This post was edited by rob333 on Fri, Feb 1, 13 at 8:00

Bang Bang Prawns

Almost Famous Spicy Shrimp
==========================
Source: Monique - La Table De Nana
La Recette~Courtesy of the Food Network~
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (such as sambal oelek)
2 teaspoons honey
Kosher salt
For the Shrimp:
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1-1/4 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
Bibb lettuce leaves, for serving
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Directions
Make the sauce: Mix the mayonnaise, chili sauce, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl; set aside.

Prepare the shrimp: Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl. Whisk the flour, cornstarch and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in another shallow bowl.

Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, dip in the beaten eggs, then return to the flour mixture, turning to form a thick crust. Fry the shrimp in the hot oil until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.

Toss the shrimp with the prepared sauce. Arrange the lettuce in a shallow serving bowl or on individual plates. Top with the shrimp and garnish with scallions.

Wet Burritos Recipe

Posted By Bobby On August 15, 2011 @ 12:10 pm In Recipes : 8 Comments

Being a lover of Mexican cuisine it came as a shock to me that I had never heard of wet burritos. After looking over the ingredient list I knew this was something I had to make. If you are not familiar with wet burritos they are flour tortillas filled with a ground beef mixture and topped with a chile sauce and cheese. The burrito filling consists of hamburger, green chilies, and refried beans. What really impressed me about this dish was the chile sauce. This sauce uses condensed tomato soup, enchilada sauce and canned chili. The combination was excellent. If you are looking for a slightly different take on the burrito, give this one a try.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chili peppers
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (15 ounce) can chili without beans
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
6 (12 inch) flour tortillas (warmed)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 cup green onions (chopped)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large skillet over medium-high heat cook ground beef while chopping up with a spatula or spoon. Cook while chopping until browned. Add onion and cook until translucent. Drain the grease and season with garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in green chilies and refried beans. Mix until well blended. Turn off heat and keep warm.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan combine chile without beans, tomato soup, and enchilada sauce. Cook until heated through and bubbling. Keep warm.
Step 3: Place a warmed tortilla onto a platter, and spoon about a 1/2 cup of the ground beef mixture onto the center of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla over the filling. Spoon a generous amount of the chile/enchilada sauce over the top of the burrito and sprinkle cheese over the top of the sauce. Microwave for 30 seconds or until the cheese has melted. Top with lettuce, tomato, and green onions.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Blog Chef

Lemony Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Source: Wine Imbiber (adapted from Blackjack Bakehouse)

Cake

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 (heaping) teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Meyer (or regular) lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 2 1/2 Meyer (or regular) lemons, divided (2 + 1/2)

Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (Note: I increased vanilla to 2 teaspoons)
1 cup confectioners sugar

(Note: I left out the lemon extract/zest in the cream cheese filling.)

Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease a 9″ springform pan with vegetable spray. (Note: I used a deep fluted tart pan with removeable base)

In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese on medium-high to high speed for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Add confectioners sugar and beat for another 2-3 minutes. Add egg and beat until completely combined, about 1 minute. Add butter, both extracts and the zest of 2 lemons. Beat until completely combined, about 1 minute. Set aside. (Note: I used only the vanilla in the filling.)

In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in melted butter, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla extract and the zest from half a lemon until combined. Do not over-mix!

Pour batter evenly into springform pan. Carefully pour filling mixture evenly over the cake batter to within about 1/2 inch of the edge of the pan. (The filling should cover all but the outer 1/2 inch, at which point the cake batter will be visible.)

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake has puffed up and toothpick inserted near edge of cake comes out clean. (The filling really puffed up on mine, then collapsed down as it cooled.)

Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully remove springform sides and allow cake to cool on rack for 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator and chill completely before serving. (I didn't bother with the fridge.)I just let it cool down to room temperature on the counter.)

Dust the cake top with a sprinkling of confectioners sugar. Berries would be good with this, but are optional.

Swedish Meatballs

Two large bags home-style frozen meatballs
4 Tbsp butter
6 medium sweet onions (chopped)
1/4 cup flour
1 pint half and half
2 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon beef base
1/2 cup Madeira
1/2 cup sour cream

Thaw and heat meatballs in large glass bowl in microwave.

Melt butter in large pot, cook onions over medium heat until thoroughly softened and translucent (about 15 minutes)
Stir in flour, and cook another minute or so.
Add Madeira and beef base, and stir until much of the Madeira has boiled off.
Add half and half and puree sauce with stick blender until the sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Put heated meatballs in large crockpot, pour sauce over them, and set crockpot on low.

Turkey with stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Sweet potato casserole with apples
Salad
Fresh cranberry-orange relish
Vegetable is usually green beans or Brussels sprouts
Pies, pumpkin for sure plus others

Planning ahead for a big group I would get some turkey legs and thighs, roast them and make the gravy ahead of time.
We both grew up having a creamy jello for the salad and I still prefer it today. Easy to do ahead and the sweetness and cold contrasts nice with the dinner. I quit making dinner rolls for Thanksgiving over ten years ago but for a large group I probably would do them again. I do try new recipes for my vegetable from time to time but for years a corn casserole was a must have.

