Superbowl Series: Sliders or Wings?

The choice is pretty obvious to me...sliders, duh! Well for one, sliders are more filling than wings, hands down. Eat one or two sliders, piled high with condiments and other delights, you'll end up curbing that craving for a giant, juicy burger, all the while, saving room for other snacks around the game day table. Wings are awesome, don't get me wrong, but there is very little meat on them and you have to really work to get the meat off the bone. I feel like trying to lick my fingers clean, during the entire halftime show, isn't the most attractive look! Plus, making chicken breast sliders sounds way healthier than the dark meat you might find in chicken wings.

I'm a real fan of tangy things...don't judge me! Which is probably why I am obsessed with buffalo wing sauce. Rather than diluting the tang and tart, I added a little sweetness to this sauce and let the flavors really marry together over low heat. Using some blackberry jam, a bit of maple syrup, I was able to give my chicken an initially sweet taste with a nice, spicy bite at the end!

This wondrous sauce reminded me a lot of my favorite "girl date" brunch spot in the cutest nook in all of San Francisco --- Hayes Valley of course! Straw, this eclectic and wacky carnival-themed restaurant, is a brunch spot I frequent with close gal pals. I once had Siracha hot wings and some sweet potato tater tots with a blackberry BBQ dipping sauce there...these carny-inspired dish reminded me of that! A total circus in your mouth!

Buffalo Blackberry Jam BBQ Wings or Sliders

Added a slice of sharp cheddar too!

Ingredients (BBQ sauce):

• 1 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine 
• 1 cup blackberry jam
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (i.e. Franks Red Hot..etc.)

Ingredients (for wings):

• 1 packages (about 15-20) chicken wings, raw (not frozen, as the sauce won't hold to the skin as well!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Ingredients (for sliders): 

• 2-3 large chicken breasts, raw
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions (for wings):

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a metal cooling rack (what you would use when you bake cookies etc.), on top of a cookie sheet, that is lined with tin foil. Elevating the wings (hehe), allows for all sides of the wings to cook evenly. Note: If you don't have a cooling, place on a non-stick cookie sheet, the wings might stick a bit to the bottom, but seriously no  harm done!
2. Season wings, while on rack or cookie sheet, with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. 
3. Place in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the wings are fully cooked and the outside has turned slight brown and crispy. 
4. While wings are cooking prepare sauce.
5. Once wings are cooked, place the wings in a large bowl and pour the sauce over the wings to evenly coat them. 
6. Place the coated wings back on the rack or cookie sheet, and place back in the over for about 10 minutes. This allow for the BBQ sauce to caramelize and really give the wings that sweet and tangy flavor!
7. Serve immediately. 

Directions (for BBQ sauce): 

1. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine stick of butter, maple syrup, blackberry jam,  buffalo sauce, ginger, chili powder together. 
2. As butter melts down, whisk the sauce frequently, still keeping it on medium heat. 
3. Once the ingredients are well combined and the butter is fully melted, turn heat to a simmer and whisk occasionally, until the wings are ready to come out (this about the last 10-15 mins of cook time). 
4. Store any left over BBQ sauce in the fridge for up to several weeks.

Directions (for sliders):

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Wrap chicken in tin foil and place on a cookie sheet in the oven. Chicken should be moist and cooked in about 30-40 minutes. 
2. Prepare BBQ, as directed above!
3. Remove cooked chicken from the oven and beginning shredding chicken with two forks. This can  be done on plate or cutting board. Be careful and the chicken will be hot! Wait a few minutes before shredding so you don't burn your fingers. 
4. Place shredded chicken in a large bowl and add sauce (should be hot!), coat evenly with sauce and then begin to assemble burgers. Note: You could put the chicken back into the saucepan on medium heat for several minutes, to really marry the chicken and sauce together!

Used Ciabatta bread as my bun for a larger sando, rather than sliders!

Ingredient for my avocado topping! Lime pairs well with the jam. 

You Know You've Lived In San Francisco Too Long When You Make an Entirely Vegan Meal...On Accident!

