It don't mean a thing if it ain't got a wing

In this economy we are all looking for easy, cost effective, healthy and delicious meals that we can serve with pride.  This is one of those recipes.  "A chicken in every pot" was used by the Republican party in 1928 to tout Republican prosperity, I say hear hear! Buying a whole roaster is an inexpensive alternative to buying your same old, same old flavorless boneless skinless chicken breasts (yawn!), it goes a long way and can feed an entire family.  In addition you can make amazing chicken stock with the left over bones, talk about stretching you dollar!  This is an easy way to spice up your roast chicken this fall.  So skip the deep fried wings this Sunday and sit down with the family or some friends and enjoy a real Sunday supper with your favorite familiar football flavors.


Buffalo Roast Chicken
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
5 to 6 lb Roasting Chicken
16 oz. Franks Red Hot hot sauce
1 stick butter
1 large yellow onion, sliced thickly
1 head of garlic , cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tbs. ginger
1 lemon, cut in half
salt
pepper



Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Remove giblets and clean any residual pin feathers rinse and pat dry.
• Season your chicken liberally with salt and pepper, inside the cavity and all over the skin.
• Stuff the cavity of your chicken with the onion, garlic, ginger and lemon.
• Melt 1 stick of butter and add to that the Franks Red Hot sauce, stirring constantly to blend the two. Once it is blended well pour 1/2 of the sauce into a small bowl, this will be what you will baste the chicken with.  The remaining sauce in the pan will be your dipping sauce for your chicken.
• Baste your chicken well with your butter and hot sauce mixture and place it in your preheated oven.  Continue to baste your chicken with the remaining sauce 4-5 times throughout its cook time.
• Roast the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clear.
• Serve with the remaining hot sauce and blue cheese sauce. So zippy, tangy and yummy!

Blue Cheese Sauce
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, chopped very finely
6 oz. blue cheese
2 cups sour cream
2 tbs. butter


Directions:

• Saute the garlic in the butter until the garlic is translucent.
• Add the blue cheese and sour cream, stir constantly over medium low heat until blended well.
• Serve as a dipping sauce or as a drizzle for your delicious Buffalo style roast chicken!

Amazing Grazing

I'm a grazer, it's just who I am.  Maybe, my love of appetizers stems from the time I spent in bars for the many years I lived in Vegas or memories of my grandfathers jalapeno dip, chips and salsa on our frequent dinners in old town, my favorite clam dip on Christmas day, or my Mom's hummus on hot summer San Diego afternoons while we listened to the soundtrack from Laurence of Arabia.   I adore finger foods and I adore the whole ritual of sitting around with those you love, sharing the same food, enjoying small plates with so many big and different flavors talking, laughing and relaxing.  That is what grazing is to me and I will find any excuse to make small bites and share them with others.  The other day, I was in just such a mood.  I already had the fixins' for an amazing salsa and some great local tortilla chips, but, I needed something else.  I headed to the fridge to see what I could whip together and I found all of the ingredients I needed for a new twist on an old favorite jalapeno poppers.  They came out great, which is more than I can say for the photos.  This super easy recipe is great for movie night, parties or whenever! 


Jalapeno Popper Pockets
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
16 oz. bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
1/4 cup sharp cheddar, finely grated
3 green onion, chopped
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
3 tbs butter, melted
1 package phyllo dough, thawed


Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine bacon, jalapeno, cream cheese, green onion and cheddar cheese in  a small mixing bowl, stir until thoroughly mixed and ingredients are dispersed evenly throughout.
• Take one sheet of phyllo and set it on your work surface and using a pastry brush coat with a layer of your melted butter.  Place another sheet directly on top of the first and again coat with the melted butter, repeat this one more time so that there are three layers of phyllo.
• Repeat the abouve process to make one more three layer sheet.
• Using a sharp knife, cut three equal sections vertically and one horizontally across the middle, to make 6 equal squares on each of your two phyllo sheets.
• Spoon about two tablespoons of your cream cheese mixture into the center of each square.
• To fold, bring each horizonatl end to the center and then each vertical end to the center. Flip over and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Middle Eastern Encore

Sticking with my theme of posting whatever I want while my sister is on hiatus, I am taking you all back to the Middle East.  During my travels in Egypt I tasted so many wonderful new flavors and foods.  This recipe is not one of them, see... you thought it was going to be a long drawn out story about eating this blah,blah, blah down some back street of Cairo, didn't you!? Actually, Kibbeh is something that I had for the first time at my favorite Middle Eastern grocery store right here in Phoenix.  For those of you who live in the Phoenix area my favorite destination for all of my Egyptian, Indian and Mediterranean pantry ingredients is Baiz Market Place near downtown.  They have a great selection of spices, peppers, canned goods, meat and bakery/pastry items.  In addition they also have a small restaurant that serves amazing treats including falafel, shawarma and....wait for it...kibbeh!  I have since enjoyed kibbeh many times and finally decided to deconstruct it and make my own.  It is delicious.  The flavor brings you to a place reminiscent of spice markets and street vendors and the texture is crispy on the outside and warm and satisfying on the inside.  You can serve it as an appetizer or as a main course, in our home we do both.   It is a little something different and I am certain you will enjoy it.

Kibbeh
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
2 lbs finely ground beef
1/2 lb. #2 bulgar wheat
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp allspice, finely ground
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 small onion, chopped very finely
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 tbs olive oil
vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

• Soak bulgar for about 30 minutes until soft.  Drain water, press remaining water out of wheat with your hand.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, combine the bulgar with half of the meat (for this recipe it will be 1lb.), season with a bit of salt. Turn on to low (mixer) or pulse (food processor) until combined very well and until it becomes almost dough like. If using a stand mixer use the paddle, if using a food processor use the dough blade. Set aside.
• Heat your olive oil in a large skillet add the rest of your meat and the finely chopped onion. Make sure to watch your meat and work it to make sure it stays fine and doesn't get clumpy. Add your allspice, salt, cumin, red pepper, black pepper and pine nuts.  Once the ground beef is cooked thoroughly remove from heat and allow to cool.
• To assemble the kibbeh, take a small handful of the "dough" mixture (about the size of an large egg) and press to form a small disc.  Place the disc in your hand and form a small cup. 
• Next, take a scoop of the meat and pine nut mixture and put it in the "cup".  Pinch the top of the cup together and roll in your hands to form a small football.  Set aside and continue until all of the dough and all of the meat is used.
• In a deep fryer or on the stove top, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Fry until golden brown and crispy.  Serve alone or with tahini and enjoy!

Below, you can find my recipe for tahini which was included in our previous post-We Got No Beef With You! - Vegetarian Delights!





Homemade Tahini
By: Vanessa Madigan



Ingredients:
1 Cup Sesame Tahini
1 Tbsp. Flour
4 Tbsp. White Vinegar
3/4 Cup Water
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Chili Powder

Directions:

• Pour the Sesame Tahini into a bowl
• Add the Flour to the Tahini and stir well.
• Slowly add the White Vinegar.  The Tahini will begin to seize up and become more difficult to stir, but, continue stirring to incorporate the Vinegar into the Tahini.
• Very slowly add the water to the Tahini mixture, stirring continuously until the mixture turns light and creamy. You may need to add additional water if you like your Tahini thinner.
• Once your mixture is creamy add the Cumin, Salt and Chili Powder and mix well.
• Add the Tahini to the Falafel, Grilled Meat, Seafood or even just use it for dipping bread and veggies!