Shosh's yummy food...

Hot Bacon and Crab Dip

2011-10-06T10:35:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite parts of subscribing to The Food Network magazine is the 50 Things to Make with ( fill in the blank...) section. Well September's issue did not disappoint, "Bacon" was the topic and of course I wanted to make all 50 right then and there, but come on that would be bacon overload... or would it?? Because really what can’t you do with bacon remember my post about The Big E, and the chocolate covered bacon, Bacon really does make everything better!! I had made this in August for a family dinner when my brother and his family were visiting from New York. It was a big hit along with some other dips that I made, and so we decided to make it again for Sunday Funday. It is not only easy peasy but absolutely delicious and would be great for a party. I made mine with Flatouts cut up, and baked in the oven and they are so good. You could use any type of scooper you wanted really or even some French bread sliced and baked lightly. Either way it is so good that there won't be any leftover ( boooo) which was sad but that just means we will have to make it again!!

Hot Bacon and Crab Dip slightly adapted from Food Network # 31 on the list

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Items Needed

Cookie Sheet

Baking Dish

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time : 5-7 mins Flat outs

30 mins dip

8 oz cream cheese
8 oz canned crab meat, drained and gone over for shells
1 c crumbled bacon
1/2 c mayoniase
juice of 1 lemon
1 pkge Flat Outs
olive oil
seasoned salt
cayenne pepper

Cut the flatouts into triangles and brush with the olive oil then sprinkle with the seasoned salt and the cayenne pepper bake for 5-7 mins until crisp
Mix the first 5 ingredients together and spread into a baking dish and bake until bubbly about 30 mins

Eat and Enjoy!!

Another year another Birthday……

2011-09-29T15:12:00.001-04:00

My beautiful flowers that were waiting for me when I woke up!!

So I am now officially on the wrong side of 30… half way to 40 really…I celebrated yet another year yesterday! This can’t be happening.. I remember thinking how old that must be and now I am here. Its been downhill all month too.. First it was the eyes, I had to get new glasses, as if I didn’t feel old enough the doc said “ wow your eyesight has definitely changed since your last visit." Thanks Doc.. Are you trying to tell me I’m getting old??? I also had to have hernia surgery two weeks ago and have been walking around like an old hunched over lady.. so of course my friends and family had to rub it in that I was getting old… So because of the surgery and the fact that I am still a hurting unit, we didn’t do anything crazy to celebrate just a nice breakfast and a relaxing drive, the weather was beautiful and I haven't really been to of the house much lol

We went to breakfast at a local spot and of course I made sure what we ordered we could split, and they were oh so yummy!!

Baked Apple and Chunky Monkey Pancakes!!

Oh my these were good!! The Baked Apple is so delicious and was a huge portion so of course what does a birthday girl do? Bring the leftover Baked Apple home and had it for dessert with some ice cream YUMMY!!!

All in all it was a great birthday!! I am also officially counting backwards starting with the next birthday, who's with me??!!??!!??

Taco Turkey Burger

2011-09-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

With the summer winding down, and the colder weather coming in we have been trying to grill as much as possible. This is one of those oh my gosh what are we going to eat for dinner type of recipes, and since I had some turkey on hand it was really a no brainer. Well the burger idea was a no brainer but what kind of burger was another story. We had just had Teriyaki Burgers so that was out, and I was craving Mexican so why not a taco burger. And boy am I glad I made these yummy burgers definitely a keeper recipe. Here's a little secret to getting your burgers seasoned right; test them by making a tini tiny burger and cooking it in a frying pan and tasting it because really how else can you tell if the seasoning is right.. Well besides eating raw meat.. yuck... I do this with meatballs too, I was always under seasoning them and now that I think about it not a bad idea for meatloaf either. After tasting my tini tiny sample I decided it needed a little something.. I decided on two spoonfuls of salsa added to the meat micture. Ah perfect!

Taco Turkey Burger

Item Needed

Grill

Serves 2

Prep time 5 mins

Cook Time depends on desired doneness

2-3 tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 pkg. ground Turkey
salt/pepper
Wholly Guacamole,optonal
2 spoonfuls salsa
Salsa Topping,optional
Cheese,optional
Banana Peppers, optional
Sour Cream, optional

Season turkey with the taco seasoning, salt and pepper, and two spoonfuls of the salsa then lightly mix it all together and form 2 patties and press a thumb print in the middle (so it doesn't puff up)
Now make your tini tiny burger and fry it up.. give a taste, is it ok or does it need more? Add more if it needs if not head out to the grill
Grill patties over medium high heat for 5-8 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness
I added a slice of Monteray Jack cheese 1 minute before pulling off the grill
Top with your favorite fixin's

Eat and Enjoy!!

Potato Au Gratin

2011-09-21T17:22:00.000-04:00

I am a big fan of comfort food, as you may have gathered from some of the recipes on this blog. One of my favorite comfort foods is pretty much anything to do with a potato really, because lets be honest they are just so fluffy and creamy and of course yummy! Now as a kid I remember my mother making this dish but mostly for special occasions and I can see why as it is a bit labor intensive. Now if you have mandolin its easy peasy, which I did, so this went by pretty quick. But it is oh so worth it with this creamy, cheesy bubbly goodness. I found this recipe on Food Network and pretty much followed it to a T, except some extra cheese for the top to get that crispy, bubbly, gooey, cheesy top.

