Are you ready for some Football!!! Here is a great recipe for the Super Bowl on Sunday

Chicken Wings

These wings are perfect for tailgating! The wing sauce gives them a nice kick while the blue cheese dressing cools them off. You might want to make a double batch.

INGREDIENTS

20 whole chicken wings, washed well and patted dry

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 Wing Sauce, 1 recipe: below page

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Separate the chicken wings into drummettes and wings, discarding the wing tip joint. Place chicken wings and drummettes into a large, zip-top plastic bag or large brown paper bag. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add the seasoned flour to the plastic bag and toss to coat well.

Pour the chicken pieces and excess flour onto a baking sheet and spread evenly. Allow the chicken to sit on the floured baking sheet to dry out for about 1 hour.

Preheat fryer or a large stockpot filled halfway with vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.

Add chicken to hot oil and fry until cooked through and crispy, about 10 to 13 minutes.

Wing Sauce:

This is a great sauce for wings or on pretty much anything.

DIRECTIONS

In a medium size sauce pan combine the hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Using a hand blender, slowly blend in the butter until the mixture is smooth.

The sauce can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for several months. The sauce can be reheated over a low heat while constantly whisking to reincorporate the butter.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups crystal hot sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Serve immediately or store, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week before serving.

Ginger Beef, Mushroom and Kale Stir-Fry Recipe

GINGER BEEF, MUSHROOM & KALE STIR-FRY RECIPE

This delicious ginger beef, mushroom, and kale stir fry is quick to make and full of great flavor!

PREP: 5 MINS COOK: 25 MINS TOTAL: 30 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

MARINADE INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup soy sauce (if making gluten-free, be sure to use GF soy sauce)

1/2 cup vegetable broth (or chicken/beef broth, or water)

3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. corn starch

2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

STIR-FRY INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. thinly sliced flank steak or sirloin, cut diagonally across the grain into thin strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

8 ounces baby portobello or button mushrooms, halved

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, halved

3 cups chopped kale

2 green onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

TO MAKE THE MARINADE:

Add all marinade ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour marinade into a large bowl or ziplock bag, then add in the steak and gently toss to combine. Cover/seal and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

TO MAKE THE STIR-FRY:

Once steak has marinated, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove steak from marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade, and add to saute pan with garlic. Saute for about 2-3 minutes until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove steak with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add mushrooms, kale, and reserved marinade to saute pan, and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the kale is wilted, the sauce has thickened, and the mushrooms have cooked, stirring regularly so that sauce does not burn. Add in the steak, and toss to combine.

Serve immediately over rice or quinoa, garnished with chopped green onions.

DIFFICULTY: EASY INGREDIENTS: CORNSTARCH, GARLIC, GINGER, GREEN ONIONS, KALE, MUSHROOMS, RICE WINE VINEGAR, SOY SAUCE, STEAK, VEGETABLE BROTH

Bake Lemon Salmon w/ Creamy Dill Sauce Recipe

Baked Lemon Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 6-oz salmon fillets

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Creamy Dill Sauce

1/3 cup fat free plain Greek Yogurt

3 Tbsp mayonnaise (full fat)

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

2 - 3 tsp milk

1/2 tsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and place salmon fillets in baking dish. Season tops of salmon with salt and pepper then rotate to opposite side. Drizzle tops evenly with lemon mixture and gently rub over salmon, then season tops with salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature 10 minutes, then bake in preheated oven 12 - 16 minutes, or until salmon has cooked through (cook time will vary based on thickness of fillets and how well done you liked them). Serve warm topped with Creamy Dill Sauce.

For the sauce:

In a bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, dill, honey, and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in refrigerator, allow to rest at room temperature 20 minutes before serving (just so it's not ice cold over warm salmon).

Seafood Gumbo Recipe

Seafood Gumbo Recipe

Shrimp, oysters, and tomatoes come together in this gumbo to give it a bright, fresh flavor.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup chopped sweet onion

¼ cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 cup seafood stock

2 teaspoons liquid crab boil

2 teaspoons filé powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 (8-ounce) container shucked oysters, drained

1 cup dry white wine

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt ¼ cup butter. Add flour, and whisk vigorously until combined. Cook, stirring frequently, until a light brown roux forms, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt ¼ cup butter over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, and pepper, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir mixture into the roux.

Stir tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and seafood stock into roux, and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in crab boil and filé powder.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, and cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side; add oysters, and cook about 2 minutes. Add white wine, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir seafood mixture into vegetable mixture, and serve immediately. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Shrimp Étouffée Recipe

Shrimp Étouffée Recipe

2 1/2-3 pounds medium shrimp (51-60 count), peeled, deveined and tails off 

2 tablespoons Creole seasoning, 2 total tablespoons throughout recipe, 1 tablespoon for seasoning the shrimp and 1 tablespoon for seasoning the roux

1 cup diced yellow or sweet onion

3/4 cup diced celery

1/2 cup finely-diced green bell pepper

2 large garlic cloves, run through a garlic press

7 tablespoons unsalted butter 

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups shrimp stock, (canned seafood stock may be substituted

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 fresh bay leaves, or 3-4 dried bay leaves

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Louisiana Gold hot sauce, more or less, to taste

6 cups of cooked or steamed white rice 

minced fresh parsley and/or parsley sprigs, for garnish

~ Step 1. Prepare the shrimp stock by boiling your shrimp hulls/shells and set aside. Toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the Creole seasoning and set aside. Prep the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and set aside. Prepare the rice as directed or your favorite way, and set aside.

