Cajun Shrimp

Cajun Shrimp

5 pounds jumbo raw shrimp unpeeled
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 sticks butter
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
10 cloves garlic minced
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt

Wash the shrimp well. Put in a large baking dish. Salt and pepper the shrimp.

In a saucepan melt the butter, and then add the Worcestershire, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Pour mixture over all shrimp to cover.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the shrimp are not all cooked, stir well and check every 10 minutes until they are all done. They should be a dark shade of pink when done. Serve with plenty of crusty bread for mopping up the wonderful sauce!

Broiled Crab Puffs

Broiled Crab Puffs

1 pound imitation crab
1 5-oz jar Processed Sharp cheese (Kraft Old English)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons butter melted
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
10 saltine crackers crushed
6 English muffins halved & quartered*

Instructions: Heat the jar of cheese in a pan of water or in the microwave long enough to soften.

Combine all ingredients except crab & muffins; mix well. Gently add crab. (I do all of this in a food processor.)

Spoon crab mixture on uncooked triangles of English muffins. (These crab topped muffins must be frozen for at least 30 minutes before broiling.)

When ready to serve, broil until bubbly & slightly golden brown. It will only take a few minutes.

Note: Be sure to use all 48 pieces of muffins. If made too thick, the outside will get too brown before the center cooks. Make these ahead of time & keep in the freezer for 3-4 weeks before baking. Keep well sealed.

* Instead of quartering the muffins ahead of time & trying to spread the crab mixture on the little triangles, I spread the mixture on the muffin, then quarter it.

BLT Pizza

BLT Pizza

1 Boboli thin pizza crust
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 Pound bacon cooked & crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded Pizza Blend cheese (Cheddar & Mozz)
1 1/2 cups lettuce shredded
2 medium tomatoes thinly sliced

Place the crust on an ungreased 12" pizza stone

In a bowl, combine mayo, basil, garlic & onion powders; spread over crust.

Sprinkle bacon and cheeses on crust.

Bake at 425º for 8-12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top with lettuce, tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Bandito Chicken Wings

Bandito Chicken Wings

24 chicken wingettes (about 2 lbs)
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup Salsa or taco sauce
1/4 Cup barbecue sauce
1/4 Cup French salad dressing
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Deep fry chicken wings until brown, about 6-8 minutes.

Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.

In a saucepan, combine taco sauce, barbecue sauce, French dressing, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and butter; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sauce is blended.

Pour sauce over the chicken wings.

Bake, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

All American Wings

All American Wings


24 chicken wing sections
1/2 Cup butter
6 Tablespoons hot pepper sauce
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 Tablespoons Teriyaki sauce
1 Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
6 Cloves minced garlic

Preheat oven to 400º. Place wings in baking dish.

In saucepan, melt butter & stir in remaining ingredients.

Brush wings with sauce. Bake for 45 minutes, basting frequently.

Just before serving, pour remaining sauce over wings. Broil for approximately 1 minute to crisp skin.

Bacon & Tomato Phyllo Cups

Bacon and Tomato Phyllo Cups

8 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 tomato, chopped
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 packages Phyllo cups

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine bacon in a medium mixing bowl with tomato, onion powder, garlic powder, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise and basil.

Place phyllo cups on baking sheet. Fill each cup with bacon mixture.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until filling is hot.

Antipasto Squares

Antipasto Squares

2 10-oz cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 pound thinly sliced hot capicola ham
1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/4 pound shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami
1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni sausage
1 12-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into thin strips
3 eggs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

2. Unroll one package of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Layer the ham, provolone cheese, salami, Mozz cheese, pepperoni, and red peppers, on top of the dough.

3. In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and stir in the parmesan cheese and black pepper. Pour 3/4 of this mixture over the peppers. Unroll the second package of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.

4. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 20 - 25 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Buffalo Chicken Dip in a Bread Bowl

Buffalo Chicken Dip in Bread Bowl

1 10-oz pkg  cooked chicken breast strips, chopped (or fresh chopped, cooked chicken)
1/2 Cup Frank's Red Hot
1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
1/2 Cup blue cheese dressing
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup cheddar-mozzarella cheese blend
1 1-lb. Loaf round bread

Preheat oven to 350º.

In large non-stick skillet over medium heat, stir together chopped chicken & Red Hot until heated through.

Add garlic powder, pepper, and blue cheese dressing. Stir well until ingredients are well blended.

Reduce heat to medium low. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Stir in  Cheddar-Mozzarella cheese until melted and all ingredients are well combined.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Cut a circle off the top of the bread. Scoop out inside & save for dipping. Fill bread bowl with chicken mixture. Replace top of bread. Wrap tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil which has been sprayed with Pam.

Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm with the reserved bread pieces, baguette slices, crackers, or celery sticks.

Seth's Favorite Meat Loaf

Seth's Favorite Meatloaf

Meatloaf:
1 cup Whole Milk
6 slices Martin's Potato Bread
1 pound Ground Beef
1 pound Ground Pork
1 cup (heaping) Italian 6-Cheese Blend
1/4 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons dried Parsley
4 Whole Eggs, Beaten
10 slices Thin/regular Bacon
Sauce:
1 1/2 Cup Ketchup
1/3   Cup Brown Sugar
1   teaspoon Dry Mustard
  Frank's Red Hot to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, cheese, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs. If mixture is too loose, add dry crumbs - just enough to hold the loaf together.

Mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain.

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Broil for a few minutes to help crisp bacon & caramelize glaze.

Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

Mac & Cheese Soup

I wanted to make Macaroni & Cheese soup for an Ecclesial meal. I thought the kids (young & old) would really like it. Just sounds like a good comfort food. So I went searching for a recipe. Surely there would be something good out there with all the millions of recipes on the web. Well, if there is, I didn't come across it.

So, it was time to improvise. I started out with a Paula Deen recipe for Cheddar Cheese Soup & went from there. The recipe below is what I ended up with.

This is a really good starter recipe - there are so many ways you can change this up & make it just a little bit different. We like things spicy in this house so if I was making it just for us I would have used some Pepper Jack cheese and more hot sauce/cayenne. You could substitute any number of things for the plain hot dogs: Jalapeno hot dogs, bacon, Lil' Smokies, Kielbasa, ham, etc.

Tomorrow will be the true test. I'm concerned about how much it will thicken up when it's cooled & reheated. I figure that's bound to happen so I have a couple ideas on how to fix it. But the most important thing to me is how well it goes over & how much is left over!

Corinne's Mac & Cheese Soup w/Hot Dogs

• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 ounces diced pimentos, drained
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups cream
• 8 ounces Sharp Cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• Frank's Red Hot to taste
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 3 scallions
• 1 pound hot dogs, cut into 1/4" slices
• 4 cups cooked macaroni

In a saucepan, saute onion and pimentos in butter over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Blend in flour. Cook & stir for about a minute; until well blended.

Add broth and cream. Cook & stir until it comes to a boil & thickens.

Add cheese and stir until melted. 

Add mustard powder, cayenne, hot sauce, scallions, salt and pepper. 

In frying pan, saute hot dog slices in small amount of butter until slightly browned. Drain.

Add hot dogs & cooked macaroni to soup. Stir to combine well.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Addictive "Candy From the Sea" as Seth calls them.

You can find the chili sauce & Sriracha sauce just about anywhere these days, including Super Walmart.



Bang Bang Shrimp

Seasoned Flour
2 Pounds large shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Thai sweet chili sauce
Sriracha hot sauce to taste

Mix mayo & sauces. Refrigerate.

Coat shrimp with seasoned flour. Reserve leftover flour mixture.

Place shrimp on a single layer on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Just before deep frying, coat shrimp with flour mixture for a 2nd time.

Deep fry at 375º until shrimp are cooked thru - about 2 minutes.

Pour sauce over shrimp & toss gently.

Buffalo Wings

This recipe is based on a famous restaurant's wings. They use an owl for a mascot. :-)

These wings are THE best. They are good leftover, reheated in the toaster oven, but they are never better when they are freshly cooked & tossed in the sauce.



Hooter's Buffalo Wings

Seasoned Flour
24 chicken wing sections
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Coat chicken wings with seasoned flour.

Reserve leftover flour mixture.

Place wings in a single layer on a baking sheet. (I cover the sheet with foil & use wax paper to separate the layers if there is more than 1 layer of wings.) Refrigerate coated wings for at least an hour.

Coat wings in flour mixture a second time right before frying.

Deep fry wings in two batches in 375º oil for 9 - 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat butter, hot sauce, pepper, & garlic just until butter melts. Keep warm.

Drain cooked wings on paper towels.

Place wings in a large bowl, Pour warm sauce over & toss to coat.

Seasoned Flour

Where have I been? You might be wondering that.

Sometimes I cook too much & it takes awhile for Seth to catch up! That's what happened last week with Lasagna & Beef Stew leftovers.

We'll be having a get-together here on Thursday evening for anyone who wants to stop in and see Lauren. And Richard, and Mike & Shannon, and the newest member of the family: Samual-Wyatt. (No, that is not a typo.)

