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      Holiday apps 101

      December 22, 2010 /

      Happy holidays everyone! Here is a post I did two years ago on Bullz-Eye.com’s Grub For Guys for holiday appetizers. There are some good ideas here for both Christmas parties or New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Enjoy….

      Holiday Appetizers
      Oriental wings, Zucchini rolls, Pigs in Blankets, Potato Skins, Easy Ham & Cheese Rolls

      The holidays are upon us, and one of the best things about said holidays is getting together with friends and family that you actually want to hang with. And for those occasions, when you have people stopping by your pad, you want to impress them with some quality snacks. That means, for once, to not pull out frozen mini-tacos and pizza bagels and chips and dip—but to put just a little effort in so that it looks like you are a chef who knows what he’s doing. Or at least that you fake it good. Doctors, please don’t come after me for the fried food bent running through these recipes—after all, we’re guys and we like fried food, and we all like to indulge a little during the holiday season anyway. (A note about portions: these portions were my “test kitchen” portion sizes, so you can double, triple and quadruple according to how many people are coming over.)

      Oriental Chicken Wings
      Ingredients
      1 pound fresh chicken wing sections
      Oil for deep frying
      Salt and pepper
      2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
      1 Tbsp. soy sauce
      1 tsp. sesame oil
      1 tsp. honey
      1 tsp. cooking sherry
      1 tsp. minced ginger (from a jar works best)
      1 tsp. apricot preserves
      1 tsp. (or more to taste) chili garlic sauce
      1 tsp. sesame seeds

      Directions:
      Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange wings on it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat about 2 inches of canola or vegetable oil over medium heat in a deep skillet. When oil is hot enough (if you feel heat by placing your hand an inch or so from the oil’s surface), gently add the wings to the skillet. Fry for about 12 minutes or until wings start to turn crispy. While wings are cooking, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, sherry, ginger, preserves, chili garlic sauce and another sprinkling of salt and pepper in a large, heat resistant bowl. Drain wings on a plate with paper towels for a minute, and then toss into sauce and shake until coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

      Pigs in Blankets
      Ingredients
      1/3 sheet puff pastry
      8 cocktail franks
      Mustard
      2 Tbsp. mayo
      2 Tbsp. ketchup or chili sauce
      chopped pickle or relish

      Directions
      Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You only need a small amount of pastry for each frank, so cut pastry with a pizza cutter into one-inch squares. Sprinkle with flour and use a rolling pin to increase size to 2-3 square inches. Roll franks (which are usually pre-cooked) in pastry and bake on a baking sheet for 10-12 minutes or until pastry begins to turn golden brown. Serve with mustard, or combine mayo, chili sauce and chopped pickle to make a Thousand Island dipping sauce.

      Potato Skins
      Ingredients
      2 baking potatoes
      oil for deep frying
      2 slices bacon
      ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
      sour cream

      Directions
      Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and scrub dirt off potatoes and then prick with a fork a few times before placing in oven. Bake for one hour. Let cool a few minutes, and then when potatoes are easy to handle, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh. Reserve for another use or throw away. Meanwhile, heat an inch or so of vegetable or canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot enough (see tip in chicken wing recipe above), carefully add potato skins and deep fry for about 2 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Then place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cheese and bacon and broil for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve with sour cream on top or on the side.

      Zucchini Bites
      Ingredients
      1-2 medium zucchini
      1 egg
      ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
      salt and pepper
      oil for deep frying
      nacho cheese sauce or ranch dressing for dipping

      Directions
      Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Cut ends off zucchini and then slice lengthwise into long strips about ¼ inch wide. Disgard rounded ends and use only pieces with flesh on both sides. Beat egg in a bowl and add bread crumbs to a second bowl. Add salt and pepper to each bowl. When oil is hot enough (see chicken wing and potato skin recipes above), dip zucchini slices in egg, and then in breadcrumbs, and carefully add to oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until brown and crispy (could be shorter time). Drain on paper towels, and then roll slices up and secure with toothpicks to serve. Serve with nacho cheese sauce, ranch dressing or dipping sauce of your choice.

