Diablo Chicken Thighs

Diablo Chicken Thighs

1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste or red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup water
3 lb. chicken thighs, wbone-in with the skin
1 or 2 handfuls Applewood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, paprika, cayenne, granulated garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder, chili paste and hot pepper sauce. Add the water and whisk vigorously until the salt and granulated garlic dissolve. Taste and adjust the seasonings; the sauce should be bright red and very spicy. Pour half the sauce into a small serving bowl and set aside.
Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, cuts slits in the chicken to the bone in several places to expose the flesh. Place the chicken in a large disposable aluminum roasting pan, pour the remaining sauce over the top and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before grilling. Prepare grill for indirect cooking. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade.
Sprinkle the wood chips over the coals. Place the pan with the thighs on the cooler side of the grill, cover and cook until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer the thighs to the grate directly over the coals, brush with the marinade from the pan and grill, turning often, until nicely charred on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Serve immediately with the reserved sauce.

Crabby Mac & Cheese

Crabby Mac & Cheese

3/4 lb. elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, heated
1/2 cup heavy cream, heated
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Ground nutmeg, to taste
2/3 lb. lump crab meat, picked over for shells
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup finely shredded fontina or Emmentaler cheese
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons finely shredded white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, stir well and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Set aside.
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes; do not allow to brown. Slowly add the milk and cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Add the sauce to the macaroni and mix well. Fold in the crab meat, chives and 1/2 cup each of the fontina, Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1 cup of the cheddar cheeses. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with the 3 tablespoons each Parmigiano-Reggiano and cheddar, sprinkling evenly over the surface. Then sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Finally, cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into bits and use to dot the top of the pasta. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then serve.

Footnotes - If you can't find Emmentaler, you can use Swiss cheese.

And my mom agrees with me....

....happiness IS Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes from Mr. Cupcakes!





We were at the office yesterday and my mom read my post Cupcake Wars!. She totally agreed that Mr. Cupcakes Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes were the best. So I went to Riverside and got her one.
XOXO!

Blade Lamb Chops Milanese with Tzatziki

Blade Lamb Chops Milanese with Tzatziki

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs, whisked
4 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 blade lamb chops
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place each of the flour, eggs, and panko bread crumbs into shallow dishes. Season the flour and eggs with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan to the panko bread crumbs and stir to combine. Remove the bones from the blade chop. Cut into equal-size medallions and remove any unwanted fat. Cover the lamb chops in plastic wrap and pound out with the smooth side of the mallet to about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness. Dredge just before ready to cook.
Place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1/4-inch oil. Season the lamb and dredge in the flour, eggs, and then the bread crumbs. When all are dredged, add to the heated oil. Fry lamb chops until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Place a spoonful of the tzatziki sauce on the plate. Top with the lamb Milanese.

Tzataiki

1 cup good Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small cucumber, peeled and shredded
Salt

Place shredded cucumber in a strainer over a bowl, sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze out any extra moisture then place in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and season with salt to taste. Mix well and chill for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.

What PMS makes me think of....

- Cheeseburger Stuffed Fried Macaroni and Cheese
- Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Alfredo
- Chicken-Fried Hershey Bars
- Bacon and Cadbury Cream Eggs

Good thing this only lasts a week..........sigh!

Billy and his Harem...

Rare picture of my husband with his eyes open
Billy's BCSD Celebration Dinner - 2010

Some of the greatest moments of my life..

There is something about this picture that I absolutely love. It is about 2 years old and was taken at my friend Robin's daughter Mia's christening / 1st. birthday party.


Lita, Walter, Joan, me, Janice and Joey

LOL...

I love the word "dumplings". Something about it just sounds yummy!

26 Fun (food) Facts About Me.......

1 - Pasta = Happiness!
2 - I hate cooked carrots by themselves but I will eat cooked carrots in soups and other recipes.
3 - I love raw spinach and cabbage but I don't like lettuce.
4 - Peas are the Devil.
5 - I never met a cupcake I didn't like...lol!
6 - The spicier the food, the happier I am.
7 - Besides being a really pretty color, I think radishes serve absolutely no purpose.
8 - I once drank an entire cup of beet liquid just to see if my pee would turn pink. (It did)
9 - I stopped drinking soda 2 1/2 years ago.
10 - I DO SCREW UP RECIPES! (More times than I will ever admit)
11 - I steal the crust off of left-over fried chicken. What? It's the best part!
12 - I do not eat raw tomatoes.
13 - I will only cook with Greek olive oil.
14 - My favorite snack food is guacamole and chips.
15 - I LOVE MACARONI AND CHEESE!!
16 - I eat buffalo wings with sour cream..and only the flat part, not the drumettes.
17 - I dip grilled cheese sandwiches in brown gravy.
18 - Sour garlic pickles make me happy =)
19 - I will put hot fudge on ice cream but not chocolate sauce.
20 - I love my eggs sunny-side up, but I never eat the bottom part of the yolk.
21 - I only eat the dark meat from a chicken but the white meat of a turkey.
22 - I love chocolate but not chocolate ice cream.
23 - My steaks have to be rare in order for me to eat them. If it is still mooing, I'm good.
24 - I love bow-tie pasta with melted butter and grated Romano.
25 - I have to put ice in milk in order to drink it.
26 - I suck the cream out of the middle of cannoli's then throw away the shell.

