Menu Wednesday #14 - Super Bowl Party Food Menu

I'm not a huge football fan - the games are just soooo long - but I'm happy to make party food and gather anywhere it is being served. And I am a huge fan of party food that is hearty enough to count as a meal! These recipes are all tried-and-true winners with the guys around my house, so they have become my go-to recipes when I need something easy to make ahead that will last throughout the whole game. Spicy, sweet, crunchy, messy, neat, spread, dip, chicken, seafood, pork, and even a bit of vegetables - a little something for everyone. Make them all or pick and choose. Add some big fudgey brownies for dessert and you'll have everything you need. Just be sure to make enough, so no one expects to see you in the kitchen for the rest of the day! Go team!

BUFFALO WINGS
1 pkg. chicken drumettes
1 c. flour
salt & pepper
1 c. cooking oil
1 stick butter
1 tbsp. hot sauce (Texas Pete, Red Hot, etc.)
celery sticks
1 c. good blue cheese salad dressing

Place flour, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag and shake to blend. Add chicken wings to flour, zip closed and shake to coat. Fry chicken in a pan with 1 inch of hot oil; drain on paper towels. Melt butter in a large baking dish; add hot sauce and mix. Toss fried chicken pieces in butter sauce until coated. At this point, the wings can be frozen and reheated later, or placed on a platter and served with celery sticks and good blue cheese dressing for dipping.

DIANA'S SNACK MIX
2 c. Bugles
2 c. cheese flavored snack crackers
2 c. pretzel sticks
1 c. Corn Chex
1 c. Wheat Chex
1 c. pecan halves
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a large bowl combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl combine butter and syrup, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake uncovered at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

CPK SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 c. diced white or yellow onion, cut into 1/8-in. dice
1 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. chicken stock (preferable homemade)
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. dehydrated chicken stock base or crumbled bouillon cubes
1 1/2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 c sour cream
12 oz. frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, wrung out by hand, and coarsely chopped
6 oz. canned artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 c. finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 tsp. Tabasco Sauce
Tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and butter together over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently and stopping before the onion and garlic brown.

Sprinkle the flour and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns a golden-blond color, 10 to 15 minutes. Then, whisking continuously, slowly pour in the stock until it is smoothly incorporated. When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the cream. Let it return to the simmer. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan, chicken base or bouillon cubes, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir until thoroughly blended.

Add the sour cream, spinach, artichoke bottoms, Monterey Jack cheese and Tabasco sauce, and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately, accompanied by blue and white corn tortilla chips.

CINDY'S BROWN SUGAR BACON DOGS
Sliced bacon
Cocktail wieners or regular wieners cut into small chunks
Brown sugar

Cut bacon in half or third. Wrap around little wieners. Secure with toothpick. Place in dish. Generously cover with brown sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Broil to brown.

WINSTON’S CRAB DIP
1 c. mayonnaise
6 oz. cream cheese
6 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 lbs. crab meat, picked over to remove shell
Crackers or oven-toasted bread slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, Parmesan, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. In a food processor (or by hand) thoroughly blend all ingredients except crab. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl, then add crab meat, being careful not to break up the crab meat too finely. Transfer to a small, flat baking dish and bake until browned, about 20 minutes. Serve with slightly toasted slices of French bread, or even crackers.

PICKLED SHRIMP
2 qts. water
2 1/2 lbs. unpeeled fresh medium to large shrimp
3 medium onions, sliced
freshly ground pepper
whole peppercorns
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 c. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink, about 4 or 5 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water to prevent further cooking. Peel the shrimp, except the tail and remove dark vein. In a large 1 1/2 - 2 quart glass jar with a lid, layer shrimp and onions and top each layer with ground black pepper, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, and a clove of garlic. Keep layering until jar is about 2/3 full. Pour vinegar and lemon juice over layers until jar is almost full, but leaving some space at the top, so you can gently shake jar to mix ingredients. Seal jar tightly and chill for 2-3 few days before serving. Pickled shrimp will keep up to 2 weeks. Turn jar upside down every day to mix ingredients. Serve chilled as an appetizer.

