Category: POULTRY

Super Bowl Staples ~*~ HOT WINGS & home made 'BLEU' CHEESE dressing

What’s the SUPER BOWL without HOT WINGS and home made BLEU CHEESE dressing for dipping along with a good beer and few dozen other appetizers? Now I try to watch our fats and prepare balanced meals on a day to day basis, but let’s get real here people, this is the SUPER BOWL ~ it’s like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Do you even think twice on those days before you pop, well let’s be honest you’ll pop ANYTHING that looks good into your mouth on those days? Of course not, so why think about it today? Plus here’s the bonus, they’re technically baked so there good for you, right?

HOT WINGS

  • 2-3 dozen+ chicken wings ~ We prefer drumettes (with a little meat on them) to actual wings, but it’s your choice. Today I used what was in the freezer for picture sake, but next week it’ll be drumettes for sure!
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • hidden valley ranch dressing mix (DRY) OR Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (DRY)
  • 2 sticks butter+
  • Frank’s Hot Sauce
  • PURE
I also prefer to use an old cast iron frying pan (our is at least 3rd generation, dating back to hubby’s grandfather that we know for sure). I still believe this gives you the most even browning.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Wash and dry the chicken pieces.
  • Mix together the flour and seasonings in a plastic ziploc bag. Using a ziploc bag makes it easy to throw away the whole mess after dredging all the chicken pieces and it helps you coat every possible spot of the chicken pieces.
  • Add chicken a few pieces at a time and coat them well. Set chicken pieces aside.
  • While you’re doing this, have the butter melting in the pan. Start with 1 stick and add as necessary, but make sure you don’t run out dry.
  • Once all the chicken has been dredged start frying. After you have the pan full pepper the pieces again. Don’t turn the chicken until you can see blood. You only need to turn the chicken one time. Brown evenly and then set aside on paper towels until all pieces have been fried.
  • As the last batch is frying melt the other stick of butter in a 4 cup measure cup. To that add 1 cup of Frank’s hot sauce per stick of butter. Whisk them together well.
  • Spray a cookie sheet with PURE.
  • Dip each piece of chicken into the hot sauce mixture and put on cookie sheet.
  • After you’re all done and if you have hot sauce & butter mixture left, pour a little over the top of each wing.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Serve hot with my homemade Bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks if you’d like.

Home made “BLEU” CHEESE DRESSING

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup large curd cottage cheese
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 ounces bleu cheese crumbles (sometimes I use Gorgonzola for a bit of change or when I accidentally pick up the wrong container at the grocery store and we like it just as well)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • I put it all in my food processor and pulse until it’s well mixed. Chill for 24-48 hours before serving.

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE FOR MOUTH WATERING VIEW.

~*~Sweet & Sour Carmelized Chicken~*~

I couldn’t decide which one, so I did 2 this week.
Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy.


This is such an easy and quick meal to make, but it looks & tastes like you worked all afternoon.


Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (bottle works if that’s what you have)
2 tablespoons rice wine balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
olive oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Between 2 sheets of wax paper flatten chicken breasts if they are too thick. If they are too thick they will take longer to cook. If you prefer scallopini style you’ll need to decrease cooking time slightly.

Whisk together the egg and cornstarch. Soak chicken breasts in mixture for an hour before cooking. This mixture seals in the moistness and keeps the chicken juicy throughout.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a oven proof fry pan (or you will need to transfer to a baking dish) coat he bottom of the pan with olive oil. When the oil is hot, brown both sides of the chicken breasts including all the sides. Add onions about midway and brown them too. You want all the little browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

When breasts are browned, put the pan in the oven for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees. In the mean time, whisk together the hot water, bullion, flour, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour liquid mixture over the chicken and cover tightly with foil.

Return it to the oven for additional 10 minutes (5 minutes if doing a scallopini thickness, 15 if they are really thick. Sauce will be thick. During this last ten minutes I steamed the broccoli and turned the left over mashed potatoes from the pot roast into twice baked potato bowls.

I have used breast tenders in a pinch and they work well, but they cook faster so keep an eye on them.

Alternative to brining

So, I was checking out my favorite food sites this morning and ran across an opposition (maybe it was an aversion, but they’re tackling it and overcoming it) to brining this morning over at Smitten Kitchen. So I offered up my recipe as an alternative to brine, I have used an egg white whisked together with a teaspoon of cornstarch. I also add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and white pepper which tends to bring out the flavor. Coat chicken for 30-60 minutes before you are going to prepare it. DO NOT wash it off before cooking. You will have some of the plumpest juiciest chicken ever.

Wild Turkey

Just a few months ago you’d see all the “mom” turkeys with a stream of baby turkeys trotting along behind her. Now I think it’s time for them to run for the woods. They’re starting to look like Thanksgiving dinner. There are hundreds and hundreds of wild turkeys in this north woods area. There is also an abundance of deer according to the DNR due to the recent mild winters.