A Recipe A Week: Week 11

Hey y'all!

This is definitely one of my favorite recipes I've tried so far! Can you tell I'm from the South?!

Triple Dipped Fried Chicken

from allrecipes.com

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
•  
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups beer or water
•  
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 
  

1. 1. In one medium bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, paprika and poultry seasoning. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, egg yolks and beer. You may need to thin with additional beer if the batter is too thick.

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1. 2. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Moisten each piece of chicken with a little water, then dip in the dry mix. Shake off excess and dip in the wet mix, then dip in the dry mix once more.

1. 
   

1. 3. Carefully place the chicken pieces in the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 18 minutes, or until well browned. Smaller pieces will not take as long. Large pieces may take longer. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

A Recipe A Week: Week 10

Happy Tuesday y'all!

This is actually the recipe that was supposed to be posted for last week! I just never got around to posting it due to my birthday festivities :)

Mojito Lime Shrimp

1 package McCormick Grill Mates

Marinade, Mojito Lime flavor

for marinade:

1/4 cup oil

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons apple cider or white vinegar

2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

cooking spray

1. Prepare marinade according to package directions (combine 1/4 cup oil, 2 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and marinade packet).

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2. Place shrimp in a Tupperware container with marinade. Stir. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Stir again. Refrigerate for 15 more minutes.

3. Place shrimp on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue to bake for 5 additional minutes. Serve immediately.

A Recipe A Week: Week 9

Happy Thursday y'all!

My recipe this week is one that I got from Weight Watchers!

Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes
from the Weight Watchers website


PointsPlus value: 4 per serving
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 35 min


1 spray(s) cooking spray
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 pounds uncooked new potatoes,
red or white, quartered or  
halved   

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, oil, paprika, salt, thyme, and pepper; add potatoes and stir to coat.

3. Transfer potatoes to prepared baking dish and roast 15 minutes; stir and roast until tinder on inside, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

** I used honey Dijon mustard rather than Dijon mustard **


These were really good and really healthy which is a plus! My husband and I were really surprised that they didn't have a mustard-y taste to them. They just tasted like regular roasted potatoes. I don't know if me using honey Dijon mustard rather than Dijon mustard has anything to do with that or not.

Hope you enjoy the recipe!

A Recipe A Week: Week 8

Happy Thursday y'all!

I have gotten a vote on my poll for more recipes so I'm glad to know y'all appreciate my recipes every week :)

This week's recipe is something I pretty much threw together, and it ended up being really good!

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 packet McCormick Grill Mates     

Hawaiian Luau Marinade

(for marinade you will need oil and

white or apple cider vinegar)       

1 can pineapple rings                       

1 jar Marciano cherries                   

Salt                                         

Pepper                                    

1. Prepare marinade as indicated on packet. [Combine packet of marinade seasoning, 1/4 cup oil, and 1/3 cup vinegar in a bowl and stir].

2.  Salt and pepper chicken breasts. Place chicken breasts in a Tupperware container or a Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over chicken. The package says to let the chicken breasts marinate for at least 15 minutes, but I recommend longer especially if they are bigger breasts. I marinated mine for 3 hours, flipped them, and marinated them for 3 additional hours.

3. Grill chicken breasts for 20 minutes, flipping regularly. When the chicken breasts have about 5 minutes left, place pineapple rings on the grill.

4. Take chicken breasts off the grill, and garnish with grilled pineapple rings and cherries. Serve immediately.

I can't believe I've actually tried a new recipe a week for 2 months! It has been a challenge I look forward to every week.



I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

A Recipe A Week: Week 7

Happy Friday y'all!

I hope everyone is as ready for the weekend as I am!

This week's recipe is a really good one especially if you are looking for healty alternatives to meals. The nutritional values will be included :) This recipe is also good because you can do variations....add what you want and take out what you don't.

Spaghetti Squash with Red Sauce

from Taste of Home Annual Recipes 2008

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 25 min.

