[Recipe] Game of Thrones - Jerk "Dragon" Wings

My friend Doug is obsessed with jerk chicken, which is served every Friday in the company cafeteria.  So obsessed, in fact, that I once received a group txt (from him) of a picture of a large pile of jerk chicken wings with the caption, "I'm going to make this my new wallpaper."  It should come as no surprise, then, that when I asked him what he'd like me to serve at one of my Sunday suppers, he said, without any hesitation, "Jerk chicken!"

I'm always up for a challenge, and I saw an opportunity for a particularly groan-worthy pun for my Game of Thrones Premiere Appetizer Party-- namely, Jerk "Dragon" Wings... because the dragons are jerks.  And because they have wings... get it?!

... as luck would have it, Doug was actually out of town the night of the premiere and didn't even get to try my dragon wings, but everyone else gave rave reviews.  This is definitely a winning recipe, no tweaks needed at all (though I'll make a PSA/give a pro-- or maybe amateur-- tip below).

Jerk "Dragon" Wings
... because the dragons are jerks
a recipe by Chef John (AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup green onions (scallions), sliced
6 cloves garlic
3 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup lime juice
3 pounds chicken wing drumettes

Public Service Announcement - Habanero Peppers Warning/Tutorial
Like the Bluths, I've made a huge mistake.  I've worked with jalapenos in the past before, completely bare-handed, and had zero issues, so it didn't even occur to me that handling other peppers bare-handed would be a bad idea.  But it really was-- my hands burned for hours after handling, and I had to soak my hands in cream, milk, olive oil, vodka, etc.-- anything that the Internet suggested, honestly-- for relief.  It was really only around bedtime that they stopped burning.

So, here's my pro (or really amateur) tip: please use gloves when handling habanero.  You're welcome.

If you don't have gloves or have already started handling the habaneros gloveless, rub your hands with olive oil immediately after handling (Canola oil will work as well), then wash with Dawn as opposed to hand soap.  The issue is the juice/oil from the hot peppers, which you don't want to seep into the grooves of your skin-- oil will mix with the existing pepper oil, lifting it out-- as opposed to water, which does not mix with oil and will do very little to help.

Directions
1.  Put yellow onion, green onions, garlic, habanero peppers, fresh thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, dried thyme, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, vegetable oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice in a blender and blend until marinade is completely smooth.

2.  Place chicken in a large bowl or pan.  Pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat completely.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

3.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

4.  Place chicken drumettes on prepared baking sheet or pan and reserve marinade left in the bowl.

5.  Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

6.  Brush 1/2 the reserved marinade onto the chicken and turn the wings over.  Bake for 15 minutes.

7.  Turn chicken and brush on remaining 1/2 the reserved marinade.  Bake until tender and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes or more.  An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit.  Rest wings on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a serving platter. 

[Recipe] [Blue Apron] Matzoh-Crusted Chicken with Orange, Fennel and Golden Beet Salad

Restaurants are bad.  There, I said it.

I don't mean they're bad as in, they don't serve delicious food.  I mean they're bad as in, the portions are gigantic and everything is smothered in butter and cream and deep fried.  It's so delicious, but it's also incredibly easy to gain weight, even if you keep otherwise relatively healthy habits.

As you've probably surmised, I love to cook, but I generally cook for one (except when I'm throwing a dinner party), and my worklife keeps me so busy that it's often difficult to go shopping for groceries.  Plus, there's the part where I live in NYC, making it much more difficult to shop for groceries alone—I just can't carry that many bags back with me from the store.  Never have I missed suburbia more.

Enter, "meals by mail," programs/packages that aim to make cooking as easy as, well, checking your mail.  For a fee, they deliver the precise amount of groceries you need to make a set number of meals for one or two people (or a family of four, if that's what you are) directly to your door.  The Blue Apron kit comes with beautifully photographed step-by-step instructions.

I had my first shipment this weekend and am already so excited about my refrigerator full of home-cooked meals, which I'll be bringing to work for lunch and/or dinner all week.  I'll be posting a few recipes from the program as I go, as well as pictures of some of the other meals (without recipes).  Check out this link to see which of these services is right for you-- and let me know your thoughts!

