Sunday Afternoon Tailgate: Week 9

Well, we're into November--the heart of football season--and that means we need some hearty, stick-to-your-ribs sort of food to go along with the cold weather. This week on Sunday Afternoon Tailgate, we'll be doing a few dishes from south of the border, some root vegetables, and a kicked-up hot cider recipe. Dishes so easy any amateur cook can make them--no matter how many times you've muffed the punt in your kitchen. You don't want to miss it!

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Chicken and Red Pepper Quesadillas

This is a really easy and hearty quesadilla recipe. The spinach and roasted red pepper cut the spiciness of the cheese well. And it's a great dish for feeding a crowd!

• 6 ounces cut spinach (boiled)

• 8 burrito-size tortillas (corn or flour is fine--I prefer flour) 

• 2 12-ounce bags of shredded cheese (try and get the quesadilla-mix, if possible) 

• 8 ounces roasted red pepper (you can get these by the jar, or roast your own in the oven) 

• 1/2 a roasted chicken, shredded with the skin removed  (I bought a rotisserie from the supermarket to keep things simple) 

• 4 diced green onions, or scallions

• Salsa to taste, or to garnish on top
  

In a bowl, mix together the chicken, scallions, and cheese.

Spread the mixture on one tortilla and sprinkle pieces of red pepper and spinach on top.

Put another tortilla on top, and press in a quesadilla press (or fry in a pan or on a griddle), 5 minutes per side).

ENJOY!

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** Recipe courtesy of Dominique Bruno

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Black Bean Cakes

This is a little recipe I made up about a year ago when I was hosting a Guatemalan breakfast. Black beans and crema is a popular Guatemalan dish. It's also one of my favorite food combinations, and it makes for a fantastic gameday dish. My twist on the old classic is to make this into a griddle cake that you can eat by hand or with a fork.

• 2 TBSP Vegetable oil (plus additional oil for frying)
• 2-3 Green onions, diced
• 2 Cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. Ground cumin
• Pinch of Cayenne
• 2 15 oz. cans of refried black beans
• 2 c. plain dry bread crumbs
• A healthy squirt of lime juice
• Sea Salt, to taste
• Cracked red pepper, to taste
• 1/3 c. All-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Sour cream, for garnish
  
• Chives, for garnish
• Guacamole, for garnish
• Your favorite hot sauce, for garnish (I prefer Cholula Hot Chili Garlic)

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the chopped green onion and garlic until softened (about 2 minutes). Add cumin and cayenne. Add the black beans gradually and heat through. Then scrape the black bean mixture into a bowl and add the lime juice, salt, red pepper, and 1 c. of the bread crumbs.

Using the mixture, form 12 ¼-cup patties about ½ inch thick. (If the cakes want to fall apart, add a little more bread crumb to the mixture.)

Put flour, beaten eggs, and remaining bread crumbs into three separate bowls. Dust each cake in the flour, dip in the eggs, and then press into the bread crumbs to coat. (If you run out of bread crumbs, you can also simply roll them in flour and forget about the other two steps.)

Fry the cakes over medium-high heat in a cast-iron skillet with a bit of oil until golden brown (about 2 min. per side). Let cool on paper towels. Serve with sour cream, chives, guacamole, and hot sauce.

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Krazy Karrots

I can't take credit for this recipe. It's one that my mom has been making for years, and I don't know where it originally came from (though I've posted the recipe below). You combine the listed ingredients with 1/4 c. of water and then cook in a slow cooker. Very simple, but very delicious.

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Drink Recommendation

Beer: Bohemia (Cuauhtémoc Moctezum Brewery)


Cocktail: Spiked Cider


With Hispanic food on the menu we might as well go with a Mexican beer. I prefer this draft to the more popular Dos Equis or Negro Modelo. It's golden hue and hoppy, crisp Pilsner flavor makes for a well balanced brew. 


Since we're into fall, we might as well make a seasonal punch for the late game, as well. This means taking apple cider (which you can find in pretty much any supermarket) and giving it a little bite with some added spices, fresh fruit, and alcohol. You can keep this drink warming on the stove for hours, but it's best if you add the rum and brandy before serving. (That comes out to 1-½ shots of rum per serving and 1 shot of brandy.)

• 3 c. Apple cider
  
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
  
• 2 shots Triple sec
• 1 large Apple, sliced thin (as I've mentioned before, I prefer a crisp, tart apple)
  
• 1 Orange, sliced thin
• 1 tsp. Ginger paste
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• ½ TBSP Whole cloves (or allspice)
• 6 shots Dark rum
• 4 shots Brandy

Combine the first seven ingredients in a pot on the stove and bring slowly to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the rum and brandy before serving.

Serves: 4

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I like squirrels.

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EAGLES PREDICTION: Win? -- So it comes down to this: I don't really trust the Eagles to beat anyone at this point, but my mind simply refuses to accept that the Oakland Raiders might actually be a winning team or that Terrelle Pryor might be an NFL-ready quarterback. It's just not possible.


MY RECORD: 5-3

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