Potatoes Au Gratin

Items Needed:

Baking Dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins

1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 lbs potatoes peeled and sliced, 1/4 in thick ( I used a mandolin)
1/2 c. plus extra for top, grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 c. plus extra for top,freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika

Grease the baking dish with about 1 tbsp of the softened butter.
Arrange a layer of potatoes in the baking dish and sprinkle the cheeses over them. Continue layering potatoes and cheeses until you've used them all ending with a layer of potatoes.
In a small bowl, whisk the cream with the salt and pepper; pour this over the potatoes. Dot the remaining butter over the top and sprinkle with the paprika. Sprinkle some more cheese on top to finish it off.
Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown on top.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Eat and Enjoy!!!

Clam Boils, White Water Rafting, Camping oh my….

2011-09-18T16:45:00.001-04:00

Back in July my hubby and I went up to Maine for a wonderful weekend of camping , filled with good food, great new and old friends, and lots of adventure. My bff and her hubby had invited us to a weekend at the New England Outdoor Center in Millinocket, Maine, never heard of it… its a tiny town 5000 strong, with beautiful mountains, lovely lakes, and some pretty amazing white water rafting.

The drive up...

The drive there was half the fun, lots of scenic views along the way, we started out early on a Friday morning and managed to get there in the early afternoon. We set up camp.. we actually stayed in shack/cabins..explained in the brochure as four wood walls, tin roof, steel door you get my drift, and boy were they spot on in description.

While the boys set up camp the girls went exploring, and found this little cove at the lake..

Then onto the clam boil, a New England tradition and one we do every summer. We got some amazing clams and of course some chorizo ( a staple where we are from) potatoes, onions and sausage. Luckily we had a propane fueled burner to put a big ole pot of boil up.

After fueling up on food and having some nice campfire talk, it was time to go to bed and get a good nights sleep for our adventure the next day. I will not lie, I was nervous about the white water rafting, first off I wear glasses, never contacts, and I had to wear contacts that day so that was a lot to get used to on a fast moving raft. We woke up that morning to some rain, well more like sporadic downpours, but we realized we were going to get wet anyway so did it really matter?? We went thru the "rafting talk " with the instructors and were then brought by school bus, ( haven't ridden in a big ole yellow bus in quite some time) to the Penobscot River and met our instructor and carried our raft into the water. Once we hit the water the skies opened up and it turned into a beautiful sunny day!! They don't waste any time once your it in the water, this picture below was oh about 3 minutes after we hit the water..

Holy Smokes...

That is our guide "Rabbit" in the back and then me with the look of shear terror on the left and my hubby on the right. In front of us our our friends Amy in front of me ( who stated she wasn't going to paddle when we first got in the raft lol) and Karen ( you can only see her helmet) on the right, oh and their husbands in front of them, well you can't really see them you can only see the hand of Zack on the right....But I swear they are there...

There they are... after we popped up...

and now calmer seas...

This was probably one of the most exhilarating things I have ever done, oh yeah and the girl that said she wasn't going to paddle( too nervous she said) had an amazing time and after our first Class V could not wait to do it again!!! I am so glad that I did it and we are already planning our next trip for next summer!

I guess you guys are waiting for a recipe huh.. ok here ya go

New England Clam Boil

Serves 15

Items needed:

Big ole pot.. or Steamer Pot (like this one)

Long tongs

Red clam boil bags, seafood nets?? Not sure what they are called

15 quarts Steamer Clams, cleaned**** see below
30 sausages links
30 hot dogs
30 chorizo links
3 lbs potatoes, whole
2 lbs onions, peeled
2 bottles beer
water
5 cloves garlic, peeled left whole
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
Butter

We placed each item in its own red bag, and then placed in order potatoes, onions, chorizo, hot dogs, then sausage in the pot.
Add the 2 beers, and extra water to cover the potatoes and onions, garlic, salt, pepper ,and pepper flakes
Let boil/steam for about 40 minutes, sticking a knife or long wooden skewer into the potatoes to check for doneness
Add the clams after about 40 minutes and continue cooking for another 20 minutes until the clams start to open
Remove the bags and dig in!!!
Put 1 tbs of butter each into small bowls or cups and pour the broth from the pot over to melt and dunk the clams in before eating YUMMY!!!

***** Cleaning Clams: Here is a link to explain how to clean them, this is pretty much what we did. As it says you can use pepper which we did, the clams don't like pepper (remember they are still alive) and it makes them spit out the pepper and sand.*****

Eat and Enjoy!!

Aren’t they cute!?!?!?

2011-08-29T22:48:00.000-04:00

I am extremely lucky I live right down the street from a wonderful Farmers Market that I frequent often, from its opening in April until pumpkin season in November. I love picking out potatoes that still have the dirt on them, and the oh so delicious butter sweet corn, that grows 1/2 mile down the road from my house in their corn patch. I love going without much of a plan to see whats good that day, and when we pulled up these were right up front. OK so I’ll admit it, half of the reason I got these at the Farmers Market was there cute factor. I couldn’t help myself, I was sent for veggies and veggies I bought. Just real cute ones so much so that I almost didn’t want to cook them up. I did and they were delicious! They look great and grilled up nicely. These are great simply dressed with salt, pepper and some olive.

