Tinfoil Chef

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It’s getting to be that time of year again and soon enough the playoffs and then the Super Bowl will be upon us. This means that it’s time to start making sure that all of your game day recipes are in order and fine tuned so that they come out just right. For example there’s quite a variation on what people like for Chicken Wings.

Some prefer the milder ones, others (such as myself) like ‘em to be hot enough for spicyness but not bad enough to burn and then there’s those who want their wings just as hot as can be, ideally hot enough to cloud up their contact lenses again with every tongue searing bite.

I’ll stick with something that isn’t quite so … dangerous. I like spicy just fine, I prefer it in fact, however I don’t care for things to be so hot that I can’t taste anything else but the burning. (I’d also kinda like it if my stomach lining remained intact as long as possible)

Start out getting the oven preheated to 375 degrees, then take a dozen chicken wings and cook them in boiling water for 10 minutes to remove the fat and set them aside to cool.

Using a mortar and pestle to grind together 5 crumbled bay leaves, 3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1/2 To 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon Ground coriander, 4 finely minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, 2 teaspoons of paprika, 3/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for about 10 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of brandy and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice to the ground herb and spice mixture and stir it into a thick paste

Brush both sides of each wing with the herb paste and arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet. Bake until the skin turns deep brown and is crisp (approximately 30 minutes).

12 chicken wings with the tips removed
5 crumbled bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 To 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon Ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon Ground coriander
4 finely minced Garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons of Paprika
3/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of brandy
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

Technorati Tags: chicken wings, cajun chicken wings, game day snacks, football season, recipe, football playoffs

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It’s fast approaching Thanksgiving Day and of course that means it’s time (maybe past time even) to trot out all the holiday recipes and make sure we’ve got all our best stuff ready for the hungry crowds. Of course, the meal ends up being entirely too much for anyone to really have as much of any one thing as they would prefer and if you approach the holiday meals like a wine of the month club or a smorgasboard you’re much better off. That way you can make it a point to have enough of everything to actually try it and enjoy it without actualy having to overstuff yourself.

I first heard of Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie from a friend of mine who absolutely swore by it. He liked pumpkin pie well enough, but this little gem was by far his favorite.

While the oven is preheating to 350°F, combine a 15oz can of pumpkin pie filling, a 15oz can of candied yams, a half cup of brown sugar, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, a half teaspoon of salt, a half cup of milk, two tablespoons of melted butter, two large eggs and 3 tablespoons of rum in the bowl of a food processor and process/blend/mix until the mixture is smooth.

Fill a 10-inch pie crust with the mixture annd bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Most recipes I’ve seen for this call for it to be set aside for at least 20 minutes before serving, noting that it’s supposed to be better when chilled, however my friend from years back disagreed. According to him, it was best served warm with cool whip or ice cream on top

1 15 oz. can pumpkin pie filling
1 15 oz. can candied yams
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoon melted butter
2 large eggs
1 refrigerated pie crust
3 tablespoon of rum

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Clam Chowder has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I always try to have a few cans on hand for when the craving hits, though of course there’s little comparrison to something fresh made. It’s kinda like comparing the first “luggable” computers like the Osborne 1 to a modern laptop computer, technically it’s the same thing but in reality there’s a whole world of difference.

For this New England style treat melt a half cup of butter and saute 2/3 cup of diced onion (about 1 small to medium onion). When the onions are starting to turn clear, stir in 4 tablespoons of flour. Cook that, stirring frequently until it’s golden brown and then remove it from the heat and stir in the liquid from the clams.

Dice up 3 stalks of celery and add that along with 3 cups of diced potatoes (1 small potato or so), 4 diced carrots, a bay leaf, a half teaspoon of thyme, a teaspoon of salt and add just enough water to cover the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are tender and then add 4 cups of milk and 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and of course, two cans of clams. Heat this until it’s warm but don’t allow it to boil or the milk a will curdle on you and that can ruin the whole thing. Sprinkle with paprika and serve hot.

