Eat!

Eating is a necessity. However, we choose what to eat. The choices we make reveal a great deal about us. The food you eat can tell quite a bit about your heritage, your family, your fears, your sense of adventure, your attitude toward yourself and others, and a myriad of other personal tidbits to anyone paying attention. Everything about eating is a glimpse into your soul.

I hope to reveal a little bit about myself to you through my food. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy eating. I find pleasure in bringing pleasure to others. I hope that by sharing my recipes I bring you a little bit of joy.

Cook my food. Feed it to the people you love.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Buffalo Chicken Roll-Ups

Buffalo Chicken Roll-Ups

I have been trying to come up with more chicken wing recipes. I thought and thought and got nothing. However, my mom was making tuna roll-ups and an idea crept into my head. How about wing roll-ups?

 

I made Buffalo Chicken Roll-Ups the first time using slices of chicken cold cuts. Not good. They didn’t have enough chicken. I also laid a slice of celery in the center of the second round. Not good. They had too much celery.  The third time, I think I got them pretty near perfect. I bought a rotisserie chicken and just pulled the chicken from it. My husband and my brother-in-law loved these.  I think you will, too.

 

I have some filling left over. I’m thinking of stuffing it into jalapeƱos and making Buffalo Chicken Poppers. I’ll let you know how those turn out.

 

 

Servings: About 24 pieces
Time: Active time 20 minutes; Refrigerate for at least an hour, Snacks in about an hour and half
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a mixer, a large mixing bowl, a silicone spatula plastic wrap, a wooden spoon and a serrated knife and cutting board, for serving you will need a small dipping bowl and a platter

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
  • ½  cup wing sauce (I used Frank’s RedHot)
  • 2 tablespoons of sour cream
  • 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken  
  • 1 of cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 large flour tortillas (8 inch)
  • Ranch dressing for dipping
  1. Mix the softened cream cheese, wing sauce, and sour cream until everything is completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
  2. Fold the chicken and cheddar cheese into the cream cheese mixture until they are combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
  3. Lay a tortilla onto a flat surface and cover it with ¼ of the chicken mixture. Spread the mixture evenly over the entire tortilla, getting as close to the edge as you can.
  4. Start at the edge and roll the tortilla up as tightly as possible. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour. I like to make these a day early and slice them right before serving. Repeat this process with the other 3 tortillas.
  5. When you are ready to serve the roll-ups, unwrap them and place them seam side down onto a cutting board. Slice each log into 8-9 rounds. I have found that using a serrated knife works best for getting smooth edges and cutting through.
  6. To serve, fill a small bowl with ranch dressing. Place the bowl in the middle of the platter. Stack the roll-ups, cut side down, around the bowl of dressing. I serve mine with slices of celery.

 

 

Monday, December 28, 2020

Cheesesteak Sliders

Cheesesteak Sliders

The holidays are  always crazy busy. I wanted a quick, easy snack that both my mom and husband would eat. Enter the Cheesesteak Slider. These were so tasty that I made them again later in the week.

 

I used to date a guy from Philadelphia. When we visited his family, we went downtown and had a Cheesesteak. Believe it or not, all the venders were using Cheez Whiz. You can use American cheese if you want, but for authenticity (and speed and ease) use the bright yellow stuff from the jar. Trust me. You can also add sautƩed mushrooms if you wish. Just make sure to drain them and chop them up before adding them with the peppers and onions.

 

You can serve these as a snack, as an appetizer at your socially distanced New Year's Eve bonfire or as a meal. If you enjoy these try my Italian Sausage and Pepper Sliders  or my Chicken Taco Sliders.


Servings: 12 sliders
Time:  Active time 20 minutes; Cook: 35 Minutes, Sandwiches in about an hour
Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring cups and spoons, a microwave safe bowl, a second bowl, a serrated knife, a silicone spatula, tongs, a wooden spoon, a pastry brush, a skillet, an 8x11.5 glass baking dish, and foil

Ingredients

  • 1-12 pack of King’s Hawaiian Rolls
  • 1 stick of butter
  • Olive oil for the bottom of the skillet
  • 1 bell pepper (8-10 ounces)-I used different colored baby bells for color
  • 1 small onion (4 ounces)
  • 1-pound roast beef cold cuts (I used Boar’s Head Londonport)
  • ½ cup Cheeze Whiz

  1.  Melt the butter in the microwave safe bowl. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
  2. Roughly chop the onions and pepper into small chunks. Heat the oil over medium. Cook the peppers and onions until they are the desired tenderness. Remove them to the second bowl.
  3. Roughly chop the cold cuts. I find this easiest to do by rolling it up and  slicing it in one direction and then the other direction.
  4. With a large, serrated knife cut the rolls in half horizontally. Don’t separate the rolls. You are creating one large top slab and one large bottom slab.

  5. Lay a large piece of foil in the bottom of the baking dish. Place the bottom of the bread on the foil. Spread the chopped cold cuts evenly over the bread.

    Make sure to not pile all the meat in the middle but spread it out to the edges. Top the roast beef with the peppers and onions.

    Use the spatula to spread the top ‘half’ of the bread with Cheeze Whiz.

    Lay the top slab onto the bottom one. Pour the butter evenly over the sliders. Use the pastry brush to make sure all the bread is covered in butter. Seal the foil closed. You may need another sheet of foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
  6. Allow the sliders to rest for 2-3 minutes. Following the outline of the top buns, use a serrated knife to slice into 12 sliders.

  7. Serve warm.