Spicy Wings

Photo taken by Benny Sieu from the Milwaukee Sentinel

Another spicy wing recipe?

Indeed but I must say this is different than the most traditional ones here in the States. This is a recipe everyone usually loves and I guess… I am well known for! You can do this two ways. IF you have some of the Lemon Chutney you can use it for it, or follow the recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of wings
2 sticks of melted butter
6 cloves of minced garlic
a hand full of minced dried red chilly peppers
3 soup spoons of lemon juice
1 soup spoon of kosher sea salt

DIRECTIONS

• Wash the wings and dry them.
• In a bowl mix all other ingredients.
• Spread the wings in an oven-safe dish and brush the sauce over them.
• Put the tray inside the oven at 375° for about 15 minutes (or you can simply grill them for about 20 minutes while continuously basting them).
• Put the oven at low broil until wings are nice and golden – this can take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on each person’s oven.

If you are using the Lemon Chutney, you will only need 1 stick of butter and the garlic. Process as per directions

Portuguese style Pig’s Feet

la dee la dee la…. I know what some of you are already saying…. gross… But again, try it, you MAY like it. And hate to say it but to all my friends who actually ate at my house, you’ve had it! My trick? Cutting the meats so small you had no idea what part of the piggy you were eating. And you liked it! See?

Now next question is where the heck can I find pig’s feet (as so many of you are eager to try this recipe!). Well, I have lived now in 5 states and have been lucky to find pig’s feet in every state. Often you can find it at your local supermarket, if not try Asian or Hispanic ones.

Believe it or not my daughters LOVE this recipe. My oldest, the Dancer will leave the beans to the side, but will NOT miss a piece of meat though. She will clean the little bones better than any dog would (well the dog would actually eat the bone, right?). The Princess is finally getting the hang of cleaning all those small bones and she devours it all. Next day if there are any leftovers she takes them to daycare (hmmm… I wonder if anyone there ever noticed it was pig’s feet she was eating!)

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs fresh or frozen pig’s feet – not the smoked or jarred type please!
1 lb of bacon cut into pieces
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 diced onions
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2 bay leaves
3 cans of beans (I prefer black or red beans, but you can use whatever ones you want)
1 to 2 liters beef stock
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. If you are using dry beans, soak them overnight.
2. Clean well the pigs feet, I usually rinse them through vinegar and leave them for a few hours with water and salt.
3. In a large pot add the olive oil and lightly sauté the onions, garlic and bacon.
4. Add the feet and brown them lightly from all sides.
5. Add some of the stock and all other ingredients. Stock should cover everything, but if need be add a bit more from time to time.
6. Cover and let it all simmer for at least 2 hours.
7. Serve with some white rice and do not forget a nice bottle of red wine or beer!

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

My grandmother was the very best at making soups. She could make delicious soups out of anything. I am fortunate to have her cooking books which slowly but surely I want to try to make every recipe she wrote throughout her live. Some are her own creations, others are family recipes and lastly others are traditional recipes she adjusted to her taste.

As I am going through them all, I am also creating a document so that all of her great-grandchildren and cousins will be able to cherish for years to come. This one is a favorite of mine, it has a velvety taste and oddly enough it barely tastes like cauliflower.

My daughter’s reactions? The little Princess ONLY had 3 cups of it!! OHHH and as I was preparing the soup, she kept on wanting “little bites” of the soup. So I guess this was a winner for her. My Dancer? Well I first did not tell her it was cauliflower as for whatever reason she says she does not care for it, but ended up eating a FULL bowl of it and this morning asked if she could have some cold for breakfast.

Indeed, this cream is also very good cold. Finally I asked her. By the way… do you like cauliflower? And her nose frowned right away and said noo. Hmmm well you LIKED the soup. As usual I got that look I usually get as if saying… I hate it when you trick me!

