Sandra's Kitchen Studio

Superbowl Sunday is all about the food: Chicken Wings

Copyright Photo Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2013; All Rights Reserved. May not be published in any form without author's consent.

I'm into Super Bowl Sunday but not into football, and I imagine I'm not alone. Let's just say that I'm a soccer kind of girl and that as my husband can attest, I'm the first one to yell loudly at the television when a referee calls an unfair penalty, and even louder when my favorite team wins.

But ask me to explain a game of football and I'm at a loss for words.

Nevertheless, Super Bowl Sunday is something I look forward to each year, even if my enthusiasm has nothing to do with the game itself. To me, it's all about the food! While everyone is watching television and rooting for their teams, I've got my game on in the kitchen. I busy myself making all kinds of appetizers, because I may not know how many yards forward makes a good play, but I certainly know how to set up a great table.

Potato skins, hot bean and chile dip, veggie kabos, crab cakes, and nachos--you name it! Pigs in their blankets, rice fritters, and marinated olives--you got it!

And then there are the chicken wings that always make it on the menu because my family can't do without them. So every year, I make their favorite Buffalo-style chicken wings, and every year I make a new variety of wings to shake things up a little bit.

Okay, everyone has their own favorite recipe for chicken wings but mine involves grilling them. I like to think that grilling wings makes them a bit healthier to eat than frying them, plus it gives me more freedom to dress them with gooey, sticky sauces. After all, the guilt factor has already been erased--right?

And besides, eating healthier wings means there are calories to spare for dessert....Because everyone knows it's not really a touchdown until the very last, sweet bite.

Here is my recipe, just in time for your big game day.

Grilled, Sweet Asian-Inspired Chicken Wings

3.5 pounds chicken wings, and divided into sections (reserve the tips for making stock) 

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

 1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

 1 teaspoon wasabi powder

Heat a grill until hot and cook the wings, turning often, until they are cooked through. Transfer the wings to a  9-in. x 13-in. x 2-inch casserole dish and set aside while you make the sauce. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, butter, Sriracha, soy sauce, and wasabi in a medium pot; set it over medium heat and stir, until the butter is melted, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a boil, cooking, while stirring, until it has thickened slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the wings, making sure to coat them well on all sides. Bake the wings for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is sticky. Let them rest for 5 minutes and serve with lots of napkins.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

Upon first moving to the South, I was surprised to learn that deviled eggs were a staple of Southern entertaining for no other reason than that they are also extremely popular in some countries in Latin America. I love to serve them in my summer parties and ladies' luncheons because--albeit dainty and elegant--they always offer a good dose of comfort that helps guests feel at ease. Grownups love them but so do the kids, and I think it's the fact that they are just as pretty to look at as they are delicious to eat that makes them perfect for any crowd.

There are as many recipes for deviled eggs as there are cooks, and you've probably encountered them embellished with all sorts of ingredients, including relish, onion, herbs, ketchup, olives, and capers. I first started adding chiles to my recipe as a way to add a little kick of flavor and provide a contrasting crunch to the natural creaminess of the eggs. The formula proved to be popular with both my family and friends, who often requested the recipe. Try them and you'll see why.

Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

6 eggs

½ cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons finely chopped yellow onion

2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeños (seeded and deveined if less heat is desired)

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)

1 teaspoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (leaves and tender stems)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

⅛ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Smoked Spanish paprika (optional, for garnish)

Curly or flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)

Place the eggs in a medium pan and cover with cold water. Set the pan over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook for 12 minutes. Plunge the eggs into iced water to stop the cooking process. Once the eggs are chilled, peel off the shells. Halve each egg lengthwise; scoop out the yolk into a small bowl, and set the egg whites on a plate lined with paper towels. Using a fork, mash the egg yolks into a paste; add the mayonnaise, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, parsley, mustard, salt, and pepper and stir together well. (If not serving immediately, cover the egg whites and the filling separately with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours). Using a spoon (or a pastry bag), fill the egg white cavities with the egg yolk mixture (about 1 tablespoon). Chill them, loosely covered, until ready to serve (but no longer than 2 hours). When ready to serve, sprinkle the eggs with smoked paprika and garnish with parsley.

Serves 6.

Copyright Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2012; All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog or its contents or photographs may be used without express written consent of the author.

Cary Magazine Feature, with video!

I had a wonderful time with the folks at Cary Magazine last month. The full feature is available at their website, Learn how easy it is to make my Latin Pimiento Cheese in my new book, The New Southern-Latino Table.

In the following video, I talk about the birth of the new Southern-Latino movement and prepare some of my delicious pimiento cheese. See how quick and easy my recipes are to make! If you're looking for a succulent recipe for Super Bowl Sunday, this is it! Serve this dish with chips, crackers, or crudites.