Here is the sweet potato casserole we love...

Praline Apples and Sweet Potatoes

Great dish to slide into the oven just as the turkey comes out.

4 large sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled.
4 tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut in �" slices
1 stick butter
1C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 C pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350�.
Spray a 9X13 pan with non-stick cooking spray
Cut the sweet potatoes in 1" cubes and put into baking pan

Melt butter in a large skillet, over med. high heat. Add apple slices to the melted butter, saute about 5 min., just until the apples begin to soften. Sprinkle with sugars, spices and salt, continue cooking until sugars are melted and apples are cooked but still firm enough to hold their shape. Remove from heat and distribute evenly over the sweet potatoes.

Bake approx. 30 mins, or until heated through and bubbly around the edges.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Best Green Bean Casserole

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.
3.Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.
4.Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Pies...for Thanksgiving it really depends on your oven space and time you plan on eating dinner. My family always wanted dinner about 1 or 2pm so I had to make my pies the day before. If you are eating later then Linda's suggestion of making pies first thing in the morning will work.
Doing as much ahead as possible makes the day much more enjoyable for you.

What kind of turkey are you buying?

Nancy

Alexa

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream (weed)
Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min or less
1# pork tenderloin, cut into 2" slices
Seasoned flour
2 Tbl. butter, divided
2 tsp. canola or olive oil
2 green onions, sliced (coin shape), white and green parts separated
1/3 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to low, about 170 degrees.
Lightly pound pork medallions to 1" thick.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tsp. oil over medium high heat.
Dredge pork in seasoned flour. Add all at once to pan and saute 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and hold in the oven while finishing the sauce. (pork will be a bit underdone but will finish in the oven.)
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pan.
Add white part of onion, saute for 1 minute.
Add wine or vermouth, simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
Add cream, simmer 2 - 3 minutes until thickened.*
Stir in Dijon, add salt and pepper to taste.
Return pork to pan to coat with sauce. Serve over rice or pasta, garnishing with the green part of the onion.
*If sauce ends up too thick for your liking, add a little water or milk, but no more than 1/4 cup.

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Pork Tenderloin With Bourbon Sauce
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup Kentucky Bourbon
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce (2 tsp for pan sauce)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (1 tbsp for pan sauce)
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard (2 Tbsp for pan sauce)
• 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• dash hot sauce
• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
Marinade & Grill Option
In blender or food processor, combine bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and oil; pulse until smooth. Place tenderloin and marinade in a food storage bag; refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Cook 4 inches from a hot charcoal fire for 15 to 25 minutes or until the pork has reached 165° internally and is no longer pink in the center. Baste occasionally while cooking. Slice in 1/2-inch thick slices to serve.
Serves 6.
Saute and Pan Sauce Option
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
Combine bourbon, soy, sugar, apple cider, sugar, Worcestershire, hot sauce in a bowl. Peel silver skin off the tenderloins and cut into 1 inch pieces. Put the pieces between two sheets of plastic and flatten into medallions. Add a tbsp of oil to a sauté pan heated to Med-High. Sauté the pork in batches, about 2 ��" 3 min per side. Move to as warm oven.
Add a bit more oil if needed, and add the garlic to the pan, cook for 30 seconds. Add the liquid mixture in the bowl and stir/whisk to loosen any bits stuck to the pan. When it is bubbling and all the bits are loose, add the mustard and cream. Bring to a simmer, add the medallions back to the pan for 1 ��" 2 min, covered. Serve.

**********************************************************
Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions & Shallots
4 pork chops
olive oil
salt, pepper and cayenne
2 medium onions -- thinly sliced
4 Shallots ��" Thinly Sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or 6 tablespoons Port )
3 tablespoons water
Brush chops with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Brown chops; remove from pan.
Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and add onions, shallots, crushed red pepper and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly caramelized - 30-45 minutes.
Stir in balsamic vinegar (port) and water. Add pork chops; cover and cook 15-20 minutes until chops are done.

*** If using Port, omit water
***************************************************8
Herbed Pork Rib Roast
• Recipe by Frank Stitt
Frank Stitt, the chef and owner of Bottega and Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, Alabama, adores this versatile cut of pork. It can be sliced into chops and cooked individually or roasted whole and carved at the table.
• ACTIVE: 10 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 3 HRS 15 MIN
• SERVINGS: 6
INGREDIENTS
1. 3 garlic cloves, minced
2. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
4. 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves
5. One 4-pound pork rib roast cut from the loin end, chine bone removed
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, blend the garlic with the olive oil, thyme and rosemary. Rub the herb paste all over the pork roast and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 500°. Set the pork in a small roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Roast the pork for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°. Continue roasting the pork for 40 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 145°. Transfer the pork to a carving board and let stand for about 10 minutes. Cut between the ribs, transfer the chops to plates and serve.

