Crab Bisque

When we lived in Michigan there was a great little restaurant that made the BEST Lobster Bisque.  They serve it every Friday and it is really wonderful.  After trying to talk the cook into giving me the recipe (several times) with no success I made up my own.  I don't blame him!  I gotta say mine is a really good rival.  I swapped out the Lobster for Crab.  I think it tastes better and it is cheaper and more readily available.  The makes a very creamy and delicious soup with just a tiny kick.  It's one of our absolute favorites and I think it will be one of yours too.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 can (16 ounce) lump crab meat
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (15 ounce)  tomato sauce
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large soup pot melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour and whisk until completely combined.  Cook over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add chicken stock and whisk constantly until smooth.  Once smooth add the tomato sauce, heavy cream, sherry cooking wine, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.  Stir to combine.  Gently fold in can of crab meat; breaking up the crab slightly.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze in lemon juice.  Simmer on low-medium till heated through; approximately 15 minutes.  You can use fresh crab meat if you prefer, you will need 1 pound.

Enjoy!

Garlic- Lime Shrimp

This is fantastic grilled Shrimp!  It is bursting with flavor.  I am all about grilling right now too.  Mostly because my hubby does the grilling around here. =)  I serve this with my Cilantro Lime Rice.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 32 shrimp)

Directions:

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until coarsely chopped.

Combine cilantro mixture and shrimp in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Prepare grill.

Remove shrimp from bag; discard marinade. Thread shrimp on skewers. Place shrimp skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes or until done, turning once.

Sweet Bourbon Salmon with Rice Pilaf

So I asked y 'all what your favorite restaurant dish was and this one came up as the clear winner to try. It is a knockoff recipe of Longhorn's Salmon and their infamous rice pilaf. Having not had it myself, I hope I got close to the real thing. It is my brother in law's lovely girlfriend Megan's choice and now I see why. It was awesome! The marinade is so good and the flavor really comes through even after the salmon is cooked. I am not usually a big fan of rice but this pilaf is wonderful! It has some unusual ingredients in it that make it so flavorful! I know I will be making this from now on.  Hope you all enjoy this as much as I did. Who needs to eat out when you can make it this good at home? Well besides washing your own dishes part. :)

Salmon Ingredients:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon snipped fresh chives

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag except for chives. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3.

Preheat grill. Cook fish for 5-7 minutes on each side


Rice Pilaf Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped mushroom (button, portabello, etc.)
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 cup long grain wild rice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup orange juice
orange zest
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

heat a skillet om medium heat and add oil. Saute onion, mushrooms, and red bell peppers. When the vegetables are tender add garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Add rice and saute for 1 minute then add remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Enjoy!

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

 Bubba: Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it. Y'all are thinking I'm crazy, aren't you? That is a scene from Forest Gump.  (But yes I am kinda crazy) I love every one of these types of shrimp. I *love* shrimp. This dish is soooo easy. The end result is juicy, succulent shrimp that comes with it's own dipping sauce. This can make a great starter or perfect dinner. Great served with mashed potatoes, grits, or served over linguine. You must have some french bread to dip in the yummy sauce!




Ingredients:


2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Juice of one whole lemon and some grated lemon zest (about 1 teaspoon)


Preheat oven to 375.


Layer shrimp on a large baking sheet.


In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter cubes, salt, garlic, cilantro, red pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Pulse until combined. Crumble over shrimp.


Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly. 

You can serve the shrimp right out of this pan. If you don't, make sure to pour all the yummy juices over the shrimp.

It is perfect to dip bread in.

Yummy!

Southern Shrimp and Cheese Grits

This is one of my all time favorite dishes.  If your not southern, this dish may sound odd to you.  I promise it is a delicious combination.  I grew up eating grits for breakfast.  I wasn't all that big of a fan. Until I had these.  These are not the boring grits you may have had before.  They are cheesy, creamy, and full of flavor.  They pair perfectly with the shrimp mixture. Using the bacon grease to cook the vegetables and shrimp in creates a wonderful smoky flavor.  I know what your thinking, bacon grease?  This is a southern dish, ya know. It's a small amount.  You can substitute with olive oil. It will not have the smoky flavor though.  This dish can be prepared in no time.  The grits make a great dish to serve at brunch too!

