Recipes for special February events

Loaded Buffalo Blue Idaho Potato Chips

(Serves 4)

Idaho Potato Chips (recipe below)

Crispy Buffalo Chicken (recipe below)

Blue Cheese Cream Sauce (recipe below)

2 T. Fresh Chives, chopped

Celery Seed

Favorite Blue Cheese Crumbles, if desired

To Assemble:

Place Potato chips on a large platter. Scatter crispy buffalo chicken over the chips and pour remaining buffalo sauce mixture over the chips. Drizzle blue cheese cream sauce over potato chips and chicken. Garnish with chopped chives and celery seed. Serve warm and enjoy your tailgating feast! (If you really love blue cheese, sprinkle your favorite blue cheese crumbles!)

Potato Chips:

3 quarts vegetable oil

1 ¼ - 1 ½ lb. Idaho Potatoes (2 -3 Large)

1 packet of Ranch Seasoning Mix

Celery Salt to taste

To make Potato Chips:

Preheat the oil over medium-high heat in a 4-quart or larger heavy duty pot, Dutch oven or portable frying unit. Heat the oil to 300 degrees F. While the oil is heating, line a large mixing bowl with paper towels. Using a mandoline, knife or slicer, cut the potato lengthwise into very thin slices. Each slice should be about 1/8 inch thick or the thickness of a coin. When the oil has reached 300 degree F, carefully add the slices 1 at a time to the hot oil. Using a slotted spoon, consistently move the slices around in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove the chips with a slotted spoon or spider, allowing some of the excess oil to drain off. Move the cooked chips to the paper towel lined bowl and shake bowl remove excess oil. Adjust the heat as needed so the oils stays at 300 degrees F. For best results, slice the potatoes and fry them in small batches. When the final batch has finished frying, sprinkle the chips with ranch seasoning mix and celery salt, to taste. Toss chips in the bowl to evenly distribute the seasonings. Remove the paper towels and set aside.

Buffalo Chicken

1 ¼ lbs. chicken thighs, skin on, deboned

2 c. Hot Sauce or Buffalo Wing Sauce

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ c. melted butter, salted

3 qts. vegetable oil

To make Buffalo Chicken:

In a large plastic sealable bag, place the chicken thighs, ½ c. of the hot sauce and the ground pepper in the bag. Shake chicken until coated, seal the bag and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight to marinate. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the refrigerator, open bag and spread marinated chicken thighs on a half sheet pan or cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Bake chicken for 20 – 30 minutes or until it has reached 165 degrees. Remove chicken from the oven, set aside and let cool. In the same pot of oil as used for the potato chips, heat oil to 350 degrees F (You may need to add additional oil to bring it back to 3qts). As oil is heating, cut chicken into ¼ inch pieces. Once oil is hot, drop cut up chicken thighs into the hot oil and cook them for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to crisp them up. Once the chopped chicken pieces are crispy remove them from the oil and place into a separate bowl

with the rest of the hot sauce and melted butter. Toss chicken in the bowl to evenly distribute the sauce mixture. Keep warm until ready to assemble.

Blue Cheese Cream Sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. olive oil

12 oz. Heavy Cream

2-3 oz. of your favorite Blue Cheese crumbles

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To make Cream Sauce:

In a sauce pan or shallow sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté for 20-30 seconds. Do not brown or burn it. Then add heavy cream and lower the heat. When the cream begins to simmer, crumble the blue cheese into the cream and stir. The cheese will begin to slowly melt as you continue to stir. Season with salt and pepper. When the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth, remove from heat and serve.



Salmon Florentine En papillote

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients

· 2 c. baby spinach

· 2 (6 to 8-ounce) salmon fillets

· 2 squares parchment paper

· 5 Tablespoons salted butter, divided

· ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

· ½ teaspoon garlic powder

· ½ teaspoon onion powder

· ½ teaspoon dried oregano

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 3 ounces mushrooms, quartered

· 6 ounces marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained

· ¾ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

· 6 Sundried tomatoes, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place ½ the spinach on a sheet of parchment paper and then place the salmon filet on top. Repeat with the 2nd piece of parchment.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and brush over salmon. Combine panko, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano in a small bowl and stir together. Evenly sprinkle over salmon fillets.

3. Crimp and fold parchment around fillets to form a packet. Place packets on a rimming baking pan.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, for sauce, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Stir in artichoke hearts and continue to cook and stir for about 3 minutes. Pour in white wine/chicken broth and sundried tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add remaining butter to melt, about 1-2 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

6. Carefully peel back parchment from salmon, place salmon and spinach on a serving plate and ladle sauce over the salmon. Serve with rice or orzo pasta.