Supernatural Week (9/6/20) - Bobby's Chinese Chicken Geezer Salad and Biggerson's Garlic Knots

Our last Supernatural Cookbook dinner is another healthy one.  In season 7, episode 9, which we watched the other night, while it Biggerson's, when Dean gets his Pepperjack Turducken slammer, Bobby isn't impressed. "Bunch of birds shoved up inside each other, " he says. "Shouldn't play God like that."  "Hey, don't look at me sideways from that Chinese Chicken Geezer Salad over there, OK?  This is awesome,"  Dean says. "like the perfect storm of your top three edible birds."

Since we already watched the episode the salad is from I decided to also make the Biggerson's Garlic Knots to go with the salad, this way we can watch a different episode.

In season 3, episode 3, Bad Day at Black Rock, Dean thinks it's his lucky day when he's named the one millionth customer at Biggerson's family restaurant. But, as usual, things aren't always what they may seem. His prize which he never actually gets to collect, is free food for a year, including all the garlic knots he can eat.

This is another one of those "lighter, funnier" episodes of Supernatural and is the episode where Sam famously loses his shoe.

BOBBY'S CHINESE CHICKEN GEEZER SALAD

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

SALAD DRESSING

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce 

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

One clove garlic, mashed

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Salt and pepper

SALAD

1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil

2 raw boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Salt and pepper

4 cups mixed greens

1 cup Mandarin pieces, fresh or canned and drained

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup cooked, shelled edamame

4 scallions, sliced, both green and white parts

1/2 cup sliced almonds for topping

1 cup chow mein noodles for topping

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the dressing: Wish ingredients together in a glass bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

2. To make the salad: heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the chicken breast pieces, soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 8 minutes, adding the sesame oil toward the very end. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the greens, Mandarin pieces, cabbage, carrots, edamame, and scallions. Toss with the salad dressing, and divide evenly among four bowls. Add the chicken to each salad, and top with almonds and chow mein noodles.

BIGGERSON'S GARLIC KNOTS

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 12 to 14 Knots

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick cooking spray

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

One 11 ounce package pizza dough

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Combine the garlic, butter, parsley, and salt in a small bowl.

3. Roll out pizza dough into a uniform rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into 12 or 14 even strips that are approximately 5 inches long and 1 inch thick. Brush with half the garlic mixture. Form the individual dough pieces into knots.

4. Space out the knots on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush with the remaining garlic mixture. Bake another 6 to 8 minutes, until garlic knots are golden brown.

This has been a fun week trying these recipes and revisiting some of our favorite Supernatural episodes.  The final 7 episodes begin airing on The CW on October 8 and Bug-a-Boo and I can't wait.  Once it is over though we will be #SuperNotOkay but I guess we'll just have to start watching again from the beginning.

Supernatural Week (9/3/20) - Sidewinder Soup and Salad Combo

Supernatural is a pretty serious show dealing with demons, ghosts, witches, the end of the world, not to mention family/brother drama. Despite the fact that most of the episodes seem gory and serious, the actors and writers have managed to inject a lot of humor into it.  In fact, sometimes, it almost feels like pure comedy - with all the hilarious one liners to even whole episodes that manage to be more on the light-hearted side and are extremely funny.  The episode we will be watching (and eating) tonight falls into that category.  

Season 7, Episode 9 is called How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters and it is hilarious.  During the Jersey Devil investigation, while Dean can't get enough of that tainted Turducken Slammer, Bobby and Sam both order salads.  Tonight we will bypass the Turducken Slammer tonight and go with what Sam ordered...The Sidewinder Soup and Salad Combo.

SIDEWINDER SOUP & SALAD COMBO

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

Roasted Tomato Soup

3 lbs assorted small tomatoes

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cups vegetabel stock

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper

Grilled Cheese Croutons

2 Tbsp butter

4 slices thin white bread

4 slices deli cheese, like American or cheddar

Salad

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

pepper

4 cups mixed greens

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, position a rack in the top of the oven, and line a baking sheet with foil.

2.  To make the soup:  Core and stem the tomatoes and spread them on the prepared baking sheet iwht the garlic and onion.  Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  Roast on the top rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, until caramelized.

3.  Remove from the oven and transfer everything to a large saucepan.  Add the vegetable stock and butter, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 25 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Tear the basil leaves and add them to the pot.

4.  Blend the soup, either by transferring it to a blender or food processor, or by using an immersion blender in the pot.  Return to the pot and cover to keep warm.

5.  To make the grilled cheese croutons:  Butter one side of all the pieces of bread, then sandwich the cheese between the unbuttered side to make two sandwiches with the butter facing out.  Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the grilled cheeses until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, and cut each sandwich into 8 pieces.

