Chicken Satay Skewers

We are kicking off another idea for your National College Football Championship Bowl Game party. This recipe, however, requires a little prep time compared with the recently featured Bagel & Lox Appetizer. But don't despair...this is still really simple for any college level cooking skills; and, has the added bonus of being healthier than other appetizers.  Other options for appetizers on located on my Appetizers Page.

If pressed for time or ingredients (as most college students are), just buy your favorite peanut sauce ($2.50-3.50/jar) at the store! Then, this recipe becomes a cinch! However, the homemade almond butter dipping sauce is awesome, so, if you typically have those ingredients around, go ahead and make it!

On the other hand...if you decide to invest in some of the additional ingredients, i.e. ginger, curry, almond butter, hoisin sauce, siracha hot sauce...I have no doubt you'll be making this snack again. Believe me, it will be an investment well worth it!

Great for grilling and serving with rice or couscous of any kind--White Rice, Zesty Lime Rice, or Basic Couscous!

 (Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2015 Magazine Edition)

Chicken Satay Skewers with Almond Butter Dipping Sauce

Equipment:
Zip Lock Bags or Tupperware, for marinating
Small Saucepan, if you are going to make the peanut sauce
Ginger Grater, if you are using fresh ginger
Skewers--wood, bamboo, metal
Grill or Grill pan with ridges

Ginger Grater

Ingredients:

Marinade for chicken:
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 Tbls fresh lime juice
1 Tbls dark brown sugar
2 tsps peeled, fresh ginger, minced / grated (or use 1 tsp dried ginger)
1/2 tsp curry
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tsp of dried basil)

2 lb of skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks to skewer

Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup water
2 Tbls coconut milk
2 Tbls almond butter (or smooth peanut butter)
1 Tbls hoisin sauce
1 Tbls Siracha hot sauce (use less if you are a wuss)
1 tsp lime juice

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands frequently and clean counters when using raw chicken.
2. Combine marinade ingredients well in a large ziplock bag or tupperware.

3. Add your chunks of chicken to refrigerate and marinate x 2 hours.

4. Have your skewers soaking in water 30 minutes prior to grilling / searing chicken if they are wood.
5. Remove chicken and skewer. Pat dry.

6. Season with salt and pepper both sides.
7. Lightly oil your grill pan over HIGH-MED heat

8. Sear all sides of the skewers 2 minutes each and AVOID moving them while searing.

9. Make the dipping sauce by combining all ingredients into your saucepan and bring to a boil.
10. Cook for one minute and add 1-2 tsp lime juice.

Serve with cucumber wedges and dipping sauce!

If feeding a crowd I'd suggest doubling your chicken and maximizing use of the marinade. If you have left overs, put it in a pita for a snack or lunch between classes!

Championship Bowl Appetizers

Even if you are not a student at Oregon or Ohio, you are likely going to be watching the National Championship Football Game tomorrow night, right? Most likely!

We all love a good game, good party (I am sure we all have varying definitions of a "good party"). And I don't know about you, but I am bored with the bag of Doritos or Tostitos or "Rollitos" that is passed around the room as an afterthought! If you are going to eat, eat well, even if you are college student with roommates living in off-campus dorms or grad school apartments! There are so many options to make your game day snacking better!

Consider Party Sliders or Jalapeno-Cheddar Rollups or Artichoke Dip With A Kick. Or, simply head over to my Appetizer Page for other ideas!! Why not have some awesome bites...other than chips 'n salsa?

That being said, today is the beginning of featuring some awesome appetizers this week in preparation of the playoffs, Oscars, and other "party events". The first snack is a variation on one of  Jon's favorite breakfast choices, i.e. salmon, bagels and cream cheese...in other words, it's a take on Bagels & Lox! 

Get a bowl, because that is indeed all u need to get this ready!

(Adapted from a friend's recipe she brought to a birthday gathering to play a tasteless cards game that was surprisingly quite funny for those of us depraved enough to play!)