Green Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Slice veggies in 1/4 thick slices, salt both sides to remove some of the moisture.
Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper, adding a pinch more salt
Grill over medium high flame for about 4-5 minutes or until grill marks appear and Zucchini gets slightly limp.

I served these with the Lime Marinated Shrimp

Eat and Enjoy !!!

Lime Marinated Shrimp

2011-08-17T20:21:00.002-04:00

Summer time to me means grillin and chillin! When of course its not 100 degrees and humid out…One of our favorite things to grill is shrimp, it’s so fresh and light on hot summer days. There are so many great recipes for grilled shrimp it was hard to decide which one to make. Since I was going to make grilled veggies I wanted something light to go along. I walked into the kitchen and the limes were singing to me. You know that Lime song they sing. So Lime Marinated Shrimp it was. While listening to my limes sing, my hubby brought me a cold beer. This summer my hubby and I have been experimenting with summer brews and have found some great ones. My new favorite and a great pairing with this Shrimp is Summer Shandy!!
Its like Lemonade Beer so good!!

Lime Marinated Shrimp

Grilled Shrimp

Serves 2

Items need :

Tuperware with cover

Metal Skewers

Grill or Grill pan

20 uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 limes, also use for zesting zest
salt
pepper
cayenne
olive oil

Zest lime or limes... really depends on how much you want , I zested one lime and that was great for us.
Place shrimp in a Tupperware with salt, pepper, dash of cayenne, and the juice of 1 1/2 limes, lime zest and then sprinkle with olive oil. Seal with cover and give a good shake or two. Refrigerate for 30 minutes removing them from the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to grill them.
Heat grill or grill pan over medium high flame/heat, set the shrimp on a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the excess marinade, a little tip I learned from the O Magazine.
Skewer shrimp.. 5 per skewer ..
Grill Shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until pink in color and slightly curled.
Serve with lime wedges and some yummy beer.

Eat and Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-08-14T20:59:00.000-04:00

This has got to be one of my favorite comfort foods, and if I could I would probably eat it at least once a week. My mother used to make it all the time growing up maybe that's why I love it so much. We have had some very rainy days around here and this is one of those comfy yummy recipes that is easy to make for a weeknight meal. This is also one of those recipes that you can play around with in the veggies department. When I have lots of chicken leftover I make some pies for my parents.. that’s right I said pies (plural) When I make this for my parents.. well I have to make two… see my father doesn't likes peas and well mom and my brother do so that means two pies…So you get my drift you can change it to suit your needs.

Chicken Pot Pie

Items Needed:

2 qt sauce pan

Pie Plate

Ramekins if making small one

Pre heat Oven to 425 degrees

1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box ( I only use one pie crust for the top no bottom but if you do use two follow the instructions for a 2 crust pie )
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
2 cups cooked veggies = carrots, peas, corn, potatoes what ever you have on hand
1 egg, beaten

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender
Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.If needed use a whisk to make sure all the flour is incorporated
Stir in chicken and mixed veggies. Remove from the heat. Spoon the chicken mixture into a buttered pie plate.
Place the pie crust on top of filling and press and flute the edges. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Brush crust with the egg.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil or one of these to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

We serve ours with Cranberry sauce.. not sure if it is a New England thing... but it is oh so yummy!!

Quick Chicken Parm

2011-06-11T09:42:00.000-04:00

Things have been a bit hectic over here so dinner has either been throwing something on the grill or something quick in the oven. Of course with all this crazy weather ( tornadoes 50 miles away in Western Mass) that we have been getting as soon as you decide to grill, a freak storm comes in and bam... Thunderstorms. So this night was no different, we made sure we had charcoal and were all set to grill when the skies opened and guess what no grilling. So I had to rethink dinner and quick, since we were going to grill chicken and I had been having a craving for Chicken Parm, I went with that. But who feels like doing the whole breading thing not this girl, not after I thought Hubby was cooking dinner ie the official griller in the fam. So I figured I would throw them in a skillet and voila Chicken Parm for dinner. Honestly this took about 20-30 minutes tops from start to finish.

Chicken Parm

Items needed:

Skillet

Baking Dish

5 skinless Thin sliced Chicken Breast
salt
pepper
garlic powder
Angel Hair Pasta, Half a box
Tomato sauce

Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop angel hair cooking per box instructions, drain set aside
Heat skillet to medium heat and give a few swirls of olive oil, place chicken in pan, brown chicken 2 minutes, cooking in batches so you dont over crowd the pan
Place Chicken in baking dish spread a spoonful of tomato sauce enough to cover nicely then sprinkle a good helping of cheese on top
Bake until cheese is bubbly and melted

eat and enjoy!

Shepherd’s Pie stuffed Potatoes

2011-06-06T20:20:00.000-04:00

Once again back to the Rachel Ray’s Look and Cook book, I think this has been our most used cookbook this month. This is at least recipe number 2 or 3 from this book, our first one was the awesome Artichoke and Spinach Mac and Cheese.

