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

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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, apple dumplings, recipe, treats

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This is one of those desserts that’s sure to go over good enough that you might consider installing security systems on your refrigerator to keep ‘em safe until it’s time to serve them.

Mix a cup of flour with a half cup of softened butter and 1/3 cup of chopped nuts. Press this into a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 350. When it’s done set it aside to cool while you get the rest of it ready.

Mix 8oz of cream cheese, a cup of confectioners’ sugar and a cup of cool whip or other whipped topping. Spread this over the cooled crust.

Next you need a couple of 3 3/4oz instant lemon pudding mixes. Make up the lemon pudding according to package directions and then pour it over the cream cheese layer and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to set. Finish it off with a layer of your favorite cool whip-alike and then chill until you’re ready to serve.

The best security with all good desserts of course is to get ‘em made up and safely put away while nobody else is around. Then again, maybe a padlock on the fridge wouldn’t be a bad idea sometimes ‘eh?

Technorati Tags: pudding, lemon pudding, cream cheese, dessert, recipe

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If brownies are a long time favorite then Banana Brownies will quickly be in competition for the favorite variety. Yes, with actual fruit in it they’re going to be a bit better for you than the standard fudge brownies but don’t let that fool you into thinking you can just go nuts with them. Eat too much of these and you’ll be scrambling for your best acne treatments just as if you’d loaded up on the fudge kind.

That said, it’s time to make some. *grins and ducks*

Get the oven going at 350 degrees to preheat and coat a 9 x 9 pan with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl combine 1 cup of All Purpose Flour, 1/3 cup of unsweetened Coca, 1/4 cup of powdered Nonfat Dry milk, 1/4 teaspoon of Baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of Salt.

Put a large ripe banana, a cup of Sugar, the whites from 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup of buttermilk and a teaspoon of vanilla in a food processor and puree until the mixture is smooth.

Add the dry ingredients and pulse the food processor until everything is just nicely blended and pour it into the pan.

Bake ‘em for 25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Cut ‘em into 2 inch squares and stand back, the won’t last long. (be sure to get one out for yourself *before* you tell the family they’re ready!)

Technorati Tags: recipe, dessert, treat, banana brownies, baking, snack

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Ever wonder how some foods got their names? This recipe is one such case. Not having made these before I actually assumed from the name that they would be something bright and somehow sunny in appearance, though I couldn’t see how the recipe could work out that way.

Partly out of laziness and partly out of not having several ingredients on hand I decided to search out a picture of them just for the heck of it. I found one quickly enough on flickr (I’d have included the pic here but it had ‘all rights reserved’ for it’s usage terms).

That pic confirmed that these don’t LOOK sunny at all. Instead they remind me of home made chocolate chip cookies that were packed across country because somebody forgot to get ‘em out of the kitchen before the moving companies took over.

However, regardless of how they look, they still sound great. Not only that but they’re also diabetic friendly as well.

Start out sifting together 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, a teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Cut in 1/2 cup of shortening until the mixture has a crumbly consistency. Then, all at once add 1/2 cup of rasins, an egg, 2 tablespoons of orange juice, 2 teaspoons of grated orange rind and 1 1/2 teaspoons of Sucaryl. Mix well and then make into 1 inch balls and flatten them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 375.

Technorati Tags: diabetic friendly, snack, orange sunbeams, treat, recipe, cookie

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Here’s an unusual variation on the basic brownies that we’ve all learned to crave. What makes these especially different is the addition of apples. If you’ve ever had caramel apples you can pretty well guess that it’s guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Just throw this together and bake off a batch and they’ll be gone quicker than you can apply for auto insurance online.

The basic recipe is probably what you’d expect. A half cup of soft butter, a cup of sugar and two well beaten eggs all thoroughly mixed until it’s smooth and creamy.

Then sift together a cup of flour, two teaspoons of cinnamon, a half teaspoon of baking powder, one teaspoon of baking soda and a half teaspoon of salt.

Stir the creamy mixture into the dry ingredients, add two cups of finely chopped apples and mix well. Either grease or use a non-stick cooking spray to coat a 9×9 pan and spread the mixture in it and Bake for 25 minutes at 350.

Technorati Tags: recipe, apple brownies, treat, dessert, brownies, snack

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Ok, I’ll admit it, I’m not always after the best of the “good for you” kind of things. Sometimes you just want something that while it may not be good for you, it may even be a good way to give yourself an acne problem if you do too much of it but once in a while you just need to splurge. The key is in not making it a habit.

