Coconut Shrimp

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This was REALLY tasty - a big salad could round it out but we opted to stick with starch and shrimp ;) The shrimp breading took longer than I anticipated - about 20 minutes - but not a horribly long time for 1.5 pounds of shrimp done individually. This recipe is from Southern Living.

Coconut Shrimp
1.5 pound large raw shrimp, shells removed, deveined. Leave tails on.
Vegetable cooking spray
2 egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon Caribbean jerk seasoning
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup panko
1 tsp paprika
Honey mustard sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.

Place wire rack coated with cooking spray on a rimmed baking sheet.

Whisk egg whites in a small bowl just until foamy.

Stir together cornstarch and jerk seasoning in a shallow dish.

Stir together coconut, panko, and paprika in a separate shallow dish.

Dredge shrimp, 1 at a time, in cornstarch mixture, dip in egg whites, and dredge in coconut mix. Lightly coat shrimp with cooking spray; arrange on wire rack.

Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or just until shrimp are pink, turning after 8 minutes.

*I did not flip them, it was tricky to keep them from falling through the rack as it was. Since my racks were a little elevated, both sides browned nicely. I also waited and sprayed them down with cooking spray after they were all on the racks instead of as each shrimp was breaded. The cooking spray helps get the crust nice and crispy so don't skip it.

Honey Mustard Sauce
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup coarse grained mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp horseradish

Just stir it all together.

Saucy Beef

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This recipe is from my friend, Kathy, and it was delicious! It's not the most beautiful dish when photographed but it was very tender and flavorful - plus it couldn't be easier! Be sure you leave yourself enough time for it to bake.

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Saucy Beef

1 large size oven cooking bag

2 tablespoon flour

1 can (14.5 ounce) stewed tomatoes

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 cup water (or red wine)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

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Preheat oven to 350. Shake flour in oven bag and place in 9x13 baking pan. Combine tomatos, soup mix, water, and pepper in mixing bowl. Put beef strips in bag and then add the tomato mixture. Close bag, cut slits in it, and bake until beef is tender - about 1.5 hours. It was tasty served on egg noodles!

Panko Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Maple Pan Sauce Brazilian White Rice

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Tonight's dinner was a hit - the chicken recipe is from Bon Appetit and the rice was from All Recipes. Both dishes were finished in about 30 minutes. The rice is a kicked up white rice - very easy and makes it taste a lot more interesting. Jason doesn't like white rice much but he had a full serving of this.

 Panko Crusted Chicken with Mustard Maple Pan Sauce

3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves

1 large egg

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard

1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter

Using meat mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken in resealable plastic bag to 1/3- to 1/2-inch thickness. Whisk egg, parsley, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard in large bowl. Place chicken in egg mixture; turn to coat.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken piece in panko; turn to coat.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, whisk broth, syrup, coarse-grained mustard, and remaining 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard in glass measuring cup.

Transfer chicken to plates. Add broth mixture to skillet; boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add butter; whisk until melted. Spoon sauce alongside chicken.

Brazilian White Rice
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cups long grain white rice
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4-5)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used EVOO)
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups hot water (I used chicken broth)

Place the rice in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water; set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil for one minute. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic is golden brown. Add the rice and salt and cook and stir until the rice begins to brown. Pour hot water over rice mixture and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and allow to simmer until the water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Onion Straws

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This recipe should be called Fried Goodness on a Plate. I've never made onion rings or onion straws but saw it on Pioneer Woman, realized how easy it was, and decided to give it a shot. Glad I did, though I wish there were more people in my house to eat them all. Onions are a big no-no for dogs so I sadly can't share leftovers with them. And microwaved onion straws are just icky.

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Ingredients

Onions (I used 2 large sweet onions)

Salt and pepper

All Purpose Flour (2-4 cups)

Cayenne Pepper (I ran out so I used some cajun dust I had)

Buttermilk (I used a half gallon container for 2 onions)

1 quart (or more) canola oil

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No need to really measure anything. Slice your onion(s) thinly. I used a mandolin to get even slices. Keep a hanky handy for all the crying you'll do. I couldn't even see half the time I was slicing, but I digress.