Matzoh-Crusted Chicken with Orange, Fennel and Golden Beet Salad

A recipe by Blue Apron

I decided to post this recipe, out of the three that I received this week, because I'm so enamored of this salad.

Ingredients

2 chicken breast cutlets, pounded

1/2 cup matzoh meal (if you don't have matzoh meal, panko bread crumbs will suffice)

1 fennel bulb

1 golden beet

1 red onion

1 navel orange

1 bunch parsley

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

water
2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt

pepper

Directions

1.  Prepare the produce.  Wash and dry all the fresh produce.  Peel and thinly slice the onion.  Peel the beet and cut it in half lengthwise; very thinly slice the halves.  Cut off and discard any fennel stems and fronds (that is, the green, thread-like tops of the plant).  Halve the fennel bulb lengthwise; remove and discard the core.  Thinly slice the fennel bulb.  Pick the parsley leaves off the stems; discard the stems.  Cut off and discard the peel and pith of the orange; medium dice the orange.

2.  Pickle the onion.  In a medium pan (non-stick, preferably), combine the sugar, vinegar, onion and 1/4 cup of water, and season with salt and pepper.  Heat to boiling on medium-high heat.  Once boiling, cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the liquid is slightly reduced in volume.  Transfer the onions and pickling liquid to a heatproof bowl and set aside.  Carefully rinse and dry the pan.

3.  Coat the chicken.  In a large bowl, combine the mustard and 3 tablespoons of water.  Pat the chicken breast cutlets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Place the matzoh meal in a bowl.  Working one at a time, coat the seasoned chicken cutlets in the mustard-water mixture (letting the excess drip off), then the matzoh meal (tapping off any excess).  Transfer the coated chicken cutlets to a plate.

4.  Cook the chicken.  In the same pan used to pickle the onion, heat a thin layer of canola oil on medium-high until hot.  Add the coated chicken cutlets and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

5.  Make the salad.  Reserving 1 tablespoon of the pickling liquid, drain the pickled onion.  In a large bowl, combine the orange, fennel, beet and drained pickled onion.  Add the reserved pickling liquid; drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Here's the final product of the other recipe I liked in this batch: 

Korean Beef Dukbokki with Quick Kimchi and Fresh Peas

Dukbokki is a Korean cylindrical rice cake.  We Taiwanese have a rice cake as well—ours is flat, but I think, for these purposes, the cylindrical rice cake really kicks butt, as they're easier to saute in shallow oil for a crunchy exterior and soft interior that is seriously addictive.

One part of this recipe is especially worth repeating/posting: the "quick kimchi" was truly tasty and took very little time.  I'm not able to eat super spicy foods, so I don't usually love kimchi, but this was incredibly refreshing.

Ingredients
1/2 pound Napa cabbage
1 clove garlic
1-2-inch piece of ginger
(up to) 2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1.  Wash and dry the fresh produce.  Peel and mince the garlic and ginger.  Cut out and discard the core of the cabbage; thinly slice the leaves.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, the garlic, the ginger, and as much gochugaru as you like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be.  Stir in a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt to taste.  Set aside and let marinate, tossing occasionally, for at least ten minutes.

[Party] Game of Thrones Appetizer Party

It is that time of year again, friends.  Winter is coming.

Given that it's April, that phrase doesn't make much sense to anyone who doesn't watch Game of Thrones, which returned Sunday night for its fifth season.  Naturally, I held a Game of Throne Premiere Party and got sort of carried away... 

Yes, that is a picture of the official Game of Thrones cookbook, and yes, I did print out special Game of Thrones invitations.

The guest list was a lot larger than my typical dinner party, and there was no way I could cook dinner for everyone, so I went with a themed appetizer party instead, on the theory that I could make as many appetizers as possible, that my guests could each bring an appetizer or a bottle of wine, and, barring all else, we could order out to supplement.  I had a lot of fun sifting through the cookbook and cooking up a storm, then labeling everything.  And my guests seemed impressed (by the spread and the premiere episode).

