Scampi Happy

When I was 8 years old, my family up and moved from nowheresville, Indiana to Ft. Myers, Florida on a whim my father had to become a shrimper.  He bought a big ole' shrimp boat, hired a small crew, and started bringing home shrimp by the bagful.  I wanted nothing to do with it.  Especially after seeing my mom pull the poop-line out of a slew of them!  I preferred Hamburger Helper.  After a few years on the water, my father lost his desire to troll the sea for shrimp and we moved back to the midwest.  Of course, now that I have to pay $10 a pound for it, I've developed a much greater appreciation for the tiny crustacean, and every recipe I try it in tastes better than the last one.  Amazingly enough, my picky kid even likes the little wigglers, so shrimp is a regular on my monthly menu.  I also like that shrimp cooks in practically no time at all, so even the most complicated shrimp recipes still only take a few minutes.

This recipe makes a whole lot of a really great sauce, so I recommend either doubling up on the shrimp or making a batch of pasta to toss with the extra sauce.  Or you could just drink it.  Yeah.

Shrimp Scampi
link to original recipe 

Cook Time: 10 min.
serves 6

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups white wine
1/2 fresh lemon, juice only
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup softened butter
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. cooked pasta, if desired 

Heat cast iron skillet and add olive oil. Add shrimp and cook until tender and no longer translucent, reduce heat. Remove shrimp and set aside.

Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes. Do not allow garlic to brown - it will make it bitter.
 

Add white wine and lemon juice. Cook until wine is reduced by half. After it is reduced, add Italian seasoning.
 

Reduce heat to low and add butter. If pan is too hot, the butter will separate. Add shrimp back into sauce, add parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.  Toss extra sauce with pasta, if desired.

488 calories per serving (with pasta.)  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Summer Tummyful

My summer vacation typically consists of occasionally admiring the exotic beach scene on my computer wallpaper.  I don't get the opportunity to take a lot of vacation time in the summer, but this year I have a 4-day weekend for Independence Day, so I tried to convince my homebody husband to take me to the beach.  It's too crowded, he says.  It's too hot.  It's too boring. After three days of badgering he finally consented - to let me go by myself.  Not exactly what I was aiming for, but it'll do.  I didn't want to be completely alone on my vacation, though, so I bought myself a round trip ticket to my hometown in Indiana, where there are friends, family and a pretty darn good beach!  I'm actually pretty excited about a week away from the responsibilities of my house, husband, pets, and child.  Control freak that I am, though, I can't just leave them helpless and uncared for, so I'm sure I'll clean the house before I go, fill all the prescriptions, plan out the menu, and do all the grocery shopping.  And I'll probably call them every night to make sure the pets are fed, the litter box is emptied, and the oven is turned off.  But at least I don't have to cook for a week, or pick up all the miscellaneous junk they leave lying around!  Maybe I better call right before I come home, just to remind them to clean up after themselves. 

Another cool thing going on this month is the youth group beach trip.  My munchkin gets a week at the beach sans parents and we get to eat grown up food for 5 straight nights.  Usually I have Rachel help me make dinner so she can learn from the master, but with her gone, I intend to keep food prep as simple as possible.  Enter my beloved Crock-Pot.  If you notice a week of practically no-prep meals, you'll know why.  You may also notice a week of mostly grilled meals.  While the oven seems to intimidate my manly man, the flaming grates of the BBQ excite him.  I figured he was more likely to cook and not just make PBJs every day if I planned a grill-centric menu for him.

If you'd like to take advantage of my menu this month, feel free to print it out from the link below.  On the menu, you'll see Aldi and Walmart written on the days I intend to visit each store.  The shopping list links below correspond, so you'll know what to buy if you want to make all the meals planned for this month.  I don't list basic pantry staples, so you should always double check the recipes to make sure you have the supplies you need.  My pantry may be a little better stocked than the average home cook, but I tried to add anything too out of the ordinary to the list.  I think Aldi's prices are better than Walmart's, but they just don't have everything I need, so I almost always have to make a trip to Walmart.  Anything I can't get at Aldi doesn't show up on the menu till after the Walmart trip.  If an ingredient isn't needed till after the Walmart trip, I listed it on the Walmart list, but I try to buy any non-perishables that I need for the month at Aldi.  YOU can feel free to shop wherever you darn well please; those are just my suggestions!
 
If you have any questions or suggestions about my menu or shopping list, feel free to ask in the comments section below.  Also, if you want to simplify grocery shopping, install the Grocery IQ app on your smart phone and I can sent the lists straight to your phone!  I even like to save my menu to the ibooks app on my phone so I can take a peek at it anytime I want.  I hope this menu keeps your tummy happy this summer!

July 2013 Menu 
Aldi List July 2013 
Walmart List July 2013

Darn Fruitin'

It's summertime and the livin' is easy!  No homework to help with, no after-school activities to drive to, no major holidays to plan for, and the heat is a great excuse to avoid using the oven.  My summer wardrobe is simple and so is my menu.  In fact, my husband likes to do the grilling, so I could get him to make dinner almost every night if I planned for burgers and shish kabobs!  One of our favorite summer dishes is fruit salad because it's quick, delicious, and takes advantage of all that fabulous summer fruit.  Plus, it's easy to customize; you can throw in just about any fruit you want!  I've tried all kinds of fruit salad recipes and most of them are pretty good, but this one called itself "The Best Darn Fruit Salad" and I have to admit I agreed!

