keely marie

Interrupting your :::Super Bowl Hangover Monday::: with your new favorite butternut squash dish.

When I saw that Sarah chose Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers as the first recipe for The Food Matters Project I was really curious to see what’s used to make the “Chipotle-Glaze.”

The glaze is pretty simple, made using a mix of chili peppers in adobo sauce (canned at your grocery store), olive oil, honey, and garlic. These squash skewers are a great dish to bring to a BBQ or potluck and a fantastic main dish if you are eating more vegetables and less meat.

Head over to 20somethingcupcakes for the full recipe.

The glaze is a blend of smoky, spicy, and sweet. I added an extra tablespoon of honey after tasting. I was a little worried because there are not many dishes I make that call for so much olive oil for, but a lot if it drips off while you roast the skewers. The recipe calls for the glaze to be muddled, but somehow I am without a muddler (makes no sense with  my love of mojitos!). I used the chop option on a food processor for a few seconds.

{TIP: I had a hard time getting the bamboo skewers in the squash without breaking them, I think I soaked the skewers in water too long. So instead I used metal skewers. They were long enough to sit on the sides of my baking sheet which was perfect for roasting the squash cubes. The skewers suspended in the air above the baking sheet, which made it easy to turn them once in a while.}

Next time I make these I will add some pineapple and green bell pepper to the skewers for color & variety in flavor. Since I’m not used to eating only vegetables for a meal (especially not just 1 type of vegetable), adding something else to the skewers would make it more interesting and I think the flavors would go really well together.

You can also head here to see how the other members of The Food Matters Project fared.

::: Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers Recipe :::

::: keelymarie :::

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Posted in dinner, hors d'oeuvre, recipes, sweet & spicy, the food matters project

Tagged Adobo, chipotle glaze, Food Matters Project, Squash Skewers, The Food Matters

I am beyond excited to announce that I am teaming up with a talented group of food bloggers to launch a project that is extremely meaningful.

This year I want to eat more veggies and less red meat & processed foods. This is easier said than done since I am always on the road traveling, so educating myself is the first step.

Mark Bittman, the author of the book Food Matters, believes that what we put into our body matters. It matters for our own health and it matters to the world. The idea is that meats and pasta/bread (not whole grain) should be seen as a treat, not the main meal. That vegetables, healthy fruits, and whole grains should take center stage in your life and should be the largest portion on your plate. The less “industrial meat” we eat, the less greenhouse gas we produce so we are helping our planet.

Hence, The Food Matters Project. My very good friend Sarah from 20somethingcupcakes had this wonderful idea to create a blogger group project where we will each post a recipe a week from Mark Bittman’s Cookbook The Food Matters Cookbook.

Each week 1 blogger chooses a recipe and writes a post on it, including the full recipe. All the bloggers that are part of the project will also write a post about the dish and link to the blogger of the week’s recipe. There will be a new post every week.

I bought the cookbook last week and I have to say, I have never seen so many interesting takes on veggie and whole grain dishes. Don’t worry, I am not going 100% veggie on you (I don’t think I could). The recipes include fish, chicken, and many meats…just less than what we eat normally.

Monday we launch and Sarah kicks it off with Chipotle-Glazed Roasted Squash Skewers. I am making them for Super Bowl Sunday, so if you want to try them come over!

::: The Food Matters Project :::

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A few weekends ago my sister came in town to celebrate my 28th birthday. We decided to have a nice late breakfast Saturday to kick off the weekend and I wanted to experiment with these cute little popovers I saw on Pinterest.

I say experiment because halfway through baking them, I thought I created  some sort of “mini monsters fluffs” that would never be allowed to grace the camera with their presence. BUT… to my surprise the second they left the heat of the oven they began shrinking up into these adorable little “cups.”

The fruit filling was delicious and is easy enough to play around with different flavors depending on your mood. Peter wants applesauce topping next time, as he wasn’t so sure what was so German about them.

I totally see why some people call them Hootenanny pancakes. Never really knew what hootenanny meant, but you can find some hilarious definitions. My favorite being “thingamajig.” These are totally thingamajig pancakes! You will see what I mean when you take them out of the oven.

Were some of the things heard in my kitchen that morning…

There

wasn’t

one

left.

Mini Popover Pancakes     yields about 24 or two muffin tins

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen and MakeandTakes

Pancakes:

• 1 cup milk
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• a bit of powdered sugar for serving

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Mix milk, eggs, flour, salt and vanilla in a mixer, blender, or by hand with a whisk.  I used my new kitchen aid mixer with the whisk attachment because I find any excuse to use it now. Once clumps are gone,  add in butter a little at a time, make sure it’s not piping hot from melting since you have so many eggs in there. Pouring in a little at a time gradually adjusts the temperature of the mixture which is important given the eggs.

Grease muffin tins well and pour batter evenly between 24 tins. They should  each look a little less than half full.

