Fiery Cajun Shrimp

Cajun Shrimp
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

This is a dish you just don't get over. Once you have it, you just have to have it again. But I don't use all this butter every time.

2 cups (4 sticks) melted butter
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons ground pepper
2 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
5 pounds unpeeled medium shrimp
2 lemons, sliced thinly
French bread for dipping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Stir together the butter, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, pepper, hot sauce, garlic, and salt. Pour half this mixture into a large heatproof dish (9 x 13). Layer half the shrimp and half the lemon slices in the dish; then form a second layer with the remaining shrimp and lemon slices, and pour remaining sauce into the dish. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink, stirring twice. Pour off the sauce into individual serving dishes. Serve the shrimp with plenty of French bread for dipping in the spicy butter sauce.
Note: This recipe can be easily halved or even quartered. Alternatively, use peeled shrimp and then toss it all with pasta for a main course.

This is a Paula Deen recipe.

For The Lancaster News

Apricot Pineapple Gelatin Salad

I'm not really a big jello fan, but Mom did this for the Easter feature I did for the paper. It wasn't too bad, but I think I'd not put in chunks of cream cheese.

Apricot Gelatin Salad
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1 small box apricot gelatin
1 cup hot water
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup crushed pineapple, well-drained
4 oz cream cheese (optional), cut into a small dice
1/2 cup pecan pieces
9 canned apricot halves
Salad dressing, such as Miracle Whip, for garnish

Dissolve the gelatin in the hot water. Add the cream. Do not whip. Stir in pineapple, cream cheese and pecans. Pour into an 8-inch square casserole dish. Arrange apricot halves in the gelatin, so that each serving has one piece of fruit. Cover and refrigerate until set, 2 hours to overnight.
To serve: Cut into 9 pieces, place each piece on a plate and dollop with a 1/2 teaspoon of salad dressing. Add more pecan halves or fruit for presentation.
Cooks note: This is also delicious with orange gelatin and/or mandarin oranges.
Recipe courtesy Mary Goetsch, mother of “No Food Left Behind.”

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Hot Cross Buns

Yeah, I know this is a traditional Easter dish. And I wrote about these in my Easter feature for the paper. But I'm still trying to catch up with posting the recipes from the paper. These are really good any time of the year. They are a nice, sweet breakfast roll, but not so sweet that you go into sugar shock.

Hot Cross Buns
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup raisins
1 slightly beaten egg white

In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour, yeast and cinnamon. Heat milk, oil, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until warm (115-120 degrees). Add to dry mixture; add eggs. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping the bowl. Beat 3 minutes at high speed.
By hand, stir in raisins and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl; turning once. Cover; let rise until double (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch down. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Divide into 18 pieces; form the pieces into smooth balls. Place on a greased baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover; let rise until double (30-45 minutes).
Cut shallow crosses in each; brush tops with egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from sheet. Decorate with frosting crosses.

For The Lancaster News

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, and baking soda. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, then add buttermilk all at once. Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface. Quickly knead the dough by gently folding and pressing the dough for 10-12 strokes or until it is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough with a floured 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, dipping the cutter into flour between cuts.
Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown and delicious.
Makes 8-10 bisuits.
From http://www.cooks.com

For The Lancaster News

Bean Soup

Bean Soup
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1 package 16-Bean Soup Beans
2 small onions, chopped
1 small or large can diced tomatoes
Water
1 package Polska Kielbasa or other sausage

The night before, wash the beans and check for foreign material, such as small rocks. Soak them in 4 quarts of water in a bowl overnight. Reserve the seasoning packet from the bean package.
The next morning, drain the water from the beans. Place them in the slow cooker with the seasoning packet, onions and tomatoes. Add water until the cooker is almost full, leaving about 1-1/2 inches of space on the top.
Cook the beans on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 1 hour and then LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
About 30 minutes before serving, slice the sausage into bite-sized slices. Brown the sausage in a skillet and then add the slices to the slow cooker.
Serve with cornbread.

For The Lancaster News

Asparagus Fontina Tart

Asparagus Fontina Tart
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1 1/2 bundles fresh asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
3 large egg whites
1 large egg
3 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
16 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
1 cup shredded fontina cheese, divided
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together egg, egg whites, milk and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Place 1 phyllo sheet on the pan and lightly coat it with cooking spray. Repeat the layers of phyllo dough, spraying each layer. Gently press the sheets of dough together.
Fold the edges of the phyllo dough in to make a narrow crust, about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese evenly onto the dough. Arrange the asparagus spears next to each other on top. Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus. Some may leak out. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the tart.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Check to see if the dough is browning and the cheese is melting. Check every 2 or 3 minutes until the top looks the way you want it.
Cut into slices and serve. Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine.

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Asian BBQ Pork

Not really the best photo, but this is a super-fantastic pulled pork recipe. The Cooking Light recipe had 5 spice powder, which I don't keep around. I mean...really...you can make your own 5 spice powder from all the little jars in your spice rack. Why waste money having it already pre-mixed? Anyway...the pork...this stuff just gets better and better with each passing day.

