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Sunday, December 10, 2017

Baked Shrimp with Zesty Cocktail Sauce ala ~DKBB~

Baked Shrimp with Zesty Cocktail Sauce ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from People Holiday Cooking 2017 magazine)

2 lbs. raw peeled, deveined shrimp
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1½ tsp. kosher salt
½ to 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
  • Place on cookie sheet and bake at 425° F for 10 minutes.
  • Can be served hot or chilled.
1 cup ketchup
4 to 6 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp. minced shallot
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce (optional)
  • Stir all together until well combined.
  • Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Mexican Shepherd's Pie ala ~DKBB~

Mexican Shepherd’s Pie ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe, based on a dish from Blue Corn Café in Santa Fe, NM)

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeño, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans fiesta or mexi corn, drained
1 can diced Hatch green chilies
½ to 1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
½ to 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
½ to 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Mashed potatoes (enough to generously cover the top of the casserole)
  • Preheat oven to 375° F.
  • Peel and boil potatoes (4 to 6 medium-sized); when cook thoroughly, drain and mash with a little milk and butter; set aside.
  • Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and jalapeño; drain excess grease; add salt and pepper to taste; add in black beans, corn, green chilies, and spices; mix well and warm all through.
  • In a 9x13 (3 qt.) glass baking pan, place the meat/vegetable mixture, top that with the cheese, then spread a good layer of mashed potatoes over all.
  • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (until potatoes are getting brown on the top).
  • Serve with salsa of choice (green is best, however).


Sunday, September 17, 2017

Beet Braised Lentils ala ~DKBB~

Beet Braised Lentils ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from Sylvia Fountaine - Feasting at Home blog, September 1, 2014)

Beet-infused lentils make a healthy vegetarian meal in a bowl.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced red onion (½ a red onion)
1 cup diced carrot
½ cup diced celery
3 or 4 fresh beets (lightly roasted, peeled, and diced)
4 cloves garlic-rough chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 to 2 tsp. curry
1 to 2 tsp. Vindaloo spices
1 Bay leaf
1½ cups lentils, soaked overnight or at least 8 hours (black caviar, beluga or Puy are the preferred varieties but any will work)
 4 cups vegetable stock
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh beet juice (either purchase from a store, or juice 2 extra-large beets)
splash balsamic vinegar (if desired)
  • In a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat; add onion, carrot, beets and celery, and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly softened.
  • Turn heat to medium, add garlic, lentils, and herbs and sauté for 2 more minutes; add stock and salt and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, cover with lid, and turn heat to low, maintaining a gentle simmer; simmer for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, add the beet juice, taste for salt and add more if necessary; continue simmering on low for 10-15 more minutes.
  • If you feel there is too much liquid for your liking, keep the lid off and increase the heat, letting it reduce.
  • Stir in a generous splash of balsamic vinegar before serving, if desired.
  • Serve with Naan bread.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Grilled Mahi Mahi ala ~DKBB~

Grilled Mahi Mahi ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from cdkitchen.com)

6 Tbsp. olive oil
6 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
4 mahi mahi fillets, 4 to 6 oz. each (or you can use swordfish or halibut)
Salt and freshly ground cracked pepper
  • In a small bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients.
  • Sprinkle fish fillets with salt and cracked pepper; place into gallon-size zip-top bag and pour in marinade; seal and shake gently to coat fish evenly.
  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but no more than 6.
  • Preheat grill to medium low; grill fillets, turning carefully, 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until fish begins to brown and flakes with a fork. You can grill the fish directly on the grill, or on foil, or on a soaked wood plank – your preference.
Serve with rice.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Curried Lentil & Veggie Stew ala ~DKBB~

Curried Lentil & Veggie Stew ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from the August 2017 edition of Cooking Light)

2 tsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cups zucchini, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin (or minced – your preference)
1 cup chopped Roma tomato, seeded
2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. ketchup
2 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 cups lentils, cooked per package directions
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté 4 minutes; add zucchini and garlic and cook 3 minutes; add tomato, curry powder, and ketchup and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Combine vegetable stock and flour, whisking well to blend in the flour; add stock mixture to pan; bring to a boil; stir in salt and lentils and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Remove pan from heat and stir in lime juice.
Add optional garnish, if desired, of plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek-style) or sour cream and chopped, fresh cilantro to each serving.