Bagel & Lox Appetizer

Equipment:

Mixing bowl

Ingredients:

4 oz smoked salmon

1 (8oz) Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup Light Sour Cream

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1-2 Tbls Fresh Dill (or 1 tsp dried dill)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Extras:

Stacie's Everything Bagel Chips

Capers

Red Onion, diced

Instructions:

1. Wash Your Hands

2. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, juice, salt, pepper and dill.

3. Fold in chopped salmon.

4. Serve with bagel chips, capers and red onion.

Roasted Shrimp Even Better

Exactly around this time last year, I posted one of Ina Garten's previous recipes on roasting shrimp in anticipation of celebrating special occasions (like Valentine's Day).  However, this past year Ina Garten published a new cookbook 'Make It Ahead', and I consider this recipe "the Bomb" for entertaining, festive events, and absolutely, NO FUSS.

A total upgrade in my opinion if you will.

Valentine's Crocodile Be Mine

As a general rule, shrimp is not part of a college student's routine grocery budget, but , during special times of the year you may just want to have a recipe like this one on hand. If it is easy...even better! If it is cheap...well, I can't guarantee that! Sometimes you can find luxury items discounted, and that is the time to take advantage of savoring recipes like this one.

Speaking of Valetine's Day...make sure you have some cool cards for your friends, family and "special someone"! These are designs from previous years available thru the link below if you'd prefer something cool!

Valentine's Giraffe Love Is In The Air

Roasted Shrimp Even Better

Equipment:

12-inch Oven-proof iron cast skillet (or other heavy-duty skillet to withstand 400F degrees)

Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

2 lbs (26-31 shrimp / lb) shrimp

1 stick of butter
2 Tbls olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
2 large lemons
Zest of one lemon



2 lbs of large shrimp (I used 26-31 count / lb or use larger count / lb), thawed and peeled

Fresh baguette

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat 400F degrees.

3. Melt butter, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in your large oven-proof skillet for 1-2 minutes.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat and add your lemon zest to the butter mixture.

5. Toss shrimp in the skillet and butter mixture, then arrange the shrimp snugly into the skillet.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Slice lemons and submerge in between shrimp.

8. Roast the shrimp for 12 minutes until pink and tender.

9. Put the whole skillet on the table with torn pieces of baguette for dipping!
10. Put a large smile on your face and whoever is dining with you!

Avgolemono Soup

Happy New Year Everyone!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the holidays and time off from my usual obligations! But, it is time to get back to work and putting up new recipes and ideas as you prepare to head back for the semester and off-campus living!

After all the excitement, and Hallmark movie marathons, have passed, we settle back into our usual routines...and to some degree we need to, right? Life goes on, class assignments are due, term papers need to be written, bills to be paid, and New Year's resolutions to tackle (and survive the cold winter days until Spring).

To counter 'the routine' of the upcoming months, I will be sifting thru the many cookbooks I received this Christmas, having friends over to try new flavors, and looking for recipes most compatible with college living, cooking skills and budgets!

Check out this awesome recipe of the classic Greek Chicken & Lemon Soup, or Avgolemono, that will warm your soul as you head into January 2015! Jon (my son) and I always ordered this at the Greek Restaurant in our neighborhood; and, when it recently closed...well, had to find another option!!

(Adapted from This Is A Cookbook by the Sussman brothers)

Avgolemono

Equipment:
5 quart stock pot

Lemon juicer

Ingredients:

10 cups Chicken broth

2 1/2 cups long grain white rice

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed

4 egg yolks

Juice of 3 lemons

Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands. 

2. Bring broth to a boil and add rice. Reduce heat to a simmer.

3. Simmer rice until rice tender, approx 20 min.

4. Remove 2 cups of broth to cool slightly. Set aside.

5. Add the chicken meat to broth and rice. Stir to combine.

6. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl, and very, very, very slowly, begin adding warm (not piping hot) broth to egg yolks.

TIP: If you do not take this slow, you will have scrambled, curdled eggs.

7. You should have a beautiful light yellow liquid in front of you!

8. Add the egg-mixture to the soup.

9. Squeeze lemon juice, approx 1/2 cup, and add to soup. I suggest doing this slowly to balance the lemon to your taste!

10. Season to taste with salt and pepper! 

Tell me you can't find your comfort zone with this soup and a good book or movie!