Laina Turner's Blog, page 78

Alton Brown’s Crispy No Fry Buffalo Wings Recipe

When my interest in cooking began, I started using some of Alton Brown’s recipes to learn techniques. He has an awesome one for Buffalo Wings. No frying or oil involved. You steam the wings and then bake them in the oven. The skin comes out crispy! I change up the sauce based on what we have on hand at home. 

 

Here’s how I do it…



3 lb. bag of first and second wing sections thawed

3 oz. (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce or Crystal Hot Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

 

Pour an inch of water in a 6 quart pot and place a Stainless Steel Steamer Basket in it. Place over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil.

Line the basket with wings. They should be free of excess water, so pat dry with a paper towel if wet from thawing. You can fit 10-12 wings in a 11″ basket by standing them up on the outer edges and placing some on the bottom of the basket. Reduce heat to medium/high, cover, and steam for 10 minutes.

Put a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan. Remove wings from steamer basket and place on cooling rack with the steamed side down. With a 3 lb. bag, you will need to do this twice. Once you have steamed one batch, repeat with the remaining wings. Then place pan of wings in refrigerator for 1 hour to allow them to dry and cool. Overnight is fine as well.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cook wings for 20-25 minutes. Turn them over and cook for 20-25 more minutes or until skin is golden brown.

Before removing chicken from oven, prepare sauce. In a plastic container with a lid large enough to hold all of the wings, place 6 sliced butter pats, garlic, and salt. Microwave for 1 minute with lid on top but not snapped shut. Then pour in hot sauce. I sometimes substitute hot sauce with BBQ sauce for a different flavor. OR lemon zest and pepper. Or half and half by using 2 containers.

Immediately remove chicken from oven and dump all of them into applicable plastic container. Cover container tightly and shake to coat all the wings. Pour all contents of container onto the cooling rack and sheet pan. Grab a plate, blue cheese or ranch dressing, and enjoy!

 

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BBQ wings (top) Hot wings (bottom)

 

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Quit Being a Lazy Bum

I’m saying this to myself not you (though maybe if I could run on the beach like this chick I would be more motivated). I’m confident YOU ALL are full of motivated awesomeness! I’ve said several times now this year that I need to get re-motivated and back on track with eating and exercise. In fact, I’ve said it since January and its now June. Wait…..make that July. I am so incredibly lazy I started this post in June and am now finishing it in July. What is wrong with me?

It sounds pathetic to say last year at this time, I was amazingly on track and committed when it came to health and fitness. Then I broke my ankle in September and the holidays came, and now it’s June July and well it’s all been downhill. I’m still far from where I want to be, should be.

I do enjoy exercise and I feel better eating healthy food versus foods bad for you (though I admit Hint of Lime tortilla chips are mighty tasty) and exercise is a huge stress reducer for me. I have been running, not as much as I would like, but I have still been able to hit the distances I want. I’m just heavier than I should be and it’s annoying that I am still in good shape but I don’t like how I look.

Time is one factor the last few months that has held me down. I know that you have to make time for exercise but between jobs, and kids activities, and life, it’s been much harder these last few months than ever to stick to a routine. And for me, routine is crucial.

I also know for me having a goal or something to shoot for is also helpful. I have a reason to be in tiptop shape next July and the earlier I start getting back on track the better. Plus it’s much easier to have slow and steady progress than trying to lose 10 pounds and firm up to the size 4 I was last summer if I start now. Not in April of next year.

Today is a new day and since I am thoroughly tired of looking and feeling like crap I think my renewed focus will last more than one day this time. I was relatively good in regards to diet over the weekend so I wouldn’t feel so depressed when I got on the scale today and now armed with this info of where I am starting from, I have set some mini goals and I know I can do this!

What keeps you motivated toward your health and exercise goals?

 

Photo Courtesy of Rachel Baranow

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Happy 4th of July

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Wordless Wednesday

I guess I mean semi-wordless Wednesday since I am typing a few words here. This pictures are from downtown Carmel. I love to plan my running route to end me in downtown and then grab a Diet Coke and a water.

