Drop It like it's Hot Wings

I don't know about you but I love Hot Wings! They aren't really what I would call calorie friendly. Here is my SO FAB recipe for delicious but BAKED HOT WINGS and yogurt blue cheese for dipping. This is an awesome recipe for just a week night dinner OR if you cut in bite size pieces it could be a good appetizer for entertaining friends.

Hot Wings

• 1lb of chicken breast strips
  (its true, they aren't really wings but I like more meat + less bones.)
• 1 1/2 c Panko Bread Crumbs
   (i usually try to get the whole wheat, but plain is fine too)
• Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce 
• Salt & Pepper
• *Cayenne Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a metal cooling rack on top, spray with Pam. 

Note: When you take your chicken out of the package you might notice that it is a bit wet. Make sure that you take a few paper towels and blot the chicken dry before you start.

Lay your chicken out on a clean surface, salt & pepper and then sprinkle with the other spices to your liking. Turn on the other side and repeat. (*Be careful with the Cayenne Pepper- if you don't like spicy food you can omit altogether.)

Pour about a 1/2 cup of the Wing Sauce in a bowl and the Panko in another bowl. This is what professionals call a dredging station. For each chicken strip you are going to dip and cover in the Wing Sauce, shake off excess and then transfer to the Panko bowl. Be careful when dredging in the Panko because if you handle  the chicken too much the Panko will start to unstick from your chicken. I would recommend placing the chicken in the bowl and then cover with the Panko- almost burying it.

Then again shake the excess off and place on rack. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until chicken is done and slightly browned.  If you want more Wing Sauce either drizzle on the "hot wings" or serve as a dipping sauce along with the Yogurt Blue Cheese Dip (recipe to follow).

Yogurt Blue Cheese Dip

• 3/4 c Fage 0% Greek Yogurt (the single serving will do)
• 1/2 tsp of prepared horseradish
• 1/2 tsp Lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tsp green onion
•  salt & pepper

Combine the all ingredients in a bowl and then add salt & pepper to taste. 

Moneyball @ Cinebistro

Growing up in Tampa home of RAY’s baseball I can understand the frustration of having a really good baseball team that gets really far in the season but never quite wins the World Series. It'll happen- maybe even this year since we just got a spot as a Wild Card- just hasn't happened yet. The idea that some teams have so much money to buy a W makes me grit my teeth which is why I wanted to see this movie. 

Moneyball is not your typical sports movie. It doesn't follow the familiar formula: team sucks- someone does something to inspire confidence in the players- they overcome all odds/win a lot of games- small set back- overcome odds again and win the Mack Daddy Game. It doesn't follow that formula. 

It has great acting. The story of Billy Beane is really good- I think it shows youngsters that no matter how much promise you have, how talented you are, sometimes it’s best to go to college. It’s a good lesson to be taught that no matter how much you believe in yourself and your cause you might not win. Most movies don't show that. There also isn't what I would call the quintessential happy ending; to be honest I was not completely sure that the movie was over until the credits started rolling. Overall I give MONEYBALL a -B because of its baseball history and general message but it didn't WOW me.

If you have never seen a movie at a Cinebistro I must say you need to give it a try. First off 21+ which means no annoying teenagers and they serve food/alcohol. Plus the seats are very comfortable. Caution: you may never go back to a regular movie theater. 

Anyone Craving Old Clothes?

I was craving something more than a Cuban sandwich so I decided it was time to make my very own Ropa Vieja. My mother made this for us when I was a child but I remember not liking it (because it was too “different” from what my friends’ families ate). I had it at a local restaurant last year and it was delicious! What was my 8 year old self thinking?

Ropa Vieja “Old Clothes”

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2.5 hrs

2.5 lb Flank steak, cut into large chunks
½ c Adobe Seasoning
¼ c Worchester sauce
Flour
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil
½ thin sliced onion
2 cloves of garlic , minced

Combine the Adobe seasoning and Worchester sauce to form a paste, rub over meat and marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature. Heat oil in a Dutch oven on med-high. In batches, coat marinated meat in flour mixture and brown each side. Once each side is browned- beef won’t be cooked through- set aside and brown the next batch. It is very important to not crowd the pot and remember to add more oil if necessary. Add sliced onion, minced garlic and return all beef to pot, fill with water until it completely covers the meat. Simmer for 2 hrs or until the beef is fork tender.  Drain pot into a colander and on a cutting board take each piece of meat and shred beef using two forks (this can take a while and is quite boring- but totally worth it!)  Set Aside.

1 green pepper
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 oz tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
1 can diced tomatoes
1 Bay leaf
½ c red wine


Sauté peppers, onion and garlic until translucent. Add 4oz. of tomato paste and cumin, let darken for a few minutes. Add shredded meat and bay leaf. Deglaze pot with red wine and make sure to scrape the bits off the bottom. Once most of the red wine has evaporated add the diced tomatoes and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serving options:
*with black beans and yellow rice.
*in-between a slice of Cuban bread (like a sloppy joe)

Now that I have embraced different food cultures, I thank my parents for making me eat these “weird” foods.

Tampa Restaurant Week(s)!

