Enjoy the Championship Games & SUPERBOWL 5O

Gather 50 of your closest friends and family for the big day; it's winter and we are so ready for a party.


Show preparation going on now:
    Superbowl field at Levi's Stadium is being readied with new sod that requires many men working long hours to complete.
    Beyoncé has been seen at USC practicing for Half-Time Show, joining Coldplay in this massive event.
    Did you know??...They have only 7.5 minutes to be in place on stage when show goes LIVE around the world.


I admit to not following the football season, but the Superbowl is infectious, and I love a house party. Most I have been to have been relatively tame; huge TV and tables decked out with lots of food. One guy had a table set up for school/college football trophies won by him and his sons. Football pride, that is what appeals to me, the camaraderie and excitement that draws you into a "Super" way to spend time with friends.
THE FOOD....Anything and everything goes! Below are recipes for the famous Buffalo Chicken Dip, as well as Texas Caviar Dip, Pulled Pork Sliders, and a Brownie Shortcake. Whatever you choose, enjoy and have a great time.

Mike's Pulled Pork Sliders

 Pulled Pork can be made day ahead in a slow cooker and served hot in same.

                    Delicious topped with fresh cole slaw; buy premade slaw or use Mike's recipe below.





Mike’s Pulled Pork Sliders
Ingredients:
1 Boston Pork Butt **- 4 ½ to 5 pounds
2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia
1 (12 ounce) can ginger ale
1 (18 ounce) bottle Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce (more optional)
In large slow cooker, place 2 halves of Vidalia onion on bottom. Place pork butt on top of onion. Place remaining onion, cut in half, on top of pork. Pour in ginger ale. Cook on low for 12 hours. DO NOT OPEN the slow cooker.
Next, drain off liquid. Shred pork meat and onions when cool enough to handle(shred with forks or your fingers). Return shredded pork to crock-pot, add barbecue sauce (adjust amount to taste).Cook on low for an additional 2 hours.
Serve on Pepperidge Farms Sliders, top with coleslaw. Makes 8 servings

** Boston butt is an inexpensive cut of meat that is frequently served as barbecue. Although the name may give the impression that the meat is from the hind-quarters of the pig, it actually refers to the upper part of the pig's front legs and is commonly called pork shoulder. As Boston butt is a tougher cut of meat it is best when slow cooked over low heat for several hours. Hence, using a slow cooker is a good way to get that meat fully flavored and fall-off-the-bone tender.

This coleslaw recipe is perfect for pulled pork sandwiches as it is mildly flavored and does not overpower the pork; what it does do is give you a cool, crisp layer of texture, which complements the meat.


Mike’s Coleslaw  
1 medium head green cabbage, finely shredded
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or equivalent sugar substitute
Mix all ingredients, refrigerate overnight; drain off any liquid as you build slider.

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

“Eric first tried the dip at one of our friend's parties and really enjoyed it.  He has always loved buffalo chicken and different dips so the idea of combining the two was genius!  After the party, he went home and searched online for an easy buffalo chicken dip recipe. There are several different versions.  He never serves the dip with celery or crackers.  He believes it has to be served with Tostitos (and prefers the scoops).  You HAVE to use Frank's Red Hot...that's key! 

This has been a hit when we've had parties and is always tasty on Sundays when we watch football!”
Eric & Tracy


Ingredients:
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup bottled Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
1 and 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Original recipe suggests celery and crackers for accompaniments:
     1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
     1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers
Directions:
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing, continuing to stir until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, transfer mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top, cover and cook on low setting until hot and bubbly. Yields about 5 cups.
Note: If you do not have a slow cooker, mix all ingredients until smooth and place in ovenproof dish; bake at 350 degrees until bubbly hot, about 25 minutes.
TEXAS CAVIAR DIP
Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (12 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed
1 medium red onion, diced
3 tablespoons jalapeno rings, diced (found in pickle section)
     Combine all ingredients, soak overnight.
     Before serving, strain off all liquid and serve.

     Very good served with Tostitos "Scoops

Brownie Shortcake Dessert


 Ingredients:
1 package (19.5 ounce) brownie mix
1 container (16 ounce) sour cream, divided
1 cup thawed whipped topping
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups cut-up strawberries and blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package; stir in one-half cup of the sour cream. Spoon into a greased and floured 9 inch round cake pan. Bake 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely. (Can be baked day before)
Mix remaining sour cream, whipped topping, sugar and vanilla.
Cut brownie horizontally in half. Place bottom half on serving plate; spread with half of the sour cream mixture. Cover with top of brownie, remaining sour cream mixture, and fruit. Store in refrigerator.

