Shrimp 'n Grits, Y'all!

Y'all ready for a nice, stick to yo' ribs, 8,243 calorie, southern inspired recipe?!

I sure am!

Well, I was a few nights ago, that is. Smoky Shrimp and Cheesy Grits, no doubt about it, is as southern as southern can git.

I like to pretend I'm from down South. Even though I'm way, way up north, in just about the coldest state in the country, I always hoped/wished/prayed that I was raised an adorable southern belle, complete with lots of old money in the family, a wrap-around porch surrounding my huge plantation-style house, and a proper debutante ball to present me to society at 16 years of age. Oh, and a score of suitors with names like Dolliver, Pratt and Hunter.

Alas, I'm a Michigander, born and bred, and thats the way it is. But, I can make southern inspired recipes to my hearts content, and thats what I'll continue to do as I daydream about sipping lemonade on my rocking swing on my front porch while handsome, floppy haired Pratt rubs my feet....

Smoky Shrimp and Cheesy Grits are ... good. Very, very good. Filled to the brim with fat, cheese, and lots of love - my very favorite things. I followed the recipe more or less - I did add um, a few tablespoons more butter then it called for - I really wanted to go all out for this recipe, and I like having a death wish. But, I did decrease a tiny bit of the bacon grease used in the finished product...so it all balanced out, I suppose.

(Mmmmmm...lots and lots of bacon (and some shrimp)......)

***A few notes about the recipe:
The grits and the shrimp cook very quickly once you get going. So, prep everything before you start cooking! Have the shrimp peeled and deveined, have all the dry/wet ingredients measured out and in bowls, and in my opinion - start cooking the bacon before you start the grits, even though the recipe doesn't state this. It takes longer to cook the bacon then the recipe says, and the grits take a very short amount of time - so, unless you want your grits sitting on the back burner for, eh 20 minutes...start cooking the bacon about 7-8 minutes before you start the grits. With all the prep work done, this recipe is VERY easy and ready to serve within 20 minutes. (That's with my new bacon time table).

Smoky Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

An (Almost) Effortless Dinner Party

Over the weekend, N and I went to his parents house for dinner - or rather, went to his parents house with a dinner that I had made from start to finish. It was my promise to his Mom, a full dinner made by moi, as a 'thank you' for taking us on that wonderful trip to the Dominican Republic. Although one, singular dinner is nowhere near enough 'thanks' for such a luxuriant, amazing trip - it was the only thing I could afford to do, and I know that she greatly appreciates it when someone takes over cooking for her, as anyone that cooks day in and day out does!

Not a ton of recipes here - just a few pictures and a run-down of our great meal!

Our feast consisted of....

Guacamole & Chips

Caprese Salad

Herb Rubbed Beef Tenderloin

Roasted Spring Vegetables (Potatoes, Turnips, Carrots & Pearl Onions)

Garlic Bread

Eclair Cake

It was quite an undertaking, but nowhere near as complicated as I thought it would be. I picked simple, fresh, great ingredients to use in simple, fresh, great recipes and everything came together quickly, and wonderfully. From this little 'dinner party', I learned that there is absolutely no need to spend laborious hours and hours making time consuming recipes such as Boeuf Bourguignon, Canapes, or even Lasagna! Nor is there any need to spend large sums of money to put together a great meal. I think creating a fantastic dinner party menu basically comes down to these components:

1) Basing most of the meal around fresh, great looking produce.

2) Using whatever cut of meat is on sale at the time and dressing it up with simple add-ons.

and,

3) Having a few very tasty, ultra simple dessert recipes on hand, such as this Eclair Cake recipe.

With these things in mind, I truly think its very hard to go wrong!

(Yes, its not the most...artfully arranged plate...it was N's)

Eclair Cake - so easy, and SO good!

A Lil' Bit of Stir-Fry In My Life.

Was in an international-y mood last night (or something like that) and felt like whipping up some kind of fabulous stir-fry - decided to go with beef, and named my dish "Asian Marinated Beef Stir Fry With Carrots and Broccoli Over Beef Flavored Rice". I like to be literal, concise, and to the point when I name my dishes, what can I say.

I basically took like, three beef stir fry recipes, mashed them all together and created one, great supernova-like recipe. I used flat iron steak for this, but you can use flank steak (which in my opinion, is the best option), or top sirloin, or heck, whatever your little hearts desire. I just used flat iron because it was on sale....I swear it wasn't because the super cute meat dude said it was his favorite beef to use for stir-fry's.

Anyways, I marinated that huge slab o' beef in The World's Best Marinade. That, is no lie. This truly is The World's Best Marinade. I actually got it from my boyfriend's Mother's recipe files - one day I went over there and stole (I mean, copied) as many of her recipes as I possibly could - I know that N dearly loves lots of her recipes, and since he tends to be a rather.... finicky eater when it comes to some of the foods I make (aka: Food Snob), I will continue to steal (copy) as many of her recipes as I can - they are surefire, fall-back-on recipes that I know will always be eaten with gusto.

