Shrimp and Grit Cakes

Almost of all my memories revolve around food. Sometimes I think it's sad but then most of the memories are good ones, so why worry that there is food involved. Making this shrimp recipe reminded me of a great memory.

I made these shrimp using a recipe from the Frugal Gourmet. I was looking through old cookbooks and found a card marking the recipe for New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp. I started thinking about when I'd made the dish. It was the first thing I ever cooked for my then boyfriend, now husband. We hadn't be dating too long and I was looking to impress him. It must have worked because it was nineteen years ago and I've been cooking for him ever since.

I decided we would have this with grits to make the most of the sauce made with the shrimp. I wanted something a little different than regular grits so I decided to make grit cakes. I let the grits set up, sliced it into squares and pan fried it in a little butter so the sides would be crispy. The crispy outside and the creamy middle was great for soaking up the sauce. It was great with the shrimp and sauce.

New Orleans Barbequed Shrimp

3 slices bacon, cubed, fried until clear.
2 cubes margarine
2 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 2 tsp. chili powder
3 tsp. basil
3 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. course black pepper
2 tsp. oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 heaping tbsp. shrimp and crab boil ( available in most supermarkets and any fish market)
Tabasco sauce to taste
2 lbs. large shrimp, with shells

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fry bacon until clear, add margarine and melt with bacon, grease and all. (Can't you just feel those heart valves clogging up already?) Add all the spices. Pour this mixture over the shrimp and place in oven for about 5 minutes. This is excellent served with warm French bread and white wine. Be sure to have plenty of napkins available. Shelling the shrimp is messy but part of the fun.

Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

I love watching Food Network. One of my favorite new shows is Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell. She makes the most delicious looking and sounding foods. They are restaurant quality meals but she breaks them down so they are easily prepared at home. From the moment I saw her make these braised short ribs, I knew they would be made in my kitchen. I even bought a new enameled cast iron pot with this recipe in mind.

This recipe takes a little time at the start, but once you put it in the oven you can just let it cook away. I would say you could forget about it until the timer goes off, but with the wonderful smell that will come from your oven there is no way you can forget about it.

I decided to pair the beef ribs with horseradish mashed potatoes. The peppery horseradish did a great job to help cut the richness of the beef ribs. If you haven't given beef short ribs a try, you should. It was wonderfully warming on a cold winter night.

Braised Short Ribs

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 3 hr 30 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

* 6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)
* Kosher salt
* Extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed
* 1 1/2 cups tomato paste
* 2 to 3 cups hearty red wine *
* 2 cups water
* 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
* 2 bay leaves


* I used beef stock with balsamic vinegar added for the acid because I do not cook with wine

Directions

Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.

Eastern North Carolina Bar-Be-Que (pork shoulder)

In my opinion nothing beats Eastern NC pork bar-be-que. It is pork, a shoulder or a whole pig, cooked over smoke and seasoned with a peppery vinegar sauce. In the western part of the state, they use a tomato based bbq sauce and in some parts of South Carolina, they use a mustard based sauce. We love the tangy and spicy vinegar sauce. Now I love beef brisket in a spicy tomato based sauce, but for pork it has to be the peppery vinegar.

Ingredients:

13-15 lb fresh pork shoulder or ham
1 quart vinegar
3 oz. Texas Pete
1 Tbs crushed red pepper
3 Tbs liquid smoke
2 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs black pepper
4 oz. brown sugar

Directions
To make the sauce: Mix all ingredients well and heat to make sure brown sugar is dissolved. Makes 1 quart.

Wash meat with cold water and pat dry. Rub skin side with salt and pepper to taste. Cut 4 to 6 2" slits in skin and place in your smoker. We used hickory to smoke pork. After a few hours, cut deep holes into meat and pour enough bbq sauce on to cover meat. Smoke longer until a meat thermometer, reaches 165 degrees. Remove from smoker and slice or chop for bbq. Add sauce to taste. Required side dishes include coleslaw and hush puppies. You get extra credit if you serve banana pudding for dessert.

Park City Cashew Chicken

This is another Rachael Ray 365 meal. It is a favorite around here. It is spicy and a little sweet, plus the cashews add a wonderful crunch. I have said before how much we love stir fries and this resembles a stir fry but with less Asian flavors. It may seem like the chipotles and maple syrup should not go together, but they do.

