Garlic Beer Wings

Once you get the craving for good spicy wings that just fall off the bone, you go on the internet and research every which way you can make these.  (That is what I do!)  I found in my research,  that beer and garlic are a must in the beginning.   So that is how I started.  I purchased 3 lbs of Chicken Drummets for $4.32 and washed those babies up and put them is a 1 gallon bag, added 1 beer (Stella because that is what we have) and chopped 3 cloves of garlic and added to the chicken and beer.  Seal that up and refrigerate for 24 hours.  I did try this with 4 hours and they were good, but trust me the flavor was awesome at 24 hours!

Now we have had great garlic beer wings at a little local place in Litchfield Park, AZ across the street from the Wig Wam Resort.  This little place is called “Taps“.  We seriously love them!  That is how this started.  I love to replicate great dishes or get as close as I can.

Next, I had to come up with a spice rub.  and here it is.

Garlic Beer Wings Rub

2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 Tsp Celery Salt or Powder

1 Tsp Paprika

1 Tsp Chili Powder

1 Tsp Black Pepper

Mix together and sprinkle on the Wings or Drummets after 24 hours.  Drain the wings first and spray a foil lined baking sheet with oil, then spray the wings with a light coating, sprinkle rub and turn over to get them nice and coated.  Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.  Turn them over and return to oven for 25-30 minutes.  These babies are gonna smell great! 

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, melt 1/4 cup butter.  Add 3/4 cups Franks Redhot Sauce and stir to mix and heat thoroughly.   When wings come out of the oven, add 1/3 cup beer and stir in.  You want to add this last so you do not cook it all off (preserve the Beer taste). 

Place 4-5 wings at a time in large metal mixing bowl (this works great)  add some wing sauce and start tossing around the bowl to coat. and then start platting the wonderful wings!  That is it!

Marinated and coated with the rub

Tossing in the bowl with the sauce

Time to eat!

Enjoy

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Finished with a half of a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I have been craving a good Tomato Soup. Something that would satisfy my craving for Basil as well. This soup did it! I love all off the Roasting going on first, just makes the soup. I have lots of Basil growing in the big pot on the patio, I planted the small baby plant in the spring and now it is a HUGE bunch!

Start by cutting up 3-4 tomato’s, I used 4 Roma’s. Quarter them and lay on flat sheet covered with foil. Cut 1/2 yellow onion into wedges and add to the pan. Then 3 cloves of garlic, halved, tucked into the tomato pieces. Pour about 1-2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil over the veggies. Salt and Pepper and sprinkle with fresh Parsley (from my little garden). Then place into the oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Seasoned and ready to go in the oven

Roasted Tomato

Now heat 1 can of low sodium Chicken Broth in good size sauce pan. Add 1 Tablespoon tomato paste (I use the kind in the tube). Heat on medium low heat and stir until well blended. Add the Roasted Veggies and simmer for about 10 minutes.

In the Pan

Now use your immersion blender or tall blender to mix the soup together to your desired consistancy. I wanted it to be “Rustic”, kind of thick. Then add 1/4 cup Half and Half and stir and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Toamato Soup just Blended

I ran back out to the Garden and picked the Basil and tossed it on top of the soup one it was in the bowl.

Ready to Eat

Soup with 1/2 Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This was so GOOD! And super easy. I have been juicing and have not had a lot of solid food for a week and this was just perfect.

This recipe came from The Sprouted Kitchen Blog and you can find it right here: http://sproutedkitchen.com/?p=3186

Enjoy!!

Last night I picked up 2 great looking Rib-eye’s,  The Barbecue Master set to work (that would not be me).  I started the sauce and the Corn on the cob.

