Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

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The past couple of years for Christmas, we’ve received a big tin of these wonderful  spicy peanuts from a family member. Sadly, this year she was not able to attain a tin. I look forward to them all year, so I must admit I was a little bit disappointed when they weren’t under the tree for us. However, it got me to thinking – how hard could they be to make at home?

After a little bit of recipe sleuthing, I found a recipe that seemed that it fit the bill.  I’m happy to report that I like this homemade version just as much, if not more, than the original. With just the right amount of kick from the chipotle powder, and a nice background sweetness from the honey – you’ll find yourself reaching for another handful.  Consider yourself warned, they are addicting! It makes a big batch, great for snacking on all week long. While I’ll still gladly accept a tin of Hot Honeys if gifted to me, I’m happy to know that I’ll be able to make my own at home all year long.

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

1/3 cup white sugar
1½ teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound skinless peanuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Stir together the sugar, chipotle powder, chili powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl; set aside.

Stir together the butter, honey, and kosher salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted, and the mixture is bubbly. Stir in the peanuts until well coated, then pour out into a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until the nuts are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Stir the mixture 2 or 3 times to ensure even cooking. Once done, scrape the peanuts into a large metal bowl, and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Toss the peanuts to evenly coat with the spice mixture. Allow the peanuts to cool to room temperature, tossing every few minutes so the nuts do not stick together.

Source: Allrecipes

Guacamole

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In my noobular years, I disliked avocado.  I know, I know. Shame on me! Thank Heavens I came around. Like most people, it was guacamole that brought me around. Rich, creamy, and cool – it’s pretty much the perfect condiment. Lots of people have their own spin on guacamole, and mine is no exception. It’s similar to most guac recipes, but, I like to add a little bit of sour cream. It gives it a nice tangyness, and lightens it up a bit. I’m sure you could also use Greek yogurt, and get the same effect. We put it on everything; enchiladas, tacos, even scrambled eggs. Which, incidentally, I also add a bit of sour cream to. That’s a tip I picked up from Ralph Cifaretto in “The Sopranos”, right before he got whacked (one of my favorite episodes, btw, for all you Sopranos fans out there). Ahh, I miss that show!

I digress. The guacamole. With all the football game goodness we have to look forward to in the coming weeks (Go 9ers!), save room on your table for a big bowl of guacamole and tortilla chips. It’s always one of the first things to go! I’ve also got another great munchie coming up tomorrow that’s perfect for football snacking. Stay tuned!

Guacamole

3 ripe Haas avocados, seeded and meat removed (see here for a great rundown)
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
1/2 cup pico de gallo
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Mash avocados and lemon juice well with a potato masher. Add in remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Add additional salt to taste.

Place in serving bowl, and cover the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap to prevent oxidation. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Stock

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The backbone of any good soup is a good stock. Whether it’s chicken, beef, seafood, of vegetable – it’s key. When I was first learning to cook, I had the hardest times with soups. It seemed so easy, yet, I kept messing it up. It was always too bland, or too overly seasoned. Thankfully, after a few bunk batches, I got the feel for it. It is almost too easy in it’s simplicity. Some chicken scraps, carrots, celery, onion – combined, transform into liquid gold.

You could easily substitute a turkey carcass, if you happen to have one lying around. It’s quite possible a few of you might! I like to make the stock a day ahead, and refrigerate overnight. That way the fat separates to the top of the stock, and I can skim it right off before reheating to make the whatever it is I might be doing with the stock. I find that poultry, more than anything, renders a ton of fat. So, I always like to remove as much as I can. I don’t even bother peeling the onions or the carrots. I literally stumble to the stove in the morning in my PJ’s, throw the stuff in the pot, and call it a day. Doesn’t get much easier than that, folks!

Chicken Stock

chicken carcass (and any extra bones or skin)
2 onions, halved
3 carrots, cut into 1″ pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1″ pieces
10 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher salt
handful fresh parsley (stems are great for this application!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 quarts water

Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute for about 5 minutes – until onion starts to brown around the edges. Add the chicken carcass to the stockpot, then add enough water so the chicken is submerged in water. Add the salt, peppercorns, and parsley. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for at least 5 hours – longer, if you have the time.

Place a large bowl in the sink, and place a large colander in the bowl. Strain the broth through the colander to remove the solids. Let the broth cool on the counter for an hour or so before placing it in the refrigerator to chill overnight. When ready to use the broth, remove the fat deposit layer from the top with a spoon and discard. Don’t be alarmed that it looks like chicken Jell-O. That’s normal, and precisely what you want. Heat broth over medium heat to bring back to it’s liquid state, then use however you like.

Rosemary-Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

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I’ve had these potatoes bookmarked to try for-ever. A new way to prepare potatoes is always welcome in my repertoire! I kept on putting it off, because surely they had to be a pain to make – right? Wrong. It took only a few minutes to get them prepped and into the oven. So glad I finally got around to trying them! They were delicious. Nice and crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.

I’m looking forward to switching up the flavor combinations. I think they’d be wonderful with a cajun spice mix, or a bunch of fresh chopped dill in the olive oil. Or even plain, then topped with the classic sour cream and chopped scallions. Yum! These will definitely be gracing our table every now and again, as everyone loved them, and they really are a little more special than your standard roasted potato. Perfect for Christmas dinner t0 go with that gorgeous “roast beast”!

Also, thanks to all who entered the giveaway. The winner was Ellen, with comment #10 – “I love using canned tomatoes to make homemade black bean and corn salsa. It is always a hit!”

Hope everyone is making merry and finishing up things for the Holidays. I’m so looking forward to Christmas morning with my boys! This is the first year our oldest has really been “into it”, we’ve been having the best time with him this year. Happy Holidays everyone!

Garlic-Rosemary Hasselback Potatoes

4 medium sized Russet potatoes, washed and dried
½ cup olive oil
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt and black pepper

Place oil, garlic, and rosemary in a small saucepan and heat on medium-low for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place one potato on a cutting board. Starting from one end of the potato, make slits about 1/8 inch apart but do not cut all the way through the bottom. You can also place the potato in a wooden spoon before you make the slices. The spoon will act as a “guard” to help you not slice all the way through the bottom. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and brush them all over with the garlic-rosemary infused oil, making sure to get down in the crevices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Bake the potatoes for 30-40 minutes, depending on size. Interior should be soft and exterior should be slightly crisp.

Serve warm.

Source: adapted from The Culinary Chronicles