Out of respect to the authors of the cookbook, I will only be posting a few select recipes they have already chosen to include on their website—they will come as standalone posts and eventually be linked to this one.

Sweetcorn Fritters (served in King's Landing)

Truth be told, I could eat sweet corn, straight, just by itself, and I totally have.  Add butter, and I'm happy as a clam.  This recipe is exclusive to the cookbook, but I highly recommend searching online for something similar—it's a mixture of cornmeal, flour, milk, and corn (and other ingredients . . . ), and it's super tasty finger food.  Perfect for any party.

Jerk "Dragon" Wings (Targaryen) - " . . . because the dragons are jerks."
Recipe in This Post

There's a bit of a story here, namely that quite a few of my friends are obsessed with jerk chicken.  Naturally, I accepted the challenge of making jerk "dragon" wings.  This warrants its own standalone post (a sad tale of caution will be involved), but suffice it to say the challenge was met.

Honeyed Chicken (served in Winterfell)

This recipe is available online at The Inn at the Crossroads, so I will blog about this in the future.  It's meant to be a whole roast chicken, but I flipped them to chicken wings for easy finger food.

Mini Cupcake-Tin Pork Pies (served at The Wall)

Though some have forgotten him, there was once a character named "Hot Pie" (friends with Arya and Gendry) and I am sure he made pork pies.  This is a cute take on his name (in addition to food that Jon Snow *swoons* eats). 

Apple Cakes (served at The Wall)

This recipe is available online at The Inn at the Crossroads.  I chose to use the "medieval" version-- the best way to describe is that they are giant apple fritters but much less sweet than we're used to in modern times.  They were super cute (although I think I accidentally made them twice as big as I should have), but my modern palate wasn't quite used to the lack of sugar.

Lemon Cakes (served at King's Landing) (Sansa's Favorite)

This recipe is available online at The Inn at the Crossroads, and I will definitely blog about this in the future.  This is the modern version, and it stayed moist and delicious for days afterwards.  Cake fit for a would-be queen, indeed.

[Recipe] "You Spin Me Right Round, Baby" Butternut Squash and Sweet Sausage Lasagna

KiKi and I like a lot of the same things, though we look nothing alike.  She is tall and blonde, while I am stereotypically Asian-- short, with dark hair and dark eyes.  But we both love to cook (obviously), play with puppies, do DIY crafts, drink wine, watch documentaries (seriously), dance to 80's music and, most recently-- we're both in love with aerial ribbon dancing, though neither of us is particularly good at it.

Aerial ribbon dancing is exactly as it sounds-- there are silks ribbons/streamers hanging from the ceiling, and we dangle and spin in them.  The hope, at the end of our series of classes, is to be able to do something similar to this:

So graceful.  Aerial ribbon dancing, of course, can be much more taxing and fast-paced than this-- think Cirque du Soleil-- but we're not delusional.

We're inevitably famished after aerial ribbon dancing class, so it should come as no surprise that we've rekindled our culinary romance.

"You Spin Me Right Round, Baby" Butternut Squash and Sweet Sausage Lasagnaa recipe by The Kitchn

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (or loose sweet Italian sausage)
1 pound fresh spinach
1 pound dry lasagna noodles
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Butter, to grease the dish

Directions
1.  Cook the butternut squash.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Peel the squash and cut the neck into round slices, 1/4-inch thick.  When you get to the bottom of the squash, slice it in half, remove the seeds and pulp, and slice each half into 1/4-inch thick half-moons.  Place the slices on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to evenly coat.  Spread the squash in an even layer and roast until tender, about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

2.  Cook the sausage.  Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and, once hot, add the sausage to the pan.  Once it begins to brown, use a wooden spoon to break the sausage into small pieces.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until uniformly browned and cooked through.

3.  Cook the noodles.  While cooking the sausage, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the noodles and cook until al dente.  Remove using tongs and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels or, in multiple layers over drizzled EVOO. (The EVOO needs to be between each layer to prevent sticking.) 

