Author: Robert Andrews

Tips: Meatloaf

Rachel’s meatloaf

Hamburger pork combination or lamb if that sounds good
Breadcrumbs soaked in milk and then run out
One egg
Green onions, garlic, minced, parsley, Celery, salt, pepper, LEMON zest
Drizzle olive oil then mixed with hand’s. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes

Leftover Meatloaf Tricks

  • Serve a warmed over slide with a fried egg on top for breakfast
  • Dip a slice in egg wash and then panko bread crumnbs and fry in a skillet till browned
  • Start on low heat – about 325º – and cook till internal temp reaches about 165º – glaze at about 15 minutes

The goal of a casserole is not to prepare a restaurant-quality showpiece, but is rather to feed the hungry and heartbroken.

  • Allow for drainage, or you could get a soggy bottom. There are meatloaf pans that have holes in them to let the grease drop to the bottom of the pan.
  • A casserole should have kind of a creamy mouth feel to it, have a crunchy top (traditionally Ritz Crackers) and you should be able to identify the individual components within the casserole.
  • Add a bit of cornstarch to your meat and it will gel some of the run-off.  Shredded Parmesan also does this.
  • The advent of soup make it unnecessary to start with a bechemel sauce or veloute sauce.
  • Many meatloaf recipes use stale bread crumbs. Try these options:
    – Use a fresh and hearty loaf such as French bread
    – Use dry oatmeal – not minute oats, but traditional rolled oats

 

Hot Wing Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

Combine
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
then add
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
3 chives/green onions sliced small
then
drizzle 1-2 tablespoons milk until desired consistency
gently fold in
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Refrigerate for at least an hour to let flavors combine

British Chicken Wings

In a sauce pan
melt 1/2 cup butter
then add (in order, with 30 seconds between each add)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot or Durkee hot sauce
Cook 3 minutes, then set aside

Preheat vegetable oil (Canola or Safflower) to 375° for frying

2 pounds chicken wings, split, tossed with
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
Fry wings in small batches (8-10 minutes)
Serve warm with blue cheese dip

Chinese Chicken Wings

1/3 C water
1/3 C Sake
4 TBL Brown sugar
1/3 C naturally brewed soy sauce
3 TBL Mirin . Sweetened rice wine
3 TBL Oyster sauce
1-3 Tien Tsin chili
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves Star anise
1 branch Ginger . peeled and sliced
3 Green onions

Pre heat large sauté pan with sesame oil
Brown wings in sesame oil
Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients
Add combined ingredients
Boil then simmer uncovered to reduce . about 30 minutes
Stir to coat with remaining glaze
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions

Tips: Hot Wings

MENU SUGGESTIONS:
Pair wings with more finger food. Corn on the cob would go nicely.
A classic pairing is celery and carrot sticks.
Roasted potato wedges are a good alternative and can be cooked alongside the wings.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Use a second clean metal pan for tossing after they are cooked to avoid cross-contamination from any juice that leaked out of the uncooked, lightly seared chicken.

Dipping sauce is yogurt with lime and honey

Pat wings with paper towel and then put on tray in a single layer.  Put on the bottom shelf for two hours to dry.

 

 

Grandpa’s Hot Wings – COLLECTION

I am a huge fan of Frank’s red hot cayenne pepper sauce.  Here are a couple of other hot wing recipes and sauces for an occasional change.  Credits have been given where available.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use Party Style which have the tips gone, and the wingettes and drummettes already separated.
  • You can soak in buttermilk to get them moist on the inside, but before cooking pat them completely dry.
  • If baking, don’t crowd the pan.  Put on a rack so that heat goes all the way around.
  • Bake 35 minutes at 400º then toss in sweet honey hot sauce and bake 10 minutes more.  Cook to 165º internal temp, or bake another 10 minutes.
  • A bit of smoked paprika in the sauce gives them a smokey taste.

