Jalapeno Shrimp Sauce over Pasta

This is spicy and good.  You can make it without the cream - but why? 

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1-2 jalapenos, minced, seeds and membrane removed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans good diced tomatoes with juice
1 tsp. salt
16 oz. linguine
1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 1/2 Tbsp. parsley chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic and jalapenos just until sizzling.  Add the tomatoes and salt.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Cook linguine until al dente; drain.  In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil over high heat.  Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, or until the shrimp turn pink.  Add shrimp to tomato sauce mixture and stir in the parsley and cream.  Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce just begins to bubble.  Serve sauce over pasta. 

 

Lemon Fettucini - Oh, My!

This is a creamy, lemony pasta.  So good with chicken or fish.  I served it at Christmas and it was a huge hit!

Fettuccini Alfredo with Lemon

18 oz. fresh fettuccini                                   2 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 ½ cups heavy cream                                 3 Tbsp. sour cream

½ cup fresh lemon juice                                dash cayenne

12 Tbsp. Butter                                            salt and fresh ground pepper

2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese                      pinch fresh grated nutmeg

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.  Drain.  Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend.  Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Add the pasta and sour cream and toss.  Add the remaining ½ cup of cream and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet.  Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Finger Foods for Super Bowl ~ These are some Favorites!!!!

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Great Appetizer for Bar-B-Que’s

Large shrimp, peeled & deveined                           jalapeno slices

Thin sliced bacon, cut in 3” pieces

Put one slice of jalapeno on each piece of shrimp.  Wrap the bacon around the shrimp and jalapeno, leaving the ends on the bottom.  Place on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the shrimp is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes each side.  Very good when grilled outside!!!  

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

These are great for parties & showers – make plenty!

Water chestnuts, drained                                      brown sugar

Thin sliced bacon, cut into thirds                  few drops of maple syrup

Wrap each water chestnut with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.  Line a pan with foil (for easy clean up).  Place bacon wrapped chestnut on the foil and put a few drops of maple syrup on each one.  Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar.  Broil until the bacon is done.

Peggy Newman

Stuffed Potatoes

New Potatoes make these little darlin’s irresistable

24 new red potatoes, halved                        ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon, plus             

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil                               more for garnish         

1 ½ cup sour cream                                     ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup crumbled blue cheese                         ¼ chives, finely chopped

Salt & fresh ground pepper                          paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°.  In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until the skins are crisp, about 20-25 minutes.  Let cool.  Scoop out the center of each potato half and place in a medium bowl.  Stir in the sour cream, blue cheese, salt and pepper, bacon, parsley and chives.  Fill each potato skin with the sour cream mixture and top with more crumbled bacon, paprika and parsley. 

Karen Newman

Stuffed Mushrooms

My Husband’s Favorite

12 whole large fresh mushrooms                 ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 T. olive oil                                                 ¼ tsp. black pepper

1 lg. clove garlic, minced                             ¼ tsp. onion powder

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened                    ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel.  Carefully break off stems.  Chop stems extremely fine.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet.  Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic.  Set aside to cool.  When garlic mixture is cool, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepper, onion powder and cayenne.  Mixture should be very thick.  Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing.  Arrange on cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Stuffed Jalapeno

Most Requested Appetizer

1 pkg. Ranch Dressing Mix                           Thin Sliced Bacon

1 pkg. 8 oz Cream Cheese                           Jalapenos, halved and seeded

Note:  The hottest part of the jalapeno is the membrane and the seeds – rub hands with oil to avoid burning before seeding jalapenos.  Mix cream cheese and dressing mix.  Stuff peppers, wrap with ½ slice of thin bacon.  Bake at 350° until done (bacon cooked).

Shrimp with Remoulade Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise                                        2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup chili sauce                                         2 Tbsp. chopped green olives

2 Tbsp. Creole mustard                                2 Tbsp. minced celery

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil                         1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. Tabasco                                           ½ tsp. chili powder

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice                                       1 tsp. salt or to taste

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce                         ½ tsp. black pepper

4 green onions, chopped                              1 tsp. capers, chopped

Mix all ingredients and chill before serving.  Serve with cooked, chilled shrimp

Tortilla Rollups

Everyone loves these – taste great – make ahead!