I have made this recipe many times because everyone here loves it. One change I have made is Rachael's recipe calls for more chipotles than I use. The first time I made it, I cut back a bit on the chipotles and it was too hot for us and we love spicy food. Once we cut it back, it was much better.

The recipes I have found online for this is different than the one in the 365 book. Most of the online recipes include water chestnuts and garden peas. I think those added ingredients makes it more Asian. I choose to leave them out and follow the recipe in the book.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups jasmine rice
4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds chicken meat (tenders; skinless, boneless breasts; skinless, boneless thighs), cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning blend by McCormick
2 to 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, such as tamari (eyeball it)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (available in the international foods aisle), or 1 1/2 tablespoons ground chipotle powder **if you don't want super spicy food, cut this back to 1 tablespoon. You can always add more if you need more heat**
1 tablespoon ground cumin (a palmful)
2 to 3 tablespoons honey (2 healthy drizzles)
1/4 to 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (eyeball it)
2 to 3 tablespoons cilantro (a handful), chopped
1 cup raw cashews

1. Start the jasmine rice. Follow the directions on the bag.

2. While the rice cooks, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken with the grill seasoning. Add the vegetable oil (2 turns of the pan) and then the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides, season with the soy sauce, then move the chicken to 1 side of the pan. Add the sliced onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then mix the vegetables and chicken together. Add the chipotle chiles and cumin. Toss to coat. Glaze the chicken mixture with the honey and maple syrup and turn off the heat. Add the chopped cilantro and the cashews.

3. Spoon the rice into bowls, top with the cashew chicken and serve.

A different stirfry

This is another stir fry dinner we enjoy. It is quick, easy, and healthy. You can change up the vegetables to whatever your family enjoys. We used ground chicken this night and along with the broccoli slaw, I added a bag of coleslaw mix instead of the napa cabbage because our market didn't have any the day I was shopping for this meal. I love stir fry because of it's ease and it is great to have on a night when you need a quick dinner.


1/2 lb ground beef or ground chicken
1 TBSP toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced
1 C broccoli slaw
1 C napa cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 TBSP lite soy sauce
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1. Prepare rice according to its package directions

2. While the rice is cooking, in a medium skillet or wok, brown the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove the beef from the skillet, drain and set aside.

3. Heat sesame oil in the skillet over med-high heat. Add garlic and green onions; stir-fry for 2 min. Add the broccoli slaw and cabbage; stir-fry for 2 min. Add rice and soy sauce, stir-fry for 2 min.

4. Return the cooked ground beef to skillet with rice and vegetable mixture and season with red pepper flakes, to taste. Stir until ingredients are well combined and heated through, about 2 minutes.

Chicken with artichoke and spinach dip

We love artichoke dip but since it is more of a party food, I rarely make it. Then one day I was trying to figure out something different to do with chicken breasts. I was looking in the pantry at a can of artichoke hearts and remembered I had purchased them to make artichoke and spinach dip for New Year's Eve but never made it. What if I put the two together? Chicken topped with artichoke and spinach dip? Turns out, it is divine.

Since it was after the new year and everyone has started watching their calories, I wanted to do a lighter version of the artichoke and spinach dip. This does not contain cream cheese like most artichoke dip but it does have a little mayonnaise and a bit of cheese, but when you divide it up as a topping for the chicken, it is not really a lot of it per serving.

Place four chicken breasts in a 8x8 pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Season with salt and pepper.

For the dip:

Artichoke and Spinach Dip
1 Tbl. olive oil
½ cup yellow onion, small chopped
6 – 9 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbl. mayo
3 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz. sharp white cheddar, shredded
pinch salt and pepper
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs, dry
1 Tbl. butter, melted

Preheat the olive oil in a medium high-sided sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, or until slightly translucent. Toss the spinach with the onions and sauté for an additional 1 – 2 minutes, or until completely wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss the artichoke hearts, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, Dijon mustard, mayo, Parmesan cheese, white cheddar and cooled spinach mixture until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour mixture over chicken breasts.