      Easy Ham & Cheese Rolls
      Ingredients
      2 thin slices deli ham
      2 Tbsp. whipped cream cheese
      Black or green olives

      Directions
      Lay ham out on a plate and spread with cream cheese (1 Tbsp. cream cheese to 1 slice ham), and then roll up. Slice into ¾ inch pieces and slide a toothpick through, and then through one olive. Serve.

      On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      A can a week: Progresso Creamy Chicken Wild Rice

      December 21, 2010 /

      Chef Jim

      If those condensed canned soups aren’t your thing, and you prefer a soup that is closer to homemade, Progresso is the best commercial one that is widely available. And they make so many kinds now, the options are almost endless.

      So for A Can a Week this week, we tried Progresso’s Rich & Hearty Creamy Chicken Wild Rice soup. You’d think that with a cream based soup you’re looking at crazy amounts of fat and calories, but this stuff weighs in at 140 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving, or 280 and 10 if you eat the whole can, which I’m assuming most of you do. I mean, who doesn’t?

      But here’s the best part–this soup tastes great. There is a richness to it without being too rich, and the dominant flavor is that of roasted chicken, as if you picked it off the bone yourself. There are big chunks of white meat with no gristle, and a good amount of wild rice that is cooked perfectly and has that nice snap that wild rice has. There is some celery and onion too, but those flavors are in the background as they should be. And here is why it’s not fatty–there is no cream. It’s just thickened chicken broth with a bit of butter and soy protein. But you’d never be able to tell. Well, maybe you would, but you sure don’t miss the cream if you don’t know it’s not there.

      So if you’re looking for a good, hearty soup on a winter day, give this one a shot. Mama Progresso would probably be happy you tried it too.

      Food on a Budget, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen

      Product review: Ice Breakers Frost mints

      December 20, 2010 /

      If you like your mints to feel like there is a 5-degree wind chill in your mouth, giving you an awesome fresh-breath taste, look no further than new Ice Breakers Frost mints. Sure, that sounds like a commcerical. But I call it as I see it, and after trying a sample of these new mints that are part of the Hershey Ice Breaker family (including gum, sours and regular mints), Frost is one of the most potent mints I’ve ever tasted.

      They are sugar-free and are coated with xylitol as well as “cooling and flavor crystals”….I don’t want to know what those are, but they work. They sent the WintercoolTM flavor, which tastes like a combination of wintergreen and spearmint. The mints also come in Peppermint flavor.

      So if you eat a big holiday meal with lots of garlic, or just need to freshen your breath before visiting family or friends this holiday season, grab some Frost. Then you can you can tell your family that you plan to quit your job to be a competitive eater, all with the confidence of fresh breath.

      Product Reviews

      Hot meals for winter months

      December 17, 2010 /

      Okay, so we moved from balmy Nashville to frigid Madison, Wisconsin in April–right after the thaw. And so now we are experiencing our first blast of winter–which arrived with a fury right after Thanksgiving. It’s not so much the snow that is difficult to take–it’s the insane cold and wind chill. It’s 24 degrees right now and feels warm. Well, whatever…we chose to move here and the best part about the cold weather is making warm–no, piping hot–comfort food. Even if you’re a dude, you can enjoy stuff like these two oven dishes I created on Bullz-Eye.com’s Grub for Guys last year……

      As the weather gets colder, we men retreat to the den and watch sports in the comfort of an easy chair. To sustain ourselves, we spoon up big bowls of rib-sticking hot casseroles. Below are recipes for kickass chicken and rice, and a dish that has everything manly in it except the kitchen sink. And yes, that includes beer.

      Dude Casserole
      Casseroles might bring to mind Betty Crocker, church potlucks or, well, the women who usually make them. But we’re here to put some testosterone in casseroles…not literally, mind you, but with four types of meat (including bacon), cheese, macaroni, cream of mushroom soup, jalapeno peppers and BEER among the ingredients, this casserole is made for the common man. It’s especially for the common man who likes to watch football and bulk up in the winter months. Make this for your buddies and you will suddenly have more buddies the next time you cook, I guarantee it.

