Brussel Sprouts

Who would have thunk it?? I'm writing a blog about brussel sprouts! People will be shocked and amazed, but it's true....I like brussel sprouts! I'm not going to get crazy and say I love them, but I do like them. I've made them at home a couple of times and I've even ordered them at restaurants. My parents will be most surprised since I pretty much only ate corn on the cobb and french style green beans growing up. I was a picky child, but I'm all grown up now and can make brussel sprouts! Are you impressed? You should be.

My hubby prefers the brussel sprouts a little soft so I found this recipe from a friend of mine, Rachel Ray. Thanks Rach!


Ingredients:

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 shallot, chopped (I used a small onion because I never have shallots)
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small sprouts left whole, larger sprouts halved
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

Trim brussel sprouts and cut in half. Aren't they just a cute little veggie??

Add EVOO to the pan, about one turn of the pan. Add shallots to the pan and sauté 1-2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in EVOO.

Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender.

Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.

 This was a quick and easy and most delicious dish. The hubby was very pleased!

Easy Prawns

I love seafood, all kinds. Pretty much if it swims in the ocean, I’ll eat it. I love, love, LOVE seafood! Shrimp is one of my favorites, which means prawns are too. What is the difference anyway? Prawns are larger? Maybe I’ll look that up and get back to you with an answer. This is a quick and easy recipe that a friend of mine, Laura (I actually know her in person, not on TV), introduced me too. We were at a dinner party and Laura served these prawns and they were delicious! When she told me how she made them, I knew I had to give it a try it. I love a simple recipe that is also full of flavor. This recipe is  so easy and it looks like you went through a lot of trouble to make a fancy meal. There is a secret ingredient though.....get ready for it.....beer! I think that’s a secret ingredient in a lot of recipes. Ready to learn Laura’s secret?? Oh, and don’t tell her I told y’all her secret recipe. Here’s what you need to get started......

Ingredients:

Prawns – whatever quantity suits your needs

salt and pepper to taste

basil, thyme and/or fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic

1 beer

4-5 T butter
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and leave enough to cover the top with the same sheet, so pull off double the amount you need. This method prevents the liquid leaking out. Lay the prawns out on the baking sheet in rows, sprinkle with salt and pepper, garlic, our in beer, lay a few pats of butter on top, sprinkle with red pepper flakes. If you have a few fresh herbs, throw them in too. Normally I would have used parsley, but I was out so I used some fresh thyme and basil. To spice it up, you can sprinkle in a few red pepper flakes.

Cover with top layer of aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Check the prawns and make sure they beautiful bright pink. If they aren’t, pop them back in for a few minutes until they are as pretty as the picture below. Don’t they look yummy??

If you have fresh parsley, sprinkle a bit on for garnish. It makes everything prettier. Scoop out prawns, serve and enjoy immensely!  Thanks Laura!

Texas Hash

The photo doesn't do it justice! It tastes better than it looks!

Don’t let the name “hash” scare you. This is an old family recipe that is delicious. It’s just meat, rice and tomatoes, don’t be afraid. I found my Grandmother’s handwritten recipe in my recipe box the other day and had to make it. I think this is actually my dad’s recipe that my grandmother used to make. She note up in the corner “Ernest’s recipe”. Ernest is my daddy and the reason I love cooking. He got his love of cooking from his mother. I’ll let you in on a little secret....he failed the First grade. Yes, surprising isn’t it? Well, apparently he didn’t go to school enough to get a report card! See his little trick was to pretend like he was sick and then he’d just stay home and cook with his mama. Isn’t that sweet? We make fun of him for it so it’s okay if you want to too. He was the baby so she didn’t make him go to school if he was sick (read in a sarcastic tone). It makes me laugh.....but I benefited from it all my life. Sorry Daddy, your secret is out. Love you! :-)

