No Bake PB Nut Fudge

I saw this recipe on FB and had to try it. I am over baking cookies for the season and this fudge recipe is no bake. You only need the melting energy of the microwave. No condensed milk in this recipe either!

No Bake Fudge

1 cup Peanut Butter
2 sticks butter diced
4 cups confectioners sugar
nuts(optional)

In an microwave safe glass bowl add the PB and confectioners sugar. Melt in one minute intervals. Stir after each minute until all of the PB and butter are melted. Mix in the nuts. Add to a tin foiled 8 inch pan and let set for four hours. Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate French Toast

My daughter came up with this recipe. Who would have thought that delicious hot chocolate could become a delicious breakfast?

Be creative and garnish with whipped cream and marshmallows. The chocolate taste is amazing. I used skim milk but feel free to use the milk and bread of your choice. If using regular bread only give a brief dunk or your bread will fall apart. This would be good with Texas toast also.

This would be great for Christmas morning.

Hot Chocolate French Toast

4 TBSP melted butter
3 eggs beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 pkg hot chocolate made with 1 cup milk
6-8 pieces of bread

Heat the milk in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add the hot chocolate mix and stir. Temper the eggs by gradually stiring in the hot chocolate Add the butter, salt and vanilla. Dip each of the pieces of bread briefly in the chocolate egg mixture. Fry in a non stick frying pan until set. Serve with whipped cream and syrup.

Oreo Mint Cookie No Bake Truffles

Oreo Mint Chocolate Chip Truffles (makes 48)

1 16oz pkg. mint chocolate chips

without the chocolate 

1 brick cream cheese room temp.
1 pkg oreo cookies

In a food processor, grind the cookies down to a fine grain. Reserve some for the topping. In a microwave proof bowl. Melt the chocolate chips starting at one minute intervals. Stir after each minute. (takes about 3 minutes) Stir the Oreo's with the cream cheese. Use a melon baller to make 1 inch balls. I did mine by hand and they were large.  Dip in the melted chocolate and sprinkle the tops with the remaining Oreos. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Tip: You can also add 1/4 tsp. Canola oil to your chips to prevent them from scorching.

Christmas Cupcakes

I found this on Pinterest. I have been so busy with the end of my internship and school for the semester that I didn't have time to go out and shop for gifts for my co-workers. I did pick up some holiday Fun Fetti cake mix and frosting each for .99 and also purchased some cones. This project was under $4.00. My daughter baked the cupcakes while I prepped the cones. Easy peasy and these were a big hit at work. No offset spatula? I used a butter knife.
1) The Fun Fetti icing was already green but I added 20 drops of green food coloring and stirred. I used a half a jar to start off with. I crumb coated each cone. Then I put them in the freezer for 5 minutes to set up. The cupcakes were left to cool.

2) I used a star tip purchased at the grocery store. I cut one end off a large zip loc bag. I fit the star tip into the corner and used a big spoon to put the icing into the bag. I placed the icing on the trees pulling back and making short strokes to make the branches.

3) Candy such as red hots or jimmies, even M&M's can be pressed into the icing. Back into the fridge to set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. I only used one can for the whole project.

4) Make white frosting for the cupcakes. 2 cups confectioners sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla,  and two TBSP milk. If it's not thick enough, stir in a additional 1/2 cup. Let set up in the fridge for a half hour. Frost the cup cakes. Save some icing for the bottom of the cones to help them adhere to the cup cakes. Attach the cones to the cup cakes. I used the actual muffin tin to transport them to my work.

Chili Mac...Warms Your Body on a Cold Winter Day

I have been freezing all day. In Wisconsin, we think the 30's is warm. It really is but I think I got a chill at the 5K I walked on Saturday. This chili mac is everything you love about the soup without all of the liquid. Wisconsin cheese added on top makes for the perfect bite. My girl Angie used to invite me over to her house when I was single and make this for me. This is how my Mom taught me how to make chili. (she thinks she invented it.) I have tweaked the recipe over the years to find out what we like. To make a whole chili add water to the soup can and the two bean cans.

