Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts

I was looking for a snack for the Superbowl that I could make ahead and serve at room temp to bring to my friend Kevin's parents house. These sweet and spicy nuts were a hit! They're well balanced but a bit spicy at the end so it makes you want to take another sip of your beer or cocktail. To elevate the plating I like to use a nice silver bowl so it looks a bit fancier. 

Ingredients:
1 cup mixed nuts (raw, not toasted) I used pecans, cashews, and almonds
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Olive oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 300 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil spray so nuts do not stick later. 

2. Place the egg white in a bowl and whip with a fork until really frothy. 

3. Add in the spices and nuts to the egg white. Toss until everything is well coated.

4. Place the nut mixture on the baking sheet and cook for about 35 minutes. Make sure to toss the nut mix around every 10 minutes for even baking and to prevent sticking. 

5. Allow to cool on the baking tray, mixing occasionally so the nut mix doesn't clump together. Store at room temperature in an air tight container until ready to serve.

Chicken Skewers with Saffron Rice and Spicy Yogurt Dipping Sauce - Brian Meal Prep

This dish was requested by my Husband, Brian, as I continue to do his meal prep for lunches. We both liked this one so much I had to post about it. If you don't have metal skewers you can use wood skewers but make sure to soak them in water for about 30 minutes before using so they don't burn. 

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. grated garlic
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion power
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks

Yogurt Dipping Sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp. grated jalapeno
1 tsp. grated garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Saffron Rice:
1 cup white long grain rice
2 cups chicken stock 
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, grated garlic, turmeric, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl and mix together. Add chicken chunks and allow to marinate at least 2 hours. 

2. While the chicken marinates prep the yogurt dipping sauce by mixing all the ingredients together and set aside. 

3. Once chicken has marinated turn your broiler to high. Using metal skewers add a piece of marinated chicken, a piece of green bell pepper, another piece of chicken, and then a piece of red bell pepper. Continue this method until all the bell pepper and chicken pieces are skewered. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper over the skewers. 

4. Broil for about 5 minutes until the chicken and bell pepper start to darken or blister slightly getting nice char marks. Turn the skewers 180 degrees and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes. The goal is to get the chicken fully cooked but make sure the bell peppers don't turn into charcoal. 

5. While the skewers broil, make the rice by adding the saffron threads to the chicken stock in a sauce pan and let bloom for about 5 minutes until the chicken stock has a bit of red or yellow coloring from the saffron. Turn heat to medium high and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the rice and salt. Cover and reduce heat so rice is on a low simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. 

6. Allow the chicken skewers to rest for about 4 minutes before serving them over a bed of saffron rice and drizzling them with the yogurt dipping sauce. Enjoy! 

Brie, Pecan, and Hot Honey Puff Pastry Bites

This is a great appetizer for the fall and winter since it's served warm. You can prep the puff pastry ahead by rolling it out, docking the dough, cutting the rounds and placing into a butter coated mini muffin tray. Keep them covered in the fridge with plastic wrap.

The classic combination of brie, pecans, and honey has been used so many times but making it bite size made them seem a little more fun and elegant. This recipe makes 24 bites

Ingredients:
2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge
1 wheel brie cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped into small pieces
Hot honey, to drizzle over top

Directions:

1. Roll out the puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Prick the dough all over with a fork (this is called docking). Use a cookie cutter and place the dough rounds into a butter lined mini muffin tray. 

2. When ready to serve preheat the oven to 400. Place a small cube of brie cheese into each puff pastry cup. Drizzle with a bit of hot honey and cook for 15 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and the pastry gets a little golden brown. 

3. Top the puff pastry bites with pecans and bake for another 5 minutes. Allow to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes and then gently place them on your serving tray. They are best served warm but are tasty at room temp also. 

Tator Tot Bites

I love potatoes! I found this side dish for some sliders but it could also be an appetizer. If you want to make it extra fancy you could top the bites with creme fraiche and caviar. You definitely want to serve these warm and they need to be made in the moment, when I tried making the tator tot cups in advance they didn't get very crispy the second time when reheating. 