Ingredients

• 2  cups  water
• 1  (14-ounce) can chicken broth
• 3/4  cup  half-and-half
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  regular grits
• 3/4  cup  shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4  cup  grated Parmesan cheese
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon pepper
• 3  bacon slices
• 1  pound  medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1  cup  sliced mushrooms
• 1/2  cup  chopped green onions
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  cup  low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  hot sauce
• Lemon wedges, optional

Preparation

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Add Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients. Keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and salt; dredge in flour.

Saute mushrooms in hot drippings in skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions, and saute 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, and saute 2 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce, and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet.

Serve shrimp mixture over hot cheese grits. Top with crumbled bacon; serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

Cedar Planked Salmon with Parmesan Smashed Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus

Today is mine and my husband's 6 year anniversary.  Wow, 6 years of wedded bliss!  Not a single disagreement or fight!  If you believe that, I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona I can sell you(J/K)!  It has not been perfect but it has been perfect.  You know what I mean?  I am very blessed to be so happily married.  I know this, so I try to make sure my husband knows it to.  I have always said I think he married me because I can cook.  He appreciates a good meal.  I have been wanting to make him this salmon for awhile and I was not disappointed when I did.  It was wonderful.  So flavorful and flaky. This is impressive enough to serve for a special occasion, but it's also easy enough to prepare during the week.  Put the planks into soak in the morning and they will be ready by the time your ready to eat that night.  I served this with Parmesan mashed potatoes (these are so decadent but soooo good!)  and roasted asparagus.


A note about the cedar planks: You can buy cedar planks at Costco, Sam's, Bed, Bath and Beyond. I bought mine at Home Depot in the grill section. If your short on time, you can soak them for 1 hour before use.


Ingredients:


2 untreated cedar planks
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 single serving pieces of salmon


Place the planks into water to soak for at least one hour, longer if you have time.


Mix together oil, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and garlic in a shallow bowl or large Ziploc bag. Place salmon in marinade and turn to coat. Marinade for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour for best flavor.


When fish is ready, heat an outdoor grill to medium heat. Place the planks on the grates. The planks are ready when they start to smoke and crackle just a little. Place the salmon on the planks and discard marinade. Close grill lid and cook for 20 minutes. Turn grill off and live Salmon on grill for 5 more minutes. Fish is done when you can flake it with a fork easily.


Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

• 3 pounds red new potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 2 teaspoons
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/4 pound unsalted unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 
  

Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt in a 4-quart saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until completely tender. Drain.

In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half and butter.Put the potatoes into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix the potatoes for a few seconds on low speed, to break them up. Slowly add the hot cream and butter to the potatoes, mixing on the lowest speed (the last quarter of the cream should be folded in by hand). Fold in the sour cream, Parmesan cheese, the remaining salt, and pepper; taste for seasoning and serve immediately. If the potatoes are too thick, add more hot cream and butter.




Roasted Asparagus


1 pound fresh asparagus
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Break off the tough ends of the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

Enjoy!

Oven "Fried" Fish with Lemon Cream

As you can probably already tell from this blog, I am a big fan of seafood. I like gourmet seafood dishes but I even like good ol' fried catfish. My husband, however, will not eat it as he says it is a bottom feeder. He does actually have a point there. Even though I am southern and love all things fried, I try not to eat fried foods all that often. This recipe tastes like your eating fried fish without all the guilt! How great is that? I use tilapia for this but I think any type of white fish will do. This is a real quick weeknight meal to pull together. I serve this with buttered parsley new potatoes, green beans, and homemade hush puppies. Yes hush puppies are fried little pieces of heaven. I said I try not to eat fried food that often, I did not say never. =)


Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup panko (Japaneese breadcrumbs)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 egg whites
Cooking Spray


Sprinkle fillets evenly with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper, and a pinch of ground red pepper in a shallow bowl.

Whisk egg whites in a shallow bowl until frothy. Dip fillets in egg whites, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Coat fillets evenly on both sides with cooking spray. Spray wire rack with cooking spray. Place fillets on wire rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet. The wire rack helps make the fish crispier. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until the fish is golden brown and cooked through.


Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

6 oz. reduced fat sour cream ( around 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Serve with fish.

Enjoy!

The little fried pieces of heaven.