Now that I’ve told my Daddy’s secrets, let’s get started on one of his recipes. This one is so easy and quite delicious too! I apologize for the lack of photos, but it’s such a simple recipe I thought you could probably figure it out. Okay, fine, I actually forgot to take pictures! But I think you’ll be fine if you following these directions. By the way, here's a copy of my grandmother's hand written recipe. I cherish this recipe.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 pound ground beef (or turkey, which is what I used)

1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 – 16 oz can tomatoes (I like to use the ones with Italian seasoning)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder (or more if desired)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
 

Directions:

In a large skillet brown meat (do not drain) add pepper and onion and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly. Pour in 2 qt casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. I decided to cut some fresh basil and toss that in at the end too. You can't go wrong with fresh basil, right?

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!

Creamy Garlic Pasta w/Shrimp

 

As you may know, I love carbs! Did I mention that I love carbs, especially in the form of pasta and bread?! They are so delicious! I found this recipe on Pinterest a while ago and finally got around to making it. I find so many great recipes on Pinterest. One day I’ll get around to making all of them......maybe.  I was very pleased when I finally made this recipe, and so was my husband. This pasta dish gives a great punch of flavor.  Full of cheese and garlic. What could be bad about that, right? I added shrimp to the recipe to make it a more filling dinner. So now you’ve got garlic, cheese and shrimp. What a great combination. My mouth is watering, let’s get started with this recipe:

 

Ingredients:

 10-20 frozen shrimp, whatever suits your needs

2 tbsp butter
¼  tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock (homemade if you have it)
½ lb angel hair pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted.

 

Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat, add shrimp, and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. I used frozen shrimp so I just thawed and stirred into hot mixture. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

Adding the fresh parsley at the end makes the presentation lovely and gives it a nice freshness. I definitely recommend trying this dish.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Stock

It seems that I am always using chicken stock these days. Who knew that when you started trying out more recipes that you would go through so much stock?? Well, I had no idea, but it is great to have it on hand when you need it. I was getting tired of constantly buying it and remembered that one of my friends, Ina (aka The Barefoot Contessa) showed me how to make easy homemade stock. She made hers on the stovetop, Ina probably doesn’t own a crockpot, but she should! It’s one of the best inventions known to mankind! I love love love mine! Can you tell??  This is so easy. If you aren’t already making your own stock, you’ll wonder why. They greatest thing about it is that you can use all the left over chicken bones, neck, livers, whatever parts you aren’t using to make the stock. I usually do this after I’ve cooked a whole chicken. I’ll save all of the bones, neck and any skin that as discarded and throw it in the crockpot. However, If I know I’m going to be making something with the whole chicken like chicken noodles soup, then I’ll use the whole chicken and kill two birds with one stone….no pun intended. Well, maybe a little. Okay, let’s get started:

                                                                                    

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken – or left over pieces and parts

2-3 large yellow onions, just cut in half. Nope, you don’t have to peel.
4-6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 stalks celery with leaves attached, cut in half
A bunch of fresh parsley (if you have it)
10ish sprigs of fresh thyme
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves

 

Directions:

 

Place the chicken or pieces and parts in the crockpot (or in pot on stovetop). Throw in everything else and cover with water. Turn the crockpot on low and cook for 6 – 8 hours. I usually turn it on when I go to bed, turn if off in the morning, let it cool for a few hours and then strain. After it has cooled, strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard all the solids left behind. At this point, you can chill overnight so that you can remove the fat on the surface, but I’m usually to impatient for that. I go ahead and pour into containers and remove the fat each time I pull out a container. These will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, but I’m sure I’ve pushed the limit on that.

 

My crockpot isn’t huge and this is a perfect sized batch for us. I usually get 12-14 cups out of a batch. I freeze in 2 cup containers or zip lock bags and make sure I always have one thawed in the fridge. I’m sure this is obvious, but if you are pouring in zip lock bags, make sure the stock is cooled thoroughly.

 

Now you can make your own broth too! Enjoy!