The weather last week was awful for Spring with quite a chill in the air like a cool crisp fall morning. So that meant a toss up on what to make except it had to be something warm and comfy of course. I asked the hubby what he was in the mood for and of course got the “ It’s 8 in the morning how can I think dinner??” So I broke out the Look and Cook book because like the title says you can look and then cook, aka it has pictures. I started to flip thru it and bam, he stopped me at this recipe, well the picture of it. And voila dinner recipe is chosen. Of course you know we changed it up a bit, this time because well that’s what we do. Hubby doesn’t like mushrooms, so out they went, and we’re off beef, so sub in Turkey, and we ended up going for a more traditional shepherds pie sub in corn and peas**. These were so delicious that we ate them right away and then I gave some to my parents so I didn't get a melted cheese picture but you get the idea. Of course got this recipe got the wheels turning.. You could stuff potatoes with so many things.. Check out my Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes here

So here is our version of Rachel’s Shepard's Pie Potatoes recipe.

Shepard's Pie Potatoes

Items Needed:

Skillet

Baking Sheet

8 Russet Potatoes, scrubbed clean
3 tbsp EVOO
salt

1 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c ketchup more to taste
garlic powder
salt
pepper
1 package Steamfresh frozen corn, prepared according to package directions

1/4 c milk
2 tbsp margarine
1/4 c sour cream
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Cheese, shredded

Rub potatoes with the EVOO, and sprinkle with salt than place the potatoes on a foil lined cookie sheet, bake for one hour ten minutes. Remove the potatoes and allow them to cool
When the potatoes are cool enough to work with using a sharp knife carefully cut a thin top slice off each one and scoop out the potato flesh, set aside to whip up later. Place shells back on cookie sheet and set aside

In a mixing bowl add the sour cream, milk, and margarine with a hand mixer set on 3 whip the potatoes until a creamy consistency
Meanwhile brown the turkey in a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 tbsp EVOO for about 5-6 minutes, breaking up the lumps as it cooks, add the Soy sauce and Worcestershire and cook another minute than add the ketchup. Adding more or less depending on your preference remove from heat and set aside wiping the skillet clean to use for the bacon

Heat up the skillet to medium high and cook bacon until just crisp ( dont over cook it will cook more in the oven)
Fill the potato shells with the turkey and corn mixture and then top with the whipped potatoes and pop back in the oven for 8-10 minute and than remove to put on topping
Top the potatoes with the bacon then pile on the cheese and put back in the oven until cheese is bubbly

Heres where we forgot to take a picture of the bubbly cheese.... They looked so yummy.. oh well next time!

** Ok forgot about the peas... time just got away from me and for some reason I left them out.. guess that means we need to make this again since it was so yummy and try it with peas!!

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese

2011-05-20T21:16:00.000-04:00

Over Chrismakuh I exchange gifts with the girls in my office, we do secret santa, and this year I lucked out, not only did I get a lot of cute little stuff I also received Rachel Rays cookbook, Look and Cook. I love it, there are so many great recipes, some that we have already made over and over again because we love them so much!! There are several recipes that we earmarked to make and this is one of them. We love all things Mac and Cheese and also love to experiment with different kinds, and this was one we hadn't made at home yet. So when I saw this easy to make and easy on the eyes recipe, I had to make it. In my version I used canned artichokes only because that was what I had on hand but it tasted great anyway. So once again use what have....

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese

ever so slightly adapted from :

Rachel Ray's Version

Items Needed:

Large Stock Pot

Large Saute pan

Casserole Dish

salt
1 lb Penne pasta
2 tbsp EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tbsp butter
1 med onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp flour
1/2 c. white wine
2 c. milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
1 can quartered Artichokes, slice in half again if desired
pepper
1 1/2 c. Fontina cheese, shredded , plus additional for sprinkling on top
1 1/2 c. Parmigiano cheese, grated, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.
Meanwhile, place a medium pot over medium-low heat adding 2 tbsp olive oil, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes. Then heat the broiler and position rack in the middle of the oven.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol
Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and vegetables are warmed through, 2-3 minutes more. Add 1 cup of each of the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.
Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Eat and Enjoy!!!!!

Fajita Seasoning Mix

2011-05-19T17:39:00.000-04:00

I love making fajitas and tacos at home and of course would always reach for those already made kits. You know the ones.... shells, seasoning and taco sauce. How easy right? That is until you read or try to read the ingredients list... Half of the words are unpronounceable.. is that a word?? So I looked up a recipe and realized that it is so easy to make it at home and it tasted better go figure.... so this has become my go to recipe!!

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne powder

1/4 tsp cumin

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into small glass or plastic container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place.
Makes the equivalent of 3 packets of commercial or purchased Fajita Seasoning Mix.

Crisis Averted!!

2011-05-17T20:29:00.000-04:00

Ok so once again I have been MIA.... this time for good reason... trying to figure out this whole allergy thing. After lots of tests, lots of poking and lots of prodding.. I AM NOT ALLERGIC TO FOOD!! Well that is not to the extent that they thought I was, I am still sensitive to certain foods and still having some of the same symptoms but am able to control them and not feel like I am dieing..

I have cut beef out of my diet, and have not had any since February, and feel really good about it. I don't miss it and am not lacking in protein, I still eat chicken, fish and shellfish and have a new found love for turkey. Oh and we have joined the Meatless Monday crew and have found some great recipes. It is amazing that once you stop eating something you don't miss it much. I have pretty much been able to substitute a different protein for all my beef favorites!! So now that that's out of the way look for lots for new recipes coming your way!!

Your kidding right????? Allergic to food??!!??

