Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip (with goat cheese!!)

While visiting my parents for the night, my mom mentioned that she needed to do something with the goat cheese she had in the fridge.  She was talking to the right person!  I love goat cheese and I also love dips, so I got online to look for a goat cheese spinach dip, since she also had spinach handy and goat cheese and spinach go great together!  I came across this recipe for goat cheese, spinach and artichoke dip on CDKitchen.com and it sounded easy enough, worth a try!

Spinach and Atichoke Dip (with goat cheese!!)

Ingredients:

8 ounces frozen chopped spinach, cooked and squeezed dry
about 5 – 6 artichoke hearts, finely chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3-4 tablespoons garlic goat cheese
2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and Pepper
crackers

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients together until well blended (not the crackers, of course!).  Add a little extra parmesan on top and microwave 2 minutse or until heated through.  An alternate would be to place in an oven-safe bowl and cook under the broiler for 8-10 minutse or until the top is turning golden brown.  Serve on crackers or tortilla chips.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict:  This is DELICIOUS!!  It’s incredibly easy and quick to make and you will want to say forget dinner, let’s just eat this! 

Bacon Quiche Biscuit Cups

I saw this Pillsbury recipe this morning on a blog and just had to try it out.  I had the ingredients on hand, in fact I needed to cook the bacon today anyway, so perfect way to do it!  I knew I wouldn’t be able to (or need to) eat a ton of these, so I schlepped on over to my husband’s work and brought them some!  Here’s my adaptation.

Bacon Quiche Biscuit Cups

Ingredients:

Bacon (I used half a pack since that’s what I had to cook today!), cooked and crumbled
1 yellow onion, chopped and cooked in the bacon grease
2 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces of less fat cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. biscuits
Seasoning to taste:  thyme, Tony’s, onion and garlic powder, salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 375.

Roll out each biscuit into a circle and press into the bottoms of a muffin pan sprayed with nonstick spray.  Place the cream cheese into a bowl and with an electric mixer, beat until smooth.  Add eggs and milk and continue mixing.  Stir in onions, cheese and seasoning.  Place some crumbled bacon in the bottom of each of the biscuit cups, reserving some for topping.  Spoon the cream cheese mixture carefully into each biscuit, till almost full.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the egg/cream cheese mixture has set and is turning golden.  Once baked, top with remaining bacon crumbles and serve.

Hot out of the oven, before the bacon is added

 

 

 

 

 

Bacon Quiche Biscuit Cups ready to eat!   Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict:  These were a little time consuming since you had to roll out the biscuits, but they were delicious!  This is a great thing to make for a morning on the run, since it’s similar to eating a muffin.  Plus it will keep you full longer!  Great breakfast!

AB C-ranberry Sauce

Since I’m hosting my very first Thanksgiving at my home this year, I’ve been practicing recipes so it goes smoothly.  Since my husband loves Alton Brown on the Food Network, I decided to try out his recipe for homemade cranberry sauce (I changed a few things for convenience sake – hey I have a 1 year old!!).  If you’re not familiar with Alton Brown, you MUST watch his show Good Eats.  He’s fantastic!

Alton Brown’s Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup orange juice (I used bottled)
1/4 cup 100% cranberry juice, NOT cocktail
1 cup honey
1 pound fresh cranberries

Method:

Wash the cranberries well, discarding any wrinkled or soft ones.  In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the orange juice, cranberry juice and honey.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the cranberries and cook for 15 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the mixture begins to thicken.  Don’t cook for more than 15 minutes though because it will not set right.  Pour into a mold (or a bowl if you don’t have a mold!) and refrigerate at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.  Serve chilled.

Cranberries cooking!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cranberry Sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict:  This is very easy to make and a nice change from the canned stuff.  My husband loved it, and in his words “this is really good, I don’t like the stuff in the can but this I can eat!”  Make it.  Eat it.  Love it.

The World Famous Pralines!

My mom got this recipe from the late Mrs. Ardoin, the mother of her late friend Tammy.  These pralines are the best.  By the way, if you’re going to read my blog, you must pronounce praline correctly.  It’s “prah-lean” not “pray-lean.”  Pronounce it incorrectly and I will be extremely tempted to hit you.  Ok, now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s the world famous recipe that gets so many requests!!

Pralines

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
3 cups white sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pecans (make sure there are no shells!!)

Method:

Note:  These MUST be made on a sunny day or they will not set!

