Potato Leek Soup....my way

Ingredients

1/4 C butter
3 Leeks-sliced finely-and cleaned well
2 tablespoons snipped chives/onions
1/2 C minced mushrooms
1/2 C finely sliced carrots
1/2 C cooked crumbled bacon
3-4 larger red potatoes, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine(totally optional)
5 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream

Once all your veges are sliced/chopped/diced/minced...put the butter in the stock pot to melt. Add in the order listed in the ingredients. STOP after the potatoes add1/2 C stock or the optional liquid. Let simmer until the fluid is about gone. Add seasonings and fluid after about 10 minutes. LOWER THE Heat. Don't let it burn stir quite often. Let simmer till the carrots and potatoes are tender.

Perfect dinner for a chilly night.

Flat enchilas Over the top!

Flat enchiladas kicked up a notch or two.

I wanted flat enchiladas tonight. Didn't have eggs to fry and put on top.

Sooo...

The sauce was Hatch Green enchilada sauce,
added 2 TBLs of Sour Cream
1/2 c of Artichoke Pesto(HEB)
sauteed shrimp(peeled and deveined)
sharp cheddar/mexican blend cheese

Heat up the corn tortillas as normal. Dip in the Green Sour Cream Artichoke sauce-generously
put a 5 or 6 cooked shrimp on top, add the cheese generously.

Continue the layers till happy with the levels you want. After the last cheese layer add a couple of Spoonfuls of the green sauce over the top.

Heat in the Microwave to get the cheese to melting...and eat enchiladas that are absolutely over the top!

Portuguese Seafood Stewp

It was cold. I wanted something warm. We had huge scallops that needed to be used. Last night we had Scallops wrapped in bacon and baked. Tonight we wanted something different.

6 huge scallops
2 link sausage
2 frozen cod filets
1 lb of brown wild gulf shrimp(frozen, peeled and deveined)
1 lb green mussels
1 lb clams
Couple of dashes of Tobasco
Couple of dashes cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 (3 cups) frozen okra
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped celery
1 c chopped bell pepper
3/4 c chopped carrot
1/4 c butter
1 qt chicken stock.
1 can Red kidney beans

Start with melting the butter and then add the holy trinity of cajun food(onion, celery, bell pepper-I also added the carrots) saute.

everything starts getting crazy and mixed in fast here. You want the broth to have the seafood flavors so adding all of these at the right time is most important. the fish, the shrimp, sausage, broth, tomatoes, okra should be combined pretty much one at a time, making sure the stew pot keeps hot for cooking the different ingredients cook quickly and thoroughly. Add the seasonings and tobasco to taste. Add the mussels and clams and drained red kidney beans at the last.

Great over rice or as a stoup. Perfect on a cold night.

The absolute original Chex Mix the way I Like it.

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup salted mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Oven Directions Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container. If you like it darker, just a few minutes more. More tang, more worcestershire sauce. I also add a bit more in the seasonings. It is always according to personal taste.

The infamous Gingerbread boy recipe- A True TNT

1/3 c butter or margarine or coconut oil(just one of them)
1 C brown sugar
1 1/2 C molasses
cold H20
7 cups flour sifted
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt

combine first 3 with a 1/2 cup h20. Blend thorougly.
combine flour and spices and add gradually to molasses mixture.
dissolve Baking soda in 3 TBLs of H20 add to mixture.
Chill
Roll out and cut
350 for 15-18 minutes for 1/2 inch thick gingerbread boys

If you could see the book this recipe came out of...you would absolutely know it is tried and true.

Chocolate Macaroons

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
1/4 tsp Mexican Vanilla
1 C unsweetened coconut
6 oz of Semisweet Choc chip- the darker the better for my taste-melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat Egg whites and salt till almost stiff, add sugar and continue beating til whites stand in peaks.

Add flavorings.

Fold in Coconut

Add melted chocolate and mix well.

Teaspoonfuls on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Bake 15 minutes, cool and remove from paper.

Family Favorite-Fried Okra

Fry it crisp and at the right temp or it may be slimey


Southern Fried Okra
1 pound fresh okra
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Wash and slice okra; pat dry with paper towels.
Combine eggs and buttermilk; add okra, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper.
Drain okra, small portions at a time, using a slotted spoon.
Dredge okra, small portions at a time, in flour mixture.
Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3-inches in a Dutch oven of deep-fat fryer and heat to 375°F (190°C). Fry okra until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.