Time for Super Bowl Snacks: Make Your Own Spiral Chips & Onion Strings with the Turn of a Crank!

Try this fast, simple technique for seasoned, crispy potato strings & ribbons the next time you want a salty, tasty snack.

You can change up the seasonings to be more spicy to your liking.  This spiral slicer is one of two I own. The other is a smaller version with only two slicing options, but it is worth having in your gadget collection.

They both work on manual power....you have to hand crank.

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Paderno Spiral Slicer (see Amazon link below)

Place a washed potato onto the corer end to left of the machine.
Then slide the other end of the potato onto the gripper teeth  on the side with the turn handle.

One of three blades.

Thin slice blade; good for string potatoes or string onions that
can be battered and fried.

Today though, I am going to bake  these string potatoes.
Halfway through slicing I took the potato off to show you the core that
will be left after you have spiraled the potato.

The box shows the ways you can use this gadget with other blades
with different vegetables.

Thicker slices of the same potato.

I placed the two sized spiral slices in a bowl.
Added 1/4 cup olive oil and coated them.
 In a small bowl I added 1/4 tsp. chili powder,
1/8 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. kosher salt.
Add these seasonings to the oiled potatoes.

Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Spread the seasoned potatoes evenly (even the cores).

Bake for 20 - 25  minutes in a pre-heated 400 degree oven.

Comes apart for easy cleaning. Blades can be stored
right inside of the gadget..

Twenty minutes, golden brown.

Twenty five minutes, a little more brown and a little more crispy.

Serve warm with ketchup.

How To Make Your Own Ground Chicken for Chicken Stuffed Peppers Mexican Style

My daughter, Cassandra (Bargain Birdie Blog), and I thought we'd put a twist on traditional Italian hamburger stuffed peppers by making them with ground chicken and some Mexican flavorings.

When checking the per pound price of ground turkey: $6.99 lb. and making your own ground chicken $1.99 lb. it makes sense to do this on your own. If you prefer ground turkey, and can get a good price on a whole turkey, have the supermarket butcher cut a turkey in half for you. Take the breast of each half, and freeze them along with the remaining turkey. Partially thaw breast when you are ready to make this recipe.

Gadgets used: Food Processor, Crock Pot, Cutting Board, Victorinox Knife, Kitchen shears, Fork Food Thermometer. (See links below to gadgets.)
Most of these gadgets are Cooks Illustrated approved.
If you don't have a good chef's knife, I highly recommend the Victorinox Knife. It will make your cutting chores enjoyable.

4 Partially frozen chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat, skin.
2 14 oz cans of enchilada sauce
(or make your own from scratch or with powdered packets to equal 24 oz.)
2 10 oz cans of Original Rotel diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. cumin (if you like it hotter, add 1 tsp.)
10 medium peppers washed, tops cut, center cleaned. (8 to stuff, 2 to dice) red, yellow or green.
1 egg
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Begin by cutting the partially frozen chicken breast into cubes. Add two cubed breasts to food processor  along with one of the diced peppers, pulse until the chicken looks a bit thicker than hamburger.
Remove and reserve in a large mixing bowl.  Add the other two cubed breasts and repeat.
Add the egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix together. Use this mixture to stuff the peppers. You may have extra ground chicken, I made chicken patties and cooked them in a skillet. You could also make some mini meatballs and add them to the Crock Pot to cook with the stuffed peppers.

If you want to put your own spin on the seasonings, this is much like a meatloaf or meatball recipe, use what you think you like.

In your Crock Pot, add the enchilada sauce and the Rotel diced tomatoes and cumin. Place the peppers into the Crock Pot, cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours.
Serve with white rice.

Some of the ingredients

Diced pepper reserved, to be added to the chicken mixture,

Garbage bowl with discarded chicken fat, leaving perfectly trimmed chicken.

Partially frozen chicken chunks.

Partially frozen chicken breasts almost ready to be cubed.

The consistency you are looking for .

Eight chicken stuffed peppers with some chicken leftover.

