Saturday, August 31, 2013

UCLA v NEVADA

Appetizers - Paul and Barb

Pig on a Stick!

Serves 4

1 clove garlic

1 red chili pepper

6 scallions

14 oz. ground pork

2 teaspoons fresh ginger

Zest from 1/2 lime

1 egg

Salt (preferably kosher or sea)

Plus:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 red onion
4 ounces mozzarella
2 tablespoons chopped chives
12 wooden skewers about 6 inches ling

Prep time: 40 minutes











Peel and dice garlic very finely.  Clean chili pepper, remove seeds and ribs and chop finely.  Chop scallions into thin rings.  Mix port with garlic, pepper, scallions, ginger, and lime zest.  Stir in egg and season with salt and pepper.  Form into patties and fry in vegetable oil on both sides.  Peel onions, cut in half lengthwise and cut into thin wedges.  Add to pan and saute briefly.  Thread two patties and onion wedges onto each skewer and place skewers on a baking sheet.

Cut mozzarella into thin slices 1 x 2 inches and lay on top of the skewers.  Broil briefly in and oven preheated to 400 F.  Remove, arrange on a platter, sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.

Dang Good Wings!

Marinade: 
1 1/2 limes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, trimed and sliced
2 teaspoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Pinch of salt

3 pounds chicken wings, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and frshly ground black pepper

1. For marinade, finely grate the zest and squeeze the juice from limes.  In a blender, combine zest and juice with remaining marinade ingredients; puree until smooth.  Pour marinade over the chicken and toss to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat broiler.  Arrange chicken on a baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Broil at least 6 inches from the heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until chicken is crispy on the outside and cooked through.  

Serve with Avocado dip: (Peel and pit 1 avocado; cut into chunks.  Place avocado in a medium bowl; mash.  Fold in 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and freshly ground black pepper.)

Main Dish and Sides - Tim & Penny

Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops with Bourbon Sauce

Sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 garlic clove, minced or pushed through a press

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

1/4 cup bourbon

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Rub

1 teaspoon prepared chili powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless center-cut pork loin chops, each about 8 ounces and 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat

Vegetable oil

4 slices bacon

1.    In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onion and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is lightly thickened, 10 t 15 minutes, stirring often.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce for brushing on the pork chops while on the grill and the remaining sauce to serve with the chops.

2.    Combine the rub ingredients.  Brush the chops on both sides with oil and season with the rub.  Allow the chops to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling.

3.    Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350⁰ to 450⁰F).

4.    In a skillet over medium heat or in a microwave oven on high cook the bacon until the fat is slightly rendered, about 2 minutes.  Wrap a slice of bacon around the perimeter of each chop and secure with a toothpick.

5.    Grill the chops over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until they are still slightly pin in the center and the bacon is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice and brushing with some of the sauce during the last 4 to 5 minutes of grilling time.  Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve warm with remaining sauce.

                                                     

The Ultimate Coleslaw

Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or pinch
1 store-bought bag shredded slaw mix (containing red and green cabbage and carrots)
Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients. Add the shredded slaw mix and toss until combined.

Coaches Cornbread Casserole

2 large chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 can tomato bisque soup

1 can Ranch Style beans

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 pkg corn muffin mix (Jiffy)

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the onion, celery, soup, beans and chili powder in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the cornbread mix, egg and milk. Combine the cornbread mix and the bean mix and then fold in the cheese.

Pour into an 8x8 baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 40 to 50 minutes. You also could use a 9 x 13 pan and bake about 20 to 25 minutes.

Game Time

 UCLA wins 58 - 20

UCLA FOOTBALL

Brett Hundley, Bruins are beaters of the 'Pack

Quarterback looks better than last season as UCLA rolls up 647 yards to crush Nevada, 58-20.

 UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley didn’t burst into this season with a long touchdown run on the first play.

He waited until the eighth play.

The No. 21 Bruins entered the 2013 season with high expectations and with their first appearance in a preseason poll since 2007.

Yet they waited until the second half before putting away a pesky Nevada team.

The 58-20 victory in the Rose Bowl on Saturday was a start. The start of what? Well, for that answer, Bruins fans will have to wait.

