Crawfish in Wonton Wrapper Cups- Are You Ready For A Little Football Food?

I apologize this picture isn't quite as good as the recipe but you get the idea. I made this a 2nd time as a leftover and stretched the filling. You should fill the cups 3/4 of the way.  The 2nd go around, I cut the corners off the wontons.  They originally were folded under but they opened up and were sharp and too crunchy. 

I made up this cool hors d'oeurve after seeing something like this made using wonton wrappers as a shell.  I don't even recall what the filling was, I just liked the wonton idea.  These can be time consuming to put together so if your game day schedule is busy, make the filling a day ahead.

Get the prep ready first so the dish can go together quickly.  Thinly slice 2 - 3 Shallots.  Get 1 Garlic Clove ready to press.  If you have leftover crawfish from a boil, peel enough for 1 lb of tail meat, but if not buy 1 lb Louisiana Frozen Crawfish Tails.  They are more expensive but taste better than the flavorless ones from China.  Rinse the crawfish tails.  Use 1 package of Wonton Wrappers.   Using a sharp knife, cut off the corners of 1 stack at a time.  Keep under a damp cloth while working.  Melt 3 Tbl Unsalted Butter over low heat.  Brush a mini muffin pan with butter.  Add a wrapper and brush the inside of the wrapper with butter.

Heat a skillet thoroughly over medium heat.  Add 3 Tbl UnSalted Butter. Saute Shallots (If adding Dice Red Pepper do it in this step) for a few minutes till soft.  Press the Garlic into skillet and while stirring, heat for 1 minute.  Add 2 Tbl Flour and stir for the next 2-3 minutes.  Add 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth stirring all the while.  Add 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, til it comes to a gentle boil and continue cooking for a minute, then remove from heat.  Let mixture cool for a few minutes while stirring.  Add 1 Egg Yolk and 1 tsp Stone Ground Mustard. Add Crawfish Tails (if adding Scallion do it in this step).  Add 1 Tbl Barbeque Shrimp Seasoning.  If needed, add more to taste.  Add Salt and White Pepper to taste.  

Preheat oven to 375. Fill each wonton with mixture and top with a Sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until wonton is a deep golden brown.  Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

For some variations, you can add diced Red Pepper when you saute the shallots ~OR~ add finely sliced Scallions when stirring in the crawfish.  I get tired of bell peppers in everything because it is over powering, so I opted not to add it this time but I like the idea of the scallions best.

Drunken Chicken

This is a simple and fun recipe.  It cooks quickly, is moist on the inside, and the skin is crispy all the way around.  Great dinner even if cooking for 1 cause you'll have leftovers and wonderful tasty chicken for sandwiches.  The coolest part is you can cook 2 at once without any additional time.  Just make certain the birds aren't touching each other.  There is a stand for the beer that helps keep the chicken upright and I own 2 of them.  They are an odd shape for storing and they are somewhere but I couldn't find them so I went with just the beer can.  The chicken can also be cooked over a grill with the lid shut.  In winter, I like to cook mine in the oven
Move rack to the lower 1/3 of the oven.  Preheat oven to 400.  Rinse a small Whole Roasting Chicken (mine was just under $7) and S&P the cavity of the chicken as well as the outside.  Open a 12 oz Can of Beer.  Drink a few sips and add a few Garlic Cloves and any Herbs that interest you.  Put can of beer in a roasting pan.  Place chicken over the can, legs facing downward and use the legs for stability.  Carefully place in oven.  After 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350.  Cook for another 1 1/4 hours.  Let rest before carving.  Carefully remove chicken from can without tipping it over.  A quick au jus and be made from the drippings.  Cut apart the legs, wings, and thighs in order to slice the breasts.  Another option is to serve all parts cut up.  To do this, remove legs, wings and thighs.  The back can be removed from the thighs and discarded after any useful meat is removed.   The breasts can be separated at the top netting 8 pieces.  Serve with mashed potatoes and a fresh vegetable....oh, and beer.

