Tag: baked

Popchips Un-Fried Chicken Wings

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You’ve just gotta  love chicken wings.  Whether served with a pitcher of beer or a glass of milk, there’s something very satisfying about sucking tasty, tender meat off of a tiny bone.  But, the best part of chicken wings are, of course, the crispy batter and finger-licking flavors.  Rather than break out the deep fryer, why not add your crunchy crust from a bag of chips?  I’ve found that Popchips, with their hearty crunch and all-natural ingredients, are a great choice.  The beauty of this recipe, though, is that you can make wings of all flavors (barbecue, sour cream and onion, cheddar, parmesan garlic, etc.) just by using a different flavor of chips!

Makes: 8 crispy wings (or 4 big drumsticks, or 2 breaded chicken breasts)
Total kitchen time: 25 minutes

Shopping list:

  • 8 all-natural chicken drumettes (you can substitute 4 regular drumsticks, 2 small chicken breasts)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 2 bags Popchips (you choose the flavor!)

 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, salt and pepper.
  3. Remove the skin from your chicken pieces and discard it.  As you de-skin-ify the chicken, drop it in the buttermilk to soak. 
  4. Arrange the skinless, buttermilk-basted chicken pieces on the baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.  (If using larger drumsticks or chicken breasts, check for doneness by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.  It should read 160°F.)
  5. Crush the Popchips onto a large plate and spread in an even layer.  You can either crush them by hand, or pulse them a few times in the food processor.  Drizzle the cooked chicken with honey, coating all sides.  Roll each chicken piece in the crumbled Popchips until fully coated.

Of course, we can’t talk about chicken wings without mentioning sauce.  This is a highly personal topic – some people swear by ranch, blue cheese, ketchup, hot sauce… whatever.  For me, a slow-cooked red onion marmalade hit the spot!

Full Disclosure: I got free stuff, but that doesn’t pay for my opinion.

Crab Cakes Rockefeller

crabcake rockefeller 
Why should oysters have all the fun?  After all, crabs are bigger, meatier and more vicious (making our conquest over them all the more victorious!)  And, I’ll unapologetically claim that this recipe is “healthy” since the crab cakes are baked, not fried, and spinach counts as a green vegetable. 

Total kitchen time: 1 hour
Makes: about 6 jumbo crab cakes

Shopping list:

  • 1 lb lump crab claw meat (I love the canned stuff at Trader Joe’s – you can’t beat the price)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 4 green onions, finely diced
  • 1 cup bread crumbs (Panko works great too)
  • 4 tbsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 slices bacon or prosciutto
  • 4 cups (uncooked) baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup watercress stems
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
  • good salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • olive oil (in a sprayer, if you’ve got one)
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and set the top rack to the middle position (BTW, this recipe is a great toaster oven candidate).  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a nonstick cooking mat.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the crab meat, diced red bell pepper, half of the diced green onion (reserving the other half) and half of the bread crumbs (reserving the other half).  Mix in the honey and chili powder, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. I like to form my crab cakes by pressing them into a 1/2 cup measure, squeezing tightly so they’ll hold their shape.  You can mould them with your hands as well, but be sure to press them together tightly or they might fall apart in transit to the plates.  Arrange the crab cakes on the lined baking sheet, leaving at least 1” between each crab cake.
  4. Using your olive oil sprayer (if you have one; or by drizzling olive oil) lightly coat the outside of each crab cake.  This will help with browning and to form an outer crust.  Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
  5. Meanwhile, fry the bacon or prosciutto in a large skillet until crispy.  Set aside to drain, then crumble into small pieces using a sharp knife.
  6. Finely chop the spinach and watercress stems.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.  Then, add the remaining green onion, bread crumbs and watercress stems.  Sauté 1 minute more.  Finally, add the chopped spinach and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. To serve, plate a crab cake atop a smear of the spinach mixture, then sprinkle the whole plate with crumbled bacon.