Sunday, June 5, 2016

Italian Chicken Braid



Doesn't it look delicious?  Great for a meal or appetizer, brought to you by the Pillsbury kitchens.

Quick, easy and delicious is what I love about this recipe.  It is also a starting point recipe with lots of room for versatility.  I would love to include fresh mushrooms.  

A great recipe for beginners in the kitchen who want to impress their guests.








Ingredients

    • 1 box (8 oz) Green Giant™ Simply Steam™ frozen garden vegetable medley
    • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast 
    • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
    • 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese 
    • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 
    • 2 cans Pillsbury™ refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet 
    • 1 egg white, beaten


Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. 

Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Microwave frozen vegetables using directions from the box, 2 to 3 minutes to thaw.

Mix vegetables, chicken, Parmesan and mascarpone cheeses in large bowl; stir in Italian seasoning.

  • Unroll both dough sheets on the cookie sheet, overlapping long sides to make 15x13-inch rectangle and press seam to seal. 
  • Spoon chicken mixture in the center center of the rectangle in 6-inch-wide strip. 
  • Make cuts 1 inch apart on each long side of rectangle to within 1/2 inch of filling. 
  • Fold strips of dough diagonally over filling, alternating from side to side and pressing to seal. 
  • Brush with beaten egg white.
Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes.





Thursday, May 12, 2016

Sloppy Shrimp and Shrimp Stock recipes




Jimmy Buffett's sister Lulu was a guest on this morning's "Cooking with Friends" on the Fox and Friends morning show.  What a personality!  We would love to visit her restaurant if we are ever in the Florida panhandle area. I wonder if they have a burger on the menu called "Cheeseburger in Paradise" . . . I bet they do! Check out the link below for more information on her restaurant, cookbook and more recipes. 

I want her cookbook! . . . OK, so I couldn't resist, I just went to Amazon and bought the cookbook :)  Can't wait to get it!!!

She had our mouths watering with her recipe for Sloppy Shrimp and also provided her recipe for shrimp stock.






"If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain, then you’ll love these recipes from Jimmy Buffett’s sister Lucy! Her cookbook “Lulu’s Kitchen: A Taste of the Gulf Coast Good Life” features these recipes and more, inspired by her coastal Southern roots and Grandma’s cooking! Learn more about Lucy, her cookbook, and her restaurant Lulu’s by clicking here."

Fox and Friends website



SLOPPY SHRIMP




Sloppy Seasoning Mix:
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. paprika


Ingredients:

1 stick, plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
½ c. olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ c. dark beer, room temperature
½ c. Shrimp Stock (recipe below)
2 lbs. large headless shrimp in the shells
1 tbsp. LuLu’s Perfect Pepper Hot Sauce™
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 loaf French bread or 4 hot dog buns


Instructions:


In a small bowl, combine all seasoning mix ingredients. Set aside.

Melt 1 stick of butter with olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet large enough to fit shrimp without overcrowding. When butter and oil begin to sizzle, add garlic and rosemary. Stir once. Add seasoning mix and stir once.

Add beer and shrimp stock, shaking skillet to marry the oil and liquid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring or shaking the skillet constantly.

Add shrimp. Stir to coat and sauté or shake pan, turning shrimp, for 2 to 3 minutes or until they begin to turn pink. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley. Stir well and cook for 1 minute. Do not overcook shrimp!

Quickly remove shrimp with a slotted spoon to 4 soup bowls. Ladle liquid over shrimp and serve immediately with crusty French bread and a roll of paper towels.

SHRIMP STOCK

Makes about 4 quarts

Ingredients:
Heads, tails, and shells from 5 pounds of peeled shrimp – or – tails and shells from 4 pounds of shrimp and 1 pound shrimp in the shell
6 qts. water
3 onions, chopped into large chunks
6 ribs celery, chopped into large chunks
1 bunch green onions, chopped into large pieces
Handful of parsley with stems, thoroughly washed
2 lemons, sliced into ¼ -inch rounds
1 tsp. whole black
Peppercorns
1 whole clove garlic

Instructions:

Run cold water over shrimp heads and shells (or shrimp if using them). Place all ingredients into an 8-quart stockpot over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium or until stock is simmering. Skim foamoff the top. Continue to skim as needed.