How to Feed a Family of 4 for Around $100 (The Menu Week 3)

This is a general menu and the days are interchangeable based on your schedule.  I like to cook when the evening is less hectic and when I am pressed for time due to scheduling, I tend to serve leftovers.  In the 2 previous menus, I have indicated the leftover buffet on day 7 but in this week due to the fact the chicken is roasted on Monday, it needs to be eaten by Friday.  If you decide to move the leftover night later in the week, cook the chicken later in the week as well.

This menu is based on the fact that you are getting carry over on some staples from Week 2 groceries.  If this is the first time you are using a week long menu, cross check what you have in your pantry with what is needed.

I would also like to note that further savings can be realized if shopping sales, using coupons or buying store brand items.

The purpose of these menus is to demonstrate that good food can be served to your family when you find yourself on a tight budget if you do a small amount of planning and are willing to make a few simple recipes from scratch.  Try to avoid fillers, junk food and soda, making the most of all the foods you serve.

Monday
B- Cereal with Sliced 1/2 Banana / Juice & Milk
D- Roasted Chicken / Mashed Potatoes / Corn / Milk
Tuesday
B- Yogurt / Peanut Butter Toast / Juice & Milk
D- Spaghetti with Marinara/ Zucchini Bread / Ice Cream / Milk
Wednesday
B- Scrambled Eggs / Toasted Zucchini Bread / Juice & Milk
D- Pork Chops / Rice / Carrots / Milk
Thursday
B- French Toast / Sliced Bananas / Juice & Milk
D- Hot Dogs on Wheat Buns / Baked Beans / Milk
Friday
B- Cereal with Strawberries / Juice & Milk
D- Dinner Buffet using all leftovers / Milk
Saturday
B- Fried Eggs / Toast / Juice & Milk
D- Spaghetti with Meatballs / Salad / Garlic Bread / Milk
Sunday
B- Buttermilk Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries / Juice & Milk
D- Grilled Provolone Sandwiches with Sliced Tomato / Home Fries / Fresh Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies / Milk

How to Feed a Family of 4 for Around $100 (The Grocery List Week 3)

8 Pork Chops $8
All Beef Hot Dogs $4
1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef $4
1 Roasting Chicken $6
3 Gallon Milk $10.50
2 Dozen Eggs $4
Provolone Cheese $3
Real Orange Juice (Calcium Enriched) $3
4 Yogurts $2
1/2 Gallon Ice Cream $4
Frozen Corn $2
2 Loaves Nature's Own or Simililar Bread $5
1 Fresh Italian Bread $1
Wheat Hot Dog Buns $3
Baked Beans $2
2 lbs Angel Hair Spaghetti $3
1 Apple Juice $3
2 Boxes Cereal $5
Grape Jelly $3
Peanut Butter $2
5 lbs All Purpose Flour $2.75
Nestles Chocolate Chips $3
Brown Sugar $1
2 Hunts Pasta Sauce $2
1 Onion $.40
1 Garlic Bulb $.25
5 lbs. Russet Potatoes $3
1 Large Bag Carrots $1.75
4 Bananas $2
1 Quart Strawberries $3
Zucchini $1.50
2 Tomatoes $1
1 Lemon $.50

