Author: rodrickjae

Believe it or not, I discovered the goodness of crispy fried ranch chicken wings when visiting a local Wal-Mart about a year ago. Ever since then, they have been one of my favorite foods to each during my lunch hour.

I liked ranch wings so much to the point were I didn’t realize how much money i was spending on buying them already cooked from the store!  So, one day I decided to get in my kitchen and figure out how to make them myself.  I was surprised at how easy it was!

Here is what you will need:

• 5 – 7 Whole Chicken Wings
• 2 Tbs – Ranch Seasoning (How To Make Ranch Seasoning Mix)
• 1 Tsp – Baking Powder
• 1/3 Cup – Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 Cup – Self Rising Flower

Instructions:

1. Section the chicken wings into wingettes and drumettes. Then set to the side for later.
2. Before preparing the wings for cooking, go ahead and turn on your fryer and let it preheat to 350 degrees.
3. Pour 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream into bowl.
4. Add  2 Tbs of ranch seasoning and shake until even.  You can easily make your own ranch seasoning with a few ingredients that you probably already have laying around the kitchen.  For instructions on how to do it, click this link – How To Make Ranch Seasoning
5. Now, add the chicken wingettes and drumettes to the bowl and stir them around until each is completely coated with cream and seasoning.
6. Add 1 cup of self rising flower and 1 tsp of baking powder to a bowl.  Give it a few shakes, add the chicken, and give it a few more good shakes until each piece of chicken is covered thoroughly.
7. Drop the wingettes and drumettes one by one into the flyer and cook for about 8 – 12 minutes.

Once done, add a little more ranch seasoning over the wings and that’s it!  Enjoy!

Making ranch seasoning mix from scratch is much easier than you might think!  It only take a few simple ingredients that you probably already have laying around your kitchen:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tsp – Garlic Powder
• 2 1/2 tsp – Onion Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp – Salt
• 2 1/2 tsp – Dried minced or diced onion flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp – Chives
• 2 tsp – Dill Seasoning
• 2 1/2 tbs – Parsley Flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp – Black Pepper

Instructions:

Measure out all of the ingredients into a storage container or spice jar, shake and stir until evenly mixed.  Double or triple the recipe to make however much you need!

How To Make Crispy Ranch Chicken Wings >> 

I can remember always getting excited when my parents took me and my siblings out to eat at restaurants that served fried pickles as appetizers.  I fell in love with them at an early age.  Now, I enjoy cooking them at home whenever I feel that childhood craving for crunchy fried dill pickles!

Here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

¼ cup Yellow Corn Meal
Hamburger Dill Chips
¼ tsp Salt
1 egg
2 tbs Heavy Whipping Cream
½ cup Self-Rising Flower

1. Begin by preparing an egg wash for the dill pickle chips by whipping two tbs of heavy whipping cream and one egg in a bowl until evenly mixed.
2. Add about 10 – 15 dill pickle chips and stir until each chip is completely covered in egg wash.

Set the egg wash and pickle chips to the side for later while we make our breading mix.

3. Add a ½ cup of self-rising flower, 1/4 tsp of salt and a ¼ cup of yellow corn meal to a large bowl.  Give the bowl and its contents a few good shakes until the breading mix looks even.

Before breading the egg washed pickle chips, go ahead and preheat your fryer to about 350 degrees.

4. Pour and spread the breading mix evenly into a baking pan or cookie sheet.
5. To make sure the pickles don’t stick together while breading, arrange them in rows across the breading mix spread.  Flip each pickle individually until covered thoroughly.
6. Drop each pickle chip one by one into the fryer and cook for about 2 – 3 minutes or until golden brown.

That’s it!  Now you are ready to grab a little ranch dressing or blue cheese and enjoy!

Everyone loves a good omelet!  I also love to eat breakfast sandwiches. So, why not put the two together?  Well, that is exactly what I decided to do in this recipe.  Here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of whole wheat white bread
• 2 eggs
• Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 tbs Smart Balance Butter
• Smart Balance Cooking Spray
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tbs Garlic Powder
• Crushed Basil Leaves
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Diced  Yellow Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Diced  Green Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Diced  Green Onions

Directions:

1. Dice half of a yellow, red, & green bell pepper. Then, Chop two to three fresh green onion stems and set these ingredients to the side for later.
2. Crack two raw eggs into a mixing bowl and season with 1/4 tsp of black pepper, 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tbs of garlic powder.  Whip the eggs and seasoning until evenly mixed.
3. Measure out 1/2 tbs of smart balance butter and microwave for about 20 seconds or until completely melted. Then, dip one side of each slice of bread in the butter, toast lightly, and set aside for later.
4. Spray the bottom of a medium sized cooking skillet and warm the skillet on your stove to about medium heat.
5. Once the skillet is hot, add 1/4 cup each of the diced bell peppers and green onions.  Saute’ until soft, but be sure not to over cook.
6. Pour the egg and seasoning mix into the pan. Let it sit and cook until stiff enough to fold into an omelet. When folding the omelet, try to make it as square as possible in order to fit perfectly between your bread.
7. Sprinkle a little shredded, mild cheddar cheese over the omelet, then place it on the buttered side of one piece of bread.
8. Sprinkle a little ground basil over the cheese and place the second piece of bread on top.
9. To add a nice finishing touch, sprinkle a little more basil over the top of the sandwich and give it a light spray of smart balance cooking oil.

That’s it!  ready to serve and enjoy!

Hot Wing Recipe – This is a recipe that I came up with recently that has become a family favorite! I will post a few more updates as I learn to perfect it. Here are the ingredients that you will need:

6 – 10 whole chicken wings
1/2 cup of smart balance butter
1/2 cup of red hot sauce
1/2 tbs of paprika
1/8 tsp of red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of ground basil

I am not a professional chef! So, feedback is welcome. I am always trying to get better at my FAVORITE hobby – COOKING!!

A family friend was giving away fresh batches of natural, farm raised pork sausage the other day.  So, I decided to get a little creative with mine on lima bean night!  This spur of the moment lima bean recipe turned out really tasty!  The feature that i love most about this dish is how each lima soaks up that smokey pork sausage flavor along with all the other seasonings in a light, creamy sauce.  Different, but amazing!

Looks GOOD doesn’t it? Want to give it a shot? This is what you will need:

1. 1lb of Baby Lima Beans
2. Half of a Red Bell Pepper (diced)
3. 3 scallions (sliced)
4. 1/4th of medium sized onion (diced)
5. 1 Lean Pork Sausage Link
6. Garlic Powder
7. Smart Balance (or another healthy brand of butter)
8. Coarse Ground Black Pepper
9. Table salt or Sea Salt

Once you have your ingredients ready to go, begin by cooking the pork sausage along with the onions on medium heat.  Be sure to add a little water to prevent any of the sausage from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add the rest of your ingredients along with about a cup of water, tablespoon of garlic and a few generous shakes of course, ground black pepper.

Let this mix cook down a little until the diced red peppers begin to soften.

Add the beans and about a 1/4th cup of heavy whipping cream (more if you like them extra creamy).  Bring to a boil and add a little extra water depending on how many beans you have.

Season the bean sause to taste with salt.

Turn the heat off, cover your pot, and let sit for about 15 – 20 minutes.

Drain any excess bean sauce, and serve!