Kap & Mina's Sunday Afternoon Tailgate: Wildcard Weekend

Wildcard weekend is here, and so things are, naturally, getting a little . . . wild, around here. Four teams will be eliminated and four will make it one step closer to the big game.

To celebrate this wildness, we'll be taking a cue from one of our favorite cooking shows, Masterchef, and performing our very own mystery box challenge. We've each compiled a list of our twenty favorite food ingredients. With some help from our staple pantry, we're going to turn these into some delectable tailgating delights . . . .

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"MYSTERY BOX CHALLENGE"
Where our Favorite Ingredients become Food

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Kap's Mystery Box

Avocado/Guacamole
Bacon
Barley
Bleu Cheese
Bourbon
Bread (any variety)
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cashews
Corn Chips
Cucumbers/Pickles
Dill
Flat-Iron Steak
Gouda
Green Apples
Mushrooms
Pork Belly
Salami
Shrimp
Zucchini

Staple Box

Baking Soda
Basil
Butter
Cream
Eggs
Flour
Garlic
Honey
Lemons
Milk
Oil (any variety)
Onion
Pepper
Salt
Stock/Broth (any variety)
​Sugar (brown or white)
Tomato Paste
Vanilla
Vinegar (any variety)
Water

Mina's Mystery Box

Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Chickpeas 
Coffee
Cucumbers/Pickles (any variety) 
Fettuccine 
Gin
Green Beans
Ground Beef
Hot Sauce (any variety) 
Mozzarella 
Olives
Oregano 
Potatoes
Rice (any variety) 
Salmon
Soy Sauce
Spinach
Tomatoes (any variety) 
Zucchini

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This was such a challenge for me, because while I find Kap's palate remarkably consistent (in a nutshell: bold complex flavors, and always add bacon) it was really tricky to combine these things in to one dish that I think will be tasty and fun at the same time. The result is a dish that is still sort of "me" (one consistent idea, one bowl, and it's a soup, which I adore) but is also . . . essentially Kap? This is not making any sense. Eat up friends, because I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead. 

​- Mina

Kap's "Can't-Beat-Em" Beef, Barley, and Brussels Sprouts Soup

• 1/2 lb. Flat-Iron Steak, cubed
• 1/2 lb. Thick-Cut Bacon, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground Black Pepper, divided
• 4 tsp. Olive Oil
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. Garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb. Mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 lb. Brussels Sprouts, chopped
• 3 TBSP Tomato Paste
• 1 TBSP Basil, dried is fine
• 1/4 tsp. Dill, same as Basil, dried is fine
• 3/4 c. Quick-Cooking Barley
• 6-7 c. Beef Broth
• 1-2 TBSP All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• Crusty Bread​

Sprinkle the flat-iron steak with 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, and then cook together with bacon in one pan. 

In a large pot, combine oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms, and brussels sprouts. Cook for 2-4 minutes until vegetables have softened.  Add tomato paste, basil and dill to the pot, and coat the softened veggies well, cooking for 2 more minutes.
 
Add barley, broth, salt, and the rest of the pepper to the pot, and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat so the pot continues to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the barley is tender, before adding flour. Add bacon and steak to soup, and cook until heated through and flavors are more combined (at least 5 minutes). Remove from heat, and add vinegar to taste before serving with crusty bread.

I wanted to make a dish that would be easy and portable--the sort of thing that you can eat while socializing, the sort of dish that won't spill everywhere when you jump up to celebrate your favorite team's touchdown. Meat pies (or "pasties," as they are sometimes known) are the perfect fit. They're hardy and delicious, and you can put anything you want inside them (as evidenced by the fact that almost every culture has its own version--from samosas to pasties to runza to nachitoches to empanadas and so on.) I didn't want to take away from the flavor of the beef (or make things too starchy), so I stopped myself from adding zucchini, beans, chickpeas, spinach, etc., but the sky is really the limit. Obviously, we're filling ours with Mina's favorite ingredients.