Toss the bread crumbs and melted butter in a small mixing bowl until the butter is completely absorbed. Evenly distribute the bread crumbs on top of the dip mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the the chicken breast reaches 170 degrees.

I served this with couscous and roasted carrots.

Stuffed French Toast at home

I love stuffed french toast at IHOP but we are really trying to cut back on our eating out. I know I can make it cheaper. Plus we can have it more often because the closest IHOP to us is almost an hour away.

It is so simple, it's crazy I have not made it before. If you love it in the restaurant, give it a try.

For the custard:
Eggs and cream. Just like any other french toast. How much french toast you are making will determine how much eggs and cream you will need. I also put a splash of vanilla in my custard.

For the stuffed toast:
I used brown sugar bread made by pepperidge farms. You could use any bread you like, but this added another flavor to the french toast. Spread a layer of cream cheese on each slice of bread. Top one slice with jam. You can make flavor you love depending on what ever jam you want to use. We love strawberries, so we used strawberry jam. Top with a slice of bread and dunk into the custard mix.

Cook it on a griddle until it's browned and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. Top with powdered sugar and you can syrup or more jam.



We served this with sausage and grits. Three of us had this meal for the cost of one stuffed french toast meal at IHOP.

Chicken Noodle Soup for a snowy day

I live in eastern North Carolina where we do not get snow normally. We may get a few flakes during the winter, but it is rare for us to have accumulation. This week was one of those odd times where we actually got real snow. In our area, they are saying we received right around 5 inches.

What could be better than soup for a snow day? (Other than hot chocolate when you come in from playing) We love chicken noodle soup, so I started it early so it could cook and be delicious.

When I roast chicken, I save the bones and when I get a pot full, I boil them to make my own chicken broth. I had two gallon bags in the freezer I pulled out. I added sliced carrots and celery to the broth so they could cook and flavor the broth. I also added some chicken I had pulled from those same roasted chickens I had in the freezer. Those things warmed slowly in the broth because I kept it on low all afternoon.

After coming in from playing outside and warming up with hot chocolate, I turned the heat up on the burner and brought the broth to a boil. I added a box of orzo to the broth and cooked it until it was tender.

It is so nice to have items on hand in the freezer and pantry to make a delicious dinner. I loved not having to rush in from the fun we were having in the snow to make dinner.

Now the snow is melted, but we have wonderful memories of the snowball fights and sledding we tried to do. I must say, with as much fun as we had, I hope this is the only snow storm of the season for us.

Braised Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

I received a wonderful new 6.5 quart cast iron dutch oven for Christmas from my dad. I love it! We have other dutch ovens, but they are used for camping and have feet on them. I wanted one I could use in the oven and on the stove top. I've already used it twice with great results both times.



Tonight's dinner came from a Cooking Light recipe but it doesn't taste like a light meal. I didn't even realize it was "light" until I was already making it. This may have to be one of the New Year dishes when everyone is trying to watch their diet.




Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skinned
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups (2-inch-thick) slices carrot
* 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
* 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag, shaking to coat.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and remaining flour mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly brown. Add carrot and onion; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth, wine, and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

(I put mine in the oven at 375 for an hour with the lid on, the vegetables were perfect and the chicken was as tender as could be. Delicious!)

Shrimp Scampi over Spaghetti Squash

Garlic. Lemon. Butter. Shrimp. Delicious.



This is one of our favorite "Date Night" dishes. I make this when I want something special and to get us out of our chicken rut. One thing I do to make it different from most shrimp scampi dishes is to use spaghetti squash in place of regular pasta. My family actually likes it over the spaghetti squash better. It provides a nice contrast to the shrimp but still holds the sauce.

My favorite recipe for this comes from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined if desired
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium cloves garlic , minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
cayenne pepper
Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add 1 pound shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque, about 1 minute; transfer to medium bowl. Return pan to heat and repeat process with remaining oil and shrimp.

Return empty skillet to medium-low heat; melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, add lemon juice and vermouth. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter; add parsley and cayenne, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return shrimp and accumulated juices to skillet. Toss to combine; serve immediately.

For the spaghetti squash:

Cut it in half and remove the seeds. Put in a glass dish cut side down with about 2 inches of water in the bottom. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the microwave. Depending on your microwave and the size of your squash, the time will vary. It takes generally about 20-30 minutes.

