When Jake flew to Guatemala to visit this last Holiday season, we ate out. A lot. But we were also invited to many family and friends gatherings for homemade meals. We were invited to a family BBQ after Christmas, and since we didn’t want to get there empty handed Jake made these Spicy-Sweet Chicken Wings to bring over.
Jake gave me American Masala as one of my Christmas Gifts, and it worked out perfectly because Jake was able to make these Spicy-Sweet Chicken Wings from Suvir’s book. My family (that already loved him) went nuts about them and now they love him even more! And having said that, we don’t have a picture of the baked wings on a nice plate… That is because as soon as we got them out of the oven we went next door and… they flew away! So, we have a picture that we’re borrowing from Suvir’s Book. Make sure to click on it so you can get his book on Amazon.
This is an extremely easy recipe, perfect for the Super Bowl. Best thing is that you can marinade them overnight to save some time on Sunday. It is savory, easy to double. And trust me, you will need to double for a Super Bowl party, even make two double batches. They are that good.
Special thanks to Suvir for signing my book! It was a very exciting surprise when I opened the book and found that he had written a special message for me! Thank you Suvir!
You can follow Suvir on Twitter @suvirsaran and Like him on Facebook at facebook.com/suvirsaran.
Spicy-Sweet Chicken Wings
Recipe from
American Masala by Chef Suvir Saran
Ingredients
5 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked peppercorns
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 pounds chicken wings, wings halved at the drumette joint
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Coarse sea salt
Procedure:
- Heat your oven to 400°F.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons of honey with the olive oil, salt, cracked pepper, garam masala, paprika, cayenne pepper and cumin in a small bowl. Pour into a resealable gallon-sized plastic bag and add the chicken wings. Turn to coat with marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet (you can also line a broiler drip pan with foil and cut slits in the foil so the juices don’t pool around the chicken). Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on the rack. Roast for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of honey and vinegar in a small bowl. Remove the wings from the oven and brush with the honey-vinegar. Continue roasting until the wings are slightly charred and crisp, about another 15 to 25 minutes.
- Sprinkle with some coarse salt and cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Note:
- If you want to double the recipe, you can keep the cayenne the same because they can get too hot. All the rest of the ingredients double them without any worries.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
Chips are a must have for every Super Bowl party. Why do you want to buy chips when you can make them? I am telling you this is way too easy and they are good. Even the peskiest of the eaters likes them. Beets are sweet, and they need little seasoning. Honestly, with the flavor they already have they don’t need salt.
One important thing, the Baked Beet Chips will get crispier as they cool off!
Baked Beet Chips
Recipe By: Martha Stewart
Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
2 medium beets
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper third and middle of oven.
- Slice beets 1/16 inch thick with a mandoline.
- In a large bowl, toss beets with extra-virgin olive oil.
- On two rimmed baking sheets, arrange beets in a single layer.
- Stack another rimmed baking sheet on top of each. Bake until edges of beets begin to dry out, about 20 minutes.
- Uncover and rotate sheets. Bake 15 minutes, removing chips as they become lightened in color. Transfer to a wire rack; chips will crisp up as they cool.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
What can I tell you about a strawberry topping for oatmeal? Using regular oatmeal and adding this homemade topping definitely beats eating the instant variety, it’s not hard to make and you can keep a small batch to last you through the week. You could also try to make this with peaches or apples, so you can have a few different toppings to add. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and spoon them over hot, creamy oatmeal. Hey, it’s good for you.
Strawberry Topping for Oatmeal
Original Recipe from The Foodies’ Kitchen
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 teaspoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Procedure:
- In a small saucepan, bring all ingredients together.
- Cover and let them simmer for 5 minutes.
- Spoon over oatmeal.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
Wine & Chocolate: What to pair
Wine and chocolate paired together? They’re natural companions. Both have complex flavors and notes, both have similar components and nuances in common. A wine and chocolate pairing follows the same kind of process as a wine or chocolate tasting, except you taste both together.
Pair lighter chocolates with lighter wines; darker chocolates with full-bodied wines.
Pairings for Dark, Bittersweet and Semisweet chocolate:
•Zinfandel
•Syrah
•Tawny Port
•Armagnac
•Cognac
If you’re looking to pair up Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Sangiovese reds, they need to be well-aged to suitably pair with darker chocolates.
Pairings for Milk Chocolate:
•Merlot
•Riesling
•Sauvignon Blanc
•Dessert wines
More Pairings
Pairing chocolate with fruit is a natural. Some experts prefer chocolate and beer combinations to chocolate and wine. In Europe, bread and chocolate are common companions. Chocolate and coffee are meant to be together, while chocolate and tea are an unlikely match that some experts swear by.
Excerpt from our Chocolate article.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
Chicken Potpie is the ultimate comfort food. It’s warm, it’s creamy, it’s got potatoes and chicken and topped with puff pastry. What more could you want on a cold day? I had made potpies before, but not on ramekins. This individual sized little potpies are great! However, if you will feed them to your hungry husband, be ready to serve him 2.
Chicken Potpies with Puff Pastry
Yields: 6 individual servings
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Ingredients:
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup peas
2 russet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 thyme sprigs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
5 teaspoons cornstarch whisked with 2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 package (14 ounces) puff pastry, cut into four 4 1/4-inch squares
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cook shallot in oil in a large pot over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, peas and potatoes. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add wine; simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock; bring to a boil. Add chicken and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add cornstarch mixture and cream. Bring to a simmer; cook until thick, about 5 minutes.