2011-02-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

So once again I have been MIA from the blogoshpere.... This time around it's because I haven't been able to eat that much lately...Over the past two weeks I have been having trouble swallowing, and extreme pain in my chest that I thought was heartburn. I have had heartburn forever and was diagnosed a long time ago with GERD, a hiatal hernia and a Schatzki's ring.. what ever that is... All things I have been able to deal with, by either staying away from triggers or using medication. That was until recently, when I started having the trouble swallowing, which got worse upon eating. So I went to the doctor explained my symptoms, and he immediately scheduled me for a scope and bam.... Eosiniphilic Esophagitis an allergic inflammatory condition of the esophagus, aka a rash on the esophagus... Kind of ironic since my dad is a Dermatologist and we work together... The condition is not well known and rare in women of course... but food allergy may play a significant role.

What food allergy you ask.... they are unsure and I will probably have to go thru a whole bunch of skin prick tests along with the dreadful elimination diet. Yippe, take away all my food loves....Foods reported to be the cause of EE have included milk, eggs, peanuts, shellfish, peas, beef, chicken, fish, rye, corn, soy, potatoes, oats, tomatoes and wheat. Of these, the most common food triggers are milk, egg, wheat, rye and beef. One course of treatment is inhaled steroids much liked used in Asthma which I will start next week and start the removing certain foods from my diet.

I guess you take for granted what you can eat when the skies the limit... now the thought of not being able to eat certain foods is no picnic.... So bare with me as I navigate through these food issues and figure out what I am going to eat....

We've got a winner!!!!

2011-01-31T22:26:00.017-05:00

What a great response to the giveaway!!!!
Congratulations to the winner Elisabeth over at food and thrift finds a wonderful blog filled with fantastic recipes. Go check it out you won't be disappointed.

Please email me your information so I can get you the fantastic cookbook and breadcrumbs.

Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes

2011-01-25T10:00:00.001-05:00

I was once again trying to figure out what to make for dinner, when I did an inventory of what we had. Hmmmmm besides some leftovers that were going to be lunch for work the next day, I had frozen shrimp and two potatoes. So I hit goggle with a shrimp and potatoes search and the first to pop up was the queen of butter Paula Deans recipe for Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes.Now the irony in this is that my hubby finds her quite annoying… her voice really and the laugh... Whenever he comes home and she is one bam channel change, I like some of her recipes but he does have a point who can be that jolly all the time. I was skeptical of the recipe I'll admit it, but than thought why not we eat shrimp and we eat potatoes all the time so why not together. I have to say it was sooooo good, and we were so glad we tried it. It was creamy and delicious and quite a comforting meal. This would also be great served as a surf and turf, you’ll also have your “side" with the potato.

Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes

Items Needed :

Baking sheet

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 large potatoes, washed and dried
Vegetable oil, for coating
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cups grated cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling
3/4 cups grated Monterey Jack
3/4 cups sour cream
Salt and pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled, and chopped

Coat each potato with vegetable oil, place on foil covered pan, and bake for approximately 1 hour.
Heat saute pan over medium heat, season shrimp with salt and pepper than saute until browned but not cooked all the way thru, set aside

Remove the potatoes from the oven and slice in half, gently scoop out the potato and place the potato shells back in the oven to crisp up a bit about 5 mins or so
Meanwhile in a bowl place the potato with the butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Using a mixer on high, mix the potatoes than fold in the shrimp and both cheeses into the mixture.

Gently stuff the mixture back into the potato shells, making sure not to break them. Pile the mixture as high as you can on top of the potato shells.

Sprinkle each potato with cheese and bake in the oven for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until browned on top.

Disclaimer: Me and the hubby tried these with some BBQ sauce and they were oh so good!!! If you dare try it you wont regret!!

Eat and Enjoy!!!

My 1st giveaway.... Progresso® Lemon Pepper Panko Breadcrumbs and Cookbook Giveaway

2011-01-22T13:39:00.002-05:00

I am so excited to be hosting my first giveaway, thanks to the great folks at MyBlogSpark and General Mills for providing me and a lucky reader with this great prize pack (below) consisting of one package of Progresso® Lemon Pepper Panko and an autographed copy of Michael Chiarello's Bottega cookbook. It's a fantastic cookbook filled with dozens of dishes to help you start cooking healthy Italian food. Chef Chiarello loves to cook with panko and uses it in a lot of his recipes like this one for Crab Cakes or this one for Angry Shrimp. Both recipes a must try for us!!

Here are some of Chef Chiarello's Must Have Items:

Ten Must-Have Pantry Items:

For a taste of the good life at a moment’s notice, Chef Michael Chiarello keeps a few key ingredients on hand.

Salt-Gray Sea Salt or other sea salt
Canned Beans
Dijon Mustard
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olives: brine cured or salt cured
Dry Pasta, Rice, and Polenta
Peperoncini- Dried Chili Flakes
Canned Tomatoes
Vinegars: balsamic, red-wine, and white wine
Bread Crumbs

And here is a link to Chef's Panko Tips

We just used these super flavorful breadcrumbs to make these delicious Fish Tacos. They packed such a great punch of lemon flavor and a kick of heat from the pepper that I wish they had come out with these sooner. I have been using plain panko breadcrumbs for a while now for the extra crispiness they add, so I am super excited about the flavored versions. They make everything so crispy and crunchy I use them all the time for my Chicken Parmesan. They have a coarser texture which help make them so crispy, whether baking, frying or broiling. The Progresso Panko is available in Plain, Italian and the Lemon Pepper, can't wait to try the Italian!!

