The Best Green Beans Ever!

This recipe is not exact as I gathered it from watching a friend cook one day.  It is super simple and adds a lot of flavor to green beans.

Green Bean Recipe:
1 bag of fresh french cut green beans
3 to 4 cloves of garlic
1/4 onion, very finely chopped
EVO
2 to 3 packets of Swanson chicken flavor boost
several tablespoons to 1/4 c of water

First wash and snap or cut off the ends of the green beans. Next, using a skillet or wok, turn heat to medium/high and fry onion and garlic in EVO.  Once cooked to a golden brown, add the green beans and sear for a minute.  Next begin to add enough water to steam.  Not too much though, because the goal is not to boil the green beans.  Add at least 2 packets of the chicken flavor boost to the green beans, mix and turn down the heat to a simmer.  Place a lid on the mixture and simmer until water is all gone.

Blood Orange Mint Salad

Blood Orange Mint salad:
2 to 3 fresh blood oranges or seasonal oranges
1 spring of fresh mint
1 to 2 tbs. of agave syrup

Peel and dice the blood oranges.  Place them in a bowl.  Wash and cut the 3 to 4 of the mint leafs and add to the bowl with diced orange.  Pour in two tablespoons of agave syrup and toss mixture together.

Cheese Popovers

They serve these with dinner at one of my favorite restaurants Kenny's Woodfire Grill in Addison, TX.  They are so good!! 

Cheese Popovers: 

1 c. of milk (room temp) 

1 tbsp. melted butter 

1 c. of flour 

1/4 tsp of salt 

2 beaten eggs

1/2 c.  grated sharp cheddar or Parmesan cheese 

1/8 tsp. paprika

Take extra butter and generously coat baking cups or glazed custard cups. (Sorry, you can not use anything but butter for this part!) 

Place milk, butter, flour and salt in a bowl a bowl and beat until smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time and mix until smooth.  Next, fold in the cheese and paprika.  Fill the baking cups three-fourths full and bake at 450 for 15 minutes. (you can add extra shredded cheese to the tops of the cups for a garnish) Without opening the oven, lower the temperature to 350 and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Serve warm with butter.  

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip cookies

These cookies are always a hit and you get a yummy surprise when you bite into them!

Chocolate chip cookies from Joy of Cooking Cook book: (Follow the directions in this order)
cream:
1/2 c. unsalted butter
add gradually and beat until creamy:
1/2 c. of brown sugar
1/2 c. of white sugar
beat in:
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Sift and stir in:
1 c. plus 2 tbsp of flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp of baking soda
stir in:
1/2 c. nuts
1/2 c. of chocolate chips
Take a small amount of batter and form a cookie.  Smash the Oreo into the cookie, make another cookie and smash it to the other side of the Oreo.  Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes, depending on if you like crunchy or soft cookies.  Hint: the first time I made these I put too much cookie dough on either side of the Oreo.  Remember, cookie dough expands as it's baking.  I ended up cutting smaller cookies out of the first batch.  They were still a big hit despite the messiness of the finished product.

Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is so simple and one of my favorites! Until I decided to make this recipe, butternut squash was something I ignored at the grocery store.  On a trip with a friend to Eatzi's I discovered this soup.  I came home and immediately began searching for recipes.

Butternut Squash Soup:
1 tbs. EVO
1 medium chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 c. of chicken broth
1/8 tsp. salt
1 to 2 ribs of celery
1 to 2 chopped carrots
1 tart apple
pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne (added to your liking, after pureed)

Pour EVO into a pan and heat.  Chop onion, carrot, garlic, and celery.  Saute vegetables until soft.  Pour the vegetables and broth into a large pot and add squash and apple. Add salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to boil for 30 minutes or until squash becomes soft.  Let the mixture cool a few minutes, then place in the blender and puree until smooth.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne to taste (start by adding a pinch at a time).  To make the recipe a creamier soup, add a tablespoon of sour cream to garnish each bowl.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

A friend of mine recently introduced these to me and they were amazing!

Guiness Chocolate cupcakes:
1 c. Guiness
1 c. unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Bring the stout and butter to a simmer.  Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Let the mixture cool and whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.  Beat eggs, and sour cream n a third bowl.  Add the stout mixture to the egg mixture (why the stout butter mixture *must* be cool).  Beat the mixture until it is just smooth.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixer and beat on low speed until smooth.  Divide and pour into cupcake liners and bake for roughly 17 mins.  Let cupcake cool on a cooling rack.

Whiskey Ganache:
8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
2/3 c. of heavy cream
2 tbs. butter
3 to 4 tbs. Irish Whiskey

Chop the chocolate and place in a stainless steel bowl.  Boil water and place steel bowl on top of boiling water.  Stir the chocolate *constantly* until smooth.  Add the cream, butter, and whiskey.  Mix until smooth and remove from heat.  Pour into a piping bag when mixture is semi-cool and set aside.

In the meantime, core the cupcakes using a cupcake corer.  I have had several and the one I currently use is from Sur La Table.  (Click the link to view the cupcake corer!) Or in a pinch, you can use a grapefruit knife and cut holes in each cupcake.

Bailey's Frosting:
3 to 4 c. powdered sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter (room temp)
3 to 4 tbs. Bailey's Irish Cream

Whip butter in mixer until it is light and fluffy.  Slowly add powdered sugar until the frosting is thick and almost spreadable.  Finally, add Bailey's and whip until mixed.  Add to a piping bag and frost cupcakes immediately.
Enjoy!

Shrimp and Grits Recipe

How exactly has it been almost a year since I even attempted to update this blog? I have thought about it several times but never had the time or desire to actually do it.  For those of you that follow me know I have been busy finishing a graduate degree and have had little time to update this or cook for that matter.  With the degree being finished, I should have ample time to update this right? :0) I should probably be searching for a job but **instead** I am sitting on the floor searching through a years worth of recipes. I plan to begin with a few favorites and a few recipes I promised last year!

This first post is dedicated to a southern favorite and a must must if you have not tried.

Paula Dean's Shrimp and Grits:
1 c. stone ground grits
1/2 stick of butter
2 c shredded sharp vermont cheddar
1 lb. raw shrimp
6 slices of bacon, chopped
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbs. chopped parsley
1 c. of thinly sliced green onions
1 large garlic glove, minced
salt and pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 c of water to a boil.  Add the grits, salt, and pepper.  Reduce the heat to lowest possible setting and cook the grit's until all water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in butter and cheese.  Keep covered until ready to serve.
2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry.  Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel.  Add the shrimp to the bacon grease and saute over medium heat until cooked.  Immediately add lemon juice and parsley, green onions, and garlic. Remove skillet from heat.
3. Pour grits into a serving bowl.  Pour the shrimp on top and garnish with bacon.

Something my mother used to add to the top of this is a soft, fried egg.  It is a great addition for breakfast with a side of buttermilk biscuits.  (maybe not the healthiest though!)

Enjoy!