So, I marinated the meat for about 2 hours - you can do more, you can do less. The flavor of the marinade is super concentrated which is awesome - you don't have to marinate overnight, which is great if you're a 'spur of the moment' cook like I am, and only decide 2 hours before dinner what you're actually going to cook.

After the marination (what a great word, is it real?!), I sliced it up into thin strips (against the grain, remember!), cooked it up with carrots and broccoli, and a yummy hoisin-laden sauce. I threw it (okay, gently placed) it over some beef-flavored rice, and topped it all with chopped peanuts. Man, was it good! So, so, much better then your local Pings or Chengs - at least this way, you know what kind of meat you're eating, as well as every other ingredient that went into your stir-fry.

(See my work station? And yes, thats all the counter space I have to work with in my entire kitchen. How I survive...I truly don't know).

Yummy, finished dish!

So, if you're looking for a super stellar stir fry recipe... I present to you...

Asian Marinated Beef Stir Fry With Carrots and Broccoli Over Beef Flavored Rice!!!!

Beef

1 1/2	lb marinated beef flank steak, or flat iron steak, or top sirloin, cut into thin slices against the grain

The World's Best Marinade

1/2 c. Soy Sauce

1 tsp. Dry Sherry (or Red Wine Vinegar)

1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, crushed or minced

Sauce

1/3	cup hoisin sauce
1/3	cup water
1	tablespoon cornstarch
1/2	teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Stir-Fry

2	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	small head broccoli, chopped into small pieces
4	carrots, peeled and cut into long, thin strips
2	tablespoons water 1) In bowl, mix marinade ingredients together, pour into large bag - marinate beef in bag for 1 - 3 hours, or overnight, cut beef into thin strips, set aside. 2) With wire whisk, mix sauce ingredients together in bowl, set aside. 3) Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large skillet or wok for 1 minute, add beef. Stir fry beef for 2 - 4 minutes, until almost all pink is gone, transfer beef to clean bowl. 4) To the empty skillet/wok, add 1 - 2 Tbsp. oil, add vegetables - stir fry for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 Tbsp. water to skillet, cover, cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. 5) Return beef to skillet, add sauce. Stir to coat mixture with sauce. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes until sauce thickens and mixture is combined. Serve over hot rice and top w/ chopped peanuts.

Pairs Well With Beer.

Made a late lunch today (Crab Melts, thanks for asking!), and N and I weren't really feelin' a huge dinner, so I decided to whip up an appetizer and call it a night. I settled on these Salami-Garlic Knots that I had found in a Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine a few years ago - I've made them before, and they are a very low-stress, no brainer-ish recipe. Some nights, I just don't want to use my brain. At all.

I adore and respect any recipe that calls for jalepeno peppers and LARGE amounts of garlic....this recipe has both, so thats super exciting. If you're not a fan of strong flavors, stay away from these guys - they are very savory, strong-flavored little mock-pretzels!

(My lovely little mixture AND totally not homemade pizza dough)

***Xtra Note to Y'all - Add a generous sprinkling of caraway seeds to the mixture. Just do it, trust me. It really ties the whole thing together and will make you deliriously happy.

Oh, and yeah, this recipe pairs well with beer.

Charlie Brown and the Great Corned Beef (and a Stockpot).

Well, all - its that time of year again - time to join the masses at the grocery store huddled around the corned beef briskets, claim your prize, and cook up your official St. Patty's Day Feast. Or maybe that's just how food-obsessed people such as I view the middle of March.

I've cooked Corned Beef before, lots of times. But, I cook it in my slow cooker, which according to my Mother, not the traditional/official way you're supposed to cook it. So this year, I decided to give in and cook my beefy baby up on the stovetop.

Problem is, I don't have a super large stockpot. (I know, can you believe it? Its true.) I've been meaning to purchase one, but I've just been so loyal to my cutesy lil' crockpot, that I never got around to it. So today, after close to an hour and a half of googling prices/models/makes/pro's/con's/everythingyoucanpossiblywanttoknowaboutstockpots, I decided on one at Bed Bath and Beyond. Two hours after that (BB&B is conveniently RIGHT next to Home Goods, which meant that a good 85 minutes of my life was wasted wandering up and down the aisles of Home Goods, oogling every single item and wishing that one day I will have more then $50 in my bank account to spend on frivolous kitchenware) - I had acquired a GIGANTIC stainless steel stockpot. Why I felt so compelled to get the gigantic 12 quart'r, I'm not quite sure. Maybe it means something. Like, I'm going to be hosting numerous Crab Boil parties in the summer or something.

Anyways, 3.45 hours after that I had successfully boiled up a whole St. Patrick's Day feast - 3.5 pounds of fresh Corned Beef from Wigley's Market downtown, loads of potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. It was a beautiful thing. I honestly don't know why I didn't purchase that big-as-a-T-Rex stockpot sooner - the corned beef turned out MUCH better then it has when I use my slow cooker. (Why this is, I have no clue, please don't ask). I also liked that I didn't have to spend 10 minutes punching and squeezing and prodding my corned beef so it would fit into the pot, like I did with my 3 quart slow cooker. Don't ask about that either though.

