Football Deviled Eggs and More Tailgate Favorites

For me, tailgate parties and deviled eggs go hand in hand. Here's my family recipe for deviled eggs. Caroline, my daughter came up with the idea to add rosemary and paprika to make them look like mini footballs. We also substitute Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise to make them healthier.

Mini-Football Deviled Eggs

6 hard-cooked eggs

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon vinegar

fresh rosemary

paprika

Halve hard-cooked eggs lengthwise and remove yolks. Place yolks in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add yogurt, mustard, and vinegar. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff egg white halves with yolk mixture. Sprinkle with paprika; garnish with rosemary

Another fun idea for a football party is "Football Field" Guacamole Dip. 

Guacamole Dip

2 medium very ripe avocados, seeded, peeled, and cut up

1 tablespoon of lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

A dash of Texas Pete

In a bowl, combine avocados, lime juice, garlic, salt and Texas Pete. Mash with a fork until no longer lumpy.

Spread guacamole dip on a pan. Pour salsa on one side of the pan. Place shredded cheese or jar of cheese sauce on the other. Spoon plain greek yogurt in a ziploc and trim the corner of bag. Outline the field. Add tomatoes and black olives. Serve with Tortillas.

If you're not a fan of guacamole, this Pulled BBQ Chicken Nachos is a delicious alternative. Elizabeth, my other daughter, came up with this original recipe for a Superbowl Party.  Place chicken, skin side down, on a broiler pan. Broil about 20 min. Brush with margarine. Turn chicken and broil for 5 to 10 mins or until no longer pink. Remove from oven and allow chicken to cool. Remove skin. Brush with BBQ sauce and broil for another 5 min. Allow to cool again. Shred with fork (or clean little fingers). Spread over nachos with shredded cheddar cheese and lettuce.

January 2013

Hotel Roanoke Peanut Soup with a Side Dish of "Hello Trolley"

I just finished writing and illustrating my first children's book, Hello Trolley! The book follows the approximate route of Roanoke's Starline trolley system. The writing is geared for preschool and elementary school students. But many adults might enjoy it, too. It uses rhyme/rhythm/repetition, visual cues, and high predictability. It also introduces ordinal numbers. My goal is to make emergent readers feel successful in developing their reading skills. I had so much FUN creating Hello Trolley. It's now available on Amazon.

Other than a plug for my book, you might be wondering: What does this have to do with recipes?

In my book, the last stop is the Hotel Roanoke. The main character, Conductor Charlie (who just happens to be an elephant) has good reason for stopping here. 

In honor of "Conductor Charlie" and all the people who enjoy Hotel Roanoke's signature dish, I would like to share this recipe. For many years, Chef Fred Brown and the "Grand Old Lady" wouldn't publish the recipe. But eventually, the hotel released the "Peanut Soup" recipe to the public. Some guests believe that it still tastes better when eaten at the elegant historic hotel. What do you think?

HOTEL ROANOKE PEANUT SOUP

2 quarts chicken broth

1 pint peanut butter

1 small onion diced

1/2 cup ground peanuts

1/4 pound butter

1/3 teaspoon celery salt

2 branches celery diced

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Melt butter in cooking vessel and add onion and celery. Stir for 5 minutes but not brown.
Add flour and mix well. Add hot chicken broth and cook for a half hour. Remove from stove, strain and add peanut butter, celery salt, salt and lemon juice. Sprinkle ground peanuts on soup just before serving. Serves 10.

Enjoying a signature dish and bountiful buffet at the Hotel Roanoke