101 in 1001: Goal 72 (Part 1)

Goal 72: Try a new recipe 1x/week for 8 weeks

February 25, 2011:  Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti:  Recommend

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For my birthday, Mom and Dad gave me the Pioneer Woman's cookbook.  Jack thought Gramma and Granddaddy gave me the cookbook because they loved the recipes I fixed for Christmas and wanted me to cook more.  Isn't he sweet!  As I was looking through it, Brent saw this recipe and thought that it looked good and wanted me to make it.  I love her cookbook because of the step by step pictures and directions...it is perfect for the cooking-isn't-second-nature cook like me!  I followed the Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti recipe exactly.  It was delicious; it reminded me of Chicken Tetrazzini, which is one of Brent's favorites, so it got a thumbs up from both of us.  Jack turned his nose up at it, and Will picked the chicken out to eat, so one thumb down and one sideways from the kid critics.  This recipe makes enough to feed an army, so I split it into 2 8x8 casseroles and have an extra in the freezer now!


March 9, 2011:  Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Grits:  Highly Recommend

For this dish, I combined two different recipes.  I made it my own, dawg!  And Wow!, it was fan-tas-tic!  Not only is it delicious, but it is quick and easy, too.  A perfect recipe in my book.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Grits

Grits:

• 4 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup whipping cream (I used half & half because it is what I had)
• 6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup corn grits (real grits, not the instant kind)

Shrimp:

• 1 1/4 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

For grits:  Bring chicken stock, whipping cream, butter and garlic to boil in heavy large saucepan.  Gradually whisk in corn grits.  Return to boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to low.  Simmer uncovered until grits thicken, whisking often, about 20 minutes.


For shrimp: Season shrimp with salt and pepper.  Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the shrimp, garlic and Old Bay seasoning, and cook, tossing, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons water, the lemon juice and Italian seasoning; stir to coat the shrimp with the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the grits among shallow bowls, spoon the shrimp and sauce over the grits, and top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

It was delicious!  Will had two servings, which is a resounding endorsement for any recipe.  When Will asked for a third serving (unheard of!) and there was no more left, I promised him that I would make this again soon.  This one is definitely a keeper!


March 17, 2011:  Shepherd's Pie:  Highly Recommend

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For St. Patrick's Day, Jack wanted to have an Irish dinner.  Since corned beef and cabbage didn't excite me, I thought I would give Shepherd's Pie a shot.  I have never made Shepherd's Pie before, and when I mentioned my plans to Brent, he said that Shepherd's Pie was one of his favorite meals growing up and surprisingly, his elementary school cafeteria made a good one.  I never knew this about him!  Ha, how's that for learning something new about the one ya love! 

I found this recipe for Shepherd's Pie and it sounded wonderful.  Bacon, caramelized onions, Guinness beer...how could it not be good?!?!  It did not disappoint, it was soooo goood!  We all loved it!  I followed the recipe exactly and it went together easily.  The only con is that it takes a bit of time to prepare; the recipe says 2 hr 10 min total time, and I would say that is pretty acurate.  So this couldn't be a spur of the moment, weekday dinner.  On the upside, I split the recipe into 2 small casseroles, so I have another Shepherd's Pie waiting in the freezer. 

Brent said this recipe was better than the one he remembered from his childhood.  WHEW!  How embarrassing would it have been to be bested by the lunch lady?!?!


March 23, 2011:  Blackened Shrimp Alfredo:  Probably Won't Make Again

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Brent and I were in the mood for blackened shrimp for dinner tonight.  I did a search and found this recipe that sounded good.  One of the things I liked about the recipe was that I already had all of the ingredients on hand except for the shrimp.  It was easy and quick to prepare which is a must for my weekday dinners.  Jack didn't like it, Will ate the shrimp but picked at the pasta, Brent enjoyed it, but I thought that it was just okay.  My complaint is that the shrimp really weren't blackened, kinda disappointing when we were in the mood for blackened shrimp.

**This post is getting a bit long, so check back tomorrow for the recipes from weeks 5-8.**