Thursday, October 14, 2010

Something HOT for Game Day- YUM

Welcome Clever Tribe!  If you caught me on ESPN Radio this morning with Erin Hogan, here are the recipes I promised.  Don't be intimidated- you won't believe how easy this stuff is to prepare and can be done ahead of time.  The key to game day grub is ease and taste.  

If you didn't catch me on the Bud Light Morning Rush- go to www.espnaustin.com and download the software.  It looks like (for the time being) I have secured a 10-minute segment discussing football and food.  See you next week at 8:45 a.m.  X

Sicilian-Style Shrimp


Place a pot of water on to boil
You will need ice later, so make sure you have some at the ready
1 lb. of peeled and deveined 20-ish count fresh shrimp (from the seafood counter- not frozen in a bag)


To peel and devein shrimp- remove legs. This will open the shell so you can peel it off. I pull the tail from the very end. There is quite a bit of meat in there to be preserved and it looks nicer when they are cooked. Slice the back of the shrimp open from one end to the base of the tail and expose the, well, we will call it a vein, and remove it. Don't cut too deep or you will "butterfly" the shrimp, which is neither here nor there, it just cooks faster and looks differently.


In a large bowl combine the juice of five lemons, a quarter cup of olive oil, kosher or sea salt, a teaspoon of oregano or "Italian spices." Let the spices unfurl a bit while you are cooking the shrimp.


Once the water is boiling, put the shrimp in. As soon as it all turns pink (no longer than four minutes)- remove the pot from the stove and drain contentst in a colander (the thing with all the holes you use to drain pasta). Quickly cover the shrimp with ice- seat the colander in the pot and run cold water over the shrimp. This set is critical because the shrimp WILL CONTINUE TO COOK IF IT IS NOT COOLED. Let the shrimp sit in the cold bath until they feel completely cold.


Add the shrimp to the lemon and oil mixture. Now, if you double or triple the shrimp amount- increase the lemon and oil accordingly. Put this in the fridge for up to two days and serve with the liquid drained.




Meatball Subs

Two large cans of tomato sauce into a crock pot
Add a generous amount of dried oregano
Add a generous amount of garlic powder
I like to add some cayenne pepper, but I like it HOT
Set on medium heat

In a large bowl, combine 2 lbs. of ground beef
1 cup of Italian bread crumbs
½ cup of egg substitute or 2 large eggs
½ red onion, chopped small
5 large leaves of fresh basil, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced

I think the most critical aspect of this meal is the bread.  You are going to want to head to Whole Foods or Central Market and find a really hearty Italian bread.  Do NOT go with a hoagie roll or sub roll unless you want this to turn into casserole after the first bite.  Nobody wants a wet, soggy mess.

Mix with hands (use gloves if this is a repellant concept), then begin making small- to medium-sized meatballs and add them to the sauce. Cook on medium-low until you are ready to eat.

Once the meatballs have cooked for five hours on medium heat they are ready, however, if you are So Very game day CLEVER, you can do this during the week and put them in the refrigerator until Saturday (or Sunday if you like that PRO stuff).  Turn it on low and it can go until you are ready- if it seems to be getting too hot, put it on "keep warm."

When you are ready to serve- cut your bread down the middle from the side to open it up flat. Broil it until it is lightly browned- take the inside out of the bread to make room for the meatballs.

Fill the larger hollowed out side of the bread with mozzarella cheese and then meatballs. Cover with sauce and close (or broil it a bit so the cheese is melty). Cut in half and serve. Yum.

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