Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

My oldest Ella loves shrimp, I mean really LOOOVES it! I have an aversion to raw meats in general though, so the thought of raw seafood has always really freaked me out...and I therefore have never prepared it at home, except for the occasional fish dish. When figuring out what to make for our back to school dinner I saw this (on The Pioneer Woman Cooks) and knew Ella would love it, so I decided it was about time to give it a try, for her sake :-). It wasn't actually bad at all, although de-shelling the shrimp to eat them was a pain and I think the recipe would still be delicious if they already had their shells off, so that's what we'll do next time. And there will be a next time!

Ingredients:
* 2 pounds Raw Shrimp, Deveined, Shells On
* 2 sticks Cold Unsalted Butter Cut Into Pieces
* 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
* 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
* 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
* 1 whole Lemon, Juiced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and red pepper. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.
Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly.
Serve with hot crusty bread. Peel and eat the shrimp, then dip the bread into the butter in the bottom of the pan.

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle Dessert

Ella and I were browsing food blogs looking for a yummy dessert for our back to school dinner and she kept picking out really fancy cakes, that frankly scared me! Then we saw this Peanut Butter Cup Trifle on The Sister's Cafe and were sold! I remembered I bought a trifle dish at my last Pampered Chef party and still needed to break it in. And the dessert? It was DELICIOUS!!! I mean, how can you go wrong with brownies, PB cups, and a creamy peanut butter layer?! It was a perfect recipe for little helpers to assist with as well. SOOO good...and SOOO easy!

Ingredients:
9×13 pan of brownies, cut into 1 inch pieces (can easily sub in gluten free brownies!)
5.1 oz instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
8 oz container thawed whipped topping (Cool Whip), divided (I used lite)
20 peanut butter cups, crumbled (buy in a 8-pack. Not the bite-sized)
5-6 peanut butter cups to garnish.

Directions:
Combine pudding and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and vanilla, beat until smooth. Gently fold in 2 cups cool whip.
Layer in trifle dish ½ the brownies, ½ the crumbled peanut butter cups, ½ the pudding mixture. Repeat. Top with cool whip and peanut butter cups. (Or shaved chocolate curls) Chill until serving.

Pioneer Woman's Spicy Beans

This recipe came up on The Pioneer Woman Cooks while I was planning Ella's Mexican-inspired birthday dinner, so they were a perfect fit! They were great for a party because I could prepare them the day before and they were also delicious, which is a must. I was slightly traumatized when I had to buy a ham hock, but I think I'll get over it eventually...maybe after eating some more yummy beans :-).

Ingredients:
* 4 cups Dry Pinto Beans
* 1 whole Ham Hock
* 1 whole Onion, Diced
* 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Diced
* 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 2 whole Jalapenos, Sliced
* 2 teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
* 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (optional)
* 2 teaspoons Black Pepper, More To Taste

Directions:
Rinse beans under cold water, sorting out any rocks/particles.
Place beans in a stock pot with the ham hock and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the water level is fine. Add more water as needed (I had plenty).
Then throw in diced onion, red bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno. Cover and continue cooking for another hour or two, remembering to check the water level.
Add salt, chili powder and pepper, then cover and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until beans are lovely and tender. Serve with cornbread as a meal, or spoon on top of nachos, tacos, etc.

My Kodak Photo Book

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, with KODAK Gallery, to create a photo book. Having just returned from my trip to Oregon for a roommate reunion, I thought it would be the perfect subject for my book!

The process of making the book through Kodak was really simple and within an hour, I was ready to order my finished product! I just uploaded the photos from my trip (you can even upload them from your facebook page), picked a page layout and dragged and dropped in the pictures. You can view mine here.

I can't wait to get it!

Kodak Gallery is also providing an exclusive offer to my readers; 40% off a medium hardcover or a large Photo Book. Just go to HERE to make your book. The offer expires 8/31/11.

And just a reminder of the yummy dishes we made for each other while we there...

Bean Salad, Yam Vegetable Stew, Artisan Bread, Vegetarian Enchiladas, Baked Salmon, and Roasted Rosemary Vegetables.