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Throw the onions in a big bowl of buttermilk. Pioneer Woman says to soak for at least an hour but I didn't have that kind of time so they soaked while the oil got hot. Maybe 15 minutes? Not sure what difference an hour would have made. For two onions, I used the entire container of buttermilk. For one, you could have used half. Whatever works.

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Mix in another bowl some flour (2-4 cups), cayenne or cajun dust (eyeball about a teaspoon or two), salt (at least a tablespoon, preferably two), and fresh cracked pepper.

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Get your canola oil going in a deep pot until 375. Or until you sprinkle some water in it and it sizzles and pops, which was my method (I can't find my thermometer). Toss some of the onions into the flour mixture, swirl it around to get it nice and covered, then shake off the excess before throwing them into the hot oil. It cooks fast so just flip it around in the oil with a slotted spoon until browned. Remove and do the next batch.

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Sprinkle each batch with salt when you pull it out.

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Eat.

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We had these with burgers - delicious!

Coconut Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce

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This is a super easy, fast, stand-by meal. Fish thaws so quickly, and cooks so quickly, that it's a great item to cook when you're short on time.
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Coconut Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce

1 cup flaked coconut, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

4 tilapia fillets
1/2 cup cornstarch

4 ounce carton of egg substitute or 2 eggs

1/2 canola or vegetable oil

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Toss the coconut, flour, and Creole seasoning together in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, put the egg or egg substitute. Put the cornstarch in yet another shallow bowl. Toss the tilapia in the cornstarch, shake off excess, dip it into the egg then dip all sides into the coconut mixture.

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Heat oil in frying pan to about 350 degrees. Fry fillets one or two at a time on both sides until golden brown.

**I didn't feel like frying so I put my fillets on a greased baking sheet and baked at 425 for about 14 minutes. Still tasty and saved a few calories.

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For the dipping sauce, blend together 1/2 cup apricot jam, 2 teaspoons brown or yellow mustard (I've used both - it's good either way), and 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish. Serve with the fish.

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce

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This recipe is from Cooking Light and it's not as bad for you as it looks =) The chicken was very good and crispy. I love blue cheese (er, any cheese!) but Jason does not. I didn't tell him it was stuffed with anything just to see if he'd notice and... he did. But he ate it anyways. To please The Picky One, I'll use another kind of cheese next time.

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon reduced fat sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons 2% milk (I used skim - it's what I had)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko
1.5 tablespoons butter, divided
6 tablespoons finely chopped drained bottled roasted red bell peppers (mini chopper is great for this!)
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used more - just added until it tasted good)

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff cheese mixture into pockets.

Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then dredge in panko. Repeat until all are finished.

Heat a large overproof skillet over med-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Arrange chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes until browned. Don't mess with it until one side is browned or the breading will come off! Turn the chicken over and put skillet in oven for 20 minutes or until done.

While chicken bakes, combine remaining 1.5 teaspoon butter, peppers, water, Worcestershire, and garlic in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer or until butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in hot sauce. Serve sauce with chicken.

Panera's Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

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Technically, this soup is "Almost Famous Broccoli-Cheddar Soup" since it's a knock off from Panera Bread. From Food Network magazine, this is a winner. Really good and tasted like, well, Panera's! I served it with tuna sandwiches (though if I were at Panera, I'd have it with a Bacon Turkey Bravo!)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups half and half (I used fat free)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
1 large carrot, diced
2.5 cups grated sharp cheddar (8 ounces), plus more for garnish

Melt butter in large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook until golden, 3-4 minutes. Gradually whisk in half and half until smooth. Add chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to med-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Puree the soup either in a blender in batches and return to the pot OR use an immersion blender (what I did - much easier!). You'll still see flecks of carrot and broccoli.

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until it melts. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese.

*You can also buy sourdough bread boules (round loaves), hollow out the inside, and serve it in that

Perfect French Toast

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Perhaps you're like me and always have soggy in the middle french toast - this is the trick! The outside will be crispy and browned and the inside cooked through. Plus, it means that all of dinner (or breakfast!) is finished at the same time because you bake it all on the same pan.