The New Southern-Latino Table Dinner Party, Part 3!

What a ride it's been--and it's only just beginning! We had a fabulous book launch event last week in Cary, NC, and celebrated the publication of The New Southern-Latino Table with friends and family from the Triangle and beyond. You can see some photos at the book's Facebook page. Glad to see so many of our dinner party food bloggers there!

Thank you for dining along with us. We hope you've been inspired to try some of these dishes in your kitchen. And maybe you've discovered a new food blogger or two whose blogs you'll continue to visit. We thank all our fabulous foodies for helping make this dinner party series a success. Today's roundup post is crossposted at uncpressblog.com.

Our final menu is filled with these scrumptious dishes:

Chile-Cheese Biscuits, from Cheryl Sternman Rule of 5 Second Rule
Carrot Escabeche and Jalapeño Deviled Eggs prepared by Domenica Marchetti of Domenica Cooks
Pumpkin Seed Brittle, from Johanna Kramer of Durhamfoodie

In case you missed our last 2 dinner parties, you're in luck--we saved you some leftovers! Here's what we enjoyed last week:

Spiced Pepitas, prepared by Meghan Prichard of nestMeg
Layered Potato and Egg Salad (Causa Vegetariana), from Robin Asbell of The New Vegetarian
Chile-Chocolate Brownies, prepared by Dean McCord of VarmintBites.

And here's what we served at our first dinner party:

Peach Salsa, prepared by Tara Mataraza Desmond of Crumbs on My Keyboard
Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, prepared by Jill Warren Lucas of Eating My Words
Pecan Rum Cake with Figs, prepared by Amy Lewis of The Practical Cook

Quick Appetizers: Make, Freeze and Bake

 

Copyright Sandra Gutierrez;2009;All Rights Reserved.

I love making appetizers. I simply do. The smaller and more intricate they are, the more they fascinate me. Little parcels brimming with enticing flavors go so well with a glass of wine before dinner. I don't know, I guess they make me feel pampered. And in these times full of preoccupation a little pampering, is just what we need.

The other day I found a box of puff pastry in my freezer and I decided to forage in my kitchen for other ingredients that I could use to tranform these into little boquitas (appetizers in Spanish). I prefer to make appetizers that freeze well so I can bake them on a whim whenever I crave a glass of wine and a little nibble before dinner. Not long ago, I saw a box of frozen appetizers in the freezer section of my neighborhood gourmet store. Frankly, to me, it makes no sense to pay top dollar for something that I can easily recreate at home and for a fraction of the price. So after seeing what I had in my kitchen, I came up with my own version. I can honestly tell you that I was very happy with the resulting texture and flavors of these appetizers. They are crispy, warm, creamy, sweet and savory, all at the same time.

Caramelized onions are easy to make. However, there are two things to keep in mind. One is that if onions are to caramelize properly, they need to do so at very low heat, or else they will burn. Secondly, I find that onions don't like to be rushed or stirred too often during the process. In order to obtain a deeper flavor, I will help the caramelization by adding two additional sources of sweetness: one is sugar (just a little bit to help the onions begin the process of releasing their own sugars) and second is my addition of orange liqueur (that adds true orange essence and an additional sweetness to the recipe). Believe me, once juxtaposed with the tanginess of the cheese mixture, the onions won't appear overly-sweet. And you are only using a small amount of onion in each appetizer, so you really want to make the most of the flavors (this is concentration of flavor at its best). Just let me suggest that you watch the onions carefully during the last few minutes of this process because if you're not careful, these will burn when you least expect them. So remember; low heat, slow cooking, little stirring but careful watching. I make big batches of caramelized onions (doubling and tripling this recipe) and freeze them in containers. I have been known to use them to top pizzas, serve alongside roasted meats, and stir into risotto. Just thaw and proceed.

If you do not have a mini muffin tin, cut the puff pastry into squares and lay them flat in a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; top with the cheese mixture and onions and then bake them, just like that. They won't look like tiny cups, but will turn out great--like little croustades-- and they will bake just as easily as they do in the muffin tins. You can also flash freeze them directly on the baking sheets until solid; then transfer these to a freezer-safe bag or box. Retrieve only the number of appetizers you wish to bake at a time. If you do own a mini-muffin tin, follow the recipe to the letter and freeze the appetizers in the tins; then transfer them to a freezer bag or box to retrieve at a later date. You will have to bake these in the muffin tins in order for them to retain their shape; otherwise, they will flatten out (as if you hadn't shaped them). Either way these are great and they keep frozen for up to 4 months, if properly stored. Pair them with a glass of your favorite, dry, white wine (nothing too sweet that competes with the onions).

