Spicy Shrimp & Grits

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces *

1 medium onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 poblano pepper, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
2 ribs of celery,  chopped
1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup flour

15 oz stewed tomatoes
32 oz chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 lb shrimp, peeled & devined
Green Onions,  chopped
Garlic Butter

1.5 c chicken broth
1.5 c whole milk
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 c stone ground grits
Salt
1/2 c Shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

To Make Shrimp:

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Remove bacon from pot and all but 3 Tbsp of fat.
3. Sauté onion, celery peppers for about 4 minutes. 
4. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. 
5. Add garlic,  Old Bay & smoked paprika to pot. 
6. Stir in flour and cook for about 5 minutes.
7. Gradually stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
8. Add thyme & bay leaf, reduce heat to a simmer and cover.
9. Stir every 10 minutes making sure nothing is stuff to the bottom of the pot.
10. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 1 hour. Stir in bacon.

* If you prefer a vegetable based fat, substitute olive oil or grape seed oil for bacon and add salt to taste.

To Make Grits:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring broth and milk to a boil.
2. Whisk in grits and garlic powder and salt. 
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Cover pot and reduce heat.
5. Cook for about 20-25 minutes,  stirring occasionally. 
6. Stir in cheeses.
7. Remove from heat.
8. To Serve:
9. Scoop 1/2 cup of grits into center of a bowl.
10. Ladle 1 cup of shrimp mixture around grits.
11. Garnish with green onions, garlic butter  and freshly ground black pepper.

ENJOY!

Country Chicken Sausage

This recipe comes from the book "Home Sausage Making: How - to Techniques For Making And Enjoying 125 Sausages At Home" by Susan Make Peery

Recipe yields 2 pounds

Ingredients:

2 feet small hog or sheep casings*
2 pounds chicken meat (mixture of dark and light with skin**
2 teaspoons kosher or coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dries summer savory
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Prepare casings
Grind chicken through the fine disk
In a large bowl, combine chicken and seasonings
Grind the mixture through the fine disk
Stuff mixture into prepared casing
Prick air pockets. Twist off into 2 to 3 inch links.
Cut links apart
Use within 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months
Cook  to an internal temperature of 165°.

*I purchased collagen casings and the results were great.

** I have made chicken sausage with boneless skinless chicken thighs and added oil as a substitute for skin.

I have also added spinach,  onion, apples, and cheeses.

Sometimes instead of casing the sausage I use it in pasta sauce and other recipes requiring ground meat.

I also add fennel to this recipe.

Enjoy

Buffalo Cod Sandwich w/Crab Mayo

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1.5 lb Cod Filets
1 cup Hot Sauce
Peanut Oil for frying
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp of each: Garlic Powder,  Cumin, Smoked Paprika & White Pepper
1 cup Mayonnaise (I used Hellmans because it isn't sweet)
1 cup Lump Crab, prepared & cooled
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Smoked Paprika
4 6 inch Pretzel Rolls
Lemon Wedges, optional

To Make Mayo:

Using a mortar & pestal, press kosher salt into garlic until a paste forms.
In a small bowl mix mayo, garlic paste, pepper and paprika.
Gently stir crab into mayo.
Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

To Make Fish:
Heat oil in a heavy skillet to 375°
Place fish in a medium bowl.
Pour hot sauce over fish.
Turn fish to coat and let sit for 10 minutes
Mix flour and next 4 ingredients with a whisk and set aside.
Drain fish, discard hot sauce and shake in flour mixture until coated on all sides.
Carefully place fish in skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes.
Place fish on a paper towel lined plated and squeeze with lemon.

To Assemble Sandwich:

Layer each roll with a 1/4 cup crab mayo, a piece of cod, and garnish of your choice.  I used shredded kale, cucumber & red onion. 

ENJOY!

Jerk Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients:

Sea salt
Olive Oil
1 lb Elbow Macaroni
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Small Onion, diced
1/4 C Pablano Pepper, diced
1/4 C Red Bell Pepper,  diced
2 Jalapeños, diced
1 C Jerk Marinade
1/4 C Flour
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
3 C Whole Milk
2 C Colby Jack Cheese, Shredded
2 C Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1 C Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter.

Add next 4 ingredients. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Stir in jerk marinade.

Whisk in flour and garlic to make roux. Continue stirring for about 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk in milk. Continue to stir until roux and milk are mixed. Make sure that roux is not sticking to bottom of pan.

When milk begins to boil,  gradually stir in Colby & Parmesan cheeses.

When cheese has melted completely, remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Butter a 3 quart casserole dish.

Toss pasta with 2 Tbsp olive oil.

Stir in cheese sauce.

Stir in 1 cup of cheddar.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top of casserole and bake an additional 10 minutes. 

ENJOY!

Lemon Ranch Shrimp

This recipe was in heavy circulation on Facebook so I gave it a try. It is as good as everyone said it is. The original recipe calls for a Italian dressing seasoning packet. Since I had a ranch dressing seasoning packet on hand, I used it instead.

Yields 4 entrée portions
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2lb Raw Shrimp, 16 to 20 count, peeled and devined
1 stick butter
2 lemons, sliced
1 Ranch Dressing Seasoning Packet
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
Black Pepper
Sea Salt

Set oven to 375°
Place butter in baking dish and place in oven to melt while oven reaches cooking temperature.
When butter melts, remove dish from oven and line with lemon slices.
Toss shrimp in ranch seasoning and layer on top of lemon slices
Sprinkle shrimp with remaining seasonings.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Serve immediately.
ENJOY!

Chocolate Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes are such a versatile vegetable. They can be savory or sweet. This recipe was one of my many kitchen experiments. These potatoes have no sugar added, are vegan AND gluten free.

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 large Sweet Potato, sliced
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 c Raw Agave Nectar,  Amber
1 tsp Ginger Root, grated
1 Tbsp Cocoa

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and sweet potatoes. 

Toss/stir to coat

In a small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients and add to saucepan. 

Stir potatoes

Cook until tender.

Serve as a sweet side dish or as a dessert with whipped cream or ice cream. 

Shrimp Scampi

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Linguini
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves,  minced
1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/3 Cup Green Onion, chopped
2 Tsp Lemon Zest
12 Jumbo Shrimp
1/3 Cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Lemon Wedges

Fill pasta pot with water.
Add sea salt & 1 tablespoon olive oil to water and bring to a boil.
Add pasta to water and cook until al dente, drain and set aside.
While pasta cooks, add olive oil and butter to a heavy skillet over medium heat.
When butter melts add garlic and the next 4 ingredients, stirring occasionally.
Cook shrimp until pink.
Add pasta to a large serving bowl.
Pour shrimp mixture over pasta and stir to coat.
Sprinkle scampi with parsley, parmesan & black pepper.
Enjoy!