 

Have a great day!

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Salty and Sweet Granola Recipe

Here is a quick and easy recipe for a Salty and Sweet Granola.

 

3 cups rolled oats

Bag of a blend of pistachios, almonds, cashews, and peanuts (or 1 cup pistachios, 1 cup slivered almonds, 1 cup cashews). I remove the peanuts from the bagged blend to make it a healthier recipe. The bagged blend also prevents having to shell the pistachios.

3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup golden raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. Smash the brown sugar if it’s lumpy.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Pour that mixture over the the oats and nuts mixture and stir. Spread it on a greased sheet pan. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and let it cool a little bit.

Add golden raisins, mix until evenly distributed. Enjoy and place the rest of it in an air-tight container.

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Moving Day

I hate moving. I doubt anyone actually likes it. However, after living in a nasty hotel for 2 weeks I am so damn excited I can’t stand it.

Our hotel neighbors…

 

 

 

Even though this is a temporary house and we will be looking again next year. I don’t even care. Amazing how your perspective can change based on your circumstance. I had dreaded the whole moving process and having to do it again in a year because timing as always is key when selling and buying houses and it just didn’t work to our favor this time. Though the positive is it gives us more breathing room to find that perfect house that our 3 kids can finish growing up in that is within the 2 school districts we are in so they don’t have to move schools.

I am excited to look for our dream house as a family. To create a home together and make memories. But for now….off to move!

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A Day in Third Grade

Here is another funny, and not so great, story I had to write for my masters class. This is so out of my element.

It was a day in third grade and we were learning about history and things of that nature. My teacher was standing up in front of the class in her authoritative manner telling us about quotes and the famous people who had said them. I was paying close attention because she said they would be worth extra credit points on our test Friday. I raised my hand when she stopped talking and asked her what her favorite quote was. I ignored the whispers behind my desk calling me a suck up because they were right. I liked getting good grades and always tried to ask questions if I didn’t understand something.

The teacher nodded her head signaling I could ask my questions and I proceeded to ask her what her favorite quote was. She smiled, I think she was happy I cared to ask, and replied, “Knowledge is power.” I asked her who said it and that is when the confusion set in. She said, “France is bacon.” The class chuckled but no one seemed to think that was a weird response. At least no one said anything. It made me question myself so I paused and before I had a chance to ask her to explain she had moved to the next topic. Soon class was over and all the kids rushed out of the room in a hurry to get to lunch but I was still confused so I hung around to talk to her. I stood by her desk while she made notes in her big blue teachers notebook, how I loved that notebook and would have given my lunch money to see what she wrote in there. She raised her head and noticed I was standing there and asked me what I needed. Sheepishly, I said I couldn’t remember who she said had been the author of her favorite quotes and could she please tell me again. She smiled and again said, “France is bacon.” This time I knew I had heard her right and was too embarrassed to tell her I didn’t understand what that had to do with the quote so I just thanked her and went to lunch.

That evening over dinner my parents asked my brother and I to tell them one thing we had learned in school today. It was a family ritual at dinner. Usually, I was excited to share but tonight I was a little nervous. After a little prodding by my mother I finally said I had learned a new quote and proudly recited, “knowledge is power, France is bacon.” I half expected my brother to start making fun of me and was shocked when he nodded and said, with a mouth full of food, I remember learning that one. My parents also seemed proud that I had learned such a profound quote.

I still was confused but put it out of my mind until two days later when it was library day. Maybe the librarian could shed some light on the mystery of what France and bacon had to do with a quote. I walked up to the desk and confidently said, “could you point me in the direction of a book that talked about the quote, “knowledge is power by France is bacon.” The librarian looked at me and smiled but her eyebrows furrowed like she was confused. “You mean by Francis Bacon?” Embarrassed, I could feel myself turning red. I nodded and she pointed me to the right stack and said to look on the second shelf. Within a few minutes I had found a book of quotes and thumbed through the index until I found “knowledge is power by France Bacon.” I knew that France is bacon didn’t make any sense and I was relieved that everyone I had told had no idea how wrong I was. That would remain my secret and hopefully the librarians. I looked sideways at her. She winked and I felt good, my secret was safe with her.

