Wednesday, July 17, 2019

July 2019 Newsletter

JULY 2019 NEWSLETTER

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: 


 "I Thank Thee, Lord"
I sometimes get so busy, Lord, I know not where I'm going;
But find that my determination is leading what I'm doing.
At times like these, I thank Thee, Lord, for bringing me to a halt
And putting me down on my knees, where I can see my fault.
For what can I accomplish, when following my will?
So make me take the time to Listen and Be Still
For unless my life is guided completely By Your Hand,
I know my foolish works will never be able to stand.
So take my life and mold me to what You'd have me be;
That through a yielded life, a Loving Jesus some might see.

Paula George
published:
American Poetry Anthology
Vol. III, No. I 10/15/83






RECIPES: 



My recipe was inspired by Paschal Manale's and Paul Prudhomme.

Creole BBQ Shrimp
Adapted from Pascale’s Manale, New Orleans
Yields: 4 servings

Here’s a dish with a big misnomer, since the shrimp don’t go 
anywhere near a barbecue grill. This very rich dish was created at 
Pascale’s Manale restaurant in New Orleans, 
made there with heads-on shrimp and baked, 
not barbecued, with plenty of butter. 
A casserole of these will go fast.

8 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. fresh snipped rosemary
2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, de-veined,heads off,shell on 
1/2 bottle Amber beer
3 lemons (2 to squeeze and one sliced into thin rings)
Salt, to taste

Crusty French Bread for all of that wonderful sauce

1. Heat a large sauté pan (large enough to hold the shrimp in one layer)
 or a 9x13 baking dish. Add the butter, oil, garlic, black pepper, 
Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and hot pepper sauce; 
stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer. 
Add the shrimp and toss in the sauce, and even them out in one layer. 
Squeeze lemons over the entire area. 
Sprinkle with salt, cover with sliced lemons and place in a preheated 375° oven 
for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are just done, tossing them once.

2. Serve in soup bowls with the sauce and crusty French bread on the side.

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Mexican Fish Fillets
From Publix Recipes 

1 lb. white fish fillets ( I used thick cut Corvina]
Cooking spray
1/2 cup salsa
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Lime juice
1/2 tsp. Fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Spray baking dish. Spray fish fillets with cooking spray. 
Place in Baking dish. 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Combine remaining ingredients & spoon evenly over fish. 
For normal thickness fillets, bake 10-12 minutes or until temp is 145 degrees. 
My fillet was a single fillet so it was larger & thicker & I baked for 20 minutes. . 

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Seared Sea Scallops
From My Kitchen...

12 oz. scallops, patted dry
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Heat butter & oil in cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side, do not crowd in pan & only turn once. 


For Bacon Wrapped, par cook bacon until almost done but still flexible. Use 1/2 slices to wrap each scallop & secure with toothpicks. Cook as directed above. 


Sweet Corn Grits 


 2 cups water
3 cups milk
1 pkg. sweet corn, thawed
3 Tbsp. Butter
2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Fresh cracked pepper
1/3 cup diced Vidalia onion
1/2 tsp. Hot sauce
1 Tbsp. Sugar
Bring to boil.
Whisk in 1 cup old fashioned grits.
Reduce to simmer & cook 45 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Stir in 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano or Parmesan grated cheese.
Sprinkle with chives or chopped scallions.

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Fried Green Tomatoes 

For Tomatoes: Slice about 1/4 inch thick

Dip in batter, dredge in cornmeal mixture and fry in skillet 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with Roasted Red pepper aioli on the side with Feta Crumbles.

Batter:
I use Krusteaz Pancake Batter Mix...adding enough water to make it fairly thin.

Dredge:
2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Cajun or Creole seasoning
1 Tbsp. Emeril's Essence

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

1-1/2 cups mayo
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, drained
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. celery salt
1 Tbsp. horseradish (2, if you like it hotter)
1/4 tsp. each garlic powder and cayenne pepper
several drops of Tabasco
Feta Crumbles for topping

Combine all ingredients in a blender or with an immersion blender. Store in refrigerator.

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Nut Cake

Ma would make this cake for me when we visited from South Carolina or Huntsville. 
She did not use a recipe as she had no cookbooks 
& just whipped it up. In earlier years,She made it on her wood cookstove. 

Source: Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking (like my grandmother, Ma,  used to make)

1/2 cup shortening or lard
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
2-1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg yolks and beat until light lemony color.
Sift flour; add salt and baking powder, sift again.
Add dry ingredients alternately with milk/vanilla, beginning and ending with flour.
Beat thoroughly after each addition.
Fold in chopped nuts and stiffly beaten egg whites.
Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch pans.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Turn on wire rack to cool.
Cool completely and frost with Seven-Minute Frosting.

Seven Minute Frosting

2 eggs whites, unbeaten
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 Tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. white corn syrup
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup and 
cream of tartar in top of double boiler.
Mix thoroughly.
Place over rapidly boiling water and beat continually with electric mixer 
or rotary beater until mixture will hold a peak (about 7 minutes).
Remove from heat.
Add vanilla and beat until thick enough to spread.

Frost tops and sides of cooled cake.