SHOPPING LIST for Menu Wednesday #14 –
Super Bowl Party Food
Buffalo Wings
Diana’s Snack Mix
CPK Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Cindy’s Brown Sugar Bacon Dogs
Winston’s Crab Dip
Pickled Shrimp

Produce
Celery – 1 bunch
Onions – 4 white or yellow
Garlic – 1 large head
Fresh thyme – 3 sprigs
Lemon (for juice ) – 2
Blue cheese salad dressing – 1 c.

Meat
Chicken drumettes or wings
Bacon, sliced – 1 pkg.
Cocktail wieners – 1 pkg.
Crab meat, fresh pasteurized – 1 lb.
Shrimp – 2 1/2 lbs. unpeeled medium, fresh or frozen

Pantry
Flour
Sugar
Brown sugar
Salt
Pepper
Peppercorns – approx. 2 tbsp.
Bay leaves – 3
Worcestershire sauce – 1 1/2 tsp.
Cider vinegar – 1 c.
Mayonnaise – 1 c.
Hot Sauce – 1 bottle
Cajun seasoning – 3/4 tsp.
Cayenne pepper – 1/4 tsp.
Maple Syrup – 2 tsp.
Cooking oil – 1 c.
Olive oil – 1/4 c.
Chicken stock – 1 1/2 c.
Canned artichoke bottoms – 6 oz.
Crackers for dips – 2 boxes
Bugles – 2 bags
Chez-Its or Goldfish – 2 c.
Pretzel sticks – 2 c.
Corn Chex – 1 c.
Wheat Chex - 1c.
Pecan halves – 1 c.
Tortilla chips - 2 bags

Dairy & Freezer
Butter – 3 sticks
Heavy cream – 1 1/2 c.
Sour cream – 16 oz.
Cream cheese – 6 oz.
Parmesan cheese, grated –1 c.
Monterey Jack cheese, finely shredded – 1 c.
Prepared horseradish – 1 tbsp.
Frozen chopped spinach – 12 oz. box or bag

Menu Wednesday Lucky #13 - Italian Beef Sandwiches and Minestrone

This Wednesday is lucky Menu #13 and it's a big winner! Not only do we have delicious sandwiches . . . AND a fabulous soup . . . but ALSO a healthy wintertime salad too. The possibilities are there for several combo meals - soup and sandwich, soup and salad, sandwich and salad, or the soup, salad, sandwich trifecta!

And not only do we have three great combos, but they can all be prepared ahead of time, making them perfect for busy families, working moms or dads who cook, big family gatherings, pot lucks, or casual company dinners. I just love a dish or a menu that can multi-task!

I've used various recipes for Italian beef through the years, but this is my latest favorite. Different cuts of roast will work, although you may need to cut the meat into a couple of pieces to fit smaller slow cookers.

The bonus for making Italian Beef is having a pot full of savory juices and bits of meat left at the bottom that can be transformed into a hearty Italian Minestrone with the addition of some vegetables, beans and pasta. If you want to serve this with the Italian Beef sandwiches, just start a day ahead of time to cook the Italian Beef. Reserve some of the juices to pour over the sandwiches (they taste so good when they're a little sloppy) and use the rest of the juices, and a few bits of beef, for the soup base. With a big enough slow-cooker, you could even double the liquids and you'd have plenty left for a big pot of Minestrone.

The combination of oranges and fennel is classic for a winter salad. I add the cherries (or craisins, if you like) and nuts for a little sweetness and crunch. It is just so fresh and fruity - a perfect balance with heartier winter dishes, in my humble opinion. If you don't care for fennel, or can't find it in your market, there are still enough healthy components here to make it a worthy wintertime treat. Try the fennel and oranges together with the tart dressing for a match made in heaven.

