Bubba Deen's Shrimp Etouffee

I like a lot of Paula Deen's recipes. They are not super complicated and the ingredients are easy to find in the grocery store. And they taste great. One day when watching her show, she featured her brother, Bubba. The two of them made this dish together.

 This recipe for shrimp etouffee sounds fancy....etouffee, but it is really simple to make. It tastes so good, has just the right combination of flavors as well as a creamy texture. I worked for a few months in New Orleans as a travelling nurse and this dish reminds me of the unbelievably good food I ate while there.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour (I use Bob's gluten-free all purpose flour)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teas. black pepper
1/2 teas. white pepper
1/2 teas. cayenne pepper
1 teas. Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup minced green onions, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2-3 dashes hot sauce
1 (8oz) clam juice
1 (4.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
salt 
2 pounds small or medium shrimp peeled and deveined (31/35 count)
1/2 stick butter
Rice (optional)
Diced green onions(for garnish)


Directions:


Make the roux, mix oil and flour in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk flour into the oil to make a paste. Continue cooking over low heat and whisk continuously, until the mixture turns a caramel color and gives off a nutty aroma, about 15-20 minutes. To the roux, add the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook over low heat, about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are limp. Add the black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, green onions, parsley and hot sauce to taste. Add 1 can clam juice and the tomatoes with their juice, stir to blend. Add the salt, starting with 1 teas., then add more if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add shrimp and stir. It will take about 3 minutes for the shrimp to cook, don't overcook. Remove from heat. Add the butter and stir, the heat from the dish will melt the butter. Transfer the etouffee to a tureen, serving bowl , or if you prefer, over rice. Garnish with the green onions. 


Tip: I add 1 jalapeno pepper, diced and omit the hot sauce. It is plenty spicy!

Wine Slushies~ Straw or Spoon?

Brace yourself. This drink is awesome. It will be your new "go to" adult beverage.
And, it is simple to make, but you do have to wait for it to freeze. That is really the hardest part of this recipe.

I googled wine slushies when my friend, Judi, told me about how good they were. There seemed to be a few ways to make them, some as easy as buying a pre-made mix and some more time consuming, making a simple syrup etc.

I found this very easy recipe from the Chatham Hill Winery website. They have several recipes but I chose this one made with white wine since we were having fish. I mixed a pitcher up in my blender the night before, placed it in the freezer overnight and it was perfect the next morning! Serve in a margarita or martini glass. Straw or spoon, your choice!

Frozen Wine Slush
"Zingy"


1 bottle Pinot Grigio or Riesling
1 can frozen limeade
1 cup cranberry juice


Add wine, fruit juice, or fresh fruit to blender and blend until smooth, and freeze. The alcohol will prevent the mixture from becoming solid ice. 


Tip:
Our standard size blender could not hold the full bottle of wine, so I made the slushies in 2 separate batches.

Sweet Surprise

A few weeks ago, I noticed what I thought was a cucumber vine growing from the compost bin. I weed whacked carefully around it, not wanting to disturb this mysterious plant. Last year, we had our juiciest tomatoes from a plant that grew out of the compost bin.

So when my husband identified this vine as a cantaloupe, and I discovered many melons hiding and slowly ripening under the leaves, I was shocked! This compost bin soil is pure magic! I mean, for one, it has all the right nutrients for a growing plant, plus it is protected from rabbits, birds, rodents as well as overzealous gardeners who may mistake the seedling for a weed.

So, I am happily watching and waiting for these wonderful melons to ripen enough to pick. Yes, I have picked many tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and lettuce this summer, but this find seems like a freebie. You know, like finding a dollar bill on the ground....

What garden surprises have you found this summer?

Spanish-style tortilla with salami and potatoes

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This recipe would work well for brunch or for dinner. I found it in the September 2011 issue of Women's Day magazine. I like the idea of it all cooking in a cast iron skillet.

 I was skeptical about the salami, but it really went well with the other ingredients. I guess you could also use pepperoni or make it meatless.

This was a filling and delicious meal. A green salad would go nicely with this recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. thinly sliced salami, halved
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 lb. medium red potatoes, about 2, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
3 T olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup fresh, flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
8 large eggs
4 oz. sharp white cheddar, grated ( about 1 cup)

Directions:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook salami in a large oven-safe non-stick skillet over medium high heat until beginning to brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to plate.
• Add the onions, potatoes, 1 T olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are golden brown and just tender, 10-12 minutes; stir in chopped parsley and salami.
• Whisk together the eggs and cheese, pour into the skillet and stir to distribute the ingredients.
• Transfer to skillet to the oven and bake until tortilla is puffed, brown around the edges and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 10-12 minutes.

Summertime Comfort Food~Shrimp Salad

Shrimp Salad

This recipe goes over well with my family. It can be spread on sandwiches, stuffed in tomatoes, or just eaten as is. To me it is the perfect summer "comfort food"!