SERVE WITH
Grits and grilled eggplant.
A creamy Chardonnay with hints of fruit and oak or a light-bodied red.

Oven dried tomatoes

In large bowl combine:
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tsp. Lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh chopped (or dried) Parsley
1 Tbl. chopped Rosemary
Dried Pepper flacks to your taste, oppt.
Salt & Pepper to taste

Leave skin on and cut tomatoes in to bite size pieces.
Take out any seeds.
Place tomatoes in the mixture and refrg. for at least 2 hours.
Set oven on lowest temp. Max. 200 degrees.
Take tomatoes out of mixture and spread on cookie sheet. It's OK if they touch.
They will need to Oven dry for about 14 to 16 hours. Size of pieces will determine time.
I put mine in about 7pm and get them out the next morning around 10:30am.

Amount of tomatoes is up to you.

You will not be able to stop eating them. I have put most of mine up in the freezer. They are especially wonderful in pasta dishes or salads.

Welcome Leesa and hope you enjoy.
Patris

Not cooking enough these days.

It would take me an hour to comment on all the great food and Photo's , so I'll just say,
" I want to second everyones comments".
I did take note to one comment by,

Teresa nc.
" I can't wait to try them on a bed of greens, I have growing on my deck."

You should really bring the greens in the Kitchen and prepare them, properly.
LOL !!!

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I made the best Lasagna tonight, that I ever tasted.

Used a 9 1/2 X 14 inch Pyrex, spooned in some Spaghetti Sauce on the bottom.

Laid a layer of cooked Lasagna over that.

For the filling I used one lb. of Ricotta,
mixed with 2 eggs, 2 Tablespoons of Parsley and

a pinch of Basil and Parmesan.

This was mixed well and spooned over the Lasagna.

Then chopped Meatballs and Simmered Sausage was spread over that.

Another layer of Lasagna was placed over all this.

Chopped Provolone , Cheddar and Mozzarella, was spread on, With a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Then dotted with some Spaghetti Sauce and the remaining
Ricotta mix and some shredded Pizza Cheese.

Another layer of Lasagna was placed over this and a thin layer of Spaghetti Sauce on top.

Baked this mess for an hour at 325 degrees.

Now I can transform into a Couch Potato again.

LOU

Lars' Hummus

I like Hummus with a strong garlic flavor, and so you may want to use a bit less than I do, but I think it improves the flavor. The important thing to remember when you make hummus yourself is to use fresh or dried beans - never canned, as they always have a "can" flavor. If you must use canned garbanzos, make sure you rinse them thoroughly.

Ingredients

1/2 pound (1-1/3 c) dried garbanzo beans, (about 3 to 3-1/2 cups cooked)
1/2 cup lemon juice
3-4 large cloves of garlic (6 if small)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil
1/2 cup tahini (toasted, if available)
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1-1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
1-2 tbsp water, if needed

Directions

Cook beans according to package instructions. I generally boil them for two minutes in a large pan, with triple height of water. Then I turn off the heat and soak for 1 hour covered and then wash them. Garbanzos will require about 2 hours to cook, after being soaked. To hasten cooking, you can add 1/4 tsp baking soda. After cooking, I rinse them twice with cold water to remove the cooking water.

Put the drained beans in a large food processor with the peeled garlic cloves (coarsely chopped) and the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth. If it is too thick, thin with water, a tablespoon at a time.

It is difficult to find tahini made from toasted sesame seeds, and this is why I add the toasted sesame seed oil.

---------------

One of the main differences in my recipe is that I do NOT use cumin -- Greek hummus typically does not have it either. I find the flavor of cumin distracting in this dish and instead concentrate on the toasted sesame flavor. You can always take a certain portion of the hummus out and add a bit of cumin to it to see if you like it, but I advise against putting it in the whole batch - it limits your options.

Lars

Marinated Cheese Cubes

2 lbs. cheese cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Garnish: flat-leaf parsley sprigs or fresh rosemary stems

Whisk the spices/herbs into the olive oil & pour over the cheese cubes. Toss until the cheese cubes are all coated. Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mini-meatballs in sauce (Swedish, BBQ + raspberry preserves, mixture ketchup & chili sauce, etc.) again served with toothpicks are always well received, can be made a couple weeks in advance, & freeze/reheat very well. If there will be a lot of little ones...there's a mess potential.

Here's a way to use crab inexpensively since a little goes a long ways & it looks holiday festive. You could make the filling early in the day & then just pop them in the oven when needed.

Crab & Cranberry Mini-Cups

1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce - homemade is best (or purchased)
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 Cup Crab Meat, minced
2 Tablespoons Green Onion, white and green parts, sliced
15 Individual Mini-Phyllo Shells, thawed

Preheat oven to 375�F.

Place cranberry sauce in a small mixing bowl; beat with a fork or wire whisk until smooth.

Combine cream cheese, crab meat and green onion in a small mixing bowl.

Fill each shell with about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 teaspoon cranberry sauce.

Bake for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 15 individual servings.

/tricia

:)

Nice looking rhubarb pudding cake!