shrimp po'boys

A New Orleans classic. Savannah, New Orleans and Charleston are the 3 sister cities, and it's fairly evident as you go through town. Lots of the same kinds of architecture, the same Southern flair, and a lot of continuity as far as food is concerned. This week when I was making up our menu, I asked Ed what he would like me to make and he said "po'boys". So, po'boys I made!

This is a shrimp po'boy, so you need some big shrimp. Basically, small lobsters. Well, maybe not quite that big. These are what they called "gulf prawns" at the grocery, but they're basically 16-20 shrimp. Make sure they are completely peeled and deveined.

Shrimp are pretty much as soft as they can get, but to make sure they are super buttery and delectable, I like to soak them in buttermilk for just about 10 minutes. Just long enough to coat them completely with the buttermilk and to break down just a little protein. Like usual, I didn't have any buttermilk, so I did my milk and vinegar trick.

While the shrimp are swimming, you can mix together the seasoned flour. This is all purpose flour, cornmeal, dried parsley, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper and salt and pepper.

Make sure they are evenly coated in the flour. At this point, I like to let them hang out for a minute while I mix together the spicy mayonnaise, just so that the flour mixture really sticks on there.

The mayo is simple- just a quarter cup of regular mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of the liquid from the chipotles in adobo. I pop this back into the fridge so that it's super cold when I spread it on the bun. Now, drop those shrimp into the hot oil and let the magic happen!

The magic is what you see above. Perfectly cooked little shrimp bombs. All that's left is assembly.

Not much fuss here- that's why it's called a po'boy! Just a crusty bread, a slather of the spicy mayo and lettuce topped with our crispy shrimp... who could ask for anything more?

Shrimp Po'Boys
2 lbs raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 crusty deli rolls
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon liquid from chipotles in adobo
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 cup buttermilk
Leaf lettuce
Oil, for frying

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Place raw, peeled and deveined shrimp into a shallow bowl with buttermilk. Let set for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine together all spices, flour and cornmeal in a separate shallow bowl. Toss shrimp into flour mixture. Let sit for an additional 5 minutes. To make mayonnaise, combine together plain mayo and chipotle liquid in a small bowl. Keep refrigerated until needed. Fry the shrimp in the hot oil for 2 minutes on either side, or until shrimp have curled into c shapes. Drain on a paper towel. To assemble the sandwiches, slice deli rolls in half, coated on side in spicy mayonnaise. Top with lettuce and shrimp. Enjoy!

parmesan oven corn

It's basically been a corn kind of a summer in this house. I buy several cobs when I go to the grocery and spend the next 2 weeks trying to find new ways to cook it. This is one I've been doing for a while, but not for a lonnnng while have I cooked it!

This is all you need, and it will come out perfect every time.

Completely shuck the corn, remove the silk and cut off the end. Place the cob into the center of a large piece of aluminum foil.

Top with butter, salt and pepper and roll it all up.

Once all the cobs you are going to devour are wrapped up and ready to go, place them into a baking dish that will catch any butter that escapes.

30 minutes later and this is what pops out! Perfectly cooked corn on the cob... all this needs is some parmesan cheese and it's ready to go!

Parmesan Oven Corn
2 ears corn on the cob
1/2 stick butter, salted
Salt and pepper
Parmesan, grated fresh

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Completely husk and de-silk both ears of corn. Place each ear on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Top each ear with butter, salt and pepper, and place in the oven. Cook in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, open up aluminum and immediately top hot corn with freshly grated paremesan cheese. Enjoy!

lemon garlic orzo soup

This was the perfect summer soup. I really do mean perfect. I was obsessed for several days. And I still am. It was so easy and wasn't heavy at all for hot weather- I will definitely be making this again.

One pet peeve I have with soup is when people caramelize onions for soup (except french onion soup) because you really just need them to be fragrant and soft. The boiling in stock does the trick has far as soft goes, and you really only need a few minutes to let the oils become fragrant.

Now for the garlic, who is one of the stars of the show. Lots of fresh, minced garlic. Let this become fragrant, but be vigilant! No burning!

Fresh grated carrots adds some good sweetness and texture to the soup. You can use store grated carrot, but the fresh grated helps to release the liquid and the sugars better.

Now just plain old chicken stock!

As soon as this boils, add in the orzo and let this become soft. Once they are soft, here comes the other star of the show!

The lemon. Not toooo lemony- just the juice of half a lemon and zest as well, but it really adds a freshness and bright note. The only thing that this needs is to be tasted and salted (and peppered) and for fresh parsley to be stirred in!

Lemon Garlic Orzo Soup
A new fav, the Petit Foodie!
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 cup orzo
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and cook until fragrant. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in carrots and cook for about 2 minutes to release sugars and oils. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add in orzo and cook until al dente. Squeeze in the lemon juice and lemon zest and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and parsley. Let simmer and adjust seasonings if needed. Enjoy!

grapefruit and habanero skirt steak

Fun fact- when you type habanero into my computer, it prompts you to correct it to handbarrow. But, this is not grapefruit and handbarrow steak. It's a little spicier than that!