Grandpa’s Hot Wing Sauce

  • Note:  This takes a total of two days to prepare, so plan ahead
  • Preheat 1.5 inches of water in a steamer basket
  • Steam wings for 10 minutes – this will eliminate quite a bit of the fat which will fill your room with smoke.
  • Cool on rack and then put on bottom shelf of refrigerator overnight to dry out, which will increase crispiness.  This step is optional, but it really does make better wings.
  • Preheat oven to 425º
  • Bake cold wings for 20 minutes – skin side down
  • Flip wings and cook for another 20 minutes
  • Toss while still hot

Grandpa’s Hot Sauce

  • Mix the following to make your hot sauce (Measurements have been scaled to about 20 hot wings)
    – 3 TBL Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or any other type of Cayenne pepper sauce
    – 1 TBL Grandpa’s Jalapeño Chili Sauce
    – 1 tsp sesame seeds or Parmesan cheese
    – Optional:  1 pack of crushed red pepper flakes
    – 3 TBL melted butter
    – 1 clove crushed and minced garlic
    – 1/2 tsp Maldon salt

Serve with bleu cheese and celery sticks.  Some people like carrot sticks too.

Chef Lee Hillson

This is a substitute presented by Chef Lee Hillson of The Phoenician Resort and Spa here in Phoenix on (I think) Your Life AZ

  • Toss raw chicken wings in a bag with cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt, pepper,
  • Sear wings in a large skillet with EVOO
  • Set aside into large metal mixing bowl when seared
  • Melt one entire stick of butter
  • Add to butter
    . 1/4 C orange juice
    . Juice and zest from one lime
    . 2 TBL honey
    . 1/4 C Sriracha hot sauce
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer
    . Add 1 TBL corn starch or Arrowroot slurry
  • Pour some sauce over wings then toss to coat
  • Bake at 400° for 25 minutes
  • Remove wings then toss again to coat
  • Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro

Molly Butler’s Chef – Greer, AZ

  • Mix the following to make your hot sauce (Measurements have been scaled to 20 hot wings)
    – 3 TBL Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
    – 1 TBL Red Devil Hot Sauce
    – 1 TBL local honey
    – 1 TBL melted butter
    – 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
    – 1/2 tsp sea salt

Alton’s Hot Wing Sauce

  1. Melt 3/4 stick (3 oz – 6 TBL) of butter
    – with 1 clove minced garlic
  2. 1/4 C – 4 TBL – 2 oz cayenne pepper sauce
  3. Add 1/2 tsp kosher salt and whisk

Alton Brown’s Glazed Wings

  1. Mix the following in a small soup pan
    – 1 TBL soy sauce
    – 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    – 2 tsp honey
    – 6 oz orange juice concentrate
    – 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
    – 3 TBL hoisin sauce
  2. Bring to a simmer and reduce until thickened and about 1/2 C
  3. Cool sauce 5 minutes before tossing hot (fresh out of the oven) wings

 

Crispy BBQ Wings

with Bleu Cheese Butter

Dredge wings and put into fryer
2 TBL melted butter to wet the wings
and for your dredge, in another bowl, mix 1 C flour with
1 tsp each of cumin, corn starch, paprika, salt
Fry wings

Put into a blender
Sauce:
cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, drained paiquillo peppers
Jack Daniels Number 7 BBQ sauce
Blend for 3-5 seconds
Spoon sauce over wings and toss to cover

Blue cheese butter – Dipping sauce – serve on the side
½ C blue cheese – ½ C (1 stick) melted butter

Onion Ring Hot Wings

Fry wings in a fryer: 350-370 degrees until golden brown: 12-14 minutes

Tossing Sauce
1 TBL EVOO
4 Chopped scallions
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 TBL prepared horseradish
½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
1 C juice – orange, pomegranate or cranberry
¼ brown sugar
1 C hoisin sauce

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until it reduces to about half
Pour over wings and toss to cover
Toss with crunched and smashed up dried onion rings – little can like what you put on top of green beans

Chilaquiles

A chilaquile is essentially corn chips tossed in a sauce base and then topped with your favorite ingredients. Here is one recipe.