Profiteroles

I should have posted this recipe long ago, but if you are stuck for a festive dessert for this holiday season, I think you can't go wrong with profiteroles!  If you are going to make these tonight, or tomorrow, go get the ice cream now.  I like to serve 3 profiteroles person and serve 3 types of ice cream making each one different.  This year, Peppermint Stick, Vanilla Bean and Pralines and Cream.  But there are lots to choose from, Coffee, Milk Chocolate and Egg Nog were some runner up choices for me.
All the other ingredients are likely in your house already.  For Chocolate Sauce, see recipe, as you might have to add a few things to your grocery list if you want to make your own.  Otherwise get a very good quality sauce that has a thick consistency.
This comes from The Gourmet Cookbook, the one with 1000 recipes!  Preheat oven to 425.  Move shelves to upper 1/3 and lower 1/3 of the oven.  Place parchment or butter 4 cookie sheets.
I doubled this recipe to make plenty for 3 each and for anyone who might stop by for dessert.  Measure out 1 1/2 Cups Flour and place in a bowl.  In a saucepan (I use All-clad) Over medium high heat, melt 1 1/2 Sticks UnSalted Butter, 1 1/2 Cups Water and 1/2 tsp Salt.  Heat stirring until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil.  Lower heat and all at once add flour and stir using a wooden spoon until mixture comes together and leaves the sides of the pan.  This should take about 30 seconds.  Remove pan from heat.  Stir while it cools slightly.  Place mixture in a mixing bowl (pictured is just before adding eggs).  Stir while it continues to cool a little more.  I began mixing on low to remove some of the heat.  Add 6 Eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

Either add mixture to a pastry bag or spoon tablespoon sized dollops onto cookie sheets about 1 1/2" apart.  Place 2 cookie sheets in the oven at a time.  Rotate after 10 minutes, baking for a total of 20-25 minutes until the pasty looks golden brown and looks dry.  Remove from oven and allow to cool before making dessert OR you can make them a day ahead and store in an airtight container.
To assemble, warm chocolate sauce.  I love to serve these on dinner plates even if they have to be washed.  Using a serrated knife, cut in half along the equator and fill with a small scoop of ice cream.  Add chocolate sauce to ice cream and place top of the profiterole on the ice cream.  Dust the tops and plates with power sugar and or cocoa powder.  Serve with either a spoon of a fork and a freshly brewed cup of coffee or a toast of champagne.  If you make these you will completely be impressed with yourself!!

Mom's Butter Crunch

As far back as I can remember we gave our elementary school teachers (grades K-6) gifts at Christmastime. Since there were so many of them in any given year, we always helped in some way to get the gift together.  The youngest kids either measured chocolate or ground the nuts.  We didn't have food processors so we had to grind our nuts in a gadget that was a jar fitted with a grinder.  The top was loaded and the nuts ground as you turned a crank.  It took hours but the nuts were a wonderful consistent size perfect for topping butter crunch.  We used to watch tv and grind the nuts.  I remember my hand used to get tired from turning the crank.
There are many variations of butter crunch today.  I favor the recipe I grew up with.  It's tender and has just the right ratio of candy to chocolate to nuts.  If you are going to make this, I highly recommend you purchase a good candy thermometer.  Interestingly, I have had trouble making it everywhere I have lived since leaving NY.  Relative humidity is likely the biggest culprit, but for some reason, this year, it turned out perfectly!   This recipe dates back to at least the 1960's.
Butter a sheet pan lightly and set it on a trivet or hot pad of some sort.  Add ice water to a measuring cup for testing and have it near by.

In a non-reactive saucepan with a thick bottom (such as All-Chad) add 1 Stick of Butter, 1 Cup Sugar, 1/4 Cup Water and 1/2 tsp Salt.  Attach the candy thermometer to the pan using the clip.  Heat mixture over medium heat, bubbling, until it reaches 290 degrees F (Soft Crack).  You need to stir this just about the entire time.  Use a wooden spoon instead of a metal spoon because it won't transfer heat to your hand.  As it nears 280 begin testing small amounts by dripping the candy into the water.  Once it cools, about 15 seconds, eat the drops testing it until it is tender and crunchy. The last 10 degrees go quickly so continue to do this until it is ready.  The toffee should be a golden brown color.  Remove the candy thermometer from the pan and carefully pour out onto the sheet pan and tilt the pan every which way to get a shape that is a consistent thickness.

Caution, candy making is dangerous as it is VERY HOT.  Warn your family not to touch the sheet pan once you've poured the candy.  Let cool entirely.  Heat 12 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate (such as Nestle's Semi Sweet Chips) in a saucepan over very low heat just until melted.  Spread 1/2 of it onto the toffee.  Top with 1/2 Cup Ground Walnuts and push slightly into the chocolate.  Once cool, turn over the toffee using an off set spatula and repeat using the remaining chocolate and another 1/2 Cup Ground Walnuts.  Once cooled completely, break the toffee by hand.  Store in an airtight container.  Thanks Mom!