Serve with toasted naan bread.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Southwest Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados ala ~DKBB~

Southwest Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocadoes ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from Jenny on homeandbirch.com)

 2 cups leftover roast or rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ to ½ cup diced jicama (optional – provides crunch and texture)
1 cup corn kernels (I use thawed frozen corn)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 poblano pepper
¼ cup cilantro
5 to 7 oz. plain Greek yogurt (whatever size you can find will work)
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 avocadoes, halved
  • In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, jicama (if desired), corn, and black beans.
  • In a food processor, combine the poblano pepper, cilantro, Greek yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper; pulse until well combined, then add to bowl of chicken; mix well.
  • Spoon the chicken salad into the avocado halves and serve; you can serve with lime slices and squeeze lime over each serving, as desired.

Banh Mi Tacos ala ~DKBB~

Chicken Banh Mi Tacos ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from loveandrisotto.com)


Tacos
4-6 Tortillas
1 cup roasted or rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
4 to 6 jalapenos, chopped or sliced
1 cucumber, diced
1 onion, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Sauce
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (I prefer Kraft Olive Oil & Cracked Pepper mayo)
1½ tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp. white vinegar
¼ tsp. minced garlic
¼ tsp. minced ginger
¼ tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. sugar
  • Mix all sauce ingredients together and whisk thoroughly; add the sauce to every taco.
  • Assemble tacos with ingredients you prefer (all or some).

Cuban-Style Pork Chops ala ~DKBB~

Cuban-Style Pork Chops ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe by Erica Allen on TasteOfHome.com)

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. adobo seasoning
2 boneless pork chops
2 slices deli ham
2 slices Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro (optional)
Dill pickles, sliced
Hot and sweet red peppers, sliced
  • Whisk mustard, lime juice, and adobo seasoning together.
  • Lightly pound pork chops with a meat mallet to ½-inch thickness; spread both sides of pork chops with mustard mixture; refrigerate, covered, for 3 to 4 hours.
  • Grill pork, covered, over medium heat, turning at least once; when pork chops are nearly done, top with ham slices and grill 2 minutes, then top that with Swiss cheese slices (and cilantro, if desired) and grill 1 minute more; remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with pickle slices and hot and sweet red peppers.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Classic Macaroni Salad ala ~DKBB~

Classic Macaroni Salad ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe by Dorothy Bayes found on TasteOfHome.com)

Makes 8 servings.
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 
1 cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
2 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. red wine vinegar
¾ tsp. ground mustard
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup chopped celery
⅓ cup chopped carrot
½ cup chopped onion (red preferred, or you can use 4 to 6 green onions)
2 to 3 whole roasted red peppers, chopped
  • Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water; cool completely.
  • For dressing: in a small bowl, combine the mayo, relish, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper; mix well.
  • In a large bowl, combine cooled macaroni, celery, carrot, onion, and roasted red pepper; add dressing a bit at a time (you might not use it all, depending on how creamy you want your salad to be) and toss gently to coat.
  • Refrigerate until serving; you may wish to garish with paprika before serving.

Monday, June 12, 2017

Low Country Grill ala ~DKBB~

Low Country Grill ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe by Alaina Showalter on TasteOfHome.com)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1½ tsp. salt, divided
1½ tsp. garlic powder, divided
1½ tsp. seafood seasoning, divided
8 to 12 small red potatoes, quartered
½ green, red, yellow, and/or orange peppers (mixture thereof), cut into smallish chunks
½ cup butter, melted
1 lb. (or 1 large) polkas kielbasa, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium ears corn, but in half
1 to 1½ pounds uncooked shrimp (8 to 12 large), peeled and deveined
  • In a large bowl, combine the olive oil with ½ tsp. each of salt, garlic powder, seafood seasoning; add potatoes and peppers; toss to coat; spoon into double-thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square); fold foil around potatoes and seal tightly.
  • Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until tender, turning once; set aside and keep warm.
  • In a small bowl, combined melted butter with remaining salt, garlic powder, and seafood seasoning; grill kielbasa and corn in grill pan, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally and basting constantly, using half of the butter mixture; keep warm.
  • Thread shrimp onto metal or wood-soaked skewers (4 per skewer); grill, covered, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side or until shrimp are pink, basting with remaining butter mixture.
  • Depending on how many servings you have prepared, put a portion of the potato/pepper mixture, corn/kielbasa mixture, and shrimp on each plate. Enjoy!

