GOOD FOODIE: January 2019

Friday, January 18, 2019

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate

Here's a nice hot drink for a cold winter's night..The spice of gingerbread plays off the chocolate to take this Southern Comfort-spiked beverage to the next level.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces hot chocolate
2 ounces holiday-flavored liqueur, like Southern Comfort Gingerbread Spice
Whipped cream
Ground cinnamon, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare your cup of hot chocolate as usual. A simple hot chocolate recipe (stir 2 ounces chocolate in 1 cup warmed whole milk) is ideal, but you can also usepowdered hot chocolate when crunched for time. Stir in the liqueur. Top with whipped cream and ground cinnamon, then serve.

ENJOY!

Sunday, January 13, 2019

It's Football Playoff season and what do people like to eat the most during football season...Wings..Baby Wings!

Here is a recipe to help you fix the best wings ever!

INGREDIENTS:

You'll Need-
4 pounds chicken wings
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Oil for deep-fat frying
Tools:
Deep fryer or deep Dutch oven
Wire rack set in a baking pan
Sharp, thin knife

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Remove wing tips

When you purchase chicken wings, you’ll usually get the whole wing, which has three sections: the tip, the wingette, and the drumette. While I may be called for clipping (pardon the football pun), there is very little meat in the tip and it easily burns, so I like to remove that piece and save it for making stock or broth. Using a sharp, thin knife, cut through the joint between the wing tip and the wingette. If you move the joints, it will be easy to see exactly where to cut.

Step 2: Separate wingette and drumette

Moving the joint between the wingette and the drumette will show you exactly where to slice to separate them. You can purchase frozen and thawed wingettes or drumettes if you want to skip the first two steps. We won’t tell.

Step 3: Chill

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Toss wings with kosher salt, and place them on a wire rack in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight. Test Kitchen tip: Salting and chilling will dry out the skin slightly, which is key to getting that skin crispy when they’re fried. Just be sure to leave them uncovered in the fridge so the moisture evaporates.

Step 4: Fry ’em up!

A home deep fryer is great for cooking wings, but don’t worry if you don’t have one. An electric skillet works well, or you can use a Dutch oven on the stovetop. Fill it with oil so when the wings are added there will be at least one inch of oil covering them with no danger of bubbling over the top. Heat the oil to 375°F. Pat a few wings dry and carefully add them to the oil. Make sure there is plenty of room between the pieces or the oil will cool down too much and they won’t cook quickly. It should take about eight to ten minutes to get nice and golden brown. Remove the wings and drain on paper towels. Let the oil heat back up to 375°F before frying more wings.

Step 5: Get saucy

Now is your chance to get creative and toss your fried wings with one of the sauce...

Buffalo Wing Sauce-
Bring ¾ cup of Louisiana-style hot sauce just to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk in ¼ cup butter one piece at a time. Stir in 2 Tbsp. molasses and ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper. Can’t get enough Buffalo chicken?

Spicy Thai Sauce-
Saute 1 tsp. fresh minced ginger, one minced garlic clove and a Thai chili pepper in 1 Tbsp. canola oil until the aroma is intense, about two minutes. Stir in ¼ cup brown sugar and 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice. Bring to a boil; cook until slightly thickened, five minutes. Stir in 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro and 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (we know it smells, but it adds a great flavor).

Spicy Barbecue Sauce..

Heat your favorite prepared barbecue sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in two minced chipotle peppers, 2 Tbsp. honey and 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until it’s slightly thickened, which should take about five minutes, depending on how thick your barbecue sauce is. Now the only thing you have to worry about is encroachment—last pun—from your guests looking to score a hot wing.

Or all three...

Enjoy! Eat Well My Friends!

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Sheet Pan Zucchini

Italian food minus the carbs...and extra calories....Good Foodies ,here is an easy dinner treat..

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Panko*
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced to 1/4-inch thick rounds
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella pearls, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves*

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine Panko and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Working in batches, dredge zucchini rounds in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
Place zucchini in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until tender and golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.
Top with marinara and mozzarella.
Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

See! Piece of cake! Enjoy! Eat Well My Friends!

Monday, January 7, 2019

Hot Honey BBQ Wings

It's The Playoffs....Whether your team is in the playoffs or not, If you're a sports fan, you're watching...Now if you're not in a crowded sports bar ,but rather in the comfort of your home...What better to snack on than Hot Honey Barbecued Wings?

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds	chicken wings
1 6-ounce can	tomato paste
4 tablespoons	honey
1 tablespoon	molasses
1 teaspoon	dijon mustard
1 tablespoon	lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons	apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon	paprika
2 tablespoons	butter
½ cup	Franks Red Hot
add pinch	salt

DIRECTIONS:

Bring all ingredients except for wings to a boil. Bring heat down and let simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to combine.

Toss half of the sauce with the wings and let marinate for at least one hour.

Preheat the broiler to high. Broil for 12-15 minutes or until the skin is getting crispy and charred in a few spots.

Flip and broil another 12 minutes.

Toss with remaining sauce and serve..

Enjoy with Cole Slaw..

ENJOY! EAT WELL MY FRIENDS!

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Skillet Chicken with Brussel Sprouts and Apples.

Happy New Year babies....Here is the first recipe for the month....

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 (12-oz.) package shredded Brussels sprouts

1 sliced apple

1/2 sliced red onion

1 Chopped Garlic Clove

2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. brown sugar

1/3 c. chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Season chicken thighs with fresh thyme, and kosher salt and black pepper. Cook in canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
Add shredded Brussels sprouts, apple, red onion, and garlic clove to skillet. Cook, tossing, until Brussels sprouts are wilted and onion has softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in white balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
Return chicken to pan and top with toasted pecans.

Piece of cake right? Or in this case...Slice of chicken....Enjoy! Eat well my friends!

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019

Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.

1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov

ABOUT ME

Keith

I am a native of Philadelphia PA, USA; attended Darby-Colwyn High School 1973-76; attended Shippensburg University and majored in Journalism 1976-81; charter member of Kappa Omega Chapter, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity; served in US Air Force Reserves 1984-2006. I'm also a husband, father, and grandfather. My birthday is March 24th and my sun sign is Aries (The Ram). And, just so we're clear, let's establish from the door, Aries rules! Okay?

View my complete profile...