New Orleans Style Roasted Spiced Shrimp

I don't normally find recipes in the newspaper that I want to try. My husband found the below recipe and stuck it on the refrigerator so I decided to give it a try. The shrimp were pretty spicy for me but he loved them. I have made them several times.

I entered these into Mommy's Kitchen Potluck Sunday. Check out all of the great entries.

New Orleans-Style Roasted Spiced Shrimp

2 lbs large shrimp

1 stick butter

3 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp kosher sale

1 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning

1 tsp paprika, preferably smoked

1 tsp hot sauce

1. Arrange shrimp in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Combine all remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter melts.

2. Pour over shrimp and stir to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes (this can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours before roasting).

3. In a preheated 325 degree oven, roast shrimp until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve with pan juices.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Bake

Last month, my daughter came home for a visit and I looked on Food.com for a simple breakfast bake where I had the ingredients already on hand. This one caught my eye as it was made with Stove Top Stuffing, it did not have to sit overnight and the steps were very simple. I did change of the amount of the ingredients as I saw the concoction I was about to bake. It was so thick with meat it kind of scared me. I wanted to make sure it was not just bread and sausage so I increased the eggs.

The first time I made it (the first picture), I only added one extra egg. The second time I made it (second picture), I added two extra eggs and only about half of the sausage. The Stove Top adds a little extra flavor but it is not overpowering. I've got to tell you, I used a 13x9 pan the first time and a 11x7 pan the second time. I think I like the deeper version with more egg and less meat. I guess it depends on your preference; both tasted great and it disappeared quickly. As a side note, you can cut these into squares and freeze for a quick breakfast before work. It heats well in the microwave and it tastes like you made it fresh.

Breakfast Bake

Adapted from Easy Breakfast Casserole by Merlot on Food.com

1 box of Chicken Stove Top Stuffing

2 cups milk

1/2 pound of cooked sausage

8 eggs, beaten

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Grease a 11x7 baking dish.

3. Mix all ingredients together and pour into prepared baking dish.

4. Bake 45-50 minutes until set.

Enjoy!

Hash Brown Casserole - Light

This recipe shaves over 100 calories and 10 grams of fat from the original Cheesy Potato recipe that is a potluck staple. It also has a lower sodium content. It tastes really creamy and the kids love it.

Hash Brown Casserole - Light version

Cooking Light September 2007

3/4 c chopped onion

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1 32 oz pkg of hash brown potatoes diced

2 Tbsp butter, melted and divided

1 10 3/4 oz can of condensed reduced fat, reduced sodium cream of chicken soup

8 oz light processed cheese (Velveeta Light)

1 8 oz carton light sour cream

Cooking spray

2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine onion, paprika, pepper, potatoes and 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a large bowl.

3. Combine soup and cheese in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in sour cream. Pour cheese mixture over potatoes. Spread mixture into a 13x9 baking dish coated in cooking spray.

4. Combine cornflakes and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle evenly over top of potato mixture.

5. Bake for 1 hour.

Calories 181 (30% from fat); Fat 6g, Protein 7.1g, Carbs 25.5g, Fiber 1.5g, Chol 21mg, Iron 1.7mg, Sodium 494mg.

Enjoy!

Chianti-Braised Short Ribs

I saw the picture of these Short Ribs in the Rachael Ray magazine and knew I had to make them. Now, if you saw the picture in the magazine, you will know that my ribs do not look like hers! I am not sure what they did to that photo but the picture on the Rachael Ray website does not look like the magazine photo either! Maybe it is lighting!!

I had never eaten Short Ribs before so it was going to be an adventure of the taste buds. They were delicious! After they were done cooking, I saw all of the yummy vegetables in the crock pot and could not just strain them and discard, I kept them part of the dish and served over mashed potatoes! The ribs were rich but my oh my so tender and yummy! This is a keeper!



Chianti-Braised Short Ribs
Rachael Ray Magazine

8 beef short ribs on the bone (4-5 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups Chianti wine ( can use a nice Merlot too)
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tsp tomato paste


1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. working in batches, add ribs and cook, turning often, until browned, 7 - 10 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

3. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low heat until tender, about 6 hours.

4. Transfer ribs to a platter and cover to keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and skim as much fat as possible from surface.

5. Transfer liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil until reduced to about 1 cup. Whisk in tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over ribs.


Enjoy!

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am always looking for a great chocolate chip cookie. These are pretty good, maybe not the "ultimate" in my book, but they were pretty good and disappeared quickly. I got the recipe from the cookbook Favorite Brand Name Bake Sale. It is actually the recipe on the back of the Crisco Stick package. We loved how they were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. If you are still looking for your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, give this one try. In the meantime, I am going to try a few other recipes.

I entered these into Mommy's Kitchen Potluck Sunday. Check out all of the great entries!





Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crisco Recipe

1 1/4 firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup Butter Flavor CRISCO
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans*
*You may substitute an additional 1/2 cup chocolate chips for the pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine sugar, 3/4 cup shortening, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg.
3. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture at a low speed just until blended. Stir in Chocolate Chips and nuts.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoons 3 inches apart onto un-greased baking sheets.
5. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 11 - 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Do not over bake. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.

Enjoy!