Ingredients:

1/2 lb cooked small- medium sized shrimp
1 celery stalk, chopped finely
2 scallions, diced
small amount chopped green pepper
1/2 package Old Bay Seasoning
1/3 cup mayo (add more if needed)
3-4 fresh basil leaves, cut
fresh ground pepper to taste


Directions:


Combine all ingredients except shrimp and basil and mix well.
Add shrimp and toss.
Add fresh basil and chill for a few hours in fridge.


Tip:


I bought raw shrimp, seasoned them with salt and pepper and garlic powder. 
I sauteed them in butter/oil in skillet until cooked.
After they cooled, I peeled and deveined them,  and cut them in thirds, since mine were large shrimp.

shrimp after cooking

Baked Prosciutto and Egg Cups by Rachel Ray

Baked Prosciutto and Egg Cups

I saw this recipe in the September 2011 issue of  Rachel Ray's Everyday magazine and thought it would be fun to make.
My kids and I made it together yesterday for a late breakfast. They had just returned from cross-country practice and were starving! I did not have any prosciutto so substituted slices of ham instead.

before hitting the oven

Ingredients:


6 thin slices prosciutto
2 oz. fresh mozzerella, cheese torn into small pieces
3 large basil leaves, torn
6 eggs
freshly ground pepper


Directions:


Coat 6 cups of muffin tin with cooking spray.
Fit each cup with a prosciutto slice.
Divide half the cheese and basil among cups.
Crack an egg into each and nestle remaining mozzerella and basil around eggs.
Bake at 350 until set, about 15 minutes: let rest for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Run knife around cups to unmold.
Serves 6.

Random photos of our backyard birds

female hummer having her breakfast

The weather this morning was reminiscent of fall. Warm and sunny, with cool breezes. There was plenty of activity at the feeders and I sat memorized with my camera for far too long....just when I convinced myself to get up and tackle some housework, another bird would fly into my view.....

At one point, I was standing next to the hummingbird feeder, but the courageous creature ignored me, maintaining her focus on other hummers. I could have reached out and touched her.

A female cardinal spent a few minutes bathing in the pond waterfall. She watched me and our cat, Morris, but didn't seem too worried.

I have seen a lot of goldfinches recently, snacking on the purple coneflower seeds in the front yard. This pair seemed happy to stop by the feeder this morning.

Guinea Pigs 101

Linus and Snoopy

We have our share of animals in this family. We have 2 dogs, 2 cats, tropical fish, a koi pond, an elderly hamster, so of course, when my daughter begged for guinea pigs, I said "no"!

For months, and she might say, years.....


I did not grow up with guinea pigs. We had a hamster named Bruno, 4 cats, a dog and various wild squirrels and birds my mother would hand-feed with a medicine dropper. My father even built a small cage because we had so many orphaned wild animals. I'll never forget one squirrel that my mother reared that became so strong it went careening through our living room one day! My mother was more than ready to release it back to our yard!

But back to the pigs....you see, my daughter LOVES animals! It has always been her passion and she has never waivered in her dream to become a veterinarian.. She has wanted guinea pigs since she was in 3rd grade, spent hours researching, checked out the same books on them from the library and talked endlessly about their care and feeding to me.

Eventually, she presented me with a 40 page paper explaining her desire to rescue a pair.("You cannot just keep one..that would be cruel, Mom, I would rather not have any...they are social animals!")

She broke me down, and I finally agreed to let her have them. I must admit that these chubby little squeakers make great pets! They sleep at night and are awake during the day, love people and the occasional dachshund! Believe it or not, they can be potty-trained and be taught tricks!

Oliver and Snoopy

An interview with my daughter about guinea pigs.


Q: Why did you want to have guinea pigs for pets?
A.  I wanted my own pets, that I would be responsible for. I love having them in my own room.

Q. You have had hamsters, why are guinea pigs different?
A. Hamsters are nocturnal , guinea pigs are diurnal, like us, bigger and they interact more...they adjust to your schedule and actually make squeaking noises when being fed.

Q. Speaking of food, what do they eat?
A. Guinea pigs eat pellets, hay, fresh fruit and vegetables.

Q. Are they good with young children?
A. Yes, but they need to be supervised and handled gently.

Q. Is is okay to have just one?
A. No, since guinea pigs are herd animals and really would be lonely without a companion, it is best to have at least 2 of the same sex.

Q. What does "popcorning" mean?
A. Guinea pigs jump and twist when they are happy and excited, like when I rustle the hay bag just before I feed them!

Q. How long do they normally live?
A. 7-9 years, but some will live into their teens.

Q. What type of cage should they be housed in?
A. Even though they sell guinea pig cages in the pet store, I recommend a C & C cage. This type of cage is made up of storage cube grids that you can buy at Bed , Bath and Beyond. These types of cages provide a larger area for them as well as flexibility.

Q. How much work is it for you to take care of them everyday?
A. I spend roughly an hour everyday. I clean their cage daily and cut up fresh veggies and fruit twice a day. Luckily, I am able to get their lettuce from my mother's garden. Now that they are potty-trained, cleaning up after them is much faster.

Q. Can you recommend some internet sites with more information?
A. Yes, these 2 sites were very helpful when I was researching them!

.http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.

htmhttp://www.guineapigcages.com/

Linus and Snoopy enjoying swiss chard