Perfect For Those Game Days...

What's the best Game Day snack you can possibly think of? Why wings of course...hot chicken wings served just before kickoff. And these wings are something special. Jorj Morgan, who wrote the new cookbook You Can Cook Anything, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a recipe for game day wings that's guaranteed to not disappoint. Jorj told Tonia the great thing about these wings is that you can prepare them anyway you want, baked, airfryed, sauteed. All as long as you coat these wings in her simple sauce recipe. To make the sauce, use a frying pan, with a stick of butter, lots of garlic and vinegar. Coat those wings in the mixture and serve with blue cheese. This recipe is sure to be a touchdown with your game day crowd.  

Save the tips for chicken stock and separate the flats from the drumettes.

The rest comes from your pantry and fridge.

Fry the wings in hot oil. Make a sauce from butter, a bit of vinegar (any kind) and hot pepper sauce.

Dunk the hot wings in the hot pepper sauce and that’s all she wrote!

Don’t have wings…. Check the back of your freezer for a bag of chicken nuggets.

Cook according to the directions and then dunk them in the sauce. Serve a little blue cheese dressing on the side, and you have the next best thing!

My favorite… the BEST wings ever!

Getting An Early Start on Cookie Season

It may barely be October, but that's no reason why you can't start thinking about holiday (or anytime) cookies. And one cookie idea is a doozy! Jorj Morgan, who wrote the new, interactive cookbook, You Can Cook Anything, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with her recipe for the Big Soft Ginger Cookie. We told you it was a doozy, and has actually been in Morgan's family for quite some time, this being her grandma's recipe. Jorj told Tonia you can use either butter or margarine. These cookies are great for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or anytime!

Sheet...Happens....

 

Try Sheet Pie... Apple Sheet Pie to be specific. Rose Wilde, who wrote the new cookbook Bread and Roses, stopped Tonia's Kitchen with a delicious recipe for Sheet Apple Pie with Khorasan. Rose told Tonia Khorasan is a sandy, buttery grain that leaves the pie with a delicious texture. She adds she uses an all-butter crust and is an excellent value because it really feeds a crowd! In addition, the pie offers an excellent crust to filling ratio. Also, it's really delicious!

Lamb...Slow

 

Are you ready for the most delicious, juiciest and succulent lamb you will ever have? Read on! Nicki Sizemore, who wrote the new cookbook Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for slow cooked Lamb Ragu. She says the advantage of the slow-cooker here is in the way lamb is roasted. And because you're using the slow cooker, this lamb comes tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Nicki told Tonia she browns the lamb meat in a skillet first, before adding it and the other ingredients to the slow cooker for several hours. She serves the lamb over pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For Serving

• 12 ounces papperdelle pasta (or any pasta shape you prefer)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving
• Fresh ricotta cheese
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Make the lamb ragu

• In a large straight-sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a plate. Drain off and discard the fat.
• Place the skillet back on the stove and reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, along with the onions, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and give it a good stir to combine. Pour the wine into the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Slide the lamb back into the pan and cook until most of the wine is absorbed.
• Scrape everything to one side of the pan and then pour the tomatoes and their juices into the other side. Using kitchen scissors, roughly chop the tomatoes. Give everything a good stir, then sprinkle in the cinnamon and some more salt and pepper. Cook at a brisk simmer (adjusting the heat as necessary) for 15-20 minutes—stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat and tomatoes with a wooden spoon—until the vegetables are tender. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Discard the bay leaf. Do Ahead: The ragu can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently before serving.

Cook the pasta and serve

• In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta, then transfer it back into the pot. Add the ragu. Cook over medium heat, stirring the pasta to coat in the sauce, 1-2 minutes (or until the pasta is cooked through). Add some of the pasta water as needed to create a nice sauce (it should look a tad watery in the pan, as the sauce will continue to absorb once it’s plated). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese and the mint.
• Twirl the pasta into shallow bowls and top with a bit more sauce and a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese. Drizzle good quality olive oil over the ricotta and sprinkle with mint. Serve with more Pecorino Romano on the side for grating. Devour.

Light, But Heavy on Flavor

 

Looking for a light, vegetable-based curry, that packs quite the flavor? Nicki Sizemore, who wrote the new cookbook Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for this amazing dish, which is based on red curry paste, onion, garlic and ginger. Nicki says she also uses coconut milk and peanut butter to give it a creamier texture. She uses cauliflower, but Nicki says you can use most other vegetables create this curry, which is nutritious and delicious.

Ingredients

Aromatics

• 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste

Slow cooker

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (preferably Red Boat brand)
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 large head cauliflower (2 1/2 pounds), cut into 2-inch florets
• 1 pound red potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, well stirred
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups frozen cut green beans
• 1/3 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving

• Cooked rice or quinoa
• Coarsely chopped peanuts
• Chopped cilantro
• Sriracha