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Tasty Tuesday: Sesame Seared Tuna with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

I’ve recently discovered my new favorite website for recipes — Peas & Crayons. The website is a fabulous source for healthy, veggie-packed recipes and every one I’ve tried is simply divine. Most of the recipes are vegetarian-friendly and are so easy to make. If you’re looking for some new ideas, I highly suggest checking out her site.

Sesame Seared Tuna with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes 

– Recipe Credit: Peas & Crayons

Ingredients: (serves 2; just double the recipe if you’re serving 4 guests)

2 russet potatoes, chopped into cubes

1 large, fresh sashimi-grade tuna steak (or use frozen and de-thaw it)

4-6oz of milk [or use coconut milk for a vegan substitute)

chopped fresh chives, dried parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds

olive oil for searing

wasabi powder or paste, to taste

Cooking Instructions:

Chop the potatoes into cubes and boil in a pot of water for 10-15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and tender.  Once tender, strain the potatoes and return to the pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add milk, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley and mix with a blender. (I also added a few tablespoons of butter because I just can’t think of making mashed potatoes without the buttery flavor!) Add a few pinches of wasabi and blend for a few more seconds. Continuing adding wasabi, just a few pinches at a time, until you reach your desired taste. Sprinkle a few chopped chives on top and you’re ready to go!

To sear the tuna, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a cast iron skillet and heat to high. Heat the oil for a couple of minutes so that when you add the tuna, the oil is simmering. First sear the four edges of the tuna (about 30 seconds per side). Once the edges are done, sear the front/back of the fish, also for about 30 seconds per side. If you don’t want your tuna to be more on the cooked-side, you’ll want to sear your tuna for a little longer. Remove the tuna from the skillet and submerge in sesame seeds on both sides. Slice into 1/4 inch strips and serve alongside your wasabi mashed potatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I served a simple beet salad, alongside the tuna and mashed potatoes — totally delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy cooking!

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Birthday Present to Myself

Tattoos aren’t for everyone but I happen to like them. I got my first when I was 18 or 19 (a long, long time ago) with two more to follow by my early twenties. I then matured and realized that in the professional world they could be frowned upon (they weren’t as mainstream in the early 90′s as they are now) so went on a 14 year hiatus before getting my next one. I finally decided that I was  settled enough in my career and mature enough not to give a damn what people might think that I could start doing what I wanted.

In the last few years I have got 4 more and don’t plan on stopping nor do I plan on getting full sleeves or anything. Just whatever makes me happy. I’m still careful about placement because I respect the times when showing tattoos is not appropriate and that is fine. I don’t see it as a attack on my freedom of expression or anything. There is just a time and place for all things.

So this past weekend I treated myself to another tattoo for my birthday.

Super awesome tattoo artist Joe, at Metamorphosis tattoo in Indianapolis, did an amazing job.

Here is his freehand outline.

Him diligently working…he was so fun to talk to.

 

The black outline.

And the finished product.

Love, love, love it….thanks, Joe!

 

 

 

 

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Fab 5 Friday

I admit there are only 3 blogs featured for Fab 5 Friday not 5. I wanted to make sure I pointed this out since anyone who knows me knows I suck at math.  I felt compelled to share this was on purpose.

I had a crazy week this week. I turned one year older and have had to up my nap schedule (I only wish I was kidding) It didn’t leave me as much time to peruse the world wide web like usual.

However, these 3 I LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

Pretty Strong Medicine – Weigh in Wednesday I enjoyed this because I have fallen of the healthy eating and exercise wagon and it can be depressing and hard to get started back up. This was motivating to me.
Oak & Oats Mayberry Monster Cookies OMG YUM! I know. The post above this one was about eating healthy. Don’t judge.
Here & Now Back to School I loved reading this post about her decision to follow her passion. Life is too short to not do what you love.

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