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat up the butter, evaporated milk and sugar.  Stir well so it’s all mixed.  Continue to stir regularly so that it does not stick, until it reaches the soft ball stage.  Once stage is reached, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans.  Continue to vigorously stir (but be careful not to get it all over the sides of the pot, thus wasting good stuff!) until it starts to lose it’s shine and is thicker.  Then very carefully put spoonfuls onto waxed paper or silicone mats (love my silicone mats!).  Allow to get firm and store in an airtight container.  It’s much easier to make when you have someone helping stir, as it gets to be tough on the arms!  Just be careful when it’s time to put spoons of it out because the stuff is HOT!!

Pralines

 

 

 

 

 

 

The verdict:  Well like I said, these are always requested for the holidays or any sort of party, really.  They’re creamy, not crunchy and just wonderful.  Scraping the pot afterwards is a lot of fun too.

Rustic Bread Pudding

Way back in the olden days (the college years) I worked at the Country Club of Louisiana.  If you’ve ever had the opportunity to dine there, I’m sure you remember three things that were fabulous:  the honey butter, the wedge salad with bleu cheese dressing and the bread pudding.  I’ve tried bread pudding for dessert at numerous Louisiana establishments and so far, none have come close to the decadence that is CCLA bread pudding.  I don’t know what they put in it but holy moly!  Goodness!  Anyway, this is the recipe I use when I make bread pudding.  It’s not as good as theirs, but it’s not too shabby!

Rustic Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

Rolls going stale (enough to fill a small casserole)

1 cup sugar

1 can evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs – yolks only

1/3 cup butter

2 cups milk

For the sauce:

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

Cornstarch and water to thicken it (I was out so I skipped that step!)

Method:

Preheat oven to 325.

Dice the rolls into rough pieces, they don’t need to be perfect (hence, RUSTIC bread pudding).  Spray baking dish with nonstick spray and put the bread pieces in.  Mix up the next six ingredients (not the ones for the sauce though) and pour over the bread.  Bake for 45 minutes.

For the sauce:

In a saucepan, combine 1 can evaporated milk with the cup of milk and sugar.  Stir well and continuously over medium heat until sauce has thickened some.  You may add cornstarch mixed with water at this point to aid in the thickening process.  Pour over servings of bread pudding.

Rustic Bread Pudding (hot out of the oven, before sauce topping)

 

 

 

 

 

Rustic Bread Pudding with Sauce

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict:  well I’ve been making this for many years and it’s always fantastic!  It’s better when the sauce is thicker, so if you’re handy then do it that way!  It’s got a great flavor, there’s no alcohol in this and honestly, it really doesn’t need it.  I believe the original recipe came from my friend Kenleigh’s mom.  That lady can cook!

Fried Shrimp

I’ve been having a craving for fried shrimp for a while now.  My neighbor Michelle made some and gave us a taste and it only made me want some even more!  Luckily when I went visit my parents this past weekend, they gave me a bag of frozen shrimp.  I knew right away what their destiny was!

Fried Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk

1/2 – 1 tsp. mustard

1 egg

a few dashes of Louisiana Gold Hot sauce

Seasonings:  Tony’s, Salt, garlic powder and onion powder

Flour

Oil

Method:

Peel the shrimp except for the very end tail part.  Devein and butterfly.  Mix the coconut milk, egg, hot sauce, mustard and seasonings in a bowl and add the shrimp.  Allow to marinate at least thirty minutes, or longer if you have the time.  Meanwhile, make your flour batter.  Just mix up the flour with the abovementioned seasonings until it suits your preference.  Heat oil in fryer, toss the shrimp in the flour batter and fry until golden and delicious!

Fried Shrimp

The Verdict:  Well it hit the spot!  They were crispy and well seasoned and you could faintly taste the hint of coconut, without it being overpowering.  The mustard adds a nice little something extra, also!  We served ours with potato stuff and fried stuffed jalapeno peppers, which are my husbands recipe so I’ll have to get that from him!

White Chicken Chili

I frequent different blogs and cooking message boards always on the hunt for something new.  Lately I’ve been seeing the recipe for white chicken chili pop up EVERYWHERE!  Just did not sound good to me.  White chili, no thanks!  Then this weekend I went to the farmer’s market in Baton Rouge and one of the booths was selling their white chicken chili and giving out free samples.  It was really good, a little watery though.  So I set out to go back through all those bazillion recipes I’d seen for this in search of the perfect one.  I suspected I found it in Le Petit Pierogi’s blog and picked tonight, the night that Tropical Storm Ida was due to hit the gulf coast, to try it out.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, diced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 4-oz can green chilis

2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 can chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

shredded cheese for garnish

Method:

In a deep nonstick pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the diced chicken breasts and season with your favorite seasonings (I like Tony Chachere’s).  Cook till no longer pink inside and turning golden on the outside.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent.  Add the chilis, beans and broth, stir well.  Add the seasonings, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 30 minutes.  Stir in the sour cream and the heavy cream and bring back to a nice heat.  Taste for seasonings (I added a little garlic and onion powder in).  Serve garnished with cheese.

