Secret Sayings

Every family has their own inside sayings and phrases.  Those ones that everyone knows exactly what they mean and what they mean usually isn't what they sound like.  Just like in The Godfather, they all knew what it meant when the phrase was uttered to "take 'em to the mattresses".  We have a similar phrase in my family although it has nothing to do with war amongst rivals.  We are Italian, but not THAT Italian ;-)

Now that we are all adults we joke quite often about "Going to Popeye's".  This isn't nearly as delicious as it sounds and it has absolutely nothing to do with fried chicken.  It originated because growing up we had Popeye's for lunch on Sundays.  Sunday, as it goes, is the day after Saturday night and usually a day where you were in trouble for something you did one of the two previous nights before.  My Mom was a very strict mother, but she was normally calm and collected in her strictness.  She was the school disciplinarian so her parenting frequently mirrored that style.  She was gathered and diplomatic in her disciplinary actions, but oh so pointed!  She wasn't one to cause a big scene when we walked through the door late or forgot to call when we changed our plans (these were minor offenses, since one day my son might read this I will leave the really bad stuff to your imagination).  She wouldn't utter a word about it and she would let you go to sleep thinking you had won and you had gotten away with your dirty deed.  But then she would come into your room the next morning and announce you would be taking a ride with her to Popeye's to get lunch for the family.  If she said, "get dressed, we are going to Popeye's" you knew you were toast.

I am one of four children and we all talk about those car rides now that we are adults.  Each of us experienced our fair share of them.  The things she uttered to us on those trips to Popeye's are funny now, but they had us shaking in our boots at the time.  Those one on one sessions where we were put in our places were never fun, but they were very effective.  And to this day if any of us are "getting in trouble" in a one on one fashion we still call it "Going to Popeye's".

I do most of my fancy cooking on Sunday's.  I work and my weeknight meals tend to be less involved.  I save all of my very detailed or time consuming recipes for Sunday lunch and dinner.  As I stood over the stove pulling together this recipe (which by the way was easy enough to be a weeknight meal), I thought about those Sunday trips to Popeye's and how I would be depriving Rex and any of our future children of those life lessons if I continue to cook on Sundays.  I need to think up a substitute car ride I can take my kids on when they are teenagers, should they ever need it.  Any suggestions, Mom?

 

Guinness Mac and Cheese
Adapted from Cooking Light April 2013

 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 6 ounces bulk turkey sausage
• 3/4 cup diced onion 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup Guinness Stout beer
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2.5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 ounces light processed cheese, shredded (such as Velveeta Light)
• Cooking spray 

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

3. While pasta cooks, heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 6 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add flour, pepper, and salt; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in beer; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.



Remove from heat. Add milk and cheeses,



stirring until smooth.



Stir in pasta.



Mix to incorporate.



Divide mixture evenly among 4 ceramic gratin dishes coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Top with fresh parsley or dried parsley flakes and serve.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Shrimp Scandal

I love to eat dishes with shrimp, but hate hate hate to peel shrimp.  Luckily I have a very willing shrimp peeler in my home.  Forrest always steps up to the plate without complaint when it is time to peel shrimp.  And EVERY single time he is peeling shrimp for us he reminds me why he really doesn't mind peeling shrimp.  As the story goes, he used to peel shrimp during P.E. class in high school.  His P.E. teacher would pay Forrest and his friend $5 for every 5 gallon bucket of shrimp they would peel for him during their regularly scheduled P.E. class.

Now.....there are so many things wrong with this story I don't even know where to begin.  First off, that is highway robbery.  Five bucks for the labor that would go into peeling a five gallon bucket of shrimp is nearly slave wages.  Then there is the whole "teacher paying their student" factor in addition to letting them miss their regular P.E. class for his own benefit!  Those are all of the more serious issues associated with the tale.  Then the practical side of me kicks in and I start thinking about the minor logistical details, like where did he refrigerate 5 gallon buckets of shrimp before and after they were done.  Or what was he doing with 5 gallon buckets worth of shrimp, did he own a restaurant? Cook for a shelter?

Regardless of the wackiness of this memory, I am just glad it didn't turn my husband off of his shrimp peeling ways.  And I am happy it worked in my favor, because my going rate isn't even $5 bucks..... all I can offer in the end is a really delicious meal!

Shrimp, Corn & Chorizo Salad
Adapted from Cooking Light July 2013

 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces large shrimp, peeled
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3/4 ounces sliced fresh Mexican chorizo sausage
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
• 12 red grape tomatoes, halved and divided
• 12 yellow teardrop tomatoes, halved and divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 

Preparation

1. Combine green onions, garlic, corn and tomatoes in one bowl.



Combine Shrimp, Chorizo, Sriracha, and salt in another bowl.



Stir to distribute Sriracha.  Combine both bowls of the two mixtures.  Add 1/4 cup minus 1 Tbs chopped basil; toss shrimp mixture gently to combine.




2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shrimp mixture to pan, and cook for 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and sausage is cooked, stirring frequently. Place about 1 1/2 cups shrimp mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls, and sprinkle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, 6 tomato halves, and a sprinkle of the remaining chopped basil.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Classic Change-Up

In most cases messing with the classics seems ludicrous.  Some recipes are so perfect in their intended form that there is no reason to tinker with them in any way or make any adjustments.  The entire time I was making this recipe I was worried that I would end up wishing I had trusted my instincts and left lasagna alone -  let it do what it does best, ground beef and red sauce.  But I was so wrong, this spin on the traditional lasagna was so delicious.  It was satisfying and comforting.  It didn't leave us wishing we were eating the "original", it was in a class of its own.  It was very different, but in an extremely pleasing way.  This is a new favorite in our household.  Even Rex approved!  And any recipe that can get a two year old to eat spinach will definitely be making a reappearance on our meal rotation.

