Patriots Game Day

Halftime White Turkey Chili
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Halftime White Turkey Chili

Nothing better than the fall it brings sweatshirt weather and football, not to mention the trees start to put on a show of their own. I grew up in the music department at Norwood high and spent at 4 years at every football game marching, first with those high topped hats then in our Norwood blue blazers and white bucks, ahhh white bucks. My most favorite memory is the one parade where they stuck us behind the cows or horses, I had it better than most I played the trombone, was in the first row and could see it coming.

I also like squash soups, butternut being my favorite fall treat.

We love Wholefoods and found this recipe on their site for a chili with a different twist from the red Chili we all picture in our minds eye. It makes for perfect halftime eating on a crisp autumn day.

Go Pats!

 

Ingredients:

  •  1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 2 pounds ground turkey breast
  • 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 can tomatillos, drained and chopped
  • 1 can diced green chiles, drained
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely sliced
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups cooked Great Northern beans, drained
  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
  • 7 tsps. grated Monterey Jack cheese, for garnish (optional)
  • 7 tsps. sour cream, for garnish (optional)

How:

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add turkey and cook, stirring often, until browned. Transfer to a bowl and return pot to heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, bell pepper and onion and cook until softened and golden brown. Return turkey to pot and add coriander, cumin, oregano and salt. Stir well to combine. Add bay leaf, tomatillos, chiles, jalapeños and broth, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes. Gently stir in beans and cook for 30 minutes more. Stir in cilantro, ladle chili into bowls and garnish with cheese and sourcream and Beer, if you like.

 

History of Chili

From International Chili Society

Perhaps it is the effect of Capisicum spices upon man’s mind; for, in the immortal words of Joe DeFrates, the only man ever to win the National and the World Chili Championships, “Chili powder makes you crazy.” That may say it all. To keep things straight, chile refers to the pepper pod, and chili to the concoction. The e and the i of it all.

The great debate, it seems, is not limited to whose chili is best. Even more heated is the argument over where the first bowl was made; and by whom. Estimates range from “somewhere west of Laramie,” in the early nineteenth century – being a product of a Texas trail drive – to a grisly tale of       enraged Aztecs, who cut up invading Spanish conquistadors, seasoned chunks of them with a passel of chile peppers, and ate them.   More

Pig Skins
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Pig Skins

You can assemble these game day pig skins ahead of time, if you like. For daintier eaters try pop in your mouth bite-size pig skins, make this recipe with 12 small potatoes instead. Or for a twist, substitute smoked turkey or chicken for the pork, heck make them all and pig out.

 Ingredients:

  • 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • A couple of green onions slice thin for garnish
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce (I used my Root beer BBQ sauce but you can use your own)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1 cup grated Monterey Jack
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded pulled pork (You can buy in store or make your own)

How:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick potatoes all over with a fork then arrange on a baking sheet and bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh, leaving only about 1/4 inch of potato all around. (Save potato flesh for another use.)

In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until deep golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes more.

Preheat broiler. Divide half of the cheese among potato skins, then top with onions. Arrange pork on onions then top with remaining cheese. Broil until golden brown and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer potato skins to a platter and serve with BBQ sauce, sour cream, salsa on the side and what else BEER!

Go Pats!

Where did potato skins originate?

According to Yahoo Answers

Sorry to tell you, but they originated with TGI Fridays. But don’t worry, it wasn’t the original store in NYC. They were actually concocted by a hungry sous chef in the Atlanta store. The year was 1974.

I still think that Friday’s skins are the best. I was introduced to them in Cupertino, California around 1977, and every Friday night would go to the bar there for skins and beer (extra sour cream, please!). Got fatter than heck that summer.

Now that’s what Fridays would like you to believe is it true? Let’s hear from you?

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GRONKACAMOLE

My son is one of the contributing editors, among other things, for Patriots Life, Celtics Life, RedSox Life and more. He was looking for some tongue and cheek recipes for patriot’s life, how I could resist.

Gronkowski was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.  He set an NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end in a single season with 1,327.

Preparation: 30-45 min

Smaller portions will take about 10 minutes to completion

Serves: 61

Hey you got to feed the team and the coaches right!

 

Ingredients – like Gronk something a little different.

■ 23 ripe, Fresh California Avocados, seeded and peeled

■ 23 tsp. fresh lemon juice

■ 5 3/4 tsp. fresh dill, chopped

■ 2 7/8 Tbsp. garlic salt

■ 17 1⁄4 Tbsp. medium-hot salsa

■ 5 3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

How

In a large bowl, coarsely mash avocados, leaving some chunks.

Add remaining ingredients and mix to blend.

Serving Suggestions: Serve with chips.

Beverage Pairings: Beer what else?