1 pkg. smoked turkey                                  2 celery stalks

1 green onions                                            1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup green stuffed olives                          flour tortillas

Chop first 4 ingredients in food processor.  Add to cream cheese.  Spread over tortillas and roll up tightly.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours and slice into 1” pieces.

Tortilla Rollups II

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened                    4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 green onions, finely chopped                    10 10” flour tortillas

¼ cup salsa

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, green onions, salsa and cheddar cheese.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on the tortillas.  Roll the tortillas and refrigerate about 4 hours before slicing into 1” pieces.

Tzatziki Sauce

2 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt, drained           2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

1 cucumber – peeled, seeded, diced            1 clove garlic, peeled

2 Tbsp. lemon juice                                      Optional:  green onion, chopped,

salt & pepper to taste                                      Feta cheese

                  

Drain yogurt well.  Combine all ingredients until well combined.  Cover and refrigerate at least one hour for best flavor.

Potato & Ham Soup

My friend Kathy and I were talking tonight and she mentioned having Potato & Ham Soup.  That sounds terriffic, we still have snow on the ground! I love to serve it with all the trimmings.

Potato and Ham Soup

A Crowd Pleaser for Any Group

3 ½ cups peeled and diced potatoes               ½ tsp. salt, or to taste

1/3 cup diced celery                                     1 tsp. ground white or black

1/3 cup finely chopped onion                          pepper to taste

¾ cup diced cooked ham/Canadian Bacon         5 tbsp. butter

3 ¼ cups water                                           5 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. chicken bouillon                                 2 cups milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot.  Bring to a boil then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Stir in the chicken bouillon, slat and pepper.  In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Whisk in flour with a fork and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute.  Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added.  Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4-5 minutes.  Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook soup until heated through.  Serve with condiment bowls of crisp fried bacon, grated sharp cheddar cheese, snipped chives and even chopped broccoli ~ let everyone build their own!

It's Chili Time!!! Here comes the snow and what could be better than Chili!!

Chili ~ Brown Dog’s Recipe

This Won

1^st Place

in a Chili Cook-Off

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil                                           3 Tbsp. (heaping) good chili powder

2 ½ lbs. ground beef (chili grind)                     1 pkg. Goya Sazon tomato/cilantro

1/3 cup flour                                               ½ tsp. Aleppo pepper

4 cloves garlic, crushed                                 2 pkg. Goya Sazon Anchiote

1 sweet onion, diced                                    ¼ tsp. Tobasco

1 cup finely chopped mix of red, orange           ½ tsp.  Penzey’s chipotle powder

   And red bell peppers                                  1 tsp. ancho chili powder

1 can low sodium beef broth                           1 tsp. chicken bouillon

1 can chicken broth                                      2 Tbsp. beef bouillon

2 14.5 oz. cans fire roasted tomatoes             ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce – no salt               2 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. Penzey’s Chili 3000                           ½ tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika

2 Tbsp. Penzey’s Chili 9000                           ½ tsp. smoked Spanish paprika

¼ cup minced jalapenos, seeds removed         1 tsp. fresh cracked multi color pepper

                                                                  

Brown ground beef in olive oil in two batches in heavy bottom large stock pot.  Remove beef from pot and add onion, peppers and garlic.  Sauté until onion is clear.  Add the meat back in and sprinkle the flour over all.  Stir well.  Add the

tomatoes, tomato sauce and both cans of broth.  Begin adding the seasonings, stirring often.  Let simmer for 1-2 hours.  Adjust flavorings to taste.

Chili ~ White Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast chopped                  1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

2 Tbsp. olive oil                                            1-2 tsp. cumin

4 cloves garlic, minced                                  1-2 tsp. oregano

2-3 stalks celery, chopped                             1 cup corn

2 onions, chopped                                        2 cans cannellini or great northern 

3 bell peppers (green, orange, red)                   beans

3 cans chicken broth                                    Cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

2 cans chopped green chilies                             & jalapenos for garnish

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute chicken in oil until tender.  Add the garlic, celery, onions, peppers, broth, chilies, corn and seasonings and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and add the beans.  Simmer for 20 minutes, or until heated through.  Pour into individual bowls and top with  cheese and jalapenos.  Thicken with 1-2 Tbsp. flour mixed with water.

Sweet September