This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Shrimp and Rice

I'm linked to Stonegable's On the Menu Monday! http://stonegable.blogspot.com/
This is a twist on my Mexican Rice and Shrimp Creole. Made in one skillet (cast iron for me), with a salad and garlic bread--you're good to go.
Here's what you need:
1 T olive oil
1 cup rice un-cooked
1 onion chopped
1/2 of each-red, green and yellow bell peppers (you can use just one color pepper but the different colors really make a pretty dish)
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with the juice
1 bay leaf, dash celery seed
2 lbs small shrimp-peeled-fresh or frozen
salt, pepper, cajun seasoning (I like Old Bay), dash cumin, couple dashes hot sauce--all of these to your taste
Here's what you do:
Brown rice in oil, stirring to keep from burning. This really makes nice rice dishes-rice won't be sticky or starchy. When the rice is brown, add the chopped veggies and stir in letting them cook for a few minutes. Add broth and tomatoes with the juice. Throw in the bay leaf and spices, adjusting to how spicey you might like it. Stir, and simmer on low covered until almost all the liquid is gone and the rice is done, about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and let steam on top of the mixture, with the lid on until pink, then mix well together, taste and adjust any spices if you might like it hotter. Turn the heat off and let it sit with the lid on a few minutes to let the flavors blend. Yummy and easy!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Buffalo or Hot wings

I have made buffalo or as we call them hot wings for years. My kids love them and so do the grands. I first had these when my friend Judy made them. She just deep fried the plain wings and rolled them around in a mixture of melted butter and Texas Pete hot sauce. Very yummy! But I have made a few changes over the years. When my kids were little, I would just buy a bag of frozen cut up wings. I would thaw, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I would spread them out on a sprayed cookie sheet and cook in the oven at about 400 degrees until cooked through and crispy. I would then toss them in a mixture of melted butter and Crystal hot sauce. Pop them back in the oven to crisp up some more. I would serve these with Blue Cheese dressing until Lisa asked why was it called blue? When she got the answer, she quit eating it for awhile even tho she loved it. Ranch is really good too. This is how both my kids make them too.
Hubby and I ate some Buffalo Chicken Bites at a steak house and really loved them. So I came home and had to make some. Here's what I did:
cut up 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breats in small pieces. I then rolled them in flour-just a light coating and fried them until done. I then tossed them in a store bought Buffalo sauce to which I had added a spoon of sugar and some ketchup to cut the "hot" some. I then spread them in a baking dish at 400 for about 10 minutes. Yummy as can be. I have made wings the same way a couple of times, too.