Baked Citrus Shrimp

I've seen the lemony shrimp recipe on Facebook for months.  I had a pound of Gulf shrimp that were begging me to be used in an appetizer recipe.  I made my own citrus styled shrimp and served them with toasted Asiago cheese bread.  Every one of these shrimp were devoured within minutes.  I'd say that is a ringing endorsement.

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 stick butter, melted

1 small orange, very thinly sliced

I small lemon, very thinly sliced

1 small lime, very thinly sliced

1/4 t. dried basil

1/4 t. dried oregano

1/4 t. lemon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Pour melted butter onto baking sheet and using the back of a spoon, distribute butter evenly.  Place sliced citrus on baking sheet and then place shrimp over fruit.

Sprinkle basil, oregano and lemon pepper over shrimp.

Place in oven and bake for 12 - 14 minutes until shrimp are opaque.

Place on serving tray and carefully pour the butter/citrus juice over shrimp and fruit.

Gruyere Grits

It's a cool, comfort food craving breakfast Saturday here in North Alabama.  I have been very lax in grocery shopping this week.  Which means I haven't been to the grocery store this week.  No eggs, no bread, no breakfast meat.  Hmmm.  I searched through the pantry and uncovered some quick grits.  And then I remembered there's some Gruyere cheese in the refrigerator.  10 minutes later, breakfast is served.

2 2/3 cup water

1/4 t. sea salt

2 T. butter

2/3 cup quick cooking grits

2/3 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese, plus more for garnishing

Bring water, salt and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add grits and stir well.  Cover and lower heat and let cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cheese.  Stir to mix in the cheese.

Divide into serving bowls and add a little extra butter, some pepper if you'd like, and a little extra cheese on top.

Makes 2 servings.  

The temperature rose above freezing today for the first time in over 60+ hours!

So how better to celebrate THAT event than with champagne.  I often have people ask me if we ever have a "non-event" meal.  Just simple and easy and no prep.  Last night we enjoyed Round II of the chili over hot dogs with, what else, champagne.  

Crazy Johnnie's Steakhouse

Last week I had a wonderful lunch at Crazy Johnnie's with a group of delightful women who are some of my best friends.  How blessed am I to have friends who will stop their busy lives to have lunch with Lolly when she visits New Orleans?  

Due to lots of talking and laughter at the lunch table, I neglected to get pics of all the other food which was ordered.  However, here are a few shots of some of our lunch choices.

Yummmm.  Shrimp and okra gumbo.  ($4.95) Look at that dark roux.  I should have ordered a bowl instead of a "cup."

Crab cakes were well seasoned and had lots of crab, but were a little greasy for my taste.  ($5.95)

Crazy Johnnie's Potatoes were the side dish for the crab cakes.  

Stuffed Artichoke ($8.95)

BBQ Prime Rib Po'boy and Crazy Potatoes ($9.95)

Overstuffed Filet Mignon Po-boy ($9.95)

Bread Pudding ($4.95)

Crazy Johnnie's Special Coffee with 4 liqueurs and whipped cream with souvenir mug $8.00

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pie $4.95

Service was prompt and friendly.  As a group, we never felt rushed and our server was more than happy to take (numerous) photos of our lively bunch!

Cafe Pontalba

Every time we visit New Orleans, I do everything in my power to have a meal or at least a snack at Cafe Pontalba located right on Jackson Square at 546 St. Peter Street.  This is THE perfect spot for people watching and to hear some great live music.

This trip we stopped in for one of those quick "grab a snack" visits.

We started with nice peppery, spicy Bloody Marys.  

And each had a cup of shrimp and okra gumbo.  The roux made this batch especially velvety feeling in your mouth.  It was delicious.

And then shared Cajun Popcorn Shrimp.  Why?  Because Sweet Harold LOVES popcorn shrimp and these are great little pop in your mouth treats.  Served with remolaude, tartar and cocktail sauce.

And just because.......we shared a white chocolate bread pudding.  Oh yeah......Yes.  Uh-huh.  It was as good as it looks in this picture.

I know you can read reviews and people will say it's a tourist trap and to stay away.  But my question to them is this:  "If the food is delicious, the service is fast and friendly and the location is great, who cares if people call it a tourist trap?"  I eat what I like.  And I love Cafe Pontalba.  

Winter Wonderland Table Setting

With the entire United States in a deep freeze this week, it seems appropriate to have my tables set with Snowmen and blues and silvers and whites.

A few on the sideboard a/k/a the china cabinet.

The dining room table is a mixture of three different styles of plates from Hobby Lobby.  I was fortunate to get a few last year and waited this year for the after Christmas 80% off sale to obtain a few more pieces. 

Love the salt shakers.

And at 80% off, I couldn't resist the pitcher.  I absolutely LOVE pitchers on the table.

