dish then spoon remaining sauce from the pan over the wings.

My note: I started the wings in the oven in a disposable foil pan, but finished them on the grill!

French Potato Salad
Source: Martha Stewart, Everyday Food - July/August 2009 
Printable Recipe

2 1/2 pounds fingerling or small new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 small shallot, minced (2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 small red onion, sliced

Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Run under cold water to cool slightly, then drain.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, mustard, vinegar, shallot, parsley, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and onion and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature.

To make ahead, you can refrigerate and store overnight.

Creamy Cole Slaw
Source: Martha Stewart Living, June 2004
Printable Recipe

This is a really creamy kind of slaw! I left out the onion, but next time will add a little bit! and it makes a lot! Serves from 6-8 but I think it will serve more than that!

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small green cabbage, (about 1 3/4 pounds), shredded
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks or coarsely grated or shredded
1 small onion, coarsely grated (optional)

Whisk together mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a small bowl. Refrigerate dressing, covered, until ready to use, or up to 2 days.

Put cabbage, carrots, and onion (if desired) in a large bowl. Pour in dressing, and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, until slaw begins to soften, 1 to 2 hours. If not using immediately, refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days. Just before serving, toss coleslaw again.

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Flashback Friday: Spring!

We lost power for five days during the "hurricane" with no name! Lost two 45 year old trees that my parents planted when they first built the house. But the house was fine and so were we! We will plant two new ones!

Saturday night one of the trees caught fire and burned the power line. It landed by our driveway and stayed there for five days! The electric company had people guarding it around the clock until they were able to send people to fix it. Took five days. They were all really nice and it was pretty scary! The street was blocked off, no garbage pick-up, no mail, no nothing!

All's well that ends well. Time for spring. The weather was a big contrast to last weekend! It's been a gorgeous few days! I picked up a bunch of tulips. It made a really beautiful day even better!

Was so nice to have heat and electricity! On Thursday we sat down to a nice family dinner, didn't have to wear coats indoors, no shivering no candles and no flashlights. We tried a new recipe and joined Suzy from Kitchen Bouquet and Flashback Friday with a flashback recipe! The new one is very good, Cilantro-Chipotle Tilapia! The flashback was Cherry-Chipotle Wings. A staple of our grilling season. And so it begins. Grilling. Mr. Griller will be very busy, it's supposed to be a nice weekend. We've had enough takeout for quite a while. Even for us!

Chipotle-Cherry Barbecue Glaze
Source: Food and Wine Magazine - June 2005, recipe by Grace Parisi,
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I just sliced the onions, it'll get whizzed up when you use the stick blender or food processor)
8 ounces cherry preserves (3/4 cup) (I use a bit more!)
1/4 cup minced seeded chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I use 2 – 3 chipotle's, and leave them whole – it’ll get pureed when you put it in the processor or blender. I use an immersion stick blender)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until bubbling, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before using. The glaze can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

NOTES : Use this spicy, smoky, sweet barbecue sauce to glaze grilled meat or poultry in the last few minutes of cooking. It can also be served on the side.

Cilantro-Chipotle Tilapia
Source: Gourmet - February 2009, recipe by Ian Knauer
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotles in adobo (I used more like 2 tablespoons!)
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 (6-ounces) tilapia fillets

Preheat broiler.

Purée cilantro, oil, chiles with some adobo sauce, water, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth, then coat fish with sauce.

Line rack of a broiler pan with foil, then broil fish 3 to 4 inches from heat until just cooked through, 6 to 9 minutes.

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Mosaic Monday: Feast for Superbowl Sunday!

Trying out a few new recipes today! I thought we wouldn't be grilling, I figured the Griller needed a break, and as sweet as he is to brave the cold for us, it is sort of freezing out! So I said I'd do everything in the oven and my trusty grill pan! Nope, he was all for grilling! Probably because hot dogs were involved. I opted to hang outside, between my hot flashes and his idea of high heat charring, I mean grilling, it wasn't bad at all! Kind of funny, the Griller first thought I was calling him a Gorilla. Must be the New Yawk accent! Nice to know he pays attention somewhat when I tell him about the posts!