To enter to win, please go to the Progesso® website and than leave me a comment about what recipe you would like to try using the panko breadcrumbs. I'll select the winner at random after midnight on Monday, January 31st.

For extra entries

1. Follow me on Twitter @shoshsyummyfood

2. Like Progresso on Facebook

3. Follow this blog

Please leave a comment for each entry and don't forget to leave your email address.

Giveaway open to U.S and Canada residents only.

Disclosure: General Mills provided me with the information above, the product sample and giveaway prize through MyBlogSpark.

I will pick the winner using random.org

Yummy Baked Fish Tacos

2011-01-22T00:15:00.000-05:00

One of our new years resolutions was to eat healthier, not that we didn't before but you know how it goes.... So tonight was fish but I wasn't sure what to make, instead of doing the usual Baked Cod or Cod in Parchment Paper I decided to make some Fish Tacos. I love the freshness of these, and the flavor combo’s. Of course you can add or sub in what ever condiments you want, we used a Pineapple Salsa and of course some Guacamole. I bake instead of fry the fish to make them healthier, turning this into one of our favorite meals.

Baked Fish Tacos

Items Needed:

Baking Sheet

Cooling rack placed inside baking sheet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 lb or roughly 3 Pieces Cod Loin
Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko Breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
soft taco shells
salsa
guacamole
shredded lettuce, tomato, optional

Cut each piece of cod into about 3-4 piece,
Dip the fish into the eggs than bread each piece with the panko breadcrumbs lightly on each side and place on the cooling rack that has been placed in the baking sheet, don't they look so good....
Bake the fish 5-6 mins then flip each piece and bake an additional 4 mins
Warm taco shells in a skillet or microwave, then add the fish and toppings of your choice.

Eat and Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Risotto with Pan seared Scallops

2011-01-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

We love Scallops but find them on the pricey side so whenever they go on sale we snatch some up. Lucky for us that was the case a few weeks ago. My method of cooking them is usually the same, pan seared and this night was no different. There is just something about the crusty outside and the soft pillowy inside when you pan sear them. YUM!! The last time we had them I made Scallops with Couscous, this time around I was looking for something a little richer. So while going thru my cabinets I noticed some leftover cans of pumpkin, and the wheels they were a turnin… It took me a while to get up the courage to make risotto, creamy but not mushy, al dente but not hard… But a few years ago after once again watching my mother I got the hang of it. I hadn't made it in a while though so I was excited to make it with the pumpkin. For this recipe I cooked the scallops right after I finished the risotto since they only take 5-7 minutes tops. I adapted this recipe from Charlie Palmer not that it needed any changing but I just didn't have fresh pumpkin so I went with the canned and it was delish!!

Pumpkin Risotto

Items needed:

Non stick skillet

Skillet ( not non stick )

12 Scallops*****
2 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp butter
salt
freshly ground pepper
1 c pureed pumpkin
1 medium onions, finely diced
3/4 c dry Riesling
1 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly shaved Parmesan Cheese and more for serving

In a medium saucepan bring the chicken stock to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the stock hot.
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter until it begins to sizzle. Add onions and cook over moderately high heat, about 3 minutes than add the rice and continue to cook until the onions are just translucent about 4 more minutes. Stirring frequently.

Immediately stir in 1 cup of the hot stock and cook, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium low and add 2 more cups of the hot stock, one at a time until each one is absorbed about 10-12 minutes remember to keep stirring, add half of the Parmesan cheese

Add the pumpkin puree add the rest of the Parmesan cheese and then add the remaining 3 cups of hot stock one cup at a time stirring constantly until the rice is tender, cook about another 10 minutes than add the remaining butter and take off the heat
Meanwhile season scallops with salt, and pepper generously. In skillet, heat a mixture of 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter until a nice foam forms, add scallops in batches if needed so as not to over crowd pan
Sear on each side until a nice crust forms then flip and sear on other side until crust forms, quickly remove from pan so as not to over cook scallops.

***** Removing the muscle from the scallop. This small piece of flesh can be found near the edge of the scallop; carefully remove it from the main section before preparing this dish.*****

*****Another important tip: Once you've placed the scallops in the pan, don't touch them! If you give in to the temptation to move the scallops around the pan, all you'll be doing is preventing them from forming the nice brown crust that you want. Be strong!*****

Eat and Enjoy!!!

Holidays, Travel and Holidays again….

2011-01-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

With Hanukkah coming early this year.. i.e.: right after Thanksgiving.. we have been quite busy. Add into the mix that we were leaving on a road trip to Florida on December 13th for 10 days to go to Disney World, I felt like I had no time to do anything certainly not cook. So here is what we have been up to instead..

In our house we celebrate Chrismukkah a mixture of both holidays, we did Hanukkah before we left and Christmas when we got back. But in between we have all our friends and family over for a big Yankee swap party..and this year we threw in a twist…The ugliest sweater would receive not only an extra prize but have an advantage in the swap. Here’s some of our silliness

Chrismukkah 2010

Me (l) and my bff Karen

Bff and her matching hubby before the change....

and after......

My sister and Brother-in-law before he changed…

and after…..

