Baked Sticky Wings with Asian BBQ Sauce

The original recipe called for deep frying but I prefer the oven baked.  These are mildly spicy and were enjoyed by the whole family.

SAUCE
2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 tbsp Thai Chili Sauce
1 tsp Curry paste
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp peeled and minced ginger
1 green onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil

WINGS
1 kg chicken wings, wing tip discarded, cut in half
1 cup rice flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch Cayenne powder
Vegetable oil

• Combine all Sauce ingredients in a medium pot over high heat.  Bring to boil, remove from heat immediately and let cool.
• Take 1/4 cup of mixture and toss with wings.  Reserve remaining sauce.  Marinate for 2 to 4 hours.  Remove wings from marinade.  Discard marinade.
• Season rice flour with salt and pepper and cayenne.  Toss wings with flour mixture.
• Place on parchment paper lined tray in oven at 400F for 20 -25 minutes.  Turning once.
• Bring remaining sauce to a boil in medium saucepan.  Remove from heat and toss with wings.

Roesti Potato Bake

A simple version of the more complicated Roesti potatoes.  This baked casserole is fairly simple but you still get that great crispy top.  From the Milk Calendar 2014.  I used PC Swiss Cheese for this and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the cheese.

4 medium oblong baking potatoes (Russet or yellow fleshed)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded swiss or gouda cheese, divided
1/4 cup all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Butter a shallow 6 to 8 cup glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. Peel and rinse potatoes.  Shred on the coarse side of a box cheese grater.  Place in a colander; using hands, squeeze out excess liquid.
3. In a bowl, whisk together egg, salt and pepper.  Stir in potatoes and half the cheese; toss baking dish.  Bake for about 45 min or until golden, crisp and potatoes are tender.
4. Preheat broiler with rack 4 inches from heat.  Sprinkle casserole with remaining cheese; broil for 3 min or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Fantastic Fish

This is so easy it is hardly a recipe.  The flavour is good and again something that picky eaters will enjoy. I have lots of critics here - mostly my youngest and this was enjoyed even by her.

1 1/2- 2 cups crushed pretzels
5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp chili powder
mild flavoured fish

1. Cut fish into nugget sized pieces and place on tray.
2. Mix mayonnaise and chili powder in a bowl then spread on fish nuggets.
3. Sprinkle crushed pretzels on top and bake in a 400 F oven until cooked - approximately 10-12 minutes.

Eggplant with Goat Cheese and Fire-Roasted Tomato

A delicious starter.  I have never been a great fan of eggplant, but this changed my mind!

*Preheat oven to 350F

Salt
1 large eggplant, sliced into 8 rounds, about 1/2 inch thick
All purpose flour
1 cup olive oil
4 oz (125 g) goat cheese
2 tbsp finely diced roasted yellow bell pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 jar Fire Roasted Tomato and garlic pasta sauce
Additional chopped fresh parsley, optional

• Lightly salt eggplant rounds and let stand for 30 minutes.  Pat dry and then lightly toss in flour.  Remove and set aside.
• In a saucepan, heat 6 tbsp oil over medium high heat and fry 3 to 4 eggplant rounds at a time, cooking until both sides are golden, adding more oil when required.  Place cooked eggplant on paper towel-lined trays to absorb excess oil.
• In a small bowl, combine goat cheese, roasted pepper and parsley.
• Spread pasta sauce on baking dish.  Place 4 eggplant slices on sauce and evenly cover each with the goat cheese mixture.  Top with remaining eggplant slices.
• Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  Serve eggplant rounds with sauce and top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley if desired.

**Eggplant can also be grilled

Chicken or Veal in Phyllo with Orange Ginger Sauce

A very elegant dinner!

6 boneless chicken breasts or 6 scallops of veal

1/2 cup belted butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 pkg Phyllo pastry

1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds

Orange Ginger Sauce

Trim chicken or veal and rub ginger into the surface of the meat.  Stir cinnamon into melted butter.

Prepare phyllo.  Four sheets will wrap two pieces of meat.  Lay one sheet on work surface and brush with cinnamon butter.  Lay second sheet on top and brush again.  Repeat with 3rd and 4th sheets, brushing with cinnamon butter.  Cut phyllo lengthwise into oblongs, approximately 5 inches across.  Discard the piece left over.

Place piece of meat at top of oblong and fold a corner of the phyllo to make a triangle.  Continue folding triangle until you come to the end of pastry.  Trim off excess. 

Brush outside with butter and place on buttered baking sheet.  Repeat with the rest of the meat.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a preheated 375 oven until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and sprinkle, evenly, with toasted almonds.

To serve, ladle equal amounts of Orange-Ginger Sauce on plates and place one phyllo package in the centre.  Garnish plate with bundles of julienned vegetables and sauteed cherry tomatoes.

Orange Ginger Sauce

Rind of one orange, cut into julienne strips or use a zester

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup orange juice

1 tbsp honey

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tbsp grated ginger

1/4 cup 35% cream

Blanch orange strips or zest in boiling water for 1 minute.  Drain and briefly run under cold water.  Set aside.  In saucepan, heat chicken stock and boil until reduced by half.  Add orange juice and bring to boil.  Add honey, salt, pepper, ginger and cream and bring to a boil.  Reduce until sauce coats a spoon lightly.  Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a little lemon juice if too sweet.  Add orange zest and heat through. 

Oven Baked Salmon with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

An excellent and simple dish.  If you don't like the red peppers - switch it up with squash, potatoes, carrots or your favourite veggie!

4 salmon steaks or fillets
1/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto
4 medium sweet red peppers, cut into strips
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

• Preheat the oven to 375F.  Lightly oil a cookie sheet or shallow baking dish large enough to hold the salmon and peppers in one layer.  I put down parchment paper here.
• Spread the top surface of the salmon steaks or fillets evenly with the tomato pesto.  Place on the prepared baking pan.
• In a bowl toss the red pepper strips with the olive oil, salt and pepper to coat.  Arrange in the baking pan, surrounding the salmon pieces.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until the fish is opaque (poke a fork into the middle of a piece to check) and the peppers are sizzling and softened.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Crunchy Oven Baked Drumettes

The family will never know these weren't deep fried!  Delicious and enjoyed by the whole family!  Got this gem from Todays Parent Magazine November 2008

2 1/2 lb (1.25 kg) chicken wing drumettes, trimmed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
Barbecue sauce, ketchup, yogurt, hot sauce or whatever for dipping

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Toss drummettes with vegetable oil in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, paprika, salt, pepper and onion powder.  Add to drumettes in a bowl and toss until evenly coated.  The flour coating should be like a sticky damp batter roughly coating the chicken.

Place an oiled rack over a foil lined cookie sheet or large shallow baking pan.  Arrange drumettes on the rack, leaving some room between them so that they brown properly.  Place in the preheated oven and bake, turning once halfway through, for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.  Serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauce and plenty of napkins.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.