The big kid definitely wanted wings today, and I tried something new. My friend, Woodie, posted or mentioned, can't remember which, it's not like I pay complete attention all the time. or even some of the time :) Sorry Woodie! but I did remember your great reviews and I did get the recipe right! We loved them! I didn't use Scotch Bonnets though, not even one, that would probably have killed my 80 year old mother! and don't ever say that I mentioned her age either! I used a couple jalapeno's. We're all ok with that! I remembered to pick up scallions, but of course forgot to put them in.We grilled the scallions and had them with the wings, instead of on the wings. Good save!

and a first for us...Michigan Chili Dogs! I'm lover of sauerkraut and mustard with my hot dog. No deviation! but this was mentioned and I just had to try. BURP! Excuse me, but this was definitely worth the indigestion! It really, really was! Loved this. Topped with raw, sweet onion.

These little chick pea snacks are thoroughly addicting. The big kid didn't love them at first, but by the second handful was totally addicted! Miss Picky already wants another batch for tomorrow! Go heavy with the spices and add a little cayenne pepper for kick, you'll need to make a bigger batch!

 

 

Crispy Chickpeas
Source: recipe by Jason Travi - Food and Wine, February 2010
Printable Recipe

3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Three 15-ounce cans chickpeas—drained, rinsed and patted dry
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin (I used more like 2 tablespoons and added a little cayenne pepper)
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt

In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 350°. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the coriander and cumin. Add the flour and toss until the chickpeas are coated; transfer to a sieve and tap off the excess flour.

Add one-third of the chickpeas at a time to the hot oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until they are browned and crispy, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chickpeas to the paper towels to drain and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let the vegetable oil return to 350° between batches. Let the chickpeas cool, then transfer them to a bowl and serve.

The fried chickpeas can kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

Mikey's Jamaican Jerk Wings
Source: AnnieWoodie
Printable Recipe

4 Scotch Bonnet chilies (or any hot pepper, amount depending upon your taste - we use much less than called for!)
1 bunch scallions (both white & green parts, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 shallots - halved
1 small onion - quartered
2 cloves of peeled garlic
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons ground allspice
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup of water

This is enough to marinate 4 pounds of meat

Combine chiles, scallions, shallots, onion, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, oil, soy, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and water. Blend in a blender until smooth,
Marinate from a few hours to several days and grill until done.

Mike's quick tip, sprinkle extra thyme while grilling.


Michigan Sauce (for hot dogs)
Source: Woodie's Ticonderoga Bicentennial Cookbook via Cindy
Printable Recipe

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup ketchup
1/2 pound hamburger meat

Cook onions until soft, add remaining ingredients. Cook until meat is completely cooked and is the desired consistency you like!


Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges with Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce
Source: Internet search, adapted recipes
Printable Recipe

4 or 5 sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
Serve with Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

Toss sweet potato wedges with oil in a ziploc bag. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Shake the bag (remember to zip it closed! Been there, done that!)
Place on baking sheet in single layer. Bake at 375 degrees F, 40 - 50 minutes, until tender and lightly browned on edges.

Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

1 -2 chipotle in adobo sauce, plus a teaspoon or more of adobo sauce to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
squeeze of fresh lime (optional)

Mix 1 or 2 chipotle in adobo sauce, and a little bit of the adobo sauce (to taste, use more or less!) with 1 cup mayonnaise. You can also add a squeeze of fresh lime juice!

Serve hot wedges with dipping sauce.



Joining Mary at the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday! Check out the other fabulous Mosaics over at the Little Red House.

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Flashback Friday: Grilling a little something for everyone!

It was gorgeous outside once again. Almost the end of January and we're getting weather in the 40's on Long Island. No complaints here! A day like this, you almost have to grill dinner!

Porterhouse was on sale at my favorite butcher. So we're grilling steaks! and there was a request for wings. The big kid wants the usual, his absolute favorite in the whole world, Cherry Chipotle Wings, but I saw a recipe at Epicurious that I had really wanted to try.  Lime, Apricot and Soy-Sauce Wings.  We like a smorgasboard when we grill. A little bit of everything for each of us! If I'm cooking in the kitchen, it's pretty much take it or leave it. but grilling lends itself to so many good choices, and I don't do the grilling, so anything goes :) The Griller happens to be a very good sport!