So far the menu is looking like this:
Zuppa Tuscana
Buffalo Wings
Bang Bang Shrimp
Mini Pigs in a Blanket
Mini Mac & Cheese Cupcakes (hoping that Lauren & Richie will love these.)
Chicken Fries

There are other things on my list but these are the "must haves".

I'm going to post a master recipe for seasoned flour. I mix this up in a large batch (5 lbs of flour) & store it in an airtight container so I don't have to mix it every time I need it.

Seasoned Flour

1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne

Hold on to this recipe. You will need it to make Buffalo Wings & Bang Bang Shrimp.

Lasagna Day

Pot Luck Dinner at Meeting today.

We had a nice variety of dishes. Everything pretty much fell into the Comfort Foods category. It's that time of year, isn't it?

The Crispy Kale was a huge hit. I made it once before for a bonfire at the Isbell's but I guess that some people had never tasted it.

I brought 2 different lasagnas. The Chipotle Lasagna was more popular by a long shot. The Hoagie Lasagna is good but it didn't have the same appeal as the Chipotle based on the leftovers.

The Chipotle Lasagna came from Allrecipes.com. I did make a couple changes. You will see that it calls for zucchini. For some reason, I can't bring myself to buy zucchini. For one thing, I'm not a real big fan of it unless it's in bread. For another thing - zucchini makes me think of the thing that people grow too much of in their gardens & then try to get rid of it by passing it on to others - even if they have to leave it on your porch in the middle of the night! Lastly, the zucchini that I see in the grocery stores around here look unfamiliar to me - they look so small compared to what I'm used to seeing.

Most of the time I used dried herbs rather than fresh - for the convenience & because I waste too much of the fresh stuff because I don't use it fast enough.

Also, the recipe calls for 1 chipotle chile in Adobo Sauce. I used a whole can & it was not spicy, as you might expect. My Chipotle in Adobo Sauce brand of choice is La Morena. There is a picture of a Senorita on the label.

Here's the link to the recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Loris-Spicy-Chipotle-Lasagna/Detail.aspx

Th Hoagie Lasagna recipe is from Mr. Food & is so simple. I guess the recipe title should be Grinder Lasagna up here in New England. I understand why these sandwiches are called subs but someday I'm going to have to research the terms Hoagie & Grinder.


Hoagie Lasagna

32 ounces ricotta cheese
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 26-oz jar  spaghetti sauce
3/4 Cup  Water
1/2 Pound deli ham, cubed
1/4 Pound deli salami, cubed
1/4 Pound pepperoni, cubed
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
12 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese (3 cups)

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9"X13" baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, and Parm.

In another medium bowl, combine spaghetti sauce & water. Spread 1 1/2 cups of sauce mixture in baking dish. Stir meats into remaining sause mixture.

Place 3 noodles over sauce in baking dish. Top with 1/3 of cheese mixture. Spoon 1/3 of sauce mixture on top. Sprinkle with 1 cup Mozz.

Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with Mozz.

Cover tightly with foil & bake 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil & bake 5 more minutes, or until cheese is bubbly on top. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Best Stuffed Mushrooms

For me, I often think about the person or people I'm cooking for when I make a particular dish. That's where the love comes in.

Certain recipes always make me think of a certain person. For instance, I always think about Ethan Pride when I make Buffalo Chicken Dip in a Bread Bowl. I think about Shannon Deane when I make ribs. I think about Mike Deane when I make mini Pigs in a Blanket. Peanut butter stuff and shrimp things make me think of Frank Locke. Jalapeno Poppers make me think of Gary Schlageter. I could go on & on. You get the idea.

When I make these Stuffed Mushrooms, I always think about Bonnie Locke. (One of my closest friends and Lauren's "Ahh Bee" (Aunt B).

These babies contain no meat so they're vegetarian-friendly. I made a boo-boo today & forgot to add the chives to the cream cheese mixture so they got sprinkled on top. And this time I used Progresso Italian Panko Bread Crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs. I love those Panko crumbs! I think Bonnie will be happy with the results when she tastes them tomorrow. :-)

Here's a trick to clean a large quantity of mushrooms. You've probably read that you shouldn't get fresh mushrooms wet because they absorb the water. Wrong!!! They are not little sponges! Here's what I did today: removed the stems from the mushrooms. (Just rock the stem back & forth gently until it separates from the cap.) Then I put the mushrooms in a cheapo plastic bag, added several cups of water & kinda tossed them in the water. Like a mini mushroom washing machine set to gentle cycle. Dumped them into a colander to let them drain a little. Then laid them out on a kitchen towel (opening side down) to dry them off after their bath. They fit on half of the towel so I covered them with the other half & lightly dry off their tops before putting them on the baking sheet.