​- Kap

Meat Pies à la Mina

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• 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
• 1 clove of Garlic, minced
• 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Bell Pepper, finely diced
• 4-5 Sicilian Olives, thinly sliced
• 1 large Potato, finely diced
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 TBSP Coffee
• 1 TBSP Soy Sauce
• 1/4 c. Beef Broth
• 1 TBSP Tomato Paste
• Hot Sauce, to taste
• Parsley, chopped, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1/2 c. Brown Rice, cooked
• 2 sheets of Refrigerated Pie Crust
• 1 egg, for brushing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium skillet brown the ground beef, onion, pepper, olives, and potato. Drain the grease.

Add salt, pepper, Coffee, Soy Sauce, Beef Broth, Tomato Paste, Hot Sauce, Parsley, and Oregano. Simmer and reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add rice and mix well.

​On a floured surface, roll out the pie crust so that it's about 12 x 12 inches. Cut it into 4 even pieces, wet the edges, and fill each with 1/8 of the meat filling. Fold to form a triangle and seal the edges with a fork. (You can cut off the excess dough at the ends of the triangle with a pizza wheel, if you want.) Repeat with the remaining dough.

Brush each pastie with egg wash, and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with extra hot sauce, if you'd like. (We used locally made Wild Kenyan Hot Sauce.)

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Gin and Jam Cocktails

The craft cocktail craze is a real thing, and more and more bartenders are creating libations using unconventional ingredients, such as Jam. It pairs perfectly with Gin, infusing the drink with flavor, and it goes well on unseasonably warm days like the one's we've been having so far this winter.

- Kap & Mina

• 1 1/4 oz. Aged Gin
• 1 oz. Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 heaping TBSP Fig Jam (plus more for garnish)
• Ginger Beer or Sparkling Water, to top
• A few grates of Fresh Ginger, for garnish

Muddle Gin, Lime Juice, Syrup, and Jam in a glass. Top with crushed ice and ginger beer (or sparkling water). Double Strain. Garnish with a spoonful of Jam and a few grates of ginger.

• 1 1/4 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 heaping TBSP Blueberry Jam (plus more for garnish)
• 2 drops Rosewater (opt.)
• Sparkling Water, to top

Muddle Gin, Lemon Juice, Syrup, Rosewater, and Jam in a glass. Double strain. Top with crushed ice and sparkling water. Garnish with a spoonful of Jam.

• 1 1/4 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Lime Juice
• 2 Mint Leaves
• 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 heaping TBSP Strawberry Jam (plus more for garnish)
• Sparkling Water, to top

Muddle Gin, Lime Juice, Mint, Syrup, and Jam in a glass. Double strain. Top with crushed ice and sparkling water. Garnish with a spoonful of Jam.

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PREDICTIONS

Game 1: Chiefs vs. Texans -- The Chiefs are real contenders right now and they're playing good ball after trouncing Oakland last week. I expect them to roll over a Texans squad that's still figuring out its quarterback position.

Game 2: Steelers vs. Bengals -- These rivals know each other well. In their first match-up, the Steelers lost by 6. In their second meeting, the Bengals lost by 13. I think it will be a close one, but the Steelers are the better team (presently and historically). They have experience to fall back on. And I expect them to beat a Dalton-less Bengals squad.

Game 3: Seahawks vs. Vikings -- Last week, the Vikings lost by winning. Had they not beaten the Packers, they would have gotten to play Washington this week. Instead, by winning their division, they find themselves facing the Seahawks. Good teams want to beat the best, but this is a tall order for Minnesota. They lost by 31 points last time. It may be a closer game, but I still think they'll lose handily.

Game 4: Packers vs. Washington -- Neither of these teams is very good right now, but only one of them has Aaron Rodgers. I smell a Packers blow out.

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Tune in next week for Instant Replay!

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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.