White Chicken Chili

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict:  ooooommmmmggggggg.  I totally see why everyone is so gaga over this recipe because so am I now!  It was fantastic!  And better even, it was really easy to make.  It tasted a lot like a regular chili, but creamy.  Ohhh so good.  So good.  Try it!

 

Vodka Sauce

I’ve always seen the jars of vodka sauce in the supemarket, but had never had it myself.  And I’m not a fan of jar sauce so I wasn’t likely to try it soon.  But my husband asked me to find a recipe for it since he was curious about it.  I found one that sounded (and looked) good on Stephanie Cooks blog and it seemed pretty darned easy, perfect for a Sunday night dinner.

Vodka Sauce

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2/3 cup vodka

1 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1.5 tsp. Italian seasonings

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 (large) can crushed tomatoes

1 pint half and half

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Method:

In a large pot, melt butter.  Add the vodka and bring to a boil.  Cook at a slow boil until the alcohol has evaporated (you won’t be able to smell the vodka anymore).  Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook until translucent.  Add the Italian seasonings and red pepper flakes, stir well then add the tomatoes.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.  Add the half and half, stirring while you’re adding it.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Add the parmesan cheese and cook for 3 more minutes.  Taste for seasonings – I had to add some salt and Tony’s.  Serve over pasta and garnish with extra parmesan cheese.

 

Vodka Sauce over Pasta

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict:  I’m so excited over how delicious and EASY this was!  If you already have vodka in the house, it’s really inexpensive to make too.  It was so simple to put together and it was really yummy – I can’t wait to have some for lunch!!  This will definitely be appearing on our menu again…soon!

Shrimp Stock

Since we had boiled shrimp yesterday, I figured I’d save the heads and make some homemade shrimp stock.  Once it was done I put 2 cup portions into ziploc bags and put into the freezer.  This will be perfect next time I make a seafood gumbo!  I’ll simply substitute it instead of the chicken broth!  I imagine it would be equally delightful in a shrimp stew or something like that.

Shrimp Stock

Shrimp heads (I used heads from 3 lbs. of shrimp)

carrots

celery

water

Method:

Put shrimp heads, carrots and celery into a large pot.  Fill with water till just covered.  Heat to boiling and cover, allow to slow boil for about 40 – 60 minutes.  Cool for a little while, then strain into bowls.   Discard the heads, carrots and celery.  Put liquid into ziploc bags and freeze.

Note:  These shrimp were already cooked in cajun seasoning, so I didn’t add any herbs or anything to it.  Otherwise, you’d want to season it up!

Boiled Shrimp

There are so many wonderful things about living in the South, and one of them is the close proximity to fresh gulf seafood.  I actually live in central Louisiana, so it’s harder to get here.  But I went to visit my parents for a night down in south Louisiana and saw a seafood market advertising fresh shrimp for a great deal.  I got my dad to part with his winning boiled shrimp recipe and picked some up for a fun, tasty dinner!

Gerry’s Boiled Shrimp

Ingredients:

10 lbs. fresh shrimp

2 cups Zatarain’s Crab Boil (powder)

1/2 large bottle Zatarain’s Liquid Crab Boil

1/2 large bottle lemon juice

2 onions, quartered

3-4 lemons, halved and squeezed

water

Method:

Start by putting 3-4 inches of water in the crawfish pot.  Add everything but the shrimp, stir.  Bring seasoned water to a hard boil, add shrimp, cover and bring back to a hard boil.  Time at this point for 3 minutes, then shut off the gas.  Take the lid off and allow to soak for 5 minutes.  Remove promptly, drain and serve.

Note:  We added “extras” to the pot:  corn, potatoes and mushrooms.  If you do this, once the water has begun to boil, add the corn and potatoes.  Allow to cook for 15 minutes.  After 7 minutes have elapsed, add the mushrooms.  Once the full 15 minutes are up, continue with the rest of the recipe.

Boiled Shrimp

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict:  Yummalicious!!!  These were the pefrect seasoning, spicy with a hint of lemon!  There is truly nothing like a good seafood boil in Louisiana.  I hadn’t had boiled shrimp in ages and this definitely hit the spot.  Thanks to my dad for giving us the recipe, and thanks to my husband for doing the cooking!