Breakfast
Blueberry Raspberry Pancakes with Candied Bacon
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Heat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray a wire cooling rack with non-stick cooking spray and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Lay the strips of bacon on the wire rack with about 1/2- inch of space between them.
In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, paprika, and cocoa powder until well combined. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bacon.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and the topping is bubbling. Cool completely on the rack. Once cool roughly chop reserving 2 strips for topping. Set aside.
Heat a flat griddle, or other large smooth bottom skillet, to medium-low heat.
In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until evenly incorporated. Add the buttermilk and whisk until well combined.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to mix. Stir in the chopped bacon.
Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined and no large lumps of dry flour remain.
Lightly fold in the berries, careful not to burst any or over-mix.
Spray the griddle with non-stick cooking spray and scoop the batter, by the 1/3 cup, on to the heated griddle.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, or until the batter begins to puff, the edges are no longer shiny, and the cooked side is golden brown.
Flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, or until the pancakes spring back when gently pressed in the center and are golden brown. 
(of course I decided to photograph the overcooked ones, lol…smh. Trust me, the rest turned out better) To hold pancakes while cooking store in a warm oven on a wire rack. They will hold for up to 45 minutes. Serve warm with a drizzle of the berry syrup and a sprinkle of the candied bacon.
These were so delicious I made them on Saturday AND Sunday. And then I started my diet on Monday. 
ENJOY!!!
Spinach Ham and Gruyere Quiche
0I wonder where the ‘real men don’t eat quiche’ nonsense comes from… I bet they won’t say it to my husband’s face. lol Now, I will admit that he pretty much KILLED the whole thing so I will say that if you plan for you and the kids to get a bite in, recognize that a “real man may be looking for some bacon on the side” lol. This was terribly simple and makes for a great brunch dish as well.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ shallots, minced
- 8 oz. deli sliced ham (kinda thick)
- 1 bag flat-leaf baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
- 1 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
- Prepare your pie crust by gently unrolling into the pie dish. Push it down into the pan making sure the dough hangover is pretty even around the pan. (If it doesn’t come out perfect don’t worry. Look at mine, lol. I think that it gives it a homemade feeling and rustic quality. Here is a link to directions on crimping your crust: http://localfoods.about.com/od/piestarts/tp/crimping.htm Totally simple!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks set in lower third. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium. Add ham and shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add as much spinach to skillet as will fit; season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and toss, adding more spinach as room becomes available, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure all spinach is used.
- Transfer spinach mixture to a colander. Press firmly with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Put spinach mixture into pie crust, top with cheese. Place crust on a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour egg mixture into crust.
- Arrange baking sheet on rack, and bake until center of each quiche is just set, 55 to 60 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Let quiches stand 15 minutes before serving.
I would’ve doubled the recipe but I was kinda peed off that I couldn’t find my other pie dish so I lashed out by starving everyone. lol If there are more than 4 people, double up! Also, play with your favorite meats and cheeses etc. It’s impossible to mess up, really. Enjoy!
Strawberry Buttermilk Pancakes
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This post will be short and sweet because we’ve already done this buttermilk pancake recipe in the Red Velvet Pancake post. The only change I made was bumping up the vanilla to 2 teaspoons. On that note, I use a high quality PURE vanilla extract. I got a very large bottle from TJMaxx for about $13. I’ve had it forever so it is worth the investment. For this recipe I also used this opportunity to try out my Egg and Pancake cooker (a circular metal cookie cutter looking thing). It’s definitely not needed but for the sake of my marriage I need to start using some of the crap I bring into this house. 
- Mine were like this but circular
- Ingredients
3 tablespoons white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
2 tea. PURE vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter, melted
2- 2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
oil or butter for pan
- Directions
I love you, dad.
0We all put a lot more money, time and effort into catering to mom on her big day than we do for dad. Admittance is the first step. Fathers seem to get the more sentimental gifts- monogrammed cigar boxes, golf club cozies, pics of the grand babies, t-shirts etc. and they seem to be fine with it. But let me try my mom with a shirt? Yeah right! Outdo yourself this year with a special breakfast that says it all. Well, you had better put some meat with it if you know what’s good for you. They don’t ask for much but I’m sure meat is on the list.
Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut out a small heart shape from the center of a thick slice of bread. Spread each side of bread with herb butter (recipe below).
Heat skillet over medium heat. Saute bread until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat, and gently flip toast.
Break an egg into heart-shaped hole. Using a spoon, gently hold yolk in center (for symmetry) until it sets. Cover, and cook until egg white turns opaque, about 5 minutes or so, depending on how soft you like your yolks. Transfer to a plate along with the heart-shaped piece of cutout bread, perfect for dipping into yolk. Don’t forget the meat! I served it with turkey sausage links to my Greggy.
Herb Butter
1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as parsley, oregano, thyme, or marjoram, finely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
Directions
The ideal setup would be to throw your herbs in a food processor with he butter for a few pulses. By all means do it if you have one but i don’t so i just chopped and chopped as finely as I could and added the herbs to the softened butter, stirring until combined. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
*This butter would be FABULOUS over your favorite pasta dish as well!
Red Velvet Pancakes
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I was recently in Miami and the prize for going to early morning service (on top of being closer to God o_O ) was a trip to the Grand Luxe Cafe. lol I have to say that instead of making my little joke about being rewarded by man or my pancakes in heaven (IDK…I hadn’t worked it out completely which way I wanted to go with it lol) I decided NOT to piss my mom off and be happy that I finally had the opportunity to try their famed Red Velvet pancakes. (Meanwhile, my mom is on the cell phone inviting all of my sisters and cousins who DID NOT attend church with us but not without a small scolding about eternal damnation. (Trust me, you rather just get up and go with her than hear it, lol)
Of course the non-churchgoers beat us there but we didn’t hold them up because I’d heard too much about the pancakes and was sticking to it. Once they were served, I noticed they had actual chocolate chips in them and while that wasn’t my idea of a “traditional” red velvet cake, they were goooood. They serve them with fried chicken but I did it with bacon. Maybe later.
I took a basic buttermilk pancake recipe and made it velvety. That simple!
Buttermilk Pancakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
oil or butter for pan
Milk (just under one cup)
1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.
Buttermilk Red Velvet Pancakes
Buttermilk Pancake recipe (above)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Bag of Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate chips 70% cocao (10-12 per pancakes)
2-3 tablespoon red food coloring (see if that is enough to get the color you want, if not red enough, continue to add)
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese (1 package)
2 oz softened butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract + more to taste
1 1/3 cups of powdered sugar + more to taste
With a mixer on medium speed, mix cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla. Mix in sugar gradually.
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt).
In a separate bowl, beat together the wet ingredients (buttermilk, milk, eggs, red coloring, vanilla extract and melted butter).
Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.
Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. The pan is ready when you can flick water across the surface and it instantly beads up and sizzles. Lightly grease it.
Once that is hot, pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Stir until it’s just blended together. Don’t over stir it. (A little lumpy is ok.)
Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake. Immediately add 10-12 chocolate chips. Wait for the pancakes to bubble (2 – 3 minutes) before flipping and continue to cook for a minute or two. Serve hot with a dollop of cream cheese frosting (recipe follows).
Options:
Top with toasted walnuts or pecans
Top with chocolate chips
Make your own buttermilk (recipe above)
Top with maple syrup
Gucci-inspired Hash Browns
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Apparently, Gucci Mane and the rest of America have different takes on the meanings of the terms scattered, smothered, covered, and all the way. The paroled rapper was arrested for an outstanding warrant when he reported to his probation officer in Atlanta last Friday. Allegedly, Gucci invited a woman he met in the parking lot of the S. Dekalb Mall to breakfast. After noticing that the Hummer passed the Waffle House, (where the REST of us go for scattered, smothered, covered and all the way hash browns) the woman questioned where they were going. Gucci reportedly told her he was taking her to a hotel and went on to say that he had $150. O_o When she refused and asked to be taken back to the mall, she says he then began trying to push her from the vehicle.
