Chicken Wings

One of many things we made while Mel was visiting. :) Very simple. Bake chicken wings, make sauce, toss together, bake a touch more, you're done.



INGREDIENTS:

20 chicken wings
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup red pepper sauce (more or less per taste)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Bake wings in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine melted butter, red pepper sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, honey, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix together.

4. When wings are baked, dip in sauce to coat well, then shake off excess and return coated wings to baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and bake for another 15 minutes to set sauce.

Simple Lamb Stew

Special thanks to Linda for gifting us with some lamb. :) Originally, I was going to make a hot and spicy curry with this, but right after Jim and Brian left we were craving something a bit less exotic after the flavor rampage (curry, nachos, cajun pasta...). So, here we are, a classic European-ish lamb stew that was just great.

INGREDIENTS:

4 strips of bacon, diced

2 pounds cubed lamb shoulder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
2 cups beef stock
1 teaspoons white sugar

1 cup diced carrots
2 large onions, cut into bite-size pieces
2 potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown bacon in a dutch oven. Remove bacon, crumble, and set aside.

2. Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly. Brown meat in the dutch oven in the bacon fat.

3. Remove the lamb, set aside. Add the garlic and yellow onion and saute till onion begins to become golden. Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes.

4. Add carrots, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and wine to pot. Reduce heat, and simmer covered until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf, thicken if needed, serve.

Twice Baked Potatoes

If you don't like these, then I'm sorry, but we can't be friends anymore. Potato, cheese, bacon, butter, salt...everything that is good in the world is right here. These are a fantastic side dish to ribs, grilled chicken, or even a big salad. Not so much with steak or anything heavy, as the potatoes are nearly a main meal themselves, they're filling.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar
cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

5. Bake for another 15 minutes.