Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Cream Sauce

This is a quick and easy summer recipe.  My sweet friend, Céire Smyth Martínez and I are always sharing recipes or talking about cooking.  She is a fabulous cook and we enjoy going to the farmer’s markets together.  Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe Céire!

1 (16 oz) container sour cream (you may use fat-free)
2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup water (I use a little less)
1 pound med-size shrimp
3 tablespoon orange juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 avocados, chopped
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Optional:  Add chopped cilantro ‘I LOVE IT!’ or you can add a little slaw.  Your options are endless!

Whisk together sour cream, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt and cinnamon. Add water, stirring until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Peel and devein shrimp. Combine remaining seasonings in a shallow dish; add orange juice and shrimp, turning to coat. Cover and chill for 15 minutes. Remove shrimp from marinade, discarding marinade.

You may grill your shrimp at this time if you prefer.  Or, you can chop your uncooked shrimp, first, sauté garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over med-high heat 1-2 minutes. Add chopped shrimp and cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Either way you cook the shrimp – IT’S DELICIOUS!

Serve with sour cream mixture and avocado in warm tortillas.  This is an easy dish to take for a summer outing.

Quick Summer Pasta Salad

This is a pasta salad that you can made on the run.  All of the ingredients are readily available in your local deli – so if you are on the run and don’t have a lot of time – this is a quick and delicious summer pasta salad to take. It’s bursting with flavor and can also be made ahead of time. 

Sue Patrick Richard and Tracey Patrick Blanchard shared this recipe – they are excellent cooks! 

16 ounces of Pasta – tri color is pretty or my favorite, Castellana Trecce Dell’orto
Chop 1 small red onion
Chop 2-3 cucumbers
Shred 2 cups cheddar cheese – I prefer to shred my own.  The pre-shredded is too dry. 
1 – 12 ounce bottle ranch dressing or you can make a batch of Ranch dressing and use 1 and 1/2 cups.
Chop 1 tomato or use grape tomatoes – as many as you like
Kalamata olives – as many as you like

Add 1/4 cup chopped or torn Basil

Almost 1 jar of McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning (contains Romano cheese, salt, sesame seed, poppy-seed, celery seed, paprika, garlic, black pepper and red pepper.)
Optional:  Add grilled shrimp or grilled chicken

Cook pasta – drain and cool.  Add onion, cucumbers, cheese, tomatoes, olives, and dressing.  Mix well.  Cover the top with a healthy amount of Salad Supreme Seasoning and then set your chicken or shrimp on the top of the seasoning.  Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Right before serving toss salad and serve.  If the pasta has absorbed too much of the Ranch dressing, you can add a little more at this time.

 

Margarita Pie

This is an easy summer pie recipe that can be made ahead of time.  Keep one in your freezer for surprise guests.  Tracey Patrick Blanchard shared this refreshing pie recipe.  Thanks Tracey!

1 and 1/4 cups crushed pretzels
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Mix ingredients together and press into glass or ceramic pie pan to form the crust.

1 can condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 envelope lemon lime unsweetened Kool-Aid
2 and 1/2 cups Cool Whip or whipped cream

Mix all ingredients together and pour over pretzel pie crust.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in freezer until ready to eat.
Remove from freezer about 30 minutes before serving.  Add remaining Cool Whip or whipped cream on top before serving

Licuado de Melon – Refreshing Watermelon Drink

It’s summer and time to enjoy the delicious taste of watermelon.  Looks like this summer is going to be a super hot one.  This watermelon drink is super refreshing and so easy to make.  You can make it the day before.  Serve chilled.  Thanks Céire!

• 1 small watermelon or half of a large one
• juice of 2-3 limes or more to taste, make sure to have some of the lime pulp
• about 1/4 cup honey, to sweeten
• up to 4 cups of chilled water

Cut the watermelon into chunks, discarding seeds.  Place chunks in a large sieve, over a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to press/mash fruit, extracting the juice.  Stir in the lime juice and sweeten with honey.  Serve chilled.

Mama’s Homemade Lemonade

I remember the first time I helped my Mama make lemonade.  First you should know, my Mama prepared 3 meals a day, set the table for each meal and the family ate together at the table.  She also squeezed fresh orange juice for our breakfast.  Need I say………Awesome Mom!  So, one hot Louisiana summer day were going to make homemade lemonade.  I remember saying, “That’s going to take a lot of lemons!”  I thought you would make it like orange juice….wouldn’t that have been tart!  We laughed and laughed  that day.  Those are the sweet memories you keep forever.  So on this Mother’s day weekend, I’m making homemade lemonade and thinking of my sweet Mama. 

1 cup sugar and 1 cup water:  Prepare a simple sugar syrup by heating sugar and water in a small pan. Continue to heat, till the sugar is dissolved completely. 

4 – 6  Lemons – (about 1 cup of juice)

4 cups cold water

While the sugar dissolves, extract lemon juice from 4 to 6 lemons.  You can use a juicer, but I use a use a wooden citrus reamer. Now mix the lemon juice and the simple syrup in a jar or pitcher. Add 4 cups of cold water. 