Steak with Mushroom Tarragon Cream Sauce

The Seasoned Steaks

Mushroom Tarragon Cream Sauce

Grilled Steak with Tarragon Cream Sauce

2 Steaks (Rib eye or Favorite Cut) Seasoned
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Shallots Chopped
1 1/2 Cups Mushrooms, Sliced
1/3 Cup White Wine
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Whipping Cream
2 Tablespoons Fresh Tarragon, Chopped Salt and Pepper to taste

• Preheat Grill to Med/High.  Season Steaks to your liking.
• Grill to your favorite temp (We like Medium Rare).  Place on plate and tent with foil to rest.
• In medium sauce pan: Combine butter, shallots and mushrooms.  Saute until shallots are translucent.
• Add wine & lemon juice and cook for another 3-5 minutes until reduced by half.
• Add any juices from the Steak platter where Steaks are resting (This adds amazing flavor!) Stir
• Add whipping cream,  Tarragon and 1 Tablespoon of butter and stir over medium/low heat until mixed well.
• Serve over Steaks on on the side.  (Also great over Fresh Asparagus!

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

If this looks like a lot of Whipped Cream topping, it is because it IS!!  This is my boyfriends plate.  It is how he rolls!  If we had ice cream,   well you get the idea.  Here is the original recipe from Nigel Slater, http://mixbakestir.com/2010/09/19/peach-and-blueberry-sour-cream-cobbler/.   This is the best and not to sweet.  The fruit stands out and is the “Star” of the whole dish.  LOVE it.  The blueberry’s “pop” when you bite into them, there is no other description that will work here.  Just fantastic.

Sliced fruit with lemon juice

With the topping, just out of the oven

This was SO GOOD!  We are having this again tonight, he is out buying Vanilla ice cream.  Can’t wait!!!!

Peach and Blueberry Sour Cream Cobbler

Adapted from Nigel Slater

Ingredients

Fruit filling:
3 ripe peaches, sliced
3 1/2 cups blueberries
the juice of 1 lemon
1 generous  Tbsp. sugar
1 generous Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Cobbler crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 gently heaped Tbsp. sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
6 Tbsp. cold butter
4 oz. light sour cream

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Toss together  all the ingredients for the fruit filling in a baking dish or pan.
To make the cobbler crust, add all ingredients except the sour cream into a food processor and pulse to combine, until the mixture resembles soft, fresh breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl, and then mix in the sour cream.
Break off walnut sized pieces of the dough mixture, flatten slightly, and then lay on top of the fruit.  When you  have added all the dough, sprinkle it lightly with sugar.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

OH MY was this good!!!

Grilled Caprese Sandwich with Broiled Tomato's

I decided to combine a few different recipe idea’s and come up with a new Sandwich which turned out to be a HUGE hit!  I started surfing one of my favorite food blogs, The Noble Pig, and found this recipe http://noblepig.com/2011/05/21/basil-spaghetti-with-cheesy-broiled-tomatoes.aspx.   I have been craving anything Caprese lately since the Reluctant Entertainer featured on her Friday Roundup, on July 29th, the Caprese several different ways.  One of the recipe’s was my Caprese Wrap!! http://reluctantentertainer.com/2011/07/re-friday-round-up-caprese-salad-served-many-ways/.

SO here is the new sandwich after I added the Balsamic and before the cut.

Grilled Caprese

I started with 2 Beefsteak Tomato’s cut into thick slices (3 each tomato), sprayed a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet, seasoned the slices with salt, pepper and a little oregano.  Then chopped a small amount of fresh mozzarella and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.  Popped them under the broiler for 3 minutes.  Here they are sliced and seasoned

Sliced and Seasoned

For the each Sandwich:
Deli sliced bread of your choice
3 thin slices of Prosciutto
3 thin slices of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
1 thin slice of Havarti Cheese

Heat non stick skillet to medium high,  place the Mozzarella on one slice of bread and the Havarti on the other with the Prosciutto in the middle.  Grill until cheese starts to melt and bread is lightly grilled.  Then add:

3 Broiled Tomato’s from above
6 fresh Basil Leaves
Place back in the hot Skillet for a minute or 2 on each side to melt  together.
Then plate the sandwich and open it up and lightly sprinkle with Balsamic Vinegar to your liking.  Cut in half and enjoy!!