Things are ready to rock and roll:

~ Step 2. In 12" skillet, melt butter over low heat, increase to medium, add flour and whisk until the color of peanut butter...

~ Step 3. this will take 3-4 minutes depending upon the heat of your stove. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning to the roux. Using a large spoon, stir to form a paste. 

~ Step 4. Adjust the heat to medium and add some hot shrimp stock, 1/2 cup at a time until 2 cups of total stock has been added, allowing the mixture to thicken each time you add the stock. This will only take 20-30 seconds after each addition. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for about 30-60 more seconds. The mixture should look like gravy, not too thick and not too thin. Stir in the bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce.

~ Step 5. Add the last 1 cup of shrimp stock. 

Adjust heat to a gentle, but steady simmer and continue to simmer until the mixture is once again thickened to the consistency of gravy and reduced by about one-third, about 25-35 minutes.

Optional Note. At this point turn the heat off, place a lid on the skillet and allow the mixture to steep for 1-2 hours. Besides the obvious benefit of better flavor, this also gives you the opportunity to prepare etoufee in advance of serving, 

~ Step 6. Add the seasoned shrimp to the gently simmering sauce. Continue to cook until pink and just cooked through. In the case of medium-shrimp, this will take about 4-5 minutes.

Note: Some folks like larger shrimp, but, in our family, we prefer them slightly smaller (not too small), just bite-sized, succulent shrimp in each and every last bite of our etouffee!

~ Step 7. Make a bed of rice on each plate. Smother rice with etouffee. Top with a bit more rice and some minced parsley!

Photo Collage made by Crazy Cajun Living only for a quick visual of the recipe http://kitchenencounters.typepad.com/blog/2013/05/index.html

Shrimp and Grits Recipe

Shrimp and Grits Recipe

These cheese grits topped with gulf shrimp, browned bacon and mushrooms, garnished with shreds of green scallions make an elegant presentation

1 pound unpeeled, medium-size fresh wild gulf shrimp

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 strips of bacon

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

6 ounces sliced mushrooms, about 3 cups

1 garlic clove, finely minced

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped sweet red bell pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ cup shrimp stock or chicken broth

Green tops of scallions thinly cut on diagonal for garnish

Peel & de-vein shrimp, saving peels. Combine shrimp, lemon juice, salt, and ground red pepper in a small bowl; set aside for 10 minutes and no longer than 20 minutes or the citrus will begin to cook the shrimp. To make the shrimp stock (which is really better than chicken broth), boil the shrimp shells in lightly salted water for a few minutes and strain; discard shells and retain the broth.

Place the bacon in a 10” non-stick skillet and cook over medium heat until it browns. Remove bacon from skillet, leaving 3 tablespoons drippings in the skillet. Reserve skillet for later. Crumble bacon when cool and set aside.

In a separate 10” non-stick skillet, pour in canola oil and heat over medium heat. Add the mushrooms to the hot oil and cook, tossing and stirring, until the mushrooms give up their liquid. Salt and pepper to taste, add the garlic and cook briefly, stirring. Turn the off heat and set aside.

Cook the onion and sweet red bell pepper in bacon drippings in the reserved skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables; cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes or until flour begins to brown. Add shrimp & shrimp stock; cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and the gravy is smooth. Do not overcook the shrimp. If gravy is too thick, add water or broth as necessary. Add the mushrooms, crumbled bacon and stir to blend.

To serve, place cheese grits in individual bowls, top with shrimp mixture in the center and sprinkle thinly sliced green scallion tops around the edges of the bowl. Serves 4.

http://mycarolinakitchen.blogspot.com/2009/07/low-country-shrimp-and-grits.html?m=1

Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients:
1 pound of Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenders
1 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp of Grill Seasoning 
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, melted
Hot sauce of your choice and as much as you would like (I used Crystal hot sauce and about ¼ cup)
1 Head of Romaine Lettuce, washed, dried and chopped
2 Carrots, peeled and shredded
2 Stalks of Celery, sliced thin
1 Cucumber, sliced in half moon pieces

Instructions:

1) Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat.

2) In a bowl, toss together the chicken tenders with the garlic, oil, grill seasoning, vinegar, salt and pepper. Place them on the hot grill and cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through.

3) Set aside on a plate to cool slightly. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside for a few seconds.

4) In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce, add the chopped chicken and stir to make sure the chicken pieces are fully coated in the hot sauce mixture.

5) Place the chopped romaine on a platter and scatter the celery, cucumber and carrots evenly over the top. top it all off with the hot sauce coated chicken and enjoy!

Recipe By: Laura Vitale