shrimp and grits for Christmas!

One day last week Chef D suggested Shrimp and Grits for our Christmas Day meal.  He had ran into a friend from church who shared that this menu was a Christmas family tradition and that got his taste buds yearning for Shrimp and Grits.  I tracked down the friend and got her recipe and then compared it with a few others I found on the internet.    Chef D and I finally decided to use a combination of them all and create our own.  We used this recipe as a base, but adjusted it slightly by adding leeks and green bell peppers.  I left out the cheddar cheese to allow everyone to choose whether or not they wanted plain grits or cheese grits with their shrimp sauce.  In the end, I felt it definitely needed the flavor of the cheese, as shrimp sauce was kind of bland.  It was not bad, but it just was not special.  We will probably try a different recipe again someday.

I chose a family favorite, fresh fruit with mint-balsamic tea, to accompany the shrimp course.  It has been several years since I prepared this fruit salad, but it will not be that long before I make it again.  It was just as delightful as I remember.

I also decided to try out a new, easy roll.  We had these new place and bake rolls from Pillsbury -- crescent rounds.  The whole family was pleasantly surprised with their taste and texture and we will probably have them again sometime.

A few weeks ago we purchased some yummy sticky toffee pudding to serve to our Tuesday night Bible Reading group.  Chef D decided to try to recreate it using this recipe and served it for dessert.  He topped it with a little whipped topping and we were good to go...DELICIOUS.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

maple glazed salmon with baked potato

This salmon recipe is really easy and definitely leaves a nice crisp exterior and tender inside.  I didn't use enough salt this time, so the flavors did not all come through like they should have.   The potato was fluffy, yet still had a nice texture.  I originally planned to have steamed broccoli, but realized I had the makings for a salad already, so made a last minute change.

In the end, I still really liked this quick and easy meal.

blt pasta with orange-red onion salad

This was another recipe from my Cuisine at Home magazine.  This is the second recipe that has called for red pepper flakes and ended up being almost too hot to eat.  From now on, I am not putting any red pepper flakes in my recipes and will just wait until the end to season.  It was hard to even capture a taste of the bacon, tomato or spinach with all the heat from the red pepper-infused sauce.  Chef D ate it but did not really care for it.

The orange-red onion salad was a nice cool retreat from the heat of the pasta.  I really enjoyed the flavor of the dressing and even the onions (which I normally do not like on salads).  Chef D prefers a salad with a bit more crunch, so if I make the salad again I will include some iceberg lettuce with the mesclun/spring mix.

surf and turf on caesar salad

This is the last of our Cuisine at Home recipes for this week's meals.  Chef D does not really care for hot food on salad, so I added a fried rice at the last minute (using the leftover basmati rice from last Friday).  I sauted some red onion and fresh minced garlic in some peanut oil, crumbled in the rice with a little salt, and fried it up enough to separate all the grains and get it warmed up.

This was a fairly easy meal to prepare.  Even though it seemed a little strange to layer the shrimp's sauce onto the salad, I decided to give it a try.  The flavor's seemed to go quite well with the Caesar dressing (which I did not make from the recipe but used a bottled version I already had in the icebox).  I was not sure if the rice would go with the meal, but it was a nice addition for me.

Chef D suggested that I not use the giant shrimp next time as their flavor is really not special for the increased price to procure them.  The shrimp's sauce was also a bit strong for his taste.  But, he did make a happy plate, so I call it a successful night.

menu planning monday 10.13.08

Chef D requested that I begin including nutritional data for my recipes.  Until I figure out the easiest way to make those calculations myself, I am going to include some recipes from my Cuisine At Home magazines (they have nutritional data!).  So, this week is Cuisine At Home Week that happens to include a lot of seafood! 

Monday: Chef D and the boys will be attending a church men's group dinner, so I am on my own for the night!

Tuesday: Salmon Cakes with Steamed Asparagus and dill sauce and Apple Pie Bites for dessert

Apprehension-Free Wednesday:  This week's menu at church is meat loaf, hash brown casserole, green beans, salad and dessert. 

Thursday: Dan Dan Noodles with Pickled Cucumber

Friday: Surf & Turf on Caesar Salad

Sous-Chef Saturday: I wonder what Chef D will have up his sleeve for tonight's meal.  Whatever the case, I know I will enjoy playing sous-chef for the night! [edited to add:  it now looks like we will be traveling to Tigertown to see tigergirl, so there will be no sous-chef work in my future this weekend]

Sunday:  TBD

Don't forget to check out all the other great menu ideas at OrgJunkie!

beef burger with southern potato salad

I decided not to make the roasted tomato ketchup and just go with the Heinz in the icebox and just have any easy-going hamburger night.  I prefer no onions in my potato salad, so I left them out -- it turned out great.  I sure love good potato salad.  We did a taste test of the pickled onions before dinner and they did not pass -- just way too sour for our taste.  I am considering adding some simple syrup and serving with our brisket tomorrow night.  We will do another taste test ahead of time before setting them out for guests, though!

salt-encrusted ribeye roast with broccoli salad with dried cranberries

I had never tried to cook beef using this salt-encrusting method.  It seemed pretty simple:  mix the salt with the water and put a layer on the bottom, put the beef on top and then pack the rest of the salt all around.  It did look strange, but I was willing to give it a try.  The recipe said it would take about an hour and a half for a rare roast, but I did not want a rare roast (although, Chef D would have!), so I put the timer on 2 hours.  After about an hour, I checked and the meat thermometer was all the way to the top!  Not good!  I couldn't imagine that it would have reached the well-done stage in just one hour.  I pulled it out and let it set for the recommended 15 minutes before removing the salt.  I checked it and it appeared to still be pink on the inside.  Whew!  I covered it with foil to keep it warm until Chef D arrived home.

Well, when he cut the meat, it was obviously well-done.  Bummer.  We ate what we could and are attempting a salvage by cutting it into thin strips and sitting with au jus in a crockpot for awhile.  I am still not sure if this method of cooking a good roast is the best choice for me.  

Einstein, one of my picky eaters, needs more protein and fiber in his diet. So, tonight I made peanut butter balls to put in his lunchbox.  I used this recipe from Family Fun, with a few adjustments.  I used less of the confectioner's sugar ( 3/4 cup) and added 1/4 cup of wheat germ.  

broccoli salad with dried cranberries

This is one of those church covered dish supper favorites and is so visually appealing with it's varied colors.  I have had versions that included thinly-sliced purple onions and/or grated cheddar cheese, but I prefer this more simple version:

3 bunches broccoli, heads cut-up into small, bite-sized pieces

1 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. vinegar

1/2 c. dried cranberries (or raisins)

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1/2 c. walnuts or pecans, broken into pieces

Mix mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar in a bowl and let it set for at least 15 minutes.  In the meantime, wash and cut broccoli and put it in a large bowl.  Add cranberries (or raisins), bacon, nuts and mix well.  Slowly add mayonnaise mixture and stir, adding as much to suit your personal taste for texture.  It can be eaten immediately, but I find that it tastes better if it can sit overnight in the icebox.