Cook stock for 2 hours or until stock is reduced to about 4 quarts.
Place uncovered stockpot in an empty sink. Fill sink with water and ice around the stockpot. Stir stock every 15 minutes until completely cooled. Strain stock and refrigerate or freeze immediately.


LULU’S CRAZY CREOLA SEASONING

Makes ½ cup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. granulated garlic
4 tsp. granulated onion
¼ c. paprika
1½ tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
½ tsp. dried oregano leaves

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.


Excerpted from the book LULU’S KITCHEN by Lucy Buffett. Copyright © 2007, 2016 by Lucy Buffett. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Life & Style. All rights reserved.



Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Classic New Orleans Shrimp Recipes



Today is National Shrimp Day!

When it comes to shrimp, New Orleans does it to perfection.

All these recipes, photos and videos come from NOLA.com

Individual sources and information provided for each recipe

Check out the rest of the website for awesome recipes!




Barbeque Shrimp Recipe



Shrimp Creole


Classic Shrimp Creole, prepared in food editor Judy Walker's kitchen 
Andrew Boyd, NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune 

Makes 4 to 6 servings 


4 tablespoons butter 
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
1-1/2 cups chopped onions 
1 cup chopped bell peppers 
3/4 cup chopped celery 
3 garlic cloves, minced 2 bay leaves 
2 cups peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes or 2 cups canned, chopped with their juice 
1 cup shrimp stock* or chicken broth 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne 
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 
2 teaspoons chopped parsley 

Combine the butter and flour in a medium-heavy pot over medium heat. 

Cook, stirring, to make a blond roux, 5 to 6 minutes. 

Add the onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, shrimp stock, salt, and cayenne. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Remove the bay leaves. 

Add the parsley and serve over rice. 

*To make shrimp stock, combine shrimp shells with water to cover in a saucepan. Add aromatics, such as celery or a piece of onion or the peels from onions, if you wish. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Strain. 

Food editor Judy Walker can be reached at jwalker@nola.com. Diya Chacko can be reached at dchacko@nola.com. Follow them on Twitter @JudyWalkerCooks and @DCTeaChild.


Shrimp Remoulade




  Shrimp and Catfish Jambalaya




My Shrimp-Tini


Makes 4 servings


2 lemons


1 tablespoon salt


1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


24 large shrimp, peeled (leave the tails on) and deveined


1 cup ketchup


1 tablespoon prepared horseradish


1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


1 teaspoon olive oil


1/2 teaspoon hot sauce


1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce


1 cup arugula or other salad greens


4 lemon wedges


Ice cold vodka (optional)


Put about 4 cups water in a medium-size saucepan. Cut the lemons in half, squeeze out the juice and drop the lemon halves into the pot. Add the salt and cayenne and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp and allow the water to return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and spread the shrimp in a shallow platter or dish, cover and chill for 2 hours.


Combine the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, olive oil, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Cover and chill until ready to serve.


To assemble, put equal amounts of the arugula in the bottom of 4 large chilled martini glasses. Arrange the shrimp on top of the arugula, spoon equal amounts of the cocktail sauce over the shrimp and garnish with the lemon wedges. Splash with a bit of the ice cold vodka if you wish.


By Marcelle Bienvenu, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Monday, May 9, 2016

Lemon-Rosemary Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes



Baking with rosemary fills the house with a delicious aroma.  I always use rosemary when making a roast chicken and sometimes pork.

First of all, several changes I'd make . . . use boneless chicken tenderloins.  It looks kind of dry and one of the commenters mentioned that she doubles the recipe for the dressing . . . I can see why.  Also, I would dice the potatoes and steam in the microwave for about 5 or 6 minutes before baking in the oven.  It is something I do to ensure crispier potatoes that are always tender and fluffy inside.

This is one of those recipes that is a fairly quick prep and the oven does most of the work!

Recipe and Photo Source:  Rachael Ray




Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons--1 zested and juiced (about 1 1/2 tsp. zest, 4 tbsp. juice) and 1 thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 sprigs fresh rosemary


Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees . 

Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, mustard and garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the potatoes, chicken, rosemary and sliced lemon with the dressing in a rimmed baking dish. Season. 

Arrange the potato mixture and chicken, skin side up, in a single layer.

Roast, about 35 to 40 minutes, turning the potatoes once, until the potatoes are golden-brown and tender and the chicken is cooked through.



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