Feb 3

Sweeten Up Halftime with Madonna’s Favorite Treat

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The star of the show — vegan cupcakes.

Admit it: Football is great and all, but the highlight of Sunday’s big game is the halftime performance. OK, I know that statement doesn’t apply to everyone, but it’s not every day Madonna rocks out a montage of old songs (plus her new single, Give Me All Your Luvin, with M.I.A. & Nicki Minaj) in front of thousands of people at the Super Bowl.

I became a die-hard Madonna fan at a young age, learning all the words to Lucky Star, Vogue and Holiday before the first grade. I’ve even been fortunate enough to see the Material Girl in concert (twice!), so I fully expect Sunday’s halftime show to Justify My Love.

A vegan for nearly 20 years, Madonna has a sweet spot for cupcakes. While she’s pumping out the jams on stage, pay homage to the show with Happy Little Vegans’ Vanilla Agave Cupcake recipe. You don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy these sweet little bite-size treats topped with vegan buttercream.

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Feb 3

Super Bowl Sandwiches and Sliders

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Cajun Shrimp Po Boy

Believe it or not, a sandwich might just be the perfect game-day food. It’s, generally speaking, pretty uncomplicated, allows for a limitless number of meat/veggie/spread combinations, and comes in a handy, hand-held, nothing-left-over format.

With Super Bowl coming up this Sunday, we’re pulling out the best Cooking Channel has to offer between two buns.

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Feb 2

Thirsty Thursday: 4 Super Bowl-Inspired Cocktails

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Super Bowl Cocktail recipes

From left to right: The Brady Bomb, The Manning Special, The Gronk and The Big Blue (in the tall martini glass).

It’s more than just alliteration; it’s a statement, a proclamation that Thursdays are when the weekend should really start. Kicking it off right is the key, and what better way than with a cocktail that not only takes the edge off, but tastes good too.

Last week we shared a recipe for a A Beer and a Ball; this week we’re teaming up with Wine Director Anjoleena Griffin-Holst of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa to get you ready for the Super Bowl with not one, two or three… but four new drink recipes inspired by Sunday’s showdown.

Starting with a variation on the classic Manhattan cocktail, a blueberry garnish and splash of vermouth help round off The Big Blue, an ode to the Giants franchise and their decorated history. Or opt for The Manning Special instead, inspired by the Giant’s quarterback and his cool, calm and collected demeanor. If you’re rooting for the Patriots, try The Brady Bomb, an explosive and game-changing cocktail made with cherry vodka, Red Bull energy drink and grenadine syrup, or go for The Gronk, named after their prolific tight end and towering with tequila, white creme de cacao, blue curacao and cream.

So make your picks and pour your drinks. It’ll be hard to go wrong with these tasty sips — especially if you give in and go for all four. Bottoms up, folks.

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Feb 2

Vegetarian Cookbook Giveaway: “Cook Without a Book”

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This meatless version of classic taco salad is served on a toasted tortilla, so you can eat your plate. Photograph by Quentin Bacon.

In my experience, throwing dinner together without a recipe isn’t always the best idea (no matter how much Cooking Channel you’ve been watching). But with Cook Without a Book: Meatless Meals, cookbook author Pam Anderson shares simple formulas that really will get you cooking great food without a cookbook, but with a plan – and as a bonus, these meals are meatless. This isn’t a cookbook just for vegetarians, but for anyone aiming to eat less meat and more veggies. Add these customizable recipe ideas to your repertoire to create your own fresh, seasonal dishes that are low in fat and calories.

Give these meatless recipes a try (they could even work for Super Bowl foods):
Eat-Your-Plate Taco Salad with Black Beans and Grilled Corn
Really Simple Bean Burgers
Minestrone for Every Season

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Feb 2

Cooking Channel’s Semi-Homemade Super Bowl Snack Throwdown

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cheeseball
To celebrate the Super Bowl, Cooking Channel staff decided to embark on an unprecedented Semi-Homemade Super Bowl Ultimate Snack Challenge Throwdown. Although the name is quite a mouthful, the instructions were simple:

  • Use ingredients most home cooks can find easily.
  • Spend $20 or less.
  • Create the dish in one hour or less.
  • Microwave usage is allowed, but the oven is not.

Full Spread
Here’s a sampling from the Super Bowl smorgasborg:

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Feb 2

Groundhog Day Cupcakes: Cute Treats, Shadow or No

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Groundhog Day Cupcakes Recipe

Celebrate with cute Groundhog Day Cupcakes via Food.com - like dirt cake with a bonus!

Why does Groundhog Day lack good food to go along with it?!

We’ve cracked this nut: (Do groundhogs eat nuts?). Try these adorable Groundhog Day Cupcakes from Food.com to end the Groundhog Day fare dry-spell once and for all.

The great Groundhog Debate rages on this morning – Punxsutawney Phil is forecasting six more weeks of winter, while the upstart Staten Island Chuck is predicting an early spring.  No matter which ‘chuck you place your buck on, we have the right menu for you…

If winter decides to lurk for another month and a half, here are two great belly-warming, snuggle-up-with-a-blanket recipes:

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Feb 1

Candy Bar Pie

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Take 5 Pie Recipe

I’m not going to lie—I’d never tried a Take 5 candy bar until just a few days ago. When I took my first salty, sweet, insanely delicious bite I immediately wondered what in the heck I had been waiting for. Seriously, what could possibly be wrong with a combination of pretzels, peanuts, peanut butter, caramel, and chocolate? Nothing.

Take 5 Pie Recipe

So when it came time to come up with a stellar Super Bowl dessert —because really, it’s all about the food—I knew a replication of the Take 5 bar would be a guaranteed knock-it-out-of-the-park success.

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Feb 1

Big-Game Party Pick: Sweet and Sour Pork Sliders

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Ching's Sweet and Sour Pork Sliders

Today we’re pulling up a chair — i.e., grabbing a seat on the couch in front of the TV — for a virtual pre-Super Bowl party hosted by Food Network (#pullupachair). To spice up this all-American game day with a little international flair, we’re bringing Ching-He Huang’s take on sliders, made with Asian-style sweet and sour pork meatballs. Easy to eat and packed with flavor, these two-bite snacks do the pigskin tradition proud.

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Feb 1

Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Three Ways

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Bacon-Wrapped Dates Recipe

Whether your party is made up of die-hard face painters or people more interested in determining the top commercial, pretty much everyone is a fan of Super Bowl Sunday. Finding new ways to satisfy a diverse group of friends expecting the traditional more-is-more spread of wings, dips and chips can be a challenge.

Chewy dates wrapped in thick slices of uncured bacon are easy to put together assembly-line style to feed a crowd. For variety, stuff them with an array of fillings like crunchy almonds, spicy chorizo, or sharp Manchego to balance out the sweetness. If you’re running short on time, they can be quickly pan fried or baked off all at once to candied crisp. Regardless of the game’s outcome, these pig skins are sure to please everyone.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Recipe

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Jan 31

Grown-up S’mores

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Smores Recipe

These sophisticated bite-size treats are a take on some of my favorite childhood flavors; they’re a combination of S’mores and a Mounds bar. Cinnamon graham cracker cookies are topped with milk chocolate ganache, candied pecans, sweet coconut and finished with an ethereal almond scented toasted meringue.

I get the meringue evenly toasted by using a blowtorch. You can use one from the hardware store or get a smaller one sold at kitchen stores for making crème brulee. It is one of my favorite kitchen tools.

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