This is a go-to quick and easy lunch I make often.  When I bake Chicken Breasts in my Dijon, Honey, Worcestershire Sauce and White Wine Vinegar Marinade, I ALWAYS throw a few extra in for wraps.

Chicken Salad Wrap

I used about 1/3 of a Baked Chicken Breast, Chopped for this Wrap.

Recipe for Chicken Salad Wrap with Creamy Italian Dressing and Havarti Cheese

1 Spinach Wrap Tortilla (I used Mission)
1/3 Cup chopped cooked chicken breast
2 Tbsp Cream Cheese
2 Green Onions, diced
Lettuce chopped, I used Iceberg you can use any on hand.  I used about 1 cup
2 Slices of Havarti Cheese from the Deli
2 Tbsp Marie’s Creamy Italian Dressing
Start out by laying down a sheet of wax paper and place the Spinach Wrap in top, this will make it so much easier to roll and keep those yummy ingredients inside.  First spread some cream cheese on the tortilla, then add the green onions, cheese, lettuce and chicken.  Top with the dressing, I used a small spatula.   Assemble as shown in the above pictures and roll it up!  I then cut it in half on a diagonal.  Then enjoy!

I used Rotisserie Chicken, sliced Red Onion and a large head of Roasted Garlic cloves!  Do not leave out!   Plan ahead.  Then added a Little of each Mozzarella, Fontina and Shredded Parmesan Cheese on a Sheet of Lavash with Barbacue Sauce as the base

Toppings on and ready for the oven

Preheat the oven to 400.  Lay the Sheet of Lavash on the Grill pan of cookie sheet.  Bake for 4 minutes.  Then add your Barbecue sauce and all of your topping and put back into the oven for 6-8 minutes.  (watch closely after 6 minutes).  Then…..Perfect Pizza!!   I loved it.  The Roasted Garlic really sets off the whole thing.  I add the garlic right after the sauce, that way it does not get over-cooked while Pizza is in the oven.

My first bites!

Enjoy!!

3 cheese stuffed mushrooms

This is my favorite appetizer to serve with everything from Barbecue steak to anything Italian.

Baby Bella's

My local market, Sprouts.com, has the best produce and always fresh!  I have been growing my own herbs and so it made this super easy.  Here are the mushrooms stemmed and ready to fill in a buttered baking dish.  I used 2 packages of the mushrooms and lots of extra filling to make ravioli, coming soon!

Stemed and ready to fill

Stuffed and ready for the oven

Ready to serve

The best way to put these babies together is to use a food processor, does all the work.  I love these and have only heard great reviews from my guests, and the best part for me is that they are egg free!

Stuffed Baby Bella’s with 3 cheese filling

2 packages Bay Bella Mushrooms or white button (I have used both)
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped ( I add it to the onion in the processor and give it whirl)
2 tablespoon fresh herbs (any mixture of rosemary,thyme ore basil, whatever you like, chopped)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumpled fresh Mozzarella cheese (you can use shredded)
1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Progresso Italian bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Table spoons fresh Parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Italian Dressing

Saute olive oil, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes over medium low heat (I chopped the mushroom stems and added them to this mixture).  Cool and add to food processor.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low speed for a couple of minutes.  Add about 1/4 cup Italian dressing to mixture and mix for about 1 minute.  You are now ready to stuff the mushrooms.  Preheat oven to 350.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes then tent with foil and continue to bake another 10 minutes.

You are now ready to enjoy!

I found this Post on a new Web Site that my good friend Amy invited me to. http://pinterest.com. I love this!! Please check it out! You have to have an invitation, so let me know. The recipe is so simple :

2 Cups Vodka
2-4 Vanilla Beans

Store in glass bottle in cool dark place, shake daily and then strain a little off into another bottle, add more Vodka and another Vanilla Bean. This is the same concept as Sourdough Starter!