I’m craving shrimp today. Not just any shrimp I want Wild American Shrimp – for me, that means from the Gulf of Mexico. Such a wonderful flavor. I don’t want to be bamboozled!
I like shrimp most ways but today, I am wanting it barbecued, Pascal’s Manale style.
You may need three or more pieces of French bread to soak up all this goodness.
1 pound (21-25 count) shrimp, heads removed
5 teaspoons Manale Spice (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
French bread for serving
Wash shrimp and pat dry. Put shrimp in a large skillet over high heat and add Manale Spice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, stirring constantly. Pour olive oil over shrimp, then add white wine. Stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly.
Continue cooking over high heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add butter, and cook an additional 2 minutes until butter is thoroughly melted and blended in. Be careful not to overcook shrimp or they will become tough. Serve with French bread for dipping in sauce.
Manale Spice:
4 tablespoons black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in a dry, airtight container.
That, my friends, is some gooood stuff! Add a salad and that crusty French bread and it is heavenly!
Today’s Lagniappe: Italian Salad with Herbs
A yummy salad to go along with the shrimp. This salad recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
* 1 teaspoon honey
* 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1 head romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
* 4 Belgian endives, thinly sliced crosswise
* 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
* 1 cup (lightly packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
* 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
Blend the lemon juice, lemon peel, honey, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.
Toss the lettuce, endive, olives, parsley, and basil in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad with more salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.
So glad to see March arrive. That really means that Spring is just around the corner. My husband’s birthday is March 21st so it is always near the first day of Spring. Just another reason to celebrate! This seems to have been a tough winter for so many. Around here, we are just really ready to celebrate some warm temps!
Today, I want to celebrate Pimiento Cheese. Also known as the pate` of the South. The pimiento cheese I grew up on was from Priddy’s. It was just delicious with some mayonnaise and white bread. YUM! I’ve heard that this delicacy is not that well known outside the region. Basically, it is cheese, mayonnaise and pimientos mixed up. But, of course, there are many variations on the theme.
With Designs by Gollum
How about today’s lagniappe from an old issue of Southern Living?
Today’s Lagniappe: Feta Apple Spread
This is really going far afield but it is still yummy!
2 (4-ounce) packages crumbled feta cheese
1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives or pitted ripe olives
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained
Preparation
Stir together all ingredients. Chill, if desired.
Prep: 7 min
NOTE: For convenient sandwiches, serve spread in quartered pita rounds.
My little sweetie, Bailey had surgery this morning to remove a large tumor from the end of his tail.
Bailey
He is doing well, still having some pain and is a little uncomfortable but did great and will be fine. What would I do without my sweet little dog and my pretty little cat.
Calli
They were both rescues. Bailey from a shelter (his 2nd at the age of 2 – he is 8 now) and Calli from living under the house.
They both add so much to our lives. So blessed to have them!
Today’s Lagniappe: Slow Cooker Short Ribs Something to cook in the slow cooker is great for a day when you need something easy!
¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
4-5 beef, boneless short ribs
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Combine flour salt & pepper and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge short ribs in flour mixture, coating all sides. Place butter and olive oil in a large skillet and place pan on medium-low heat until butter melts. Lightly shake excess flour off each rib and place ribs in pan. Brown ribs on all sides. Place ribs in bottom of a slow cooker. Without cleaning the skillet, sauté onions and garlic cloves. Drain the liquid from the tomatoes into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until liquid is reduced. Add tomatoes and sugar to the skillet and stir. Pour the tomato mixture over ribs. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.
Just finished recording the first session of co-hosting The Margaret Banks show with my friend, Margaret. It is billed as a show for women and those who love them. I really like this idea, because, even though her show is targeted to women, it would be enjoyed by men as well. If you are in North Central Arkansas,you can hear the show on Saturday morning at 8:30 on Mountain Talk 97. If you are not in the area and would like to hear the show, you can get it with audio on demand on the Mountain Talk 97 website.
We had such a good time visiting about social media and how the internet has changed our lives. Margaret has scheduled me for her 2nd show as well. We will be talking about turning your passion into profits. The perfect show for all my blogging friends and all of you who have a passion that you would like to turn into a business! If you have a chance to tune in, we would love to hear your feedback.
Okay, now,on to:
With Designs by Gollum
and:
Today’s Lagniappe: Sesame Snow Peas for 2
I love this recipe. Snow peas are one of the first veggies to come up in the Spring and this is a great way to enjoy them!
1 1/2 cups snow peas, about 6 ounces, strings removed
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Toss the snow peas with soy sauce and sesame oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover tightly. Microwave at full power until crisp-tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.