Chili Mac

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 of a large onion diced
1 large can stewed tomatoes chopped and drained
2 cans of red beans or kidney beans drained
2 small cans Campbell's tomato soup
2-4 TBSP chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
2-4 shakes hot sauce
1 lb cooked macaroni pasta

Brown the ground beef and onion in a frying pan with high sides. Drain off the fat once or twice and break the meat up into larger pieces. Season a few times with salt as you go. Once no longer pink, add the tomatoes, beans, and chili powder, and salt. Let cook for 10 minutes or so to combine flavors. Cook the pasta and drain. Fold into the chili and add the cheese. Serve with your favorite condiments such as sour cream.

Turkey Left Over Frittata

We still have a lot of left overs. This morning I used some of what I had to make a delicious frittata. You can use the turkey, ham, veggies (I had left over root veggies) green pepper, onion, mashed potatoes, and the cheese of your choice to make this easy and fast breakfast treat. A cast iron skillet works best for this will be placing it under a hot broiler. Otherwise make sure the handle is heat proof.

Turkey Frittata

1/2 cup leftover turkey chopped (we had Gran Mariner injected turkey)
1 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup onion diced
1/2 cup pepper diced
4-6 large eggs beaten
1/4 cup fat free milk or heavy cream
1/2 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper
cilantro for garnish
2 TBSP oil

Add the oil onion, root veggies, and pepper to the skillet. Brown for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the turkey and warm through. Next add the potatoes. Again, season and warm through 1-2 minutes. Cover with the beaten eggs. Top with cheese and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Serve with cilantro garnished on the top.

Special Breakfast Day: Eggs Benedict with Cheese Sauce

My Eggs Benedict. 

We went to a breakfast at the Wine and Dine last weekend and they had a Eggs Benedict. The students preparing the meal were having some trouble with poaching the eggs and all I wanted to do was step in and help them. Alas, I kept quiet but I am going to give you some pointers on how to make this dish. The hubbs and I don't like the Holindase sauce that is traditional with Eggs Benedict so I made my favorite cheese sauce. I am from Wisconsin after all!  The toast was regular bread cut out with a circle form. I also added some turkey sausage to each (just to be healthy!) PS It's Sunday and we eat off paper plates. The last thing I want to do today is wash dishes!

bad Eggs Benedict on the right side of my plate. 

For the eggs:
Tip one: Add cold water to a pan with high sides. About middle way up the pan. Add two tablespoons vinegar. Let the water heat on low heat until you see small bubbles come from the bottom of the pan.

Tip two: Crack the eggs softly one at a time into a coffee cup. Move the coffee cup directly over the water and deposit the eggs. Don't place the eggs too close together. (No more than 6 eggs at a time)

Tip three: Let the eggs heat up for five minutes and you will begin to see the whites look like angel wings. Take a slotted spoon and cover the yellows like a blanket covering a baby. This only works if the whites are white and not opaque. If the whites are opaque try in a few more minutes.

Tip 4: Don't stir the water too much. This makes the water really cloudy. Remove the eggs from the heat with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to get rid of the excess water. Use a regular tablespoon to pick up the eggs and move them to your dish.

While your eggs are in the pot poaching make this cheese sauce. It will come together in about 5 minutes so have it ready before you are going to serve. If you let it sit the cheese will separate.

Cheese Sauce (I use this sauce in everything from Mac and Cheese to Cheesy fries)

2 TBSP flour
2 TBSP butter
8 oz. fat free milk
4 oz. cheddar cheese shreds
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
squirt mustard

Stir the butter and flour with a whisk until a pale beige. Add the milk and stir. Don't let the sauce come to a boil. Add the cheese and continue stiring. Lastly add the mustard, salt, and pepper. Spoon over the eggs.

Shrimp Masala, Black Pepper Cumin Rice with Cashews

My oldest daughter has once again decided she wants to go semi vegetarian. She still will eat shrimp though. About a week ago I visited our local Indian market on 13th Street named Best Foods and picked up a variety of spices. The selection was amazing. I found this cooking show on our local MPTV PBS that had these two recipes featured Shrimp Masala and the Black Pepper Cumin rice. The thing about Indian cooking is the sheer amount of spices can be overwhelming. The best thing to do is have your spices ready ahead of time. Also it can be a bit more hectic when preparing two dishes at once. I purchased some ready made Basmati rice and then added the ingredients in a wok and heated it though. Also I used frozen uncooked shrimp. We don't have many fresh fish markets here. The dish still turned out great.