  1. Cut a stack of corn tortillas into eight wedges (like a pizza)
  2. Fry them in canola oil at about 375 degrees
  3. When they are browned, remove using a spider strainer, and salt immediately.
  4. Alternately, you can use Doritos, Fritos, or other corn chips
  5. Set aside in a very large mixing bowl

SAUCE

  1. In a large fry pan, saute a sliced onion in vegetable or canola oil
  2. Add some halved or quartered cloves of garlic
  3. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  4. Optional jalapeños, serranos, poblanos – roasted and skinned
  5. Salt and pepper
  6. Add a small of crushed tomatoes, or two cups of salsa
  7. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
  8. Let cool about 10 minutes then put into blender and blend until blended, but still a bit chunky
  9. Meanwhile, fry up one egg per person being served
    Alt:  Use some sort of protein: shredded chicken, pork, carnitas

HINT:  You can put one egg in a skillet with 1/4 C boiling water and cover.  Cook for 3 minutes. Dump water and return to heat just until water has evaporated.

FINISH

  1. Pour sauce over chips and toss just to coat completely
  2. Plate, and then top with your protein
  3. Drizzle Mexican Crema or warmed sour cream over the top
  4. Sprinkle with shredded cheese – Cotija is traditional
  5. OPT:  Put back in the oven to melt the cheese
  6. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and thinly sliced red onion.
  7. Optional: Add a dollop of creme fraiche
  8. Serve hot.

This CANNOT be made ahead, and must be combined just before serving, or the chips will be soggy.

Classic Corn Bread

See THIS LINK FOR  LOTS MORE

  • 2/3 cu yellow corn meal
  • 1/4 C AP flour
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 C water
  • 3/4 C buttermilk
  • 1 egg – beaten

Instructions:

  1. Whisk together dry ingredients
  2. Combine wet ingredients: 1/3 cu water, ¾ cu buttermilk, 1 beaten egg
  3. Combine above ingredients – DO NOT OVERMIX
  4. Bake in greased baking pan at 400 degrees for 30 minutes
  5. Turn out of pan immediately.

Grandpa’s Cornbread

See THIS LINK FOR  LOTS MORE

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 can creamed corn
    • If you don’t have creamed corn, use 1 can kernel corn and 3 TBL butter and 3 TBL cream. 
    • If you don’t have cream, use 6 TBL butter.
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 C Gruyere cheese
  • 1/4 C Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 small can Hatch Green Chiles
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 C room temperature butter (in addition to . . . )
  • 4 large eggs, slightly beaten
    • DRY INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 C potato or almond flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal (fine ground)
  • 2 pieces crisped crumpled bacon
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

OPTIONS

  • Combine wet ingredients
  • Combine dry ingredients separately
  • Substitute in a bit of whole wheat flour, raw oatmeal or flax.

STEP BY STEP

  1. Grease a 9-inch square pan.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F
  3. In two separate bowls, fold wet and dry ingredients
  4. Gradually FOLD the milk mixture into the dry ingredients stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. – DO NOT OVERMIX
  5. For tender cornbread, do not overmix.
  6. Pour into HOT prepared cast iron 6 inch pan.
  7. Put 1 TBL butter into pan until it completely melts
  8. Fill no more than 3/4 full
  9. Bake 20 for 25 minutes at 400º or until the cornbread is lightly golden brown.
    If you like a moister interior, to for 425º for 16-20 minutes
  10. Let rest 5 minutes for a clean turn-out

A very cool way to cook this, is to preheat your cast iron skillet before pouring in the cornbread batter. Pour in the rendered bacon drippings, and bring it up to heat. At 400°, dump in your cornbread batter and continue with recipe. This will give it a very nice crispy crust.

Tips: Corn Bread

So, as I was writing this, I thought Corn Bread or Cornbread? I let Google decide. 8 million people say Cornbread, while 72 million say Corn Bread. So, now we know.

Special Steps:

Cast Iron- clean w/salt, seasoning-repeat yourself, wash, heat to sizzle, rub w/veg oil, repeat 5 times. Repeat every time you use it, do not drip dry-heat on burner.

Sprinkle a little red chili flakes in your corn bread for a spicy southwest version.