The thing that makes these Shrooms so great to me? You see that cayenne pepper in the recipe? It'll give you a nice little unexpected bite on the back of your tongue. Try 'em, you'll love 'em!


Best Stuffed Mushrooms

16 ounces whole fresh mushrooms (to 20 ounces)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 Teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 Teaspoon onion powder
1/4 Teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon chives
Italian bread crumbs

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350º.

Clean mushrooms & discard stems. Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic & lightly fry, taking care not to burn it. Turn off heat.

Add remaining ingredients to garlic & stir until well mixed. When mixture is cool enough to handle, place it in a zip-loc bag.

Arrange mushrooms on baking sheet. Cut off small corner of bag - make hole just large enough to squeeze mixture into mushroom caps. Fill each cap. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake for 20 minutes or until mushrooms are hot & tops are starting to get lightly browned.

Toldja the photos were bad!

Crispy Kale

If you're a health nut, this is the recipe for you! Just be warned: "healthy recipes" will be few & far between here. :-)

This is another recipe I found thru Chowhound. This has to be one of the most simple recipes, yet I think it's by far one of the most messy things I make. By the time I'm done there is kale everywhere! All over the counters, the stove, the sink, the floor.

I took a few photos but they didn't turn out well. I was trying to show what the kale looks like before and after. You all know what fresh kale looks like, I guess. When it's done, it's a dark, dark green color - almost black.

During my leisurely stroll thru Super WalMart this morning this huge bag of triple washed kale was calling my name so I decided to include this recipe as one of the things I'm bringing for our monthly Fellowship meal tomorrow. The meal tomorrow is a true Pot Luck so we have no idea what we're going to end up with. That's the fun part of it!

On to the recipe: you will need cleaned & DRIED kale. It's important that it's as dry as possible. If you use whole kale leaves, get rid of the tough stem and tear it into pieces. Not too big or it will take too long to cook & not too small or it will crumble into tiny pieces.  Maybe the photos will give you an idea of the size of the pieces. Keep in mind that the kale will shrink down more than you can imagine.

You will also need some oil - vegetable or olive. And some salt or other seasoning. I used Trader Joe's sea salt today.

Preheat your oven to 250º.

Use the biggest baking sheet you have. Place a rack on top of it. I tried to be lazy & not use the rack on my 1st batch. Bad idea!

Toss the kale with just enough oil to barely coat it. The oil is only there to make the seasoning stick. Sprinkle it with salt or the seasoning of your choice. Spread some in a single layer on the baking rack. Again, I tried to be lazy today & do it quicker by doing more than a single layer. It took more time & made more of a mess. Slow & easy does it.

Put it in the oven for 15 minutes. Take it out & toss it around. Put it back in the oven for another 10 to 20 minutes. You'll know when it's done when it's crispy & crumbles to pieces if you manhandle it. It's crunchy like chips but it's delicate so be gentle with it until you get it into your mouth.

This has been compared to a highly addictive drug. It's good but it doesn't really do it for me. A lot of people seem to really like it. It's certainly different than most snacks. A novelty, if you will. And then there's that healthy aspect...

A word to the wise: after you eat this stuff, check your teeth in the mirror before you smile at anyone! ;-)

In The Beginning

I was hoping to start this blog on 01/01/10 but I just couldn't seem to get to it. Now that I'm officially unemployed again, I have the time. 

This blog will get better in time. Right now I'm taking photos w/my phone therefore the quality is not good, shall we say. Also I'm not exactly sure how I want to do this. I want to make it as  useful & easy as possible for anyone reading it. But enough about that. Let's get this thing started! 

Today's breakfast came from a recipe I found on Chowhound.com. It easily moved to the top of our favorite Breakfasts list. The fresh spinach makes me think it's semi-healthy! I halved the recipe since it's just the 2 of us now.

I always used to use Brown & Serve sausage links. Recently I tried a couple new (to me) brands: Jimmy Dean Heat & Serve and Armour Sizzle & Serve. The Jimmy Dean was very good but we really liked the Armour brand so that's what I'll be buying in the future.

Spinach and Feta Scramble

By Kate Ramos

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 15 mins
Active Time: 15 mins
Makes: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
10 large eggs
2/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound baby spinach
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine eggs, feta, cream, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until eggs are broken up and mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
2. Heat butter in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add spinach and cook, turning constantly with a rubber spatula, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add spinach to reserved egg mixture and stir to coat.
3. Return the pan to medium-low heat, add spinach-egg mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs have reached desired doneness.