Superbowl Sunday

If you're like us, you'll find any excuse to entertain a group of friends - especially for Superbowl Sunday. There's nothing better than watching the game with a group of friends and, of course, lots of good food. While most Superbowl parties focus mainly on appetizers and small bites, we like to serve a "main course" as well. That said, sticking to something that is just as easy as it is delicious is key so that you can enjoy your party as much as your guests do. Here are a few ideas:

Jalapeno Poppers

 

Ingredients:

• 6 jalapeno peppers, cut in half and seeded
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• Stonewall Kitchen Red Pepper Jelly

Directions:

1. Place prepared jalapeno peppers on a foil lined baking pan, cut side down.
2. Place pan under broiler and cook peppers until charred and tender. .
3. Remove peppers from oven. Fill peppers with cream cheese. Return to oven and heat under broiler until cheese begins to melt. Top with Stonewall Kitchen Red Pepper Jelly. Serve warm.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, cored, 1/4-inch dice
• 1/4-1/2 cup Stonewall Kitchen Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup cooked chicken, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add red bell pepper and saute until tender.
2. Add Buffalo Wing Sauce, cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until cream cheese is melted.
3. Add chicken, scallions, spinach and cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Fajitas 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
• Stonewall Kitchen Baby Back Rib Sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to heat tortillas
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1/2 cup onion, sliced
• 6 8-inch flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degree F.
2. Cook for 1-2 hours, or until the pork pulls apart in strings with a fork.
3. Shred pork. Then add additional Baby Back Rib Sauce to taste.
4. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion. Saute until tender and slightly caramelized. Remove and set aside.
5. Wipe pan clean. Add olive oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Add tortillas one at a time and cook on each side until golden brown. Wrap pork and vegetables in each tortilla and serve.

Classic Margaritas

 

 

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces White Tequila
• 2 ounces Margarita Mixer
• 1 ounces Triple Sec

Directions:

1. Use a lime wedge to wet the rim of a Margarita glass, then dip the rim in salt. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Fill glass with ice and strain into prepared glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Tips From The Kitchen: Following a Recipe

"Cream butter, sift flour, alternate adding dry ingredients with wet ingredients…" 

 

Really? Do I have to? 

We're going to explain why baking recipes instruct you to do these steps and the science behind it. After you’ve purchased and gathered all of your ingredients and are ready to bake your cake or cookie recipe, here are a few steps a recipe may call for. By following these steps correctly, you will be assured and happy with the outcome your baked good.

Why cream butter with sugar when baking cookies or cakes?

 

An important step in baking is to make sure that ingredients are well combined and aerated. Creaming butter and sugar together with an electric mixer is important to have a baked good rise high and have uniform texture.

When you cream butter with sugar small air pockets are formed. When the baking soda or powder produces gas during baking it gets trapped in the air pockets and expands, causing the cake/cookie to lift or rise.

It is important your butter is room temperature and soft, but not too soft. Butter should be around 60 degrees F and indent when pressed with your thumb. The butter is firm enough to crack if pressed hard. Once the sugar is incorporated into the butter with a mixer for several minutes, the batter will be light, fluffy and off-white in color. If the butter is too warm the butter will be too soft and look shiny and wet, resulting in a flat dense cake.

Why sift flour and dry ingredients?

Sometimes a recipe will ask that you sift flour and other times not. There are two reasons to sift flour. One is to aerate the flour and get rid of lumps. Often times in transportation the flour gets packed down and lumps can form due to moisture. Sifting will fluff the flour. Other times a recipe will ask that you sift flour with other dry ingredients (for example: sift flour with salt, baking powder and cocoa powder). This is a good way to evenly disperse the ingredients before adding them to the wet ingredients.

Why do some recipes ask that you alternately add dry ingredients with wet ingredients instead of just dumping everything in all at once?

Some recipes ask that you add your dry ingredients alternately with wet ingredients starting and ending with the wet ingredient. A cake batter is basically an emulsion. By adding the dry ingredients alternately with wet ingredients a uniform batter is formed and the result is fewer and smaller holes and a fine tender texture. If everything is added at once and mixed together the texture will be coarser with large.

There really are reasons why a recipe calls for you to do certain steps. When followed, you will have the best outcome. Happy Baking!

New Products - January 2014

It’s that time of year again… time to launch another batch of new products, fresh off the production line! Our team works hard throughout the year to create and test these new, quality products to bring our customers the newest and greatest in specialty food trends. This month we will release over 40 new products to our website and company stores. We are excited to share our newest creations with you and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Some of our new products include:

Sea Salt Caramel Sauce

Delectably smooth, richly sweet with a pop of salt, our Sea Salt Caramel sauce takes desserts to a whole new level. Pour it over ice cream, dip fresh cut fruit into it or slather it over pound cake. It's a remarkable treat that you'll crave after every meal.

