Kap & Mina's Sunday Afternoon Tailgate: Conference Championships

Tom Brady audibles at the line . . .

Winter's here with a vengeance and we're getting all the snow we can handle in West Virginia. (It took me 4 1/2 hours to get home last week, and I only live 1 1/2 miles away from where I work.) Still, despite the cold, things are heating up on the gridiron with four teams vying for the right to play in the Super Bowl.

Mina and I have decided this week, with the season coming to a close, that it's time to reflect on our great cooking friendship. Which is why we are paying tribute to each other with this week's recipes . . . .

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Note: I accidentally hit "publish" on this post way too early. We'll get the pictures added on Sunday and update it again then. So please check back!

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"TRIBUTE"
"This is not The Greatest Meal in the World, no . . . this is just a tribute"
Kap & Mina Put Each Other On A Plate

We have had terrible weather here in Morgantown these last few days. January is always full of cold, snow, and ice, and it's tricky to drive on these curving mountain roads. As a result, Kap and I have had to defer our movies-and-Mexican food night for a better weather-weekend. It seemed only fair to pay tribute to Kap's flavor palate this week with some bold, complex south-of-the-border seasonings (and add some bacon and barbecue as well). One of my favorite road trips with Kap was to a barbecue place in Pennsylvania a couple of summers back, so I hope this weekend to conjure up some of those warm summer memories, despite the frightful weather outside.  

​~Mina

Beans 'n' Barbecue Tacos

• 1 Box "Fiesta Flats" or "Stand 'n' Stuff" Hard Taco Shells
• 1 lb. Bacon, cooked and divided
• 1 lb. Premium Ground Beef 
• 1 TBSP Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1 pinch Ground Ginger
• Fresh Salsa/Picante Tomatoes
• 1 bag Taco Cheese Blend
• Iceberg Lettuce, chopped    

MINA'S CLASSIC GUACAMOLE

• 4-6 Avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
• 1 small Onion, diced
• 2 strips of Bacon, chopped finely
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
• Juice of one Lime
• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Cumin
• Sea Salt, to taste
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• Tabasco Sauce, to taste

Combine all ingredients in one bowl, mixing well. Add sea salt and Tabasco sauce last, to taste, and serve. 


BARBECUE BEANS

• 1 Small Onion, diced
• 4 Pieces Bacon, cooked
• 1 (14.5-ounce) Can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 c. spicy and sweet barbecue sauce
• 1/4 c. Tomato Paste
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Combine and blend all ingredients in food processor until texture is velvety.  


TACOS

​Brown beef with bacon and onion.  Mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and ginger in a plastic bag and shake well, before shaking over beef, bacon, and onion. Cook until flavors are blended (around 2 min.). 

Assemble taco shells.  Layer beef mixture into shells first, followed by salsa and guacamole.  sprinkle lettuce and cheese over the top and serve.  

***Optional fun for a cold winter's day: put tacos onto non-stick baking sheet and broil for two minutes until cheese has begun to melt.  

Mina's dishes are a hard act to follow, but one story Mina often tells about her family involves her favorite part of any large family dinner, when afterwards they get together and eat hazelnuts and oranges and wash it down with strong coffee. I'd been thinking about how to incorporate that into a tailgate-appropriate dish, and then it hit me: chicken fingers and fries, the classic basket.

One dish I often make for others is a pecan-crusted chicken tender salad with an orange dressing. It's light enough for those folks who are watching their waistline, but still substantial. I've replaced the salad portion with fries, replaced pecans with hazelnuts, and added a few other dipping sauces to the mix (including a green sauce, in honor of Mina's favorite color). After all . . . dipping is fun!

​- Kap

Hazelnut-Crusted Chicken Tenders and Fries
Blood Orange Sauce • Espresso Sauce • Green Goddess Sauce

• Vegetable Oil, for frying
• 1-2 lbs. Chicken Breast Tenders, boneless and skinless
• Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
• 1 c. Flour
• 2 Eggs, beaten with a splash of milk
• 1 c. Plain Bread Crumbs
• 1 c. Hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 Orange, zested
• Pinch of Fennel Seeds, ground
• 1 bag of Frozen French Fries (prepared according to the instructions on the bag)

Heat the oil over medium and season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper.

In one dish, put the egg mixture. In another, put the flour. And in a third, put the bread crumbs, nuts, nutmeg, zest, and fennel seeds.

Coat the tenders in flour, then dip in egg, and then roll in the bread crumb mixture.

Fry in small batches for 6 minutes, until fully cooked. Then drain on paper towels.

Serve over French Fries with dipping sauce trio.