That’s it – very simple.   This makes a little over 1 quart of lemonade.  You could double the recipe easily.  I usually pour my lemonade into an old mason jar with a clamp closure – it looks vintage, keeps the lemonade very cold, and fits well in the refrigerator door.  A really neat idea – if you are having a few people over for a crawfish boil, cookout, etc., you could put your lemonade in individual mason jars with lids and keep them in a bucket of ice. 

Marge’s Moist and Light Poppy Seed Cake

If you are looking for a quick, light and moist cake to serve visiting family and friends during the holiday, this is the perfect choice.  It’s not too sweet,  and great with coffee, hot chocolate or a glass of wine.  This recipe was shared by my dear friends Ricky and Marge Brookins – thank you!

1 box Duncan Hines Butter Cake Mix

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup Crisco Oil

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup poppy seeds

*Icing

Combine and beat for 2 minutes and following:  cake mix, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 3/4 cup oil, 4 eggs.  Stir in 1 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup poppy seeds.  Pout into a greased and floured bundt cake pan and bake 350 degrees until done – approx. 30 minutes.  You can also bake this cake in a loaf pan.

*I made this cake several times in the last 2 months – you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top or make a glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar – both are excellent.  Although this cake is just fine without.

Italian Red Gravy – passed down through the generations

All families have their own version on this recipe.  This is the one that was passed down to me from my Uncle Joe.  My mother added red pepper flakes to make it more like an Arrabbiata gravy – spicy.  This gravy is also delicious with meat balls, stuffed shells, or lasagna.  I usually double this recipe.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 or 2 carrots, grated

salt and pepper to taste

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 dried bay leaves

pinch of sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until carmelized, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, tomato paste and salt and pepper. Sauté about 5 – 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, basil, bay leaves, sugar, and wine – simmer covered on low heat for 1 – 2 hours or until thick. Remove bay leaves.  If sauce still tastes too acidic, add butter – 1 tablespoon at a time.

Old Fashioned Greek Salad

As summer is coming to an end, I think about salads more often.  A Greek salad is so refreshing and full of flavor.

Step 1:

1 head Lettuce, rinse shake dry and chopped. (Romaine is Best)
1/2 of a medium Red Onion, slice thinly
2-3 Roma Tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 jar pitted Kalamata Olives, about 1 cup
1 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 small jar drained peppers, Mezzetta Imported Peperoncini are my favorite!
1 large Cucumber, Sliced and cut again

Step 2:

1/2 cup Olive Oil

3 tablespoons Red Wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder or 1 freshly minced garlic clove

1 teaspoon dried Oregano

1 teaspoon dried Basil

1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar, optional

1 teaspoon Black pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon or spicy brown mustard

Add in large serving bowl, all step 1 ingredients, cucumbers last.  In a side bowl mix all step 2 ingredients – whisk together to infuse the ingredients or pour into a jar and shake vigorously.  Pour over the salad, cover and chill.  Cover tightly while storing, otherwise your refrigerator will smell just like this salad.

Layered Salad – great for Labor Day Picnics

This is a delicious salad that is easy to prepare, can be made a head of time,  and is easy to take for a picnic.  I usually make it around the Labor Day holiday.

• 2 heads Iceberg Lettuce, chopped
• 8 ounces,  Baby Spinach, washed and dried
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 8 Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped
• 16 ounces, Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
• 8 ounces, Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 1 bag (10 Ounce) Frozen Peas, thawed

Dressing

• ½ cup Mayonnaise
• ½ cup Sour Cream
• 1 tablespoon Sugar

In a clear glass or clear bowl, layer salad ingredients in the order they appear above, concentrating ingredients around the perimeter of the bowl and filling in the center with lettuce, if needed. End with the layer of peas.

Combine dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. Pour over the top of the peas and spread to cover, bringing dressing all the way out to the edges of the bowl.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours. Toss just before serving.

Southern Style Strawberry Cake – Happy Birthday Brady!

Picture by Sweets by Patty Pinner

Picture by Sweets by Patty Pinner

As it gets close to my son Brady’s birthday, I’m already thinking about baking him a Strawberry Cake – his favorite!  I found this wonderful recipe and my goodness, you won’t be disappointed.  It’s from Sweets by Patty Pinner cookbook.

Cake

1 (18.5 ounce) box white cake mix (without pudding)

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry jello

1 Tablespoon self rising flour

4 teaspoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the cake, combine to cake mix, Jello, flour and sugar in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Add the oil.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the water and strawberries and mix well.  Divide the batter evenly into three 8-inch round baking pans that have been oiled and floured.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean and the layers pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer the layers from the oven to wire racks.  Let them cool, still in their pans, for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, run a knife around the inside edge of each pan, then unmold each layer onto the racks to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

2 (1 pound) boxes powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

pink food coloring

4 sliced strawberries

To make the frosting, in a bowl combine the cream cheese and butter.  Beat until soft.  Add one box of the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract.  Beat until incorporated.  Add the second box of sugar and mix until incorporated.  If you would like a smoother consistency, add a dash of milk.

Put the coconut in a small bowl and sprinkle with two or three drops of pink food coloring.  Mix to distribute the color and wash hands immediately.  Once the cake is frosted, decorate the top of the cake with the shredded coconut and sliced strawberries. Enjoy!  Happy Birthday Brady!