Monday, March 20, 2017

Blackened Roast Chicken ala ~DKBB~

Blackened Roast Chicken ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe by Sam Talbot)
Photo from People magazine

1 (2½ to 3 lb.) whole chicken
1 Tbsp. smoked and/or spicy paprika
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
½ bunch fresh thyme sprigs, tied together with kitchen string
¼ cup olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • Preheat oven to 375° F, or preheat Traeger or grill.
  • Remove chicken giblets (save for another use or discard -your choice); rinse chicken off and pat dry with paper towel; place chicken in small roasting pan.
  • Stir together paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper in medium bowl; cut lemons in fourths and add them and the thyme bundle to the mixture; toss to coat well.
  • Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium heat; add shallot and cook, stirring often until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add cooked shallot and oil to seasoning mixture; stir/toss well to combine.
  • Remove lemons and thyme bundle and place them in cavity of chicken; rub remaining mixture over chicken and under skin on the breasts.
  • Roast chicken until thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 165° F, about 50 to 55 minutes.
  • Remove chicken from heat; remove thyme and lemons from cavity; if desired, squeeze lemon over chicken and garnish with untied thyme; let chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Grandmother's Toad in the Hole ala ~DKBB~

Grandmother’s Toad in the Hole ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe by Susan Kieboam on www.tasteofhome.com)

3 large eggs
1 cup milk
½ tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 12oz pkg. uncooked maple breakfast sausage links
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Butter and maple syrup for serving (optional)
  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and salt together; add flour to mixture and whisk until well blended. Let stand while you prepare the sausage.
  • Cook sausage over medium heat until done, turning often for even cooking; remove cooked sausages from pan and cut each link into 4 or 5 pieces.
  • Place oil in 12-inch cast iron skillet; place in oven for 3 to 4 minutes to heat.
  • Stir batter and pour into heated skillet; top with sausage pieces.
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.
  • Cut into wedges to serve; if desired, serve with butter and maple syrup.*
 * You may find that you don’t really need to butter, but do give the maple syrup a try!


Saturday, March 4, 2017

Bacon-Wrapped Pesto Pork Tenderloin ala ~DKBB~

Bacon-Wrapped Pesto Pork Tenderloin ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe by Holly Sander in Feb/Mar 2017 edition of Simple & Delicious)

4-6 bacon strips
½ pork tenderloin (½ lb.)
¼ tsp. cracked pepper
¼ cup prepared pesto
½ cup shredded Italian cheese blend
½ cup fresh baby spinach
  • Preheat oven to 425° F.
  • Place bacon strips width-wise, overlapping a bit, in foil-lined 15x10x1 pan (or just use a foil pan that size and skip the lining-with-foil part).
  • Using ½ of a pre-package pork tenderloin (freeze the other half), cover the meat with plastic wrap and pound it with a meat mallet to ½-inch thickness; remove plastic wrap; place flattened tenderloin centered perpendicularly on the bacon strips.
  • Sprinkle pepper over pork, spread on pesto, then add cheese then spinach.
  • Close (roll up) tenderloin, wrapping the outside with the bacon strips; tie all with kitchen string (a wrapping method with the string works well…you want to be sure all the bacon is tied around the tenderloin); secure ends with toothpicks if necessary.
  • Using a 12-inch skillet, brown the bacon-wrapped tenderloin on all sides (about 8 minutes).
  • Return the now-browned bacon-wrapped tenderloin to the roasting pan; roast in the oven until a meat thermometer inserted into the pork reads 145° (17-20 minutes).
  • Remove string and toothpicks, let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Sausage & Chicken Gumbo ala ~DKBB~

Sausage & Chicken Gumbo ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe by Kael Harvey in Feb/Mar 2017 Simple & Delicious)

¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup canola oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 small pkg. popcorn shrimp, thawed (if desired)*
1 pkg. (14 oz.) polska kielbasa, cut into ½-inch slices
1 cup frozen okra
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. white pepper
¼ tsp. salt
¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you want it)
2 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (I use chicken breast packed in water,
    1 large can and 1 small – add it all, including water, when directed)
Hot cooked rice (if desired)
  • In a heavy saucepan, mix flour and oil until smooth; cook and stir over medium heat until light brown in color, about 4 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and cook and stir until dark reddish brown, about 15 minutes (do not burn).
  • Gradually stir in chicken broth, stirring constantly; transfer to slow-cooker.
  • Stir in sausage, vegetables, garlic, and seasonings; cook, covered, in slow-cooker on low for 6 hours.
  • Stir in chicken and continue cooking for another hour.
  • You can add thawed shrimp when you add in the chicken, if desired.*
  • Can be served as a soup or over rice.

Friday, February 17, 2017

Butterfinger Cookies ala ~DKBB~

Butterfinger Cookies ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix by Stephanie Ashcraft)

1 chocolate cake mix (Devil's Food is my favorite)
2 eggs
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ package Butterfinger Bits (or 1 large Butterfinger bar, crushed)
  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil under powder is completely dissolved into dough.
  • Mix Butterfinger Bits (or crushed candy bar) into the dough thoroughly.
  • Drop dough in small balls onto parchment-covered cookie sheet.
  • Bake 10 to 12 minutes; do not overbake.
  • Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches ala ~DKBB~

Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from Cooking Light)

Cookies:
2 cups finely shredded carrots
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. Canola oil
1 tsp. grated orange rind
½ cup raisins (optional)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup unbleached flour
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Combine shredded carrots and brown sugar in bowl; toss well; let stand 5 minutes.
  • If using raisins, put them in small bowl and water and microwave on high until water boils; drain off all water and cool a bit.
  • Place butter in microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds or until melted; add oil, orange rind, vanilla, and egg; whisk until well combined.
  • If using raisins, add the drained, cooled raisins to the carrots and brown sugar, tossing to mix well.
  • Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl; whisk well.
  • Add carrot mixture and butter mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined.
  • Drop dough by tablespoonful 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure you end up with an even number of cookies.
  • Bake for 9 minutes or until cookies are set and crisp and around the edges.
  • Remove pan from oven and let stand 3 minutes; after 3 minutes, remove cookies from pan onto wire rack(s); let cookies cool completely before assembling into cookies sandwiches.
Filling:
4 oz. ⅓-less-fat cream cheese, softened
¼ tsp. vanilla
⅛ tsp. salt
1 cup powdered sugar
  • Combine first 3 ingredients in medium mixing bowl and beat with mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until fluffy.
  • Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed 1 minutes or until well combined (do not overbeat).
  • Spread 1 Tbsp. (or more, use your judgment) on flat side of cookie and top with flat side of another cookie to create a cookie sandwich; repeat with remaining cookies and filling.
If you make 14 total cookies, per serving: 186 calories, 28g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g protein, 140mg sodium, 7.6g fat.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Crispy Jalapeno Popper Beef Taquitos ala ~DKBB~

Crispy Jalapeño Beef Taquitos ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from www.carlsbadcravings.com)

12 medium tortillas (I use my homemade tortillas or a golden blend type tortilla)
1 lb. lean ground beef
½ small onion, chopped
2 to 4 jalapeños, deveined and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. smoked spicy paprika
½ tsp. salt
4 to 6 oz. cream cheese, whipped
½ cup salsa
1 cup shredded (or grated) Pepper Jack cheese
  • Cook beef, onions, jalapeños, and onions in large skillet over medium heat until onions are softened and beef is cooked through; add garlic and sauté for 1 minute; drain off excess fat.
  • Stir in all the spices/seasonings, followed by the salsa and cream cheese; heat all over medium heat until cream cheese in completely melted and mixed in, stirring often.
  • Stir in the Pepper Jack cheese, cooking and stirring until melted and mixed in thoroughly.
  • To assemble, add a little less than ¼ cup filling to the bottom third of each tortilla, spreading it out in a long line to about ½ inch from edges of tortilla; tightly roll up tortillas.
  • Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat; working in batches, add taquitos and cook until golden brown on all sides, rotating as necessary.
  • Serve with salsa, cheese, and/or avocados or guacamole as desired.