Shrimp Masala

1 Tbsp. oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 diced onion
1/4 cup diced roma tomatoes
4-5 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper and cumin powder
1 lb. shrimp uncooked, shells off, and deveined
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

Start in a large frying pan heating the oil and adding the cinnamon stick, turmeric,  and cumin seeds and powder.Cook on low heat until the spices are fragrant. Remove the cinnamon stick and add the onion, tomato, garlic ginger. Stir fry for a few minutes more. Add the tomato sauce, water, salt, black pepper and simmer for another few minutes. Lastly add the shrimp and cook in the sauce until light pink in color. Serve with cilantro on the top and the cashew rice on the side.

Black Pepper and Cumin Rice

2 cups cooked Basmati rice
1 TBSP canola oil
1/4  tsp. curry powder
1 dried chili pepper our you could use fresh
1 stp black mustard seeds
1 tsp. urad dal (lentils)
1/2 cup onion diced
1 tsp. black pepper and cumin powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dry roasted cashews

Add the dry spices and urad dal to the oil along with the nuts. stir fry until the mustard seeds pop and the spices become fragrant. Add the onion and stir fry for one minute. Add the rice and combine. Serve with the Masala or alone.

Empanadas Round Two

The recipes you will find out there for empanadas are endless. I had a craving for pastys which are a larger version of empanadas. They contain meat and potatoes. I made two different kinds of empanadas: one with ground beef, Serrano peppers, potato and onion. The second had platanos, ground beef, onions, and queso fresco. The addition of carbonated water (I used my Soda Stream) gives the batter lightness.

The Dough (makes 20-25 small ones)

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter cut into slices
2/3 to one cup carbonated water
2-3 cups Canola oil for frying
a wok

The Filling

2lbs ground beef divided
1 onion divided and diced
1 Serrano pepper diced
1 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 large potato diced
1 tsp. minced garlic

Sweet filling
1 ripe blackened platanos diced
1/2 onion
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp. Cumin

In a food processor make the dough by adding the flour, butter, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the water until the dough combines. Let set covered for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

Brown the ground beef and add all of the ingredients until browned. Let cool. For the sweet filling add the platanos at the last minute.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Turn the dough around and roll out until uniform thickness is achieved. Cut out with a small pie form. Stretch dough to cover the form Add one tablespoon of filling. Close the form and crimp.  Egg wash may be used to seal the edges. Use a fork to crimp the edges if not fully closed. Poke a few holes in the sweet ones so you can tell them apart. Fry in the rippling oil for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. These can be refridgerated and heated later in the microwave for a minute.

Better Fried Sunny Side Up Eggs

I watch a lot of food porn and came across this trick for better set whites on my sunny side up eggs. Normally you wait for the whites to stop being runny forever and then the bottom is burnt to a crisp. This simple way will save your eggs and give you the perfect runny sunny side up eggs.

1. Crack the eggs into a egg pan with some butter.

2) Cover with a lid for one minute. Remove the lid and then place it back on for another minute.

Here's how they look when you remove the lid.

Break into it and you have the prefect sunny side up egg. Cook a minute longer if you want it more set. 

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

I made these for dinner tonight but they would be awesome at a party or on football Sunday...Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. The recipe came to my inbox I think via tablespoon. Here is how I made them:

 Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken
1 cup seasoned Panko bread crumbs
1 egg
2 scallions chopped
salt
pepper
onion powder (1 tsp)
1 1/2 cup Franks hot sauce
1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Mix the chicken, spices, green onion, and bread crumbs with the egg. Roll into 20 or so meatballs. Try to make them all the same size.

Bake for 5 minutes in the oven so they firm up and place in a crock pot. Cover with the buffalo sauce
and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

Place the blue cheese dressing in a bag and cut off the edge. Apply the sauce over the meatballs. Enjoy!