LOL...even I have to laugh!

Cajun Seafood Alfredo

Cajun Seafood Alfredo

1 lb. fettuccine pasta
1 lb. large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. cooked crawfish
1/2 lb. bay scallops
1 envelope Alfredo sauce mix
2 cups half and half, at room temperature
1/2 cup good quality grated Romano cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Kosher salt, to taste
Parsley

Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain,. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, crawfish and scallops and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the scallops are opaque. In a small bowl, mix together half and half, Alfredo sauce mix and Old Bay until well blended. Add sauce to skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes or until sauce has thickened, stirring constantly. Sprinkle in the Romano cheese 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each tablespoon. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and additional Romano cheese.

Cupcake Wars!

Happiness is Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes from Mr. Cupcakes in Hackensack. My husband disagrees. He says happiness is French Toast cupcakes from Mr. Cupcakes.



He's a man............what does he know.

Beer and Butter Steamed Clams

Beer and Butter Steamed Clams

1/2 cups butter
3/4 cup chopped onions
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup water
3 bottles dark beer
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 lbs. clams, cleaned and scrubbed
3 tablespoons dried parsley

In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt 1/2 cup of butter. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring until soft, about 8 minutes. Add water, beer, crushed red pepper flakes and salt; bring to a boil. Add the clams, cover and reduce the heat to low. Steam the clams for 5 to 10 minutes or until the shells have opened. Discard any clams that remained closed. Place clams and broth is serving bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with crusty Italian or French bread and additional melted butter for dipping.

In my next life.....

.....I want to come back as Andrew Zimmern. Yes, I said it! I want to come back as an over-weight bald man because he has THE FREAKIN' COOLEST JOB in the world. I mean, the eating bugs and internal organs part is kinda gross, but traveling the world and experiencing different cultures and customs is so amazing. It's a pretty awesome life to lead.

Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic and Parmesan

Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic and Parmesan

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh asparagus
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse asparagus spears and pat dry. Remove rough ends with a knife. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-heat heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. (Reduce heat to medium-low and cook an additional 10 minutes if you like your asparagus very tender). Transfer to a serving platter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Striped Bass with Old Bay Cream Sauce and Crab

Striped Bass with Old Bay Cream Sauce and Crab

1 1/2 pounds striped bass fillets
2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay with Garlic & Herb Seasoning, divided
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/8 cup white wine
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 oz. backfin or lump crabmeat

Heat large skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Season flesh side of fish with 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay with Garlic & Herb Seasoning. Place fish, skin-side up, in skillet. Cook 5 minutes, turning fish after 3 minutes. Remove fish from skillet; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium. Stir wine into skillet, scraping bottom to loosen browned bits. Add remaining butter and green onion; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in cream. Stir in mustard and remaining Old Bay.Simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in crabmeat. Return fish to skillet; cover. Cook 3 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Footnotes - You can also make this using Tilapia. I have made it using sauteed extra jumbo shrimp. The sauce is awesome and works with any seafood.

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana

1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 - 13.75 oz. cans chicken broth
6 potato, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh spinach, tough stems removed

Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the spinach into the soup just before serving.

Footnotes - Try using hot Italian sausage instead of the sweet (remember to omit the crushed red pepper flakes if you do!). Also instead of spinach, try using kale.

What happens when you add a little too much wine!

So apparently....Ginger found what I said extremely hilarous!

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Creamy Rosemary Mushroom Sauce

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Creamy Rosemary Mushroom Sauce

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon
1/4 cup butter
3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In an extra large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken thighs on both sides in olive oil. Squeeze 1 half of the lemon over chicken. Slice the other half of the lemon and place the slices in the skillet. Cover with lid and cook til done turning a few more times, about 30 to 40 minutes.
In another large skillet, melt the 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook and stir until the mushrooms are brown, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and blend. Add the chicken broth, stirring to make a medium thick sauce. Add the fresh rosemary sprigs. Allow to reduce. Remove from heat. Remove the rosemary sprigs and stir in the cream. Transfer chicken and lemon slices to a serving platter and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Footnotes - You can also make this with boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets.

Pub-Style Beer-Battered Scallops

Pub-Style Beer-Battered Scallops

1 lb. sea scallops
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup beer
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 large egg, beaten
Salt and ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

Mix together salt, black pepper and 2 tablespoons flour in a large zip-top bag. In a medium bowl, mix remaining flour and baking soda. Whisk in egg and beer, beating until thin and smooth. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, heavy skillet to 360 degrees. Working quickly, add scallops to the bag and shake to coat. Remove from bag, shaking off excess flour and dip scallops in batter mixture a few at a time and immediately place in hot oil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with cold beer and french fries!

Footnotes - Cook the scallops in batches and do not over-crowd the skillet. Scallops only need a couple of minutes to cook so try not to over-cook them. Over-cooking makes scallops rubbery.