Honey Mustard Aioli

We took a classic French "mayo" and blended sweet honey and tangy mustard to create a wonderful new, all natural and versatile aioli. Try it on burgers, sandwiches or as a dip for French fries or chicken fingers.

Sweet Dill Relish

Bursting with the garden fresh aroma of dill, crunchy cucumbers and flavorful spices, our all natural Sweet Dill Relish is sensational on hamburgers and hot dogs or mixed in with potato salad. Try it and you'll taste the difference!

Truffle Spread

Truffles are an extremely rare member of the mushroom family. It has a distinctive, earthy flavor that's long been considered a culinary delicacy. It was by combining delicious truffles, garlic, herbs and spices that we created this aromatic and versatile spread. You'll love it on crostini, with cheese or served warm as a dip.

Harissa Sauce

Harissa is a flavorful Tunisian hot sauce that is served throughout the Middle East. Recipes vary regionally, but we made ours the traditional way with peppers, herbs, spices and olive oil. It's extremely versatile with a captivating aroma and taste that spices up everything from meat, vegetables and couscous to roasted potatoes, rice and scrambled eggs. Try it and discover a world of new flavor.

Maple Balsamic Vinegar

Our perfect balance of sweet maple and tart balsamic vinegar creates a uniquely rich and multi-layered flavor experience. It's great on salads, as a marinade or drizzled over cooked vegetables or rice.

Tikka Masala Simmering Sauce

Creamy in consistency, light in color but uniquely bold in flavor, Tikka Masala takes taste buds in new directions by delivering layers of interesting spice combinations that open worlds of flavorful possibilities. Aromatic and delicious, Tikka Masala is a wonderfully robust recipe that is enjoyed worldwide.

Fra Diavolo Sauce

The name Fra Diavolo means "Brother Devil" in Italian and reflects the bold, spicy taste this sauce is known for. Using only the juiciest, ripest tomatoes and the freshest herbs and spices to give it a little kick, we created an authentic and versatile sauce worthy of the name. Serve over pasta, lobster or chicken and enjoy!

Island Punch Mixer

Often associated with pirates and sailors, Island Punch was also enjoyed by Ben Franklin and George Washington. It was a social drink that encouraged interaction at gatherings with guests making multiple trips to the punch bowl for refills. Enjoy the sweet, fruity flavor of our delicious Island Punch Mixer, it is a fun and unique drink idea that's perfect for get-togethers with friends and family.



Visit any of our company stores to try these products for yourself and stay tuned for more exciting product launches throughout the year.

Italian Night

There’s nothing more comforting than a hearty Italian meal. The fresh taste of basil mixed with notes of garlic and olive oil is second to none. Whether you’re entertaining friends or family or just looking to make a nice, home-cooked dinner, these recipes are sure to please your Italian craving. 

For a starter, bruschetta is a must. You’ll need a jar of our Sun Dried Tomato Olive Spread.

Sun Dried Tomato and Olive Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Sun Dried Tomato Olive Spread
• 1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 loaf French bread (soft, not too crispy)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, mix Stonewall Kitchen Sun Dried Tomato Olive Spread, cheese, mayonnaise, garlic salt and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Slice the bread into ¼ inch slices, and place the slices on a cookie sheet.
4. Top each slice with a spoonful of the cheese/relish mixture.
5. Bake until bubbly, approximately 8 minutes.

Next comes a green salad with a creamy basil dressing. For this, you’ll need a bottle of our Sweet Basil oil.

Creamy Basil Salad

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons light or heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup Stonewall Kitchen Sweet Basil Oil
• 6 cups mixed greens

Directions:

1. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the cream, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. While whisking continuously drizzle the Stonewall Kitchen Sweet Basil Oil to form an emulsion.
3. Add to salad greens and toss gently.

For the main course, this chicken recipe is just as easy as it is delicious. Serve with cheese tortellini or ravioli tossed with olive oil and extra pesto, if desired. For the chicken, you’ll need a jar of our Basil Pesto.

Pesto Chicken with Italian Three Cheese 

 

Ingredients:

• 4 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (approximately 1-1/2 pounds)
• ½ cup flour
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup Stonewall Kitchen Basil Pesto
• 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped into ¼ inch pieces
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup shredded provolone
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Trim and pound boneless chicken breasts. Cut into quarters.
2. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
3. Dredge the chicken on both sides.
4. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Remove and place chicken in an ovenproof baking dish.
5. Spread approximately 1 tbsp. Stonewall Kitchen Basil Pesto over each piece of chicken. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes over pesto and top with cheeses. Place the dish under the broiler and heat until the cheese is bubbly. Serve immediately.