Dennys Food and Recipes: Labor Day, Football Tailgating: Check Out Some New Drinks, Appetizer Cheesy Zucchini No-Fry Fries with Smoked Paprika Dip Sauce

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Dennys Food and Recipes: Labor Day, Football Tailgating: Check Out Some New Drinks, Appetizer Cheesy Zucchini No-Fry Fries with Smoked Paprika Dip Sauce: From Denny:  Ready to try something new for the Labor Day weekend and tailgating season?  Audition it on Labor Day and check out your reviews, and, if all goes well, you have some winners for the tailgating season.  I know.  I know.  The conventional wisdom is that you are not supposed to audition something new on your guests but my crowd likes to review.  Come on; put a little risk into your life!

I usually cook up standards I know most people enjoy and then introduce a couple of new things for review and comment.  It's a conversation starter and since my friends tend to be as opinionated as myself, well, they enjoy weighing in.  They even make suggestions to kick it up, tone it down or variations that I might not have considered.  Since I value their input it's all done in good fun.  For my guests to take home I also make copies of the new recipes with space for them to make notes while we discuss the food.

The first two drinks up for consideration are old standards with new twists:  a Planter's Punch and a Bloody Mary.  The new twist for the Planter's Punch is that it has some added Camus Cognac with the apple cider, apple juice and pineapple juice.  The new twist for the Bloody Mary is the addition of Lucid Absinthe with the spicy bloody mary mix, worchestershire sauce, horseradish, black pepper, celery salt and garlic salt.  These two drinks come from  Niccole Trzaska at The Liberty Bar in New York City.

This appetizer recipe is from Chef Sara Moulton, one of the busiest TV chefs.  Check out this link to her site for online cooking classes, links to her TV shows and awesome easy recipes.  Sara has enjoyed a long career:  a 25-year stint at Gourmet magazine (which had a run from 1941 - 2009), hosted several Food Network shows for a decade, hosts public TV's "Sara's Weeknight Meals" and has written three cookbooks, one of which is "Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners."  Whew! All while raising her own family.  It's no wonder she specializes in quick and easy food...


Dennys Food and Recipes: Labor Day, Football Tailgating: Check Out Some New Drinks, Appetizer Cheesy Zucchini No-Fry Fries with Smoked Paprika Dip Sauce

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Holiday Appetizer: Chicken Wings With Two Sauces

From Denny:  OK, who doesn't love chicken wings as a snack or favorite party food?  They sure are a big hit at our house any time, especially when the weather turns chilly, so I'm always looking around for a different take on it or novel sauces. 

The peach sauce is a combination of peach jam, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili flakes - plenty of heat to balance the sweet jam.  The jalapeno chili pepper sauce is comprised of jalapenos, garlic, sugar, water, vinegar and ginger - plenty of garlic and ginger to complement the chili peppers.

This recipe is so simple that all you have to do is sprinkle the chicken wings liberally with salt and pepper and pop under the broiler at about 4" to 5" and broil for about 20 minutes or so while you make the easy sauces. Both sauces are cooled to room temperature before serving.  This recipe is a slam dunk when you are in a rush and need something easy for a weekend or weekday meal, just add a salad and chips!

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Appetizer: Layered Chili, Cheese, Roasted Corn Dip

From Denny:  Just think of all the yummy things you can do with the simple pinto bean.  The first idea that comes to mind is a Mexican style layered hearty party dip perfect for tailgating or holiday parties.

This easy dip is layered with pureed beans with spices and fat-free cream cheese, salsa and a rice mixture made up of skillet roasted corn, chiles and spices.  All this goodness is topped with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and then baked for about 30 minutes.

How simple is that?  Yeah, I thought you'd like this one!  At this holiday time of year we can all get a bit frazzled so easy recipes like this are welcome.  This one certainly qualifies as a meal at our house so why make anything else?

You could add a simple salad - and chocolate pretzels for dessert.  Yes, I have a chocolate blog too.  Come on; you had to know. :)  Check it out if you enjoy chocolate recipes:  Romancing The Chocolate.