Game Day Food: Boneless Buffalo Wings, Homemade Crackers, White Bean Dip

We had a great Saturday yesterday.  Bryant had to work a bit in the morning but it was just enough time for me to get my workout, farmers market visit and all other chores done before he came home.  The rest of the day was spent hanging out and relaxing.  And the evening, of course, was spent watching college football (and the Huskies won!).  I find that lots of unhealthy food is often served during game day.  Luckily, with a few tweaks, you can make several dishes a lot healthier and still keep the taste.  These boneless wings use chicken breast and are baked instead of fried, saving tons of calories and fat. They're really good, too - you can probably get pretty creative with the sauce but my favorite is BBQ and Bryant's is hot sauce.

Another thing we often have while watching a game is crackers.  However, if you're like me (read: cheap), I'm reluctant to shell out $3 for a small box of crackers so I typically only get them when they're on sale AND I have a coupon. However, I stumbled across this great recipe to MAKE my own crackers.  It's only a few ingredients and it doesn't take much time at all!  It's a great basic recipe but you could add so much to it - I used whole wheat flour, oat bran, flaxseed meal and dried rosemary.  You could really get creative with these; I'll definitely be making them again in the future!

Finally, this white bean dip is a great basic dip for the crackers.  I've made this several times before and it's made from just a few healthy ingredients - beans, olive oil and lemon juice. 

Boneless Chicken Wings
Adapted from: AllRecipes
Serves 3-4

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk (I use skim)
• 3/4 - 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1/4 cup sauce (we use 2 Tbsp. hot sauce and 2 Tbsp. BBQ sauce)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter

-Preheat oven to 400 F.Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then coat with cooking spray.
-In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.  Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, and then roll in the flour blend. Repeat so that each piece of chicken is double coated. Place on prepared baking sheet.  When all the chicken has been coated, spray top of chicken pieces with cooking spray.
-Cook for 15-20 minutes until tops are slightly browned. 
-Meanwhile, combine 2 Tbsp hot sauce with 1/2 Tbsp butter in a small bowl.  Microwave sauce on High until melted, 20 to 30 seconds. (If you don't have a microwave, place sauce and butter in an oven-proof ramekin or bowl and put in oven for approximately 2 minutes until butter has mostly melted).  Repeat in a separate bowl/ramekin with 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce and remaining 1/2 Tbsp butter. 
-Once chicken is cooked, place half the chicken in one bowl and half in a second bowl.  Pour BBQ sauce mixture over the first bowl and mix to coat.  Repeat with hot sauce mixture over second bowl of chicken.
-Serve with blue cheese dressing or yogurt sauce, carrots, and celery.



Homemade Wheat Crackers
Taken from: AllRecipes
Makes 30-40 crackers (if the dough is rolled thin enough)

• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour (or try substituting oat flour, wheat germ, flaxseed meal, oat bran, white whole wheat, etc or any combination of these)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• Any additional add-ins: sesame seeds or other kinds of seeds, dried rosemary or other dried herbs, etc
• kosher or sea salt for sprinkling

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
-In a medium bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour (or substitutes), all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and any add-ins. Pour in the oil and water; mix until just blended. 
-On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough as thin as possible - no thicker than 1/8 inch. Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet , and mark squares out with a knife, but don't cut through. (I had to cut my dough in half and bake on two baking sheets because I had so much.)
-Prick each cracker with a fork a few times, and sprinkle with salt. 
-Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and light brown. Baking time may be different depending on how thin your crackers are. When cool, remove from baking sheet, and separate into individual crackers.


White Bean Dip
Taken from: Ellie Krieger

• 1 (14-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained OR 3 cups of cooked dried white beans
• 1 garlic clove (if you have roasted garlic, that would be delicious!)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves or dried parsley

-In a food processor, combine the beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until smooth.
-Taste and adjust accordingly. (Add in additional lemon juice, olive oil, salt and/or pepper. You could also thin out a little by adding a little bit of water.)
-Mix in parsley, if desired, and serve with crackers and cut vegetables.

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Fish Tacos, Avocado Relish, Black Bean & Corn Salad

We had quite a Mexican fiesta Saturday night! Just how I like it - fish tacos, avocado relish, black bean and corn salad, salsa AND guacamole - light, lots of avocado, and delicious! It also made for great leftovers Sunday night.  And we had so much that I didn't even have to cook and could still send my husband with a full lunch the next day.

Fish tacos are usually deep fat fried but baking is a much healthier option (however, my one kitchen disaster did come from trying to bake fish and chips instead of frying them...stick to the real thing with that dish!).  But fish tacos were absolutely great.

