Shrimp Enchiladas

Bill "Sling' Slingerland won first place and $1,000 in grocery coupons from H.E.B. at the Aransas Pass Shrimporee Seafood Cook-off several years ago.






Ingredients: Makes about 20 enchiladas
1 1/2 pounds cooked shrimp, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1 can Cream of Shrimp soup
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
20 corn tortillas
1 cup water
3 cans salsa verde
additional grated Monterrey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in skillet, add onions and saute' until clear, then add poblano peppers and cook until soft. Add shrimp and soup. Take off heat. Stir in cheese. Soften tortillas by steaming them over hot water. Fill tortillas with spoonful of filling. Foll and lay in a 9" X 13" pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. After pan is full, about 20 enchiladas, cover enchiladas with green sauce (salsa verde), then sprinkle with additional cheese. Add dollops of sour cream if desired. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
This makes about 5 enchiladas
Note: When I made it this time, I was only making it for two people. I did not have a poblano pepper or cream of shrimp soup, so this is what I did.   I added about 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. When the butter was melted, I added about 3 tablespoons of onions chopped.  After they were soft, I added 1 tablespoons of flour, stirring it until incorporated. Then I added about 1 cup of half and half along with uncooked shrimp. After about 2 minutes, I added two handfuls of fresh spinach.  I softened the tortillas in the microwave for 20 seconds.  I put about two tablespoons of filling in each of the 5 tortillas and rolled them placing them in the prepared baking dish. Top it with the salsa verde sauce and then the cheese. I did not add the sour cream this time and I only used 1/4 pound of shrimp. It was plenty for the two of us.

Alton Brown's Baby Back Ribs

These are some of the best ribs I have ever had.  I have already put these on my blog, but I didn't have a picture and wanted to add that.   The first time I had these was at Stacy's house. She made them for Father's Day. She knows her daddy's love for anything B.B.Q.  I used Tim and Mary Son's Margarita Mix.

Printable Version

1 full rack/slab baby back ribs kosher salt Alton's spice Rub number 9 - Liquid 1.  1/2 cup orange juice 2.  1/2 cup prepared Margarita mix You will add #3-6 later. 3.  1/3 cup honey 4.  1/3 cup ketchup 5.  1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 6.  1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper Rub Number 9  5 parts brown sugar 3 parts chili powder 1 part garlic powder 1/2 part ground thyme 1/4 part cayenne 1/4 part allspice Alton recommends tablespoons for the first time you make this rub. Then, you realize you can use it on other foods and you make it by the cups. Seriously, that man knows what he's doing 1 day ahead Rinse the ribs and pat dry with a paper towel. Cover a broiler pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Roll out a pice of heavy-duty aluminum foil roughly 4 inces longer than the ribs on both end. Season the ribs liberally with the salt and Rub number 9.Turn the ribs meat-side down and tightly seal, folding in the sides of the foil first, and then the end. Put the packet in the broiling pan and refrigerate for 6-12 hours, flopping over once. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the rib-packet out of the refrigerator and unroll one end. Shaping the foil upward like a funnel. Pour in the orange juice and margarita mixture. Reseal the foil packet, and as Alton says, "see-saw it back and forth" so that the ribs are evenly covered with fruit juices. Put the pan in the middle of the oven and cook at 350 degrees. After 1 hour, reduce temperature to 250 degrees and cook for approximately 2 more hours. Remove the pan from the oven and unroll one end of the meat packet. Carefully drain all juice into a small saucepan. Add the honey, ketchup, worcestershire and cayenne pepper. Whisk and stir as you put the mixture on high and bring to a boil. When it's of a spoon-coating consistency, take it off the heat and find a brush that you can use for painting. Remove the ribs from oven, move the oven rack to the next to top position and turn the boiler on high. While broiler is heating, cut the slab into four even pieces. Place ribs on broiling pan, meat side up. Brush with glaze and broil for 2-3 minutes. Reglaze and repeat until the ribs are a dark mahogany color. Flip the ribs bone side up, glaze and broil for 1 minute longer Remove and allow to cool before serving.

Apricot Hamantaschen

I found this recipe Here  She did not put powdered sugar on hers, but I thought it would be a good addition.