Fran Lebowitz once said "Don't ask your kids what they want for dinner unless they're buying!"  I didn't ask. Same difference. I did the shopping, the prepping and the cooking, so I win. Lime-Apricot Wings it was!  This recipe was for a buffet party to feed 18. We weren't having a buffet or a party so I cut it down to feed four, along with some steak. Leftover wings are always great cold from the frig the next day! We're not your usual cereal for breakfast type of people! My kids liked leftovers for breakfast!

Since the kid didn't get his choice of wings, I decided to make two of his favorite salads on the side. Asian Cole Slaw and Ina's Guacamole Salad! and the Porterhouse, we always have it grilled. Salt and Pepper. Perfect. but this time I found something that looked so good with a steak. Jalapeno Butter.

The steak was great, turns out that the wings were fantastic! Even Miss Picky who is really picky, beyond picky, she loved the wings, and the big kid was not disappointed.

Lime, Apricot, and Soy-Sauce Chicken Wings
Source: Gourmet,  December 1999
recipe adapted from the original which served a party buffet!
Printable Recipe

Use more or less of the ingredients depending on your tastes! I added some fresh grated ginger and the crushed red pepper flakes.

2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to  3 limes)
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 large garlic
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
a little fresh grated ginger

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut off wing tips, reserving for another use, and halve wings at joint. Arrange wings in a single layer on a large roasting pan. If you can, use a disposable foil pan for easier cleanup!

Purée remaining ingredients in a blender and pour mixture over wings in the pan. Bake wings for 50 minutes. Turn wings over and then bake 45 minutes to 1 hour more, or until liquid is thick and sticky. Be careful not to burn them.

Serve wings warm or at room temperature.

Asian Cole Slaw
Source: the internet
Printable Recipe

SALAD:
1 bag of Cole slaw mix
1/2 bag of shred carrots
1/2 bag shredded red cabbage
a bunch of chopped scallions
2 packages of Ramen Noodles (save the flavor packets for something else, I toss them!)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup slivered almonds

DRESSING:
1 cup canola oil
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar (to taste)

Toast the ramen noodles and put aside. Toast the almonds. Mix dressing, leave overnight if possible to dissolve sugar. Mix the ingredients for the salad. Pour dressing on salad right before you serve it and toss to combine.


Porterhouse with Jalapeno Butter

Source: Martha Stewart Living
Printable Recipe

Serves 2

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 fresh jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 porterhouse steak (2 1/2 pounds, 1 1/2 inches thick), room temperature
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Stir butter, jalapeno, and garlic in a bowl; set aside.

Season both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Grill over hotter part of grill, covered, flipping once, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Slide to cooler part of grill; grill, covered, flipping once, until medium-rare, 7 to 8 minutes more per side. Remove from grill, and let rest 10 minutes. Serve with jalapeno butter.

You can freeze any extra butter for another time! Great on fish, too!

and this black bean salad I've made before and I'm posting it to Flashback Fridays on Suzy's blog at Kitchen Bouquet! Always good to go back and make a really fantastic recipe that's worth repeating again and again! This is one of those recipes. From Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa! I originally posted it here.

Guacamole Salad
Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa
Printable Recipe

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (I used 2 cans!)
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well. Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Flashback Friday at Kitchen Bouquet!

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A Double Magazine Challenge!

Always up for a challenge, this time I managed to find two new recipes from the huge stack of magazines that are piling up on the night table. Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet started this challenge for herself and I loved the idea so I jumped in more than a few posts ago! Click here for her Challenge posts! I think my biggest challenge isn't so much finding a recipe but more FOLLOWING the recipe! Distractions always get in the way!

From Gourmet's recent issue, I made Peach-Lacquered Chicken Wings. The wings came out great, sweet and sticky, next time I'd even more pepper than I threw in. I changed it up a little, I roasted the wings at 400 for about 20 minutes or so, and basted once with the sauce. Then when the wings were pretty much cooked through, I drained the pan and then broiled to crisp it up, basting and then turning the wings and basting again. Twice. Until it got crispy and sticky. Much easier than standing over the broiler for twenty minutes. My smoke alarm appreciated the change in the recipe!

Just out the broiler, perfectly charred! You have to watch these things. The smoke alarm kept me posted!



