Buffalo Chicken with spicy blue cheese dip

After the Superbowl, I'm unsure what my husband will be doing with his weekends. He is always watching the NFL network. When he talks to his best friend, they are talking about which team will win. Since they have rival teams, it is a fun to listen to them talk smack to each other. I guess they will need this down time to recover from football season. I am hoping their jerseys can be put away for at least a couple of months. I don't even have a t-shirt with my favorite team but I do have a t-shirt of my husband's team. He even tells me how nice I look in the shirt. Since it is the end of football season, I wanted to make some buffalo chicken. This chicken isn't dipped in the traditional butter but I couldn't tell. It is so tender and I really liked it. My son made the dip for me. I must be influencing him since he asked where the cayenne pepper was since the recipe called for it. I told him it is with the spices and he said forget about that and he added hot sauce instead. I really liked the dip. If you are hosting a party, definitely make this recipe.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken
 3 Tbsp butter milk
3 Tbsp Frank's Redhot Original cayenne pepper hot sauce, divided
3 Tbsp distilled white vinegar, divided
2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, chopped into bit size pieces
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided 
2 cups carrot and celery sticks

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, 2 Tbsp hot sauce, and 2 Tbsp vinegar.
2. Add the chicken to the buttermilk mixture and toss to coat. 
3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
4. On a plate, combine the flour with the cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 Tbsp hot sauce and 1 Tbsp vinegar. Set aside.
6. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat. 
7. Remove the chicken from the marinade and evenly coat in the flour mixture. 
8. In the skillet, cook the chicken in batches until golden brown about 4 minutes per a side. Add additional vegetable oil if need. 
9. Once cooked through, remove the chicken and place onto a paper lined plate.
10. Drizzle the chicken with the hot sauce and vinegar mixture. 
11. Serve with the Spicy Blue Cheese Dip (recipe below), carrots, and celery.

Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
2/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup blue cheese, chopped
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp Frank's Redhot Original hot sauce

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, blue cheese, vinegar, and the hot sauce.
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Note: I buy the solid blue cheese block and then I chopped it. I notice the quality of taste for the blue cheese is so much better. 

Recipe adapted from Eatingwell.com.

One year ago.....................................I made Fried Rice.
Two years ago...................................I made Cheddar Biscuits.
Three years ago.................................I made Fluffy Dinner Rolls.

Did you already know..........................
-In 1948, the Los Angeles Rams were the first NFL team to put logos on their helmet.
-The only NFL team to have their logo on one side of their helmet is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
-The NFL team Cleaveland Brown do not have any primary logos on their helmets.

Blue Cheese Dressing

My friend at work gave me her favorite blue cheese recipe. I kept meaning to make it but I haven't been cooking lately. I have been lucky since my husband has been the one making supper. Well, I decided we were going to have salads for supper. Of course, I couldn't find her recipe. I remembered the main ingredients and I looked everywhere. She did tell me the site that she found the recipe but it didn't help since there a lot t review. I really need to be more organized. I will probably find it now that I found this recipe. So, I picked one. My children told me this recipe was there favorite dressing recipe of all time. My husband had to agree. I loved it but I liked garlic. This is a creamy recipe.

Blue Cheese Dressing 
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup buttermilk 
3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1/8 cup dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Direction:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
2. Allow to chill before serving.

Recipe adapted from All Recipes.

One year ago...............................I made Dulce de Leche Flan.
Two years ago.............................I made Baguette Bread.

The kids loved using my little container to pour their dressing. I guess it is the little touches that make supper entertaining. They insisted that I should take their photo to share with you. My two cuties!

Did you already know.....................
-The mold spores of Penicillium are used to make blue cheese.
-Early blue cheese makers used moldy bread to create the mold spores in caves which the mold is naturally present.
-Today the mold is injected into the cheese or mixed with the cheese curds.

Nuevo Texas Waldorf Salad

Today's Project Pastry Queen is a salad. No dessert today. I may make one later since it is Sunday. This recipe was picked by Emily of She Makes and Bakes. I really liked it. My family (not including my husband) liked it. My husband does not eat mixed greens and believe me I have tried. If it isn't iceberg lettuce, he will go make something else.

When I was in the Air Force, I was fortunate to be assigned to photography the 50th Anniversary dinner. It was held at the Broadmoor. (It was the only way I was able to eat there even if my cousin interned at the hotel.) We were served a similar salad. It had pears and blue cheese. Pears could easily be substituted for this recipe. When I make this again, I'm going to purchase the one on sale. It just may be pears. Also, the vinaigrette is suppose to be made with white balsamic vinegar but I used aged balsamic vinegar. I didn't realize my mistake until later which is why my vinaigrette appears dark. I really liked the dressing. It is a versatile recipe. It is fancy but simple.

Nuevo Texas Waldorf Salad
4 cups organic mixed greens
3 Braeburn, Medina, or Granny Smith apples, core and sliced
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese/Gorgonzola crumbles
Rosemary Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Fried Wonton Strips

Directions:

1. Add the mixed greens, apples, pecans, blue cheese. Toss gently.
2. Pour half the Rosemary Vinaigrette over the greens and toss to coat.
3. Add more salad dressing to taste.
4. Top with the fried wonton strips. Serve immediately.

Rosemary Vinaigrette
1/3 cup rosemary leaves
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 medium onion
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Blend the rosemary, garlic, onion, mustard, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper for 20 seconds in a food processor. 
2. Add the oil oil through the feed tube in a slow stream until the mixture emulsifies. 
3. Taste and season appropriate if needed.

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen cookbook.

Did you already know...
-In May 1917, the Broadmoor was completed. 
- The owner of the Broadmoor, Spencer Penrose, also established the Cheyanne Mountain Zoo and the Will Rogers Shrine.  
-The hotel has received the Forbes five star award for over 50 years.