And it was totally delicious, flavorful and perfect for getting your grub on! By no means was this meal light..very filling (in a non-disgusting way)!

I have to admit, I broke the "veganness" of this meal by adding an egg to my fried "rice", which is totally optional...thus this meal is still certified vegan! San Francisco has finally cracked me after 6 years of living in this city!

Did I mention that there was a celebration of PEANUT BUTTER this week?! Um, yeah January 24th marks the day in which America branded itself in the most amazing way, by making peanut butter a "staple" or "quintessentially" American condiment. Kudos US of A, kudos. I freaking love peanut butter and I love that South Asian cultures embrace peanuts and peanut sauce; the combination of spicy chilies marrying the sweet, creamy, richness of peanut butter. Plus, did I mention that their is Siracha in this recipe?! Also known as America's #1 hot sauce (well, I my mind at least!) Pretty sure it's made in New Jersey or LA...or something like that.

Pair this heavenly sauce with tofu...yeah, yeah I know I was kind of hating on it earlier, but in small quantities (basically not everyday!), it's totally fine. Proteins in the peanut and tofu really unite in this dish making it pretty darn super...this meal is vegan, vegetarian, filling and good for you!

While, again, I'm not a huge fan of quinoa, I'm masking its lackluster flavor and boringness, by transforming it into a fried rice of sorts...a quinoa fried "rice" to be exact. This particular recipe is perfect if you've made quinoa, in advance, and have some leftover. Of course, this can also easily be done with leftover rice for all you carb-lovin' sassy cats!

Spicy Peanut Butter Tofu with Quinoa Fried "Rice"

Adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients:

For Fried Rice

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked to package instructions (I used vegetable broth instead of water!)
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 Tbl low sodium soy sauce
• Olive oil
• 1 egg (optional)

For Tofu Dish

• 1 package, extra firm tofu, drained and sliced in to 1/2 inch thick squares.
• 3 Tbl low sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbl white wine or rice vinegar
• 2 Tbl creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tbl agave 
• 1-2 Tbl Siracha hot sauce (2 if you like it real hot like me!)
• 1 Tbl sesame or peanut oil (for frying tofu)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• a few slices of ginger, peeled)
• 3 green onions, sliced

Directions (for fried rice): 

1. Cook quinoa to package instructions. Usually this takes about 10-15 minutes, and I've substituted vegetable broth for water, adds a lot more flavor! Using leftover quinoa is ideal if you have some on hand!
2. In a saucepan, saute mixed frozen vegetables on medium heat with a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, then add quinoa and soy sauce. 
3. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until well combined. Make room in your pan and crack an egg. After a eggs cooks for 1-2 minutes, combine it in the fried "rice"
4. Serve hot and immediately! Make for yummy leftovers. :)

Directions (for spicy peanut pan fried tofu):

1. Drain tofu in between several paper towels, on a plate, and gentle press out excess liquid. Removed from paper towels and slice into 1-inch thick pieces, lengthwise, and then into small square. 
2. Using a peeler, peel fresh ginger root and then slice. Mince garlic and slice green onions, set these aside as well. 
3. In a dry wok, heat wok on medium heat for about one minute and then add in sesame or peanut oil. Add ginger slices to oil and then remove them after 1 minute or so, until the oil is fragrant. We are just infusing the oil with a little ginger here!
4. Bump up heat to medium high and add in tofu slices. Cook for about 7-8 minutes, turning tofu frequently and allowing them to brown on both sides. 
5. While tofu is browning, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, Siracha and agave. Then whisk in peanut butter. Taste the sauce to adjust sweetness/spicyness to your liking. 
6. Tofu should be nice and browned on both sides by now, so reduce the heat to low and add in the peanut sauce. Allow tofu to absorb sauce, as it will be watery at first. Over 3-4 on low heat, the sauce will coat tofu and thicken. 
7. Top with sliced green onions and serve piping hot with quinoa fried "rice"! This dish serves about 4 hungry vegan/vegetarians! :)

Girls Night In: Skinny Enchiladas and Homemade Mango Salsa

After reading this article on a few simple steps to detoxing after a holiday/big event/special occasion (ahem, Niner's win and birthdays galore), I was inspired to cook vegetarian this week! Inviting a few close gal pals to mi casa, I decided this is not only a vegetarian, but girl approved meal (Boys are you listening!?)

