Pre-Season Fumble

Perhaps it was a poor choice - like Marshall's offensive pass interference penalty. Really though, who doesn't think about coffee when Seattle is mentioned? After last night's 34-6 trouncing, I confirmed my suspicions that coffee is not actually produced in Seattle. Please forgive my pre-season fumble. This special teams unit will do better in the final pre-season game Thursday against Cleveland. I hope the Bears Special Teams will follow suit.

Despite the epic fail, this recipe from Fine Cooking is delicious.

Coffee-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon very finely ground coffee beans (preferably French roast)
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1.5 pound pork tenderloins

Directions:
Combine the coffee, brown sugar, chili powder and salt in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and mix until combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the two pork tenderloins and rub to coat completely.

Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect cooking (medium-high heat if using gas). Place the tenderloins on the hot side of the grill, cover and cook, flipping once, until grill marks form on each side (about 4 minutes per side). Move to the cooler side of the grill and continue cooking an additional 7-9 minutes, or until the pork has reached an internal temperature between 140º and 145º. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Or in Oven 400 degrees, foil sprayed with cooking spray Cook 20 minutes or until internal temp of 140 or 145

The Smell of Success

2-0 in Pre Season and my house smells wonderful! To help da Bears beat Mr. Khan's Jaguars, I chose this fragrant Mediterranean Chicken.

There were times when the Bears were struggling that I worried I may have tipped my hand when I posted earlier about Mr. Khan. Do you suppose he reads my blog? Anyway, here's the winning recipe courtesy of The Clever Carrot.

MEDITERRANEAN BAKED CHICKEN
Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS
Marinade
1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
1 small tub marinated bocconcini
olive oil
salt & pepper

Garnish
fresh basil & parsley, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves (if you have any artichoke juice leftover, save it to drizzle over the dish when finished). Cut the chicken into 1½ inch strips and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.

When you’re ready to start cooking, discard the marinade and preheat your oven to 400 F.

To a large roasting pan, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. At this point, the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.

To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Roughly chop a large handful of both basil and parsley.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Now add the bocconcini and herbs and toss gently to combine. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired.

Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

NOTES
 *If you prefer, feel free to substitute chicken legs, thighs, or breast (skin on, bone-in) for this recipe. Your cooking time will vary according to size.

Game 2 of the Pre Season

Game 2 of the Pre Season is tonight at 7. Da Bears will take on Shad Khan's Jacksonville Jaguars. Did you know that Shad Khan lives right here in Champaign. I wonder what he'll think of my blog?

What are you cooking? I am trying a new recipe and will  happily share the results after tonight's win - even with Mr. Kahn. Go Bears!

Clipped Their Wings

Even an eagle can't soar without wings. It was great to watch da Bears in action again! My winning recipe was as on target as our quarterbacks - Wingless Chicken. Last night I used a thigh but you could also use breasts or legs.

Wingless Chicken

3-4 TB of Butter - Melt in small saucepan (you can reduce the fat content by using half butter and half chicken broth)

Add a healthy serving of Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce - Buffalo 

Pour this mixture over your chicken which is resting in a foil lined pan for easier clean up

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

The Grinch Was Here

The menu was set; it was chosen with care. 

St. Nicholaus had already been there.

At kickoff we were poised for a clinch for da Bears.

Then what to my wondering eyes did appear?

Fumbles, Interceptions and a Real Smear!

Yes, Coach Trestman, please do throw away that tape. I will do the same with the recipe for Philly Cheese Steak Dip. This was not the Christmas gift I was hoping for.

Traveling to Philly

Our first place Bears are traveling to Philadelphia to play on Sunday night. The Eagles and 'da Bears share the same record and Sunday's game is just as important to the Eagles who want to win the NFC East. So .... what will you cook to ensure a win?

Philadelphia is interesting in foody terms. They are the undisputed inventor of one of my all time favorites - Iced Tea. Just like me, the Dutch pour iced tea year round. Philadelphia is home to a holiday favorite - Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Corned beef hash, meat loaf and Peeps are also Philadelphia favorites along with - wait for it - Philly Cheese Steak.

So cooks, what do you think is the best dish or combination of ingredients to defeat the Eagles and help 'da Bears soar to victory?

The Weather May Have Been A Factor

My apologies for the first quarter! Planning for a noon kick-off involves going to the 9:30 church service. This gives me time to get home and finish cooking for da Bears.

Pulling out of the driveway on schedule, I found myself stuck in a snow drift. No amount of rocking, digging ,etc. worked. 30 minutes and two neighbors later, my car was freed. However, I was now on schedule to attend the 11:00 service.

When I returned home, the game was tied 3-3. I began cooking right away but the delicious Blueberry French Toast was not ready to eat until we were trailing Cleveland. Happily, soon after the first bite, da Bears and Cutler began their recovery. Once Cutler found Jeffrey the day was back on schedule. Bears win 38-31.

Here's today's winning recipe:

Blueberry French Toast (6 servings)

Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups fresh blueberries *
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp. melted butter
Powdered sugar

Preparation:
The Night Before The Game - Assemble the dish
Slice the bread diagonally into 10 to 14 slices, about 1/2" thick. Place in a 13" x 9" glass baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, baking powder, and vanilla. Whisk lightly. Carefully pour over the bread, turning the slices to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Bake the dish
Preheat over to 450̊ F. Butter another 13" x 9" glass baking dish.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and blueberries and pour into the baking dish. Place bread, moist side down on top of the blueberry mixture. Lightly brush the top of the bread with the melted butter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until toast is lightly brown and berries are bubbling. Remove from oven and dust the top with powdered sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving the dish
To serve, place a slice or two of bread on a plate and spoon the berry mixture over the top.

*you may use fresh frozen blueberries, but store-bought frozen berries tend to be too mushy. If using frozen, do not allow to defrost.