Roasted Rosemary Veggies

This is the last of the recipes from my Oregon trip with my old college roommates...kind of sad! Kim paired these delicious roasted veggies with her baked salmon and it was perfect. I love anything roasted, and especially loved the rosemary!
I guess I better get cooking again so I have something else to post :-)!

recipe from Kim
Ingredients/Directions:
Peel and dice as much butternut squash and potatoes as you like. Toss them in olive oil, garlic salt (or garlic powder and regular salt), pepper and rosemary. Cook in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes (or until tender).

Baked Salmon

After just recently trying salmon for the first time (and really liking it!), I was excited when Kim told us she would be making some salmon for one of our meals! I was definitely inspired to try it on my own after trying her delicious "recipe". It was so simple, yet the salmon was so flavorful. Mmmm, this makes me want more!

recipe from Kim
Directions:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Cut salmon into single serving portions and lay on paper.
Thinly coat with olive oil.
Generously season with Old Bay.
Lay sliced lemon on top, then pop in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

Yam Vegetable Stew

This was my favorite food picture from the trip...it is definitely a pretty dish with all the colors! This stew was so flavorful and filling that I didn't miss the meat at all (and I thought it was great eaten plain without rice, bread, etc. to go with it).

recipe from Sara
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp cooking oil or coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 serrano pepper minced or 1 tsp dried chili flakes (I prefer to skip the serrano pepper and chili flakes and just use a tablespoon of Sriracha sauce)
2 quarter size slices of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 peeled yams, cut into matchsticks
1 can coconut milk (Sara likes to use 2 cans coconut milk instead of the water below)
1 cup water or vegetable stock
1 bunch or less of any leafy green, chopped (we used swiss chard I believe, but kale or spinach works as well)
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
1 can garbanzo beans
optional: chopped tofu or cooked chicken,

Directions:
Saute onion in oil, add curry powder, serrano pepper and ginger, saute until onion soft.
Add Carrot, garlic, yam, saute on medium until carrots begin to soften. Add coconut milk and broth/water, and beans/protein, if using chard, kale or beet greens throw them in now. Cover and cook until yam is soft, then stir in cilantro, tumeric, lime juice, and salt and pepper. If using spinach stir that in at this time. Serve over rice, cous cous, or quinoa.

Artisan Bread

I am definitely not a bread making expert, but Sara whipped up this delicious bread for us and it was divine. I loved the salt on the crunchy crust, especially in contrast to the soft, fluffy inside. Plus, it was so pretty! I am determined to master this recipe for myself!

Recipe from Sara...
Ingredients and Directions:
3 cups warm water (should feel comfortably warm, not hot, to your finger)
1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher or coarse salt
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast (we use Fleishmann's active dry yeast)
Mix it together.

6 1/2 cups flour
We usually add 4 cups of flour, mix it in (it should be quite wet
still), then add the remaining 2 1/2 cups. You can experiment with any
proportion of white to whole wheat. (I think Sara used half of each on our loaves)

When you finish adding and mixing the flour it tends to be very
sticky. Once you extricate your mixing spoon from the dough, cover it
with a towel and let the dough rise for 2 hours or so.

Once the dough has risen we sprinkle some flour on top of it, add some
to our hands, and separate the dough into four loaves. They can all be
cooked at once, or placed in a container in the fridge for up to 2
weeks. Leave the lid on loosely for the first 12 hours or so to let
the dough finish expanding. Our dough usually gets used in a few days.

For those being cooked immediately, we shape each loaf into whatever
shape, let it rise for 40 minutes on a greased pan or nonstick mat, slash the top with a sharp knife (optional, but recommended), and place in oven preheated to 450
degrees (every oven's different - 425 works well for us).

One note on the oven - we have a roasting basin below the bread pan on
a lower rack that we add a cup of hot water to just after adding the
loaf/loaves to the oven. This steams the bread and tends to give a
nice crisp crust. Bake the bread for 20-30 minutes. Done.

