Homemade Garlic Parmesan Wings

These homemade Garlic Parmesan Wings make a nice hot lunch, or an appetizer, or make them in quantity and share with friends. I make this is batches of 5 wings, because it’s just me.  So if you want more - scale up the ingredients. 

5 Wings – fresh, or thawed fully. I like the bigger ones if you can get them. 

Dry mix - Put together in a bowl 1 cup of flour and about a tsp or so of Italian dried herbs. I use something called McCormick’s Perfect pinch Italian seasoning but you could make your own blend easy enough. Add about two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese… either the stuff that comes in the green canister or if you’re using fresh you’ll want it grated very fine, like tiny breadcrumbs. Some folks would add a shake of salt to this, but that’s up to you.

Wet mix – crack either one extra large or two regular eggs into a separate bowl. I use two. Add a tsp or more garlic – fresh, or the stuff that comes in a jar from the store.  Add a few drops of olive oil.  Beat that all up til frothy.

I heat up a little marinara or spaghetti sauce to dip in, and add a little more Parmesan to it.

Take the wings, roll them quickly in the dry mix, and then let them sit for a bit – at least 15 minutes.  This helps the chicken dry so the crust will form better.   While they are sitting, mix up the wet mix. 

Take your wings that have been sitting resting and dip into the wet mix to coat them.  Then dip them again into the dry mix fully covering them. Lay them out on a small rack or plate that will fit in the fridge.  This works best if one hand coats with the wet mix, and another coats with the dry mix.  The wings now sit either overnight or for at least a hour or so in the fridge. Don’t stack them up, lay them flat. This seems like a silly thing but I’ve discovered that this resting cold with the dry-wet-dry coating really makes a difference in how crunchy they are.

I deep fry these wings in Crisco. I’m lucky enough to have a secondhand deep fryer (a Presto – Granpappy fryer), but you could do it in a cast iron Dutch oven on the stove. You’ll want about three inches of Crisco, so get yourself a couple of big cans, and just commit that fat to deep frying*.  Heat the fat up to 350 degrees before you start.  Make sure there’s plenty of room for them to fit – I add one at a time, and sometimes if they are bigger only do three at a time, In a Dutch oven, probably 5 at a time is fine. The wings should reach an internal temp of 165 degrees. In the Fryer this takes 7-8 minutes, but your time may vary.



* Once you’re done cooking the wings in the cast iron pan, let the whole thing go cold. The Crisco can be used again for a number of times.

Baby Spareribs

These Baby Spareribs make a great appetizer:

2-2 and a half pounds of Spareribs Cut in Halves
Marinade/Barbecue Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 scallions sliced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Chili Sauce
1 cup Chicken Broth

 Cut ribs into individual pieces. Saute the onions, scallion and butter  until soft (but not brown) add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, constantly stirring. Pour sauce over ribs (meaty side up) in a bowl.  Let stand for 4 hours in refrigerator.  Place ribs on pre grill. Brush with sauce. grill for 25 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce.  Serve as appetizers.

Fondue

Fondue to most people is a fad that is long over, something you dabble with at a small party or one of many appetizers at a buffet. To my family it is more than that. We believe fondue is a meal - not an occasional, twice a year kind of thing, but something reoccurring on the menu. We love fondue.  Having a Fondue pot  (or two or four) is not unusual at all. Was I ever surprised when I moved away that people in general do not have a fondue pot. Many haven't even experienced any kind of fondue.

There are a few different kinds of fondue. A meat fondue, where oil or chicken broth is boiled so different meats can be cooked in it to the individuals taste. For this, the sauces you serve with the meal will determine the success of the meal. A cheese fondue which is some sort of blend of cheeses melted in wine, in which you dip bread cubes. This is the type of meal my family means when they say fondue for dinner. The last type is dessert fondue, usually made of melted chocolate with dippers of fruit or cake.  If you're feeling adventerous, you can serve a dinner of all three, but be aware there's considerable prep work.

Below some Fondue recipes  to enjoy.

Meat Fondue:

Use either a pot 2/3 cup of oil or condensed chicken stock. You'll want a thermometer to check the temp unless you have an electric fondue pot to maintain the temp at about 350. The oil cooks quicker and is more common, but I have tried the stock/bouliion approach and had reasonable success. The meat takes much longer to cook in the broth though, so keep that in mind.

I take some lean beef, a pork chop or two, some boneless chicken breast, some shrimp & some bread and chop it into small pieces, about 1 inch square (bite sized.) If you're feeling ambitious, you can cut small squares of mozzerella,  dip in egg and breadcrumbs twice to make a firm coating, and use them as Cheese boites with the meat. Then you want sauces for everyone to try.

Sauces I have used straight from the bottle are BBQ sauce, Teryaki Sauce, Ranch Dressing, spagetti sauce and Honey. I make a garlic butter sauce from scratch. I also combine lime juice with dijon mustard with a  bit of scallion in it for my lime-mustard sauce. Pretty much anything yoou like to top meat with is good for a sauce.

Classic Cheese Fondue:

12 ounces Swiss cheese,  and 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 and 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 clove garlic
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 cup vermouth or white wine (champagne or chablis are both good)
Loaf of french bread (Baguettes are best)
I have also served small cooked ham cubes for dippers.**
Combine Cheeses and cornstarch in bowl. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes, with a crust on every piece.

Rub cut clove of garlic on inside of pot. Combine Vermouth & lemon juice in pot over medium heat til bubbles form on bottom of pot. Do NOT allow to boil.  Slowly add handful of cheeses to pot. Stir continuously until cheese is completely melted, then add another handful of cheeses. After all the cheese has been incorporated and is melted, transfer to fondue pot and place over sterno heat. Spear bread cubes with fondue fork, piercing crust last. Dip bread in cheese (a figure 8 is best to keep the pot stirred) and enjoy.

