Classic Hot Wings for Game Day!

November 28, 2012

Foodie Favorites hopes everyone has survived the past month with Super Storm Sandy and the Nor'Easter and that Thanksgiving was a nice reprieve to relax a little and enjoy time with friends and family.  Onward friends!  There is a month between Christmas and New Year's so I thought we'd concentrate on football since it is now on almost every day of the week.  How about a classic favorite game day snack!  You guessed it, Hot Wings!

Recently we had a couple of friends over on the premise that we were going to watch football- we didn't- but that was no reason not to have some snacks and drinks.  Though some of you would prefer it, you don't actually NEED to go to Hooters or "Insert Local Sports Bar Here" for wings!  I was actually on the prowl for already prepared wings that day, but as it turned out nowhere that I went had them (Note to self:  should have tried Hooters or Local Sports Bar).  I remembered that I had a super-easy recipe and that wings made at home can be quite tasty and not as fattening because you can bake them and not fry them!  Most of you probably also have almost all of the ingredients for the classic wings or one of the 7 other varieties below.  Just buy chicken wingettes or drumettes and it's a go.  These recipes are from the February 2010 Food & Wine issue- no doubt it was just in time for Super Bowl.

Enjoy!
Foodie



Classic Hot Wings
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds chicken wingettes and drumettes
2 1/2 tablespoons red hot sauce, preferably Frank's Red Hot
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil.  In a bowl, mix the flour with the salt.  Add the chicken and toss to coat.  Spread the chicken on the baking sheet in a single layer and spray with vegetable oil.  Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, turning once or twice, until browned and crispy.

2. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the hot sauce and butter; serve.

7 variations on the Classic Hot Wings:
                                 
Ginger-Honey:  Add 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns and 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder to the flour & salt mixture.  Add 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoons each of honey, minced fresh ginger and scallions to the hot sauce & butter.

Jamaican Jerk:  Add 1/2 teaspoon each of dried garlic, onion and thyme to the flour & salt mixture.  Add 1 teaspoon jerk paste to the hot sauce & butter: garnish with fresh thyme leaves.

Mango-Curry:  Add 2 teaspoons hot Madras curry powder to the flour & salt mixture.  Add 2 tablespoons Major Grey chutney to the hot sauce & butter: garnish with chopped pistachios.

Maple-Chipotle:  Add 1 teaspoon dried sage to the flour & salt mixture.  Add 1 minced canned chipotle and 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup to the hot sauce & butter.

Old Bay:  Add 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning to the flour & salt mixture.  Add 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce to the hot sauce & butter.

Sweet & Sticky:  Add 1/2 teaspoon each of dried garlic and onion and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to the flour & salt mixture.  Add 2 tablespoons melted hot pepper jelly to the hot sauce & butter.

Thai Green Curry:  Add 1 teaspoon ground coriander to the flour & salt mixture.  Add 2 1/2 tablespoons green hot sauce (in place of the red), 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon Thai green curry paste and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

October 8, 2012

I have the best intentions of cooking more at home and cooking GREAT things.  And I'm not only talking about special occasions, but for everyday breakfast, lunch and dinner as well.  My intentions can be seen occasionally by the fact that sometimes I do bust out one of the recipes from years and years of food magazine collections (Cooking Light, Food and Wine, Food Network Magazine, Bon Appetit and others) or cookbooks, but most of the time it can be witnessed by the stacks and stacks of magazine pages around my house that I've ripped out because the recipes looked good.  It would be my dream to make a gourmet dinner or even lunch every day in between gymnastics, soccer games, trampoline, trumpet lessons, and now a new puppy. (Yes, you did read it correctly that my 9 year old daughter just took up the trumpet!  Pretty soon she'll be able to play the background music for this blog!)  Sigh...  So I'm going to start smaller.

My new vow is to try one new recipe of some sort from one of the piles and/or a new product at least once a week and I will post it here for your reading enjoyment.

Last week,  I traveled back to October 2010 and made Shrimp Fra Diavolo courtesy of Grace Parisi and Food and Wine magazine.  It was super tasty, so easy to make, only about 30 minutes from start to finish, and not alot of clean-up, but be warned: this dish is spicy.  If your skiddish about hot and spicy, you may want to cut back on the crushed red pepper and  it will probably still be delicious.  Bon appetit!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo  (sorry, no picture- will post next time I make it!)
(4 servings)

1 and 1/4 pounds shelled and deveined medium shrimp
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce thickly sliced pancetta, finely diced (I used regular bacon because that's what I had on-hand)
1 small onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups jarred marinara sauce (Rao's is a good one, or I used homemade that was left over, but whatever you like)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread and/or pasta for serving (I served over whole grain penne)

1.  In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the crushed red pepper; season with salt and black pepper.  Let stand for 20 minutes.