Disney Cruise Line's Apple Strudel

In 2011 my family and I cruised on the inaugural year of the Disney Dream. We had a rainy day on one of our sea days and they offered the "Anyone Can Cook" series featuring this Apple Strudel recipe. I have been making it ever since. Today was the lucky day! We visited Awe's Apple Orchard earlier in the week and were saddened to learn the picking season was over. I did bring home some Honey Crisp and other apples for this strudel and Taffy Apple Salad which I plan on making this week. Any tart apple like Granny Smith or Gala also work well here.

The recipe was pretty detailed so I will condense it here for you.

Apple Strudel

2 lbs. tart apples thinly sliced (about 6 apples cored and peeled)
1/4 cup raisins
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon)

Strudel Dough

1 1/3 cup flour
1 TBSP unsalted butter softened
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 egg (I omitted the egg and it still turned out)
1/3 cup to 1/2 cup water


The recipe calls for you to let the apples set with the sugar, golden raisins, and cinnamon over night but I let mine set only for the 2 hours I was making the dough. In a food processor or a mixer with a dough attachment, mix all of the dough ingredients for 5 minutes. Place the dough in a
bowl that has been rubbed with olive oil. Let the dough rest for 2-3 hours covered.

Remove the dough after the two hours and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use your hands to stretch out the dough. Use a clean table to stretch the dough to measure 2 feet wide by 3 feet long. The dough may rip in some areas but it's ok. Just patch and keep stretching. Melt the butter and spread on the stretched out dough. Sprinkle on the graham cracker crumbs, This helps absorb the juice from the apples. Place the apples on the lip of the short end being sure to leave room so you can roll. I didn't use a clean
dish towel but this is helpful to roll. Roll the dough until you get to the opposite end and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Make into a horseshoe or it won't fit. Rub the outside with the remaining butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Let rest for 1 hour before baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Let set for 30 minutes (It's very hot!) Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Review of "Let's Dish" North African Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot

Let's face it, we are all busy with work. I also have school and two kids on my plate. This stew is a great budget extender and a good way to use those fall veggies coming into season. It was 50 fricken degrees here in Wisconsin yesterday and I had this ready waiting from me. This recipe is also great because you can make it sweet with the addition of sweet potatoes or squash. The only downside was I had to drain my crock pot of liquid a few times. This recipe calls for a 6 qt crock pot, but I used a smaller one and halved the recipe.

North African Stew

6 chicken thighs or 3 boneless chicken breasts
2 carrots cut into chunks
1 eggplant cubed
2 zucchini (I used a small squash) diced
1 onion diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can garbanzos or beans of your choice
1 cup raisins
1 cup almonds
2 tsp salt
2 tsp coriander or chopped cilantro fresh
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cinnamon
16 oz chicken broth
couscous for serving

It's as simple as fitting all of the ingredients into the crock pot. I did drain the diced tomatoes of the liquid and I added white beans instead of the garbanzo. You may have to drain the liquid out. Also you can presoak the eggplant in some milk to get rid of the bitter taste. If using chicken thighs, you will need to cook for eight hours on high. I ended up doing 3 hours on high and the rest on low. Remove the chicken and shred. Discard skin.  By the time I got home at 6, the chicken was fall apart. Serve with couscous or over rice.

Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa and Cilantro Chicken Flavored Rice

I have wonderful neighbors that bring me the best produce! This week it was tomatillos. My youngest requested I make tomatillo salsa and my oldest requested enchiladas. Here is the marriage of both. The tomatillo salsa is really easy to make. On a sheet pan, I added 2 quartered onions, one pepper (not sure what type of pepper mine was but it was hot!) or jalapeno seeded and ribs removed, 1 lbs tomatillos (husks removed), 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp salt,  and about 2 TBSP of oil. Roast in a 325 degree oven turning once for 25 minutes or until the tomatillos become soft. Let cool and add to a food processor with 1 bunch of cilantro. You may need to add 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Enchiladas

Tip: warm the tortillas first for 45 seconds in the microwave in a tortilla warmer or between two paper towels to prevent cracking.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
1  8oz. softened reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar divided
12 corn tortillas
2 TBSP oil

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the chicken breasts and add the softened cream cheese and 1/3 of the tomatillo salsa. Add another third of the salsa to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. On the tortilla place two TBSP. of the chicken mixture and a pinch of cheese. Roll and place seam side down. I fit a few sideways.
After you are done rolling all of the enchiladas, top with the rest of the salsa. Spread out with a spoon and make sure all surfaces of the tortillas are covered. Cover with the remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with Cilantro rice.