Big Thick Hearty Thighs with Chorizo

No I don't mean mine, though they could be described as big and hearty. As long as I have a love of cooking and food, plus keeping this blog, my thighs will forever be big and hearty.

This is another recipe from the Rachael Ray 365 book. Oh how this book saves dinner for us over and over. They are quick, they are easy, and they are almost always delicious. (We tried a pumpkin/sausage thing and it was horrible.)

We eat a LOT of chicken and I am always looking for something different to do with it. This will be one of my go to chicken dinners because it is easy to keep the ingredients on hand. Plus my husband kept saying how good it was when he was eating it, that makes it an A+.



2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt & pepper
1 lb chorizo, casing removed and sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
4 cups chicken stock or broth
5-6 medium to small red bliss potatoes, cut in half and then thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 6oz jar roasted red peppers
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Crusty bread

Preheat a large skillet or wide soup pot over medium-high heat and add the EVOO. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt & pepper. Add the chicken in the skillet and brown on both sides for 3 minutes. Scoot the browned thighs to the edges of the pan, making some space in the center of the skillet. Add the chorizo, onions, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Add the wine and chicken stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture up to a simmer. Add the potatoes and stir everything together. Cover the pan with a lid or a piece of aluminium foil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the roasted red peppers, peas, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley, and cook for 1 more minute to just head the peas through. Serve with crusty bread. Really. Don't forget the bread.

Marmalade Glazed Chicken

Remember I said we eat a lot of chicken? We're going to be having even more because I came across whole chickens for 60¢ per pound so we will be having even more chicken. Good thing chicken is so versatile so we can have it a few nights a week but still it doesn't have to be the same old boring thing every time.

Tonight's chicken dinner:



Marmalade Glazed Chicken

1 (3-3.5lb) chicken, cut up

Marinade/Glaze

1 cup orange juice
3 TBS honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TBS light soy sauce
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 (12 oz) jar orange marmalade
1 TBS cornstarch
1 TBS water

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl except for marmalade, cornstarch and water. Place chicken in a ziploc bag. Pour in marinade. Seal bag and refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight. (Overnight is best) Heat grill and cook chicken until juices run clear, turning once. In a small saucepan combine reserved marinade with cornstarch mixed with water and a jar of orange marmalade. (I'm always afraid to reuse marinade even though boiling it is supposed to kill any bacteria. I just can't do it. I always make up another batch of the marinade recipe to put in the sauce) Whisk over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Baste chicken with glaze. Serve remaining sauce with chicken.

With this chicken, I served jasmine rice and roasted acorn squash.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

What could be better on a cool rainy fall day than a spicy bowl of gumbo? No much. Only the day turned out to warm and sunny. The weatherman was all wrong but the gumbo was all right. We fell in love with gumbo on our first trip to New Orleans. I think we ate it at least four times that week. Every place it was a little different, just like mine. Every time it turns out a little different but it's always tasty.

The recipe I use is a variation of a Southern Living recipe and it is not an all day affair like most gumbos. I try to still make it early so it has time to cook on the stove for a couple of hours. The flavors seem to come together and leftovers are just as good (if not better).


Ingredients



* 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
* 3 to 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1.5 cup coarsely chopped onion
* 1.5 cup chopped celery
* 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
* 2 medium-size red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 2-3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
* 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
* 1-2 cups frozen okra slices
* Hot cooked rice

Preparation

Cook sausage over high heat in Dutch oven 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

Add enough oil to drippings in Dutch oven to equal 5 tablespoons, and whisk in flour; cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in broth and next 2 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add sausage and chicken; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Ten minutes before serving, drop okra in and allow it to cook. Serve over rice.

Fall: Roast Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy

Tonight I made roast chicken. Two roast chickens to be exact. Half of one was dinner tonight and leftovers for my husband's lunch and the remaining chicken and a half was deboned, cut up and stored in the freezer. That chicken will find it's way into gumbo, chicken pot pie, and taco soup.

Tonight's chicken needed something new. Just plain roast chicken can get tiring. I had a bottle of apple cider in the refrigerator and decided to add some to the pan gravy. It was delicious and a great way to use fall flavors.