Here is my recipe for these yummy appetizers. I hope these will make you feel pampered as well.

Caramelized Onion and Two Cheese Puffs

1 lb. puff pastry (2 sheets)

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of Salt and black pepper, to taste

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces feta, crumbled

Thaw puff pastry, according to directions in package. In the meantime, place the onions,oil and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan, set over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring ocassionally for 8 minutes, or until they begin to change color. Add orange liqueur,thyme, salt and pepper and stir well; lower the heat (medium-low) and continue caramelizing onions until they are a light brown color (be careful not to burn them). Remove onions from the heat and cool completely (you can make this step 1 day ahead and keep the onions refrigerated until ready to use). Place pastry sheets on a floured surface. Gently, roll the puff pastry until it is 1/8 in. thick. Cut the pastry into 2 in. by 2 in. squares. Fit each square into a mini-muffin tin, making sure the bottoms are flat; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the cream cheese and the feta; process until smooth. Place filling in a pastry bag (or zip-top bag). There is no need to fit bags with pastry tip, simply make sure there is enough opening for you to be able to pipe filling out. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each pastry cup; top with caramelized onion mixture. Freeze appetizers until ready to bake. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is hot. Remove them from the oven; allow them to sit for 1 minute before serving. Makes about 48 pieces.

Note: You can bake these immediately, if you prefer, without freezing them. If you do, you will need to adjust baking time as they will take less time to bake.

Copyright. Sandra A. Gutierrez, 2009; All Rights Reserved.

Whether it is an onion dip or guacamole, dips are here to stay

Whether it is an onion dip or guacamole, dips are here to stay

Of the many genres that comprise the hors d'oeuvre category, few are more versatile than that of the dip. Whether you call these delicious appetizers dips or dunks, one thing is true: these are the epitome of casual entertaining.

            Since summer is all about informal celebrations and serendipitous reunions that fall into place all by themselves, it makes sense to incorporate easy dips into our culinary repertoires. After all, most dips require only a handful of ingredients and take barely a few minutes to prepare. So when that impromptu invitation to a party comes up and you are asked to contribute a little something to the menu, consider making a delicious dip to bring to a crowd.

            Certain types of dips will come and go; some might be short-lived fads, while others will be passed from one generation to the next. Try making creamy dips, layered dips, vegetable dips or hot dips. Whatever you decide to make, one thing is for certain: Dips are classics that will not disappear from the appetizer table any time soon.

            

Sun-dried tomato dip

Goat cheese is becoming easier to find and there is something to be said about the wonderful combination made by sun dried tomatoes and this tangy cheese. Domestic goat cheeses are recommended for this recipe. Some goat cheeses are tangier than others, so taste as you go and adjust seasonings. If you have access to a wholesale or warehouse store, you might find goat cheese at very reasonable prices. Serve this dip with baked potato skins, wonton triangles or toasted pita bread triangles.

1 cup tightly packed sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water (not oil packed)

4 oz. goat cheese

4 oz. cream cheese

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

4 garlic cloves, minced

Heavy Cream

Ground black pepper to taste,

Salt to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, place the reconstituted tomatoes and pulse for 30 seconds, or until they are finely chopped. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, balsamic vinegar and garlic cloves and process until smooth. Add enough heavy cream to bring it to the dipping consistency of your choice (this will depend on how sturdy your dippers are). Taste and add salt or pepper to your liking. Chill thoroughly and serve; yields about 2 cups.

Copyright © Sandra Gutierrez, 2007. All rights reserved.

Chile Wonton Cups

I submitted a similar recipe for the Raleigh’s Junior League Cookbook “You’re Invited”. It was voted most popular in that cookbook. Here is a more streamlined version.

1 pkg. Wonton wrappers
Vegetable oil
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese
1c. Sour cream
½ c. Pitted black olives, chopped 2/3c.
Chopped fresh jalapeno peppers
1 roasted red pepper, seeded, deveined and minced
½ c. Green onions, chopped finely
1tsp. Ground cumin, or to taste 1 tsp.
Dried oregano, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin by preparing the wonton cups. Oil a mini-muffin tin and place 1 wrapper in each cup. Brush each well with oil. Bake the cups for 10-15 minutes or until they are crisp. Remove the cups from the muffin tin and place them on cookie sheets. Prepare the filling: Combine the cheese, sour cream, olives, jalapenos, roasted peppers, green onions, cumin and oregano in a medium bowl and mix well. Fill the cups with the filling and bake the cups for 10-15 minutes or until they are hot and bubbly. Makes 48-60 cups.

© Copyright Sandra Gutierrez. All Rights Reserved.