bbq chicken nachos

I have always been a fan of finger-foods for appetizers. There's something about sticking my toothpick into a big vat of cocktail wieners that just doesn't ring my bells.

BBQ CHICKEN NACHOS

1 batch Shredded BBQ Chicken
1 cup Stubbs' Spicy BBQ sauce
1 cup sour cream
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 bag large, round, yellow corn tortilla chips
1-2 jars jalapeno slices

In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce and sour cream. Scoop the mixture into a ziploc bag and cut a tiny bit off of one of the corners. You'll use it like an icing bag.

On your serving platter(s), spread your chips in a single layer (with none overlapping). Place a spoonful of shredded chicken in the center of each chip, flattening it out a bit with the spoon.

Using the makeshift icing bag, drizzle the BBQ sauce/sour cream mixture on top of each chip. I like to make a pattern, such as an X or a squiggle. Top each with a few cilantro leaves, and then finish it all off with 1-3 jalapeno slices, depending on your taste.

I usually fix these immediately before serving. If you must prepare ahead, you could heat them in the oven briefly before drizzling the sauce.

shredded bbq chicken

Now that I'm working 12 hour shifts, we are going to be enjoying crock pot meals at least 3 times a week. I don't know what I would do without it.

SHREDDED BBQ CHICKEN

4 large chicken breasts
3/4 to 1 cup spicy BBQ sauce (we like Stubbs')
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
1 small onion, diced

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low for at least 6 hours. About 30 minutes before dinner, stir to shred the chicken and allow it to soak up the remaining sauce.

Serve however you like it. We typically do baked beans & cole slaw.

szechuan noodles

The sauce on this is so delicious - I will dip anything in it. Double the sauce and save 1/2 to put on lettuce wraps, drizzle over a salad or lick off of your bare fingers.

From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999).

SZECHUAN NOODLES

6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup good soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)

Place the garlic and ginger in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the vegetable oil, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry, sherry vinegar, honey, chili oil, sesame oil, and ground peppers. Puree the sauce.

Add a splash of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, place it in a large bowl, and while still warm, toss with 3/4 of the sauce. Add the red and yellow bell peppers and scallions; toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature. The remaining sauce may be added, as needed, to moisten the pasta.