Recipe of the Week - Football Edition

Happy Monday before SEC Football everyone!!!!!

Anyone who knows Nancy & I, knows that we are slightly obsessed with College Football - More specifically Auburn Football... Since this weekend we will be celebrating our first Auburn Tailgate of the 2010 Season, I decided that the Recipe of the Week should have a football theme!!!!

When I think of football food, one of the first things that comes to mind is Nachos - But when your traveling, grilling, and tailgating, nachos become kind of difficult to prepare! So I came up with a Chicken Nacho Dip that works perfectly for Tailgates! You can also try this recipe with ground beef.... Happy Tailgating ...ENJOY!!!!

Chicken Nacho Dip

3 cups Chicken, cooked & shredded
2 Tbs Butter
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/4 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Oregano
1 can Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup Pickled Jalapenos, chopped
1 (8oz) container Sour Cream
1 can Rotel Tomatoes, drained
1 can Sliced Black Olives, drained
3 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Tortilla Chips or Fritos for Dipping

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over Medium heat. Add bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Season with cumin & oregano and cook for 3 minutes.
2. In a large bowl combine chicken, pepper mixture, black beans, sour cream, rotel, black olives, jalapenos, and 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Mix well.
3. Spray a baking dish (For tailgates, we use the disposable tin baking pans!!!) with non-stick spray. Pour chicken nacho mixture into baking dish. Cover with remaining cheese.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes. If you are tailgating with this dish - Heat the dip on your grill for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted!
5. Serve with Tortillas or Fritos!!!

"It is a spirit. It is an attitude. It is a way of looking at life and at one another. It is, almost, a way of living. Unless you have experienced it, you will never know what it is; you will never understand it. Once you have experienced it, you will never be the same. A part of you will, forevermore, be an Auburn man or an Auburn woman."

-David Housel

Recipe of the Week

Happy Monday everyone, hope you all have had a fantastic weekend! This week's "Recipe of the Week" was inspired by an appetizer that I had this weekend at an amazing restaurant in the Forest Park area called Little Savannah! Little Savannah is a quaint, Southern bistro that incorporates fresh, local produce into their gourmet menus. They also have a fantastic wine list and their menus change week to week depending on what's fresh and in season!

The appetizer was Fried Green Tomatoes with an Okra & Corn Pico, Red Onion Marmalade, & Crawfish Remoulade - It was amazing! So I pulled out my recipes to find a "not so fancy" version of Fried Green Tomatoes.... ENJOY!

Fried Green Tomatoes with Crawfish Remoulade

1/4 cup Lemon Juice
3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Green Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Celery, chopped
2 Tbs Horseradish
3 Tbs Whole-Grain Mustard
3 Tbs Yellow Mustard
3 Tbs Ketchup
3 Tbs Parsley, chopped
Salt & Cayenne Pepper to taste
2 Tbs Butter
1/2 cup Onion, minced
1 lb Crawfish Tails
12 slices Green Tomatoes, cut 1/4 inch thick
Black Pepper to taste
1 cup Flour
2 Eggs, beaten with 1 Tbs milk
2 cups fine Breadcrumbs
Creole Seasoning to taste
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 Tbs Green Onion, chopped (Garnish)

For the Remoulade (Yield 2 cups):

1.Combine the lemon juice, oil, onions, green onions, celery, horseradish, mustards, ketchup and parsley. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Remoulade will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

2. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 1 minute. Add the crawfish tails and season with salt and pepper. Continue to saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Remoulade. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Keep warm over low heat.

For the tomatoes:

3. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Season the flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs, separately with Creole seasoning.

4. Dredge each slice of tomato in the flour. Dip each slice in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Finally, dredge each slice in the breadcrumbs, coating completely.

5. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the tomatoes, in batches, until golden and crispy on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with Creole seasoning.

6.To serve, lay three tomatoes in the center of each plate. Spoon a quarter of the sauce over each plate of tomatoes. Garnish with green onions.