Makeover Monday: Oven Baked Buffalo Wings

Football season is in full swing.  Are you as excited as I am?  For those of you who don't know me, I am a diehard K-State and Kansas City Chiefs fan.  In case you haven't been paying attention, the K-State football team is off to a 7-0 start and is ranked as the #8 team in the country this week.  And the Chiefs, after an abysmal start to the season are 3-3 and shut out the hated Raiders 28-0 yesterday.  So I'm feeling pretty good about football season today.

While I love the game itself, I must say one of the best things about football season is coming up with a delicious game day menu.  Watching a game just isn't as fun if you are sitting on the couch not eating.  I think part of the excitement of a big game for me is the excuse to throw my normal routine out the window and eat something sinfully bad for me.  And what captures the essence of football watching better than wings and beer? 

So a few weeks ago, in the spirit of football watching, I decided to make Buffalo Wings.  Chicken is rarely prepared in my house, and frying chicken is even more rare.  As in, it's never been done.   I had what seemed like a great recipe for wings from Cook's Illustrated, but I was feeling really uneasy about frying the chicken.  Then my husband proposed that I just bake the chicken.  I wasn't sure about it at first.  Chicken wings are fried, not baked, and I was afraid they wouldn't turn out well if I baked them.  But in the name of clear arteries I decided to try it.  

I prepared the recipe basically as written.  I coated the wings with seasonings and cornstarch.  Then instead of frying them, I sprayed them with a little cooking spray and baked them.  While they were baking I prepared the Buffalo sauce.  When the wings were done baking I coated them with sauce.  Then we ate them--all of them!  I really meant to make enough to last for two meals, but these were just too good.  I suppose I should point out that I halved the recipe.  No, we did not eat three pounds of chicken!

Despite my fear, I think the texture was just as good as if they had been fried.  The sauce had a nice kick to it without being overly hot.  One change I did make to cut out a few calories from the sauce was that I used margarine instead of butter.  Butter isn't exactly the dominate taste in Buffalo wings, and the fat isn't needed for textural purposes so I don't think you miss out on anything except the calories!  I don't know exactly how many calories were saved by baking instead of frying.  The original recipe called for a whopping 1-2 quarts of oil for frying.  Of course, not all of that ends up on the wings.  But some of it does!  And at 120 calories per tablespoon of oil, the calorie saving potential is enormous! 

So next time you are planning an afternoon of football watching or just have a random craving for Buffalo wings, try this baked variety.  Your arteries and your waistline will thank you!

Oven Baked Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:

Sauce

4 Tbsp margarine

1/2 cup Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce

2 Tbsp Tabasco sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp vinegar

Wings

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

1/4 cup cornstarch 

3 lbs chicken wings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Mix together cayenne and black pepper, salt, and cornstarch.  Dry chicken with paper towels and place pieces in large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle spice mixture over chicken and toss with plastic spatula to coat evenly.  Place wings on baking sheet, spray lightly with cooking spray, and bake about 20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

While chicken is baking, melt margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in remaining ingredients until combined then move to large bowl. 

When chicken is done baking, add to sauce bowl and toss to coat wings evenly.  Serve immediately. 

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated. 

Apple Cider Oatmeal

While I was making my Simple Cinnamon Spiced Cider the other evening, I looked at my gallon of apple cider and wondered what else I could do with it.  The brisk mornings we've been experiencing lately have caused me to switch out my Bran Flakes for a cozier bowl of hot oatmeal.  I usually make my oatmeal with milk instead of water to make it creamier.  It occurred to me that I could use apple cider instead of milk.  I suppose this concept doesn't turn the breakfast world on its head, but it was something new to me!  So I gave it a try, and I was glad I did!  The bowl I whipped up tasted suspiciously like apple crisp.  Dessert for breakfast?  Yes, please!

Not pictured: Pecans and Wheat Germ.  Shame on them.

