Super Bowl Yumday

This Sunday marks the 44^th Super Bowl (or Commercial Bowl, depending on your interests). The Super/Commercial Bowl is a great opportunity to eat some delicious food and try your hand at making some appetizers. If the bitch stopped cooking dinner, I can’t imagine she’s still cooking snacks for you and your buddies. Here are some ideas for appetizers that anyone can make. At the bottom is a link to a shopping list you can print out and bring to the grocery store with you.

BBQ Chicken Wings

This is a good standard BBQ chicken wing recipe. Delicious by themselves, but if you are a dipping sauce kind of person, they will be great with Ranch dressing on the side. Make the BBQ sauce on Friday or Saturday!

Ingredients:

30 chicken wings (tips removed), rinsed and patted dry

4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, for garnish

Barbeque Sauce:

2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons finely minced garlic

2 teaspoons paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

On Friday or Saturday…

1. Prepare the barbecue sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, to heat through and to blend the flavors, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not boil. Strain to remove the garlic. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate.

On Sunday…

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Using a sharp knife, separate the chicken wings at the joint. Set aside. This part is sort of gross. You’ll forget about it by the time the delicious wings are done though!

3. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and toss well with 1 1/2 cups of the sauce. Lay the pieces in a single layer on 2 or 3 baking sheets (do not overcrowd them). Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, basting once or twice with additional sauce. Serve the wings on a platter and sprinkle with the scallions.

Coconut Shrimp

These coconut shrimp are crisp and deliciously sweet. They are great on their own or could be served with a sweet dipping sauce, such as Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce. If you coat the shrimp with the coconut (steps 1-4) a couple hours before you cook them, more coconut will stay on during the cooking process.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper

2 large eggs

18 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left intact

Peanut oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. Line baking sheet with wax paper. Mix panko bread

crumbs, coconut, lime peel, salt, and pepper in medium shallow bowl.

2. Whisk eggs in another medium bowl to blend. Add shrimp to bowl with beaten eggs and toss to coat.

3. Working with 1 shrimp at a time, remove shrimp from beaten eggs and turn to coat in panko mixture.

4. Place shrimp on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate.

5. Pour enough peanut oil into large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add shrimp to skillet and cook until golden and just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Arrange shrimp on platter and serve warm.

Sage Grilled Cheese Squares

This, to me, is heaven. The Fontina and Sage blend so nicely and they make perfect crisp finger food with an upscale taste and look. You can find Fontina in the fancy cheese section of your grocery store.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

5 teaspoons chopped fresh sage plus 32 whole fresh sage leaves

16 5 x 3 x 1/2-inch slices country-style bread, crust removed

1 cup (packed) coarsely grated Fontina cheese (about 4 ounces)

1/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle with salt. Pour half of butter into small bowl and keep to the side for later.

2. Add the chopped sage to the melted butter that is left in the saucepan and stir over medium heat 30 seconds.

3. Arrange 8 bread slices on work surface. Brush the top side of each slice of bread with the melted butter and sage from the saucepan.

4. Divide Fontina cheese among bread slices; sprinkle Parmesan over each, dividing equally. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

5. Top with remaining 8 bread slices, pressing to adhere. Brush top side of sandwiches with some of reserved plain melted butter. Press 4 whole sage leaves in the corner of each sandwich for garnish.

6. Heat 2 heavy large skillets over medium heat. Place 4 sandwiches, sage-leaf side down, in each skillet and cook until golden brown on bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush top of sandwiches with remaining plain melted butter; turn sandwiches over and cook until golden brown on bottom and cheese melts, about 4 minutes.

7. Transfer sandwiches, sage-leaf side up, to cutting board. Cut each sandwich into 4 pieces (each mini sandwich should contain 1 whole sage leaf). Transfer to platter and serve.

Here is a shopping list for all of the recipes.

We hope you enjoy these recipes and the Super Bowl as well! Happy cooking!