I've found that many people, trying to lead a vegetarian lifestyle, defer to tofu as their main source of protein. However, I've noticed that many find the texture to be off putting (if not cooked properly that is!) and it's also been proven that too much soy, is actually detrimental to your health!

Side note from my old trainer...he said that too much soy for women also decreases chances of weight loss (that is, if you are weight training, which is the way to go if you want lose inches for good and gain strength!), because of the increased amounts of estrogen. Apparently, addtional estrogen and less testosterone, makes us ladies keep those extra stubborn pounds on. Yikes! Well thank goodness we have this enchilada recipe!

Layered this veggie enchilada, casserole style, with corn tortillas

Enchiladas are an easy way to entertain or impress...they also make for amazing leftovers! So if you are looking to cook a meal for a few people, or just a to last for a few days, enchiladas make for an excellent lunch or dinner anytime.

Yes, it's still winter (boo!) but there are an abundance of lovely vegetables that are available...like butternut squash that make any enchilada lively and satisfying. What I love about this vegetable it has an almost creamy, buttery, texture when cooked, making for a rather filling main dish ingredient. It's also a beautiful, bright orange, which makes any blase dish turn into a piece of art.

Bright butternut squash

I had a few mangos laying around, ripening rather slowly, so I made a mango salsa that compliments this dish or a bowl of tortilla chips. Talk about a colorful meal!

Inspired by several recipes that included goat cheese (go figure!), black beans, butternut squash, and a partially homemade (but still healthy!) enchilada sauce...I present you the detox of enchiladas that doesn't compromise flavor or fullness, but certainly cuts out TONS of added calories, replacing them with more nutritious ingredients.

I tried both the corn tortilla version and whole wheat flour tortilla variety. NOTE: It's more challenging to roll corn tortillas, unless you warm them...if you are like me and got impatient, you stacked them like a lasagna!

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Homemade Mango Salsa

Goat cheese and salsa verde sauce give it a nice tangy taste, paired with hearty sqaush

Kneading Sass original 

Ingredients: 

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into cubes (TJ's has an already cubed version, go for it!)
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed
• 2 large zucchinis, halved and sliced
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1-2 tsp chili powder (two if you like heat!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil (for sauteing and brushing tortillas)
• 10-12 corn tortillas 0r 8-10 whole wheat tortillas (these are softer/easier to roll, but also larger in size!)
• 4 oz. soft, goat cheese 

Enchilada Sauce

• 1 cup of your favorite salsa verde
• 2 Tbl low fat sour cream

Mango Salsa (optional)

• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
• Juice of one lime
• 1/4 red or whine onion, diced
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• Sea salt to taste
• Pinch of chili powder
• 1 avocado, diced

Directions (for enchiladas):

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop butternut squash and and zucchini. Lay in one single layer on cookie sheet and season with 1 Tbl. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Makes sure to evenly coat vegetables with oil and seasonings. Place in the middle rack of the oven to roast and soften for about 20 minutes. 

Post roasting veggies!

1. While veggies are roasting in the oven, chop onion and garlic. Drain black beans under some water. 
2. In a large pan, heat oil to medium low heat, add 1 Tbl. olive oil and onions. Saute for about 4 minutes until translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add beans and cooked for 4-5 minutes more
3. Once veggies are done, place them directly into pan with beans, onions and garlic. Add cumin, chili powder and extra salt (if needed!) Saute vegetables together for about 3-4 minutes. They might mush up and lose their shape but that's fine!
4. Lower oven to 350 degrees to bake enchilada in later. 
5. To make enchilada sauce, mix 1 cup of salsa verde and 2 Tbl. of low fat sour cream in a bowl until combined.
6. If using corn tortillas: Layer a few teaspoons of enchilada sauce at the bottom of casserole dish. Add two and half corn tortillas to dish, layer with vegetables and then layer with handful of crumbled goat cheese. Repeat 2 more times, corn tortilla, vegetables, goat cheese. After last layer, pour remaining enchilada sauce into dish. It may seem like the tortillas are drowning in sauce, but remember that corn tortillas are relatively dry and saturate liquid quickly! Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered; at this point, most of liquid is absorbed and top is slightly browned.