SLOW-COOKER ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES
1 rump roast (3 – 4 lbs.)
10 garlic cloves, crushed
1 jar pepperoncini peppers with juice
1 can beer
32 oz. beef broth
Hoagie rolls
Additional pepperoncini for garnish

Brown the rump roast on all sides in a skillet and place in the slow-cooker. Add garlic cloves, pepperoncini peppers, beer, and beef broth. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours, until the meat falls apart. Shred meat with a fork. To serve, spoon shredded beef onto toasted hoagie rolls. Serve with additional warm beef juices from the slow-cooker and more pepperoncini peppers. NOTE: Save any liquid and bits of beef to make Minestrone Soup – recipe below.

MINESTRONE SOUP FROM LEFTOVER ITALIAN BEEF
This is a great soup to make with leftover meats and vegetables, or whatever you have on hand. As with most great soups, there is no exact recipe, so this is merely a suggestion of ingredients I add to the Italian Beef broth left in the pot.

Italian Beef Broth leftover from sandwiches
Corn - canned, fresh or frozen
Beans - canned or pre-cooked
Tomatoes - canned, fresh or frozen
Spinach - chopped fresh or frozen
Onion - chopped
Potato - fresh or frozen, diced
Carrots - fresh or frozen, sliced
Spaghetti, cooked, broken in 2-in. pieces
Parmesan cheese, grated

Place Italian Beef Broth and any leftover shreds of beef in a large stockpot. Add vegetables and spaghetti to stock. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 45 mins., or until potato is tender. Add Parmesan cheese about 5 minutes before serving. Soup may be thickened with mashed beans, mashed potatoes or pureed vegetables, if desired.

WINTER SALAD WITH ORANGES, FENNEL, DRIED CHERRIES & PECANS
big bunch mixed lettuces – iceberg, romaine, endive, etc.
1 bulb fresh fennel
2 oranges (use blood oranges when in season during late winter)
1/3 c. dried cherries
1/3 c. spiced or toasted pecans, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
1/3 c. good olive oil
1/3 c. good vinegar – balsamic, port wine, red wine, champagne, white wine, rice wine, etc.
sugar - optional
salt & pepper to taste

Wash, spin dry and chop lettuces. Slice or shave white part of fennel bulb in half from top to bottom. Place each half, flat-side down, and cut across to make very, very thin slices. Cut small slice off top and bottom of oranges. Cut from top to bottom to remove peel and white pith from oranges. The cut orange into segments - cutting close to the membrane on each side - leaving you with sliced crescent shaped segments with no membrane or peel. In a small bowl, mix olive oil and vinegar of your choice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add just a pinch or two of sugar if salad dressing or fruits are too tart. Toss a small amount of dressing with chilled lettuces. Salad may be plated for individual servings or placed in a large bowl. For either serving style: place lettuce mix first and then arrange fennel slices, orange slices, cherries and toasted pecans over lettuce mix.

SHOPPING LIST for Menu Wednesday #13
Italian Beef Sandwiches
Italian Beef Soup
Winter Salad with Oranges, Fennel, Dried Cherries & Pecans

Produce
Garlic – 10 cloves or 1 bulb
Onion – 1 medium or 1 small bag frozen chopped
Potato – 2 fresh
Carrots – 3 or 4 or 1 small bag frozen
Spinach – fresh or 1 box frozen chopped
Lettuces – 8 c. mix of your choice (iceberg, romaine, leaf, endive, butterhead, etc.)
Fennel – 1 bulb
Oranges – 2
Red onion - 1

Pantry
Pepperoncini peppers – 1 jar (additional for garnish)
Beer – 1 can
Beef broth – 32 oz.
Beans – 1 can or dried (cook before adding to soup)
Corn – 1 can or 1 small bag frozen
Spaghetti – 1 box (only using partial box)
Dried cherries – 1/3 c.
Pecans – 1/3 c. whole
Olive oil
Vinegar – 1/3 c. (choice balsamic, red wine, champagne, etc.)
Sugar – 1 tsp.
Salt & Pepper

Bakery
Hoagie Rolls

Dairy
Parmesan Cheese - 1 c.

