Saturday, April 21, 2012

Absolutely The Best Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp sauteed in olive oil, with a brandy sauce flavored with garlic shallots and oregano. Great served with a rice pilaf and salad!



  • Prep Time:
  • Cook Time:
  • Ready In:
  • 20 Minutes
  • 20 Minutes
  • 40 Minutes
  • serving:4









Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined without tails
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
Directions
  1. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Dredge shrimp in flour mixture.
  2. In a large skillet, saute dredged shrimp in olive oil for 5 minutes over high heat. Toss shrimp often to prevent burning. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a serving dish, leaving the oil in the pan.
  3. In the same pan, saute the garlic, shallot, parsley and oregano over medium heat for 3 minutes; stirring constantly. Spoon the mixture over the shrimp. Return pan to the heat. Preheat your broiler for medium heat.
  4. Pour the wine and brandy into the skillet and ignite with a match or lighter. When the flames die down, stir to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet; pour over shrimp.
  5. Place the serving dish of shrimp in a preheated broiler for about 2 minutes.
Nutrition
per serving
Calories
500
Total Fat
30 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Cholesterol
269 mg
Sodium
533 mg
Total Carbohydrates
16 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Protein
36 g

Friday, April 20, 2012

Absolute Best Potato Casserole

  • Prep Time:
  • Cook Time:
  • Ready In:
  • 20 Minutes
  • 1 hour 10 Minutes
  • 1 hour 30 Minutes
  • serves 10











Potatoes, ham, and cauliflower are layered, and baked with a delicious Swiss and Cheddar cheese sauce.



Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • 6 large russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 pound cooked ham, chopped
  • 1 (16 ounce) package frozen cauliflower
  • 1/4 cup crushed cornflakes cereal
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
  2. To prepare the cheese sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in milk, and stir constantly until thickened. Mix in Cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese, and continue to stir until smooth. Reduce heat to low.
  3. Layer potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer onion and ham over potatoes. Top with cauliflower. Cover with the cheese sauce.
  4. Bake covered 1 hour in the preheated oven. Remove cover, sprinkle with crushed cornflakes, and continue baking 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender and surface is bubbly and lightly browned. Allow to cool about 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
per serving
Calories
452
Total Fat
20 g
Saturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
59 mg
Sodium
797 mg
Total Carbohydrates
49 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Protein
21 g

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Absolute Best Liver and Onions

This recipe will turn liver haters into converts. Very simple! The three things that will set your liver above all others are: 1) soak in milk, 2)turn liver as little as possible and 3) don't overcook!





Ingredients
  • 2 pounds sliced beef liver
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, or as needed
  • 1/4 cup butter, divided
  • 2 large Vidalia onions, sliced into rings
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Gently rinse liver slices under cold water, and place in a medium bowl. Pour in enough milk to cover. Let stand while preparing onions. (I like to soak up to an hour or two - whatever you have time for.) This step is SO important in taking the bitter taste of the liver out.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Separate onion rings, and saute them in butter until soft. Remove onions, and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Season the flour with salt and pepper, and put it in a shallow dish or on a plate. Drain milk from liver, and coat slices in the flour mixture.
  3. When the butter has melted, turn the heat up to medium-high, and place the coated liver slices in the pan. Cook until nice and brown on the bottom. Turn, and cook on the other side until browned. Add onions, and reduce heat to medium. Cook a bit longer to taste. Our family prefers the liver to just barely retain a pinkness on the inside when you cut to check. Enjoy!
Nutrition
per serving
Calories
744
Total Fat
25 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Cholesterol
722 mg
Sodium
392 mg
Total Carbohydrates
77 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Protein
49 g

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Abby's Chicken Rollatini

  • Prep Time:
  • Cook Time:
  • Ready In:
  • 15 Minutes
  • 30 Minutes
  • 45 Minutes







serves 4




Much like Chicken Saltimbocca, this is chicken smothered in parmesan cheese and rolled with mozzarella and prosciutto and baked in white wine.



Ingredients
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 teaspoons butter
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 10 ounces sliced whole milk mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 pinch black pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. Pound chicken breasts flat, and lay them on work surface. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese on both sides. Place a pinch of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon butter in the center of each breast. Cover each breast with a layer of prosciutto and mozzarella cheese. Reserve some of the prosciutto to place on top of the chicken. Roll up each chicken breast, and secure with toothpicks.
  3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, combine white wine and olive oil. Arrange chicken rolls in dish. Place a small piece of prosciutto on top of each roll, and sprinkle with pepper.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink, an juices run clear.
Nutrition
per serving
Calories
675
Total Fat
47 g
Saturated Fat
20 g
Cholesterol
171 mg
Sodium
1291 mg
Total Carbohydrates
3 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Protein
53 g




Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A JERKY CHICKEN


A great Jamaican style dish. A spicy blend of herbs, vinegar, and habanero pepper make this chicken dish unforgettable. Serve with rice, yum!



Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 habanero pepper, sliced
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips
Directions
  1. Combine the onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, sesame oil, garlic, allspice and habanero pepper in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Place the chicken into a large resealable bag, and pour in 3/4 of the sauce. Squeeze out excess air, and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  2. Preheat your oven's broiler.
  3. Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. Broil chicken for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once to ensure even cooking. Heat remaining sauce in a small pan, and pour over chicken when serving.
Notes:
  • The nutrition data for this recipe includes information for the full amount of the marinade ingredients. Depending on marinating time, ingredients, cooking method, etc., the actual amount of the marinade consumed will vary.
Nutrition
per serving
Calories
197
Total Fat
3 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Cholesterol
68 mg
Sodium
982 mg
Total Carbohydrates
13 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Protein
28 g

Monday, April 16, 2012

A GREAT PEPPER SALAD!

Three kinds of tangy peppers are tossed together with three cheeses, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, garlic and herbs in this simple and flavorful marinated salad.



Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 (16 ounce) jars sliced pepperoncini peppers, drained
  • 1 (32 ounce) jar sweet pepper rings, drained
  • 1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimento peppers, drained
  • 1 pound pepperoni sausage, cubed
  • 1 pound provolone cheese, cubed
  • 1/2 pound Swiss cheese, cubed
  • 1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, cubed
  • 1 (6 ounce) can mushrooms, drained and thinly sliced
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans black olives, drained and thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
  1. In a large bowl with a lid, stir together the pepperoncini peppers, sweet pepper rings, pimentos, pepperoni, Provolone, Swiss, Cheddar, mushrooms, olives, garlic, oregano, canola oil and olive oil until evenly coated. Cover tightly with the lid and let stand in fridge for 3 days. Shake the bowl often. This can be served cold, but is better when you let it come to room temperature!
Nutrition
per serving
Calories
759
Total Fat
65 g
Saturated Fat
22 g
Cholesterol
93 mg
Sodium
2762 mg
Total Carbohydrates
16 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Protein
30 g

Sunday, April 15, 2012

GARLIC CHICKEN


Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
Directions
  1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoning salt and onion powder. Saute about 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
Nutrition
per serving
Calories
214
Total Fat
10 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
91 mg
Sodium
368 mg
Total Carbohydrates
2 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Protein
28 g