1 medium spaghetti squash ( about

4 pounds)                               

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes     

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms        

1 cup diced green pepper             

1/2 cup shredded carrot               

1/4 cup diced red onion               

2 garlic cloves, minced                

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning      

1/8 teaspoon pepper                   

1 tablespoon olive oil                  

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce 

Grated parmesan cheese, optional

1. Cut sqush in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash, cut side down, on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave, uncovred, on high for 14-16 minutes or until tender.

Squash on the left is with seeds; squash on the right has had seeds removed.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the tomatoes, mushrooms, green pepper, carrot, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper in oil for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Add tomato sauce; heat through.

3. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands. Place squash on a serving platter; top with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

**I used a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes because it was what I had. I also used red bell pepper instead of a green bell pepper. **

Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup squash with 1/3 cup sauce (calculated WITHOUT Parmesan cheese) equals 135 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 372 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 starch, 1/2 fat.

Weight Watchers Points: 3/4 cup squash with 1/3 cup sauce (calculated WITHOUT Parmesan cheese) equals a 4 points plus value.

Thank goodness Blogger is done with maintenence issues. It was really starting to stress me out!

Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday!

Friday Confessional

Happy Friday y'all!

I hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend as much as I am!

It's Friday so you know I'm linking up to confess. Link up HERE.

 

I confess... that I don't really appreciate all the maintenance that Blogger has been doing at night. That's when I prepare all my posts!

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I confess... that because of this maintenance, I'm behind on my usual posts.

I confess... that I'm soooo sore from trying to prepare for my Army PT test again. Lets hope it actually happens this time.

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I confess... that I'm a little very excited that I have lost 8 pounds to date using Weight Watchers! Only 7 pounds to go before my dad owes me a steak dinner :)

I confess... that last night I gave my pup his first taste of peanut butter, and he loved it! I should have taken pictures but I'm sure there will be more.

I confess... that I've slept in every day this week and need to stop. I think I'm caught up on my rest from finals week now!

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I confess... that I am really ready to spend some quality time with my husband this weekend. Now that I'm out of school and home all day I really miss him during the week!

I confess... that I tried two new recipes this week for my A Recipe A Week and just got around to posting about it.

I confess... that I'm ridiculously excited to go out for Mexican tonight with my husband.

I confess... that all the time I spent cleaning this week brought me to the realization that my house is filthy.

I confess... that I love the art that I bought last weekend for $60 combined! I already posted about this on Wednesday, but lovely Blogger deleted my post during maintenance.

I think that's enough confessions for one week :) Don't forget to link up and share your confessions!

Hope everyone has a fab. Friday!

A Recipe A Week: Week 6

Hey yall!

Time for my recipe this week! It's another super easy (and super healthy) recipe this week!

Roasted Carrots

from Southern Living Magazine April 2011 Issue

Makes: 6 to 8 servings Hands-on time: 10 mins Total time: 45 mins

3 lb. small carrots with tops

1 Tbsp. olive oil                 

3/4 tsp. salt                        

1/4 tsp. pepper                  

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel carrots, if desired. Trim tops to 1 inch.

2. Toss carrots with oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a 17 x 12-inch jelly roll pan.

3. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring once. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, and bake, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until carrots are browned and tender.

*Note: You can use bagged baby carrots but young carrots with tops taste better.

I hope everyone has an amazing end to their week!

A Recipe A Week: Week 5

Sorry I have been a little MIA this week. Exams are killing me!

I couldn't forget about my recipe a week though :) This is another super quick and easy recipe.

Roasted Salmon with Lemon and Dill

from Southern Living April 2011 Issue

Makes: 4 servings Hands on time: 15 mins. Total Time: 30 mins.

4 (6-oz.) salmon fillets 

1/2 tsp. salt                  

1/4 tsp. freshly ground  

pepper

8 fresh dill sprigs           

4 lemon slices, halved    

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon fillets on a lightly greased rack on an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 2 dill sprigs and 2 lemon halves on each fillet.

2. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or just until fish flakes with fork.

*I added just a little of McCormicks Grill Mates Lemon Pepper Seasoning for flavor.*

Hope everyone has an amazing end to the week!

A Recipe A Week: Week 4

I posted a couple of weeks ago about how I had gone and gotten a hug basket of strawberries from the Farmer's Market. Well lucky for ya'll, I decided to try a new recipe with them :) It is a very simple recipe this week.

Punch Bowl Strawberry Shortcake

from my mother in law's recipe cards!

1 Angel food cake       

12 oz cool whip           

16 oz sour cream         

5 oz evaporated milk   

3/4 cups powdered      

sugar            

1 pkg strawberry         

glaze     

1 qt fresh strawberries

1. Mix sour cream, milk, cool whip, and sugar until smooth.

2. Break cake into large pieces and fold in mixture. Cut strawberries in 1/2 and mix in glaze.

3. Layer cake mixture and strawberries, ending with strawberries on top.

*I used a box of Angel food cake from the grocery store. I baked them using the two 9" pan option. You can either make 1 large cake with this recipe or 2 small cakes.

Excuse the backdrop, but we are in the process of remodeling our kitchen :)

Hope everyone has a great Thursday!

If you're looking for more great recipes today, go over and check out Ashley's yummy recipes :)

A Recipe A Week: Week 3 and a bonus recipe!

Get excited because this week I am giving you not one, but two recipes!

Oh, and a really big plus, they're both super easy :)

Week 3: Seasoned Red Potatoes

from 2008 Taste of Home Annual Recipes

12 to 14 small red potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil                  

1/4 cup butter, melted        

1 teaspoon salt                   

1 teaspoon garlic powder   

1 teaspoon dried basil        

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme   

1/2 teaspoon pepper          

Peel a strip from around each potato. Place potatoes in an ungreased 3-qt. baking dish. In a bowl, combine the oil, butter, and seasonings; drizzle over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until tender, stirring every 15 minutes. Yield: 6 servings

I used more than 14 potatoes because mine were a little smaller than theirs were in the book.

The whole point of me doing this recipe a week thing was to force myself to try new recipes. However, I have a recipe I'm going to share with you this week as a bonus. It can't be used for a recipe a week because I've done it a million times, but I've had a couple of people ask me for the recipe so I'm going to share it with ya'll!

Bonus Recipe:

My Recipe for Grilled Shrimp

1 lb. of uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

McCormick Grill Mates- Lemon Pepper with  

herbs seasoning                                

Thread shrimp onto wooden skewers and place on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with desired amount of McCormick Lemon Pepper Seasoning. Place baking sheet in oven at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.



That's it! Combine both of these recipes together for a dinner that's quick, easy, and delicious!

A Recipe A Week: Week 2

Happy Thursday!

As promised on Monday, here is this week's recipe!

Week 2: Lemon Easter Egg Cakes

from Woman's Day Magazine/April 17, 2011 Issue

online recipe from Woman's Day site here

ACTIVE: 40 MIN

TOTAL: 2 1/3 HR

MAKES 9

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 tsp baking powder            

1/2 tsp kosher salt                

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar  

1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest plus

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract      

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted      

butter at room       

temperature          

3 large eggs                         

1 cup whole milk                 

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese,   

at room temperature

1 1/2 cup confectioners'      

sugar

Cookie cutters, nonpareils,  

sanding sugars, and confetti

sprinkles for decorating      

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-in. cake pan with cooking spray, line the bottom with parchment paper, and coat the paper with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the granulated sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of the butter and 2 Tbsp of the lemon juice in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

3. Reduce the mixer to low and alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup butter until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and remaining Tbsp lemon juice until fluffy.

