Are You Ready for Some Football Appys?

It's that time of year. Oak leaves, autumn temperatures, and winning seasons begin to fall. That great Round One draft pick has all of the potential of a second year bust. The all-star pass defense is giving up 250 yards per game. The hot, hot, quarterback has traded in his hot, hot girlfriend for a hot, hot ride and finds himself suspended for 4 games. Ah, yeah, I’m ready for some football……..

Games are won, games are lost, but some things never change – LIKE THE FANS!!! I define them as ordinary people who emerge on Sundays: loyal, lofty, never-say-die, they paint their faces, wear ill-fitted clothing and spend hours penning quirky sayings onto poster board. Accountants, lawyers, delivery dudes, and nurses alike, act like drag queens out to support their team. These guys are ready for some football.

The rear gate of a tricked-out pick-up truck unfolds to reveal a full-size kitchen. A tent rises up to encase a flat screen TV (complete with satellite service), and a karaoke machine blares out the home team’s fight song. And this is all happening in the parking lot! Inside the arena people are hunting down quirky new “football fan food”, like smoked turkey legs, Cuban panini, and jerk chicken wings. Grown men are removing their dreadlock style wigs, in order to eat jumbo chocolate chip cookies. What ever happened to warm beer and peanuts?

Today’s game has gotten bigger. The arenas are bigger. The cheerleaders have bigger … hair. The half time shows are bigger. The music is louder; the game is longer. Even the fans are … bigger. And why not? If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that football watching is a reason for an all day (and night) grazing feast. Win or lose, you gotta eat!

In an attempt to scale down the calorie intake during a 16 game season, I have explored some twists on typical game day fare. The most successful thus far is my buffalo chicken wing appy; it has all of those fab flavors, but wraps them in a chilled lettuce cup. It’s still hot and spicy, and still just as messy so it passes the game day test. Give it a try and let me know what you think, and since we still have a long season ahead of us, I’d love to hear your game day favorites along the way!!

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Looking for a more figure-friendly game day snack food? This appy has all of the ingredients of that spicy wing dish you already know and love -- with a few of the calories lopped off.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
8 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
3 medium celery ribs, diced, about 1 cup
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
1 whole marinated roasted red pepper, diced, about ½ cup
1 cup hot pepper sauce
1 head leaf lettuce, 25 to 30 leaves, washed and dried

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Remove the chicken to a platter.

Place the green onions, celery and garlic in the pan. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the red pepper. Place the chicken back into the pan. Pour in the hot sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the chicken in the sauce until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Place the shredded chicken back into the sauce.

Serve the shredded chicken in a bowl. Place the lettuce leaves around the side.

Servings: Enough for a game day crowd
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Fall Musings

October means there’s one last hurrah to be had in my Carolina kitchen. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains the weather is crisp and blustery. The leaves are vibrant, but falling rapidly. The humming birds have flown south, the last of the summer flowers are shivering in their pots, and it’s probably time for me to hit the road and admit the true “snowbird” that I have become.
Fall weather and cozy fires lend themselves to comfort meals. My favorite fall food to prepare and keep on the stovetop, are soups. Heartier fare like potato soup and pumpkin soup, lentil and bean soups, chowders and bisques – they all work.

Most often you will find everything you need to make simple, supple soup in your pantry. The main ingredient comes from your local festival, farm stand or farmer’s market. My most recent soup recipe came into being when I found a gorgeous squash and had leftover onions, potatoes and salad fixins. Butternut Squash Soup is thick, rich, hearty and velvety and complimented perfectly with a crispy shallot garnish.

My soups are created with fresh, healthy ingredients, so there’s no need to worry about calories – your only risk is being too full for dinner later on! A bowl of soup and a big green salad is an excellent lunch choice, kind to your waist line and your budget!
And so I leave you with three simple words: Enjoy the soup. Oh, and please leave me a comment and let me know how you like it. My new blog, From Nana’s Kitchen will debut soon. I’ll offer recipes and activities for grandparents and parents to enjoy with their children. If there is a special recipe you would like to see, or a grandma question you would like to have answered, just let me know and I’ll make sure to post a response.

Happy Fall Leaves – wherever you are!!

PS: Pumpkin Patch Photo courtesy of Chris Morgan cjmphotography.net

Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Shallot Garnish

The addition of a potato to this traditional soup gives it a thick and velvety consistency. Feel free to spice up the soup with your favorites. Cumin, chili powder, curry, cinnamon and ginger are all welcome additions.

For soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced, about 1 ½ cups
2 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and chopped, about 1 cup
3 medium celery ribs, sliced, about 1 cup
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced, about 6 cups
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced, about 1 ½ cups
2 cups dry white wine
2 quarts homemade chicken broth, or low sodium chicken broth
2 to 3 sprigs sage leaves
1 large orange, cut in half

For shallots:
4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
2 cups canola oil
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

The best way to cut and peel a butternut squash is to first, trim off the bottom. Cut the squash in half, and then half again. Smaller pieces are easier to handle. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the seeds. Now, wash the knife and your hands well. The squash is slippery. A clean knife and hands will make chopping easier. Cut it into 1 to 2-inch pieces. Add the butternut squash and potato to the pot and stir. Pour in the wine and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour in the stock. Place the sage into the pot. Squeeze the juice of the orange into the pot and add the orange halves. Cook until the vegetables are very soft, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool the soup. Remove the sage sprigs and orange halves. Use an immersion blender, food processor or blender to emulsify the soup. Pour the soup back into the pot and season with salt and pepper.

