Game Day Food Newsletter

Good Morning!
A blustery, Chilly morning here this morning. It's game day!
Hope this finds all doing well!
Hugs, 

Paula Smith

OCTOBER 2015 Game Day Food Newsletter

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Friends...

You happen upon them when least expected...

friends from days gone by, sometime since you've seen them...

Yet that bond of friendship is rekindled in a moment...

Cherished memories recalled...some happy times, others trying

times that you have been through together.

Old friends and new friends are necessary in life...

They are the family we choose.

Paula 2011

RECIPES:

Another Cannoli Dip

 Ingredients 

10 servings

 2 cups ricotta cheese

 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Beat ricotta cheese and cream cheese together in a bowl until smooth; add sugar and vanilla. Continue to stir mixture until sugar is completely incorporated. Fold chocolate chips through the cheese mixture.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 10 minutes.

Serve with waffle cones broken into chip size pieces.

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MINI CORN DOGS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
• 24 toothpicks or cocktail sticks

Corn Dogs

• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon (about 9 strips)
• 24 cocktail wieners (such as Lit'l Smokies), or 6 hot dogs cut into 4 pieces each

PREPARATION

1. In a medium pot, preheat oil to 365°F.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt, white pepper, baking powder, and baking soda. {Tip: If you prefer a smoother batter, pulse the cornmeal and flour together in a food processor before stirring in the remaining dry ingredients.} Stir in buttermilk, egg, and honey and gently whisk until no lumps remain. Fold in bacon.

3. Skewer 1 cocktail wiener on each toothpick. Working in small batches, dip and roll wieners in batter until fully coated and then quickly and carefully drop them, toothpick and all, into the hot oil. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve trays of warm corn dogs with a side of ketchup, stone ground mustard, and hot sauce or a selection of your favorite condiments.

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Bang Bang Shrimp

Aka Paula's Mo' Betta Shrimp

Dipping sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. Thai chili sauce 

1 Tbsp. honey

Dash of Kosher salt

Few grinds of coarse black pepper

1 Tablespoon water

Whisk together ingredients for dipping sauce.

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail-on

Bibb lettuce leaves, for serving

Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Directions

Make the sauce: Mix the mayonnaise, chili sauce, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, Old Bay and 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl; set aside.

Prepare the shrimp: Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Meanwhile, pour buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Whisk the flour, cornstarch and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, Old Bay in another shallow bowl.

Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, dip in the buttermilk then return to the flour mixture, turning to coat each side. Fry the shrimp in the hot oil until lightly golden, 2-3 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.

Arrange the lettuce in a shallow serving bowl or on individual plates. Top with the shrimp and garnish with scallions. Serve the dipping sauce on the side.

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Ham & Cheese sliders

• 20 small Hawaiian sweet rolls, cut in half crosswise 
• 1 pound deli ham, sliced 
• 20 slices provolone cheese 
• 8-oz. container spreadable cream cheese 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted 
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onions 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. 
3. Line the bottom of the pan with the bottom halves of the sweet rolls. 
4. Top with the ham, then the provolone cheese slices. 
5. Spread the cream cheese onto the bottoms of the sweet roll tops and place them in a layer on top of the cheese. 
6. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onions and Parmesan cheese. 
7. Mix well and pour evenly over tops of the sandwiches. 
8. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the top. 
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until warmed through. 
10. Cut at the seams with a knife and serve warm!

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Cheddar thumbprint cookies with pepper jelly   Per Nancy...

I had a jar of Red Pepper Jelly I needed to use, I found this on Pinterest, very easy. I'm taking them to a gathering tonight, good with a glass of wine.

Cheddar Thumbprint Cookies with Pepper Jelly

PINTEREST

2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 stick (6 TBSP) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup flour

1/3 cup hot pepper jelly

Place cheese and butter in a food processor (could be creamed by hand or mixer); add flour and process until the mixture forms a soft dough. Gather up the dough and divide into two flat disks. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until chilled, about 45 minutes. (You really don’t need to chill the dough)

Preheat to 400°.

Using 1 teaspoon dough for each, roll the dough into small balls and place 1 inch apart on parchment lined sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, (A small spoon worked for me) poke an indentation in each cookie. Place 1/4 teaspoon of the jelly in each indentation, or enough to fill.

Return to the oven and bake, switching the positions of the sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking, until the tops are very lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (Cookies will continue to crisp as they cool.) Transfer to racks and cool completely. Recipe makes about 20 cookies.

Can be baked up to two days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container and separate layers with wax paper.

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Chicken & Corn Fritters with Green Chile Sauce

adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) Mexicorn, drained
• 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Oil for deep-fat frying
• GREEN CHILI SAUCE:
• 1/3 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 cup milk
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups Shredded Colby Jack cheese, 

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Directions

1. Place corn in a large bowl; lightly crush with a potato masher. Stir in the chicken, egg, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Combine flour and baking powder; stir into the corn mixture just until combined. 
2. In a deep-fat fryer or skillet, heat 2 in. of oil to 375°. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into oil. Fry for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels; keep warm. 
3. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour and seasonings until smooth. Add chilies. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese. Serve with corn fritters; sprinkle with cheese if desired. Yield: 1 dozen.