"You're a Jerk" Chicken Wings

Whenever I say, "Jerk chicken wings," my husband corrects me, "You mean, You're a jerk chicken wings."  It always makes me laugh, if you know my husband, you know he is kidding.  So, here you go,  a perfect tailgating food, easy to make in advance, quick to grill, perfect to hand to the guy at your tailgate wearing a jersey for the other team, "Enjoy these, You're a jerk wings"

Click below to watch Tailgating Tidbits 

Featuring "Jerk Chicken Wings" 

Follow along below or Click here to print  

Once the recipe pops up, just use your file menu to print. 

Ingredients:

3 scallions, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped

1 small onion,  roughly chopped

1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (with seeds)

7-8 springs Fresh thyme

Add 1cup fresh pineapple 

    (can use OJ or Pineapple juice)

Juice of 4 limes

1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

¼ Teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

a few cracks of black pepper

¼ cup white vinegar

¼ cup dark soy sauce

3 Tablespoons canola oil

In a blender or food processor, add the scallions through the pineapple and pulse until finely chopped…I add three ingredients at a time and pulse.

Add the chopped ingredients to a large bowl and add the limes through canola oil. 

Stir until combined.  This is your marinade.  You can reserve a little to baste your wings with when you grill them. 

Marinate chicken wings in marinade 2-3 hours or overnight.  

Grill over high heat until grill marks occur and then move to indirect heat and cover for about 25 minutes to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 

(You can also bake these in the oven at 400 degrees for around 40-50 minutes.  You will want to turn once during cooking). 

If you saved some marinade, baste wings during last 5 minutes of cooking.

Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

Seared Sea Scallops and Jumbo Shrimp served Scampi Style Over Baby Arugula

The Falcons made the 2nd round of the playoffs...back to back winning seasons...time to break out the fancy seafood!  This is the perfect appetizer if you prep in advance and want to really impress your guests.  Scallops are one of my favorite proteins and although they are pricey, they are worth it!  You should buy them the same day you are going to serve them and purchase 1 or 2 per person.   Since we are making scallops scampi style and chopping way too much garlic might as well buy a pound of shrimp too!
I made this recipe in studio and my boys, DJ Shockley, Willie Mo and the crew, raved about the scampi sauce.  I think garlic is one food everyone loves...sauteed, melted in butter and in excess is the best way to please the masses!

Click below to watch Tailgating Tidbits 

DJ Shockly and Willie Mo join me as we 

Chop, Saute and Taste 

And then we eat!!!!!  

Follow along below or Click here to print
Once the recipe pops up, just use your file menu to print 

Tailgating Tidbits 
Scampi Style Seared Sea Scallops and Jumbo Shrimp 
Over Wilted Baby Arugula 

 Ingredients:

1 pound Sea Scallops  

1 pound Jumbo Shrimp

10 cloves garlic, chopped

5 scallions, chopped

Baby arugula

1 lemon

2/3 stick butter

Olive oil

1/3 cup white wine

Kosher Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Preparation: 

This dish will be served as an appetizer with one scallop and two shrimp over a bed of arugula.  You want to get your plates ready to go before you cook your seafood.   This dish cooks so quickly the preparation is key. 

In a large bowl, toss a few handfuls of arugula with a little olive oil (about 2-3 Tablespoons) a few pinches of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper along with the juice from 1/2 a lemon.  Place a small portion on each plate.

To prepare shrimp, peel and de-vein shrimp, rinse and pat dry on paper towels

To prepare scallops, remove foot 

(if they have not been removed yet) 

and thoroughly dry on paper towels. 

Sprinkle shrimp and both sides of scallops 

with kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Chop your garlic, scallions and have your 

other lemon half ready to go. 

Heat a large sauté pan over med high heat for about 3 minutes, then

add 2/3 stick butter and 3 Tablespoons olive oil to your pan.

As soon as butter melts add your scallops to the pan, do not move them once you place them down.  Once the scallops are in the pan, add your shrimp to any open spaces.  Cook for 2 minutes and then carefully with tongs, flip your scallops and shrimp.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes (depending on how large your scallops are).   You can do this is two rounds if needed, just add another 1/2 or 1/3 of a stick of butter between.  The butter gives the scallops the golden crust you want.

The scallops will be white and should firm up, your shrimp will be pink.  Both are done very quickly so don’t walk away.  Place one scallop and two shrimp on each plate. 

The scallops will be white and should firm up, your shrimp will be pink.  Both are done very quickly so don’t walk away.  Place one scallop and two shrimp on each plate.  

Once your seafood is out of the pan, deglaze the pan with your white wine, and add the garlic, scallions and lemon to the pan.  Shake the pan a few times and cook for about 5 minutes.   This is your scampi sauce, drizzle a few spoonfuls over each plate of scallops and shrimp and serve immediately. 

Some Behind the Scenes shots of Tailgating Tidbits on Rise Up Weekly

Original air date, Jan 10, 2018 on The CW69 

Getting ready for my segment to shoot live 

DJ Shockley (Georgia Bulldogs QB) and Willie Mo (Atlanta Falcons Safety)
doing their thing on
"Rocked it or Dumb Jocked it"

Love cooking in studio with my two sous chefs

Asian Inspired Street Tacos with Marinated Skirt Steak, Avocado Slaw and Fresh Mango

The Falcons are in the playoffs again and I am ready to kick off 2018 with new recipes that incorporate more flavor and healthy food (I think I say that every year).  Here is a recipe that uses a lot of ingredients but most of them are in your fridge or pantry already.  The skirt steak is so tender after being marinaded overnight (if you are organized enough to think a day ahead....I am usually not so a few hours will work.)  The fresh ginger is my favorite flavor in this dish and I usually add the leftover to a morning beet and pineapple smoothie (stay tuned for recipe).  Overall this dish is quick and easy to make and would be great for a weeknight dinner!

Click below to watch Tailgating Tidbits

We are all in studio chopping, grilling and seasoning,  Part 1 

Part 2, We get to eat

  Follow along below or Click to print here

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Asian Inspired Street Tacos with Marinated Skirt Steak, 
Avocado Slaw and Fresh Mango 

Street Taco Ingredients:                              

1 mango sliced in thin strips
Marinated steak and slaw, see below 
Soft taco size tortillas 

To assemble: 

Grill steak and slice thinly 

Place steak on tortilla, top with slaw 
and 3-4 slices mango 

Marinade:

¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium if available) 

2 T Toasted Sesame oil 

Zest of 1 lime 

Juice of two limes 

2 T mirin (optional) 

4 scallions, sliced 

2 inch piece of ginger, sliced 

1 jalapeno, sliced with seeds

1 handful cilantro, chopped 

A few shakes of sesame seeds (black or white) 

1 pound skirt steak 

Add all ingredients, including steak, to a Ziploc bag and marinate steak over night in above ingredients.  

Slaw:                                                   
2 cups shredded cabbage 

2 cups shredded purple cabbage 

1 cup shredded carrots 

(or you can buy a bag of cole slaw) 

4 scallions, chopped 

1 handful cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped 

Dressing: 
1 avocado 

1 teaspoon grated ginger (microplane works best) 

2 Tablespoons plain yogurt 

1 Tablespoon water 

1 teaspoon siracha 

Juice of half a lime 

A few shakes of sesame seeds (black or white) 

Smash avocado with a fork and mix in all other 
ingredients to create your dressing for the slaw. 
Mix with your slaw ingredients.