They actually came out perfect. The burning was from the sauce in the pan. and maybe one or two or four of the wings! Do you think I'd show a picture of the extremely burned ones? Definitely a keeper recipe. Another easy one.

Peach-Lacquered Chicken Wings
Recipe by Melissa Roberts
Gourmet, June 2009
Printable Recipe

3 garlic cloves
1 (3-inch) piece peeled ginger, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup peach or apricot preserves or jam
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes (I used more!)
4 lb chicken wings, tips removed if desired

Preheat broiler.

With motor running, drop garlic into a food processor and finely chop. Add ginger and finely chop.

Add preserves, soy sauce, water, and red-pepper flakes and pulse until sauce is combined.
Line bottom and sides of a large 4-sided sheet pan with foil and lightly oil foil.
Pat wings dry and put in sheet pan. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pour sauce over wings and toss to coat, then spread in 1 layer.

Broil wings 4 to 6 inches from heat 5 minutes, then turn over and baste with sauce from pan. Continue to broil, rotating pan and turning and basting 3 more times, until chicken is cooked through and browned in spots, 20 to 25 minutes.

and for the side dish, Rösti Potatoes from Food& Wine seemed easy enough. It's a Swiss-style potato pancake. Reminded me of a giant latke without the onions. So I got out my trusty food processor and the cast iron pan and I was all set. Except I had no baking potatoes. I had a ton of fingerlings, so why not. Being lazy, I never peeled them, and just grated away in the food processor. I assumed the pan was hot enough. Never assume. So big deal, I turned the heat up. It was beginning to look a little grayish. I tried to slide it out of the pan onto a plate so I could fry the other side. It stuck. I manged to get it back in the pan. So maybe I will call my potatoes, Sloppy Rösti's! They sure did taste good, even if they weren't pretty!
















Rösti Potatoes
Recipe by Francis Mallmann
Food & Wine, June 2009
Printable Recipe

2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, scrubbed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
Salt

Heat a large griddle over moderately low heat or on a preheated grill. On a work surface, using a box grater, coarsely shred the potatoes into 10 fluffy piles—don’t pat the piles down.

Add 1/8 inch of oil to the griddle and heat until shimmering. Carefully transfer the potato piles to the griddle, keeping them fluffy and evenly spaced. Season with salt. Cook over moderately low heat until well-browned and crisp on the bottom, 15 minutes. Turn the piles, adding another 1/8 inch of oil to the griddle. Cook for 15 minutes longer, until the potatoes are browned and crisp; season with salt and serve.

Make Ahead:
The rösti potatoes can be fried 2 hours in advance. Reheat before serving.

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Suzy's Magazine Challenge...

and my pile for April is dwindling by the night table! but the mailman just brought some new issues for May!



I love Suzy's Great Cooking Magazine Challenge at Kitchen Bouquet. Gives me incentive to go through the pile and we get to try some new recipes in the process!

This one is from Martha Stewart Living, May 2009 issue. Excellent recipe. Didn't change a thing, didn't burn it or screw it up either :) I used white button and cremini mushrooms, what I had on hand. Made two pounds, lots of flavor! Tasted them hot from the oven. Served them warm! Both great. Definitely a do over!



Roasted Mushrooms
Chris Bianco, Martha Stewart Living, May 2009

1 pound mushrooms, preferably royal trumpet, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch slices
3 ounces 1/4-inch-thick pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch-by-1-inch pieces
4 fresh or dried bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, smashed, or 2 green garlic, thinly sliced crosswise
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
3 stems fresh rosemary
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon julienned lemon zest

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spread mushrooms on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with pancetta, bay leaves, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and rosemary. Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden brown around edges, about 20 minutes.

Spoon off excess fat. Add wine and stir. Roast until wine has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes more.

Toss with parsley and zest. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

This a recipe I've mentioned before that we love. Sticky, sweet and as hot as you like it! Cherry Cola BBQ glaze, 3 ways! We like choices here. One kid doesn't eat the ribs or the steak, one kid likes all three. Everyone's happy this way. A little bit of something for everyone and leftovers for lunch the next day! Except me, I wanted takeout so I wouldn't have to clean up!



The recipe for the Cherry Cola BBQ Glaze can be found here or here!



