4 posts tagged “spicy”

So, um, HIIIIII!!!!!  Jeez I’ve missed you guys!  :D  My parents’ short visit is now over, and it’s time to get back to daily life.  We had a great time eating, drinking, swimming and generally playing around for the whole time they were here.  I have a couple of new recipes to share…stuff that I made up especially for Mom and Dad, and I can’t wait to share them with you.  This is one of those recipes. :)  Let’s start with the title: Fiery Buffalo Chicken Burgers….

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the American Language:

“Adjective: 

Consisting of or containing fire.
Burning or glowing.
Using or effected with fire.
Easily ignited; flammable.
Feverishly hot and flushed: fiery cheeks.
Being in an inflamed, usually painful condition: a fiery boil.”

Buffalo wings are one of our favorite party foods.  Hot and spicy, perfect with a beer.   Everybody loves Buffalo wings, right?  So I got to thinking…We love chicken burgers, why not try to make a Buffalo version?  Wonderfully delicious, tangy and spicy, with a little blue cheese and celery to cool it down just a touch…This particular recipe might burn the roof off of your mouth if you’re not that into nuclear holocaust hot, so keep that in mind if you do decide to try these. lol  The heat can easily be scaled back by using Frank’s rather than Tabasco, and leaving out the extra cayennes.  But why on Earth would you want to do that?  ;)

recipe is here: http://canarygirl.com/?p=161

buffalo-burger

Not long ago while making my blog “rounds” I was struck by a post by Kevin at Closet Cooking.  As you may recall, I have been trying to come up with a recipe similar to my old boss’, but to no avail.  The sesame chicken dishes I’ve made are good, but not Cam’s.  With Kevin’s help, I think I’m getting a little closer!  WOOHOO!  Kevin added pineapple juice and honey to his recipe…and that is what was missing from my other attempts, I think.  I didn’t follow his recipe exactly, but this recipe was definitely inspired by his. :)  And while it’s still not quite there yet?  I’m one step closer to cracking that sesame chicken code, baby.

Recipe is here: http://canarygirl.com/?p=141

For the It's all about food & wine foks...let me recommend a fruity white for this, a Riesling, perhaps? 

sesame chicken

I probably don’t have to tell you that Spain is famous for their “tapas,” (appetizers) but the variety never ceases to amaze me.  Many times we make a meal of several different kinds of tapas…especially when going out to local places.  I’m particularly lucky, because here, we pretty much have year round outdoor tapas places…what could be better than eating a variety of appies with a view of the beach?  Even without the beach, it sounds pretty good.  lol  The recipes I’m posting today are fairy typical throughout Spain, but remind me particularly of my travels to Madrid…the tapas bars there are unsurpassed.  Just amazing.  Something else that I loved about Madrid?  If you order a beverage, they normally bring a small portion (tapa) of something (free)…be it olives, hazelnuts, bread with a slice of chorizo…whatever they’re serving that day…to eat with your drink.  There’s also usually a selection of the day’s tapas in plain view, and more on the menu, which you can order in various serving sizes depending on what you want.  We have a definite “tapas culture.”  Each region has their own particular additions to it, though several dishes are common throughout the country. 

Saffron is one of those ubiquitous ingredients here…like salt and pepper…it’s used very extensively in Spanish cooking. Thankfully the price isn’t as prohibitive here as it is in the States. The price of saffron goes for about $1500 a pound, due to it’s labor intensive harvest and it’s need for large crop acreage. Saffron is actually the stigma (dried) of crocus flowers, which are hand harvested. If you find it difficult to find saffron, you can omit it.

For the recipes, please visit: http://canarygirl.com

Saffron:

saffron

Pinchos Morunos:

pinchos morunos

Papas Bravas:

papas bravas

Ok, so I'm not exactly what you'd call a football fan.  I don't know a thing about it. *gasp*  But, I do know how to eat while (not) watching the game. :)  We love buffalo wings here...and the hotter the better.  This is not a recipe for the faint of heart...they really are fiery...but you could easily tone down the heat by eliminating the cayenne, and adding less Tabasco.  The blue cheese dipping sauce is my friend Denise's recipe, and it's by far the best I've tried.  So, brave souls, I present to you, Nikki's Nuclear Wings:

buffalo wings

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken drummies 

2 tablespoons butter

4-5 cloves minced garlic (or powdered to taste)

1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

 4-5 dried cayenne peppers

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 bottles Tabasco (the smaller sized jar, about 1/2 cup total)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375º.

Line a baking sheet with foil.

Spread chicken wings over baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until done.  Alternately, you could deep fry the chicken wings until cooked through.

While chicken is baking (or frying), prepare sauce.

Melt butter over medium heat and sautee garlic until golden.

Add cayenne pepper, vinegar and Tabasco and heat through.

Toss wings in sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring to coat wings often.

Serve with celery sticks and Denise's Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese (I like the Dutch ones best...creamy and mild)

coarse ground black pepper to taste

onion powder to taste

garlic powder to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons powdered ranch dressing mix

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Refrigerate 30 minutes.