And the winner of the Ugliest Sweater is…. Well…. After a diplomatic vote.. it was a tie.. So how to break a tie.. Rock.. Paper.. Scissors of course!!

ohhh look a tie again…
and again……

and finally we have a winner!!!!!!

So that's what we were up to before we left… and now it’s already January 2nd. I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season and here’s to a Happy and Healthy New Year!! Stay tuned for some reviews from Disney and of course back to some good ole home cooking!!

Buttermilk Soaked Onion Rings

2010-10-29T09:52:00.000-04:00

So after ohhh 2 years we have finally opened our deep fryer that we received for our wedding. Sorry to whoever sent it to us… I can’t remember who you are but trust me we’re grateful… Is it bad that we haven’t put it away since the unveiling a few weeks ago, but seriously if my hubby had his way we would make something in it every night!! He has become the4 official fry cook and has made some yummy eats recently. It was of course Sunday Football, and we love to make fun foods to nibble on so we went with chicken wings and these delicious onion rings. There wasn’t one recipe in particular that I went with, there are different methods and techniques, one is a light crunchy coating and the other a puffy batter type. I also noticed that most of the recipes only called for you to just dip the onions in the buttermilk and then the flour, I let mine marinate in the buttermilk for a few hours in the refrigerator, and you could tell the difference!! We went with the crunchy version slightly tweaked and wow they were better than I’ve had a quite a few restaurants.

Buttermilk Onion Rings

Items Needed

Deep Fryer/Dutch Oven

Cookie sheet

2 large Vidalia Onions
2 cups buttermilk
1-2 tbsp hot Sauce
salt/pepper
2 c all purpose flour

Peel the onions and slice them crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Separate each slice into individual rings and then remove the papery thin membrane covering the inside of each ring. ***Ok so I know this sounds like a weird thing to do but you know when you bite into an onion ring and the whole onion comes out at the same time it is because this step wasn't done.
In a Tupperware container add the buttermilk, hot sauce and a liberal amount of salt and pepper toss in the onions and give a good stir with a spoon than pop the top on a give a good shake then place in the fridge for about 2-3 hours, put mine on a plate and flipped it every 1/2 hour or so
When ready heat the oil to 375 degrees in a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed stock pot, or a deep fryer like we used, line a cookie sheet with paper towels and set aside also take a shallow dish and pour in the flour
You will need to do this next step in batches, take the onions out of the fridge and before dipping in the flour allow the excess to drain off and then dredge the rings in the second dish of flour, making sure to coat the rings evenly. Tap off the excess and transfer the batch of coated rings to the hot oil/basket we put about 5-7 rings in each drop of the basket. Fry the rings until golden brown and tender, about 2 1/2 minutes.
Remove each batch to the paper towel lined cookie sheet and salt right away and try to not to eat to many right out of the fryer… Cook the rest of the onions in batches and eat right away!! They are so yummy you will be lucky if they make it to the table…

Eat and Enjoy!!

Toasted Ravioli

2010-10-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

Sunday football is my favorite day of the week, both me and my hubby have fantasy football teams and are glued to the our TV and computers checking our scores and rooting for our teams. We love to have people over to watch the games and of course eat. I love to make snacks for us to nibble on all day and for some reason I have had a hankering for toasted ravioli, and thought why not… It also happens to be THE food of St Louis, being served at every bar and of course the stadium in St Louis. I think its fun to make dishes from the different teams! Here is my version of Toasted Ravioli....

Mmmmmmm

Toasted Ravioli

Items Needed:

Frying Pan

Sauce Pan

1 package of small Cheese Ravioli, I used Buitoni ( the light version)
2-3 cups, seasoned Panko bread crumbs
Marinara sauce, I used Rao’s
Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
2 eggs
water
pepper
peanut oil

Place 2 cups bread crumbs in a shallow dish and set aside, in a separate shallow dish mix eggs and a few tsp of water to make an egg wash, season with pepper
Heat about a 1/4 inch of peanut oil to medium high heat
Dip the ravioli in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs making sure to lightly press the bread crumbs to the ravioli
Than carefully add them to the hot oil in batches about 5-7 at a time so that you don’t over crowd the pan, cook about a minute or two on each side until nicely browned keeping a watchful eye on them
Meanwhile warm up the marinara in a sauce pan
Remove ravioli to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with Parmesan ann serve immediately with the warmed marinara

*** Notes: I use skewers to flip the raviolis, they are less cumbersome than a spoon or spatula and do a great job of flipping!

Eat and Enjoy!!!!

Fabulous Roasted Chicken and an Anniversary

2010-10-19T23:27:00.006-04:00

My husband and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary a few weeks ago,wow I can’t believe it two years, seems like just yesterday. I know how cliched that sounds but really it does, and my bff Karen is getting married in a few days, so all this planning has brought it all back. It was a beautiful fall day in the Berkshires and I would do all over again in a heartbeat!!! Here’s a little peek:

The amazing view overlooking the Berkshires…

Me in my mothers 40 year old dress that my grandmother took great lengths to preserve!!