Corned Beef Dinner Recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 -4 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 2 bay leafs
• 4 -5 potatoes, peeled and halved
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1/2 head cabbage, cut into small wedges

Directions

1. Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender.
2. Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender (About 20-25 minutes). Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes.
3. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain.

Oh blueberries, I heart thee, like, a whole lot.

Because my blog is named after the fruit, I feel compelled to post every single recipe I make that involves blueberries. I mean, wouldn't you? It just makes sense.

Yesterday I decided that I was going to make some sort of treat for my Mom to take into work with her (yes, slight role reversal there - I send her off to face her day with home baked treats, harharhar). She's got coworkers that are definitely, no question about it, my favorite type of people...foodies. So, I figured they would appreciate a nice, homemade cake or something of that sort. I consorted with my favorite female blogger, Pioneer Woman, and it was decided that Blueberry Crumb Cake would be the treat du jour.

So, I made the cake. I baked the cake. I started smelling the absolutely delicious berry-laden aroma's wafting from the kitchen. I pulled the cake out, took one look at it and decided (in all of my very selfish glory) that I was like, totally keeping this cake. I rationalized that anything that took that long to put together and to smell THAT GOOD unfortunately could not be shared with 12 other people. It was to be mineminemine (okay, and my Mom's, Dad's, and N's), and thats just the way it was going to be.

So, feeling slightly guilty and ashamed, here I sit with half of my Blueberry Crumb Cake (I did begrudgingly give my Mom half the cake) knowing that my guilt will get the best of me in the next few hours, and I will be cranking out another Blueberry Crumb Cake by evening time. I'm really much too nice sometimes.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ingredients

• ½ sticks Butter
• 1 Tablespoon (additional) Butter
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2-¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¾ cups Whole Milk
• 2 cups Fresh Blueberries
• _____
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• ¾ sticks Butter
• ½ cups Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
• ½ cups Flour
• ¼ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, and a salt. Stir and set aside.

Cream 1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter with cinnamon and sugar. Add egg and mix until combined. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until totally incorporated. Do not overbeat. Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Pour in batter.

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and cut together using two knives or a pastry cutter. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.

Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut into squares and serve with softened butter.

Ol' Time Beef Stew!

Continuing along on my winter cooking spree of making every soup/stew/comfort food known to mankind, last night I simmered up a batch of Old Time Beef Stew. What's in it that actually makes it Old Time, who the heck knows. I suppose the ground clove might. Maybe the paprika?? The root vegetables? Who knows. Point is, I made it. It was fabulous, of course. I love Beef Stew in general - its such a no-frills, no nonsense, man-friendly meal. Which works out well, since there is a very no-frills, no-nonsense man that hangs around my kitchen occasionally....

Word to yo' mother: Know that 'beef stew meat' or 'stewing beef' or 'beef chunks for stewing' (whatever the heck your local grocery store decides to name it) is usually going to have a chewier texture then, say, a large hunk of chuck roast/bottom round/rump roast (all used for Pot Roasts). There's not as much fat on the chunks of beef, so the finished product does end up slightly drier, slightly chewier. Which to me, is perfect for a stew - who wants mushy, shredded beef mingling among gorgeous, perfectly intact bites of potatoes, carrots, and celery??? Save the shredded, tender beef for mashed potatoes and sandwiches, ya know?!

Anyways, I followed the recipe almost exactly....I used 2 C. of Beef Broth, instead of the water - try it - it gives the stew a much richer flavor. I also added three cubed potatoes when I added the veggies, because WHO DOESN'T add potatoes to Beef Stew??!!! I also added a handful of fresh button mushrooms, which was a GREAT idea - try that too. Oh...and okay, I also added two extra cloves of garlic, minced. But, besides that....the recipe really is great. Seriously. You can serve it over egg noodles, or rice, or just do what I did and serve it as The Shining Star Main Course -by itself, unadorned, in huge bowls with huge spoons.

I baked some Popovers to dip into the stew, which were also fabulous. Another super simple recipe, one that I make every single week because N's obsessed with "Pop-offs", as he thinks they are called. I never correct him - I find it (and him) kind of endearing.

Back from vaca. and ready to rock 'n roll.

Feeling a tad bit guilty - its been almost 2 weeks since I've posted. Have you all been anxiously wringing your hands in anticipation of my next post? I'm sure you were, and I do apologize. I was in process of chillaxin' on the white, sandy beaches of the Dominican Republic for 8 days, guys.

Thanks to my boyfriend's wonderful parents, we took an all-expenses paid trip to Punta Cana. What a gorgeous, gorgeous city/island. Had the most wonderful time.

But, never fear, I'm back, and more then ready to start firing up the stove and git cookin' agin!

Stayed tuned!