Eight medium stuffed peppers fit perfectly in the large, oval shaped Crock Pot.
Halfway through cooking time, I rolled each pepper over on it's side to absorb some of the sauce flavors.

Chicken patties in Calphalon non stick. I did use a light spray of  Pam.

Started cooking the patties on med-high heat to get them browned, then turned heat to medium.
I used a kitchen fork thermometer to test for doneness in both the patties and peppers.

Chicken stuffed peppers, with rice and sauce.
They are delicious!

               

Great Football or Anytime Snack - Hamburg Sliders

Sliders: fun to make, delicious to eat!

My daughter has this slider making set, a gadget I don't yet have. We made the sliders for dinner one evening. It was not as cut and dry as plopping a hamburger patty on the grill, but was fun none the less.

The gadget comes with a biscuit cutter type gadget that you can use to shape the burger. It is also used to cut  a standard hamburger bun down to slider size.  The extra bun we used to feed the ducks in her nearby lake, but you could also use it to make breadcrumbs or bread pudding.


Sliders: fun to make, delicious to eat!

My daughter has this slider making set, a gadget I don't yet have. We made the sliders for dinner one evening. It was not as cut and dry as plopping a hamburger patty on the grill, but was fun none the less.

The gadget comes with a biscuit cutter type gadget that you can use to shape the burger. It is also used to cut  a standard hamburger bun down to slider size.  The extra bun we used to feed the ducks in her nearby lake, but you could also use it to make breadcrumbs or bread pudding.

If you use a stove top griddle, be sure it is almost completely flat because the gadget will not sit flat on the griddle if it has a rim around the edge.

Here is a good burger recipe from allrecipes:

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds ground beef 1 egg, beaten 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs 3 tablespoons evaporated milk

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat grill for high heat.
2.	In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic using your hands. Form the mixture into 8 hamburger patties.
3.	Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done.

Christmas Ham Becomes New Year's Quiche

If you have any ham left over from Christmas or New Year, this quiche recipe is a good way to use some of it up.

I made a traditional pie plate quiche and used a gift I bought my daughter to make a couple mini pies.(Progressive International 4 pc dough press set)

Creamy Quiche Lorraine

4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup bacon (cooked & crumbled)  I used leftover ham
3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 dash pepper
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 (9 inch) pie shells (We like the Pillsbury unroll & bake variety)


Directions:
Prepare 9-inch pastry shell and bake for approximately 10 minutes until the crust seals to the bottom of the pie plate.Cool completely.

Beat the eggs and add all other ingredients.
Pour into the cooled pie shell.
Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes until custard is set (will set further as it begins to cool).
Let cool for 5-10 minutes to finish 'setting', and then serve.
This quiche freezes well.

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/creamy-quiche-lorraine-wow-em-101619?oc=linkback

Ingredients (ham is shown below)

Beat eggs in bow, Magic Bullet or blender.

Trim & chop leftover ham into bite size pieces,
add to egg mixture along with shredded cheese & spices.

Prebake the pie crust. Then pour eggs, cheese & ham mixture into the crust.
Bake 325 for 35 - 40 min.

Finished product: Baked Ham Quiche

With the other pie crust dough, I made these
cute little ham and cheese pockets
The other side of the pie maker is used to press
into the dough to make the circle.
Place the dough circle inside the press,
add some shredded cheese and some bite size
pieces of ham, wet the edges with water,
fold over and gently press.
Remove and bake for 10 - 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Delicious hand pockets as shown below!

                                  

Mouth Watering Fried Chicken Tenders

If you get a deep fryer for Christmas, this would be a great way to break it in.
If you don't have a deep fryer a deep cast iron or stainless steel pot will do.
My daughter and I made these at her home, the gadgets belong to her.  She enjoys cooking and her gadgets too!

The delicious recipe we made was one that my daughter created, and I wasn't able to get the exact measurements for this post. I was able to find a very similar recipe from a Rachel Ray, Food Network.

Gadgets used:  Tongs, deep fryer.  If using a cast iron or deep pot use a Taylor deep fry/candy thermometer.   Taylor Digital Fork Thermometer.