Place the shallots and the oil in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer. Turn the onions every few minutes until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon to a dish layered with paper towels. As the shallots sit, they will become crispy. Season with salt and pepper. If not using immediately keep warm in a warming drawer, or in the oven on the lowest setting.

Ladle the soup into bowls or mugs. Top with crispy shallots.

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes for soup, 20 minutes for shallots

YUM ...ography

Photographically Inspired Musings by a FANatical Foodie
Title: Color Guitar

I see in this two-toned photo, the artist behind the instrument. The artist takes pride in his instrument. He makes it sing. He uses the guitar as a medium to pay homage to his generation; for him, its songs are an anthem. He dismantles the guitar, looking for its heart. Will he ever find it? Must he find it? Who is the artist? Is he the creator of the instrument, or just its manipulator, the one who makes it sing? Are we all instruments just waiting to be strummed? When I die, I want to go out with Stevie Nicks singing from the rafters. I want Robert Plant singing me up and up on the stairway to heaven. I want Paul and John and Ringo and George (I always loved George) holding hands and singing me through the gate…..
While listening to the newly re-mastered songs of the Beatles, I discovered a most enjoyable cab from a little, local North Carolina vintner. Banner Elk Wineries showcased a handful of their signature cabernet sauvignon, a mature, full-bodied, elegant, complex, and well-balanced wine. It pairs perfectly with rich meats, cheeses, and dark chocolate. It won double gold medals at the 2006 NC state fair. Priced at $29.95, it’s not too costly for a rock ‘n roll splurge. Speaking of splurge, what’s better than listening to the Beatles while sipping great wine? Eating great food, of course. My recipe for Roasted Veal Chops, Stuffed with Pecorino Cheese with Madeira Wine Drizzle and Arugula Salad is just the dish to strum by.

Now, my friends, this is what YUM …ography is all about!!
See more photographic inspirations at cjmphotography.net

Roasted Veal Chops, Stuffed with Pecorino Cheese with Madeira Wine Drizzle and Arugula Salad

This is perfect dinner party fare. Purchase plump veal chops for this dish, as well as flavorful smoked ham and a wedge of pecorino that you can shave with a vegetable peeler.

4 veal rib chops, about ¾ pounds each, about 2-inches thick
A pinch of coarse salt and a grind of fresh pepper
4 thin slices smoked ham
4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, shaved, about 1 cup
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup Madeira wine
1 cup home made beef stock, or low sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 ounces fresh Arugula, about 2 cups leaves
2 ounces salad mix, about 2 cups torn
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium lemon juiced, about 3 tablespoons

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut a deep pocket into each veal chop. Place a slice of ham and 1 ounce of the cheese into each pocket. Season the chops with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear the chops until golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. Carefully turn and sear the second side for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking dish. (Depending on the size of your skillet and of the veal chops, you may have to do this in batches, using additional oil and butter.) Place the chops in the oven and roast until just rare in the center, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Pour the wine into the skillet and stir to remove the brown bits. Pour in the beef broth and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Stir in the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the Arugula with the salad mix. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the stuffed veal chops on a platter. Drizzle the wine sauce over the top. Mound the salad on the top of each chop.

Yield: 4 veal chops
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 to 12 minutes for chops, 5 to 10 minutes for sauce

Sources and Substitutions
Ask your butcher for veal chops from a source that produces humanely raised animals that are not raised with hormones or unnecessary steroids.

Yum ….ography!

Photographically Inspired Musings by a FANatical Foodie
Title: Smiley Face

I see in this black and white photograph the remnants of the day – a California day. A day of driving from vineyard to vineyard. A day of sipping, sighing, singing. A day that celebrates youth, celebrates the harvest, celebrates the artisan. A day of discovery. A day of bonding. A day that we want to be a part of. A day we want to remember.

California reminds me of fresh ingredients paired with great wine. I just sampled a bottle of Backyard Chardonnay. It’s Russian River Chardonnay, remarkably tasty and reasonably priced. Russian River is known for Chardonnay that maintains a harmonious balance between acidity and fruit. This one is stellar, opening with apricot, peach, melon, and toasted oak aromas before a palate of citrus, melon, and oak, followed by a lingering, vibrant tropical finish. Run, don’t walk to your local wine merchant and seek out C & T Cellars Chardonnay. While the bottle chills to perfection, and your perfect companion is motoring your way, create a California-inspired appy that is perfectly paired with the day. My recipe for Rustic White Bean Bruschetta comes together in minutes, with a hint of garlic and pepper and a dash of fresh lemon and basil.

Now, my friends, this is what YUM …ography is all about!!
See more photographic inspirations at cjmphotography.net