Note: Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Recipe influenced  By the California Avocado Commission

 

Jelly Bean Chicken Wings aka Oven-roasted Spiced Chicken.
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Jelly Bean Chicken Wings aka Oven-roasted Spiced Chicken.

Sometimes it was so hard to get your kid to eat something you would try anything, airplane, train in the station whatever well Lyn and I were into an Asian phase and mike was having no part of it. He was still into the stage that nothing could touch on the plate yet he would gobble down shepherd’s pie Anyway one of us told him it was chicken made with jelly beans and he bought it, notice how I protected whoever said this. It is funny because they are not sweet in any form whatsoever. These have been a hit whenever I have made them jellybean or not.This came from a book that I bought maybe 25-30+ years ago and stuck the recipe has change a little but not much. Try them I think you will like.

Jelly Bean Chicken Wings aka Oven-roasted Spiced Chicken.

You can use the whole wing – separating tip from drumette but we prefer just the drumettes, it is worth it to us to spend a little extra buy just the drumette.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. chicken pieces.  Note: If I am using less I still make the same amount of marinade.
  • 1/3 cup light soy sauce.
  • ¼ cup peanut oil.
  • 1 Tbsp. Chinese wine if you don’t have I have used dry sherry.
  • 1 clove garlic.
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt.
  • ½ tsp. finely grated fresh ginger I have used ¼ tsp. powered in a pinch but really prefer the fresh.
  • 2 tsp. five spice powder.

How

Wash the chicken and dry well with paper towels. In large shallow dish (something you can use to marinade in) mix soy sauce, oil and wine. Using a broad flat knife crush the garlic to a pulp with the salt and add to the soy mixture with the ginger and five spice. Mix well. Add the chicken and turn to coat all sides. Cover and marinade for at least an hour. Again as mentioned in other recipes, I like to marinade overnight or at least 6 hours fix in the Am ready for dinner.

Preheat the oven to 350°

Remove chicken from marinade put in single layer in roasting pan that has tin foil covering bottom and sides( help with clean up). I find that laying tip to bottom tip to bottom allows you to fit more in a pan, they nestle together. Spoon about 2 Tbsp. of the marinade over the chicken. Roast about 45-50 minutes turning once half way until the chicken is brown and crisp. Basting every 20 minutes or so with the marinade.  Finish off quickly under the broiler to get that extra crispy finish but watch them so they do not burn.

Variation use whole drumsticks need a little longer to cook 50-55 or even thighs take about an hour. I tried but did not like it as much using a whole chicken rub the marinade over the chicken spoons some inside the cavity. Wrapped in plastic wrap for about 1-2 hours then roasted as above on a rack. The flavor did not carry as well as the wings so wings it was.

Had to have some for the game, just a taste!

  Had to have some for the game, just a taste!

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Oh don’t tell Mike about this!

Interesting fact crushing the garlic to a pulp in the salt mellows the intensity of the flavor or at least I read that the other day. Does one believe everything one reads?

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Bonelss Buffalo Wings

About a year or two ago I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic which was odd since I thought, actually every one thought, I ate right and did get some exercise it puzzled everyone but I took it in stride and much like when you got married everyone you saw was married, when you had kid there were kids everywhere I was surprised to find so many friends family and acquaintances with one stage of another diabetes.  So I took action change my eating habits some, walk at least 2 miles 5 times a week do three flights of stairs at work etc. etc. and my doc calls me her poster person. My blood sugar is normal and I have lost weight by just cutting back a little. The recent holidays took their toll but you got to live if you know what I mean.

We found this recipe for buffalo chicken wings and thought it was great. We did not notice that it was an appetizer and that it fed 14 until our second time eating it, it made a good meal with left overs for salads the next day or two.

Boneless Buffalo Wings

Prep 20-30 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

 Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil spray
  • 2 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt free season pepper blend or I like mixed ground pepper corns or just ground black pepper
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, remove all visible fat
  • ¼ cup fat free or low fat butter milk. I keep the dried kind in the refrigerator all the time.
  • 1 tsp. red hot pepper sauce
  • 1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal about 2 ½ cups flakes
  • ¼ cup BBQ sauce (Whole Foods has a great sauce with no high glucose corn syrup)
  • 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. honey

 How

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a backing sheet with vegetable oil spray.

In a large airtight plastic bag stir together the flour and the pepper. Cut chicken into 28 strips. Add to the flour mixture. Seal the bag, I like to blow some air into it first, and shake to coat.

Now add the buttermilk and hot pepper sauce, reseal and shake gently to coat.

Put the cornflakes in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken, turning gently to coat. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the chicken with vegetable oil spray.

Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the coating is crispy. After a while you can tell just by touch when it is done.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, stir together the BBQ sauce, vinegar and honey.

Add chicken to the sauce, stirring gently to coat or serve on the side.

Hints:

I put the cornflakes in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush.

I will spread parchment paper on the baking sheet, make clean up easier