Clear glass vases/candle holders filled with dollar store blue and silver ornaments of different sizes and then filled in with "ice" pieces from Hobby Lobby.

And now on to the kitchen table with a blue tablecloth from Kohl's covered with a white doily to mimic a huge snowflake.  

A blue and white Fiesta ware place setting with Hobby Lobby Snowmen Salad Plates

Before Thanksgiving I spied these candle holders at lobby of hobbies.  And I kept watching them, and kept watching them and then a few days after Christmas, I went in the store and they are still there waiting on ME.  At 80% off, the larger one was $2.80 and the smaller one $2.00.  I'm glad they waited for me.

And to complete the table in a perfect way:  Mr. Bingle.  A very special thank you to my dear friend JuJu for giving me my own Mr. Bingle.  He looks right at home.

Don's Seafood Hut

Last Friday night we dined at Don's Seafood Hut in Metairie, LA.  Service was prompt and attentive and the food was delicious.  We had the almost 3 year old Little Man with us and the server was great to get his bread and red beans and rice out to the table ASAP.  As anyone with little ones along for a meal know, this is always a plus.

I started with a Cajun Sunset.  Isn't that lovely?  A Cajun Martini made with Skyy Vodka, pineapple juice and grenadine.

Sweet Harold enjoyed a Long Island Iced Tea.  Enough said here, right?

We ordered a half dozen hush puppies ($2.50) to help soak up some of these drinks!  These were hot (temperature wise) and slightly spicy.  They weren't a dense hush puppy but light and airy, just like I like them!

Son and daughter in law shared a Seafood Combo consisting of stuffed shrimp, fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried oysters and shrimp etouffee.  ($16.99)

Sweet Harold chose the 1/2 and 1/2 Shrimp, a combination of shrimp etouffee over rice and fried shrimp ($15.99)

And I very wisely chose the 1/2 and 1/2 Crawfish, a combination of crawfish etouffee over rice and fried crawfish tails.  ($16.99)  The best I've ever had.  

And as my second granddaughter (age 2 1/2) would say...... "All Done!"

Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, they live up to the claim of the name of the recipe. They ARE the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with mixer until creamy.

Add eggs and beat well.  

Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.   

Lolly's Soon to be Famous Beef & Pork Three Bean Chili

The temperatures are dropping extremely quickly all across the country.  What a perfect time for a big pot of piping hot chili.  I threw caution to the wind and didn't even think of my tried and true recipe.  It's time to use a beef stock as the main liquid.  Thumbs up all around.  Give this version a try.

3 T. olive oil

3 T. butter

1 large white onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 T. minced garlic

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck

1 1/2 pounds ground pork

1/2 cup chili powder

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 28 oz. can Rotels (you choose the variety)

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 14.5 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic

2 15.5 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 16 oz. chili beans (DO NOT DRAIN)

1 15 oz. can Southwestern Style Corn

8 cups beef stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and butter in a small skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Then add garlic and let cook for a minute more.  Remove from heat.

In a LARGE Dutch oven or stock pot, add ground chuck and pork.  Turn heat to medium and let meat brown, breaking up into small pieces.  Continue cooking until the meat is cooked through.  Drain if necessary. 

Add chili powder to the meat and make sure it's mixed in well.  Increase the heat to medium high and add the onions/peppers/garlic.  Then add remaining ingredients in the order listed.  Make sure you get all the ingredients mixed together well.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cover.  

Let chili cook for at least an hour (longer is better) stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Serve with shredded cheese (I used a blend of Jack/Cheddar), sour cream and/or thinly sliced green onions.

Fury's Restaurant

We took a trip to New Orleans to visit our son and his family. A wonderful time had by all and we were fortunate enough to get to sample great food from restaurants we hadn't been to before now. We went with friends to Fury's Restaurant. A very unassuming restaurant but we felt welcomed and like one of the family as soon as we walked inside.

We began with the onion rings. ($7.50)  Look how thinly they're sliced.  That's perfection in my book. I loved the delicate flour breading as well. Seasoned with a little zip to them, these were a great start to the meal.

My tossed salad with homemade blue cheese dressing with crisp, crunchy and the dressing had just the right amount of cheese.

I decided on the (small) fried oyster platter.  ($18.25)  Great decision on my part. Once again, lightly battered and perfectly fried.  

John fried my oysters, btw.  He's my new best friend, too!

Sweet Harold chose the seafood platter.  ($22.75)  Generous serving of fish, oysters, soft shell crab, shrimp and stuffed shrimp.

One of our friends decided on the fried flounder.  ($ market price) Doesn't that look delicious?

The other friend went with the breaded veal steak, mashed potatoes and corn.  ($13.25) I had a taste and this would definitely be something I would order next time.

It was a lovely, relaxing meal. I felt like I was in a grandmother's dining room. And it was so nice for John to come out and talk with us.