Super Bowl Snack: Chicken Wing Recipe

Chicken wings aren't really a popular snack in France, so I only had the chance to really experience them when I moved to the US. I love their versatility and they're one of the best choices for party finger foods, assuming you don't mind getting your digits a little dirty.

I made this batch using an Asian-style sweet and spicy marinade, and I used beet juice as natural red (49er-friendly) food coloring. The last step was basting the chicken wings with the thickened marinade using arrowroot starch. I can already picture us in the TV room this Sunday watching the Super Bowl game. My husband will be staring at his favorite team, the Niners, and I'll have my eyes on the chicken wings!

Super Bowl Finger Food: Crab Cake Recipe

Crab cakes may be synonymous with Maryland in general and Baltimore in particular, but these delectable seafood treats are made San Francisco-friendly with the use of Dungeness crab. I love Dungeness crabs almost as much as Lulu loves the Niners, so you could say that this dish is a match made in heaven. Except of course that Lulu’s a vegetarian (I’ll post a veggie version next week).

For all us seafood eaters, this is a super easy dish to prepare, which makes it perfect party fare. The only part that requires any real effort is cooking, cracking and collecting the crab meat, but the results are well worth it!

Caterpillar Roll (Avocado Sushi Recipe)

Lulu and I recently went to a Japanese sushi bar and enjoyed platters of delicious rolls. When I came home, I was determined to serve the same gorgeous-looking sushi for the family. I reinterpreted the caterpillar sushi with a combination of hoisin sauce and kaffir lime sauce. The caterpillar outer layer is imitated with thinly sliced avocados. Unlike most of the "fancy" sushi rolls you'll find at restaurants, this one's vegetarian.

I have to admit I was very proud of how they turned out. And to my surprise, it wasn't that complicated. Sometimes, improvisation ends up with beautiful results!

Don't forget to enter your name and email address to be able to participate in my Haute Potato Cookbook contest. I will pick one winner next Monday. And if you already have a copy, I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave a review on Amazon. Thank you!

Cheesy Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe

When I think of stuffing (or dressing), the picture that comes to mind is of day-old bread mixed with onion, celery, other vegetables, dried fruit and herbs. It's time for a change, and this year for Thanksgiving, I'm opting for a healthier but just as tasty version using wild rice, pumpkin, dried mango, cranberries, asparagus and walnuts.

For easier serving, I baked it in individual cups and covered them with a blend of Jarlsberg and cheddar cheese. That might make them a little less healthy, but it’s so worth it! 

Butternut Squash Pocket Sandwich Recipe

My husband's youngest sister, who just started third grade, recently told me she didn't like "Wednesday Pizza" at school and asked me to give her a boxed lunch instead. I had leftover roasted butternut squash, so in the morning, I quickly improvised a flavorful hot pocket sandwich with 2 of my little munchkin's other favorite ingredients: salami and brie cheese. 

I assembled the pocket in a sandwich grill we have. I love this sandwich maker because it browns the bread and seals the sandwich perfectly. After they were done cooking, I wrapped the sandwiches in wax paper and packed them in her Disney Princess school lunch bag. The sandwiches cooled down to room temperature by lunch time, but they were still crunchy and delicious. If you were to make these as a box lunch for work, you could put them in the toaster to re-heat before eating. No microwave though!