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I really like Shrimp Etouffee. This is a recipe I found at Cooking Melangery, which is a great website with wonderful pictures and unique recipes.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp. peanut oil
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 green sweet bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp. whole basil leaves
- 1 Tbsp. whole thyme leaves
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp Tabasco
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and uncooked
- cooked rice for serving
The flavor was heavenly. Along with all the stuff going on atop my range, I also made Twice-Baked Cauliflower from Kalyn’s Kitchen and Crash Hot Potatoes from the Pioneer Woman. The meal was awesome!
This was a standard dish at our house while I was growing up. I’ve tweaked it to make it my own. Many people buy a prepared cornbread mix to use, but it’s so simple to whip up a half-batch of cornbread that I don’t see the point in buying the mix. Also, I’ve started making my own taco seasoning and if you want to do that too, you can find a recipe online.
INGREDIENT LIST
1# lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles
1 14-oz. can kidney beans
1 pkg. (2 Tbsp.) Taco seasoning
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup flour
½ cup corn meal
2 Tbsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup milk
3 Tbsp. oil
1 egg
This was simple, it tasted good, and I will try it again should I come into red currants like I did last year. The recipe is based upon this one at allrecipes.com. I had some trouble with the crust sticking to the bottom of my springform pan and it took a lot longer to brown the meringue than I thought it would, but all in all, I call this one a win.
Note to self: It’s just occurred to me that a better way to make the crust might be like the crust of lemon squares, where you cut the cold butter into the flour mixture and pat it into the pan. The butter isn’t very well incorporated into the flour, but it works. I believe you would come out with a more cookie-like crust that wouldn’t stick. Yes, I think that would work better. Okay, talking to myself, for next time!
INGREDIENT LIST FOR RED CURRANT TART
2-1/4 cups fresh or frozen red currants
½ cup butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp. lemon zest
½ cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
Ham & Cheese & Potato Casserole Ingredients
4 cups cooked potatoes, diced 1”
4 cups cooked ham, diced 1”
1 cup cream
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4-oz. sliced pimientos
Don’t let the word “anchovy” send you over the bend. It’s the salty, spicy deliciousness hidden in many foods. The recipe is based upon one found in The Best of Food & Wine (1984). This salad is one of my favorites. It goes together very, very quickly. The salad is dressed with warm dressing.
Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh spinach, rinsed, dried and trimmed
3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
½ lb. mushrooms, sliced
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 2-oz. can flat anchovy fillets, with 1 tsp. of the oil
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sesame oil
2-1/2 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar
2 tsp. capers
1-1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
This recipe is one I have made for years. The basic recipe called for four cut-up chickens, but I have never served that many people or used cut-up chickens. The beauty of this is that you can easily expand the recipe to serve a lot of people. I’m going to tell you how I do this for three or four of us, but the ingredient amounts are not specific. Eyeballing it will work just fine. The quantity of garlic and oregano seems excessive, but it really works. This is a delicious dish. Start the night before or no later than six hours ahead. Scroll to the bottom for approximate measurements.
Mediterranean Chicken Tonja
6-8 cloves garlic, pureed
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Handful pitted prunes
Handful green olives (mine were jumbo-sized, so I cut them in half)
2 Tbsp. capers with a little juice
3 bay leaves
Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into serving sizes (I used one breast)
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup white wine
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley or cilantro
The night before, mix all together, except brown sugar, wine, and parsley in a 9×13″ baking dish. Let marinate overnight in refrigerator. Sprinkle with brown sugar and wine and parsley. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for fifteen minutes more. Serve over rice.