Bean Salad

This is the first of the recipes from my Oregon beach house trip. I got to spend the weekend with my roommates from college and we took turns with the meals while there. Although everything was absolutely delicious, I think this may have been my favorite...I couldn't stop eating it! I loved everything about it - the pretty colors, the crunchy peppers, the creamy cheese and avocado, the tang from the limes, etc. This is perfect to share for lunch and filling enough to be dinner too. We ate it with tortilla chips, but you can serve it over rice, in tacos or quesadillas, or whatever your heart desires.

recipe from Liz
(originally from Lisa Phillips)
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can olives, sliced
1 can, or 2 cups frozen, corn
1 yellow, orange, and red pepper chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 avocados, leave pit in salad (it's supposed to prevent it from browning)
1/2 cup - 1 cup feta cheese
pine nuts (optional, we didn't have)
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 limes, squeezed
1/4 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs salt

Directions:
Mix the salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix the dressing and pour over salad. Mix gently and enjoy! (If you want to prepare ahead of time, just leave out the avocados and feta and mix those in with the dressing at the end)

I also had to include this pictures because Sara had arranged the sand dollars so nicely around the bowl :-). We were in full sunlight outside so the pics didn't turn out great.

Fresh Corn Salad

I had already planned out the menu for Mike's birthday dinner when this salad was posted on Mel's Kitchen Cafe. It looked so yummy and fresh I couldn't resist and decided to add it last minute to our dinner plan. I even went back to the store for the ingredients. I'm so glad I did! This was the perfect side for a summer BBQ...or any summer meal. It is full of fresh flavors and light and crunchy and pretty much perfect. Everyone who tried it looooved it, and I used the leftovers in a quesadilla the next day and it was equally heavenly!

Ingredients:
6 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon vinegar. Add the cobs of corn to the pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the pot. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a medium bowl with the red onions, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Fresh Raspberry Bars

I LOOOOVE raspberries! They are one of my favorite things to eat and definitely my favorite berry, so when I saw the gorgeous pictures of these in my Better Homes and Gardens magazines I knew I would get around to making them. Mike's birthday presented the perfect occasion and they received rave reviews from everyone. They are SO good and super easy to make too.
(view the pretty step by step pictures from BHG here)

recipe by Scott Peacock
Ingredients
* 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into 1-inch chunks
* 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
* 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* Softened butter (for brushing sides of foil)
* 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves
* 1 pint (2 cups) fresh raspberries
* 1/2 of an 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
* 4 oz. goat cheese or 4 oz. cream cheese (I used all cream cheese)
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 large egg
* 1 large egg yolk
* 2 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel (zest)
* 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
* Powdered sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with a 24-inch-long sheet of aluminum foil, leaving extra foil extending over ends (use these later to lift bars from pan); set aside. In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until it just begins to blend and soften slightly, about 30 seconds.

2. Add brown sugar and salt, beat on low speed until incorporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. You're not trying to cream it, you're just mixing it in, Scott says. With mixer off, add the 2 cups flour. Beat on low speed until flour is incorporated. Increase speed to medium, mix until ingredients form an even, cohesive dough. "People tend to undermix shortbread, which makes it too crumbly," Scott says. "It's tough to overmix because of the amount of butter we use."

3. Break dough into small chunks and distribute in prepared pan; with your fingers press dough into an even layer. Bake 20 minutes or until dough has begun to puff and is just set. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes.

4. Lightly brush exposed sides of foil with softened butter to keep filling from sticking. Spread jam evenly over crust.

5. Sprinkle evenly with raspberries.

6. With a lemon zester, remove peel from lemon, making sure to avoid bitter white pith. "For the most flavor, you want to do this right before baking," Scott says.

7. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and goat cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Mix in granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon flour until blended. With mixer running, add egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

8. Pour custard batter evenly over berries. Tilt pan back and forth to distribute evenly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until barely set. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool, about 1 hour; cover and transfer to refrigerator. Chill 2 hours. Top will crack slightly as it cools.

9. Use foil to lift the bars from pan. With a knife or metal spatula, support the sides of the bars while you gently peel the foil downward and away from sides of the bars.

10. Cut into long bars, peel foil from bottom, and transfer to cutting boars using side of a long knife or spatula. "Cutting first on the foil results in cleaner edges," Scott says. Cut into 24 squares
Sprinkle very lightly with powdered sugar. "It's much more interesting with just the rumor of sugar on top," Scott says. Makes 24 bars.

Vegetable Stir Fry

Although the kids weren't thrilled with this Rachael Ray meal, Mike and I loved it...especially me! And the leftovers for lunch the next day were just as good. I'll add more of the bok choy next time, but overall I thought it was perfect. I loved all the fresh veggies and the sauce had a great flavor to it!