2 drained cans of clams (Be sure to save the liquid)
4 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 c. diced potatoes
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. onion
4 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
4 c. milk
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Technorati Tags: new england style, clam chowder, seafood, soup, recipe

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A large majority of people require at least one good cup of hot coffee before they’re able to function first thing in the morning. If you want your coffee to give that instant energy and mood improvement, Espresso can be an ideal solution. There’s a lot of ways to make Espresso to suit your personal taste.

Espresso was first produced in Italy and it’s been very popular all over the world since. making great espresso is something of an art form, and without the knowledge of coffee it can be difficult to do.

Espresso is made using a special espresso machine. It’s basic function is pretty much the same as ordinary coffee makers. You put coffee grounds into it, add hot water and start it up.

Some espresso machine’s have a measure to insure that you use the right amount of coffee. If yours has one then it’s a good idea to use it. Smaller Espresso machines need water added a cup at a time. Larger machines can hold enough water for several cups.

Once the water tank is filled and the coffee grounds are loaded in the machine you simply press a button and hot water runs through the coffee grounds and into your cup. For the true espresso lovers among us, it’s is ready to serve at this point. If you decide you don’t want your coffee quite so strong theres a few things you can do.

You can put a little bit of milk and foam in the espresso to make it a Macchiato. For a weaker espresso, called a lungo, more water is used. Doubling the amount of coffee grounds in an espresso, sure to give a serious energy rush is called a Doppio.

I think almost everyone knows about cappuccino, which is made from an espresso with froth and milk. If you add milk to an espresso without the froth you have a cafe latte where the milk is warmed up and floating on the top of the drink. Those with more of a sweet tooth, you’ll like a mocha with chocolate and milk added.

Espresso, with just a little milk is called a Cartado, there’s also an Americano, an espresso that is diluted with hot water.

No matter what your taste you can find an espresso coffee to suit your taste.

Technorati Tags: espresso machine, macchiato, strong coffee, coffee, cappuccino, italian coffee, european coffee, espresso

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Before I get to the Apple Dumpling Dessert, I’m going off topic briefly to talk a bit about Saint Xavier University’s Online Master of Science in Nursing program. That’s right, it’s an online course for an online MS nursing CNL (Clinical Nurse Leader) degree.

This school isn’t some fly-by-night outfit run from somebody’s web server either. It’s an established, accredited school that first opened it’s doors in 1846 and is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. All content and direction of the online courses are still overseen by their faculty and instructors.

Their MS-CNL program was designed to meet the needs of today’s Nurses with the flexibility of online delivery which makes it easier for people with busy work schedules to still fit in higher education.

Graduates of their online Master’s degrees find themselves prepared for wide variety of demands of the field and the changing needs of employers. Combined with a weekend of applied campus experience, the online course’s flexibility is designed for today’s busy students. These online programs give students the flexibility to complete a degree around the busiest of personal schedules.

Now, since all of that studying and degree earning has no doubt made you hungry, it’s time to reward ourselves with that Apple Dumpling Dessert.

Start out by peeling, coring and then thinly slicing 2 1/4 pounds of cooking apples. Then put the apple slices in a 12 inch skillet and add 3/4 cup sugar, a cup of water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and stir well.

While that’s heating up, stir together 1 cup of biscuit mix and 1/3 cup of milk until the mix is moistened.

When the apple mixture gets to boiling, dumpling mixture in 6 portions over the apples. Let that simmer uncovered for another ten minutes. Sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. Then cover and simmer until the apples are tender and the dumplings are cooked all the way through (about another 10 minutes).

Apple Dumplings:
2 1/4 pounds of tart cooking apples
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 cup of biscuit mix
1/3 cup of milk

Topping:
1 tablespoon of sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

I know they’re technically a dessert, but I think they’ll go just great with a hot morning coffee.