           

Pat's Spotlight on Light & Healthy and January To-Do's

I can tell you that every year at this time, in my adult past; my focus has been on diet and losing weight, as it is  with many friends and co-workers I’ve known over the years. For those of you that don’t have to worry about losing pounds, I ENVY YOU!!.  I’ll add that sometimes my good intentions have lasted for only a couple of weeks into January, and only on occasion those good intentions made it to the end of the month.

But eating healthy does not have to only mean losing weight. It’s a lot to do with eating less of the foods that contribute to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fatigue, and more. Most all of us know that the worst culprits are fats, sodium, and sugar.

We also know to eat more of the foods that contribute to good all-around health like green vegetables, sweet potatoes, garlic and onion, fish, chicken, and of course, fruits, and to buy organic when at all possible.

 I believe that in January we are more apt to be ready and willing to do this because we have just spent two months eating, perhaps gorging, on some pretty fantastic holiday foods, and we just want to lighten it up now.

So this month I will focus on some lighter and healthy foods, recipes, and any tips that I might come across in my research on this subject. If you have any requests, suggestions, or looking for certain recipes please e-mail me at patakitchen@yahoo.com.

The Recipes:

                  Creamy Veggie Dip 
     
Fix cut-up veggies for yourself and your family and mix up a batch of this dip to go with them. If you want to include some crackers, there are some good crackers in the supermarket that are whole grain, reduced-fat, and low in sugar, and taste good. The whole point is healthy, lighter snacking that tastes good.

Ingredients:
1 carrot, 2 radishes (and/or 4 scallions), 1/4 each; red and green pepper, 1 celery stalk;
all cut into chunks and pulsed in food processor or food chopper till fine.
3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup light mayo
16 ounce low-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon worstershire sauce
1 and 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon of each; salt & pepper
Mix until smooth cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, worstershire, lemon peel and salt and pepper. Add finely chopped veggies. Store covered in frig till ready to serve.
    Chicken with Tarragon Mustard Sauce

This recipe is great when you are in a hurry. It is low in calories and fat, but right up there with flavor.
It is ready to serve is less than 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
 
Ingredients:
    8 small skinned, boneless chicken breasts
    1 teaspoon garlic salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    3 tablespoons light olive oil
    1 cup plain yogurt (fat-free Greek yogurt has a richer taste)
    2 and 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    1/2 teaspoon tarragon leaves
    1/4 teaspoon sugar
    1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness; Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper. In fry pan, place olive oil and heat to medium-high temperature. Add chicken and cook, turning once, 8 minutes or until chicken is brown and fork tender.
In a bowl, mix together yogurt, mustard, tarragon, sugar, and hot pepper sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and cook on low just till sauce is heated. Arrange chicken on serving platter. Drizzle sauce over chicken.

     Skillet Green Beans                              

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 medium shallots, minced (1/2 cup) Substitute red onion if you like.

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/3 cup juice from a large orange

Pinch of cayenne (optional, does add flavor)

1 and 1/2 pounds green beans; fresh best flavor, ok frozen

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried sage (add more to taste)

Ground black pepper

Toast pecans in a nonstick dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring until fragrant.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the salt, cooking another minute; Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Wipe out skillet. Heat remaining olive oil, adding shallots, orange zest, and cayenne, and cook till shallots are soft, about 2 minutes. Toss in green beans, chicken broth, and orange juice. With heat at medium high, cover and cook until beans are partly tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until beans are as tender as you like them.
When done, adjust salt and pepper to your taste, transfer to serving dish and toss with the pecans.  
 6-8 Servings

                      January Kitchen “To Do” List

 

• Replace baking supplies.

Over time, moisture accumulates in opened packages of baking powder or soda and can alter the results of your baking. After opening, store cans or boxes in a sealed zip-top plastic bag to keep them fresh longer.

Check spices. Some are dated. Some spices don’t have as long a shelf life as others. Spices don’t spoil, they do lose flavor intensity. If the color appears faded, the intensity probably is also.

Here are replacement guidelines for some:

            Ground spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric; 2-3 years

            Basil, oregano, dried parsley; 1-2 years

            Whole spices; 4-5 years

            Poppy seeds and sesame seeds; 2 years

• Check Flours.

You should throw out flour once a year if you don’t use it often. Whole wheat or soy flour will keep longer stored in your refrigerator or freezer, because the oil in the flour causes it to become rancid faster than regular flour. Just be sure to allow cold flours to come to room temperature before using.

It is wise to transfer flour from its paper package to an air-tight opaque container.

• Check your freezer.

Toss frozen foods that may have opened or developed serious freezer burn.

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