The black bean and corn salad is really easy to make. This was actually one of the first dishes I ever remember making and my dad really liked it (so perhaps it was one of my first successful dishes). I used fresh corn since it's still in season in California but frozen corn would work, too.  You could add rice (if you'd like), different kinds of beans, different vegetables, different spices...it would be pretty easy to play around with!

Finally, the avocado relish was great with both the fish tacos and the black bean and corn salad (and probably would be great just with tortilla chips, too). It has lots of lime juice so it is a bit tart but very creamy.


Fish Tacos
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 4 (4-6 oz.) cod fillets
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal (or you could use whole wheat Panko)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• (I also added a sprinkling of both cayenne and paprika)

-Preheat oven broiler (500 F).
-Cut cod into thin strips. Toss to combine flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and chili powder in a shallow dish. Coat fish strips in the cornmeal mixture. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
-Broil in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping halfway through, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
-Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage and avocado relish.

Avocado Relish
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp. jalapeno, minced (adjust to taste)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped 
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

-To make the avocado relish, toss to combine avocado, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a small bowl. Pour in lime juice and olive oil. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Black Bean & Corn Salad
(This recipe is so old, I'm not even sure where it's from!)

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. lime juice
• 1 tsp. cumin (I added extra cumin and some chili powder, too)
• 3 cups black beans (equivalent to 1 15-oz. can, rinsed and drained)
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups raw corn kernels
• 3/4 cup tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro (or you could do 1/4 cup cilantro and 1/4 cup parsley)
• 2 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped

-In a serving bowl, stir olive oil, lime juice and cumin.
-Add rest of ingredients, stirring gently to coat.  Season with salt & pepper.

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Spanakopita & Chickpea Salad

Spanakopita is a Greek dish that is often served as an appetizer. In fact, the first time I tried spanakopita was Trader Joe's appetizer version. I liked it then and (not surprisingly) it's even better homemade! I ended up making this as our main dish for dinner but I will keep it in mind as either an appetizer or a main dish. This recipe has TONS of spinach which is great for you but don't be afraid if you don't like spinach since the flavor isn't overwhelming. (You could also substitute anything that cooks like spinach...beet greens, swiss chard, kale, etc. If you use frozen spinach, make sure to squeeze out all the water and then give it a rough chop.) Also, I used cottage cheese which is really high in protein.

I also ended up cooking the ingredients in the morning and refrigerating them until dinner time. Then it only took a few minutes to assemble everything and throw it into the oven to bake.

I served this with a simple chickpea salad recipe to up the protein and fiber...fresh and a great side! I also made this in the morning so there was plenty of time for the flavors to blend together. We added sliced green olives which gave it even more of a Mediterranean taste.

Spanakopita
Taken from: All Recipes
When working with phyllo dough, make sure it is fully thawed. Additionally, cover unused phyllo sheets with plastic wrap and then a wet cloth to make sure they do not dry out.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds rinsed and chopped spinach (if you use regular spinach, make sure to cut off the stems as they are bitter; I used 2 9-oz bags of baby spinach instead)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 8 sheets phyllo dough
• 1/4 cup olive oil OR cooking spray
  

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil or spray with cooking spray a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
-Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
-In another medium bowl, mix together eggs, cottage cheese, and feta. Once spinach mixture is cooled, stir into the egg mixture.
-Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, spray with cooking spray, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. (If any of the phyllo dough tears or breaks off, just use those pieces!)
-Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, spraying each with cooking spray. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
-Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Chickpea Salad
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 3 cups of cooked dried garbanzo beans (or a 1 14 oz. drained and rinsed garbanzo bean can)
• 2 Tbsp. red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

-Combine chickpeas, red onion, garlic, tomato, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for several hours before serving to blend flavors. Serve with sliced green olives, if desired (you could also try black olives or feta cheese).

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Week's Menu Plan and Black Eyed Pea Salad

Well, we have had a whirlwind of guests and meals the last two weeks. The past weekend, my in-laws made the long drive down to visit us and it was so fun and relaxing. We were able to enjoy things unique to California - the perfect weather, Napa Valley and a local tomato festival! I also really enjoyed cooking for them, too; it is always easy to cook for such an appreciative audience! We made quite a variety of dishes - both new and old favorites (chicken tikka masala and blackened salmon, respectively), a brand new recipe (French Dip au jus sandwiches) and some reheated frozen leftovers (Minestrone soup).

Needless to say, we have LOVED the visits so far and are hoping for many more!