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This is from the latest Food Network magazine.

Perfect French Toast.

4 eggs
1.5 cups half and half or milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk the eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla extract, sugar and salt into bowl.

Heat the butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, dip thick sliced white bread into mixture and cook in skillet until golden - 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer each piece to a baking sheet and bake until puffed, 8-10 minutes.

Indian Butter Chicken

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This is probably one of my favorite meals - esp since Indian food is hard to find in this area. It is not diet food, and a little time consuming, but worth the splurge on occasion. You can find the spices at someplace like World Market.

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Indian Butter Chicken

1 cup butter, divided

1 onion, minced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

3 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

1.5 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons tandoori masala

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Preheat over to 375.

Melt a few tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic and cook slowly until onion caramelizes to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat along with the tomato sauce, heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in caramelized onions.

While the sauce is simmering, toss cubed chicken with vegetable oil until coated, then season with tandoori masala, and spread out into baking sheet. Bake in oven until cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Once chicken is done, add it to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

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I serve it over Indian rice.

Chipotle-Lime Pork with Rice and Black Bean Pilaf

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My friend, Kathy, passed on these two recipes - they were both delicious!

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Chipotle-Lime Pork

4 pork chops (I used pork loin chops)

1 tsp oregano

1/4 c olive oil

chopped parsley

2 chipotles canned in adobo, chopped, seeds removed

2 minced garlic cloves

2/3 c. lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

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Combine all ingredients and pour over pork. Marinate 4-24 hours. Remove from marinade and grill. Per Kathy's suggestion, I boiled the marinade and used it as a sauce.

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Rice and Black Bean Pilaf - from Ellie Krieger (Food Network)

1 cup brown rice

2 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes

1 (15.5 ounce) can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley leaves

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Place rice and chicken broth in saucepot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook rice, covered, until tender and all liquid is absorbed, 30-35 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with fork.

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Heat oil in saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, celery, carrot, cumin, and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not mushy, about 6 minutes. Stir in black beans and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.

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Combine black bean mixture and hot rice in a serving bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with parsley.

Jambalaya

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I've tried several jambalaya recipes and this is our favorite. I really don't measure (this is why I don't bake!) so each time ends up a little different but overall, it's a great guideline. This calls for chicken and kielbasa but I've done shrimp, sausage, chicken or any combination of the three. Jason's favorite is all three - heavy on the sausage. Sausage makes me gack but I can tolerate a little bit of it if it's well mixed. You can easily adjust the heat - tonight I threw in some extra "cajun dust" (thanks Sheryl!) and hot pepper sauce.

I found this recipe on All Recipes originally.

Jambalaya
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
8 ounces kielbasa, diced
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used "cajun dust" my NOLA friend sent me instead)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken stock
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent.

Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.

*I just added my shrimp the last 4 or 5 minutes of simmering

Sesame Noodles

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This is another Pioneer Woman recipe which came highly recommended by some friends. Since Jason is convinced it's not a meal without meat, I broiled some shrimp to throw in with it. This was SO FAST, easy, and tasty.

Sesame Noodles
12 ounces thin noodles (angel hair, spaghetti, whatever) cooked and drained
1/4 cups soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoons hot chili oil
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoon hot water
4 whole green onions, thinly sliced (I didn't have any on hand)

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss. Enjoy!

Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac & Cheese

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From the March 2010 Cooking Light, this recipe was easy and tasty. This isn't a traditional baked mac and cheese stuffed full of cheese but is a way to get a mac and cheese fix with less calories. Don't bother cooking chicken just for this - shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken is perfect.
Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1 slice applewood smoked bacon
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1.5 cups fat free milk
1/3 cup condensed 45% reduced sodium 98% fat free cream mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded colby-jack cheese

Cook pasta according to package, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Cook bacon in non stick skillet until crisp. Remove bacon, reserve drippings. Finely chop bacon and set aside. Add chicken to drippings and saute 6 minutes or until done.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, still stirring with whisk. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and let stand 4 minutes. Add italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt and stir until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

Preheat broiler.

Spoon mixture into 8x8 pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle bacon and colby-jack cheese on top. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.