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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.