Our amazing cake by Something Sweet by Michelle

We usually go out to dinner to celebrate milestones like birthdays and anniversaries, but I thought instead it would be nice to invite my parents and my hubby’s mom over to our house for a nice family dinner. The only time we could all manage to get together before my parents jetted off to Vegas ( lucky devils) was on a Tuesday and of course I had to work. I thought I was going to get out a bit earlier than I did and so that threw off my whole menu or so I thought. I had my heart set on making “my version” of my mothers Roasted Chicken. I used to be scared to make Roasted chicken, burnt skin, pale skin, undercooked, overcooked the possibilities were endless. If I hadn't watched mom all those years and paid careful attention to her technique I could never do it on my own. Well since I was so crunched for time, when I got to the supermarket I decided to get chicken pieces instead, really a win win situation because some people like dark meat some, people like white meat, some both, and guess what unless you get a ginormous chicken there is never enough of each to go around. So I grabbed some thighs, legs and some split chicken breasts. I prepared the chicken pieces as I would a whole chicken and holy smokes did it come out good. You know those times when you say why didn’t I make this sooner , yay this was one of those times.

Roasted Chicken

Items Needed:

Large Skillet

2 Baking dishes

Blender

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Bake time: 45 –55 minutes

4 split Chicken Breasts
4 Thighs
4 Legs
12 fresh thyme sprigs
12 fresh sage leaves
6-8 rosemary sprigs, cut each in half
butter, 12 tbsp + 2 tbsp
medium onion, quartered
orange, halved and quartered
salt
pepper
chicken broth
maple syrup
olive oil

Rinse chicken and pat dry, carefully pull up skin than place a small sprig each of rosemary, thyme, and sage than season generously with salt and pepper all over
Heat skillet over medium high heat and brown chicken, skin side first in batches until nicely browned removing to the baking dishes

Place 1/2 the onions and oranges around the chicken, and six tbsp butter into each baking dish, and drizzle everything with a little bit of olive oil

At the 30 minutes mark check the chicken to make sure not getting to browned
After 45 minutes, check temperature of each piece to make sure cooked thru, remove chicken to platter and tent with foil and let rest while making gravy
Squeeze cooked orange wedges into baking dish to get out remaining juice then discard the oranges wedges, pour the remaining onions, juices, and 1/2 c chicken broth into the blender, pour some maple syrup into a measuring cup up to 1/4 c ( use as much or as little as you like ) we used almost all of it, blend everything until smooth, than pour into small sauce pan and bring to a boil adding last 2 tbsp of butter**** Optional, depending on how rich you want the gravy!!
Slice up chicken breasts before serving

Look at how juicy the chicken is Yummy!!!

Eat and Enjoy!!!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

2010-10-13T11:17:00.000-04:00

When this rainy fall weather arrives I like to bake, I love the smells of fall cooking and baking to fill the kitchen. I ran across this recipe on Allrecipes and it looked like a must do. So before I started some fall cleaning ( Yuck) I whipped up a batch of Snickerdoodle cookies and stuck them in the oven... What a great way to clean the house with the smell of cookies baking!! I have a confession to make, ever since I was a little girl I thought Snickerdoodle cookies had snickers in them....Probably because someone told me that so they could have more!!

How wrong was I !!!!

Now that I know that they are a cinnamon and sugar delight they will become a staple around our house!!

SnickerDoodle Cookies

Items Needed:

2 Parchment lined cookie sheets

Cooling racks

Hand Mixer ( or your hands and a good stiff spoon if you do not have one)

Preheat oven:

400 degrees

*****The original recipes makes 48 I halved the recipe to make 24 so If you click on the link to the original just keep that in mind!!

1/4 c butter, softened
1/4 c shortening
3/4 c white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 c plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar , the egg and the vanilla
Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt
Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls in balls
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and roll the balls in sugar mixture
Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes
Remove from sheet onto a cooling rack

Eat and Enjoy!!!!

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

2010-10-09T11:21:00.000-04:00

I love Hot Sauce! There is said it, I can add it to just about anything, except dessert that is! So when wondering what to make for dinner the other night I thought Buffalo Chicken….but with all this rainy,windy weather we have had I wanted something a little more…. comforting. So Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese it is. I knew that most recipes that I found would be quite fattening so I tried to slim it down a little… Just a little don’t worry! We always drink 1% Milk so that was one way to cut out some fat, and I subbed in Reduced Fat cheese instead of the full fat. And that's about it haha, so just a “little” healthy.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Preheat oven 375 degrees

Items Needed:

Baking dish

Skillet

Big Pot

3 Chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 box of elbow pasta
1/2 c blue cheese dressing
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 c milk
panko bread crumbs
salt
pepper
1/2- 1 c Franks Red hot sauce

Bring large pot of water to a boil, once boiling add pasta and cook following box directions, cooking just under al dente because we are going to bake later
Heat skillet to medium high heat and add chicken in batches, salt and pepper chicken and brown for 4-5 minutes, remove each batch to a plate, when all chicken is done return to skillet and add 1/2 c hot sauce and cook until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside
Drain pasta and add pasta to baking dish by layering some pasta then some chicken ( makes it easier to mix together ) stir in the blue cheese dressing and mix well
Wipe the chicken skillet clean and add the milk, bring to a slow boil adding shredded cheese in batches, once all melted add the cheese sauce to the pasta and chicken and carefully stir to combine all ingredients.
Sprinkle top with enough panko breadcrumbs to cover dish and sprinkle a small handful of cheese, bake for about 25 minutes, tasting to make sure it is hot enough, and cheese and breadcrumbs are slightly browned

Eat and Enjoy!!!!!

What is your favorite add in to Mac and Cheese?