Technorati Tags: dessert, treats, recipe, apple dumplings

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Has anyone noticed a jump in comment spam lately? I certainly have. One of the more annoying things about blogging is dealing with spam. There’s the mostly inane, generic comments like “good job”, “nice post”, “great post” and so on that are nothing more than blatant excuses to drop a link in a comment.

They’re something that you get to see quite a bit when blogging, especially if you have more than one blog. Thankfully, the Akismet plugin combined with the Simple trakback validation plugin and the “Bad behavior” plugins weed out most of it.

Worse than that are the ones that look genuine enough to pass the anti-spam tools and have to be dealt with manually. I’d rather fill out retail resumes with a 1/4 inch long piece of pencil lead, or better yet, locating new and interesing recipes to share like this One Dish Wonder Casserole.

In a bowl, combine a pound of browned and drained ground turkey, a cup of diced onion, and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with the liquid, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of salt.

Use your favorite non-stick cooking spray to coat a 3 quart casserole and then spoon the mixture into it.

On top of it, add 2 cups of diced potatoes, 1/3 cup of flour, 10oz of corn, 10oz of beans (lima or green) and a large green bell pepper cut into strips on top.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle a cup and a half (or more!!) of cheddar cheese and continue baking, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.

1 pound of ground meat that’s been ground and drained
(I prefer ground turkey but you can use ground beef as well)
1 cup chopped onions (about 1 medium-large onion diced up)
1 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of diced potatoes
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
10 oz corn
10 oz frozen lima beans (I’d substitute green beans because I’m not thrilled with limas)
1 large bell pepper cut into strips
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Technorati Tags: ground beef, casserole, recipe, cheddar cheese, cheese, ground turkey, one dish wonder

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Cold winter mornings are already there for a lot of the country and the rest of us are staring them in the face. On a morning like that, of course you want to have something hot before getting in gear for the day. However just a hot breakfast alone, while good for you and great to have, doesn’t alwasy quite hit the spot by itself.

The key for many of us is in our morning coffee. These Apple Nut Muffins, served warm with that coffee can make that coffee just that much better. I believe I’ve seen this recipe or one like it on Mr. Food some time back and while I’m not going to use his particular catchphrase, they are certainly a good idea. In fact I wouldn’t mind finding one of those steel buildings in our backyard stocked full of goodies like this.

Start out Preheating oven to 375 degrees. Then Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with your favorite non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, a half cup of sugar, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of salt.

In another bowl, beat 2 eggs with 3/4 cup of milk. Stir in a cup of chopped apple and 6 tablespoons of melted butter. Add the apple mixture to the flour mixture and stir until it’s just moistened all over. (the batter will be really stiff.)

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter, distributing evenly.

For the nut topping, combine 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well and sprinkle the nut mixture evenly over the batter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Remove them from the muffin pan right away and serve warm.

You can also mix some confectioner’s sugar and a little milk to make a thin glaze and drizzle that over the warm muffins.

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped (about a cup)
6 tablespoons melted butter

Nut Topping:
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Technorati Tags: cold morning, breakfast, morning coffee, recipe, apple muffins, apple nut muffins, winter morning

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Popcorn Cook is one of those food blogs that can catch you off guard if you’re only going by the name when you decide what it’s about. There’s a lot more to be had there than mere popcorn. A recent Traditional New Year: Hoppin’ John recipe is just one of a growing list of examples of some real finds to be had there.

Another one from there that I consider a long time favorite is the Turkey Day Scalloped Potatoes recipe. There’s a load of taste packed into this slow cooker variation on the traditional idea of scallped potatoes that most people are familiar with. One of the things I like about stuff done in a slow cooker is that the ingredients get a really good opportunity to blend and create a taste all their own. One that can only be achieved by cooking slowly for hours.

Speaking of slow cookers, this Layered Ham, Potato, Cheese recipe is one that my wife came up with a bunch of years ago and has been a hit with our family ever since.

slow cooker recipes, crockpot recipes, cooking blog, review, blogs i like

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