5 Winter Food Hacks to Spice up the Season
Hey guys,
Chef JP gathered his top 5 favorite winter food hacks that help him get through the cold season. Do you have any of your own?
Save your leftover Red Wine
Don’t throw it out! First of all, it’s a darn tragedy to waste good wine. Second, if you don’t want to down the bottle just make sure to save it for the next time your braising some tough meats or feel like adding an extra acidic “zing” to your dish.
Lean into Oven Roasting and stews
If grilling is meant for the summer months than surely oven roasting is meant for the winter. Theres just something about cranking up the oven, throwing in a roast, and sitting back to enjoy the season that really conjures up some great memories of my mom making delicious balsamic glazed roasted brussel sprouts or airline chicken with a tangy cranberry orange relish.
Warm Spices & Greens with a bite
Reach for those warm spices in your cabinet. Cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon to name a few. They aren’t just great metabolism boosters. They also provide the body with nutrients while adding flavor to your seasonal dishes.
Additionally, Mustard greens, radish, kale, and other greens with a bit of a spicy bite to them are great for the winter. Start opening your mind when you enter the grocery store. What can you add to your cart that’ll bring variety to your dinner plate?
Freeze your herbs
Yup. Seems weird, but do it! Freezing herbs at their peak freshness does a great job at retaining those flavors when you need them. Don’t abandon your herb garden just because the weather is changing! Just switch up your approach.
Utilize leftovers
Let’s face it - when that cold weather swoops in sometimes you just don’t want to cook. The winter time is best for recharging the batteries anyway and you’ve been working so hard at being more conscious of what’s going in to your body. UTILIZE LEFTOVERS! you’re saving time and money AND treating yourself to delicious food. I call that a triple play.
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake
Crispy Buffalo Wings
Today i’m going to tell you the secret to Crispy, Crunchy, and Tangy Buffalo Wings that are perfect for the big game.
Hey Football Fans,
Have you ever tried making buffalo wings at home for game day? I’m sure most of you have before…. BUT have you made really delicious restaurant quality ones? Probably not. Today i’m going to tell you the secret to Crispy, Crunchy, and Tangy Buffalo Wings that are perfect for the big game.
The Wings
Alright - so the main thing we want to do with the wings is give them a nice crunchy outer skin layer without adding any breading. In order to do that, we’re going to want to reduce the moisture from the inside of the wings. So first, we’re going to PAR bake the wings on a wire rack so the fat and extra water that’s inside the wings can drip out below. (par bake means that we aren’t going to fully cook the wings. We don’t want them to dry out on us.) Once the wings are par baked, we’re going to pull them out of the oven and let them rest. Then, we’ll give them a quick seasoning, toss them in baking powder, and bake with whatever method you prefer. Air fry, fry, or bake these up for a crispy golden delicious exterior and a tender juicy interior.
The Sauce
Use about 6-8 oz. of your favorite hot sauce and mix with 2-4 Tbsp of melted butter, depending on your heat preference. Toss the crispy cooked wings in the sauce and serve with chopped parsley or green onion, bleu cheese, and some carrot and celery sticks!
The Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pat your wings dry with paper towel, then salt.
Place wings on a wire rack into preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
Salt & Pepper the wings and lightly coat them in baking powder
Cook the wings using preferred method (Bake, fry, or air fry) until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Toss your wings in the sauce you made
Plate and serve with blue cheese, carrots and celery sticks, and garnish with parsley or green onions.
Enjoy!
Keep spreading love, good people!
Best,
Chef Jake