Super Bowl Snack Countdown Day 3 - Baked Barbeque Wings

I’m sharing with you one of my favorite chicken recipes. I make this chicken for parties all the time. For 4th of July, I rub chicken thighs and drumsticks with this spice rub and Les barbeques them, and it is very popular and easy.

Last summer, I tried this rub with chicken wings, and took them to the beach for a cookout with our friends who were visiting from Tennessee. The wings were hit. They tasted like barbeque chicken wings, but without the sticky barbeque sauce and without the mess.

Leaving the rub on for at least 6 hours give the salt and spices a chance to flavor the chicken all the way to the bone, so don’t skip this step.  

Super Bowl Snacks Countdown Day 2 - Mango Salsa
Super Bowl Snacks Countdown Day 1 - Reuben Pig in Blankets

Baked Barbeque Wings
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook  
Printable Recipe
5 pounds chicken party wings
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, chipotle chili, cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Coat the chicken wings with the dry rub and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the chicken skin side up on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Roast chicken wings until the chicken is completely cooked and the skin is crispy, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Super Bowl Snack Countdown Day 2 – Mango Salsa

I debated posting this Mango Salsa recipe in the middle of winter. Especially this winter with most of the country suffering through bitterly cold weather. But, truth be told, California has been having a warm, summer-like winter, and I saw some beautiful mangos at the market yesterday, so I decided to post this recipe in my Super Bowl Snack Countdown.

This was my go-to snack this summer. My whole family enjoys this spicy sweet salsa with crispy tortilla chips, and I served this to guests all summer long.

If you can find mangoes in a store near you this winter, give Mango Salsa a try. It will be great addition to your Super Bowl snacks.

Super Bowl Snack Countdown – Day 1 Reuben Pigs in Blankets 

Mango Salsa  
Printable Recipe
2 ripe mangos, peeled and cut into ¼ inch chunks
½ small red onion, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 or 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
½ teaspoon salt

Combine mango, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and serve with tortilla chips.

Reuben Pigs in Blankets

I am excited about the Super Bowl on Sunday. Or, to be more truthful, I’m excited about the Super Bowl party I’m attending, since my team lost in an exciting game against the Seahawks.

I’m always excited about Super Bowl food, whether it’s a big bowl of chili, cookies or fun appetizers. I’ve been busy testing out Super Bowl party recipes, and I’m planning on posting them this week leading up to the big game.

First up are these Reuben Pigs in Blankets. My boys loved these. And, me? I’m a sucker for pigs in a blanket and I have warm and fuzzy feelings for Reuben sandwiches, so this combination really works for me. Reuben Pigs in Blankets are fun and tasty, and a perfect nibble for Super Bowl.

Reuben Pigs in Blankets 
Adapted from Food Network Magazine  
Printable Recipe 
½ cup sauerkraut, drained and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons pickle relish
1 8-ounce tube of crescent roll dough
2 slices Swiss cheese, each slice cut into 12 pieces
24 beef little smokies
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Thousand Island dressing for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the sauerkraut and relish in a small bowl, set aside.

Unroll the crescent dough and pinch the diagonal seams together with your fingers. Cut the dough in half lengthwise, and then slice each half crosswise into 12 strips. Place a piece of cheese on one end of strip of dough leaving a ½ inch boarder on the short end. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the sauerkraut mixture on top of the cheese. Place one little smokie on top of each strip of dough, and pinch the dough to seal.

Place pigs in a blanket seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, and brush with the beaten egg. Bake until the dough is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with thousand island dressing.

Brown Rice with Tofu

Have you seen The Wolf of Wall Street? My daughter and I saw it last Friday night. It was a movie centered on overindulgence and downright debauchery. It was wickedly funny, but it did hit a nerve with me. I definitely overindulged this holiday season, not quite to the Wolf of Wall Street’s excesses, but I overindulged nonetheless.

I’m ready to get back into my healthy eating habits, and this Brown Rice with Tofu is a good start. What is healthier than tofu and brown rice? And, as a bonus, it tastes great! The garlic and ginger add a punch of flavor to the rice and the browned tofu adds a good protein source. If you are ready to get back to healthy eating, go ahead and try Brown Rice with Tofu.  

Brown Rice with Tofu
Adapted from Power Foods, by Whole Living Magazine 
Printable Recipe 
14 ounces tofu
1 ½ cups medium-grain brown rice
2 ¾ cups water
½ ounce dried shitake mushrooms (broken if large)
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 dried red chili, stemmed, seeded and crumbled
Coarse salt
1 ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, separated
5 tablespoons plus one teaspoon low-sodium tamari soy sauce, separated
3 ounces baby spinach
6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 ½ tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

Place tofu on a plate lined with a paper towel, cover with another paper towel and place a weighted plate on top of the tofu to press the tofu and remove excess water. Press the tofu for about 30 minutes.

In a large saucepan, stir together rice, water, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, chile and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all liquid, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from heat.

In the mean time, mix together 3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. Remove pressed tofu from plate and cut tofu crosswise into ½ inch slices. Dip tofu slices into the tamari mixture and brown in a skillet over medium high heat. Cut browned tofu into cubes, set aside.

Gently stir tofu cubes, spinach, scallions, cilantro, 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce, vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil into the rice mixture, let stand for 2 or 3 minutes and serve.