We used to bring new meaning to flame broiling. The buzz word being FLAME! but now I cheat and precook the wings and ribs in the oven first. Then finish on the grill. On medium heat! Since we figured out precooking and lower heat on the grill, we haven't been eating incinerated chicken wings in a very long time.




On the side we had a really good and spicy black bean and corn salsa, I got it a while ago on the Cooking Forum at gardenweb. Spicy, smoky, hot. Great flavor. Always gets raves! For the heat wimps used less chipotle!



Spicy Black Bean Salsa
Source: Cooking Forum, posted Lorijean
Printable Recipe

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels, blanched, or frozen corn kernels, thawed
1-1/2 cups chopped red onion
1-1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 3 medium)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 large ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, diced
Tortilla chips

Whisk first 6 ingredient in large bowl to blend. Stir in beans, corn, onion, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Mix in avocado; season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Tonight's dinner is anyone's guess!

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Hits and Misses

Fran Lebowitz once said, "Ask your children what they want for dinner only if they're buying!" Mine weren't buying but they were asking! and any time the weather is nice, they're asking for Grilled Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Wings and hot dogs. I wanted a grilled rack of baby Lamb Chops. So we had it all. Seemed like a great idea this morning when the weather was nice. By the time we got to dinner, and everything was prepared, whaddya think? It rained. Mostly drizzle. It eventually stopped and dinner was grilled and served. Those wings are always a sweet-hot HIT!

I tried a new marinated mushrooms recipe I found online. Not a big hit with anyone but me. They were a little different, a little more interesting than the recipe I usually use which is more oil and vinegar. This one had lots of flavor. I liked it, but no one else did. A bit of a miss. We also had Avocado with Lime, Thai Cucumber Salad, both hits! So a couple hits and a miss. Not a bad dinner at all.

Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Wings
This is the perfect blend of sweet-hot! It's also good on pork and just about anything! I roast the wings in the oven first and then finish them on the grill. Much quicker and comes out perfect. At least the way my husband grills. He grills like I bake. High flames are usually involved!



Chipotle-Cherry Barbecue Glaze
recipe by Grace Parisi, Food and Wine Magazine, June 2005
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I just sliced the onions, it'll get whizzed up when you use the stick blender or food processor)
8 ounces cherry preserves (3/4 cup) (I use a bit more!)
1/4 cup minced seeded chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I use 2 – 3 chipotle's, and leave them whole – it’ll get pureed when you put it in the processor or blender. I use an immersion stick blender)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until bubbling, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before using. The glaze can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

NOTES : Use this spicy, smoky, sweet barbecue sauce to glaze grilled meat or poultry in the last few minutes of cooking. It can also be served on the side.

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Grilled Rack of Lamb Chops with Greek Marinade



Marinated Greek Lamb Chops
Source: GroupRecipes
Printable Recipe

8 lamb chops
juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fresh oregano (sliced) or 1/4 cup dried oregano
6 garlic cloves (sliced)
1/3 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients together including the lamb chops.

Cover up and put in the fridge for 4 hrs or overnight, turning every once in awhile.

Grill for about 3 minutes each side at medium high heat for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking.

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Avocado with Lime Vinaigrette



Lime Vinaigrette

Juice of one lime
1/2 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
half a jalapeno chopped fine (I freeze the jalapeno's whole and used a microplane to grate the frozen peppers. Works like a charm! Throw the other half back in the freezer for another time)

Whisk it all together and drizzle over diced avocado's. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

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Mushrooms a la Grecque



Mushrooms a la Grecque
by Faye Levy, from the LA Times

1 large sprig thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato sauce or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 pound small mushrooms, rinsed

Combine thyme, bay leaf, coriander seeds, wine, oil, water, tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste and lemon juice in saute pan. Bring to boil and add mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, over high heat, gently stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are just tender, about 7 minutes.

Transfer to shallow dish. Discard thyme sprig and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve cool or cold.

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Thai Cucumber Salad


Thai Cucumber Salad

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon course ground black pepper
1 large hothouse cucumber, peeled and sliced very thin
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 - 1 small hot chili, sliced very thin (I used jalapeno)
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced very thin

In a small pan, combine sugar and water; cook over medium heat, stirring, until liquid boils and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the rice vinegar, pepper and salt. Place the sliced cucumbers, onions, pepper and chili in a bowl, pour marinade over; stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

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