I know MY readers are waaaaay too smart to take rides from strangers (especially crusty, ugly ones…that’s just a joke DO NOT RIDE WITH STRANGERS, even the fine ones. lol) but we alllll have that friend, cousin or associate who is undoubtedly capable of doing so. (Don’t lie, you know you do!) Help that sister out and pass on this delicious “groupie proof” way for her to make own damn hash browns. Gucci!
Gucci- inspired Hash Browns
2 Russet Potatoes (shredded)
2 Tbsp. minced onions
2 Tbsp. minced green bell pepper
3/4 c. shredded cheddar
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. sea salt
Coarse black pepper
Line a clean kitchen towel with 2 paper towels. Place shredded potatoes on the paper towels, cover with 2 additional paper towels and roll them up as tightly as possible to remove as much moisture as possible from them. Tighter!!!! Squeeze!!! You can do it! In a frying pan, heat 4 Tbsp of olive oil on medium low. Once heated, add the onions and peppers. Saute for about 4 minutes before adding the potatoes. Spread the potatoes in a thin layer and with the back of the spatula press them down flat. We all hate mushy hash browns so PLEASE do not be tempted to peek at the bottom and incidentally hinder the crispness we’re going for. Continue to cook the potatoes on medium low for 12-13 mins. Invert the potato cake onto a plate so that you can flip it wihout breaking it. Once back in the pan, continue to cook for 7 mins, top with cheeese and allow to continue cooking for an additonal 5 minutes. Serve as you wish. I chose to use a slice them into little handy triangles for the boys to enjoy as a snack.
NOTE: I shredded the peeled potatoes on a cheese grater but I’m sure the frozen would be fine as well. Work quickly, since you don’t want them turning brown on you. Gucci!!
Cuisine at Home’s Sausage-Bacon Bites with Brown Sugar Glaze
0Listen…if you want to transform your ordinary breakfast into something amazing…..YOU HAVE TO MAKE THESE!!!! The combination of both bacon AND sausage is an unexpected treat and the glaze is something that has to be used over and over on any meat you can think of. I’m telling you, at the breakfast table there was a list going of the meats they wanted me to put it on. o_O lol
For the glaze, combine:
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp coarse-ground mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
3 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp black pepper (I also like coarse blk pepper, it’s visually appealing)
For the sausage-bacon bites, slice:
1 lb Kielbasa sausage
12 strips bacon, halved
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and top with a cooling rack with nonstick spray.
For the glaze, combine brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; keep warm.
For the sausage-bacon bites, slice kielbasa lengthwise. Cut each half into twelve 1 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Wrap bacon around each piece and secure with a toothpick. Brush each bite with sauce, then transfer to prepared baking sheet. Roast bites, basting with the glaze every 15 minutes, until bacon is cooked through, 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Baked Blueberry French Toast
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Please don’t ask me why it’s leaning….lol
After depriving my family of my adventures in fat and indulgence for a month, I decided to treat them to a really “good” sunday brunch. Well actually, I’m lying. I need to do a run through for hosting my VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS for the family!! YAY!!! Anyway, I’ve been watching yall watch my figure as I’ve trimmed down just a tad….yeah, I see you looking! lol So I lifted the ban and got in the kitchen…
As usual, I did not do a good job reading the directions and I grossly underestimated the amount of time the recipe called for to prepare this ironically extremely simple meal. The good news for you is that through my ”error” you can rest assured that they grossly overestimated it. I had a hungry crowd coming in from the early service at church that would have killed me if I had to allow the egg mixute to soak into the bread for even an hour let alone 8 hours OVERNIGHT! (How could you MISS that, Zina?! lol) Good thing, it wasn’t necessary. o_O This dish was DIVINE! Cuisine at Home got this one right! It will be a smash hit Christmas morning!
Don’t let the semmingly long list of directions trip you up, it is soooo simple. They’re just long-winded and as you can see, I’m not known for my succinctness. (<–but I am known for making up words, lol) Oh, and you MUST serve it with the Sausage-Bacon Bites with Brown Sugar Glaze. (I know, I know, Recipe coming…) Both dishes can be prepared the night before to make it super easy on Christmas morning.