6.  To make the salad:  combine the lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Dress the greens with vinaigrette.

7.  To serve, put greens on one side of a large plate and add a bowl of soup.  Garnish with the grilled cheese croutons, and enjoy knowing your meal is outside the influence of the evil powers of SucroCorp.

This soup was really good and I will definitely be putting it in the rotation.  I may leave out the grilled cheese croutons because they got soggy really fast.  Grilled Cheese on the side to dip in the soup would be perfect though.

Supernatural Week (9/2/20) - Winchester Surprise

No Supernatural food is more legendary than Winchester Surprise, the one thing that Mary Winchester cooked for her family that she actually made herself. 

In Season 14, Episode 11, Damaged Goods, Dean visits Mary at Donna's cabin and asks her to make Winchester Surprise for him. She is surprised that Dean remembers and regrets serving that to John and Dean. Despite it being described by both of them as a "heart attack on a plate," Dean asks for his with extra cheese.

After Mary buys the ingredients at a nearby convenience store, she makes the casserole with Dean, who takes it out of the oven while Mary talks with Sam over the phone. At the dinner table, Dean tells Mary a story about how he and Sam futilely attempted to remake the Winchester Surprise after she died. Dean also says that the three years he spent with her means a lot to him, especially since they're eating the real casserole instead of the bologna version.

There's no official recipe for Winchester Surprise other than meat, cheese and corn chips.  According to the episode's writer, Davy Perez, the ingredients to the "Winchester Surprise" were named in the episode, but edited out.  The actress who plays Mary, Samantha Smith, tweeted the recipe to "Winchester Surprise" as:

3 lbs pork

3 lbs beef

3 lbs American cheese

Fritos to garnish

In Supernatural the Official Cookbook, author Julie Tremaine has a slightly different version which is what we will be having tonight as we watch the episode Damaged Goods.

WINCHESTER SURPRISE

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

One 12oz can buttermilk biscuits

1 large yellow onion, diced

1lb ground beef

1lb ground pork

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup mustard

3/4 cup dill pickles, chopped

8 slices American Cheese

Corn Chips for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Cut each raw biscuit into 6 or 8 pieces, and scatter across the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

3.  In a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat, cook the onion, beef, and pork until browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and mustard, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.  Remove form the heat and stir in the pickles.

4.  Pour the mixture over the biscuits and top with the cheese.

5.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.  In the last 5 minutes of baking, scatter corn chips across the top, if using, or add them when the casserole comes out of the oven.

This was just okay and I don't think I will make it again.

Supernatural Week (9/1/20) - Jody's Chicken-Shaped Roast Chicken

When I first got Supernatural The Official Cookbook I noticed the subtitle was Burgers, Pies, and Other Bites From the Road and was a little worried that it would be nothing but unhealthy, artery clogging food.  Then I remembered that Sam Winchester is kind of a health nut so there would have to be some healthy stuff in there, not to mention the fact that every once in a while the brother's actually got a home cooked meal from their fellow hunter and surrogate mom, Jody.  

So tonight we will be watching Season 11, Episode 12, Don't You Forget About Me.  This episode has a great "family" dinner scene where the boys enjoy chicken-shaped chicken and a hilarious sex ed talk.

JODY'S CHICKEN-SHAPED ROAST CHICKEN

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

6 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken (breasts, legs, or thighs)

Salt and pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

5 Tbsp butter, divided

2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Wash the chicken and pat dry.  Season with salt and pepper.

2.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and melt 2 Tbsp of the butter. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear until the skin is crispy, 5 to 6 minutes.  You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan.

3.  Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size of your chicken pieces, until the internal temperature in the thickest part reads 180 degrees.

4.   While the chicken is roasting, make a sauce in the skillet.  Pour off most of the rendered fat but leave the brown bits in the pan.  Over medium heat, brown the garlic, then add the wine and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes.

5.  Add the chicken broth and cook another 3 minutes.  Add the remaining 3 Tbsp butter and the thyme and rosemary, and stir until the butter is melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6.  Remove the chicken form he oven and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Serve it like Jody did, with mashed potatoes and green beans.

This meal was amazing!  The chicken had a crispy, crunchy skin and it was so juicy.  The sauce was so good!  I will definitely be making this again.

Supernatural Week (8/30/20) - Dean's Breakfast Bacon Cheeseburger & Castiel's Angel Food Cake

This week I let Bug-A-Boo choose what our theme would be and she chose Supernatural.  

Supernatural first broadcast on September 13, 2005, on The WB, and is the only remaining WB show to transition and stay on The CW's lineup.  Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the two brothers as they hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings.  

With Supernatural being one of my favorite shows I wanted to introduced Bug-A-Boo to it and as I predicted, it quickly became one of her favorites.   After a 15 year run, this November, the series finale will air and there will be two very sad girls in this house.  I guess we'll just have to start watching it from the beginning all over again.  