Chocolate Fondue:

Dippers cut into Bite sized pieces such as: Strawberries, cherries, bannas, oranges, pound cake, marshmallows, angel cake, melon, apples and even pretzels.

6 1-ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup of light cream
1/2 cup of butter
1/8 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of creme de cacao or orange flavored liqueur

In saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat. Add sugar, cream, butter, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes or until thickened. stir in Liqueur. pour into fondue pot and place over burner. Spear you choice of goody on fork and dip away in sauce.

Key Lime Nachos

Makes 2 servings and can be done in a toaster oven. Adjust amounts as wanted.tortilla chips
2 oz. tortilla chips
1 1/2 tsp key lime juice
1/2 cup shredded Montrey Jack cheese
1/2 tsp chili powder
dash cayenne pepper

Spread 1/2 tortilla chips on small baking sheet. Drizzzle chips with 1/2 the lime juice. cover chips with 1/2 the cheese. spread remaining chips over cheese. drizzle with remaining lime juice and cheese. sprinkle with chili powder and cayenne pepper. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

Crab-Cheese Fondue

To make Crab-Cheese fondue:

Shred together 8 ounces of processed american cheese and 8 ounces of natural cheddar cheese.
Heat over low heat 3/4 cup of milk. melt cheese in milk by slowly adding a handful of cheese at a  time until melted. Stir in 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. add about 8 ounces of crab meat until well mixed. (canned is fine)

Transfer pot to fondue burner. Suggested dippers for this would be  French bread cubes, cherry tomatoes and  cooked artichokes.

Pizza Dip

Ingredients:

Thin sliced baguette pieces or bagel crisps

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Pizza sauce

Italian herb mix

some kind of topping - sausage crumbles, chopped pepperoni, mushrooms, pepper pieces,etc.

In a small baking pan, layer the pizza sauce, any toppings you choose, the cheeses and then the italian herb mix. Bake until slightly bubbly.  Serve with the Baguette slices.

Italian Herb Mix:

This would be a combination of Basil,  Oregano, Garlic powder, and Parsley.

Honey Chicken Teriyaki

Honeyed Chicken Teriyaki is  excellent as an appetizer or as a entree for a bigger meal. Half the ingredients for 2 servings, or double the recipe for 8.

Ingredients
2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 beaten eggs
oil for frying

Glaze:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp dry sherry (I use white vermouth)
1 minced or pressed clove of garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Cut the chicken into 2 inch cubes. If making appetizers, cut into 1 inch cubes. Combine flour, salt, pepper in one bowl. Dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and then coat with the seasoned flour. Pour 1/2  inch oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat.  to test temperature of oil, drop a pinch of flour into pan; flour should sizzle and float on hot fat. When fat is hot, add chicken, half at a time. Cook, turning as needed until chicken is golden brown, this is usually a total of 6-8 minutes for larger pieces and 4 to 5 minutes for smaller pieces. Take chicken out of oil when done and drain briefly.

 Heat glaze ingredients except for sesame seeds in a small pan. Dip chicken pieces in glaze, place ona rack set in a baking pan. when all chicken is cooked and dipped, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush with remainder of glaze after 10 minutes.  Serve hot. I usually serve this with rice, cut pieces of celery is a nice garnish for the chicken on the plate also.

Beer - Cheese Fondue

Ingredients:
1 small clove garlic, halved
3/4  cup beer
8 ounces process Swiss cheese shredded (2 cups)
4 ounces sharp natural Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
dash bottled hot pepper sauce

Rub inside of heavy saucepan with cut surface of garlic; discard garlic. Add beer and heat slowly. Coat cheeses with flour. Gradually add to beer, stirring constantly, till mixture is thick¬ened and bubbly. (Do not allow mixture to be¬come too hot.) Stir in hot pepper sauce.


Transfer to fondue pot; place over fondue burner. Spear dipper with fondue fork; dip into fondue, swirling to coat. (If mixture becomes too thick, stir in a little additional warmed beer.)

Dippers: french bread, ham, boiled potatos

Pretzel Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:
4 cups miniature pretzels
5 cooked bacon strips, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 egg
1/2 cup light or nonalcoholic beer
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 lbs chicken, boned and skinned
Coarsely  chop the pretzels, bacon, cheese and parsley together.  This all goes in one bowl. In another  bowl, whisk the egg, beer, flour and spices. Dip a few pieces of chicken at a time in beer mixture, then pretzel mixture. Place chicken in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until done.

Cocktail Party Meatballs

Ingredients

SAUCE
3 cups catsup
2 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. salt (or to taste)
4 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
12 drops Tabasco sauce

MEATBALLS
3 pounds ground pork*
3 c. fine dried bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. horseradish
8 eggs, beaten
12 drops tabasco sauce
6 Tbsp. minced onion

Instructions
To make the sauce, bring all the ingredients to a boil in a sauce pan, then simmer for 1/2 hr.

To make the meat balls, combine beef, bread crumbs, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine horseradish, eggs, tabasco and onion and mix well. Add to the meat mixture and blend well. Roll the mixture into bite size balls, approx. 250 of them. Brown the meatballs in a large fry pan, drain and transfer to 2 large baking dishes and pour the sauce over them. Simmer in the oven for 2-2 1/2 hours. Serve hot on chafing dish. These may be made the day before and reheated or frozen with the sauce on.

Notes
* other ground meats may be used, turkey or beef, or a mixture.