You can make these in a muffin pan and make some big hash brown cups but I prefer to make them bite size by using a mini muffin tray. 

Ingredients:
Olive oil spray
24 frozen tator tots
Sour cream
Bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
Chives, finely minced

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 425. Spray the muffin tin with olive oil spray. 

2. Place one frozen tator tot into each mini muffin slot. Cook as is for 10 minutes. 

3. Use a shot glass and press into the tator tot to make a small cup. Spray with olive oil and put back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the tator tot bites are crispy and golden brown. 

4. Fill the bites with your toppings of choice. I did a dab of sour cream, bacon bites, and topped them off with the chives. Serve warm! 

Crispy Tofu for Brian

 My Husband Brian really likes tofu. Me, not so much. That's why I make tofu a lot for his lunch meal prep. I'd been testing ways to make the tofu crispy for some extra texture and this recipe is the winner. It's super simple to prep. Serve with a veggie stir fry or rice for a complete meal. 

Ingredients:
1 block tofu, extra firm
1 Tbsp. corn starch
Olive oil spray
1 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp black pepper

Sauce:
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce

Directions:

1. Cut the tofu block into 4 even slices and drain on a paper towel. Press the tofu gently to remove as much excess liquid as possible. 

2. Using your hands tear the tofu into large chunks and place into a bowl. You want lots of edges here instead of cubes. 

3. Add the corn starch, salt, and black pepper to the tofu bowl and gently mix until all of the tofu is evenly coated in corn starch. 

4. Place coated tofu in a single layer on an aluminum foil lined tray. Spray all over with the olive oil spray. Cook in an airfryer at 375 for about 6 minutes or until the tofu gets crispy. 

5. While the tofu bakes make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl large enough to toss the tofu in. Whisk to combine the sauce. 

6. Once the tofu is crispy add it to the sauce and stir until the tofu is evenly coated. Serve warm with your side dish of choice. 

Benihana Ginger Salad Dressing

I was making my Crispy Rice recipe and I wanted to add a salad to it. I've always loved the Benihana salad dressing. It's a simple salad but the dressing packs a lot of punch. This recipe has a lot of ingredients in small portions but it really adds up in flavor. 

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. chopped ginger root

1 Tbsp. chopped celery

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp. tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Salad Mix:

4 cups romaine lettuce or mixed greens

1/4 cup sliced carrots

1/4 cup sliced cucumbers

1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes

Directions:

1. Combine all dressing ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. 

2. Add lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes to a bowl. Add in half of the dressing and toss to combine. Add more dressing if desired. 

3. Serve immediately so lettuce does not wilt. (Dressing can be made ahead 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge. Make sure to bring back to room temp and shake to combine before use.)

Shaking Beef

My husband Brian and I had this dish for the first time at a restaurant near use called Little Sister. It was such a rich marinade but the beef stayed so tender and medium rare I new I wanted to try to make it myself at home. To keep the beef tender you may want to cook it in batches and you definitely want to use a very high heat and quick cooking method like a wok.
 
Ingredients:
Marinade:
2 lb boneless beef rib eye, cut into 1-inch (2 1/2-cm) cubes
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
 
Salad:
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. water
1 red onion, sliced into rings
2 bunches mixed greens
3 roma tomatoes, sliced into wedges
2 Tbsp. canola oil
fresh cilantro, for garnish
cooked white rice, for serving
 
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the beef, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and black pepper. Toss to combine. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. In small bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and water. Add the red onion and toss to coat in the dressing. Set aside to soak.

3. On a platter or large plate, arrange the watercress and tomato slices.

4. Preheat a large wok or skillet over high heat, then add the canola oil. When the oil is shimmering, swirl around in the pan to coat evenly. Add half of the marinated beef and sear on all sides, shaking the pan, until the meat is slightly charred and medium rare, 3-5 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and repeat with remaining beef.

5. Arrange the beef on the bed of watercress and tomatoes. Top with the dressing, red onions and fresh cilantro.

6. Serve with domed white rice.