Knowing we'd be having guests over the weekend, I actually wrote up this week's menu plan well in advance. I typically write them on Thursday or Friday but doing it earlier, I could get it out of the way (I was going to call menu planning a chore but truth is, I really like it!) and be able to fully enjoy their visit. Also, I was still fully prepared with my grocery list at the farmers market on Saturday. However, I've now realized that we have some extra food in the fridge so I've changed my original plan in order to do a bit of fridge-cleaning. I absolutely hate wasting food so we might have to get a bit creative to make sure we use everything up.

Week's Menu Plan

Monday: leftover Chicago style pizza dough with leftover homemade marinara and sauteed mushrooms, peppers and onions

Tuesday: baked panko chicken tenders with basil aioli with sauteed zucchini

Wednesday: lentilles de puy with my husband's rosemary boule bread (which he plans to blog about!)

Thursday: BBQ chicken pineapple quesadillas

Friday: depends on how bare the fridge is...but baked coconut shrimp is a strong possibility

Also, because I couldn't leave you without a recipe, here is a quick recipe of a delicious bean salad we had for lunch one day. Perfect for a light summer lunch (or a great side dish!), this black eyed pea salad is incredibly healthy thanks to all the vegetables plus fiber- and protein-rich beans.

Black Eyed Pea Salad
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 3 cups of cooked dried beans (my post on cooking dried beans is here. However, you could also use 2 cans of drained and rinsed black-eyed peas instead.)
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1 small or 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. sugar (you could also try honey)
• salt and pepper

-Toss together black-eyed peas, tomato, red onion, pepper, and jalapeno in a large bowl.
-In a separate small bowl, dissolve sugar in vinegar. Whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
-Pour dressing over bean mixture. Toss to coat. Stir in cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve (the longer it sits the better the flavor will be).

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California BLT and Mexican Bean Salad

As I sit here writing this blog, I'm currently finishing off the rest of the Mexican bean salad (well, that's only partly true...it made so much that I froze half of it! So I'm only finishing off the non-frozen portion.). We had BLTs with avocado and Mexican bean salad for dinner Tuesday night. First, I was excited to find this BLT recipe because we both LOVE avocado. Our first week in California, we consumed 4 avocados...4! Once I realized that, I tried to cut back on our intake a bit but they are so creamy and such a good source of monounsaturated fat and potassium.

Another reason why I was excited about the BLT is that we have great homemade bread (recipe courtesy of my dad). Since we've been in California, my husband has started to get into bread baking (I obviously do not complain). He's made two batches (one whole wheat loaf bread and one whole wheat cinnamon boule), both of which have been extremely successful! He's planning to bake more this Sunday because we've already devoured all of his bread.

So if you're going to have a recipe with only a few ingredients, they really should be high quality. With homemade bread, farmers market tomatoes and ripe avocados, it was the perfect time for this sandwich. Of course, I nixed the mayo and threw on a few Heinz Genuine dill pickles because that's just what my family does. They were great (even though I finished off half of a sandwich, I don't think one sandwich was quite enough for my husband so just a heads up).

California BLT
Taken from: Ina Garten

• 4 slices of bacon
• 4 slices of whole-wheat bread
• 2 lettuce leaves (we like Romaine for the crunch)
• 1 tomato, cut into 4 whole slices
• 1 avocado, cut into 1/2 in. thick slices
• Lemon juice
• Salt & pepper
• Extra toppings: mayo, dijon mustard, pickles, etc.

-Prep all ingredients and toss avocado slices in lemon juice to prevent browning.
-Cook bacon in frying pan over medium high heat until browned. Let drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.
-On a baking sheet, place the 4 slices of bread and broil for 1-2 minutes until browned, checking every 20-30 seconds. Flip slices over and broil for 1 more minute.
-On one of the slices, pile lettuce, bacon, tomato, avocado, salt and pepper and any extra toppings. Place second slice on top and serve.

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I really like bean salads. They're typically fresh and it's a great way to get protein and fiber. This bean salad was no exception but a word of caution - it makes a lot of salad! I put this in a medium sized bowl and it was filled to the brim. I ended up freezing half of the bean salad (I'm not sure how well they freeze but we'll find out!) because I didn't want us to be eating beans for days (maybe weeks). At first, I thought the spices were a bit overpowering but the longer the salad sat, the better the spices melded with the dish. So if you don't like spices, go easy on the cumin and chili powder.

Mexican Bean Salad
Taken from: A Hint of Honey blog

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (adjust to taste)
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  **You could also add avocado, corn or tomatoes.

-In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, onion, jalapeno, garlic and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Add oil mixture to large bowl and toss to combine. Allow the salad to sit for a few hours to let the flavors meld together.

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