 

Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna
Adapted from Cooking Light March 2013

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• 8-ounces turkey breakfast sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning 
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 Tbs fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf) in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Cook 8 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently.



Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Spread 1 cup milk mixture in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons water and spinach to pan;



cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts.



Drain spinach, pressing until barely moist. Increase heat to medium-high. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.



Remove sausage from pan. Add shallots and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in remaining milk mixture, spinach, and cooked sausage. Remove pan from heat.



4. Combine Ricotta, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and Italian seasoning.

5. Arrange 3 noodles over milk mixture in baking dish; top with 1/2 cup ricotta mixture and one-third spinach mixture.



Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.



Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Remove foil.

6. Preheat broiler to high.

7. Broil 4 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Foods I Fancy

I tend to get on food kicks.  My latest obsession is raw oysters.  Forrest and I went on a date to a local oyster bar for my birthday earlier in the year and it was fabulous.  The oysters were perfection and I loved dining right up at the bar and talking with the "Shuckers".  Well I can't stop eating raw oysters since then, I have probably been back 6 times with anyone I can convince to tag along.  Six revisits is a lot considering my birthday was only three weeks ago and I have a two year old which makes family visits near impossible.

These little food crushes aren't new.  I can remember a time in college where I became infatuated with eating seafood gumbo and I had it for every meal for several weeks.  When I like something, I REALLY like it when it comes to food.  My Mom describes it as extreme, and she tends to believe it applies to other parts of my personality as well - but that is irrelevant (maybe).

This recipe came at a time when I was enamored with the idea of a poached or fried egg on everything.  I just can't get enough of the rich runny yolk and the flavor element it adds to a dish.  This meal was awesome and I loved the addition of the andouille sausage to the grits, oh so Southern!

Pigs in Poke
Adapted from Cooking Light November 2012

 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 ounce andouille sausage, diced and skin removed
• 3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 cup uncooked stone-ground grits
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/3 cup of shredded Gouda cheese
• 8 cups water
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

 

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.



Stir in 3 cups milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Add grits; reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes



or until tender, stirring frequently.



Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cheese.




2. Bring 8 cups water and vinegar to a simmer in a large saucepan.   Crack each egg into a small bowl. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to spin the water into a little cyclone-like formation. Gently slide eggs into water;



cook 3 minutes or until whites are just set and the egg floats to the surface.



Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

3. Divide grits evenly among 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 poached egg; sprinkle eggs evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and parsley.



 Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe.

Strategic Strata

I think this is technically a breakfast dish, but I served it for dinner. I would definitely suggest putting it in the lunch/dinner category as it is very rich, but equally delicious. It is a great meal to serve to a crowd on a busy day because not only can it be a day ahead, it actually needs to be prepared at least 9 hours prior to serving. I am always looking for dishes that I can prepare ahead and heat/cook just before serving when I have a large crowd or a particularly over-scheduled time in my life, like the holidays!

Asiago, Mushroom, and Sausage Strata
Adapted from Southern Living Christmas Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground pork sausage
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 (8oz) package sliced baby portobello mushrooms
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 tsp minced dried thyme
• 1 (16oz) loaf sourdough bread, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese, divided
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring often, 6 to 7 minutes or until; meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat; add mushrooms and shallot, and saute until tender.

Stir in sausage and thyme.

2. Place bread in a lightly greased 13'x9' baking dish.

Sprinkle mushroom mixture

and 1/2 cup cheese over bread.

Whisk together eggs and remaining 3 ingredients;

pour over mushrooms and bread.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and chill at least 8 hours (I chilled over night).

3. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes or until set and lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Braidy Brunch

I have made a breakfast braid before and absolutely loved everything about the pastry. I was enamored by the presentation, the portability and the creativeness of the recipe. So when I saw this recipe in the recent issue of Cooking Light I knew I would partake. I figured I would love this recipe even more since it was of the savory variety and my previous braid was sweet - I prefer savory over sweet any day. I was right, this was amazing! I tinkered with the ingredient portions a bit after reading some online reviews and I substituted a local Louisiana sausage. I think the best part of this recipe is that you can really play with the ingredients and change them to suit your taste buds.

**Check out the link below my last picture. I now have a new feature on the blog that will allow you to print my adapted recipes picture free. I will be including the printable recipes for all recipes in the future. If you would like the printable recipe for a past recipe just email me and I will create the link for you.**

Jalapeno, Sausage, Jack and Egg Breakfast Braid
Adapted from Cooking Light January 2010

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

• 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 8 ounces crawfish sausage (or any sausage of your choice), chopped
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup (2 ounces) shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapeño peppers
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 15 x 10–inch rectangle.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sausage;

cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in eggs; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until set.

Remove from heat.

4. Make 2-inch-long diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on both sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling using a sharp knife or kitchen shears.

5. Sprinkle Monterey Jack lengthwise down center of dough, leaving about a 2 1/2-inch border on each side.

Spoon egg mixture evenly over cheese.

Sprinkle cheddar over egg mixture; top with jalapeño peppers.

6. Arrange cut out strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally over filling.

Pinch ends over to seal.

Brush with egg white.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices.

My Adapted Printable Recipe