Gumbo

First, I don't use a recipe, but I tried to find one that was almost to what I do and change it around some. :) My boys ate this. They can be funny sometimes about what they eat. And they ate the okra. :) Mason asked if we could grow some in our garden. You can really change this around if you want. You can ad more of the veggies if you want more of them and if you don't like shrimp just leave them out. You can make it hotter with more red pepper or if you don't want any heat then don't ad any.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pkg. (14 oz.) Turkey Smoked Sausage, sliced

1 chicken breast, cut into small pieces

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) condensed chicken broth

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen okra, thawed, sliced

1 small bay leaf

1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

red pepper to taste

1/2 lb. cleaned medium shrimp

6 cups hot cooked rice

MELT butter in large pot on medium-high heat. Stir in flour. Cook 4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add green pepper, onion, celery and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

ADD turkey sausage, chicken, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf and thyme; stir until well blended. Season with salt and black pepper and red pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

STIR in shrimp and okra; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, stirring frequently. Remove and discard bay leaf. Spoon over hot rice.

Key Lime Tarts

I made these for a girls night out. When I made them the recipe made about 70 not the 30 that it says it's make. These would also be great for a baby shower or wedding shower. You can find the key lime juice at some grocery stores. I found mine at Harmons this time. It's in the juice isle next to the lemon and lime juice. You can also squeeze your own fresh key limes.

Key Lime Tarts

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

4 egg yolks

1 cup fresh key lime juice

2 (2.1-ounce) packages frozen mini phyllo pastry shells, thawed

Whipped cream and lime zest

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together first 3 ingredients until well blended.
Place pastry shells into mini-muffin tins.
Spoon key lime filling evenly into pastry shells. Bake for 15 minutes. Chill. Top with whipped cream and lime zest, if desired.

Valentine Cookies

These are cookies I made for Dan to take to work for Valentine's Day. I cheated on the cookie part and used a Betty Crocker cookie mix to make the cookies. I didn't feel so bad because my Grandma does it to. :) But the frosting I made and here's the recipe.

Buttercream Icing

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk
Makes: About 3 cups of icing
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.
For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Baby Shower

We had a baby shower for Tamara this weekend. I made the fondant out of marshmallow's for the cake. Here's the recipe for the chicken salad puffs.

Curried Dijon Chicken Puffs

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/3 cup GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. green onion slices
1/2 tsp. curry powder
24 store-bought appetizer-size cream puffs (1-1/2 inch diameter)

Make It
MIX all ingredients except cream puffs.
CUT tops off cream puffs.
SPOON chicken mixture evenly into cream puffs; replace tops. Serve immediately.

I make my own puffs and here's the recipe. I use a cookie scoop to get the size I want.

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Heat oven to 400ºF. In 2 1/2-quart saucepan, heat water and butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour; reduce heat to low. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth.
On cookie sheet, drop dough by slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until puffed and golden

Cajun Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

These are really good. Try not to over mix them. I used garlic powder in the Aioli instead of chopped garlic. And I used Old Bay seasoning instead of cajun seasoning and added some red pepper to the salmon cakes. I didn't have canned salmon so I used fresh salmon that I cooked, let cool, and then I broke it apart. I also used a little more oil then they say to cook the cakes in. My pictures not great, but I was in a hurry because Dan had to go to school. :)

Cajun Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

Aioli:
2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
Cakes:
3 (6-ounce) cans skinless, boneless pink salmon in water, drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon canola oil
Preparation
To prepare aioli, combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
To prepare cakes, combine salmon and next 5 ingredients (through mustard) in a medium bowl. Divide salmon mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each portion into a (1/2-inch-thick) patty. Dredge patties in 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place patties in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and heated through. Serve aioli over salmon.

Sweet and Sassy Beef Fajitas

This has to be one of our favorite meals. I just love the flavor the marinade gives to the beef. I also make them with shrimp, but I don't use the marinade. I put olive oil, fresh lemon juice, pepper, and garlic powder on the shrimp. I love grilling the meat, but it's to cold for that right now. :) I just cook it in a frying pan. Serve it with Spanish Rice and black beans. This picture didn't turn out to good. It taste better then it looks. :)


Sweet and Sassy Beef Fajitas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (11/2-pound) flank steak
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Fajita size flour tortillas
Shredded cheese, Pico de Gallo, Holy Guacamole!, and sour cream
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine first 6 ingredients.
Place steak in a large shallow dish or resealable plastic bag; pour lime mixture over steak. Cover or seal, and chill 4 hours, turning steak occasionally.
Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinade.
Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350°F to 400°F) 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 145°F (medium-rare), turning occasionally. Slice steak thinly, across the grain, cover, and keep warm.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and peppers, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add sliced steak, stirring to combine.
Serve fajitas with tortillas and desired toppings


Spanish Rice

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 28oz. can tomatoes, cup up
3/4 cup long grain rice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup water


In a large skillet cook onion, green pepper, and garlic in hot oil till tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, sugar, chili powder, and water. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or till rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

I changed this recipe up a few ways. I don't like fennel so I left that out and added red onion. You could also include squash or bell peppers. I also only used 1 clove of garlic instead of 4. I didn't have the chicken it called for so I used boneless, skinless, chicken thighs. Be sure to adjust your cooking time if you choose to use a different cut of chicken. This was a great one dish meal and for a time saver you could chop all your veggies up in the morning and then just throw it all together at dinner time.

Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

6 Roma tomatoes (about 1 pound)
3 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound each)
1 bulb fennel
3 tablespoons oil, divided
3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 chicken breast halves skinless, bone-in (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters and remove the seeds. Trim the zucchini and cut it in half crosswise and then cut each piece in half lengthwise once if the piece is thin and twice if it is thicker, so that the pieces are relatively uniform.
Remove the outermost layer of the fennel bulb and discard. Cut the bulb in half so that each half retains part of the stem end. Cut each half into 8 thin wedges so each wedge is held together by a little piece of stem.
Put the vegetables into a large baking pan. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Arrange the chicken pieces in the pan with the vegetables.
In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Rub the mixture into the chicken in the pan. Season with a few turns of pepper.
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then give the vegetables a stir and add the rosemary. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes more until the chicken is done and the vegetable are tender and beginning to brown.