Clams Casino

This past Thanksgiving at a week long family gathering in the Outer Banks, NC, my brother and I decided to make clams casino for my Mom, one of her favorites.  The only problem is, she broke her leg on Thanksgiving morning and was transported to Asheville via ambulance.  She had surgery the following day but didn't recover from the trauma of it all and passed away on December 2, 2010.  Scott and I made the clams casino on our last night in the Outer Banks, completely unaware of the impending outcome of the situation.  This is for you Mom.  I have fond memories of making and eating these with you over the years.  The original influence was the Milanese Restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY.  They don't use green pepper or bread crumbs and it always aggravated my Mom when she ordered them somewhere and those ingredients were in the preparation.

Mom, you have been a huge influence on my love of good food and learning how to make it.  We are both self taught, but you were my original teacher.


Though you can make these alone, I never have.  Buy Littleneck Clams figuring on 6 or so per person.  Using a sharp knife, open and disconnect them from the shell.  Rinse and remove any dark sandy areas.  Dry out 1 side of the clam shell and add a pea sized bit of butter to the shell.  Place the clam on the shell and place on a sheet pan.  Dice Bacon, 1 strip per 6 clams, and saute until just about done.  Remove and let drain on a paper towel.  Finely dice a Medium Onion and saute in the same skillet until translucent.  Add a Splash of good White Wine and a few grinds of pepper and a few pinches of salt.  Remove from heat and season with finely chopped Fresh Parsley.
Preheat Oven to 450.  While oven is warming, top each clam with a small amount of the onion mixture and a few crumbles of bacon.  Bake for about 7 minutes until very hot.  Squeeze Lemon on the hot clams when they come out of the oven and serve immediately.  Serve with the open wine.

I miss you and will always miss our lengthy conversations about food!  Thank you for your patience with me in the kitchen.  If anyone should make these please look up and toast Geraldine, "Dean", or just Mom, she'll be pleased.

In Order to Prepare for the Holidays, a Little Organization is in Order

If you are hosting overnight guests or a special event for the holidays, one great way to relieve stress is to give it a little forethought.  It always begins with a list, even if you don't begin working on any tasks now.  Of course, there are a few things you can do soon that will reduce the crunch time panic later so prioritize what you want to accomplish and even assign some of them to family members.  By the time an event comes, I like to find myself entrenched in one thing only and that is the food preparation.  All else has to be done within a few days of hosting guests.

Some things to think about;

• Think back on previous parties and what went well for you and what didn't.
• What events are you hosting, for how many guests and how many children?
• How will they be invited and when?
• On what day of the week does the party fall?
• Who will be cleaning the house and when?
• Begin to put thoughts into a menu considering a combination of hot and cold, vegetable and fruit vs meat, dip vs platter, sweets vs savory, items cooked in the oven, on the grill and on the stove.  The bigger the party, the more you have to spread out.
• If you have a favorite serving platter, bowl or silver that you want to use, work them in during your planning.
• Do you have a theme or color scheme?  Incorporate that into your table decorations.
• Consider a combination of dishes that can be made in advance vs dishes that can only be made the day of the party.    The menu is similar to a matrix as you should have marks in all areas.  
• Don't serve things your guests knowingly can't or don't eat.  There are food allergies to be considered as well as religious beliefs.
• Make sure you have your menu and recipes handy to begin to writing a grocery list.
• Consider color and texture, making certain to have a mix.  Don't get caught serving 3 brown looking casseroles or too much junk food and sweets and not enough substantial food or 3 dishes using broccoli.
• If your matrix is absent of something add something new you've never made but is on your level of cooking ability.  
• Consider the storage of these foods before and after the party and determine if you have ample space.  If not, begin using what you have in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer and then actually clean your refrigerator and freezer.
• Clean your oven.
• Polish your silver pieces.
• Consider your equipment and space.  Where will things go and how will people eat these things for example, on what, with what and where?  If it's a standup cocktail party, don't serve things that require a fork and knife.
• Mid-day parties are the most complicated and should be avoided if possible, especially if your guests are bringing children.  If parties take place during a mealtime, it's much easier for you and your guests to know what to expect.  This issue is if they eat lunch they aren't hungry for your food and if they attend your party, it ruins a later meal.  This absolutely doesn't work at all for most people.
• If you need linens, platters, cutting boards or glassware now is a good time to shop while the selection is great and sales are a plenty.
• Spread out the expense by purchasing your beverages now.
• Give some thought to how beverages will be kept cold and if you will need to make ice leading up to the party.  If you are using coolers, all the cold beverages should be chilling the night before the party or first thing in the morning for an evening event.  This is a good job to delegate.
• What decorating needs to be done?  It should be completed days ahead of the party.
• If you are making place cards, you can make them in advance.
• Sharpen all of your culinary knives and replace broken cookware.  These can be very dangerous in the kitchen, especially when it comes to asking people to help you in the kitchen.