7.  If using whole wheat flour tortillas: Layer a few teaspoons of enchilada sauce. Take tortillas and add vegetable filling and crumbles of goat cheese. Roll tortilla and place seam side down, in casserole dish. Repeat until the casserole dish is full, it will hold about 8-10 tortillas. Top with enchilada sauce and small handful of goat cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. 

Made a second, smaller version of the recipe above, so this is only 4 wheat flour tortillas instead of 8!

8.  Serve immediately! 

Directions (for mango salsa):

1. Dice all ingredients and place in a bowl, mix with salt and chili powder to taste. Squeeze the juice of one lime and mix again. Store in air tight container for up to 4 hrs (before serving) 
2. Refrigerating over night is even better! Serve with enchiladas, tortilla chips...or literally ANYTHING you'd put salsa on. Check out my post enchilada breakfast below!

Repurposing Food: Turning a Side Dish Into a Chic Appetizer -- "Faux"-sotto Balls

Everyone raves about risotto balls, also known as arancini, as seriously one of the best appetizers they've consumed....I'll take them up on that challenge! And while we all know that I am not the biggest fan of fincky risotto, I am obsessed with it's faux counterpart, farro. I recently featured two farro dishes last time:

• Paella (with the recipe included) 
• Mushroom faux-sotto (where I just listed out the ingredients)

But then I had a stroke of genius (before my morning coffee too!) By using leftover mushroom farro risotto, some breadcrumbs and goat cheese, I'll be turning this three-day old side dish, into an impressively, delicate and delectable appetizer! Great for a spontaneous dinner party or guests that spring up at your home without a moments notice. Go ahead, blow their freakin' socks/tights/leggings/keds off with this one!

Ready for some serious magic?! Yeah that's right Harry Potter, step aside, being resourceful here! (Bet you cant even make faux-sotto balls!)

Okay, so here's how the recipe goes...this is going to be pretty informal (not as detailed as my other posts), but certainly thorough. Serve this as an appetizer with a marinara dipping sauce or pesto sauce. Also, it serves well on its own with a side salad, as I've prepared below!

Leftover Mushroom Farro Risotto Balls

Kneading Sass original

Ingredients:

• 1 cup leftover farro risotto 
• 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (half used in risotto, the other for breading)
• 1 Tbl soft goat cheese or mozzarella cheese (cubed) 
• Italian seasoning to taste
• Vegetable oil

Directions: 

Going with step-by-step photos here!

Farro risotto ball assembly line. In no particular order. Added Italian seasoning to my plain Panko breadcrumbs here. 

Get your hands dirty! Mixing it all together in one tupperware makes this easy and efficent. Remember use only half of the Panko breadcrumbs here, the other half will be saved for the outer breading!

Just in case you were wondering...this is my favorite goat cheese! Using cheese instead of eggs as a binding agent allows the farro to sick together when frying. 

I used a teaspoon to help me form these balls into the right size. Don't be afraid to mold these in your hands into a tight ball...the tighter the more it will stay together when cooking!

Using the reserved Panko breadcrumbs, liberally bread these bad boys!

Over medium heat, add about 1 1/2 inches of vegetable or safflower oil. Once oil is hot, gently place farro balls into hot oil. Turn after 2 minutes to get these nice and crispy. 

The final product: Almost perfectly round? Remember farro is significantly less starchy, and thus less robust, than rice. The chances of these breaking apart in the hot oil are higher than usual, so be gentle with these. 

Changing the name of these from faux-sotto balls to AMAZEballs! Made this into a meal with a heaping side of salad :)

Farro or Pharaoh? Rice or Pasta? Even Wikipedia Doesn't Know!

