Oven baked wings

Leave it to Alton Brown to come up with the perfect way to make wings without a deep fryer. This is a time consuming recipe, but the results are definitely worth it. We chose to make 12 wings with two different sauces; our own 6 ingredient bbq sauce, and a honey sriracha sauce. 

Here's the recipe, according to Alton: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/alton-browns-buffalo-wings-recipe.html

Some notes: 

• When steaming the wings, you'll know when they are done with the meat is a little darker and loots like boiled meat
• Don't skimp on the drying off time. The oven baking will only be successful if the wings are dry
• With the honey sriracha sauce, melt the butter first before adding the other ingredients

Prep time: 1 hour and 15 mins
Bake time: 40-50 mins

Wings: 

• Using a steamer basket, steam the wings for about 10 mins. You'll know they are done when they look a little darker. 
• While the wings are steaming, line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a cooling rack on top.
• When the wings are done, pat them dry and line them up on the cooling rack. Place them in the fridge to dry for at least an hour
• Once they are out of the fridge, pre-heat the oven to 425. Replace the paper towels with parchment paper and ditch the cooling rack. Line the wings in a single layer on the parchment paper and bake for 20 mins. Flip them and bake for another 25-30 mins, or until the skin is crispy and browned.
• Toss the baked wings with your sauce of choice. Serve and enjoy! 

Crispy Cauliflower Patties

Vegetables are great, but vegetables coated in panko? Out of this world.  This is another gem from Cooking Light, with our edits to better fit a busy schedule.

Try pairing this with a some greens and a tangy vinaigrette, or place it on an English muffin for a light sandwich.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• Cakes: (makes about 8-10 patties)
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 peeled yellow potato, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 large shallots, sliced into quarters 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 cups of Trader Joe's mixed shredded cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina and Provolone) or, just Fontina
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup panko, lightly toaster
• 2-4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
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• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons light sour cream 
• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 400 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. 

Cut the florets off the head and mix it with the cut potatoes and shallots. Drizzle olive oil on the mixture and spread it on the baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes. They should be tender. Keep the baking dish handy, you'll need it for the patties.

Cool the mixture for about 15 minutes. While it's cooling, toast the panko by placing it in a pan on low heat until lightly browned. Combine with the Parmesan in a shallow bowl.

Once the mixture is cooled, pulse until chopped. Place in a large bowl and mix in cheese, salt, pepper and the eggs.

Form small patties out of the cauliflower mixture and dredge it in the panko mixture. Line them up on the baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes on each side.

To make the sauce, just combine the sour cream, mayo, chives, pepper and garlic. 

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Zucchini Pancakes

You've made your Turkey Cupcakes, but you have all these leftover zucchinis. What to do? The internet (and Ina Garten) gave us a great option: zucchini pancakes. These are crazy easy and make you feel great for smartly using your produce. 

The original recipe can be found on FoodNetwork.com. We rewrote the steps and ingredients to make it a bit easier to follow. 

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 5 minutes a pancake
Makes about 6 large pancake

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized zucchinis, shredded (about 2.5-3 cups)
• 1 tablespoon grated red onion
• 6-8 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt
• dash of pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons of butter

Steps:

1. Using the larger grate on a box grater , grate the zucchini and red onion into a large bowl. 
2. Mix in the salt, pepper, two eggs and 6 tablespoons of the flour. As the original recipe suggests, if it looks a bit too liquidy, add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.
3. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter on a flat griddle. When the butter is melted, spoon a dollop of the mixture on the pan, making sure to spread the mixture thinly.
4. Flip the pancake in about 2 minutes, or when it begins to solidify and brown
5. Try to wipe the pan between pancake batches
6. You can eat it plain, or serve with your favorite topping, like apple sauce or sour cream

Turkey Cupcakes

Meatloaf is one of the easiest meals to prepare. In about an hour, meat, breadcrumbs, ketchup and a few other things turn into a delicious meaty loaf. While it's a meal that will last a whole week and leave everyone satisfied, it's also a very heavy recipe.

We found a recipe that put a fun spin on meatloaf by using turkey and cupcake tins. Think of these as a lighter meatloaf, or easier meatball. To edit it to our tastes (and pantry supply), we used breadcrumbs instead of couscous, added a few jalapenos, used spicy brown mustard, and made them slightly larger than the original recipe called for, as they do shrink. 

These turkey cupcakes could be a great appetizer for a group, paired with your favorite pasta, or eaten simply with a side salad.

Cook time: 25 minutes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients: 

• 2.5 cups coarsely chopped zucchini
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 3 jalapenos, chopped (seeds in if you want the extra kick)
• 1 lbs. ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
•  2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (seasoned or plain)

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while you chop your vegetables
• Take the coarsely chopped vegetables and pulse them in a food processor. Make sure they are finely chopped, but not obliterated. You want to see a few good pieces in the turkey cupcake.
• In a large bowl, mix turkey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, egg and breadcrumbs with the vegetable mixture until well combined
• Butter/grease your favorite muffin pans and drop heaping tablespoons of the meat mixture
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature is about 160 degrees F. 

Appetizers: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

It's time to use that red pepper you roasted to make roasted red pepper hummus. It's no secret that The Galley Kitchen loves hummus, we've done the classic recipe and its edamame counterpart. Today we look to a colorful alternative and add a roasted red pepper. The pepper gives the hummus a slight kick, but not enough to turn off those adverse to some spice.

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

• 2 15.5 oz cans of chick peas (drained)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (the squeeze bottle kind or fresh, whatever)
• 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil (enough to cover 1/3 of the peas with oil)
• Salt to taste
• 1 medium roasted red pepper, sliced into quarters

1. Place the garlic and pepper in a food process and pulse until blended.
2. Add the chick peas, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until all ingredients are mixed.

Appetizers: Edamame Hummus

I love hummus. It's one of the most versatile food items: great for groups or a quick and easy lunch. Much like traditional hummus, edamame hummus is a good source of protein. This variation has a more distinct bean taste. There are many recipe variations and this is one of the simpler versions that can easily be made with ingredients on hand.

Bonus: great with raw vegetables or even chips.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pound frozen shelled edamame
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2-3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspooon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Optional: 1 tablespoon of sriracha

Boil the beans in about 1/4 cup of salted water for 4 to 5 minutes. While the beans are boiling, mince the garlic in a food processor. Drain the beans and add to the food processor. Add the cumin, lemon juice and if using, the sriracha. Puree the beans and slowly add the olive oil, then the water until all the ingredients are mixed and the hummus is smooth.

Appetizers: Egg Drop Soup

The simplicity of egg drop soup makes it super satisfying but also really frustrating to make. The ingredients are simple enough, however the process takes a delicate, patient hand. Slightly adapted the below recipe from The Kitchn (How to Make Egg Drop Soup). The original lists some extras, but I like this as simple as possible.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (32 oz) chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 large eggs
• Salt or soy sauce

Cooking tip: This soup doesn't keep too well, so just try to make as much as you'll eat for a day or so.

Pour the stock into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Taste and add salt or soy sauce as needed. Make sure the soup is good and hot.

Ladle out some soup, about 1/4 cup the stock and whisk it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk this back into the stock and give it a taste to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved.

Whisk together the eggs in a small bowl with the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch. Make sure your soup is at a bare simmer-this is really important because if it's too hot, the eggs will cook and be really clumpy and weird. Pour the egg mixture slowly, through the tines of a fork. As you're pouring, whisk the broth slowly. Leave it at a low simmer for a minute, just to be sure the egg is cooked.

Serve immediately.