2.  Heat a large skillet until very hot.  Add the shrimp and cook over high heat until lightly browned and nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

3.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet along with the pancetta, onion and garlic, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.  Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the skillet.  Add the marinara sauce and simmer over moderate heat until the shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the shrimp to bowls, garnish with the parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Breakfast for Dinner!

September 26, 2012

Hello fellow Foodies!  I've missed you!

Sorry I haven't posted over the last week, but this Foodie Favorite has also decided to become a "Pampered Chef" and I've been spending some time kicking that off.  Check out my new website at http://pamperedchef.biz/foodiefavorites to see all of the great products, get some new recipes and consider being a host.  Great, great benefits for hosts where you can earn FREE products, half price products and discounted products.  OK.  Done plugging myself :)

So, going along with the Pampered Chef theme, I recently pulled out some old cookbooks from when I last hosted a PC party, 2002, and came across the "Farmstand Frittata"- the ingredients seemed so awesomely farmer's market and "end of summer" and I actually had most of them in the fridge so I decided to make it.  My husband is more of a meat and potatoes (rice, really) kind-of-guy so you can imagine his excitement when he came home from work and I told him we were having a fritatta for dinner (and bacon).  Hahaha.  My kids would never eat this...too many eggs, too many vegetables, etc., but "Breakfast for Dinner" is a novelty idea in the kid universe so they were still excited and they did both try the bacon though they had alternate main courses.

Check out the recipe below...though it's good for dinner, it is also great for Brunch and/or for leftover breakfast which skeptical hubbie had the next morning!

Coming soon...Our very own Cabhunter will be back with his wine picks for the fall and Foodie will give an easy solution to delicious short ribs!  Tell your friends to check us out by coming to foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and click subscribe to get direct e-mails whenever there is a post.

Bon Appetit!




Veggies + eggs= yummy frittata!



Farmstand Fritatta

Ingredients:
6 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium zucchini, sliced (1 and 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves snipped, divided
6 eggs
1/2 teasopoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1 and 1/2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated, divided (about 6 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1.  Break thin spaghettin into 2-to 3-inch lengths.  Cook according to package directions; drain.

2.  Meanwhile, chop onion and bell pepper.  Slice zucchini.  Snip basil with shears.

3.  In small bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 tablespoon of the snipped basil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper using a whisk.  Add 4 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan cheese.

4.  In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic pressed with a garlic press.  Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender; stir in cooked spaghetti.  Reduce heat to low.  Pour egg mixture over pasta mixture in pan.  Cover; cook 14-15 minutes or until egg mixture is set in center.

5.  Meanwhile, combine tomatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon snipped basil and 1/8 teaspoon salt.  Grate remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over frittata.  Cut frittata into wedges.  Serve topped with tomato mixture.

6 servings.  Calories 230, Fat 8 g, Sodium 400mg, Dietary Fiber 2g

Foodie Note: Keep an eye on the eggs while they are cooking.  Depending on how well done you like your eggs and/or the pan you are using, cooking time may vary.  I cooked my frittata a bit longer than the recipe called for.

Pampered Chef Notes:  1- With the spaghetti added, the frittata has a firm texture, making it easy to slice and serve.  2- You can cook the thin spaghetti ahead of time and refrigerate, or use 3 cups leftover cooked thin spaghetti.  Use kitchen shears to cut leftover cooked spaghetti into 2- to 3-inch lengths.

Bargain Red Wines

September 17, 2012

I've been known to throw back a glass (bottle) or two of wine on occasion.  I have my everyday favorites which usually are at a lesser price point then bottles for special occasions.  Like alot of people, I've tasted wine from the inexpensive to the VERY expensive.  I am not a connoisseur of wine and I haven't been formally trained or schooled, but I know what I like.  As far as reds go, I generally like a light to middle bodied wine which can be found in almost all regions.  There are of course many, many delicious wines but as a rule of thumb, once you start going over a 14%-ish alcohol level, you'll be falling down after a couple of glasses.  Sadly, I speak from experience...

I gave 2 different bottles a try recently which were smooth and yummy and were from Whole Foods so you should be able to find them fairly easily.  They were great buys for the money!!  I hope you get a chance to give them a try.

Details below:



Altos Las Hormigas
Malbec-Clasico Mendoza
Argentina 2011
14.2% alcohol
www.lashormigas.com
$10.99 (at Whole Foods)


M.Chapoutier's Belleruche
Cotes-Du-Rhone
France 2010
14% alcohol
$13.99 (at Whole Foods)


Cheers!