Menu Wednesday #12

This week's menu features a thick, hearty Italian-style bean soup inspired by holiday leftovers. I had a partial bag of dried northern beans, some cooked sausage leftover from making pizzas, and some leftover penne from making baked ziti. With the addition of a few vegetables from the fridge and some pantry seasonings, I created the best soup I think I've ever made. Memories of a hearty minestrone at a little Italian restaurant in Chicago, circa 1975, came flooding back to me when I tasted this -- and that's a very good thing.

Soup is not something that normally photographs well, at least for a non-professional like me, but I couldn't resist giving it a try (see the bite out of my sandwich already!) so you could see how thick and hearty it turned out. Even My Favorite Husband, who is often suspicious of bean foods, loved this as much as I did.

I'd enjoy this with a crusty piece of homemade bread, so I've added the recipe for the ever popular No Knead Bread that swept the country a couple of years ago. If you'd like though, a plate of antipasto or a sandwich would make it a perfect meal for bigger appetites. I'll leave that to you. And, don't be afraid to add or subtract to accommodate the leftovers in your fridge -- that's the best part of making soup AND making ends meets for your grocery budget when money is tight right after the holidays.

BEST EVER BEAN SOUP
8 oz. dried northern or cannellini beans
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. finely chopped celery
1 c. finely chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Water
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 qt. good chicken stock
1 qt. good beef stock
2 cups cooked pasta, cooled – mini penne, macaroni, ditalini, etc.
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Place dried beans, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme in a large heavy stockpot and add water to 2 in. above beans. Cook on medium-high until beans begin to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until beans are tender. Be sure to add more water, if necessary to keep beans just covered. Remove Italian sausage from casings and brown in a skillet; drain and add to beans. Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes and enough chicken and beef stocks. Simmer on medium-low heat, until beans get very soft and flavors are well blended. Add cooked pasta and Parmesan and continue to heat over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring a few times to keep cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty Italian bread, or with a sandwich or salad.

CRISPY CRUST NO-KNEAD BREAD
Adapted from Sullivan Street Bakery

3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. SAF-instant yeast (red label)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. water
olive oil (for coating pan and bread)
extra flour or cornmeal (for dusting)

You need two bowls, a wooden spoon, two cotton kitchen towels, plastic wrap, and a heavy pot (I use my 4 1/2 qt. Le Creuset Dutch Oven) or ceramic or glass baking bowl – with a lid.

Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and mix by hand until blended. Coat the inside of a medium mixing bowl with olive oil and put the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rest, at room temperature, for 12 hours.

Dump dough out onto a floured surface and fold it a couple of times. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. Take a large cotton kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust it with a heavy coating of flour or cornmeal. Shape the dough into a ball and place it seam side down on the towel. Sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour. Cover the dough with a second cotton towel and let it rise at room temperature for
1–2 hours, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450–500 degrees. About 30 minutes before ready to bake bread, place a large cast iron pot, or ceramic or Pyrex glass bowl in the oven to preheat. Remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot, seam side up and cover. Bake for 30 minutes; remove cover and bake 15–30 more minutes uncovered, until bread is a nice, rich brown on top.

Cool on a wire rack. Crust will be crisp and make a cracking noise as it cools. Eat the bread right away with butter or olive oil! And then make more!

SHOPPING LIST FOR Menu Wednesday #12
Best Ever Bean Soup
Crispy Crust No Knead Bread

Produce
Onion – 1
Celery – 2 ribs
Carrots – 2
Garlic – 4 cloves

Pantry
Dried beans – 8 oz.
Dried thyme – 1/2 tsp.
Red pepper flakes – 1/2 tsp.
Canned diced tomatoes – 1 can
Chicken stock – 1 qt.
Beef stock – 1 qt.
Dried pasta – 4 oz.
All-purpose flour – 5 c.
SAF instant yeast – 1/4 tsp.
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

Meats
Italian sausage – 8 oz.

Dairy
Parmesan cheese – 4 oz.
Butter