#FranksRedHot Pigskins

I have never really been a huge football fan but I can certainly bandwagon with the best of them. Truthfully for non-fans such as myself, the Super Bowl is all about the commercials (here’s hoping there are some good ones) and of course about the food (Here’s hoping that is good too).

This year without any obvious team for me to root for at my Super Bowl Party, such as a New York team or a New England team, I have decided to use food as my guide in choosing my bandwagon designee. I am going with the team that has fans that wear cheese on their heads (you may know them as cheeseheads): The Packers. (Go Pack Go!)

So the team is selected and now the decision turns to what food to bring to the party. That decision is actually easier-I am bringing Frank’s RedHot to my Super bowl party. Frank’s RedHot is searching for the ultimate Game Day Party recipe using Frank’s RedHot sauces. And for your efforts, they are generously offering a fine selection of prizes:

Grand Prize Winner: $500 gift card and assorted Frank’s RedHot products.
First Prize Winner: $250 gift card and assorted Frank’s RedHot products.
Second Prize Winner: $125 gift card and assorted Frank’s RedHot products.

My entry: Frank’s RedHot “Pigskins” is a spicy twist on an appetizer favorite: potato skins. (Did you get the football reference I snuck in?) Baked potato skins are smothered with RedHot spiced ground pork and topped with a cheesy nod to Wisconsin. (Go Pack Go).

Even if my last minute adopted team doesn’t come through with the big pigskin win, I’m hoping to score big at my Super Bowl party with a tasty Frank’s RedHot Pigskin(s) win.

Frank’s RedHot “Pigskins”

6 medium Russet potatoes

1 pound ground pork (ground beef or chicken may be substituted)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup Frank’s Original RedHot

1 cup shredded Wisconsin sharp white cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a sharp knife, “stab” each potato 1 or 2 times.

Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 45-50 minutes or until tender to touch.

Allow the potatoes to cool slightly. Slice each potato in half and scoop out the filling leaving a shell with about 1/4 inch of potato in each. (Reserve the filling for another use).

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Crumble the ground pork into the pan and cook until browned. Drain the pork and return to the pan. Whisk together the melted butter and the Franks RedHot then stir mixture into the pork.

Preheat broiler. Divide the pork between the potato shells. Sprinkle each with the cheese, evenly dividing. Arrange shells on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and garnish with the chives.

Makes 12 skins

Post Script: The more observant among you may notice in my photos that instead of chives, as called for in the recipe, the skins are garnished with chopped parsley. I realized when getting ready to garnish that I had forgotten to buy chives at the supermarket. So like a good quarterback I had to think on my feet and I substituted something on hand…I still would recommend the chives though.

Roasted Chicken and Brie Panini with Hot Raspberry Jam

I cannot stop making panini.

Without question my favorite thing in the new year is my shiny new panini grill. Oh I know...panini are so last decade. I don't care-I'm late for the party and now I'm hooked.

My first panini were basically "clean out the fridge panini". I used supermarket deli sliced chicken breast and brie. While I chose to use deli sliced because it was what I had on hand, feel free to substitute leftover roasted chicken or store bought rotisserie.

The spinach was really an afterthought. One of my New Year's resolutions is to each some sort of fruit or vegetable with every meal (OK I know I should have been doing that last decade too, but what can I say?). As it turns out the spinach worked perfectly. The jam was a holiday leftover. Purchased at my local Homegoods, the hot pepper raspberry jam was delicious. I may run out tomorrow and see if I can find a few more jars...it was really good-not too hot, in fact barely warm...but really wonderful tasting.

The most important part of making good panini is your bread selection. A soft regular bread just won't hold up with too many fillings. I chose a sprouted whole grain bread from the bakery section at Whole Foods that was both sturdy and flavorful. Firm rolls also work incredibly well.

