Buffalo Wings

This post comes with a health warning:
the dinner I am about to share with you is NOT healthy!
A recent issue of The Food Network Magazine included
a variety of hot wing recipes and so we thought why not?
It gets worse though, we also made onion rings to go with the chicken wings.


Alton Brown's Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
12 whole chicken wings
3 ounces unsalted butter
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Place a 6-quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl along with the garlic. Pour this along with hot sauce and salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine.

Remove the wings from the oven and transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.




And the Onion Rings:











A Perfect Match:

Smoothie Explosion

We had a little smoothie explosion in the kitchen this morning.



But don't worry everything turned out just fine. We had four chefs in the kitchen this morning and each was assigned to a particular task.
We were able to cook up:
Banana & Oat Pancakes, Maple & Brown Sugar Bacon, Fruit Smoothies and Diced Potatoes with spices.
We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with friends while listening to Andy Stanley online this morning.
Same time next week for anyone who is in the area. :)

Pasta with Beans and Escarole

There are just some flavors that were meant to go together and this
recipe has them : white beans, escarole and pancetta ~yum.
This dish is well balanced and light b/c the base of the sauce is
chicken broth.

Pasta with Beans and Escarole
by Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 oz. pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 head escarole, cored and trimmed, leaves cut into strips
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 can (14 oz.) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbs. minced fresh marjoram
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt, to taste
3/4 lb. small tubular pasta, such as ditali
Directions:
Make the sauce
In a large fry pan over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-low, add the pancetta and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the escarole and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, beans, marjoram and red pepper flakes and season with salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.



Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 Tbs. salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the pasta is al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Warm briefly over low heat to blend the flavors. Add as much of the cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce and serve immediately.



Enjoy!

Marinated Artichoke Heart, Ham, and Provolone Panini

There is nothing like a toasty, hot sandwich on a cold, rainy day.
Besides what could be better than Ham, Salami and Provolone Cheese
on a few slices of fresh Italian bread. This panini makes you feel
like you are having lunch in a wonderful New York deli.


Marinated Artichoke Heart, Ham, and Provolone Panini
Recipe courtesy Emeril LagasseIngredients
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 slices ciabatta bread, or other rustic Italian white bread, thinly sliced
6 ounces thinly sliced provolone
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
2 ounces thinly sliced genoa salami



Directions
Whisk 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to blend. Arrange the slices of bread on a flat work surface and, using a brush, divide the vinaigrette equally among 1 side of each slice. Divide the provolone equally among the bread slices. Top 6 of the slices of bread equally with the sliced artichoke hearts and sliced genoa salami and then place the remaining 6 slices on top. Brush the outsides of each sandwich with some of the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Heat a grill, large skillet or grill pan over medium heat.




Add the sandwiches and cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, pressing occasionally to compact with a large spatula or the bottom of a heavy small saucepan, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.




Escape from the usual and give this panini a try ~ you'll love it!

Chicken Pot Pie with Mashed Potatoes

I don't remember loving Chicken Pot Pie as a kid. It always seemed too soupy and I am certain that I did not appreciate the vegetables that were in it nor did I care for the so called flaky crust. Knowing that it has been a long time and that my tastes have changed I decided to give Chicken Pot Pie another try.

I select the recipe listed below for a few reasons. The first being that it did not call for a "can" of anything (yeah). The second reason is the one I mentioned before of not finding the crust as flaky as people claim. So here is the recipe that allowed me to give the pot pie another chance.


Chicken Pot Pie with Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 onions, diced
2 leeks, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, recipe follows
1 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Topping:
5 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Special equipment: food mill, 6 (1 1/2 cup) ceramic ramekins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.






In a medium skillet melt the butter over medium high heat, saute the potatoes, onions, leeks, carrots, and garlic until golden. Add the white wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Mix the flour and milk until smooth and add to the vegetables, and cook until thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.




Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat the oil over high heat and sear the chicken until golden. Cut seared chicken into 1/2 inch chunks and add it, the thyme, and parsley to the vegetables and set side.




For the topping: Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water, season with salt.

Over high heat bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Drain the potatoes and let them sit for 5 minutes to steam dry. Put the potatoes through a food mill. Warm the cream and stir into the potatoes. Mix in the butter. Season, to taste.

To assemble the pot pies fill 6 ramekins with 1 cup of filling each and top with the mashed potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes.




Very Good! Much better than what I remembered. I loved the carrots, leeks and corn (corn I just added b/c I thought it would be good). I also enjoyed the thyme flavor. I would make this again for sure.

Brioche French Toast with Strawberries

Brioche French Toast anyone?



It is a special treat to wake up on Sunday morning to a wonderful breakfast cooked by my husband!! I think he got a little carried away this morning when making breakfast. It was very good but we had quite a bit left over.

Pasta with Carmelized Squash and Sage

I have made this recipe before and really enjoyed it!
If you have checke out the Williams - Sonoma recipe
section of their website lately ~ you really should!
There are excellent recipes on their website.


Kerchief Pasta with Caramelized Squash
from Williams-Sonoma
Makes 4-6 servings

9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 butternut squash, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons finely diced shallots
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound fresh pasta sheets, cut into 2-inch squares
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 3 Tbs. of the butter. Add the squash in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until browned underneath, about 6 minutes. Stir the squash and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes more. Add the sugar, broth, salt and pepper, cover and cook until the squash is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the squash is dark brown and glazed, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the squash mixture to a bowl.




In the same pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 6 Tbs. butter until light brown spots appear, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots, nutmeg and sage and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots begin to soften, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the squash.




Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta and the reserved cooking water to the squash mixture and toss to combine.



Delish!