Cilantro Rice

1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 handful of cilantro leaves
1 TBSP chicken bouillon

Bring the rice, cilantro leaves, chicken bouillion and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Move pot  from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Remove the cilantro from the top of the rice and add butter if you wish. Serve with the enchiladas.

Marinara Sauce and Eggplant Parm

I got home after a long day at work and wanted to make Eggplant Parm. Earlier in the day I had soaked the slices of eggplant in milk to take out the bitterness. I however didn't check my pantry. I was not only out of bread crumbs but marinara sauce as well. I did have two cans of stewed tomatoes and a loaf of bakery multi-grain bread.

I sliced the bread and cut it into cubes and coated them with some oil. I toasted them in a hot 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes and flipped once. When they were crunchy I pulsed them a few times in my food processor. I was a bit rushed and should have pulsed them a few more times. I am in need of a new food processor. The shoot broke off so I have to place my hand over the opening. Bread crumbs were flying out of the top and sides. To the bread crumbs I added 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  It was really quite comical! I then followed the three step breading process or flour, egg, bread crumbs for the eggplant. Once coated, I fried them in some olive oil on the stove top and drained them on paper towels.

The marinara was really easy to make too. In my cleaned out food processor, I pulsed two cloves of garlic, 1/2 onion, and a handful of parsley, 1 tsp. salt, and one tsp. Oregano. To that I added two small cans of stewed tomatoes and one small can of tomato paste. One of the stewed tomatoes was drained of liquid. I then pulsed until it was a the consistency I wanted which was a bit chunky. Again I had a bit of a mess.  I removed the sauce to  a pan and reduced it on low for 25 minutes. I added it to the bottom of a Pyrex 9x13. I added a layer of eggplant followed by a layer of sauce and another layer of sauce. Then I topped off with about a cup of cheddar cheese and baked for 25 minutes.

This is one of our favorites in my house! For a more detailed recipe, search it at the top of my page.

Deep fried Pescado Tilapia con Puerto Rican Rice

Yesterday I made my family's favorite dish Arroz con Pollo or chicken and rice. Today I did something I have always wanted to try, I deep fried a whole fish. We don't have fish markets like in other big cities. We oftentimes have to buy our fish frozen. I was perusing Woodman's and came across these whole Tilapia in the Hispanic section. When I shopped this week, I found them in the clearance bin. The only thing wrong was the package has split open. This was my chance to try to make this.

The fish come whole, are scaled, and the innards removed. They still have their bones in so be careful! I made a seasoned flour with two cups flour, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 2 TBSP Emeril's Essence. 

In a wok I added two cups of vegetable oil and heated it to 375 degrees. I had a thermometer on the side of the pan to insure I kept a constant temperature.  I fried mine for 5 minutes per side and it came out nice and flaky. I flipped with a metal spoon on either side. The last thing you want is hot oil to splatter.  You can eat the skin but I don't recommend eating the fins. They are very sharp and crunchy. I made one at a time and held one on a baking sheet in a warmed oven. 

Serve along with your favorite rice. You could make this fish Asian style with 5 spice powder and Hoisin Sauce too. Serve with white rice. 

Puerto Rican Rice 

2 cups long grain rice 

4 cups chicken broth

2-3 TBSP tomato paste

2 TBSP chicken bouillon 

1 onion diced 

12-15 olive with pimento 

2 TBSP capers optional 

2-4 pieces ham diced 

2 TBSP oil 

I love making Arroz con Pollo. In that case I use 4-5 bone in chicken thighs. I coat them in flour seasoned with Adobo and fry on each side for 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. If not using the chicken, just go on to the next step. Add the onions and saute' for 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and saute another 2 or so minutes. Add the rice and coat with the oil or chicken grease. Then add the liquid and the chicken pieces back in on top of the broth along with the ham and olives. Bring to a boil and turn the heat to low. Cover with a lid. Without chicken cook for 20 minutes. With the chicken, cook on the stove for 25-30 minutes. Remove this chicken and add the chicken bouillon, Stir the rice and check for flavor. 