BLOOD ORANGE DIPPING SAUCE

• 1/2 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp. Onion Salt
• 1/2 c. Honey
• 1/4 c. Apple Cider Vinegar (this is very important)
• 1/4 c. Ketchup
• Zest of one Blood Orange
• 2 Blood Oranges, peeled and roughly chopped (you can use regular oranges if you can't find Blood Oranges)
• 1/2 Cinnamon Stick
• Hot Sauce, to taste (Mina would use Frank's Red Hot)
• 1/4 tsp. Mustard Powder
• 1 TBSP Cornstarch, dissolved in cold water
• 1-2 Fresh Basil leaves

Combine ingredients and blend until smooth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 min. Serve warm or chilled. 


ESPRESSO DIPPING SAUCE

• 2 tsp. Olive Oil
• 2 clove of Garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP Oyster Sauce (found in the Asian food section)
• 2 tsp. Hoisin Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Soy Sauce
• 1/4 c. Espresso
• 1 tsp. Dark Brown Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• Black Pepper, to taste
• 1 TBSP Cornstarch, dissolved in cold water

Pan fry the garlic in the oil over medium heat until just browned (1 min. or so). Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 min. Serve warm or chilled.


GREEN GODDESS DIPPING SAUCE

• 1 tsp. Anchovy Paste
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 2 TBSP Parsley
• 2 TBSP Tarragon
• 2 TBSP Green Onions
• 2 TBSP Chives
• 2 TBSP Nira Chives (optional--I use them because I grow them)
• 1/2 c. Mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp. White Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Lemon Zest
• Squirt of Lime Juice
• Pinch of Dill
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Put all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve cold.

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Well, I was kind of stumped as to what kind of alcoholic beverage pays tribute to Kap's taste palate, and his mixologist abilities. Kap and I are making our way through all of the IBA cocktails, on a spreadsheet of sorts, and it's been more fun than I can possibly tell you (but is evidence of what happens when you get two obsessive planners together for drinks each weekend). Then it hit me: put ALL the spirits in a drink together! . . . But I realized that already existed, and it's called the Long Island Iced Tea. So here's my revamping of that drink, in honor of my pal Kap: The No-Man's-An-Island Iced Tea. A friendly warning: this one will definitely put you folks under the table. Be careful, OK? 

~Mina

The No-Man's-An-Island Iced Tea

1 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Tequila
1 oz. White Rum
1 oz. Gin
1 oz. Apple Mead
1 oz. Triple Sec
1 1/2 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
1 splash Ginger Beer
1 splash Cola
​1 slice Lemon, for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour vodka, tequila, rum, gin, apple mead, triple sec, and sour mix over ice; cover and shake. Pour cocktail into a Collins or hurricane glass; top with splashes of ginger beer and cola. Garnish with a lemon slice.

I've been sitting on this recipe for a long time, waiting for the right tailgate weekend, and this is it. As we know, New England is an important place in Mina's life, and so it only seems fitting that her cocktail should reflect this. I can't take credit for this recipe, though I did make one small tweak: instead of using a Thyme Simple Syrup, I used a Thyme Honey Syrup (just substitute honey for the sugar in the original). I think it makes the drink taste just a tad more New England-y, myself.

​- Kap

The New England Express

Click Here for the Recipe!

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PREDICTIONS

Panthers vs. Cardinals
These are both really tough games to predict. The four best teams are facing off, and one play can be the difference. Cam Newton and company took their foot off the gas last week (in a manner of speaking) in the second half and almost lost the game. They won't make that mistake twice. All season, they've been the best team. And while the Cardinals are a tough and gutsy team themselves, I see MVP Cam taking care of business at home, earning the Panthers a return to the Super Bowl in a very close game.

• My Prediction: Panthers

Seriously . . . I got nothin'.

Broncos vs. Patriots
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. It seems like these two are inextricably bound together. They've faced off 16 times with Brady winning 11 of those contests. The Patriots are the smart choice, and may be the better team (especially with Broncos CB questionable to play). In fact, this may be more of a wishful thinking pick than anything. But I'm going with the Broncos for two reasons: they've had the #1 defense for most of the season, and they are playing at home in Mile High Stadium. Therefore, I don't expect them to need to resort to any "low blows" in order to win. They are going to need to put pressure on Brady though to prove me right, however.

• My Prediction: Broncos

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Tune in next week for our Pro Bowl Brinner!

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All recipes listed above come from our own imaginations unless otherwise indicated. If you try one of these recipes in your own kitchen, leave a comment below and tell us how it goes. And, of course, share your modifications, enhancements, improvements, etc.