Ingredients 

Reconstituted buttermilk

Dry ingredients and chicken tenders in zip lock bag.

No more than this in the basket (6 small tenders)

Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside!

Testing for doneness: 165 degrees
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/meat-and-poultry-temperature-guide/index.html

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 2 pounds chicken tenders
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups buttermilk (you can buy dry buttermilk powder in the baking aisle, it keeps longer than fresh)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Combine the smoked paprika, granulated garlic and onion, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl.
 Season the tenders with salt and pepper.
Add 1/2 the spices to the buttermilk in a shallow dish.
Combine the remaining spices with the flour a zip lock bag.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or if using a heavy pot/cast iron or stainless steel,  set temperature to medium to medium-high heat, about 350 degrees F.

Using tongs dip chicken in the buttermilk, then place the chicken into the zip lock bag, shake to coat.
Add the breaded tenders to the hot oil; do not crowd the pan. Cook the fingers in batches to a deep golden color, about 8 minutes per batch. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. 

Thanksgiving Worthy Riced - not Mashed - Potatoes

After watching countless cooking shows and seeing this gadget - ricer - I decided to give it try.  I bought a small ricer and a large one. The potatoes came out creamy, no lumps, and delicious.  This will now be my preferred method of preparation for potatoes in the future. Well worth the gadget investment! I posted the gadgets I purchased through Amazon.

Here is a good basic recipe for perfect Riced/Mashed Potatoes.

The secret is to use the right potatoes, milk or cream and if you chose to mash, do not over mash.

I'm posting this recipe because the author also recommends using a potato ricer.
Allrecipes has a great potato recipe, but it is for a larger quantity and has non-traditional ingredients.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-mashed-potatoes/

Perfect Mashed Potato Recipe

Recipe Type: Potatoes
Menu: Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Menu
Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1 1/3 pounds (4 medium) Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes washed, peeled, and cut into uniform 2-inch chunks*
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons warm butter
1/2 to 2/3 cup hot milk, half &  half, or cream**

* Do not cut the potatoes into smaller chunks as too much water will be absorbed by the potatoes. After cutting the potatoes, immediately place in cold water to prevent discoloration of the potatoes.

** Buttermilk may be substituted.

Preparation:

In large saucepan, Add cut-up potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and just enough cold water until potatoes are covered; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; cover and let simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

While potatoes are cooking, either in another saucepan or microwave, heat butter.  Also heat hot milk or cream to a simmer (do not boil) separately from the butter in another saucepan or microwave. NOTE: Do not add cold butter or cold milk/cream to when making mashed potatoes.
When the potatoes are cooked, remove from heat and immediately drain potatoes thoroughly in a colander. Return to saucepan; heat over medium-low heat approximately 1 to 2 minutes to dry potatoes, stirring occasionally.  NOTE: Boiled potatoes left in water will start to jellify and may even increase in volume, becoming swollen and watery. That is why it is important to let the potatoes drain for a couple of minutes in a colander immediately after they are cooked.

In the same saucepan that the potatoes have been heated in, mash potatoes with a potato masher, potato ricer, fork, or beat with electric hand mixer until chunky.  Stir in warm butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup of the hot milk.  Add additional milk, a little at a time, if necessary, for desired consistency.

Note: Gluey or gooey mashed potatoes are caused by vigorous over mashing, as anyone who has tried to make the side dish in a food processor can attest. When potatoes are boiled, their starch granules swell. If those granules are broken too vigorously, the cells release copious quantities of starch, resulting in a potatoes with the consistency of wallpaper paste.

Season to taste with additional salt, if desired.

"I personally use a potato ricer when making mashed potatoes. Using a potato ricer, you can make velvety smooth mashed potatoes right at home because potatoes come out fluffy without being gummy. Once you use the potato rice, you will never go back to the old traditional potato masher." 

Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

                                       

Rookie mistake: I left the skins on.

Skins made it difficult to get the job done.
Won't do that again. Peel potatoes.

I added cooked, riced carrots to my riced potatoes.