I like to make a lot of rice. Just make sure use the 2:4 ratio. It's even better the next day and your family will love it!  

My Not So Waterproof Camera Vs. The Waterpark

I haven't blogged in a week or so because my waterproof camera somehow got wet inside and no longer works. I tried drying it out in some rice but that didn't work. I am very sad because I love the pictures this camera takes and it's very convenient to use in the kitchen. I constantly spill food on it and being waterproof helps a lot. I might have to use my daughter's camera in the weeks to come. I haven't been doing much food wise except for making pickles. I finished a batch of bread and butter pickles that the family has loved. They go great with my homemade sloppy joes. I am also back to school as of yesterday which will make my time more limited. I hope all of you are having a great day!

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

My family loves this one and yours will love this too. Creamy mashed potatoes along with delicious turkey bacon make the perfect combination. 

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

6-8 medium sized potatoes peeled cut into quarters
1/2 cups milk (I used Fat Free)
1/2 cup sour cream
3 TBSP butter
2 minced garlic cloves
a bunch of chives diced
1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper
3 slices turkey bacon or bacon of your choice fried and chopped
8 oz cheddar cheese
1 pizza crust
cornmeal for dusting

Note: You can find pizza crusts in your frozen food section or at your local bakery or pizza place. Mine only cost a buck at Woodman's.
In a medium pan add enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil until fork tender. Add the milk and sour cream to the potatoes and beat with a mixer until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pre Bake the pizza crust for 5 minutes in a 425 degree oven. Remove from the oven and evenly spread the mashed potatoes over the pizza crust. Top with the cheese. Season again with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 minutes. After it comes out of the oven, garnish with chives and chopped bacon. Serve immediately.

Po Boy Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

I had a craving for Po Boy Shrimp sandwiches but made it into a taco. I didn't use the traditional toppings of lettuce and tomato but made a delicious mango salsa and a Remoulade sauce to go on top. The shrimp I purchased deveined and uncooked. For the batter I went the beer batter and cornmeal route. These are sure to be a crowd pleaser!

To defrost the shrimp, set in a bowl of cool water, changing the water several times until defrosted. This batter would be good on onion rings too.

Po Boy Shrimp

1 lb frozen shrimp, peeled,  deveined, and defrosted
2 cups flour 1/4 cup reserved flour
1 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup cornmeal
8 oz. Miller Lite beer
3-4 inch vegetable or canola oil
Adobo seasoning or Zatarain's cajun seasoning
1 dozen flour tortillas

My new favorite deep frying surface is inside a wok. It has high sides so you won't set burn and has all around better temperature control. I also use a spider to fish out the shrimp. Whatever you use, make sure to always keep an eye on your oil and keep the temperature around 350 degrees.

Mix all of the spices and flour. Begin to mix in the beer a little at a time. The batter should be a little thick. Dredge the shrimp in the 1/4 cup flour and then place into the batter. Next move the shrimp into the oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes and remove to paper towels. Season with Adobo or Cajun seasoning. I put my oven on warm on a cookie sheet. Fry in batches.

Serve with this delicious Remoulade sauce.

Remoulade Sauce

1 cup Mayo or Miracle Whip
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced
3 TBSP Creole mustard
3 TBSP ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3-4 dashes hot sauce
3 sweet pickles diced
1 tsp chili powder

Mix all of the ingredients and refrigerate until serving.

Add three shrimp per tortilla along with the Remoulade.

Mango Salsa

1 mango diced
1 avocado diced
1 Roma tomato diced
1 handful cilantro chopped
1/2 pepper chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper

Add all of the ingredients and let marinade. Be sure to stir or the avocado will turn brown. Serve over the shrimp or on the side.