Ingredients:1 pound whole grain spaghetti or linguine pasta (I used GlutenFree spaghetti)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
2 baby bok choy, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, halved and thinly sliced
1 small bunch scallions, chopped into 3-inch lengths
1/2 cup shredded carrots
A handful of snow peas, thinly sliced on an angle
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons black bean sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce or sambal olek sauce
1 tablespoon honey or sugar (I used sugar)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Directions:1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
2.While the pasta is working, in a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 turn of the pan, over high heat. Add the eggs and scramble until firm. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan, and heat until smoking. Add the bok choy, bell pepper, scallions, carrots and snow peas and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute more.
3.In a small bowl, stir together the tamari, black bean sauce, lime juice, hot sauce, honey and sesame oil.
4.Toss the pasta with the sauce and vegetables. Top with the egg.

Beef and Mushroom Tacos with Avocado Salad

 

I never get tired of Mexican inspired food, especially tacos and enchiladas, and I was excited to try a new variation. Although my kids definitely would have preferred these without the mushrooms, Mike and I really enjoyed them. I loved the cool avocado salad with the warm mushroom and beef mixture and added a little shredded Monterrey Jack cheese on top...YUM! (recipe from Rachael Ray)

Ingredients:
* 3 T olive oil
* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 onion, thinly sliced
* 2 jalapeño chiles—stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
* Salt and pepper
* 2 avocados, cut into cubes
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (1 1/2 limes)
* 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
* 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 8 small flour tortillas (I used corn)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef, half of the onion and the jalapeños; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion is softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; reserve the skillet.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining onion, the avocados and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
3. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden, 7 to 9 minutes; stir into the beef mixture and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, lightly toast on both sides for about 1 minute. Stuff the tortillas with the beef mixture and avocado salad.

Mediterranean Spring Bowls

As soon as I saw these bowls on Favorite Family Recipes I couldn't wait to try them! They incorporate so many things we love and they didn't disappoint. It was fun to add some new and different flavors from our usual southwestern fare and I couldn't stop eating it! (there is lots of garlic, so be sure everyone eats some so you don't kill each other with your breath!) (it's a copy cat of White House Grill, but I have never been there so I'm not sure how it compares)

Ingredients:
1 bottle Lawry’s lemon pepper marinade
2 chicken breast halves (I used 3)
lemon pepper
1 onion, diced
1 medium-sized zucchini, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. garbanzo beans (I forgot to get these so left them out)
12-15 cherry (or grape) tomatoes
feta cheese (used reduced fat)
For the rice:
1 c. long-grain, white rice
2 c. water
3 Tbsp. olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed (I used 6)
1/2 tsp. pepper
salt (to taste)

Directions:
Marinate chicken breast halves in lemon pepper marinade for at least an hour (sealed tightly in a plastic Ziploc bag works best). Remove chicken and discard marinade. Place chicken in a 9x13 glass baking dish and sprinkle with lemon pepper on both sides. Bake at 350-degrees for about 35 min or until juices run clear and chicken is completely cooked through. While chicken is cooking, heat a little bit of oil in a large skillet. Add diced onion, zucchini, bell pepper, and garbanzo beans. Saute until onions become clear. Add tomatoes and saute an additional minute or so until tomatoes become hot.
Chop up cooked chicken into smaller pieces and stir in with sauteed veggies.
For the rice:
Cook rice with water according to package instructions (or in a rice cooker). After the rice is cooked, combine remaining ingredients (from olive oil on...) and pour slowly over rice while fluffing with a fork. Add more lemon juice a little at a time if needed.
To serve: (I put it all in one big serving bowl this time)
Put a scoop or two of rice on a plate (or in a bowl). Add sauteed veggies and chicken. Top each bowl with about 2 Tbsp. feta cheese (or to taste).

Asparagus Carbonara

I loved the asparagus in this Rachael Ray pasta dish...and the garlic! It was pretty light and a great summer dinner, not to mention a yummy lunch the next day. I'll sub turkey bacon next time to keep it lighter.

Ingredients:
* 2 large eggs
* 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 3/4 pound spaghetti (I used gluten-free)
* 1 bunch asparagus, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 5 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
* Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and cheese. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, adding the asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add the hot pasta and asparagus to egg mixture; toss to coat.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, stir in the garlic. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Stir the bacon mixture into the pasta, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to moisten; season with salt and pepper.