Fried Mushrooms Recipe


Another great recipe for your super bowl party here – fried mushrooms. Fried mushrooms are whole mushrooms coated with a batter, rolled in bread crumbs and then deep fried. The end result is a delicious and perfectly crispy snack. The secret to these perfectly crispy fried mushrooms is panko bread crumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese style breadcrumbs and can be found in the Asian section of many stores. If you can’t find panko breadcrumbs, you can use normal breadcrumbs as well. As you can tell from the ingredients there are not a lot of seasonings added to the coating. If you want to spice it up a little try adding some garlic powder and garlic salt. Fried mushrooms make an amazing snack for any party. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
10 ounces whole fresh mushrooms
1 cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 cups breadcrumbs (preferably panko)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add water and mix until a smooth batter has formed. Dip mushrooms into the batter and coat evenly. Allow excess batter to drip off.  
Step 2: Roll the mushrooms in breadcrumbs until coated thoroughly. Repeat until all mushrooms are coated.
Step 3: Heat deep fryer to 365 degrees. Deep fry mushrooms in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Chinese Chicken Wings Recipe


Looking for that amazing snack for your Super bowl party? Well, look no further. Chinese chicken wings are the ultimate party snack. The amazing flavor of these wings lies within the marinade. The longer you marinate the wings for, the more flavor they will have. I would recommend at least overnight, but I usually do mine for about 24 hours. The marinade also makes a great dipping sauce for the wings or even goes great on top of rice.  There is nothing complicated about this recipe as the marinade only takes a few minutes to mix together. The hardest part is if you want to cut the chicken wings but you can buy them pre-cut in the store. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3-4lbs chicken wings
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
½ cup pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large bowl combine all of the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken wings, cover and refrigerate. Marinate overnight (or longer).
Step 2: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken wings on a foil lined baking sheet. Pour marinade over wings.
Step 3: Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until wings are fully cooked.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe


Here I have for you the ultimate party pizza – buffalo chicken pizza! This pizza is like having those spicy buffalo chicken wings on a pizza. This pizza will make an amazing treat to make for a party and everyone is sure to love you! The process is very simple, coat the chicken bits with hot sauce and butter. Instead of the traditional pizza sauce, blue cheese dressing goes on this pizza. If you are not a fan of blue cheese, no problem, you can easily use ranch dressing instead. For the crust you can either use a store bought crust or even better, make your own. If you choose you can add other ingredients for toppings such as black olives or red onions. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (cooked and cubed)
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 (2 ounce) bottle hot sauce
1 (8 ounce) bottle blue cheese dressing (or ranch)
1 (16 inch) prepared pizza crust
1 (8 ounce) bag shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl combine cooked chicken cubes, hot sauce and melted butter. Mix well to coat the chicken.
Step 2: Spread blue cheese dressing over the pizza crust, just enough to cover the crust. Using the whole bottle is not necessary. Top with coated chicken cubes and mozzarella cheese.
Step 3: Bake in the oven until crust is golden brown and cheese has melted (about 10 minutes).

Crab Puffs Recipe


Crab puffs are placed high on my list of appetizers. Crab puffs are a perfect snack for any party or get together. There are many ways to make crab puffs but this method has to be my favorite. Instead of having the crab baked right into the dough, the puffs are baked in the oven, cut in half and then filled with a delicious crab mixture. Over-all there is a little work involved with this recipe but nothing major. The crab mixture is delicious enough to eat by itself. Everyone around my house just devoured these; they were gone in no time. The recipe calls for canned crab but imitation crab will work as well. If you are in need of an amazing appetizer, give this recipe for crab puffs a try! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb canned crab (or imitation)
½ cup celery (finely chopped)
½ cup onion (finely chopped)
4 hard boiled eggs (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (minced)
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 cup water
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large bowl combine crab, celery, onion, hard boiled eggs, chili sauce, and parsley. Mix well and refrigerate.
Step 2: To make the puffs – Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add 1 stick of butter and stir until melted. Slowly add flour, a little at a time until the dough forms a ball. Allow the mixture to cool. In a separate bowl beat 4 eggs thoroughly. Stir beaten eggs into flour mixture, mix well.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and drop flour/egg mixture by the teaspoon full onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the puffs to cool.
Step 4: Slice each puff in half and fill with the crab mixture.
(Makes 10 servings)

Chicken Nuggets Recipe


Chicken nuggets make a great snack or even a great addition to a dinner or lunch. This recipe is very kid friendly… your kids are sure to be pleased with these chicken nuggets. The chicken is first rolled in flour, dipped in egg and then rolled in a bread crumb mixture. For the seasonings, you can tweak it to your taste. If you want a little heat, add some cayenne pepper or chili seasoning into the flour mixture. With this recipe I will give you two options of cooking the chicken nuggets – deep frying or baking in the oven. I deep fried them just because it’s faster but for those of you that don’t have a deep fryer, the oven works just as good if not better. Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
¼ cup all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup milk
1 egg
½ cup dry Italian breadcrumbs
1 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter (melted, if baking in the oven)
Oil (if deep frying)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: On a plate combine flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a small bowl beat egg and milk. On another plate combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
Step 2: Coat chicken strips first in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg mixture and then roll in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until all strips are coated.