5 Tips for Perfect Panini:

1. Choose a firm, sturdy bread

2. Divide the cheese between both slices of bread for best "melting together"

3. Preheat your panini grill

4. Experiment with different flavored oils brushed on the outside of the bread.

5. For best melting without leaking, do not over stuff with cheese and/or other fillings.

Roasted Chicken and Brie Panini with Hot Raspberry Jam

4 slices sturdy whole grain bread cut 1/4-1/2 inch thick

4 teaspoons hot pepper raspberry jam

2 ounces sliced brie, rind removed

1/4 lb. deli roasted chicken breast

1/2 cup (packed)baby spinach leaves

2 teaspoons crushed raw almonds

2 teaspoons red pepper flavored olive oil

Preheat your panini grill according to manufacturers directions.

Arrange your bread on a work surface. Spread 1 teaspoon of the jam over each slice of bread.

Divide the brie between the bread slices spreading gently over the jam. Stack the chicken, spinach and almonds on 2 of the bread slices then top with the remaining bread slices. Brush the sandwiches with the oil and place on the grill; close the grill and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Barefoot Contessa White Pizza

It's Barefoot Thursday! Barefoot Thursday is the day when a group of food bloggers (known as "Barefoot Bloggers") with deep admiration for the Barefoot Contessa-Ina Garten, all prepare a delicious recipe from one of her many cookbooks. This week's recipe was chosen by Andrea of Nummy Kitchen.

We are a pizza family. Some of my best memories involve pizza. The very first "meal" I ever purchased with my very own money was a slice of cheese pizza and an icy cold coke from Salvatore's pizza in East Northport, New York; I was eight and I remember feeling incredibly proud when I dropped the crumpled bills on the counter to pay. My favorite college meal was a (huge) slice of Rocco's pizza and 1/2 chicken Parmesan hero that I would split with my roommate Ginger in the Bronx, New York. After getting engaged my now husband and I grabbed two slices of Sicilian from Umberto's on Long Island before heading to a friend's baby shower (that remains my favorite slice of pizza to this day).

Last summer when I was getting my new kitchen put in I experimented a lot with cooking my own pizzas on the grill. I burned quite a few, but all in all they came out great. (In fact one of the pizzas I came up with then was a steak pizza which I will be preparing at The National Beef Cook off in Sonoma in a few weeks...so I was happy to make this barefoot blogger pizza in order to have a little bit of practice with dough stretching!)

I was actually a little skeptical about this recipe which is essentially salad on a pizza but I must say it was fabulous! I made a few changes...I did not have arugula so I substituted fresh baby spinach and I just cannot stomach goat cheese so I substituted Manchego cheese-not really the same texture as the goat cheese, but I was happy with the results. The lemon vinaigrette was an absolutely wonderful complement to the cheeses on the pizza. I added some thin slices of plum tomatoes from the local farm stand to one of the pizzas and that was delicious too. Making pizza at home has really never been easier...while making a homemade crust is wonderful, I am grateful that most well stocked supermarkets carry ready to stretch doughs to make pizza creation at home a snap!

Barefoot Contessa's White Pizza

Ingredients
For the dough:
1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110) water
2 packages dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
Good olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the topping:
3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese (7 ounces)
11 ounces creamy goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
For the vinaigrette:
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces baby arugula
1 lemon, sliced

Directions:
Mix the dough.
Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

Knead by hand.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.

Let it rise.

Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Make garlic oil.

Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is clean!)
Portion the dough.

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place the doughs on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Stretch the dough.

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)

Top the dough.

Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Make the vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add the greens.

When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

TIP Make sure the bowl is warm before you put the water and yeast in; the water must be warm for the yeast to develop.

TIP Salt inhibits the growth of yeast; add half the flour, then the salt, and then the rest of the flour.
TIP To make sure yeast is still "alive," or active, put it in water and allow it to sit for a few minutes. If it becomes creamy or foamy, it's active.

Chicken and Potatoes from The Next Food Network Star

Sadly I am back from vacation and I am seriously resenting not being waited on hand and foot. What I would give right now for a friendly fellow to walk by and offer me a drink in a coconut shell...ah well...I guess my cup of green tea will have to suffice.