Asian BBQ Pork
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 Tablespoons ketchup
3 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons minced ginger root
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Roast:
2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed
Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken stock or water

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Place the roast in a zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it. Squeeze out excess air and close tightly. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight, turning occasionally.

Place the roast and the marinade into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker using a slotted spoon. Cover it and let it rest for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, turn the slow cooker to HIGH and the stock or water to the meat drippings. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. Shred the pork and serve with the sauce.

Adapted from “Cooking Light Magazine,” March, 2006
*note: Hoisin sauce and dark sesame oil can be found in the Asian food section of your supermarket.

For The Lancaster News

Black & White Chocolate Cake

This was one of the recipes for a food feature about buttermilk. Buttermilk lends a fantastic texture and taste to baked goods. I don't know why we don't use it as much anymore. Anyway, I like this cake recipe because it makes a good, fairly impressive cake to take to a family or church picnic. The layers make people think you are really talented. But it's not that hard...the bottom layer is thick enough from adding the cocoa that it's not really that much of a challenge to spread the yellow layer over top.

Black & White Chocolate Cake
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1 package vanilla cake mix
1 1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup white chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil or grease liberally with butter.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, buttermilk, softened butter, and eggs. Beat on low speed only until combined. Some small lumps may remain. Pour half of the cake batter into a separate bowl and set aside.
To one half of the cake batter, fold in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup for later use.
To the other half of the cake batter, add the cocoa powder, mixing until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1 cup for later use.
Pour the dark chocolate batter into the prepared pan and smooth to even it out.
Carefully spoon the vanilla cake batter on top of the dark chocolate layer. Gently spread to an even layer without disturbing the bottom layer.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the top of the cake with the reserved 1 cup of semi-sweet chips. Wait 5 minutes, then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate on the top as a frosting. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of white chips on top and gently press them into the frosting.
From http://www.homecooking.about.com

For The Lancaster News

Layered Salad

Layered Salad
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

Salad
6 cups torn lettuce
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper(any color), thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced on the diagonal
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons real bacon bits (like Hormel)

Dressing
6 tablespoons lowfat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain, nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons sugar

Layer the lettuce, peas, onion, bell pepper and celery in an attractive manner in a clear bowl.
Combine dressing ingredients and spread over the top of the salad. Cover, refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Prior to serving, sprinkle parmesan and bacon bits over the top.

Adapted from a recipe in “Empty Nest Cooking” by Family and Community Leaders of York County. Thanks to Denise Murphy of Indian Land for sharing it.

For The Lancaster News

Salty Fruity Summer Snack

Salty Fruity Summer Snack
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1 3/4 cup dried fruit bits
1 cup M&M® chocolate candies
1 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts
3 cups Crispix® cereal
3 cups pretzel twists

Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

Suggested serving size: 1/2 cup.
306 calories, 7 g fat (19.5% calories from fat), 56 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber.

Recipe courtesy No Food Left Behind
For The Lancaster News

Strawberry Sauce

This sauce is so easy it's almost a crime. I'll try it with peaches, too.

Strawberry Sauce
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups strawberries, halved

In a medium skillet, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice. Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter. Stir well until melted. Mix in the strawberries. Heat through, but do not cook.

http://www.gardenguides.com

For The Lancaster News

Ham Snowpeas Teriyaki Salad

Hamsnowpeasteriyaki96.2.05
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

This is one of my favorite summer salads. It works for the kids too, because it has deli ham in it. My kids will eat big salads for supper but they always feel a little ripped off if there is no meat for supper.


Ham, Snowpeas & Teriyaki Salad
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic. Salad
6 cups torn salad greens
1/2 lb deli ham or other meat, thinly sliced and cut into strips
1-2 cups snow pea pods
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chow mein noodles


Dressing
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes


Trim the ends and strings from the snow peas. Blanch them by placing them in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with ice water.
Place the salad greens on a serving platter. Top with deli meat, snow peas, bell pepper and green onions. Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad. Top with chow mein noodles.


Note: Kids may not care for teriyaki dressing. For them, serve the salad undressed, with dressing choices and noodles on the side.
Adapted from Pillsbury’s “Fast and Health Magazine,” July/August 1997

For The Lancaster News

Citrus Vinaigrette

This dressing is truly my own. I like vinaigrettes but not usually the bottled varieties. For a feature on spring salads I decided to try to find an orange vinaigrette recipe to offset the Green Goddess dressing I planned to include. I found one on About.com, but it just really lacked "zip." So I added some Dijon mustard. Well of course then it needed a little more of this and a little more of that...and before I knew it, I'd changed every ingredient.

Citrus Vinaigrette
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1/2 cup orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced scallions
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons canola oil, or light olive oil (do not use extra-virgin olive oil)
Freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake thoroughly. Keep refrigerated.

Karen Paulson for No Food Left Behind

For The Lancaster News

Strawberry Pie

Strawberry season is nearly over here in the Carolinas. We are ready to start focusing on peaches. But I know in Minnesota strawberries are probably just starting to ramp up.