Step 3: If deep frying – Heat deep fryer to 360 degrees and deep fry chicken nuggets in batches for 6 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Step 4: If baking in the oven – Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until strips are no longer pink inside.
(Makes 4 servings)

Potato Skins Recipe


What could possibly be a better snack than potato skins? If you are not familiar with potato skins- potato skins are the skin of a potato deep fried or baked and filled with an assortment of different ingredients. Potato skins make the perfect snack for any party. The cooking process is simple, the potatoes are first baked, cut in half and then the potato is almost all scooped out until just a thin layer of potato and the skin remains. After that the skins are brushed with numerous seasonings and then deep fried or baked until crispy. The skins are then filled with cheese and bacon and topped with sour cream and green onions. I know sounds delicious, right? Well, believe me, it is. To cook the whole potatoes you can either bake them or cook them in the microwave. I personally prefer the microwave because it’s a lot faster. To cook the skins you can either deep fry them or bake them. This recipe calls for a combination of deep frying and baking. I find that they come out a little better in the deep fryer but I don’t think you will notice much of a difference in the oven. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 large bake potatoes (baked or microwaved until tender)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Oil (for deep frying)
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 slices of bacon (cooked until crispy and crumbled)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
4 green onions (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out the insides and discard leaving about ¼” of the shell.
Step 2: In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoons oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, parmesan cheese and pepper. Brush mixture all over potato skins.

Step 3: Heat deep fryer to 365 degrees and deep fry potato skins for 5 minutes in batches. Drain on paper towels. (* to bake instead of deep fry –  pre-heat oven to 475 degrees. Place skins in a greased baking dish and bake for 8 minutes. Turn over and bake for 8 minutes on that side.)
Step 4: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place potato skins in a lightly greased baking dish and fill each skin with cheddar cheese and bacon. Divide evenly between each skin. Bake for 7 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven and top with sour cream and green onions.
(Makes 4 servings)

Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe


If you are not familiar with Lo Mein, Lo Mein is a Chinese noodle dish. The noodles are first cooked and then mixed with a brown sauce and an assortment of vegetables. I had tried this dish at our local Chinese buffet and it was delicious. This recipe did not quite match the flavor I was looking for but it was still good. This dish uses quite a few vegetables and no actual meat. If you would prefer to add a little meat putting in some cooked chicken, pork, or shrimp would be great as well. Vegetable Lo Mein could be a main course or even go great as a side dish with your favorite Chinese chicken recipe. For the noodles, I used linguini but spaghetti or vermicelli will work just as good. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
8 ounces linguini, spaghetti or vermicelli noodles (cooked until al dente)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh mushrooms (sliced)
1 carrot (peeled and sliced into thin strips)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
1 onion (sliced)
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons ginger (minced)
1 green onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a small bowl mix together chicken broth and cornstarch. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the red pepper flakes and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, carrots, onion, red pepper, garlic and ginger. Stir fry until tender. Add in green onion and stir fry for 1 minute.
Step 2: Add in the chicken broth/ cornstarch mixture along with the hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, and curry powder. Stirring until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Mix sauce with cooked noodles tossing to coat and serve.
(Makes 4 servings)

Breakfast Burritos Recipe


Looking for something a little different to start your day? If so, breakfast burritos might be perfect for you. Eating the same old cereals, pancakes or waffles can get old; it’s time to try something new. Breakfast burritos bring a combination of classic Mexican bean burritos and your favorite breakfast items. If you love bacon, eggs and cheese, you will love these burritos. The bacon can be easily replaced with ham or sausage if you choose. It’s always a good idea to try and find a good brand of refried beans. My personal favorite is the Taco Bell brand. From experience I have noticed some brands just don’t have the flavor that others do. These burritos are very easy to make and you will be eating them in no time at all. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb sliced bacon (cooked until crispy)
10 eggs (scrambled)
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
10 (10”) flour tortillas

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels. If you don’t know how to cook crispy bacon, check out my article – How to cook crispy bacon.
Step 2: In a large bowl beat eggs together. Cook and scramble the eggs with a little bit of butter of cooking spray in a skillet. Remove from pan and set aside.

Step 3: On the stove top or in the microwave warm refried beans. Heat tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds between 2 sheets of toweling.
Step 4: In the center of each tortilla put thin layer refried beans, 2 strips of bacon, some eggs and cheese. Roll into burritos by folding the corners towards the center, grabbing the bottom and then rolling up. Repeat until all burritos are rolled.
Step 5: Heat each burrito in a skillet on both sides until browned.

Chinese Honey Chicken Recipe


Until now I have only tried honey chicken at the local Chinese buffets here in Michigan. Most of the honey chicken at the buffets I find a little too sweet for my liking. I decided I wanted to give it a try at home and came across a recipe that looked pretty good, and indeed it was. Basically this is no different than any other Chinese chicken recipe. The chicken is first battered, deep fried and then coated with a thick sauce. You can use a wok but I really recommend deep frying the chicken bits when using a batter like this. The sauce is a delicious mixture of honey, garlic, and ginger and rice vinegar. Serve with white rice. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
Oil (for deep frying)
Batter-
4 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg white
Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons oil
2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
3 tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large bowl mix all batter ingredients together until smooth. Cover and allow the batter to site for at least 30 minutes. Add the chicken to the batter tossing to coat.
Step 2: Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Fry chicken bits in patches for 2 minutes or until batter becomes firm. Drain on paper towels.

Step 3: To make the sauce. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in your wok. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds.  Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Mix well. Combine 1 teaspoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add to the sauce and Simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Coat chicken with the sauce and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with white rice.
(Makes 4 servings)