I like the nutty taste of wheat germ in my oatmeal, plus it adds a little extra fiber, protein, and some vitamins and minerals.  I also tend to put approximately a ton of cinnamon in my oatmeal, and some nutmeg which I thought was perfect for this version.  Cinnamon and nutmeg are both good antioxidants, so feel free to pile 'em on!  Since the apple cider has plenty of natural sugar, there's no need to add any.  A slice of apple chopped up and a sprinkle of pecans gave it a little crunch.  So if you are tired of your usual bowl of oatmeal, or want a quick sweet treat on a cold evening, go ahead and whip up a bowl!

Apple Cider Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oatmeal

6-8 oz apple cider

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped apple (I used Granny Smith)

2 Tbsp chopped pecans

1 Tbsp wheat germ

Directions:

Add oatmeal, cider, and chopped apple to microwave safe bowl.  Use 6 oz apple cider if you like thick oatmeal, or 8 oz if you like it thinner.  Cook oatmeal according to package directions.  

When oatmeal reaches desired thickness, stir in remaining ingredients.  

Note: adjust seasonings to your preference.  I don't usually measure, but I like a lot of spices!

Sweet Potato Bread

Remember the giant sweet potato our neighbors gave us? It's back!  I had already made Rosemary Sweet Potato Biscuits with a chunk of this giant spud.  I made a batch of soup yesterday for lunch (more on that in a later post) and thought it would be great to have some kind of fresh bread with it.  While deciding what to make I ran across this recipe for Sweet Potato Bread on Hodgson Mill's website.  I wanted bread.  I had most of the world's biggest sweet potato still sitting around.  So I made this bread. 

Let me say that I have never made homemade bread before, other than quick breads.  I still have a slight phobia of working with yeast, but I mustered up some confidence and set out to make a loaf of my own.  And it was awesome!  It turns out that homemade bread is so much better than store bought.  I had a hard time having just one piece.  Okay, just two.  I really wanted to hold that loaf with both hands and just start attacking it.  Let this be my warning to you. 

And it actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  Here's how it went down:

The first step is to dissolve the yeast in warm water. 

Let it set for 10 minutes.  After that time it should have about doubled in volume, be kind of foamy/frothy, and smell nice and yeasty.  Hmm...apparently yeasty is a real word!

While the yeast is doing its thing, combine the milk, honey, and butter and heat to 135 degrees.  I used a measuring cup so I could use my microwave to heat it .  I like the easy way!

Combine your milk mixture (which is tasty by the way!) with the sweet potatoes in a blender or food processor.  I used the food processor.

Add the whole wheat flour and salt and mix well.  The original recipe didn't say to use a food processor for adding the flour, but I did anyway.  I like the easy way!

Add the yeast and egg white.  Mix it again.  Add the rest of the flour and mix until you have a soft dough.

Now for the kneading.  You can continue to use the food processor at this point, but I switched to my stand mixer with the dough hook and kneaded the dough for 4 minutes.  Remember from our pizza crust that kneaded dough should be soft, smooth, and should bounce back when pressed.

Move the dough to a greased bowl and coat with oil.  I sprayed mine with cooking spray.  I like the easy way!  Cover the bowl with a damp towel, place it in a warm spot, and let the dough rise for about an hour.  Remember that now is the time we take a walk.  Or do dishes.  I guess it's up to you!

And we're back.  Punch the dough down and move it to a floured surface or a sheet of waxed paper.  I used wax paper because...I like the easy way!  To shape the dough, first form it into a rectangle.  Then fold it into thirds like a business letter.  Pinch the seams to seal it.  See.  It's not so hard!

Place your dough in a greased loaf pan with the seam side down.  Once again, cover and let it rise for about another hour. 

Maybe you can do some aerobics this time.  You'll probably be pretty tired after about 45 minutes, so go ahead and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  When the dough is done rising, bake for 30-35 minutes.  It will be nice and golden brown.  It will smell delicious, and so will your home.

Let the bread cool, then dig in.  And be so glad you did aerobics today.

