Recipe Review from 10/21/13

Another chilly, blustery, rainy week.  Good for comfort foods and hot apple cider and a bit of football. 


Oven Baked Chicken Wings (Cooks Country, Sept 2013)
Ever since my seasoning packet disappeared from the store shelves, I am always on the lookout for a good chicken wing recipe.  Preferably homemade.  This recipe is the closest I've come to what I consider a good wing - crispy wing, saucy sauce.  Cooks Country does wing and sauce separate, combining at the end.

I was out of molasses and hot sauce to make buffalo wings.  I did a homemade mustard bbq sauce that was actually pretty good. 

It doesn't get much simpler than this.  What I didn't take into account was the two hours baking time, so appetizers ended up being dinner. 

3 1/2 lbs wings, tips removed and separated
2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 250*
Prepare wings and pat dry.  Combine in a plastic bag with baking powder and salt.
On a foil lined jelly roll pan, place wings on a wire rack.
Bake 40 minutes on lower part of oven.
Place on upper part of oven and increase temperature to 425*.  Bake 40-50 minutes more or until done.

Toss with sauce of choice.  Serve.



And wings aren't complete without some blue cheese dressing!  

Absolutely the BEST Rich and Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing (AllRecipes.com)
Okay, I don't know if this is absolutely the best, but it's pretty darn good and super simple to make.  I usually have all the ingredients on hand anyway, maybe only having to purchase the blue cheese. 
This has what I consider to be the flavors of a good blue cheese dressing - tangy, cheesy, and usually thick.  Mine got a bit thin for some reason, but no biggie.  This makes about 2/3 cup - which is perfect for a batch of wings. 

photo from AllRecipes.com

• 2 1/2 ounces blue cheese
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper  

In a small bowl, mash blue cheese and buttermilk together with a fork until mixture resembles large-curd cottage cheese. Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and garlic powder until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Whole milk may be used in place of buttermilk for a milder flavor. Dressing may be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.  



Overnight, Slow Cooker, Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal  (The Yummy Life Blog by Monica)
Easy.  Delicious.  Great consistency and flavor.  Husband said it "tasted like apple pie".  I needed something for an earlier than usual morning (had to get a car into the dealers on the way to work) and this fit the bill.  Highly recommended.  Four adult servings.    

• 2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)
• 1-1/2 cups fat-free milk (or substitute non-diary alternative like almond milk)
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or substitute maple syrup or other desired sweetener)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for approx. 7 hours (slow cooker times can vary). Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup fat-free milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot.

Recipe can be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.


Maque Choux  (modified from Cooks Country Aug/Sept 2013)  Vegetarian option**
I got a bit impatient with the recipe as written and began to deviate.  God Bless Cooks Country/Cooks Illustrated, I do dearly love what they do, but for a regional vegetable saute, I think they made this one more complicated than necessary.   And taste is such a subjective thing - the Husband and I don't taste things the same way is a well established fact.  Does this kind of recipe really need to be made 50 times to "perfect" it?  I don't think so...

So.  I sauteed and simmered veggies, and served over rice.  It was simple, it was good.  Recommended.

**Add some zucchini to up the vegetables if omitting the meat. 

• 8 ears corn, husked and cleaned (I used fresh-frozen corn on the cob)
• 4 strips bacon** optional

  

  photo from Cooks Country.com

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
•  1 celery rib, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 5oz smoked sausage, sliced lengthwise and diced (I used andoullie)** optional 
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved  
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cups water

1. Cut corn off the cobs by thinly slicing across the tops of the kernels; place in a medium bowl. Cut across the kernels again to release milk from the corn, add milk to bowl. Set aside.
2. Cook bacon until nicely crisp.   Set aside.  Reserve about 1 tbsp bacon grease.  Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil to grease.
3. Add onion and green pepper, cook until onion is transparent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Combine corn, tomatoes, and milk with the onion mixture. Add sausage.  Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 20 minutes longer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half.  Season with salt and cayenne pepper and reserved tomato juice.  Lower heat, cover skillet, and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer. Stir in bacon. Remove from heat and serve.