With a little preplanning, you might just be encouraged to find room to get out of your comfort zone.  With a little preplanning, you might just host your best party yet!

Rustic Apple Pie

These quantities make a pie big enough to serve 6.  My Mom made one of these a few Thanksgiving's ago and I really liked it.  I love how home made it looks.  Not having a recipe, I made up my own version.  First make the crust and let it chill in the refrigerator for no less than 30 minutes.  To a food processor, add 1 1/2 Cups Flour, 3/4 tsp Salt, 1 1/2 Tbl Sugar.  Pulse to combine.  Cut 1 Stick of UnSalted Butter into 8 or more pieces and add to flour.  Pulse until it looks like corn meal.  Add Icy Cold Water, 1 Tbl at a time and pulse briefly after each addition until dough begins to come together.  Form dough into a disk on plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.  This can be made ahead and can be wrapped to make mini individual pies.
Preheat oven to 425.  Next, prepare Apples.  Core and section into wedges, 3 Apples.  I am using Golden Delicious.  Add 1 Tbl Butter to a skillet.  Add apples and cook for a few minutes to remove some of the moisture.  Add 2 Tbl Brown Sugar, 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp Salt and 1/2 tsp Vanilla.  Cook for about 5 minutes til slightly soften but still holding their shape.  Remove dough, if moist, dust with flour and roll between parchment paper.  Roll out to about 1/8" thick.  Place parchment paper on a pizza paddle and remove top paper. Begin with the center and arrange overlapping the apples.  Fold over 1 1/2" of the edge.  Brush the edge with Milk and dust with Sanding Sugar.  Bake on parchment paper directly on pizza stone for 25-30 minutes until golden.  Serve wedges warm or room temperature from the parchment paper.  Can add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.  Happy Autumn!  Cooks note, everyone who ate this yesterday liked it a lot!

Fun Pancakes

Last week I came across a Yahoo article about a guy who makes fun pancakes for his 3 year old.  Now this guy is super talented and is an artist by profession, and I can assure you I am neither.  He places his batter in squeeze bottles and draws on the griddle to make all sort of really neat things.
I bought a few squeeze bottles to give it a whirl.  I mixed up 3 colors, green, brown and orange.  I made my usual pancake batter (already on this site) thinning it out with whole milk so it could be squeezed through the opening.  I placed batter into the bottles and shook in the colors.  Here are a few photos of the pancakes I made.  This is really fun.
My batter was a little too thin especially after adding the color and they spread more than I wanted.  Next time I know the batter will squeeze out without it being quite as thin.  Also, if you draw big pancakes, you will have a dickens of a time flipping them.  My pumpkin was too big and the batter spread making tough to flip.

If you have a sleep over for girls, I think this would be a really fun breakfast for them.  My son normally eats 1 or 2 pancakes and he ate equivalent to 4-6 made this way!