5. Using a 3 x 4-in. egg-shaped cookie cutter as a stencil, cut out nine eggs from the cooled cake. Working with the cakes on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, frost each one with about 3 Tbsp icing.

6. Using 1/2 to 1 1/2-in. mini cutters as stencils, place a cutter on top of one cake and use a small spoon to shake sanding sugar or nonpareils either inside or outside the cutter. Push the sugar into place with the back of the spoon, and use the tip of a knife to spread sugar into the pointy edges of cutter, if necessary. Brush excess sugar off the cake with the back of the spoon, the carefully remove cutter. Place a piece of pastel confetti in the center of each flower. Repeat on all cakes as desired.

PER EGG CAKE: 310 CAL, 15 G FAT (9 G SAT FAT),

71 MG CHOL, 159 MG SOD, 4 G PRO, 40 G CAR,

28 G SUGAR, 0 G FIBER



My notes:

When I made mine, I actually only got six eggs out of the 9 x 13-in. pan. I also couldn't find the 3 varying sized, flower cookie cutters in stores so I my mom cut out flowers out of paper and did it that way. I used the sanding sugar rather than the nonpareils because I couldn't find all yellow in stores either. If you don't like lemon, don't fret. I found that it didn't have a strong lemon flavor like I was expecting. You could probably leave the lemon out all together if you wanted to.

Here is a list of where you can find the exact cutters and decorating supplies used to create the eggs in Woman's Day.

Egg-Shaped Perimeter Cookie Cutters

69 CENTS EACH; WILTON.COM

Flower/Leaf Cutter Set

$19 FOR 12; NYCAKE.COM

Pastel confetti sprinkle, nonpareils, and sanding sugars

$2.29-$2.99; CONFECTIONERYHOUSE.COM

Also, here is the actual picture featured in Woman's Day.

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So there you go! I wanted to get this out early enough that if any of you wanted to try it you'd have plenty of time before Easter!

If anyone decides to do these, I want to see pictures :)

A Recipe A Week: Week 1



I'm challenging myself to a recipe a week! Visit my page to learn more.

I'm super excited about this week's recipe! If you're from the South, you're going to love it :) It's good ole shrimp n' grits Charleston, SC style!

Week 1: Shrimp N' Grits

Creamy Cheddar Cheese Grits

from Southern Living 2009 Annual Recipes

4 Tbsp. butter, divided

5 cups milk                 

2 tsp. salt                    

1/2 tsp. hot sauce        

1 garlic clove, pressed 

1 1/2 cups uncooked   

stone-ground     

white grits          

1 (10 oz.) block sharp 

white Cheddar    

cheese, grated    

1. Bring 2 Tbsp. butter, next 4 ingredients, and 5 cups water to a boil in a medium-size Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Gradually whisk in grits, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours or until thickened.  Stir in cheese and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter until melted. Serve immediately.

-INSPIRED BY EMERIL LAGASSE

Quick-Cooking Creamy Cheddar Cheese Grits:

Substitute 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits for stone-ground grits. Decrease water and milk to 4 1/2 cups each. Prepare recipe as directed, cooking grits 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.

Hominy Grill's Shrimp and Grits

from Southern Living 2009 Annual Recipes

2 lb. unpeeled, medium-size raw

shrimp (31/40 count)

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour            

5 bacon slices, chopped             

1 (8 oz.) package sliced fresh     

mushrooms             

3 garlic cloves, minced               

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice            

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 tsp. hot sauce                          

1/2 tsp. salt                                

Creamy Cheddar Cheese Grits   

1. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Toss shrimp with flour until lightly coated, shaking to remove excess.

2. Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet.

3. Saute mushrooms in hot drippings 4 minutes or just until mushrooms begin to release their liquid. Add shrimp, and saute 3 to 3 1/2 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute (do not brown garlic). Add lemon juice and next 3 ingredients; serve immediately over Creamy Cheddar Cheese Grits. Sprinkle with bacon.

-HOMINY GRILL, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA