Spicy Chicken Wings

12-16 Fresh Chicken Wings (cut wing end off)
1 Bottle of Cookies Wings and Things Hot Sauce
1 cup of melted butter
Kosher or Sea Salt

Melt butter and add the whole bottle of hot sauce.

Wash chicken wings in cold water and cut off the wing end.

Put chicken wings in a large zip-loc baggie and pour hot sauce over wings and seal the bag, removing most of the air.

Let marinade in the fridge for 2-6 hours.

Drain the wings in a colander and season wings lightly with kosher or sea salt - making sure to leave most of the sauce on the wings.

Grill over low heat for 1 hr. Turn half way through cooking time. Make sure to watch, as the butter in the sauce will make them flame up.

These are so juicy, tender and flavorful. Everyone will want to try them.

Fresh Salsa

1 medium sweet yellow onion
6-7 roma tomatos
1 bunch of cilantro
3-4 jalapeno peppers (depending on amount of heat you like)
1 lime
1 tbsp of kosher salt

1 clove garlic minced

In food processor - chop onion and garlice cloves together to desired consistency. Empty into a bowl.

Next Process - tomato's (I cut in chunks and then put in processor) process to desired consistency. Add to bowl of onions.

Next Process peppers - add to rest of ingredients.

Process - cilantro and add to rest of ingredients.

Add the juice of one lime , minced garlic and season with salt.

Sir well and refrigerate. Keeps well in fridge for about a week.

Serve with your favortie tortilla chips.

Red Hot Mama's BBQ Sauce

1 ½ cup honey
1 cup ketchup
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp. of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp of cocoa powder
1 tbsp of paprika
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp of Tabasco sauce
1 tsp of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

This is so YUMMY...kick it up a notch if you like to hotter!

Use with ribs, chicken etc.

Makes 3 cups and keep for about a month in fridge.

Darcy's Favorite Fiesta Dip - YUMMO

1/2 pound of hamburger cooked and seasoned with Ortega Taco Seasoning (Follow instructions on package). Cook meat mixture until no longer runny over medium low heat and stir often. Put in a container and cool in the fridge.

16 oz container of sour cream
12 – 16 oz container of cream cheese spread (in the tub instead of a box)
½ package of Ortega Taco Seasoning

Mix Cream cheese, sour cream and seasoning in a container and spread on bottom of 9 x 13 glass baking dish or round serving dish/platter.

Top with cooled taco meat, then layer the following on top of the meat mixture:

1 small sweet yellow onion chopped fine or green onion chopped
1 –2 large tomatoes seeded and chopped (if using Roma tomato’s I use 3-4)
4 oz can of drained sliced or chopped ripe black olives
8 oz of Kraft Finely shredded Cheddar Cheese (our your favorite kind of cheese)

Cover with Glad Wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or more before serving.

Serve with Restaurant Style/Scoops/Bite Size or other taco chip you enjoy.

Keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Grilled Steak Roll-ups

4-5 pieces cube steak
1 Fresh Mozzarella Ball (deli cheese section)
Raw bacon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper


Marinade

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup of honey
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of dry sherry (I just used cooking sherry in the grocery store)
2 crushed garlic cloves

Or use a marinade of your choice ex: Teriyaki, Italian etc.

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate cube steaks for 1 hr (I just put them in a Ziploc bag). Shake off excess marinade and spread a thin layer (1/8” thick) slice of the mozzarella cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Beginning at the short end of the steak – roll up the steak and wrap 1-2 pieces of bacon around each steak and secure with a kabob skewer. Season with S & P to taste. Drizzle each steak with olive oil.

Grill over low to medium low heat and turn often with tongs until done (approximately 30-60-minutes).

These are great the next day as well heated up…that is if there are any leftovers!

Mojitos

(2 Quart Glass Picture)

¼ - ½ cup of fresh mint leaves
½ cup of sugar

Put the sugar and mint into a small bowl and with a wooden spoon muddle them together until the mint is very small and crumbled.

1 cup of white rum (a good brand) more if you like J
½ cup of fresh squeezed lime juice

Put mint/sugar mixture into a sieve or very fine strainer over the picture and poor the rum and lime juice into strainer until drained through.

When ready to serve pour in 6 cups of club soda. Stir gently.

Poor mojito mix over crushed ice in mojito glasses or tall cocktail glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Very refreshing summertime drink!

New York Strip Steak with Brandied Mushrooms

By Tyler Florence (seen on WCCO TV)

Makes four servings

INGREDIENTS

For the Steak• Extra-virgin olive oil• 4 New York Strip steaks, each about 1 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds mushrooms (sometimes we add sliced onions to this as well)
Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp of dried thyme )
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup brandy (regular – not flavored kind)
1/2 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until smoking. Sprinkle the steaks all over with salt and pepper. Put the steaks in the pan and cook, turning to brown all sides completely, until medium-rare, 8 to 10 minutes depending on how thick the steaks are. Remove the steaks to a platter with tongs and cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil to keep the meat warm while you make the sauce.

Put the sauté pan back over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup olive oil. When the oil is smoking, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Then add the thyme and garlic, and season well with salt and pepper. Toss a few more times to cook the garlic, and then dump the mushrooms out onto a platter.

Take the pan off the heat, add the brandy, and cook until almost evaporated. Add the cream and cook that down 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about one-half and thickened. Return the mushrooms to the pan with whatever juices have collected on the platter and simmer the whole thing another 2 minutes until thickened again. Season with salt and pepper.

Time to serve - we like it with a fresh salad and garlic toast!!

Candle light is really nice as well!