      Ingredients
      1 lb. Elbow macaroni
      2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (we use canola)
      2 slices bacon, chopped
      1 lb. Ground beef
      2 bratwurst (we like Johnsonville stadium brats), chopped
      4 pre-cooked breakfast sausage patties (spicy kind if possible), chopped
      1 small onion, chopped
      1 poblano pepper, trimmed, seeded and chopped
      1 jalapeno pepper, trimmed, seeded and chopped
      1 tsp. chili powder
      ¼ tsp. garlic powder
      6 oz. beer
      2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
      2 cans cream of mushroom soup
      ½ cup milk
      2 Tbsp. soy sauce
      1 cup ketchup
      ½ cup canned corn
      1/3 cup sliced black olives (optional)
      1/3 cup bread crumbs
      Salt & Pepper to taste

      Directions
      Spray a large casserole dish or 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions and set aside. In a very large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium/high heat. Add bacon, beef, brats, sausage, onion and peppers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. When beef is browned and onion and peppers are softened, add chili powder, garlic powder, then beer. Stir occasionally and let simmer until beer is almost completely absorbed, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile combine cheese, soup, milk, soy sauce, and ketchup in a large bowl. Stir pasta, corn and olives into soup mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Add that mixture to meat mixture, and then dump everything into the casserole dish. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4 hungry dudes.

      Kickass Chicken & Rice
      Chicken and rice go together like football and beer. And while we’re not advocating eating a football, you get the idea—it just works. Here we take this dynamic duo and add some creamy chicken soup, cheese and other bright flavors to make another great hot dish for a cold day.

      Ingredients
      1 pound boneless chicken breast tenders
      salt and pepper
      Cooking spray
      1 can cream of chicken soup
      ½ cup milk
      1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
      1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
      ½ teaspoon onion powder
      1 teaspoon dried parsley
      1 cup white rice
      ½ cup frozen peas
      1 cup French fried onions

      Directions
      Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle tenders with salt and pepper and brown in skillet for 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine soup, milk, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, onion power, parsley and more salt and pepper to taste. Spray a large (preferably a short and wide) casserole dish with cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with rice, and add more if it doesn’t quite cover the dish entirely. Place chicken tenders on top, then sprinkle peas on top of chicken. Then pour soup mixture evenly over everything. Cover and bake for 35-40 minutes or until soup is absorbed by the rice and chicken is completely cooked through. Uncover and sprinkle with onions, and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately, and serves 2-4, depending on how hungry everyone is.

      Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Grub for Guys: chicken fried hamburger with cheddar sauce and tomato-pickle relish

      December 16, 2010 /

      Here is another recipe I had fun making for Grub for Guys: chicken fried hamburger with a cheese sauce and tomato-pickle relish:

      For those of you who love cheeseburgers and anything fried, I’ve got a recipe for you that I promise you’ll want to make again and again—chicken fried hamburger. The first time I tested this out, I used brown gravy and it wasn’t quite right. This time, I had the idea of making a cheese sauce to in effect create a cheeseburger, and then added a tomato-pickle relish to cap it off. Success! The only warning here is that we don’t suggest telling your cardiologist about it, okay?

      Ingredients:
      Relish:
      ½ large tomato, seeded and chopped
      4 crunchy dill pickle spears (such as Claussen), seeded and chopped
      1-2 Tbsp ketchup
      1-2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

      Sauce:
      ½ stick butter or margarine
      2 Tbsp. flour
      ½ cup whole milk (or more as needed)
      1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
      1 tsp. hot sauce
      Salt & pepper to taste

      Burger:
      1 pound ground beef
      ½ cup flour
      2 eggs, beaten in a bowl
      ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
      2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
      Salt & pepper to taste

      Directions:

      Combine relish ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

      For sauce, heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When melted, whisk in flour for about 20 seconds. Add milk, and continue to whisk until it starts to thicken. If it’s too thick, add a splash or two more of milk. Then add cheese, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, set aside, covering to keep it warm.

      For burgers, form beef into four oval patties. Then set up three shallow bowls in a row with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, respectively. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to each. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Then dredge the patties in the flour, followed by the egg, followed by the breadcrumbs. Gently add each patty to the pan, and cook for about 4 minutes per side or until crispy on the outside and at least medium to medium-well on the inside.

      Slide patties onto a plate, top with cheese sauce and relish, and serve. Makes four servings, or two two-patty servings for you guys with big appetites.

      Ingredients, Recipes, Your Kitchen

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