Grandma Yearwood's Coconut Cake with Coconut Lemon Glaze

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2010

The Food Network
SHOW: Trisha's Southern Kitchen
EPISODE: Grandma Knows Best

This recipe takes me back to childhood days and the delicious cakes my southern belle neighbor from North Carolina would make.  Along with my nana and godmother, she was a great cooking inspiration in my life and taught me so much about baking as a young girl.

You can never go wrong with a cake made with coconut!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
• Flour, for dusting pan
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• One 12-ounce box vanilla wafers, finely crushed
• One 6-ounce package frozen or fresh grated coconut, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Coconut Lemon Glaze:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• Grated zest of 2 large lemons
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
• One 6-ounce package frozen or fresh grated coconut, thawed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

For the cake: Grease and flour a 9-inch tube cake pan. Cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating well. Mix in the vanilla wafer crumbs, coconut and pecans. Pour into the pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

For the glaze: Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juice, 1 1/2 cups of water and coconut in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened, for about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then using a toothpick, poke several holes in the top of the cake and drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Crouton Crushed Chicken Tenders with Orange Barbeque Sauce

Love the concept of baked chicken that tastes like fried chicken, making it a healthier choice.

One of the things I love about this recipe is the use of croutons as a major breading ingredient.  Sandra Lee suggests store bought croutons (you know, the semi-homemade thing), but I would opt to make my own.  Some comments on the recipe page complained about the breading being bland.  You can make it as bland or as flavorful and spicy as you want depending on the croutons you use.  Could be they used plain croutons!  Make sure to keep this in mind when planning this recipe.

A tip I gained from watching this episode is the method she uses to bread the chicken using tongs instead of her hands.  I use the one hand for dipping in the wet ingredient and the other for breading . . . I hate when I get uncoordinated and get my hands all mucky with breading and eggs.  Love the idea of using tongs . . . let the tongs get all mucky!

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

The Food Network
SHOW:  Semi-Homemade Cooking
EPISODE: Moms Tailgate Party


Ingredients

• 1 (6-ounce) bag garlic and butter croutons
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

Orange Barbeque Sauce:

• 1/3 cup barbeque sauce
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the corner off of the bag croutons just enough to let the air escape. Place the bag onto a cutting board, cover with a kitchen towel and smash it with a rolling pin. Crush the croutons until coarse in texture.

Set up a breading station with 3 pie plates or baking dishes. In 1 dish add the flour, and season it with poultry seasoning, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. In the second dish mix together the egg and buttermilk. In the third dish add the crushed croutons, and the bread crumbs.

Dip chicken tenders into the flour and shake of any excess. Then dip them into the buttermilk, and then into the bread crumb mixture making sure to thoroughly coat the tenders. Put the tenders on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer to a platter and serve with the orange barbeque sauce.


Orange Barbeque Dipping Sauce: Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl, and whisk together until well combined.

Quesadillas de Camarones (Shrimp Quesadillas)

As I watched The Pioneer Woman on the Food Channel this morning, I realized that we have not had shrimp in quite some time and since it is my favorite food, I'm craving it and have posted lots of recipes that include shrimp lately!

These quesadillas look awesome!  One of the things I love about this recipe is the opportunity to vary the ingredients. Pork or chicken would also work well with this recipe. 

The Captain and I love spicy texmex type of food and the combination of ingredients is perfect for our taste. Sometimes we make our own tortillas to make these type of dishes extra special.  Try it sometime when you have some extra time on your hands . . . you won't be sorry!

Ingredients

• Flour Tortillas
• 12 whole Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
• 8 ounces, fluid Mexican Red Sauce
• 1 whole Large Onion
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper
• 2 cups Cheese, Grated (Monterey Jack Is Best)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Pour red sauce over shrimp. Set aside.

Chop vegetables into large pieces. Heat skillet over high heat and add olive oil.

Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Return skillet to high heat, then dump in the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until shrimp is opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. 

Remove from skillet and chop into bite-size pieces.

In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry.

Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!


Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Shrimp Scampi from Ina Garten

Shrimp Scampi is a definite treat in this house with shrimp being my favorite food!

Doesn't that look delicious?  Beautiful presentation . . .

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
SHOW: Barefoot Contessa
EPISODE: Italian Every Time


Ingredients

• 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. 

Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. 

Serve with lemon wedges.