Kevin’s Famous West Coast Wings
Ingredients
2½ pounds chicken wing pieces (flats & drummies, no tips)
½ cup cayenne pepper sauce
½ cup barbecue sauce
Directions
- Boil wings in a large pot for 10 minutes. Drain water and excess fat when done.
- Grill wings on the barbecue until brown & crispy
- Mix equal parts hot sauce & BBQ sauce and toss wings to coat.
All-American Beef Chili with Beans
Ingredients
3 16-oz cans chili beans (pinto beans in mild sauce)
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 10-oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
10 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
1.5 lbs ground beef, 85% lean
1 tbsp canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 bay leaf
½ cup brewed coffee
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
For Serving
sour cream
sliced or pickled jalapenos
grated cheddar cheese
cornbread wedges
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. When hot, add the onions and sauté until translucent --- about five minutes. Add the ground beef and garlic and cook until browned.
- When the meat has browned, add the mushrooms and stir well. Cook for five more minutes, until mushrooms become tender. Then, stir in the beans (with sauce), tomato sauce, Rotel and brewed coffee.
- Bring chili to a boil then reduce heat and simmer. Add the sugar, bay leaf, chili powder, cumin and salt. Continue simmering on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring often. Adjust seasonings according to your taste preference ---- I added a little cayenne pepper here but you’ll want to taste it before going crazy.
- Serve chili in big bowls topped with sliced jalapenos, crumbled cornbread, cheddar cheese and dollops of sour cream.
Smoky Baba Ghanoush
Ingredients
8 small Japanese eggplants
1/2 cup tahini
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Either on the top shelf of your broiler, or directly on your gas stove, char the eggplant, turning to insure every bit of skin is charred. Don’t worry, you’re going to peel off the charred skin, so you really want to get the skin black and flakey as this is where the smoky aroma will come from.
- Set the charred eggplant aside until it cools enough to handle. Flake most of the black skin off (it’s okay if there’s a little left), then shred the eggplant by pulling it apart with your fingers and place it in a mesh strainer for 30 minutes to drain the extra liquid.
- Mince the eggplant, and then combine it in a bowl with the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Stir well to combine and adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with more olive oil and chopped parsley or sumac. Serve with crackers or chips.
Apple and Brie Quesadillas with Mango Chutney
Ingredients
4 large whole wheat tortillas
4 oz. light or traditional Brie cheese, thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith or other tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. mango chutney, Chinese duck sauce or apricot jam
Directions
- Preheat two large skillets over medium to medium-low heat (alternatively, bake all the quesadillas on baking sheets at 375 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes, until they are lightly browned and crisp). (For an extra-crispy quesadilla, brush the outsides of the tortillas lightly with vegetable oil before cooking them.)
- Lay one tortilla on the bottom of each pan, and top each with 1/2 of the Brie and apples. Spread one side of two more tortillas with 1 Tbsp. of the chutney, and put those tortillas on top of the tortillas in the pan, chutney side down. Let the quesadillas cook for 3 – 4 minutes per side until they start to brown, then carefully flip them and brown the second sides. Remove the quesadillas from the pan. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the quesadillas into wedges to serve.