But like last season, Hundley insisted that UCLA hit the season running.

He announced himself to the college football world last season with a 72-yard touchdown run on the first play in a victory over Rice. He reminded everyone of his presence Saturday.

Hundley’s 37-yard touchdown run in the first quarter got things started against Nevada. By the time he was finished, the only quarterback questions remaining were across town at USC.

“It looked like he is actually breathing on plays instead of holding his breath like last year,” offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said. “Last year, he was just running the plays I called. This year he is understanding. He’s asking for things. He’s seeing things. That’s pretty cool.”

The Bruins have some growing to do elsewhere, a lot of it before going to Lincoln to face Nebraska on Sept. 14. But the one thing that will make Coach Jim Mora snooze like a child at night is Hundley.

If last season’s opener was a coming-out party, Saturday’s performance was almost a coronation.

Hundley completed 22 of 33 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns. He gained an additional 63 yards rushing. He had 337 of UCLA’s 647 total yards.

“It there’s one place you want to have some security, it’s at quarterback,” Mora said. “It is so different than last year, when he was so much an unknown. There’s an intensity about him. He just really wants to be a great player. You've got to love it.”

Other areas of the team still have questions.

The Bruins’ rebuilt secondary looked vulnerable at times. The defense, as a whole, bent far too easily in the first half, though Nevada was unable to cash in its opportunities to the fullest.

The question of whether the Bruins had a replacement for running back Johnathan Franklin was closer to being answered. Jordon James had 155 yards rushing, including a 26-yard touchdown run, with an array of zigzag runs worthy of his nickname “Joystick.” UCLA had 345 yards rushing.

Whether the Bruins have a punter to replace Jeff Locke remained a mystery. Freshman Sean Covington never got a chance to kick.

There are no issues at quarterback.

“If people thought [Hundley] was good last year, they’re in for a huge surprise,” receiver Shaquelle Evans said.

How much better can he be? Hundley set a school record with 3,740 yards passing and tossed 29 touchdown passes in 2012.

“That guy worked harder during the off-season than I have seen anyone work,” Evans said. “He’s quicker, more experienced, smarter. He understands the offense better. He understands defenses better. He’s going to have a huge year.”

Hundley certainly gave that indication Saturday.

He tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to Evans in the first half and flipped a screen to Malcolm Jones, who dodged defenders on a 25-yard touchdown play. But what makes Hundley dangerous is his running ability. Besides his 37-yard touchdown run on UCLA’s first series, he had an 11-yard scoring run, in which he dived the last three, to give the Bruins a 24-13 lead at the start of the third quarter.

“It feels like I see more of the field instead of zooming in on one receiver,” Hundley said. “I see what the defense is doing.”

Said Evans, “He’s only going to get better.”

UCLA gave up 353 yards and was dinged by Wolf Pack quarterback Cody Fajardo.

But the Wolf Pack had trouble closing drives. Twice in the first half Nevada was within reach of the end zone and had to settle for Brent Zuzo field goals. Fajardo’s one-yard touchdown run allowed the Wolf Pack to go into halftime trailing by only four points, 17-13.

Hundley’s second rushing touchdown was followed by another UCLA score. Kenny Orjioke blocked a punt and Phillip Ruhl returned it four yards for a touchdown.

The Bruins began to roll. Hundley’s momentum was already underway.

Desert after the game, watching the Fireworks over the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Eric and Gail

BLACKBERRY COBLER

Ingredients

1/2 stick butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup whole milk

2 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries

Whipped cream and/or ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar with the flour and milk. Whisk in the melted butter.

Rinse the blackberries and pat them dry. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the blackberries. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. When 10 minutes of the cooking time remains, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

BUTTERSCOTCH BROWNIES

Ingredients

¾ c flour

1 and ¼ tsp baking powder

1 t salt

1 c dark brown sugar

t tbl butter, melted

1 large egg

½ t vanilla

½ c coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl stir the brown sugar into the melted butter. Stir in the egg, then the vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the nuts. Place the batter in a greased 8-inch square baking pan and bake until set, 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.