Tailgate with Garlic Parmesan Wings

 
The best time of year is right around the corner friends.  Fall/Autumn is amazing for a plethora of reasons.  It brings us crisp cool weather, delicious soups and stews to warm our souls, the smell of leaves and football.  I could go on and on, as it’s my favorite season.

These wings are the perfect snack for your crew while they cheer on their favorite team during football season.  They’re actually great for anytime but football is here and wings and football go together so well.  I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

I bought a big package of wings on sale and decided I’d make a first attempt to make a mouth-watering coating so we could have homemade wings.  This is a much more cost efficient option than eating out. My husband and I both love Garlic Parmesan so that is what I chose to try out.   They turned out better than I expected.  My husband usually likes his wings fried vs. baked and well done.
I took a chance by baking them and just left them in a little longer to get the crispiness to his liking.  I also cut up celery and carrots into sticks and served with an individual bowl of ranch dressing.  He loved them!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 /2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I used Emeril’s Original Essence but Lawry’s would work)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and salt. Lay the chicken wings on a baking sheet and season the chicken wings with this mixture.
2. Bake the chicken wings for 30-40 minutes or until skin is golden brown. (I left them in for about 50 minutes for extra crispy.) I flipped them half way through so that both sides get crispy. While the chicken is baking, mix together the butter, dried basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and seasoning salt.
3. When the chicken is cooked through, toss the wings with the garlic/cheese/butter sauce. Serve with the blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Easy Spaghetti

This dish is sure to be a household favorite as it is super simple and delicious for all ages! I remember when I was younger I craved creamy sauces on my pasta. One of my favorite dishes was Chicken Alfredo. As I got older and tasted different sauces and then started experimenting in the kitchen, I realized a heavy sauce is not necessary for pasta to be delicious and satisfying. Kids and even some adults may not understand that just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it lacks in flavor.

As I’ve found with a few dishes, lighter is better (and easier in most cases). I’m getting older and it’s harder to work off the calories, so stuffing my face with tons of pasta and fattening sauces isn’t something I do on a regular basis anymore. So I try to limit myself as much as possible. Don’t get me wrong; I still make pasta with alfredo sauce every now and then. That stuff is too good to remove completely from my life.

This light recipe came about when I didn’t want to deal with making a sauce one night and I decided just to add just a couple of ingredients I had on hand to give the spaghetti some flavor. The result was a light spaghetti with lots of flavor. This is my go-to recipe and I make a ton so I can have lunch and dinner the next day. It will feed a family of 4 easily.

You can really add anything you wish to this dish. If you dislike or don’t have capers on hand, switch out with ½ c or so of peas or any other favorite cooked vegetable. Broccoli florets would also be a great addition.

Ingredients

1 lb thin or regular spaghetti
1 c chicken or vegetable broth
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp capers
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan for sprinkling

 

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package.
2. While spaghetti is draining, add butter, oil, broth and capers to the hot spaghetti pan and stir.
3. Once butter is melted, toss in the spaghetti to the pan.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top and serve.

BLT Crostini

During the summertime there is no need to slave over the hot stove when you can make easy light meals without much cooking, if any at all.   I’m sure we all feel the same way about cooking and baking.  It’s a great accomplishment to create a delicious meal or dessert that takes a whole day and sometimes more. 

It is not only a rewarding feeling when the final product is so delectable which makes it worth our hard work, but also it’s nice to see the smile on the faces of those we share our treats with.  However, I’m sure we all agree that once in a while it’s nice to throw something together that is easy and simple without much work.   It frees us of distraction and worry so that we have more time to relax on the patio with an icy beverage while visiting with friends and family.

These bacon, lettuce and tomato bites are a great option for something light when you don’t feel like cooking a big meal.   You can make as little or as much as you need or even make bigger sandwich version.  This recipe made me dream of other things I can throw together in a similar manner with French bread, a spread and a fruit or vegetable.   For examples I think the kids would also love this quick idea: toast the slices of bread, spread on peanut butter and top with a slice of banana and drizzle of honey. 

1 loaf French bread

Bacon Slices, cooked or Bacon Jam (Store-bought or homemade. I used the Bacon Jam made by Skillet Street Food and it was really good.)

1 head green leaf lettuce

1 pkg. cherry tomatoes

Sea Salt

I made these delicious bite-sized morsels as snacks for a brunch I hosted.  I sliced the loaf of French bread about ¼ inch thick.  I placed all the sliced bread on a cookie sheet and drizzled with olive oil and broiled until toasted (about 2-4 minutes).   Then spread about a teaspoon of bacon jam on each toast.  Tear clean lettuce leaves into small pieces that fit on the toasts. Place on top of the jam.   Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place both halves on lettuce leaves.  Sprinkle sea salt over the top. 

**This recipe and article is also featured on SouthlakeMoms.com.  http://www.southlakemoms.com/2012/05/01/blt-crostini/

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Chocolate, caramel and salt go so well together. Anytime I see a treat with these ingredients featured, I must taste it. (And yes, I even got the glazed doughnut from 7/11 one day that was topped chocolate glaze, drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with sea salt. It was so good and so bad for me! I couldn't resist) Forget I told you that. If I see a recipe I must make it. My husband and I both love this flavor combo and have been addicted to a Fleur de sel caramel ice cream we discovered one day at the grocery store. Fleur de sel is a potent and delicious sea salt.


I think the first experience I tried where I actually fell in love with this flavor combination was when my husband made these Espresso Caramel Bars for my birthday one year. His favorite chef is Giada De Laurentiis so most of his dishes are using her recipes. Wow, they were amazingly delectable and addictive. Beware and be prepared when you make them. Your friends and family will request them from you often.


This cake is easier to make in my opinion. If you haven't had the awesome experience to try the chocolate-caramel-salt combo, you're missing out. Take the leap and enjoy!


Chocolate Bundt Cake
1 c brewed coffee
1 c butter, unsalted
1/2 c Guinness Beer
1/2 c cocoa powder, plus some for dusting the pan
1 1/2 c sugar
2 c flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Caramel Sauce
1 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/2 heavy cream, warm
2 tbsp butter, unsalted, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coarse sea salt to sprinkle over top of cake

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.


Brew 1 cup of coffee. Set aside. Butter the bundt pan and sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder and shake around to coat the pan evenly to prevent sticking.


In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the coffee, Guinness and cocoa powder stirring with a whisk. After the butter is melted, incorporate the sugar and whisk until dissolved. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.


In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a smaller separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Whisk the egg mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture.


Slowly add the flour to the chocolate mixture and whisk until all ingredients are combined.


Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.


When cake is done, let cool for one hour before attempting to remove from pan. Run a rubber spatula around the edges to loosen from pan and gently flip pan over onto a wire rack. It should remove easily.


While cake is cooling, make the caramel sauce. To a medium saucepan, add sugar and water over medium-high heat. Place cream in a separate small saucepan and heat until warm.


Stir the sugar and water until sugar has melted. Let the sugar it without being stirred. The caramel will start to boil and turn a golden brown color. When the coloring happens, remove from the heat. Stir in the warm cream and whisk. Add salt, vanilla and butter and continue to whisk until everything is combined. Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes. Drizzle caramel sauce over the cake and sprinkle the sea salt. Enjoy!