Shrimp Creole

OMG A must try! Thanks Mimi

Shrimp Creole

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup oil
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
* 1 bell pepper, chopped
* 2 ribs celery, chopped
* 2 large cloves garlic, minced
* 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in sauce (I use tomato sauce cause husband will not eat chunks of tomato, or you can puree it)
* 1 cup water
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 pounds peeled, deveined medium shrimp
* 1/2 cup TABASCO® brand SWEET & Spicy Pepper Sauce (I cant stand that much heat whew)
* 1/2 cup chopped green onion
* 1/2 cup chopped parsley
* Hot cooked rice

Heat oil in a large, non-reactive skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; stir in flour and cook until roux turns the color of peanut butter, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes.Stir in tomatoes, water, salt, and bay leaves and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes. Stir in TABASCO® SWEET & Spicy Sauce, green onion, and parsley and cook 2 minutes longer. Serve over rice.Makes 8 servings.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Thanks Erica for this Recipe. I am so ready to try it tomorrow!

Chocolate Chip* Scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 t baking powder... See More
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
8 T unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg!

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal)

3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

* I add 1t vanilla and 1 cup chocolate chips ** or 1t almond extract with dried berries and raisons*

Easy Three Cheese Manicotti

Easy Three Cheese Manacotti

Ingredients

12 manicotti
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (8 ounce) container chive & onion cream cheese
4 cups spaghetti sauce, to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
*I added 1/2 pound of ground pork.

Directions
1 Cook shells according to the package directions.
2 Rinse well in cool water and dry.
3 While the pasta is cooking, mix together the cream cheese and 3 cups of Mozzeralla cheese.
4 Stuff shells with cream cheese mixture .I slit the manacotti and add filling with spoon then roll it back up seem down. Put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 13 by 9 baking dish.
5 Place manicotti in dish and cover with remaining sauce.
6 Sprinkle 1 cup of Mozzarella over the top.
7 Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375.
8 Uncover, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and bake for 15 minutes more.

Pronto Donuts

Thanks for sharing Nikki. These look delicious...

This recipe only takes 30 minutes, so it's a winner in my book! The finished product is light and fluffy. Just don't make these too often because they are completely irresistable!

Ingredients:

5 teaspoons yeast

1 cup luke warm water

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups flour (more if dough is sticky)

oil for frying

Maple Glaze:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons maple syrup or maple extract

powdered sugar (enough to make it the consistency you prefer)

Mix yeast, water and sugar. Wait until bubbles form in mixture. Add egg, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and flour. Mix to form dough. Knead dough for 1 minute. Roll out dough and cut donuts using donut cutter or large drinking glass. Allow to rise for 30 minutes on floured surface. Fry in oil until golden brown. Oil should be approximately 350°. Coat with maple glaze or any topping of your choice (chocolate, cinnamon sugar, etc.).

These would also be AWESOME if filled with cream, custard, or fruit filling.

Coffee Filters

This is kitchen related, so I thought to share. Who would have thought?

Better than paper towels and a lot less expensive...

COFFEE FILTERS

Coffee filters .... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

OH YEAH THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS TOO.

Stuffed Red Peppers

Thanks Jessica. Although my husband would never eat these I am sure they are amazing!

Ingredients
4 red bell peppers
1.5 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
8 oz cream cheese
shredded Mozzarella

Preheat oven 350 degrees
Cut tops off of peppers and hollow out. Saute onions and garlic add ground meat and drain.
Add cream cheese to skillet and stir mixture into peppers. Then sprinkle with cheese cook for 40 minutes

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

I have to say his is probably the best thing I have cooked in a while. It was sooo juicy!

You can cook in skillet or bake. I baked mine, I suggest you do the same!

Served with homemade mashed potato's and bread, I had a field green salad to go with it to till I realized the lettuce went bad (so quick darnet)

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 cup dried Plain bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper *I just used Season All Pepper, and Garlic Powder
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving (Your "garnish")

Directions
Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper**. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

I double battered mine so use a bit more cheese and bread crumbs.
I baked these chops vs. cooking them on skillet, on 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked thoroughly, and golden.
OR
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.