I spent the morning at the supermarket restocking and I spent last night catching up on my Tivo. I was excited to see that the contestant I was rooting for on The Next Food Network Star, Melissa, took home the title. Aside from being impressed with the fact that she has 4 children under 4 and she still has the energy to want to be the Next Food Network Star I just really like her-she has a very friendly personality.

For her pilot show on the finale she created a "four step chicken" with some rather tasty looking potatoes that I just had to try. The chicken is really just your basic sauteed chicken with a pan sauce so that wasn't what attracted me to her dishes it was the potatoes. She made some delicious looking mini gratins in a muffin tin that I just had to taste.

I only made two slight changes to the chicken recipe: shallots instead of red onion and rosemary instead of thyme. For the potatoes I followed exactly except I did not peel the potatoes...I'm a skin girl. Melissa served the chicken on a bed of spinach-which I love, but I happened to have some beautiful summer squash from the farmer's market so I made that instead.

I could not believe how simple and how delicious the potatoes were.(The chicken was good too, but I sure did love those potatoes). I know that I will be making these potatoes a lot...there are just so many ways that you could change them up: cheddar and a little Southwest seasoning for a Tex-Mex version, perhaps some blue cheese and walnuts to pair with a nice steak.

Delicious!

Rustic Lemon Onion Chicken

by Melissa D'Arabian

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced in half crossways (butterflied, cut all the way through)
1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus 1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1 cup chicken broth
3 lemons, juiced
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
Spinach "bed", recipe follows
Directions
Season chicken with dried thyme and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.
In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and fresh thyme and cook until aromatic.
In a measuring cup, measure out wine, if using, and broth, and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.
Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Arrange the chicken on serving plates; Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

5-Minute Individual Potato Gratins

by Melissa D'Arabian

Vegetable spray
2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.

Quick and Easy Sauteed Summer Squash

by me!

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1 small yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil and the butter in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium high heat until sizzling; add the shallot and cook until tender.

Stir in the squash, zucchini and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes, using a spatula turn squash over and cook for an additional minute or two, making sure to not let the squash get soft.

Season squash with the salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

The Comfort of Camembert

Everyone has that one food that when they are sad or just not feeling themselves they crave; for some it is chocolate-it's rich creaminess offering a sweet, soothing feeling. Others crave fried foods-with their greasy saltiness providing a warm comfort. Well for me that go-to food is cheese-melted, layered or just plain, cheese provides nourishing solace for me not matched by any other food (except maybe Twinkies).

The lovely folks at Ile de France were kind enough to send me a free sample of one of their delicious cheeses-and given my adoration of cheese I was thrilled. Long a fan of their Brie cheese, I had not previously tried any of their other varieties so I was pleased to see Camembert in the package. Camembert, while similar in texture to Brie, has a much stronger almost nutty flavor. It was the perfect addition to my Grilled Steak Sandwiches with Chive Sauce.

Grilled Steak and Camembert Sandwiches with Peppered Chive Sauce

2 New York Strip Steaks (about 6 ounces each and 1 1/2 inches thick)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 (6-inch) Ciabatta rolls

4 ounces Camembert cheese, rind removed

2 cups baby spinach leaves, stems removed

1 cup sliced grape tomatoes

1/2 cup Peppered Chive Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat a gas grill to medium high flame.

Pat the steaks dry and season both sides with half of the kosher salt and half of the pepper. Lightly spray the grill rack with cooking spray. Cook the steaks in a closed grill for 8 minutes, turning occasionally, for medium rare doneness. Remove from the grill and transfer to a cutting board to rest.

Split open the Ciabatta rolls and spread the cheese onto the top half of each roll. Place rolls cheese side up on the grill rack and cook with the cover closed for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the rolls are lightly toasted.

Layer the spinach and tomatoes on top of the cheese. Spread the Peppered Chive Sauce on the bottom half of each roll. Carve the steak into 1/2 inch thick slices, season with the remaining salt and pepper then fan over the sauce on each roll, evenly dividing. Close the rolls to serve.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Peppered Chive Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl; cover and chill until ready to use.

