Archive for August, 2011

Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp Cocktail

I looooved Shrimp Cocktail when I was a kid. I think the only place I ate it when I was little was at Red Lobster. We didn’t go there all that often, so it was special. Plus, it was a “cocktail,” so I felt very sophisticated. Then I would order popcorn shrimp and fries, which, as we all know, is the height of sophistication.

These days, I usually get my Shrimp Cocktail at holiday buffets, where the shrimp sit in a ring on a plastic tray surrounding a tub of pre-made sauce. I’ve bought a few of these shrimp kits myself, but I don’t think I will buying one again. This cocktail sauce is so easy to make and it tastes fantastic. I thought the 3 tablespoons of horseradish was just right, but you can adjust the amount to suit your taste. And let’s not forget about the shrimp—they are perfect! Continue reading ‘Shrimp Cocktail’

Tomato Tart

Tomato Tart

We visited the Overland Park Farmers’ Market over the weekend. We spent all of our money in about 10 minutes, but we came away with some really great stuff, including the tomatoes I used to make this tart. So red! So flavorful!

We also bought a bunch of basil to make pesto. We did such a good job of keeping the herbs alive through our crazy heat wave a few weeks back. Now that the temperature is more reasonable, we’ve not been quite so passionate about watering (I know, it makes no sense), so we needed a little outside help to come up with enough basil for a batch of pesto. I used some of what we made in this recipe, but you could also use a prepared pesto from the store.

The original recipe for this tart calls for a phyllo crust, but I had a single sheet of puff pastry dough living in the freezer, so I used it instead. It also calls for one red tomato and one yellow. All of mine were red, and I still think the tart looked pretty. Continue reading ‘Tomato Tart’

Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken

This was my first attempt at fried chicken, and it went pretty well. The meat was incredibly moist and the coating was crunchy and tasty. The skin under the coating was…a little flabby. It was consistently flabby on all the pieces, so I had that going for me. While I really like fried chicken, I LOVE cold fried chicken. The leftovers we had the next day were fantastic. The fridge did something to the skin to make it not really crisp, but not as flabby as it seemed when the chicken was hot. Continue reading ‘Fried Chicken’

Stir-Fried Beef and Onions (and Peppers)

Stir-Fried Beef and Onions (and Peppers)

This is one of my favorite recipes from How to Cook Everything. The original recipe doesn’t include bell peppers, and, truthfully, it is probably better without them, but I find pretty peppers difficult to resist when I see them at the store. Continue reading ‘Stir-Fried Beef and Onions (and Peppers)’

Hamburger Buns

Hamburger Buns

These buns smelled so good as they were baking that we didn’t wait for a burger to put on them before eating. I’ve never bought a package of buns at the grocery store that I wanted to eat straight out of the bag with nothing between the two halves. This one is definitely a keeper! Continue reading ‘Hamburger Buns’

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Kim, brought some lemon zucchini bread to work to share. It was delicious. She offered the recipe and I accepted (duh!). While I am glad to have the recipe, I was immediately drawn to the Chocolate Zucchini Cake that is on the same piece of paper as the lemon bread. I’ll get to that bread eventually, but this cake is crazy good. It has a bit of cinnamon in it, so it has a Texas Sheet Cake taste to it. It also has a bag of chocolate chips on the top of the cake, so that is awesome. Continue reading ‘Chocolate Zucchini Cake’

Herby Greek Chicken Kebobs

Herby Greek Chicken Kebobs

We planted some herbs on our deck back in May and they are still alive! It’s a miracle! I am often not a very good plant mother, but between the two of us, Mike and I have managed to keep them watered and loved through one of the longest heat waves I can remember.

This recipe uses a bunch of the herbs we have been growing. You could go with dried versions of the herbs if you don’t have fresh. In general, you’ll want to use a teaspoon of dried herbs in place of a tablespoon of fresh. Continue reading ‘Herby Greek Chicken Kebobs’

Carnitas

Carnitas

Mexican pulled pork. Delicious. Can’t form complete sentences.

This is one of the best things I have ever made. Continue reading ‘Carnitas’



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