Besides the versatility of this recipe, I also like how the pudding mix can be kept separate and spooned on top before serving.  That way, the salad can taste just as good the next day, and the next day, and the next......which is good because every fruit salad recipe I've ever tried makes a ton!  That's okay for this one, though, because it really is the best darn fruit salad I've ever made.  Darn tootin'.

Best Darn Fruit Salad   
link to original recipe 
Prep time: 10 min.  Chill time: 3 hrs
Serves 12 

1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
2 medium ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup green grapes
1 cup seedless red grapes
Fresh mint, optional 

Drain pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Add water to juice if necessary to measure 3/4 cup. In a large bowl, combine the juice, crushed pineapple, sour cream and pudding mix until blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until thickened.

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, peaches, strawberries, grapes and pineapple chunks. Right before serving, slice and add the bananas and spread pudding mixture over the top. Garnish with mint if desired.

150 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

The Proof is in the Puddin'

My husband's favorite vegetable is corn--preferably on the cob--but he'll take it just about any way he can get it. I like corn, too, but I was raised to believe that every plate ought to have something green on it, and while corn is typically considered a vegetable, it just doesn't seem quite green enough to count as the only one at a meal.  Unfortunately, putting 2 veggies on the plate is enough to strike a protest from my teenager, so I've devised a simple but delicious strategy.  If I bake the corn in a casserole, it takes the place of a starch and I can still serve something green on the side.

This corn pudding is super easy to assemble, although it does take awhile to bake, so I usually save it for the weekend, but all you have to do is prep it and forget it.  It's rich and creamy and slightly sweet, but still has a great corn flavor.

Corn Pudding
Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 60 min.
Serves 12

3 Tbs cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 (14.75 oz) can cream style corn
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1-2 cups corn (frozen or canned)
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces
 

In a medium size bowl, combine the cornstarch and sugar with a whisk.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add corn, evaporated milk and salt; mix well.

Pour into a greased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.  Dot with butter pieces.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour, until set and golden brown.

172 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

Feelin' the Love of a Bacon Hug

I like cooking for company.  Good food is like a gift I can give to show my friends how much I care about them.  Of course, I also enjoy the accolades I receive from a well-made meal, and why shouldn't I?  It's a lot of work to make a delicious dinner and still have the energy left to socialize!  What I really like is finding a recipe that looks elegant and delectable, but doesn't take all day to prepare.  This recipe is great because the ingredients are simple and universal enjoyed, I can prep it ahead of time, and it tastes like a million bucks.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 40 min.
Serves 8

2 lbs chicken tenders
1 lb bacon
8 oz chive and onion cream cheese
Seasoned salt, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar


Preheat oven to 450F.  Line a cookie pan with aluminum foil. Season chicken to taste with seasoned salt.  Spread a generous layer of cream cheese on top of each piece then sprinkle with cheddar.  Wrap each tender with a slice of bacon and place on prepared pan.  You can now refrigerate until ready to bake.

Bake at 450F for 20 minutes, flipping over after 10 minutes.

Set broiler to high and broil chicken until bacon is desired crispness, approximately 5 minutes.  Flip over and broil other side. Serve and rake in the love!

783 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

Hoisin Happiness

Next to chocolate, peanut butter is one of my favorite flavors.  Everybody knows it's great in cookies and candy, but have you ever tried it in stirfry?  I'm telling you, PB takes regular stirfry to a whole notha' level!  It only takes a couple tablespoons, but it elevates even store-bought stirfry sauce to new heights of flavor complexity.  Now this recipe is slightly more complicated than pouring a bottle of sauce over some meat and veggies, but it's still really easy, and the flavor is so much better than what you can get in a bottle.  It requires a few specialty ingredients, but you can usually get them at Food Lion.  Heck, I think I got mine at Target - and not a super Target, either, just a regular one.  Like all stirfrys, this recipe is totally customizable.  Don't like pork?  Use chicken.  Prefer broccoli to carrots?  Go right ahead.  Wanna add a bag of stirfry vegetables instead?  Knock yourself out.  This recipe is more about the sauce than the stuff underneath it.  You can even leave out the peanut butter if you really want to, but why would you?

Hoisin Pork and Rice Noodles
link to original recipe
Prep time: 20 min Marinate: 4+ hrs  Cook time: 10 min
Serves 8

2/3 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

6 Tbs sesame oil

4 Tbs honey
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs fish sauce
6 Tbs vinegar
A squeeze of lime
8 cloves finely minced garlic
2 Tbs fresh grated ginger
1 minced hot pepper (i.e. jalapeno, chili pepper, etc)
6 Tbs hoisin sauce
6 Tbs peanut butter

2 lbs pork cut into thin strips

16 oz rice noodles
1 cup slivered carrots
1/2 cup diced green onions
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together (first 13 items).  Reserve half in another dish. 

Marinate the pork in half the sauce overnight or for at least a few hours.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and stir-fry the pork until browned on the outside.

Cook your rice noodles according to package directions.  Drain.  Stir in reserved sauce and heat through. Top with pork, carrots, green onions, peanuts, and cilantro.

563 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Since I shared my favorite peanut butter with you a few days ago, I figured I might as well share my new find with you, too.  Today at Aldi I found a jar of Lotus Biscoff Spread. It was touted as "The European Alternative to Peanut Butter," and being such a fan of peanut butter, I decided to try it.  Apparently, it's made from the same stuff as Biscoff cookies, which, if you're like me, you may have only experienced because you took an international flight.  Like the cookies, the spread tastes quite similar to the flavor of graham crackers, but the smooth, creamy texture is just like PB.  It's delightfully sweet and has a rich density.  I can't wait to try it in a sandwich, on celery, maybe even in my next stirfry!