Extreme Bacon Cheese Pizza

I am not so old that I cannot remember fun and fabulous times on Spring Break in college. I can actually map out my life to date in a sort of "Spring Break" timeline:

• Let's start with college...fun times in Ft. Lauderdale (yeah I know, I'm old- Ft. Lauderdale for Spring Break is so 80's)
• Post graduation years...Spring Break morphed into summer weekends in the Hampton's in a house shared with 20 of my "closest friends".
• Early married life...Spring Break was romantic weeks or weekends just for two-enjoying Robert Cray at Jazz Fest in New Orleans comes to mind.
• The kids were young years...Spring breaks were spent usually in a place with costumed characters and eating at anyplace that served chicken nuggets.
• The kids are getting older years...I've come almost full circle, we just returned from Spring Break and it was spent going on college visits for my oldest son who is a Junior this year.

I am pretty sure that I am a college marketers dream come true; I sat at every power point presentation mesmerized...drawn in...wishing I could choose college all over again. Don't get me wrong I love my alma mater (Fordham) and would probably choose it again given the choice (and would be thrilled if my son got in and chose it), but man...the presentations we saw this week...each one out did the next. I had to keep reminding my son (and myself) that they were in fact sales presentations. Oh and it didn't hurt that at one campus it was "Spring Fling" and the campus was bustling with activity-of course my 17 year old liked that school the best.

Our return from "Spring Break" has given me a real hankering for college foods so the kids and I made Extreme Bacon Cheese Pizzas which got an A+ from everyone.

Extreme Bacon Cheese Pizzas

5 slices bacon

1 prepared pizza crust divided into 4 equal pieces

1 cup prepared sauce

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the bacon in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Stretch the dough pieces into 6x4 inch ovals and place on a baking pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Divide the sauce between each crust, spreading in an even layer.

Sprinkle each with the cheeses, evenly dividing. Crumble the bacon and divide between the pizzas arranging on top of the cheeses.

Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake pizzas in the oven for 12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crusts are golden brown.

I Just Want to Quiche You...

Favorite Food Find Friday is here and to be perfectly honest the find for today falls under the "not so exciting" heading; not because it's not delicious (it is) and not because it's not convenient (it is) but just because unless you've been living under a rock your whole life you've probably used it a hundred times or more. Of course if you are a pastry purist and think refrigerator crusts are...well...baking blasphemy then take this as gentle encouragement to come with me over to the dark side. As you may have guessed already today's favorite food find is:
Pillsbury Refrigerator Pie Crust!

While I will admit I often do make pie crust from scratch, there is just no getting around the fact that in a pinch the doughboy is my main man. I will further admit that I am knee high right now in Pillsbury products as I am trying ever so hard to create "the" million dollar Pillsbury Bake off Recipe. Wish me luck because so far I've come up with nothing that screams "million dollar recipe". (In Who Wants To Be A Millionaire terms I'm about at the $16,000 level...maybe.)

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is my go-to quiche; it's delicately fluffy, and painlessly simple. My family prefers quiche without unnecessary accoutrements...no spinach, no ham, definitely no onions...just cheese. But feel free to throw in whatever you would like at the same time as the cheese and please accept my apologies for being so boring.

Two Cheese Sour Cream Quiche

1 refrigerator pie crust (or your favorite homemade single pie crust)
6 eggs
1 cup 1% or skim milk
1 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup diced Swiss cheese
1/2 shredded Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Unroll pie crust and arrange in a 10-inch ceramic quiche dish or glass pie plate. Crimp the edges of the crust as desired. Place a sheet of foil over the crust then top with pie weights or uncooked rice. Arrange dish in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Remove crust from the oven and set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, cayenne pepper and kosher salt until well combined. Scatter the cheeses evenly over the crust. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the cheeses. Carefully transfer dish to the oven (for easy carrying you may want to put the quiche pan on a baking pan). Bake the quiche for 25-30 minutes or until slightly puffed and golden brown.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Doesn't that look incredibly fluffy? The texture is so delicate!