Bake for 15 minutes. They should slightly brown and puff up. Once you take them out of the oven they “deflate” and “curl” into cute little circular bowls.

While the pancakes are baking, put the frozen berries, honey, and water in a saucepan on high heat. Bring it to a boil. Add cornstarch (mixed first in a tablespoon of water) and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve berry sauce over pancakes.

Hope to see your renditions!

::: keelymarie :::

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Posted in breakfast, recipes, weekend

Tagged fruit filled pancakes, hootenanny pancakes, Muffin tin, Pancake, Pinterest, Popover, popover pancakes, Powdered sugar

This post is a bit more like a confessional.

Yes, I have been to Hooters.

And yes, I have been there enough to find out they have a secret wing sauce that is not on the menu.

Tell me I’m not alone?

If you haven’t had the Daytona wings at Hooters you are missing out. They toss them in a sweet, sticky, spicy sauce that is completely addicting. So good these wings  are kept a secret and not even on the menu.

Since I don’t really know what is in their Daytona sauce, I created this recipe experimenting with my own versions.  And since I can’t keep them a secret, I put them on our menu for this past New Year’s Eve party to see if others felt the same.

You won’t have leftovers.

Boneless Baked Daytona Bites   

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cleaned and cut into “bites” {About 1 1/2 inch squares}
• 3/4 cup of flour
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pam olive oil spray

• 3/4 cup BBQ sauce {I use Sweet Baby Ray’s original}
• 1/4 cup hot sauce {I use Frank’s Original or Texas Pete’s}
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper {if you like more heat}
• 1 teaspoon corn starch {be sure to mix this with a few drops of cold water before putting it  in the sauce}

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Combine the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Put the pieces of chicken in the plastic bag and shake to coat.

Place the chicken pieces on a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked.

While the chicken is in the oven combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan on the stove. Reduce on medium low heat for at least 15 minutes.

Toss the chicken in the sauce.

Optional: Throw the sauce coated bites in the oven on low broil for 5 minutes to give them a nice glaze with the sauce.

I’m dying to know if anyone else has tried Hooters Daytona wings! Better yet if you have the secret recipe.

*Featured on ALLFREECOPYCATRECIPES. Head over there to find your favorite chain restaurant recipes made over by bloggers all over the world.

::: keelymarie :::

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Posted in BBQ, hors d'oeuvre, party menus, recipes, sweet & spicy

Tagged Barbecue sauce, boneless wings, Buffalo wing, chicken bites, daytona wings, New Years Eve, Texas Pete

WHAT. A . LONG. WEEK.

It’s been exciting getting back to work and diving into the new year, but I do miss waking up and only thinking about Bikram yoga on the agenda for those few days.

One more day this week though! Let’s do it.

You know what would make this grueling week-after-an-amazing-break better? If you made these egg rolls. They make me happy. And they made my New Year’s Eve party guests very happy.

::: partaaay egg rolls ::

Whenever I see southwestern egg rolls on a menu I want them, but I am always turned off by the grease from frying. Why not bake them?

Southwestern Egg Rolls. In all their glorious, spicy, flavorful, hot, gooey, and crunchy goodness. They were really a fabulous idea, until I forgot the egg roll wrappers when I was at the grocery store.

#$%$!!!!

We dealt with it and used multiple won ton wrappers instead. That was not easy. Peter got stuck wrapping them because I didn’t have the patience.

So for the New Years Eve party I decided to make them FOR REAL. {seen above}

And it was worth it.

::: the annoying little mini me’s made w/ tiny wont ton wrappers :::

Southwestern Egg Rolls      yields about 10 egg rolls

• 2 boneless skinless breasts of chicken, chopped small
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 lime, squeezed
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 1 4 oz can of green chilis, squeezed to drain as much as possible
• 5 scallion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• package of  egg roll wrappers
• eggwash for sealing wrappers
• Olive Oil cooking spray

Avocado Dipping Sauce

• 1 -2 avocados (depending the size), sliced
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Spicy Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

In a pan heat olive oil on medium heat. Cook chicken seasoned with paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper for 8 minutes or until fully cooked. Should be quick since we diced it small. When cooked, set aside to cool.

While the chicken is cooking combine corn, black beans, green chilis, scallions, and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Once chicken is room temperature add chicken and cheese to the bowl and mix.

To roll the egg rolls, place wrapper facing you like a diamond. Put about 3-4 tablespoons of mixture in the wrapper. Fold up bottom side. Fold in both left and right side and use the egg wash to glue sides to the bottom flap. Pull top side over and seal tightly using egg wash. Make sure there are no holes, seal everything well.  Place on a greased baking sheet. Spray tops of egg rolls with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip them completely over, then bake for ten more. They should brown on all sides and crisp.

Avocado dipping sauce: combine all ingredients in a food processor and grind until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy dipping sauce: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

::: keelymarie :::

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Posted in hors d'oeuvre, recipes

Tagged Avocado, Egg roll, egg roll wrappers, southwestern egg rolls