With the show's end in sight I wanted to have something that could help our fandom live on so I purchased The Official Cookbook of Supernatural.

I thought that we could have some fun making the recipes from the book and rewatching the episodes that they are inspired by.  This may be the first of a few Supernatural weeks to come, since we only have 7 episodes remaining.

This week we will be revisiting Season 3, Episode 1, The Magnificent Seven. 

"The Winchester brothers, at one point or another, both feel like they're living on borrowed time.  After he makes a deal with a Crossroads Demon to save Sam, Dean goes for broke, eating his beloved burgers whenever he wants.  When Bobby sees Dean eating them for breakfast, he says..."

So tonight we will be watching The Magnificent Seven and trying Dean's Breakfast Bacon Cheeseburgers with Honey Sriracha Aioli.

DEAN'S BREAKFAST BACON CHEESEBURGERS WITH HONEY SRIRACHA AIOLI

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 4

HONEY SRIRACHA AIOLI

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp sriracha

1 tsp honey

1 tsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic, mashed

BURGERS

1-1/2 lbs ground beef

1 Tbsp of cooking oil or 1 pat of butter

4 slices American cheese

4 Hawaiian hamburger buns or any other large, slightly sweet rolls

Salt and pepper

TOPPINGS

2 Tbsp butter

4 eggs

8 slices cooked bacon

DIRECTIONS

1.  To make the aioli:  Combine all the ingredients in a glass bowl.  Mis well with a fork until smooth, then cover and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Mashing the garlic

2.  Cook your bacon in your frying pan and set on paper towel to drain the grease.

3.  To make the hamburgers:  dived the beef into four equal-sized patties.  Do it very gently, just to combine.  If you knead the meat to much the burgers will get a chewy texture.  Burgers shrink when you cook them so form your patties a little larger than your buns.  To get flat burgers, use your thumbs to form a shallow indent in the middle of the patty.  When the burgers bulge up during cooking, they'll still end up flat.

3. Melt a pat of butter in your frying pan before you add the meat.  

4.  Cook a good sized patty on medium high for about 5 minutes on one side.  DO NOT move the burgers for these first 5 minutes.  Add the American cheese to the patties after you flip them.  Cover the pan for the last 2 minutes of cooking to help the cheese melt.  Tent your burgers with foil to keep them warm and let them rest for a minute or two after cooking.  This allows the juices to redistribute into the meat.

5.  While your patties are resting, lightly toast your Buns and prepare your toppings.  Wipe out the pan and melt 1 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat.  Break the eggs one at a time and gently add them to the pan. Cook the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, the whites are opaque, and the yoke have begun to set but aren't fully cooked.  Remove from the heat.

6. Wipe out the pan and melt the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter over medium heat.  Grill the buns, cut-sides down, for about 1 minute, until golden.  Remove from heat.

7.  Slather the top and bottom insides of the buns with the aioli, then layer the burger, egg and bacon.

Serve with home fries or tater tots and the rest of the aioli as a dipping sauce.

For dessert, I also let Bug-A-Boo choose what she wanted from the book.  I thought for sure she was going to choose a pie, since Dean's favorite is pie.  Any kind of pie.

Well, she surprised me and chose Castiel's Angel Food Cake.  Castiel, often shortened to Cass, is a powerful angel of the Lord who was responsible for saving Dean Winchester from Hell, on the archangels' command.  He becomes another brother to the Winchesters and there is nothing quite like a Sassy Cass!

CASTIEL'S ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups sugar, divided

12 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

Fresh fruit, chocolate sauce of Strawberry Sauce (recipe follow)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Combine the flour and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

3.  Place the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and almond and vanilla extracts in the bowl o a mixer.  Beat on medium with a balloon attachment until soft peaks form, then gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar while the mixer is running, a few spoonfuls at a time, until the egg whites have become glossy white peaks, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the mixer.

4.  Gently fold in the flour mixture by hand with a spatula.

5.  Pour the batter into an uncreased tube or Bundt pan.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until light golden brown.

6.  Remove from the oven, invert the pan, and allow to cool for a least an hour. If the top of the cake is in danger of flattening out on the counter, place the pan on top of a long-neck bottle to hold it off the surface.

7.  run a knife around the edge of the cake once it's cool and remove from the pan.  Slice and serve with fresh fruit, drizzled chocolate sauce or Strawberry Sauce.

STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

INGREDIENTS

1lb strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

DIRECTIONS

1.  Chop the strawberries, discarding the stems and hulls.  Combine them with the sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the fruit has mostly broken down and the sauce has thickened.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

This was a super yummy dinner!  I will defintitely make it again.