Creamy Creole Tomato Soup

Very good! Loved this one!

Melt 1/4 stick of butter over medium-high heat and add 1 medium chopped onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, until very tender.

Stir in a little garlic, 1/2 tablespoon of Cajun Seasoning and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir for 1 minute. Add 28 ounces of diced tomatoes and 2 cups of chicken broth. Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender/food processor and puree until smooth. Add it all back to the pot. Stir in 3/4 cup of heavy cream and salt to taste.


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Easy Shrimp Bake

Dinner was somewhat disappointing this evening. What I thought would be a tasty casserole-like dish, turned into a soppy mushy mess. Mark and I found ourselves picking out the crunchier pieces and shrimp.

Recipe:
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups cooked and peeled shrimp
6-8 slices of day-old bread, trimmed, buttered and cubed
1/2 pound sharp cheese, grated
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk

In a skillet, saute the mushrooms and onions in butter. Grease a 2-quart casserole. Put the shrimp, the mushrooms, the onions, half of the bread cubes and half of the cheese in the casserole, and stir gently. Top with the rest of the cheese and bread cubes. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt, mustard, pepper and paprika. Stir in the milk and pour into the casserole. If making this dish the day before serving, cover and refrigerate. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, or until set and golden brown.

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Baked Ham N' Egg Cups

Yum! It is what is, and pretty self explanatory. Very yummy!

Recipe:
Grease/oil/butter a muffin pan. Press a slice of ham in each cup, and then add a small dollop of ketchup to each. Crack 1 egg in each cup, then add some salt and pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until the egg is firm and the yolk is slightly runny (a bit longer if you prefer your yolks firmer). Top with some sliced scallions and eat up!

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Chicken and Rice Casserole

I love casseroles - they are one of my weakness'. It's comfort food, it's cheesy and it makes for great leftovers. I was a little concerned that the recipe didn't turn out too well because it seemed a little runny, but then I had to step back and realize that I was eating it as lava. I have learned that I need let it cool down a bit first. The only thing I missed with this casserole was that crunchy topping.

Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

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Grillades and Grits

Time for some Louisiana cuisine. Oh my, this was spicy! It was super yummy though! No matter how much it hurt, you kept going back for another bite. This was the first time for me to make pork butt/shoulder, and I was a little hesitant about it. Upon opening the package, I realized there was some bone I had to cut around and it seemed extremely tough. I even had trouble butchering it up. By the time it simmered for almost 2 hours, it was practically falling apart in the pot. The grits were oh so creamy too! Great combination. This ended up being one of Mark's favorites so far.

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Buttermilk Ice Cream

This definitely has a "tang" to it! Not a big fan, but the consistency and all turned out great. Didn't even use an ice cream maker...

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Sunday Baked Chicken with Skillet Cornbread

Yummy! I admit though, the potatoes and carrots underneath tasted even more amazing than the chicken!

Paula recommended the cornbread with this meal so it could sop up all those yummy juices from the chicken and vegetables. She was right!

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Old Fashioned Creamed Chicken

MMMM good. Comfort food for sure! This reminded me of SOS, so decided to serve it over a piece of toast.

Recipe:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
scallions to garnish (optional)

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, at medium heat. Stir in the flour and whisk until bubbly. Stir in the broth, half and half and sherry. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickens. Stir in the chicken, thyme and pepper to taste.

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Stuffed Cabbage

I would give this about a 7.5 on a scale of 10. Definitely wasn't bad, but I thought it was slightly bland. However, this is a super easy recipe! The hardest part is just boiling the cabbage and waiting for it to loosen up a little.

Recipe:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 medium head (about 2 pounds) green cabbage
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup cooked rice (white or brown)
1/4 cup raisins (I use golden)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon paprika
sour cream, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13- by 9-inch pan with cooking spray or oil.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using a small, sharp knife, cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core. Place the cabbage in the boiling water. After about 2 minutes an outside leaf will come loose--pull it off and out of the water using tongs. After another minute the next leaf will come loose. Remove and repeat until you have 8 to 10 leaves. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels. Cut out the thick part of the rib from the bottom of each leaf, but don't cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.

In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, cooled onion, rice, raisins, and salt. With the stem side of the cabbage leaf facing you, place a scant 1/3 cup of the beef mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the bottom edge over the mixture and then fold the sides over and roll into a tidy packet. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, broth, and paprika. Pour evenly over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Optional: Serve the cabbage rolls with a big dollop of sour cream.

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The Ladies Luncheon (several recipes...)

Chicken Ambrosia Salad

This was a spin-off of your average ambrosia salad. The salty/sweet kind.

Recipe: Mix up cooked chicken, coconut, crushed pineapple and almond slivers.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Breasts

This turned out relatively well, but I am not a pecan fan so they weren't my favorite. This reminded me of a health fried chicken. I used tenderloins rather than breasts and cut them up to make easy finger foods.

Recipe:
Season chicken with salt, pepper and a little mayo. In a separate bowl, combine a cup of panko bread crumbs, cup of chopped pecans and dip chicken into mixture. Press firmly. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Everyone's Favorite Pimento Cheese Dip

Yum!

Ham Biscuits

Very good! Simple, and tasty.

Ham Biscuits Recipe

General Robert E. Lee Cake

This was my first attempt at a layer cake EVER. As you can see, I am not exactly the best icer - lol. It is a trial and error type thing.

This cake was very light and refreshing with the hints of lemon and orange.

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