Collard, turnip, mustard – the holy trinity of greens and all three are wonderful. Southerners love their greens! Not only are they delicious, they are nutritious too (okay, now, don’t go reminding me about the ham hock, streak 0 lean, bacon grease, etc. that are added for flavor – we all know – they don’t count). Greens are loaded with vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.
Greens grow well in the South and are a popular food in the local cuisine of the region. The turnip green, became an important staple in the Southern African-American diet during the time of slavery. It is said that the slave owners would keep the turnip for themselves and give the greens to the slaves. Little did they know what they were missing!
Served with cornbread (to soak up the “pot-likker”), greens are definitely worth adding to your repertoire! Greens are available year round but are best between January and April (like, right now!). When you cook enough greens to feed a family, it is called a “mess” of greens. The size of the “mess” depends on the family.
Today’s Lagniappe: Southern Greens
Use whatever green is available.
1 1/2 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds ham hocks
4 pounds greens, rinsed and trimmed
1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon grease
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste
Place the water and the ham hock in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to very low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Add the greens and the hot hot sauce the pot. Simmer covered for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the vegetable oil or bacon grease and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
This weekend calls for celebration! We have Valentine’s Day on Sunday and then Mardi Gras on Tuesday. I think I’m going to have to combine the two. How about a Sunday brunch for two? Oh, by the way, it is
With Designs by Gollum
Let’s start with
Eggs Hussarde
This is my favorite Brennan’s Breakfast. This is Emeril’s version
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon garlic
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup demi-glace
8 croutons (4 inches round and 1/2-inch thick)
1/2 pound thinly sliced country ham
8 thin slices of fresh tomato
8 poached eggs, warm
1 cup Hollandaise Sauce, warm
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 1 minute. Add the red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the demi-glace. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from the heat, keeping warm. To serve, Place two croutons in the center of each plate. Lay slices of the ham on top of each crouton. Lay a slice of the tomato over the ham. Top each tomato with the poached eggs. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the Hollandaise over the eggs. Spoon the Marchand De Vin Sauce around the croutons. Garnish with parsley.
We can finish with something chocolate – I mean you have to have chocolate for Valentine’s Day, right? So, my vote is to buy some chocolate covered strawberries.
Today’s Lagniappe: Mimosas
Don’t forget the drinks. What fun to have champagne for breakfast!
Champagne
Orange Juice
Grand Marnier
Sugar
Strawberries for garnish
Pour a little Grand Marnier in a shallow saucer. Put a little sugar in another shallow saucer. Dip the rims of champagne flutes in the Grand Marnier and then in the sugar. Fill the champagne flutes halfway with champagne and the fill the rest of the way with orange juice. Cut a slit in a strawberry and place on the rim of the flute if desired for garnish.
Here we are in Arkansas having yet another snowfall! Okay, it was pretty the first couple of times, but I’m ready to see some color!
Snow in the tree
I’ve posted the above picture before and received many nice comments on my black and white photo, however, it is actually a color photo. Just not a lot of color.
Tree without snow
The picture above has the same tree in the background. This picture was taken during the summer. Much more color.
The sun shining through the branches of the same tree and others during the fall. The three pictures have such different looks for the same tree through the seasons.
So, as I look out today, it is back to a monochromatic world. Pretty for a while but I’m so ready to get back to a more colorful world! A winter wonderland is just wonderful – for a visit. Keep in mind I’ve always lived in places where you couldn’t even buy a snow shovel. Where I am living now is the Northern part of the South but it is still the South so this snow is just taking some getting used to. I’ll try to remember this cold when it is hot and humid during the summer!
Is it a winter wonderland where you live?
Today’s Lagniappe: Pace Picante Marinated Beef Steak
From the Pace Picante Sauce website, something to warm us up!
Serves 6
2/3 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
1 beef top round steak, 1 1/2-inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Directions:
Mix the picante sauce, oil, oregano and garlic powder in shallow, nonmetallic dish or resealable plastic bag. Add the steak and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover the dish or seal the plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium. Grill or broil steak until desired doneness, turning and brushing often with picante sauce mixture. Discard any remaining picante sauce mixture.
Slice the steak into thin diagonal slices. Serve with additional picante sauce.
Welcome February!!! So much to enjoy in February. First of all, thank you so much to Kelee at The Katillac Shack. She informed me this morning that I won a $20 gift card to Hobby Lobby from her great give-away post which honored her friend Colette. Go check it out!
Okay all of the February fun:
The [...]
The wonderful tortilla. So versatile, so affordable, so yummy!
What can you make with the wonderful tortilla?
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Perfect for a chilly day (or a hot day, or a windy day . . . hmmm, just about any day)!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 [...]
We can finish with something chocolate – I mean you have to have chocolate for Valentine’s Day, right? So, my vote is to buy some chocolate covered strawberries.