Cut back on the liquid and use creamed corn

Salsa Fresca no Caliente (not hot)

tom-salsaI have put two recipes here. Select whichever appeals the most for the mood you are in.

Salsa al Pastor

  • Pineapple
  • Red bell pepper
  • Red onion
  • Salt, lime juice, cilantro
  • One pepper the following peppers (in order of heat) Anaheim, Jalapeño or Serrano

Tomatillo Salsa

  • Husk and wash six tomatillos
  • Peel three cloves of garlic
  • Cut one onion into slices
  • Cut one green bell pepper into pieces
  1. Bake at 450º for 12-15 mintues
  2. Put 1 bunch of cilantro into a blender
  3. Add salt and 1 can green chiles
  4. Add 1 TBL lime juice
  5. Add baked ingredients
  6. Puree until the consistency you like

 

 

Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa

Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa – My Adaptation

Ingredients

5 roma tomatoes
3 tomatillos
1 large sweet onion
2 chipotle peppers
3 jalapeno peppers
1 tsp salt
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 CU lime juice

Instructions

1.In a large mixing bowl, combine
 – Quartered tomatoes and  tomatillos
 – Thinly slice onion
 – Mashed garlic cloves
 – Peppers
 – Salt
2. Dump all onto abaking sheet
3. Broil 15-20 minutes or until charred and blistered
4. Put into food processor with all other ingredients
5. Pulse/chop lightly

Roasted Tomato Chlipotle Salsa (Every Day Foods)

Ingredients

1 ½ lb roma tomatoes
1 med onion (thinly sliced)
olive oil
salt & pepper
1-2 chipotle peppers
1 bunch cilantro
¼ cu lime juice

Instructions

1. Halve tomatoes and put on bake sheet, cut side down, tomatoes and onion.
2. Sprinkle around tomatoes & onions, spray heavily w/ oil, scant salt over top scant pepper over top.
3. Broil 15-20 minutes until charred & blistered.
4. Put into food processor w/ chipotle peppers, cilantro and lime juice and pulse till chopped, but chunky.

 

Rice Krispie Treats

This is one of the simplest best time-tested kid (and grown-up kid) treats ever to come along.

There are thousands of YouTube videos out there, but here is one that is the most popular

Original Recipe

Grandpa’s Version

Ingredients

  • 2 TBL full-fat butter
  • 1 TBL flax or canola oil
  • 2 TBL honey
  • 1 package (8 oz., about 40) Marshmallows
    OR
  • 4 cups Miniature Marshmallows
  • 6 cups puffed brown rice cereal
  • OPT:  3 OZ toasted and slivered almonds
  • OPT:  2 OZ dried cranberries – chopped
  • OPT:  1 OZ dried cherries – chopped
  • OPT:  1 oz dried blueberries – chopped

Directions

  1. In large saucepan melt butter, honey and oil over low heat.
  2. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Add puffed rice cereal.
  5. Stir until well coated.
  6. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with cooking spray.
  7. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into pan
  8. Cool.
  9. Cut into 2-inch squares.
  10. Best if served the same day.  Wrap in waxed paper, freeze, and they will keep for up to six weeks.  Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Quick Queso Cubano

  1. Take a tortilla and put it on a plate
  2. Over half of it sprinkle grated cheddar cheese
  3. Over the other half, spread a few slices of ham and salami
  4. Microwave for 60 seconds
  5. Spread with mustard or mayo
  6. Put some pickle slices on the spread
  7. Fold,cut and serve

 

 

Fried Rice Balls

A good thing to do when you overcook your rice (and it becomes mushy) is to make fried rice balls.

  1. Place a tablespoon of rice in the palm of your hand
  2. Flatten it with the back of the spoon making an indentation
  3. Put in your filling (ham, chives, chicken, chorizo, cheese, pork, whatever)
  4. Get a second tablespoon of rice and flatten it (a bit) with your other hand.
  5. Moosh them together putting your filling in the middle
  6. Roll into a ball shape
  7. Roll in flour, then egg, then Panko bread crumbs
  8. Fry at 350 degrees until browned
  9. Serve with dishes of dipping sauce and toothpicks

 

 

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