Combine 3/4 cup of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and set it aside for a few minutes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix 1/3 cup butter, a half cup of sugar and two tablespoons of water. Cook this in the microwave for for 1 minutes at full power, stirr it and cook for another minute.

Add a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a teaspoon of vanilla and stir until it’s smooth and the chips are melted.

Add two eggs, one at a time, beating after each one. Blend in the flour mixture and stir in the rest of the twelve ounce bag of chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture into an 8 or 9 inch microwave-safe baking pan. Cook it at about 70% power for 10 minutes turning after 5 minutes. (microwave times and power settings may vary depending on your oven and altitude.)

Technorati Tags: snack, recipe, chocolate, treat, brownies, dessert

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Probably anyone that’s had kids in the last fifteen years or so is familiar with the various “fruit rollup” type products that have become so popular with kids of all ages from the ones still in baby clothes to the older teens (although that set might decide that they cannot afford to be SEEN liking them)

This variation is probably a bit less of a sugar shot than the commercial version and it’s easy to make. Put a sheet of plastic wrap in the bottom of a cookie sheet. Then use a spatula to apply thin layer of your favorite variety of fruit butter.

Put it the oven to dry at the lowest heat setting, probably about 120 degrees or so, for about 2 hours or until it’s dry. Take it out and let it cool. Peel it off and roll it up in plastic wrap. You can also change it up a bit by sprinkling the fruit butter with some finely chopped walnuts before it goes into the oven.

Technorati Tags: fruit snack, fruit leather, recipe, fruit rollup, fruit

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In short, Sarah’s Cucina Bella is, in her own words, about “Recipes that the whole family will eat . . . and the stories that go along with them”. To make a short story a bit longer, it’s more than just that. The stories are good family fun, such as a recipe featured last April called Parmesan Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries.

Apparently her husband is one of those who’re pretty much set in their ways with no interest in changing. Part of that included a dislike (or at least strong disinterest) for most things vegetable. Reading that story I get the idea that he’d have sooner been willing to take horse supplements than to sit down to something that’s primarily vegetable in nature… especially if said vegetables weren’t the “open a can” variety.

Then came the Sweet Potato Fries. She apparently decided to take a different tack and simply not offer them to him. He surprised her by actuall asking to try them which goes to prove that we men are willing to try new things once in a while, it just that pushing us to do so only increases the resistance. By not offering them she took the pressure off.

Anyway, Those fries looked so good that sometime soon we’re going to have to make them here. I for one can’t wait to see how they’d taste with a bit of curry powder cooked onto them along with the rosemary & olive oil.

They’re made by peeling about a pound and a half of sweet potatoes and then cutting them into 1/4 inch wide french fry shaped strips while the oven preheats to 400 degrees.

Next you add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary and some sea salt and about half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese and stir or toss the mixture to make sure that all of the potato strips are coated.

Spread ‘em out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Sprinkle some more Parmesan cheese on top.

Cook them for about 20 to 25 minutes, making sure to turn them about halfway through. When they are browned around the edges they’re done. Move ‘em to a paper towel lined plate, salt to taste and serve warm.

Technorati Tags: sweet potato, recipe, cooking blog, sweet potato fries, fries, homemade fries

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We’ve been spending a lot of time away from home this month and one of the things that I aways end up missing is the coffee I have at home. Oh, it’s nothing super special, In fact it’s an off-brand of coffee that I chose because it was the lowest price. But after all the time we’ve spent in hospitals or eating away from home and some of the truly vile concoctions that come out of coffee dispensers in these places I have never been so glad to come home and brew up a pot of my familiar el cheapo coffee and fix it the way I’ve been doing for years.

Sitting here enjoying the last of that first pot of home-brewed coffee in a couple of days I decided that it would be only appropriate to dig into the collection of coffee recipes and put one of them up tonight.

This one is called “Alpine Carnival”

You start by dividing two tablespoons of instant coffee and 1 teaspoon of vanilla evenly between two cups.

Then in a small saucepan, dissolve two tablespoons of brown sugar in a teaspoon of water. Stir the dissolved sugar over a medium heat until it reaches a full boil.

Once it comes to a boil immediately remove it from the heat and stir in 1 and a half cups of boiling water. Divide sugar mixture between the two cups and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Technorati Tags: coffee at home, bad coffee, recipe, cheap coffee, coffee, good coffee

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