Creole Crab cakes with a Cayenne Cream Sauce

I happen to consider myself a crab cake connoisseur. I have had crab cakes at many a fancy seafood restaurant. I don't like to name drop, but Red Lobster is one. OK, all joking aside, if crab cakes are on the menu that's usually what I order. I love them! So I really have had them at many a place. I stumbled upon this recipe and had to try it. They are wonderful! The Cayenne cream sauce is to die for! I have tweaked it to our liking and I am very pleased with how it turned out. This dish definitely has some kick. If you prefer things on the mild side, reduce the spice by 1/2 to 1 tablespoon called for in the crab cakes. 


I use panko in these crab cakes. They are Japanese breadcrumbs. They have a much lighter, crispier texture and are quite common in most grocery stores now. If you can't find them, you can substitute regular dry breadcrumbs.  I served these with Parmesan mashed potatoes, collard greens, corn, and some homemade dinner rolls. I know, I know, but it's not a southern meal if you don't have a thousand sides. It makes 6 large or 8 medium crab cakes. If you have leftovers, they freeze well. Just take them out and reheat in the oven.


Ingredients:

For the crab cakes

• 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoons Texas Pete hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons Bayou base seasoning, found here (or your favorite Cajun/Creole seasoning mix)
• 1 cup panko, divided (or plain fine bread crumbs)

For the cayenne cream

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 garlic cloves smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• a couple dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce
• 2 cups heavy cream

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium high heat. Cook the onion, pepper and celery until tender or about 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

2.  Now in a large bowl, mix the veggie mixture, the mayonnaise, mustard, 1/2 of the panko, egg, and the remaining ingredients. Next, fold in the crab meat.

4.  Form the crab mixture into patties and dip into remaining panko.  Put patties in the fridge for 15 minutes. This helps the patties stay together better. Fry crab cakes in the remaining oil until browned on each side, about 4 – 6 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. These are a little tricky to fry as sometimes they want to break apart so only turn them once and handle them gently.

For the cayenne cream

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium to medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Then add the garlic and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Always be careful to not brown garlic, you want it soft but never browned as it will impart a bitter taste to the dish. Add the hot sauce. Finally add the cream and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until the mixture is reduced by 1/2. Remove garlic cloves and pour sauce over crab cakes.

Enjoy!

5 Spice Shrimp Tacos with Homemade Guacamole

I love Mexican food! Love is not too strong a word. I like it really spicy. As in a little on the painful side. This dish, despite the name is very mild. It can be kicked up several notches, which I list below. Although shrimp tacos may sound like an odd combination, this dish is really delicious. It comes together very quickly, making it perfect for a quick, weeknight meal. I serve it with some homemade guacamole (recipe below), sour cream, and some chips and salsa. I do make homemade salsa, but we will get to that recipe in the summer when the tomatoes are fresh. =) If your are trying to eat healthier this year, this is a great recipe.  Lots of protein and veggies! You can also use whole wheat tortillas.

1 pound fresh or frozen medium shrimp
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( I add a pinch more)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (any kind is fine)
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic minced
chopped tomato, optional
shredded cheese, optional
sour cream, optional
bottled sliced pickled jalapeno, optional
Flour tortillas, white or wheat


Directions:
Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and de-vein shrimp. Or do what I do and buy it that way. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside. In a Ziploc bag, combine spices and shrimp and toss to coat.

In a large skillet, heat oil over med heat. Cook shrimp for 3 minutes until almost fully cooked. Remove and set aside.  Add chopped onions, mushrooms, and peppers. Saute until tender. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add lime juice to skillet and scrape up any spices leftover in the skillet. Add shrimp back in and cook until opaque. ( 1 or 2 more minutes) Sprinkle with cilantro. Fill tacos with shrimp mixture and your favorite toppings.  Makes 6 servings.

Homemade Guacamole

3 Avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed.
1 lime juiced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons  finely diced onion
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
1 tablespoon fresh jalapeno, chopped, optional

Mash together avocados, lime juice, and salt. I like mine chunky. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix well.

Enjoy!

Everything is chopped and ready to go for the tacos.

Everything for my guacamole.

                                          

Scoop out avocados and mash together with remaining ingredients.

Finished! How quick is that?

My husband going in for a bite. 

Cook shrimp until almost done. Remove and set aside.
Add veggies and cook until tender.

Add shrimp back in and cook until cooked through. Add lime juice and scrape up
 all the yummy spices.

Shrimp Tacos with homemade guacamole and sour cream.
Yum!