Strawberry Pie
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

2 (9-inch) unbaked pie crusts
1 cup white sugar (or slightly less)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups fresh strawberries, cut into chunks
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with one crust. Mix together the sugar, flour and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the strawberries, stirring gently but thoroughly. Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pan and dot with butter pieces.
Cover with the second pie crust. Seal the edges and cut slits in the top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the crust is slightly browned.

Recipe courtesy Don McCorkle

For The Lancaster News

Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Yes, it has anchovies in it. But you really don't know that is what you are tasting. I kept this in the refrigerator for about a week with good results. It was great with pretzels dipped in it, too.

Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup minced scallions
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.

From the “All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking,” by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker.

For The Lancaster News

Peanut Butter Trail Mix Bars

I included this recipe in a feature I did for the paper about summer snacks. They are very good, but rather high in calories for the size bar you get. So I'm pretty certain the kids were consuming almost 500 calories a day in these things as they ate 3 or 4 of them at a time.

Peanut Butter Trail Mix Bars
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

3 cups crispy rice cereal
3 cups toasted oat cereal
1 1/2 cups raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, roasted
1 cup honey
3/4 cup granulated sugar
16 ounces natural peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine cereal, raisins, sunflower nuts and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine honey and sugar. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until it starts to boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Stir in peanut butter and vanilla, mixing until the peanut butter is completely melted.
Add the peanut butter mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Stir gently until well-mixed.
Press into a greased 15x10 baking pan. Allow to cool completely. Cut into 1 1/2 inch bars.
Makes 60 bars
119 calories, 5 g fat (40% calories from fat), 16 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber.
Recipe from Smuckers® All Natural Peanut Butter

For The Lancaster News

Swiss Chard Pies

Swiss Chard Pies
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

I love these pies because they are like quiche but not as "quiche-y." No heavy cream, not nearly as many eggs and they taste more like the green than the egg. I like to freeze one for later, but a lot of times we'll eat all of one and part of the second. The pies in this photo are such different colors from each other because I used cheddar in the one in front and swiss in the back one. Any kind of cheese and pretty much any kind of green works well.

1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons oil
1 bunch swiss chard, or other greens
6 eggs
1 cup shredded cheese
1 teaspoon salt
couple of grates of fresh nutmeg
2 pie crusts

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown onion and garlic in oil. Trim and chop chard, add to pan and cook down until wilted. Beat eggs in a bowl; mix in cheese, salt and chard mixture. Pour into pie shells and bake 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

From "From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-Fresh, Seasonal Produce," by the Madison Area CSA Coalition.

Peach Soup

I will admit to you right here that, even though this is fantastic stuff, I was the only member of my family to eat it. To be honest, I have a sneaking suspicion that if I'd poured it into glasses and called it smoothies, they all would have been on board. I may just try that.

Peach Soup
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

2 to 3 large peaches, peeled and chopped
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 ounces vanilla yogurt
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
optional: mint leaves, peach sorbet or peach slices

Combine the peaches, cider, honey, lemon juice, and nutmeg in the bowl of an electric blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into a bowl. Fold in the yogurt, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
Before serving, stir in the blueberries and ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with mint leaves, a couple fresh slices of peaches or a small scoop of peach sorbet.

Recipe from “The Healthy Plate”, June 2005

Roasted Root Vegetables

This photo is from Thanksgiving of last year. The only vegetables I roasted that day were carrots and brussel sprouts. But I do roast all manner of veggies ... particularly roots. In the winter I do them in the oven, but all summer I roast on the grill in foil packets. Very easy cleanup!

Roasted Brussels and Carrots
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

Carrots
Brussel Sprouts
Rutabaga
Turnip
Parsnips
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Clean and cut the vegetables so that they are fairly uniform in size. Place them in a colander. Drizzle them with olive oil and toss until coated.
Spread the vegetables on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Roast, turning every 10 minutes, until vegetables start to turn dark and caramelize, approximately 30 minutes.

Note: Vegetables can be roasted at any temperature, adjusting the roasting time. If you are not sure how long they will take, start them early. When they appear to be about done, pull them out of the oven and let them rest. Pop them back in for 5 minutes or so just before serving.

For The Lancaster News

Lean Pulled Pork from a Pressure Cooker

My friend Mary Ann told me she likes to make pulled pork barbeque in her pressure cooker. Using a pork tenderloin instead of a Boston Butt. The real key to success for this is that the moist cooking in the pressure cooker really counteracts the lack of fat in the tenderloin. I loved this because I knew it was lean and yet it had just as much moisture as the regular pulled pork with all that fat from the butt.

Pulled Pork
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

2 lb. pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup water

In a 6-quart pressure cooker, brown the pork tenderloin in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Bring to a boil, cover the pressure cooker and bring to pressure. Cook for 45 minutes at 15 psi. Release the pressure and, using two forks, pull the pork into shreds. Toss the shredded pork in the pan drippings, if desired. Serve hot on rolls.

Adapted from “Speedy Pulled Pork” by Ronda L. Carnicelli at http://www.seasoned.com

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