To the pan juices, I added a little flour to thicken. I then added 1 cup of apple cider and 1 cup of chicken stock. I let it thicken and served it over the chicken and with mashed potatoes.

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breasts

I rarely make anything fried, but every now and then we just have to have something fried. I don't dare make regular southern fried chicken because there is no way mine will match up to my grandmother's chicken. We have dinner with her almost every Sunday after church and she makes fried chicken regularly because we all love it.

For my pretzel fried chicken you need:

10 oz bag of pretzels, crushed finely
2 eggs beaten
4 chicken breasts, pounded flat

vegetable oil for frying

Flatten out chicken breasts. Dip in pretzel, then egg, and the pretzel again. If possible, do this at least an hour in advance so you can refrigerate it before frying. This will help the crust stay on during frying. Fry the chicken about 4 minutes on each side or until done.

One of our favorite sides with this dish is macaroni and cheese. I make extra cheese sauce for dipping the chicken or sometimes we'll have honey mustard or other mustard dip.

Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

I've said before one of my go to cookbooks is Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats. I do not like to watch Rachael on TV, but I do love her recipes. I love how she takes every day ingredients but switches them around to make new dishes, dishes that come together quickly.

This recipe is one I've made a few times. My husband rarely asks for certain dishes, he is just happy to have a wife who likes to cook, but this recipe he actually asks for by name. It's one of his favorites.



Ingredients

* Salt
* 1/2 pound orzo pasta
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 ounces
* Pepper
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
* 12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
* 12 white mushrooms, sliced
* 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
* 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, eyeball it
* 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half, a couple turns of the pan
* 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful

Directions

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.

To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.

Cider Vinegar Chicken and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Don't let the picture fool you. It may look white and plain, but trust me it has a ton of flavor. This is a Rachael Ray recipe from my favorite 365 book I've mentioned here before.

4 6oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I cut mine into bit size pieces)
coarse black pepper
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 TB thyme leaves
3 TB honey
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups chicken stock

Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 TB EVOO. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to hot skillet. Brown chicken. Remove and reserve the meat. Cover it with foil. Add another TB of EVOO to the pan then the onions, thyme, honey, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are brown and caramelized. Add the cider vinegar and stock. Turn up the heat to high and bring liquids to simmer. Add chicken to skillet, cook for about 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite garlic mashed potatoes. The sauce it delicious on the potatoes.

We love Greek flavors

and this is another way to have them so we don't get tired of souvlaki and Greek salad.



This dinner was a roast cut sirloin steak put in a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper. It was grilled to medium and sliced into thin strips. It was tender, flavorful, and juicy.

On the side there is couscous with chunks of feta, chopped kalamata olives, and thin strips of roasted red peppers. There is also a mix of yellow and zucchini squash and halved grape tomatoes cooked together with garlic and oregano. Of course we can't have Greek without pita, so there was grilled pita also.

It was a tasty and healthful meal.

It's a Pioneer Woman Day

Homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
Marlboro Man Sandwich with Hot Crash Potatoes for dinner.

Thank you Ree for your great recipes.





I wasn't fast enough with the camera to get a picture of the cinnamon rolls. They disappeared pretty quick.

Vacation dinners: Shrimp stuffed with crab, Drunken Shrimp and Scallops

Our absolute favorite place to have dinner at the beach is Frank and Clara's in Salter Path, NC. It is small and every visit we've ever made the quality of the service and food is always excellent. They bring cheese and crackers to your table while you view your menu. By now, I don't even use the menu, I get pretty much the same thing every time. The shrimp stuffed with crab or the crab cakes are the best I have ever eaten. The crab cakes are almost pure crab. They have so little filler in them, they are free form cakes because they wouldn't hold together like what most people think of crab cakes. They are so rich and delicious. They also have a wonderful homemade clam chowder that comes with every meal.

My choice on this visit was the shrimp stuffed with crab:



You get six shrimp with what amounts to six small crab cakes. It's to die for, really.

My aunt got the Drunken Shrimp and Scallops which was shrimp and scallops cooked in a wine sauce and topped with mushrooms and cheese. It was also very good.