Brig Dip

This is waaaay overdue.

But earlier in the year, when I was overrun with figs, I decided to make brig dip.  Super easy appetizer... I overcooked mine, which did nothing to diminish the taste, only diminishing the appearance.

Ingredients:
1 hunk of brie
1 1/2 -2 cups fig chutney

Pre-heat oven to 350 or so.  Peel your brie and place on a baking sheet.  I used a small one to do this in the toaster oven.  Pour the chutney over the brie.  Cook for about ten minutes or so, until brie is slightly melty.  DO NOT FORGET ABOUT IT.  If you do, it will look like this:

I served mine with toasted bits of corn tortilla. If you're not gluten-free, this would be excellent with sourdough bread or crackers.

Hot Wings!!!!

Occasionally, we miss restaurant food.  Occasionally our sinuses go nuts and we want something hot.  Occasionally, we feel like eating bad.

Hot wings satisfy all of those occasions.  So easy, so much cheaper than eating them out somewhere.  But not a bit healthier.  OOOPS.

We do have a deep fryer (sad but true) and pull it out sometimes for wings.  Sometimes we bake them.
They are better fried.  The thing about frying them is they get that crispy, crusty, yummilicous texture that lets you know you are eating something bad for you.

The other secret to wings is in the sauce. Some places make sauce that is too mild.  Some places make sauce that is hot but has no flavor.  Some have all flavor and no kick.

PUH-LEASE

You gotta have good sauce.

Yummy, Fabulous Hot Wing Sauce
1/2 stick butter
2 tbsp. minced garlic
32 oz. bottle of a base hot sauce (Frank's Hot Sauce or Texas Pete will do)
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. lemon zest.

Mix all with a wisk.  Don't skip real butter!  Toss your wings in it... this should coat about 15 or 16 wings.  Serve.  Repent and eat your veggies tomorrow.

Gluten-Free Corn Dogs

My brilliant husband decided that we NEEDED corn dogs.  Um, I'm not especially sure that anyone ever NEEDED corn dogs, but he was cooking dinner, so I went with his theory.

His recipe:
1 pack of chicken hot dogs that are gluten-free
1 1/2 cups cornmeal (not cornmeal mix)
1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour mix (we like Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix together all batter ingredients until they are really good and smooth.  Heat oil to really hot in a pan on the stove, about 375 degrees.  Once the oil is ready, dip your hot dogs into the batter, making sure you have a nice, fat coating.  Drop into the grease one by one and cook through.  Serve as immediate as possible with mustard and ketchup.

Turkey Mu Shu

Random, I know, but like most of my recipes, I had a craving.  Sweet meat and pancakes (ish).  Traditional mu shu is typically pork, which my husband doesn't eat, and served with pancakes, which my son and I can't eat.  And I wanted it to be easy.

Easy it was. I did about 10 minutes of prep work ahead of time, and when it came time to actually make dinner, this was less than a 30 minute meal.  Rachel Ray, eat your heart out!

I thawed the meat ahead of time, cheated and used corn tortillas and bought my veggies pre-chopped.  But it was a keeper, definitely.

Recipe:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 pkg. broccoli slaw
4 tbsp. tamari sauce
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. corn starch
4 eggs

for the Hoison sauce:
5 tbsp. tamari sauce
3 tbsp. natural smooth peanut butter
3 tsp. honey
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. tabasco
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix together ground turkey, ginger, garlic, tamari sauce, and corn starch in a large bowl.  Stick it in the refrigerator to marinate.  If you are making homemade hoison sauce, mix together above ingredients with a fork.  Set it aside.

Go do whatever you have to do for a couple of hours.
When you're ready to make dinner, pull out your turkey, a pack of corn tortillas, your sauce, and your slaw mix.  Heat a large skillet and add the sesame oil.   Add the turkey and brown. Remove the turkey to a bowl or plate.  Beat up your eggs and cook in the same skillet, flipping once.  Chop.  Remove to plate or bowl, and toss in the broccoli slaw.  Stir fry it until it is just limp.  Add the turkey and egg back to it, and about a half-cup of water.  Cook on medium heat about five minute or until the sauce is reduced.

Meanwhile, steam the tortillas in the microwave.  To serve, spread a tablespoon or so across the corn tortilla, add the turkey and veggie mixture, and roll up.

Don't fight with each other over the last of the hoison sauce.  You can always make more.