4.  Blanch the spinach.  Fill a bowl with ice and cold water, and place it near the stove.  Bring the pasta water back to a boil and add the spinach.  Cook until wilted and bright green.  Scoop the spinach from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water bath.  Once cool, drain the spinach, squeeze it of excess water, and then chop finely.

5.  Make the bechamel.  In a deep saucepan or medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Slowly pour in the milk, whisking to combine smoothly.  Add the nutmeg and salt and continue cooking, stirring often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

6.  Assemble and cook the lasagna.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish.  Add a single layer of noodles, and spread about a fourth of the bechamel over top.  Top with half the spinach and a third of the mozzarella.  Add another layer of noodles, a fourth of the bechamel, half the sausage, half the squash, and another third of the mozzarella.  Add a third layer of noodles, a fourth of the bechamel, the second half of the spinach, the second half of the sausage, the second half of the squash, and the final third of the mozzarella.  Add one more layer of noodles and the final fourth of the bechamel.  Finally, sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano over the top of the lasagna.

Bake the lasagna until hot and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.  If you'd like, finish for a few minutes under the broiler until the top develops golden brown spots.  Cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

[Recipe] "Simple Sophisticate" Veggie Pot Pie Muffins

I've started a new tradition of hosting Sunday Suppers—part of my 2015 vow to do things-- a la Jamie Oliver.  It's fun and relaxing—I love having guests around the dinner table, drinking wine, laughing, unwinding.  There are, however, a few challenges involved in planning and hosting, including, but not limited to, the following: 

1.  Space (meaning that only so many people will fit around my dinner table);
2.  Quantity of food (meaning that it's difficult to gauge for and cook for even a small group of people);
3.  Quality of food (meaning that I want to feed people well and do not, unfortunately/fortunately, follow the advice not to use your guests as guinea pigs);
4.  Complexity of food/prep (meaning that time can be a serious constraint); and
5.  One of my friends is a vegetarian, so I always try to make one main meat dish that everyone else can dig into and make sure there are plenty of vegetarian sides.

Today's recipe is amazing because it's delicious, super-simple, vegetarian, filling, and deceptively sophisticated.  As anyone who has ever made pot pie entirely from scratch can tell you, pot pie is not generally an easy task, nor is it a particularly cute food.  This, however, is both, and goes perfectly with a simple salad.  (I served these with my "Pick of the Harvest" Butternut Squash and Apple Salad to start.)  They would also make a great appetizer/finger food (if a bit substantial) for a bigger cocktail party.

"Simple Sophisticate" Veggie Pot Pie Muffins
a recipe by A Million Moments

I stumbled across this recipe, interestingly enough, not for a dinner party per se but because I am a huge nerd who wanted to celebrate "Pi Day."  Yes.  3.14.15.  But I'm known by my friends and have been for years as someone who tends to make a lot of muffins and cupcakes, not because I'm necessarily obsessed with them but because they are really easy to bring in to share.  So, naturally, I took to the Internet to see whether it was possible to make pies in muffin tins.  The answer is, of course, yes, but in the midst of my quest I also stumbled across these muffins, which really intrigued me because, despite my penchant for baking, it's savory foods, not sweet, that truly interest me.

Ingredients
2 cans Pillsbury Grands! Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits
10 oz. frozen classic vegetable medley (corn, peas, green beans, carrots, etc.)
1 can sliced potatoes
1 can cream of broccoli
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Dice the vegetables (bite-sized pieces) and put them in a medium-sized bowl.
* For simplicity's sake, this recipe called for (and I used) instant/frozen/canned vegetables, but of course you can saute a medley of vegetables simply in butter or olive oil, lightly salted, instead.

2.  Add the can of cream of broccoli soup to the bowl and combine.
3.  Prepare a surface to roll out the biscuits by sprinkling a bit of flour on top so the dough won't stick.  Each biscuit in the can will make one muffin-- roll each biscuit into a 6-inch circle.  Place the rolled biscuits into the muffin tin and add a spoonful of vegetables to each one.  Be careful not to overfill-- keep the vegetables level with the top of the muffin tin.
5.  Sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top, then pinch the excess dough together in the center to cover your filling.

6.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until they're golden brown.  Let cool for 5 minutes.