Who is excited? I know that I am... I hope that I am able to make it to at least one of these fabulous dinning establishments in the next few weeks to take advantage of the great deals and to try out a new restaurant.


Celebrate Dining Out In Tampa Bay

I Hearts of Palm Salad

After the gym the other day I just wanted a light dinner so I threw together this salad from items in the house. I like it when my salad is easy to eat and there isn't this huge piece of lettuce that you have to somehow stuff in your mouth (and still look like your not stuffing your mouth) so I use a knife to chop the whole head of lettuce into lettuce strips. 

There is no "recipe" I just go with how much of each item i want/ have for each particular meal. You like less zucchini? put less- just go with how you feel.

• Chopped Lettuce
• Heart of Palm (1 can, salad cut)
• Chopped tomatoes
• Handful of Green olives
• Julienne Zucchini
• Cooked Lemon Pepper Chicken, sliced
• Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

 
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Get out your chicken breast, pat with a paper towel to get off all moisture, sprinkle some Lemon Pepper seasoning on both sides. (Don't have Lemon-Pepper Seasoning? Instead zest one whole lemon and about half teaspoon of black pepper- make sure the mixture is 2:1 Lemon to Pepper or it might turn out too peppery.) Spray your cooking spray and set your pan on a medium heat. Once heated, saute each side of the chicken for about 4-5 minutes until cooked through- juices should run clear. Set aside for a few minutes while you are finishing the rest of the salad, then cut at the bias into strips or bite-size chucks. 

• Aprx. 1 lb. Boneless Skinless Thin Chicken Breast (I get the thin so it cooks faster)
• Lemon-Pepper Seasoning
  OR
• Lemon Zest of one Lemon
• Freshly Grated Pepper

 
Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
This is a basic vinaigrette, but I added my own little twist becuase I LOVE the flavor of sun dried tomatoes.  Please remember the ratio of oil to acid (vinegar or lemon juice) should be about 3:1.

•  1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
•  1 tsp. Lemon juice
•  5 sun dried tomatoes, minced
•  1/4 c. red wine vinegar
•  salt and pepper
•   1/4 c. Sun dried Tomato oil (this is the oil from your jar of sun dried tomatoes)
•  1/2 c.  Olive Oil (maybe more according to your taste)

Whisk together the mustard, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sun dried tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, while whisking drizzle in both oils until blended. Then taste! You might need to add more salt or pepper or if its too tart you might have to add more oil. Too oily? Add more lemon juice or vinegar.

Its one tasty salad!

Stacked Burgers: my review

Stacked Burgers is one of the newest restaurants in town; opened just last week.   It took the place of a Tijuana Flats which is a great establishment but in my opinion: chains just don’t do well in South Tampa.

I have been watching this place for a few months now getting excited for a new restaurant to add the lineup.  Being so enthralled with the idea of what kind of burgers they would have, how high they could be stacked and so forth that I didn’t realize the double entendre that lied ahead.  Walking in the atmosphere was to be expected, the walls were colorful and playful, large bar, and big screens. The place was a little bit empty being a weekend night around 8 BUT the staff was all friendly and inviting. This is when it hit me- STACKED Burgers doesn’t just reference the multiple layers of beef and toppings but playfully suggests the other things that might be stacked including our waitress and most of her co-workers. Clever little phrases like “udderly delicious” and “more than a mouthful” illustrated on the wall really brought home the point.  After getting over the fact that I missed this play on words, I took in the menu which was pretty simple. Burgers, Wings, Sides, Beer.  I ended up getting the “2 Hot 4 You Burger” two patties with pepper jack cheese, jarred jalapenos, and wing sauce. Food items at restaurants are not usually too hot for me and this was no exception. I did however regret my decision to get a burger with so many toppings on it because frankly my mouth is not able to (comfortably) open that wide- so I guess they lived up to their name!  I also tried my husband’s plain ole Stacked Burger without any toppings; it wasn’t any better.  For $1 extra I was able to trade in my side of regular fries for Zucchini Fries with Horseradish Sauce- this was a good choice for sure. The Zucchini Fries are thin strips of (duh) zucchini with a light batter and then deep fried- this a great alternative for people like me who love french fries but would like to indulge without eating the dreaded simple carb white potatoes! Don’t be fooled: I know this is no better health-wise but I like it anyways. Although they were not set up for draft beer (it’s their first week so let’s give them a break) the price was right for both draft and bottled beer, $3-$4 glass. The one thing that really did bother me was the distinct look that this place used to be a T.J. Flats from the tables/booths, to the napkin holders, television placement and even the crushed ice- if the owners of Stacked can somehow shake that “ I bought out a Tijuana Flats restaurant and turned it into this” look I’d like it much better.

Overall I think it has a chance of being something good, still some kinks to work out but if it’s done right they can really have another good burger place in SoHo.

Parking: Sparse and hard to find, also a bit dark after the meal.
Price:  Not too expensive, meals range from $6-$10 and come with a side + beer is cheap.
Food: Decent, quality of ingredients are average but would go back for location, price and atmosphere. Creativity of menu is worth checking out.
Service: Stacked and Friendly.