Ingredients

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife, plus more for rolling the dough
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, very cold
• 3 large egg yolks, divided
• 1-2 tablespoons ice cold water
• 3/4 cup apricot jam, best quality such as Bonne Maman

Instructions

1. Combine the confectioners' sugar, flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for 10-15 seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 of the egg yolks and pulse a few times, until the mixture is crumbly and pale yellow. Add 1 tablespoon of the water and pulse just until the dough starts to clump together. If the mixture seems dry, add the remaining tablespoon of water and pulse again. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times into a smooth ball. Divide in half and pat into two 6-inch discs; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F and set racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, make an egg wash by mixing the remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Set aside.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work 
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll to 1/8-inch thick, turning and dusting with more flour as necessary so it doesn't stick. Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out 3-inch circles and place about 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll and re-cut any excess dough. Brush the dough very lightly with the egg wash. Place a level teaspoon of apricot jam on the center of each cookie (do not overfill). Fold in the sides, slightly overlapping the filling, to form a triangle so that each side of the cookie has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under -- this creates a pattern that looks pretty (but don't fuss too much over it). Pinch the corners together neatly so that they form a point. Slide the pans into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the pans halfway through baking, until the cookies are lightly golden on top and just starting to brown in the corners. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Add powdered sugar to the top. 

Sherry's Meatloaf

Anytime you take a recipe and make it your own, I give myself permission to name it after me. You have the same permission.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean beef

1 cup bread crumbs (I used Panco, because that is what I had)

2 eggs

1 cup taco sauce

1/2 chopped onion

2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon thyme leaves

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Ketchup

2 strips bacon

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix meat, bread crumbs, eggs, taco sauce, parsley, thyme, Worcestershire and salt with your hands. Add meat mixture to loaf pan, spreading catsup on top. Lay bacon on top of the Ketchup and bake 1 hour.

Baked Ziti with Creamy Kale and Sausage

 You can find the recipe Here  I found it on my fitness website that I follow.







Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
4 deli-fresh lean spicy Italian turkey sausages - casings removed
2 - 12 oz. bunches Kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped
1 pound whole-wheat ziti, rigatoni or penne pasta (I only used 1/2 a pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup white whole-wheat flour
4 cups 1% milk
4 oz. part-skim, low moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 packaged cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in liquid
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, line a large plate with paper towel. Heat a large skillet on medium-high and mist with cooking spray. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 7 to 9 minutes. With a slotted spatula, transfer sausage to plate and cover with 2 more layers of paper towel, pressing lightly to absorb excess fat; set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. To boiling water, add kale and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer kale to a colander and set aside to drain. Return saucepan to a boil, add pasta and cook until just barely al dente (undercooked by about 1 minute). Meanwhile, line a large bowl with paper towel and transfer kale to bowl to absorb any remaining liquid. Drain pasta and set aside.
4. In a separate large saucepan, melt butter on medium-low. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, until fragrant. Gradually whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer, whisking frequently, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 3 cups milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add mozzarella and whisk until melted and mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
5. To milk mixture, add tomatoes, salt, pepper, sausage, pasta and kale and stir to combine. Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until cheese melts and sauce bubbles, 15 to 18 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. (MAKE AHEAD: Prepare up to 24 hours ahead, but don’t bake. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. To serve, bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbly. You can bake this dish at home then reheat, covered, at your host’s place in a 350°F oven just until warmed through.)

Fish Sticks from Scratch

I found this recipe in the Austin American Statesman. You can find it Here  Jud has mentioned in the past that he had fish stick growing up. When I saw this recipe I knew I needed to make them to revisit a memory.  These were so much better than I even hoped.  I used cod for my fish of choice.  




Ingredients:
4 slices bread ( or panko bread crumbs)
Thick milk white fish fillets such as cod, halibut, or haddock
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 pinches of salt and fresh ground white pepper (I just used black pepper)
1 large egg white
4 teaspoons oil, for cooking  ( I used my deep fryer so I used more oil)
Directions:
1. To make the fish sticks, put the fish in the freezer for 1 hour to make it easier to cut into pieces.
2. To make bread crumbs, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut bread into pieces and lay them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes until crispy and dry. Turn the bread into crumbs in a food processor.
3. Place flour in a shallow cake pan and mix with salt and pepper.
4. Place egg white in another cake pan and beat it lightly with a fork.
5. Place bread crumbs in a third cake pan.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut the frozen fish into sticks about 3 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide.
7. Coat the fish sticks first in the flour, then in the egg white, and finally in the breadcrumbs.
8. Pour oil into a skillet and fry the fish sticks for 5 minutes on each side over high heat until they are golden and cooked through.
9. Drain the fish sticks on paper towels and serve them hot with tartar sauce and red sauce.
* Note - I used a Fry Daddy and it only had to cook about 2 minutes. I fried 4 at a time.