Sweet Potato Bread
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (115 degrees)
3/4 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg white
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour*
Directions:
Dissolve yeast to warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a large measuring cup or saucepan, combine milk, butter, and honey. Heat to 135 degree F. (1 1/2 minutes in a microwave or 4 minutes in a saucepan). Puree mashed sweet potato and liquid in a blender. Pour this puree into a large mixing bowl, add the salt and whole wheat flour, and mix well (you may use a mixer).
Then add yeast and egg whites and mix well. Add the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and satiny, 10 minutes by hand or 4 minutes in an electric mixer or food processor fitted with a dough hook. Put dough in greased bowl, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm draft-free place until dough rises just above tops of pans, about 1 hour.
Knead down. turn onto a lightly floured surface. Let rest for 10 minutes. Grease a 9X5X3-inch loaf pan. Shape dough into a loaf and put into pan, seam side down. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until dough rises just above tops of pan, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove bread immediately and let cool on rack. When completely cooled, the bread can be sliced and frozen.
*The original recipe called for 1 cup of bread flour and 1/2 cup AP flour.  I didn't have bread flour so I used all AP.  It was still delicious!

Adapted from Hodgson Mill

Simple Cinnamon Spiced Cider

I know I said a while back ago that it was officially fall.  I was wrong then.  It was 28 degrees when I got up this morning.  Now it's fall.  And since it is fall, I need apple cider.  A nice hot cup of spiced apple cider is so comforting this time of year.  I bought a gallon of cider a week or two ago, and it has been patiently waiting in my refrigerator for cooler weather.  I will not complain about 80 degrees in October, but it doesn't exactly scream "apple cider time!"

My mom used to make spiced cider with Red Hots when I was a kid.  I didn't have the exact recipe, but I bought some red hots and set out to replicate it.  How hard could it be?  Turns out, not very!  I used 2 cups of apple cider and 1/4 cup Red Hots.  If that is too spiced for you, you can add more cider as needed.  I didn't have any on hand, but I think some cinnamon sticks would be great in this as well.

Simple Cinnamon Spiced Cider

Ingredients:

2 cups apple cider

1/4 cup Red Hots

Directions:

Heat apple cider in small saucepan over medium heat.  Add Red Hots.  Continue to heat until Red Hots are dissolved, stirring occasionally.  Serve warm.

Food Science 101: Over Mixing

Have you ever read a recipe that instructed you not to over mix your dough or batter and thought,  "Well duh!" only to later wonder why it said that?  What would happen?  You see this in so many recipes you might think the universe will implode if stir your muffin batter too long.  That probably won't happen, but let me tell you what will.

Our story begins with gluten.  I imagine gluten will come up time and time again here in Food Science 101, because it is such an important part of baking.  I will spare you all the organic chemistry details and summarize for you.  You're welcome.  Gluten is a protein that develops by mixing flour with water.  It forms an elastic network that allows baked goods to expand, which is essential in proper raising.  

Obviously, some gluten is needed in baked goods.  But mixing doughs or batters too much through either stirring or kneading can cause excess gluten formation.  An elastic network is good, but you don't want to chew your way through too much of it!

How exactly does over mixing or over kneading cause problems in your favorite baked treats?  Let's break it down:

Muffins: Since gluten is formed by mixing water with flour, too much mixing can cause too much gluten formation.  Again, the elasticity of the gluten causes rising.  In a muffin batter, the exterior proteins bake first, and too much gluten causes the interior of the muffin to continue expanding which creates tunnels on the inside the muffin and a tough texture.  When mixing muffin batter, it's okay to have a few lumps!

Biscuits:  Biscuits rely on carbon dioxide formation to rise.  Over working biscuit dough causes not only too much gluten formation, but it also allow the carbon dioxide gas to escape.  This leads to toughness and flat biscuits.    

Cookies:  Because there is little water added to cookie dough, gluten formation isn't really and issue for cookies, as water is needed for its formation.  However, over mixing cookie dough can allow too much air to be incorporated which creates a protein foam.  This causes cookies to be hard and tough. 

Bread doughs:  Here's the other side of the gluten coin; if kneaded too long, the gluten strands in bread doughs can actually break apart.  That means not enough gluten.  Because gluten forms the elastic network that holds the dough together, this causes the dough to lose its elasticity and results in a lumpy, sticky dough that won't properly expand.

No, over mixing will not end life as we know it, but it will result in a less-than-perfect baked good.  And I want nothing but the best for you!  Happy baking!