Creole Spiced Shrimp and Cheese Grits

Creole Spice Shrimp and Cheese Grits
via: Katria Runs for Food blog

GRITS

2 Tablespoons of butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup milk
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup water, and additional may be needed to thin grits.
1 cup quick cooking grits
1/4 cup EACH of cheddar, parmesan, gruyere cheeses.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp

1/2 cup butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons creole or cajun seasoning
1-1/5 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 64 shrimp)
8 ounces dry white wine*
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Garnishes: julienned prosciutto, crumbled cooked bacon, chopped fresh chives
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic and 1 tablespoon thyme; sauté 1 minute. Add milk and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; whisk in grits. Reduce heat to lowest setting; cook 10 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Add cheeses and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm. If they set too firmly when ready to serve with shrimp, add water or milk to thin and reconstitute.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, celery, bell pepper, onions, thyme, cajun seasoning; sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp, and cook 7 minutes. Remove shrimp and veggies from skillet.
Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to low; whisk in remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in lemon juice, tomato, and parsley. Cook 3-5 minutes. Return shrimp and veggies to pan. Stir to mix with butter tomato sauce. Serve over grits. Garnish, if desired.
* If you would rather not use the wine, use broth or lemon juice.

Sweet Potato Pancakes and Ginger Butter

Ginger Butter
via Epicurious

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons finely chopped drained stem ginger in syrup,* syrup reserved

*Stem ginger in syrup is available in Asian markets and some supermarkets.
print a shopping list for this recipeview wine pairings

preparation

Beat butter and chopped ginger in small bowl to blend. Beat in 2 to 3 teaspoonfuls ginger syrup to sweeten to taste. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ginger-Butter-5779#ixzz1iG4Kp9U7

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Sweet Potato Pancakes
via Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

3/4 pound sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions

Place sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan of boiling water, and cook until tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, and immediately immerse in cold water to loosen skins. Drain, remove skins, chop, and mash.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Mix mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, milk and butter in a separate medium bowl. Blend sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture to form a batter.
Preheat a lightly greased griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter mixture onto the prepared griddle by heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook until golden brown, turning once with a spatula when the surface begins to bubble.

Homemade Hot Chocolate - Ellie's Contribution to Grandma Gay's Christmas Eve Party

SARAH'S BEST HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE
via: Cooks.com

1 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
1 c. milk
a bit of vanilla, if desired
Combine cocoa, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk and vanilla. Mix it all together until it reaches your preferred temperature.

Ellie tops this lovely hot chocolate with a pile of whipped cream, a few colorful sprinkles and a few chocolate shavings.

Cheese Wafers (Julia Child's Art of French Cooking)

GALETTES AU FROMAGE (Cheese Wafers)
Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
“These featherweight wafers are often made of Swiss cheese, but you can use other cheese or a mixture of cheeses if you wish, and thus employ leftovers. The dough contains just enough flour to hold the ‘galettes’ together while they bake, and ¾ cup of flour is usually right for Swiss cheese. You will probably need more if you are using soft cheeses, and should always bake one as a test.”

For about 30 wafers

½ pound (about 2 pressed-down cups) grated Swiss cheese or a mixture of cheeses
½ pound softened butter
¾ cup sifted all-purpose flour, more if needed
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Lightly butterd baking sheets
1 egg beaten with ½ teaspoon water in a small bowl
½ cup grated Swiss cheese for topping

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Knead all the ingredients together in a bowl or on a board. The mixture will be sticky. Roll a 1-tablespoon bit into a ball in the palms of your hands, then flatten it into a cake 1/4 inch thick. Bake 10 to 15 minutes in a hot oven to observe how it holds together; it should spread slightly, puff lightly, and brown. If it spreads out more than you wish, or is too fragile, knead in 1/4 cup more flour and make another test.

When you are satisfied, form the rest of the dough into cakes and place on baking sheets. Paint the tops with beaten egg and top each with a pinch of grated cheese. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the galettes have puffed, and browned slightly. Cool them on a rack.

Chili

Chili
(I made this recipe up with stuff I had at home as I did not want to go out in the snow.)

2 pounds Ground Beef
1/2 Onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, minced
2 cans Busch's Beans
1 can Tomato Soup
1 cup Water
3 tea. Beef Bouillon
2-3 TBL. Basil, dried
1 tea. Cumin
1-2 tea. Chili Powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
1-1.5 tea. Smoked Paprika
1-2 cups Corn, frozen or canned

Brown the beef, pouring off excess fat. Saute the onion and garlic with the beef. Add in the remaining ingredients. Simmer for at 30 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole For a 13" x9" pan

Honey Garlic Chicken - A Crock Pot / Slow Cooker Recipe

Here's what I am cooking up in the crock pot:


Honey Garlic Chicken
slightly adapted from More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow
Via: Taste and Tell Blog

serves 4

prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 3 to 4 hours, on high
6 to 8 hours, on low

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves, chopped or grated
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
fresh basil, shredded, for garnish

Place the chicken in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, ketchup and honey. Pour over the chicken and cover.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken, place on a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer the remaining sauce to a saucepan and reduce down over medium heat until desired consistency is reached. Serve over the chicken and garnish with fresh basil.

Serve over rice.