INGREDIENTS

1 cauliflower
2 cups of beef stock or vegetable stock
1 cup of whole milk or heavy cream

1 tbsp butter

parsley leaves
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil the cauliflower in water and a pinch of salt until well cooked
2. Remove the water and pass the cauliflower through a food mill
3. Place it back in the pot and add the stock and milk
4. Bring it to a boil for about 6 minutes
5. Prior to serving add the butter
6. Serve it garnished with a few parsley leaves

Mac & Cheese #1

Back home in Europe we do not eat mac & cheese. I was first introduced to it from the box and I must say it was never up there in my list of yummy food. It tasted plasticky and not much flavor. Since, and thanks to becoming a recipe tester for Leite’s Culinaria, I was introduced to what REAL mac & cheese is about. I still had a few boxes at home, mostly for the kids, but from the moment I tried what Mac & Cheese is to taste like, I filled a bag with those boxes along with other canned and boxed items and brought it to the local food pantry (I know… if I would not eat it why bring it to the food pantry? well unfortunately they cannot accept home made goods, if not, trust me… I would be there EVERYDAY sharing our cookings with them!)

So here is one of the recipes I tried and since have made it many times. This is an awesome and easy recipe to make for a weeknight. Everyone absolutely loved it and the best part is that you can use this as a base then add whatever pleases your heart.

But no worries, this is not the only one. Hence the reason I call it #1 as there will be more!

Lettuce Soup

This is one of my GrandMother’s favorite soups. So simple yet the taste is amazing and very delicate and just as good hot as cold for a warm summer day. If we ever have leftovers, the Dancer will go to the fridge first thing in the morning, grab  and drink it cold for breakfast!

INGREDIENTS

1 large iceberg lettuce head or 2 small ones (if you are to use other ones adjust their taste with a little extra sugar)
1 medium onion
2 tbsp of butter
1.5 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you are vegetarian)
1 cup of milk
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp of heavy cream OR Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
1tsp of sugar
salt , pepper
1 cup of croutons (if desired)
a small bunch of parsley to decorate (if desired)

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a medium pan with water and salt, and bring it to a boil.
2. Wash the lettuce leaves, slice them up into strips and put them for about 5 minutes in the boiling water.
3. Remove them from the water and pass them through cold water.
4. Mince the onions.
5. In a medium size pan melt the butter add the onions and stir until they are translucent.
6. Add 3/4 of the lettuce strips and add the stock and let it simmer in medium heat for about 15 minutes.
7. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg and the sugar.
8. Stir for about 2 to 3 minutes then remove from heat.
9. Put it in a blender to create a nice smooth cream.
10. Add the milk then bring it back to a low boil for about 5 minutes.
11. In a bowl beat the egg yolks and heavy cream, then slowly add a few spoons of the soup while mixing well.
12. Add the whole thing to the soup and stir continuously until the the soup thickness up.
13. Prior to serving add the leftover lettuce strips.

SUGGESTIONS

You can also add a few croutons, parsley leaves and a touch of heavy cream prior to serving.

Cauliflower au Gratin

A very simple and cheap recipe that fills lots of stomachs. This is a recipe I grew up with and absolutely love making it as soon as the weather gets colder. Kids love it as it is cheesy and has lots of ham. You can easily substitute the cauliflower for brocoli if your kids prefer that. Or even better add both of them.

INGREDIENTS for the béchamel

1 stick of salt butter
2 cups of all-purpose gluten-free flour
6 cups of milk
salt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS for the gratin

Béchamel
3 cups of shredded cheese
5 cups of diced ham
1 cauliflower cut into small pieces

Extra cheese to use over the the top

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot add water with a bit of salt and cook the cauliflower for about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. In a medium size pot melt the butter then add the flour and consistently mix to create a nice doughy well blended paste.
3. Slowly add the milk and keep on incorporating it until forming a creamy sauce.
4. Preheat the oven to 375.
5. Strain the cauliflower and add it to the béchamel along with the ham and cheese and mix it all together.
6. Pour the whole thing into an oven-safe deep dish and place it in the oven for 25 minutes.
7. Change the oven temperature from 375 to high boil (or about 475) for about 5 minutes then remove from the oven, let it rest 5 minutes and serve.