- Divide mixture among four 6-ounce ramekins; top with pastry. Brush with egg. Cut a hole into each to vent. Bake on a baking sheet until golden, 12 to 14 minutes.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
It’s Super Bowl time again! We hand picked snacks and appetizers we think you might like to include on your Super Bowl Food Fest menu, we’ll be posting a few new recipes soon!
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
First thing we think when we hear diet (food wise) is salads. A healthy salad can be a savory salad. This is the perfect dressing to prove that. The mix between honey, Dijon mustard and the wine vinegar make a perfect match to add over avocado, lettuce or chicken.
Honey-Mustard Dressing
Recipe from Alton Brown
Ingredients
5 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Procedure:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve as a dressing or a dip.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
We were talking with Helga while these muffins where in the oven, and we agreed on one thing: When you go on a diet, sometimes you get tired of eating just salad and chicken, keeping the carbs out. Sometimes all you need is one slice of bread or a cracker… something that will give you the carb fix you need.
Since it’s healthy week, we’ve been looking for something to post under baking goodies for the week. A few nights ago I finally found this recipe. It doesn’t use butter but apple sauce and has whole wheat flour instead of all-pourpose.
I made the recipe the next day and I have to say I was a little skeptical about how they would taste. Have to say that I am impressed. They are not overly sweet, and don’t have strong lemon flavor, so my mom loved them. However, I would replace the lemon juice with orange juice and add some orange zest to it. Maybe a little vanilla. I’ll let you know how turns out next time I make them. So far, this recipe is a good carb fix when you’re in a diet!
Whole Wheat Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Recipe By The Happy Housewife
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375º F and line up 12 cupcake tin with liners.
- Sift dry ingredients.
- Add the egg, milk, apple sauce and lemon juice and mix with a whisk.
- Fill cupcake tins up to 3/4. The muffins don’t grow too much.
- Bake at 375º F for about 16 minutes.
Notes:
- You can substitute the whole wheat flour for white or use half white/half wheat.
- If using white flour use bread flour for higher rising muffins.
- You can add a tablespoon of orange zest to make the muffins have a fruitier taste.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
I’ve made this recipe several times already, it’s quick, it’s easy, it’s delicious, budget friendly and my toddler asks for seconds. I love this recipe.
It’s not only a great choice for a weekday meal, but it is also perfect for a day at the beach. A good idea (that I have not tried yet) is to make tuna burgers with them. If any of you tries them, please let me know. How would that go? I’m thinking I would make them with lettuce, sliced cucumber… I think that should go in there. Sliced tomatoes, a little bit of grated ginger on top ( I always put grated ginger in my tuna.), and perhaps some wasabi mayonnaise?
That sounds good already, I think I’ll try it this week.
Tuna Patties
Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes
Serves 2
(yields 4 patties)
Ingredients:
2 6-ounce cans tuna
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, green onions, or shallots
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A couple squirts of Tabasco
1 raw egg
2 Tbsp olive oil
Procedure:
- Drain the liquid from the tuna cans. If you are using tuna packed in water, reserve a tablespoon of the tuna water, and add a teaspoon of olive oil to the tuna mixture in the next step.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, mustard, torn white bread, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, parsley, chives, and hot sauce. Sprinkle on salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste the mixture before adding the egg to see if it needs more seasoning to your taste. Mix in the egg.
- Divide the mixture into 4 parts. With each part, form into a ball and then flatten into a patty. Place onto a wax paper lined tray and chill for an hour. (You can skip the chilling if you want, chilling just helps the patties stay together when you cook them.)
- Heat the olive oil and a little butter (for taste) in a cast iron or stick-free skillet on medium high. Gently place the patties in the pan, and cook until nicely browned, 3-4 minutes on each side.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
This is what I’m having from breakfast these days. It’s actually an improvement, I am – or was- one of those people who don’t have breakfast. Ever. I got used to it since high school, those extra snooze minutes are valuable and I always traded food for sleep. Mariano and I talked about trying to eat healthy meals and leave the cravings for the weekends, so we have this shake for breakfast, which is quite filling. This recipe will yield 4 glasses, so we each have two. 
I’ve only tried it with banana or strawberries (or both) because these are the 2 varieties of fruits I have in my fridge right now. Maybe I’ll try some blackberries, or blueberries and banana?
To be honest, there are 2 things that have motivated me to incorporate even healthier meals to my everyday menus. One is Mariano’s tummy ache issues, (which have improved) and the other is… I’m a mom. Setting the example to take care of yourself and to practice healthy habits is a responsibility that we have as parents. Our kids are watching us, so we need to be a good example.
Of course, this is a cooking blog and cooking is what we love. Including healthy recipes is not new to us, but we firmly believe that food is one of the pleasures in life, you just have to know how to eat it right. We will also continue to share dessert, baking, candy and all sorts of recipes with you! You have not lost us. There will be bacon… we’re just not having it every day.
Oatmeal Banana Shake
Recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste.com
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2/3 cup quick oats
1 banana
3 cups 2% or fat free milk
1 cup ice
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Procedure:
- In a blender add all ingredients: oats, banana, milk, honey, cinnamon and ice.
- Blend on high until very smooth.
Note:
As a variation you can try replacing the banana for about 8 strawberries and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
© 2012, The Foodies' Kitchen. All rights reserved.
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