This marinade is kicking! I mean, really kickin', so it's not for the faint of heart. You'd better enjoy the slow spicy burn of a habanero if you want to wrangle this recipe, but I have a quick fix for anyone who wants to tone it down some. It starts with ruby red grapefruit juice, and a little pulp.

Olive oil, habanero, garlic, salt, pepper and the juice of one entire grapefruit, into the food processor or blender makes the marinade.

It looks good already! Although, I don't really suggest tasting it at this point... the peppers mellow out a bit when you cook them.

Marinade your skirt steak, but no more than about 40 minutes. Any longer than that and the heat will be too much and the steak will ceviche in the citrus. Once the marinading is done, grill time!

Let the steaks rest for a few minutes and then cut on a bias to serve. You can serve them with tortillas or all alone, whatever you want. Here's my word of advice on the heat- if you can't handle the heat, melt some butter and pour it over the steaks before serving. Not only will the butter make them tastier, but the dairy will counter act the spiciness a little bit for yah!

Grapefruit and Habanero Skirt Steak
Loosely adapted from Saveur magazine.
1/2 cup olive oil
1 habanero
Juice of 1 ruby red grapefruit
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lb. skirt steak

In a food processor or blender, combine together olive oil, habanero, grapefruit juice, garlic cloves and salt and pepper. Pulse several times to liquefy. Pour marinade into a ziplock plastic bag and add steaks. Marinade for 30-40 minutes. Remove steaks from marinade and grill on high for 6-7 minutes per side for medium rare. Let steaks rest for 5 minutes before slices. Enjoy!

tex mex oven fries

Oven fries are awesome. Almost better than frenched fries. Almost. These are jazzed up with not only a dipping sauce, but also a lime garlic sprinkle. Yes, a sprinkle!

Start with some taters that are scrubbed clean!

I prefer my skins on the potatoes, so all I do is slice them into spears.

Soak the potatoes in cold, cold water to leech all the starches out. This makes them easier to "fry" in the oven.

30 minutes later, drain the potatoes and completely dry them off.

Put a quarter cup of oil into a large ziplock bag, and season the oil with cayenne pepper, chili powder and salt.

Toss those potatoes around in the oil (in the bag) so that way they are completely coated in the oil.

Using parchment paper, dump those french fries right onto a baking sheet and pop into the oven.

While the fries are "frying" in the oven, we need to create the sauce and the sprinkle. The sauce is beyond easy- just a tablespoon of the liquid from the chilies in adobo and a quarter cup of ranch. It'll be spicy, but it'll be so good!

This is all you need for the sprinkle. And a little olive oil. Remember, you don't need salt because the fries are already salted.

Very finely minced garlic, the zest of a lime and the juice of 1/2 a lime- along with a drizzle of olive oil shooken up is all it takes.

Hello, pretties! These guys are just waiting for the sprinkle.

Let these cool for like, a hot minute, and then prepare to devour!

Tex Mex Oven Fries
Got these from Good Life Eats!
2 lb russet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus a drizzle
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
chipotle powder, to taste
chili powder, to taste
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 clove garlic, minced very fine
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 Tablespoon liquid from chipotles in adobo

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice potatoes into spears and soak in a large bowl in very cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and dry thoroughly. Pour the oil, chipotle powder, chili powder and salt into a large ziplock bag. Dump potatoes into the oil and toss to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop into the oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until they are soft, crispy and browned. While the fries are cooking, combine the very finely minced garlic, lime zest and juice as well as the drizzle of olive oil in a mason jar or bowl. To create the spicy ranch, mix together the ranch dressing and chipotle liquid. After taking the fries out of the oven, immediately sprinkle with the lime garlic mix and let cool for a minute or two. Enjoy!

chicken enchilada pasta

THIS WAS SOOOO GOOD! I love pasta. I love Mexican food. Combine them together, and it's magical. MAGICAL. I will be making this again. Tomorrow. And maybe the day after as well.

Bell pepper and onion starts this off, almost like any other enchilada.

Now the garlic, so nothing burns! (Nothing is worse than burnt garlic.)

You can use whatever chicken you want, in fact using a rotisserie chicken would help save time. I boiled 2 VERY large chicken breast, let them cool a little and chopped them up.

Chicken, green chilies, 2 cans of green, 1 can of red. It seems like a lot, but believe me. You want a lot of this sauce.

Now for le spices. Or, la spices. Or, el spices. Whatever.

Let this bubble a bit. Let it reduce and get even more delicious.

Now drive this pasta dish right to the edge and add some cheese. Lots of it.

Now to push it over the edge... add in some sour cream. WARNING! Be sure to not let this boil. The sour cream will get all icky. If that doesn't happen, then you have one delicious meal on your hands. Or in your bowl.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Okay, Chef in Training, you got me!
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 4 oz. can green chilies, chopped
2 10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lb cooked penne pasta

In a large stock pot, cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain, set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add in onion and peppers and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute for an additional minute so garlic is fragrant. Add in cooked and chopped chicken, green chilies, enchilada sauces (both red and green) and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add in seasonings and cook an additional 2 minutes. Turn temperature to low. Stir in cheddar cheese and sour cream. Do not allow to boil, but bring back up to temperature and let cheese melt completely. Serve sauce over penne and enjoy!