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!

 

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Who doesn’t love a good potato recipe?? Potatoes go well with every dish and everyone loves them. If they don’t, they might have a screw lose. Don’t trust them. We love our meat and potatoes around here. I was making a beef dish for dinner the other night for dinner and I wanted a quick and flavorful potato recipe and luckily Ina came to the rescue. I referred to my Barefoot Contessa cookbook and voila, there was just what I was looking for. Thanks Ina! Not only do we love potatoes, we love rosemary too. Especially fresh rosemary. You really can't beat the flavor it adds to a dish. Luckily I’m growing a lot of fresh rosemary this year so I just clipped some, tossed in olive oil and had a yummy dish in time for dinner. If you don't have your own rosemary plant, of course you can use dried, but you can also pick up a little bunch for about $1 in the grocery store. Now let's get started on a new quick, go-to, recipe for your box as well:

 

Ingredients:

 

• 1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated.

 

Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve and enjoy! It doesn't get easier than that, does it??

 

Squash Casserole

Being a  nice southern girl, like I am, you must know how to make a good squash casserole. I love me some squash.  Make it into a casserole, throw some cheese on it, and it’s one of the best thing you’ve ever tasted. My Daddy grows squash in his garden and I miss living close by and getting a regular supply. His just seem to taste better. But until I can make a trip to collect some fresh veggies, I’ll have to keep frequenting the local produce stand.

 

Now I found this squash casserole many years ago, before I found the Food Network or there were a million food blogs out there. This is Art Smith’s recipe (slightly enhanced), Oprah’s chef, from his cookbook Back to the Table. He used to come on her show and make some delicious recipes. I’ve had his cookbook for some time now, but had forgotten about it. I pulled it out the other day and found my squash casserole recipe waiting on me. I was so happy! Art didn’t add cheese, but everyone knows you’ve got to have cheese in a squash casserole! See if you like my enhanced version of Art’s squash casserole:

 

Ingredients:

3 medium yellow squash , cut into 1/2-inch half-moons

1 medium onion , chopped

2 cloves garlic , minced

1/2 cup chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth

1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (make in the blender or food processor)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup (+) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

 

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish. Slice squash and dice onion.

Bring the squash, onion, garlic and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.

 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth evaporates and the squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Stir in the sour cream and oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

 

Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese and spread in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little more cheese, then breadcrumbs and drizzle with the oil.

 

I usually have breadcrumbs on hand, but this time I didn’t so I made my own. I was pretty excited! I toasted a couple of slices of bread, threw them in the blender and viola! Bread crumbs! Pretty cool. I’ll definitely make them again.

Bake until the juices are simmering and the top is crusty, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve hot. I served with some yummy grilled chicken and rice with kale. What a delicious and healthy meal, right?? Have I mentioned.....I love food?? I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

 

 

Sausage & Cheese Muffins

I’m always looking for a good appetizer recipe to take to parties or serve to my guests. When I saw this one on Pinterest, it caught my eye.....anything with sausage and Bisquick HAS to be good, right?? These two ingredients combined can’t possibly make a bad recipe. The recipe calls it “all purpose baking mix”, but we all know it’s Bisquick. No pantry should be without it. You never know when it will come in handy. These taste very similar to my sausage balls, but the fiesta cheese soup gives it a different flavor. A perfect breakfast treat or a great appetizer as well. It’s super easy to throw together too, which is always a plus in my book.  Let’s get started with this tiny little treat.

Ingredients:

 

• 1 lb. hot ground pork sausage
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3 cups all-purpose baking mix (aka Bisquick)
• 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup milk (water will work too)

Directions:

Cook sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium to med-high heat, stirring until it crumbles and no longer pink. Drain and cool.

Preheat oven to 375. Combine sausage, baking mix, and shredded cheese in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together the soup and milk; add to sausage mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Spoon until lightly greased mini muffin tins, filling to tops of cups.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until they look like lightly browned little morsels from heaven. This recipe made 5 dozen mini muffins. Share and enjoy! 

 

Italian Chicken & Pasta Bake

You might have noticed that I love pasta with red sauces. I love them both dearly! I can't live without my carbs! When my friend, Paula Deen, tweeted me this recipe, I had to give it a try. It sounded like a chicken lasagna, but without the fuss of lasagna noodles, which caught my attention. Who doesn't love lasagna, right? If you don't, something must be wrong with you! It wouldn't be a Paula Deen recipe without butter, but I substituted olive oil and will do so in the recipe below. I made this for dinner tonight and we both loved it! We both went back for seconds and I think David went back for thirds, but don't tell him I told you that. Let's get cooking....

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil
 1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 (16-ounce) package bow tie pasta, cooked according to package directions and kept warm. I used tri-color because they were pretty.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a very large skillet, add olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes or until onion is tender.

Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in milk, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce; cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Stir in chicken, 3 cups cheese, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir in pasta. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  This made a very large casserole! We'll be having left-overs tomorrow.

Doesn't that look like a yummy dinner? It was! Be sure to serve with some nice crusty bread. Delish. Enjoy!

Key Lime Cake

 

This is the best non-chocolate cake I’ve ever made! It is so delicious! My husband LOVES key lime pie so when we both saw Trisha Yearwood (a new friend of mine) making this cake on her cooking show, we knew I needed to try it. He made me promise I’d make it next time we needed to take a dessert to a party or cookout. Well, he was in luck this week because we had a party to attend and this was at the top of my “to bake” list. He was so happy. This cake is so flavorful and tart and the cream cheese icing just pushes it over the top. Oh, and moist.....sooooooo moist! Probably the moistest cake I’ve ever made. The glaze that you will prepare and pour on top makes the cake super moist. If you love tart and just old deliciousness, you will love this cake!  I made a sheet cake like Trisha did on her show, but I might make a layered round cake next time.....more cream cheese icing that way! I’m happy to share Trisha’s recipe with you:

Ingredients:

Cake:

• Butter, for greasing pan
• Flour, for dusting pan
• One 3-ounce package lime flavored gelatin
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs, slightly beaten

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup key lime juice (from about 25 small key limes or 4 large regular limes)
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Icing:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick butter), room temperature
• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• One 1 pound box confectioners' sugar

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour one 9-by-12-by-2-inch cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, granulated sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to mix well. Add the oil, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until well combined.

The batter will be thin as you can see.

 

Pour the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Such pretty green batter

 

Test for doneness by lightly touching the tops or inserting a toothpick. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

For the glaze: While the cake is still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners' sugar together well.

Let's start juicing those key limes!

 

Pierce the cake multiple times with a fork to allow the glaze to soak in better and pour it over the cake on the cooling rack. I used a spoon to slowly spoon it over evenly. Allow cake to cool completely as you prepare the icing.

For the icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Spread the icing on the top and sides of the cake. You can also use two or three 9-inch round cake pans and make this into a layer cake.

 

Not only is this cake delicious, it's also so beautiful when you cut it. I think you'll be very pleased if you make this recipe. Enjoy.....we sure did!