I can't tell which category farro falls under, but what I can tell you is that it's a fabulous and flavor-lovin' alternative to a starchy rice, like arborio rice, which you often find in risotto. A hearty grain that's low gluten, farro is amazing replacement to any side or main dish starch in your diet and WAY easy to prepare.

Getting back to risotto... I have to admit, I've never actually made risotto! But what I do know is that even the most talented chefs find it temperamental and annoying because it's a grain you can't just boil and walk away from. You have to watch and stir...and watch and stir some more (like 45 minutes more! Yikes!). Thus, farro is the alternative or "faux" risotto. 

Faux-sotto? Sounds fancy and complicated...trust me though, it's far from it!

I made farro over the last few evenings, once as a side dish, the other as a main dish, paella to be exact!

Sauteed the side dish above with mushrooms with onion, garlic, farro, and topped with some fresh Parmeasan and chopped walnuts. An excellent faux-sotto side.

Farro is great because it doesn't dry out like rice or get mushy when saturated with too much liquid, like a pasta would. It's tender and holds flavor really well, unlike qunioa (I swear I'm not a  hater but a waivering believer still!), which should be overseasoned more often than not. 

You see I have this thing for over cooking...I sometimes doubt myself and then I end up with burnt paella! So after my embarassing paella kerfuffle a few weekends ago, I decided arborio rice was the devil of starches and I found that the savior was farro, which made for an even tastier, replacement.

I mean seriously, paella is literally throwing a bunch of different ingredients into one pot and simmering it. Despite messing it up the first time, second time was a charm!

FYI...before this paella, I had NEVER cooked with mussels before. Needless to say, all of them opened, cooked to tender perfection and weren't chewy at all (unlike clams when they are overcooked). Mussels are also pretty inexpensive and damn impressive! For less than $2.50, I bought 0.5 pounds of fresh mussels...which allowed me to splurge on with some Spanish saffron :)

I think (hope) I redeemed myself with this rich, hearty and healthy paella dish, great for sharing (hello, tapas party anyone!?) or perhaps a fanciful date night! 

Oh...did I mention that mussels are a natural aphrodisiac? As Borat once said...SEXY TIME!

Farro Paella with Chicken Sausage, Mussels and Shrimp

Kneading Sass original

Ingredients:

• 1 cup farro
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 Roma tomatoes, pureed (or 1 can of diced tomatoes)
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 sweet pepper, chopped (red, orange or yellow will do, green, however is too bitter for this dish!)
• 10-12 large raw, deveined and peeled shrimp (I used frozen)
•  2 links of you favorite chicken sausage (I used Andouille for to add a kick of heat!)
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• Pinch of saffron (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh lemon

Directions: 

1. Cook your chicken sausage over medium heat, until crispy on both sides. My chicken sausage was pre-cooked so I just heat it for 4-6 minutes in some olive oil. Set chicken sausage aside. 
2. In the same pan cook raw shrimp, 2-3 minutes on each side. Shrimp will continue to cook in paella later, so don't worry about undercooking. You are looking for a bit of pink here. Set aside with chicken sausage. 
3. In large shallow pan, add remaining olive oil, onions and peppers. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on medium-low heat until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add in farro. We want to toast the farro before adding any liquids, just like you do with basmati rice or quinoa.
5. Add pureed tomatoes, saffron, salt, pepper, paprika and chili powder.
6. Cook for another 2 minutes or so before adding in stock. Slowly add stock and bring pan to a boil. 
7. Once farro and stock come to a boil, bring the heat down to a simmer for about 15 minutes and cover with the lid.
8. Halfway through those 15 minutes, add shrimp, sausage and layer the top of the pan with mussels. Place lid back on and allow to continue to cook on simmering heat. HINT! You'l know when mussels will be done when the steam pushes the shells open (super easy indicator, I know!) 
9. Serve immediately, piping hot and straight from the pan. :)

Note: There might be some liquid after all the cooking is said and done, but this is totally normal! The seafood and sausage will eventually soak it up. I added a squeeze of lemon right before I served it.