For the French Toast, Process:
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. minched orange zest
10 slices thin-sliced, Pepperidge Farm cinnamon swirl bread
WHISK:
3 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract (I didnt have it so I used 2 tsp of vanilla *shrug*)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
FOR THE TOPPING, SPRINKLE:
1 cup frsh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
MELT:
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
FOR THE SYRUP, COMBINE:
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I like Grade B)
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
DIRECTIONS
Coat a 9X9 3-inch deep baking dish with nonstick spray.
For the french toast, process cream cheese, 1/4 c. brown sugar, and zest in a food processor until smooth. (I myself, do not own a food processor so I went to my blender. It was resistant but I stopped it and stirred and stopped it and stirred until it realized I wasn’t going anywhere, gave in and processed my mixture.)
Line the bottom of baking dish with bread slices, cutting pieces to fit. Spreah half the cream cheese mixture over bread. Continue layering bread and cream cheese, ending with bread. (It came out to 2 layers for me with 3 slices on top and I went in and used all of my spread on top of that too).
Whisk together eggs, milk, extracts, cinnamon and nutmeg; pour over top of bread. (HERE IS WHERE YOU COULD COVER IT AND REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT or 8 HRS. FOR AN EASIER MORNING)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
For the topping, sprinkle 1 cup blueberries and almonds over top of French toast.
Melt together butter and and 1/4 cup brown sugar; drizzle over French toast and then bake until bubbly and set, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
For the syrup, combine 1 cup blueberries, maple syrup, and OJ in a small saucepan. Simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes, then serve over French toast. 
Simply Sinful Monkey Bread
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Everyone knows that I am not a baker (mostly in part because Greg hasn’t broken down and bought me the KitchenAid mixer I’ve been begging for since we met) but also in part because I am a little afraid and uneasy about my limited experience in the area. However, a coward I am not and the war on baking (no matter the number of taste-tester casualties) will be won! But instead of the front lines (for instance, a croquembouche ) I was thinking that starting as a recruiting agent (for instance, working with premade frozen dough) would be more suitable for me at the moment. Just my luck, I discovered Bridgford Parkerhouse Style rolls in the freezer section at Publix. This pre-made dough offered a 2 for 1 as you will see in an upcoming post for Rosemary Parkerhouse Rolls.
Anyway, we all also know I can be VERY random but the desire to make Monkey Bread (aka Coffee Cake) came from watching Queen Latifah’s “Beauty Shop” the other day. Needless to say, I was happy something I did made a lil bit of sense for once, lol. (I spoke on it a little bit in the previous post “Monkey Bread Eeeee!!!” ). Out of my realm, I did the very minimal as far as tweaking the recipe on the back of the package and cannot wait to incorporate a few changes after knowing how simple it can be. I’m learning yall!!! I might be ready for the front lines sooner than we all thought, hunh? lol
(Note: You need 3 hours (waiting for the dough to rise, not actual working))
INGREDIENTS:
1 package Bridgford Parkerhouse Rolls
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1- 1 1/2 c. roughly chopped pecans
1/2 c. melted butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 (3 3/4) oz. pkg. cook-n-serve butterscotch pudding mix
2 tea. ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a bundt pan (or a tube pan, etc).
In a small bowl, combine sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Set aside.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Sprinkle pecans over this; set aside.
Dip each piece of dough (I didnt thaw them) in melted butter and roll in sugar mixture. Make sure that the dough is coated generously with sugar mixture.
Stack each piece of dough evenly in pan.
Top with remaining butter and sugar mixture.
**Let the dough rise in a warm (non-drafty place) until double in size or until the dough has risen to just under the top rim of the pan. Do not let it rise above rim!!!
(See note about rising dough below)
Place pan on a baking sheet and Bake for 30-40 minutes or until well browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before turning over onto a cake plate.
Serve warm and enjoy the gooey bread as you hear praise in the form of words like “cinnabun”, “oh my” and ”God-send” being lightly tossed around. : )
**I put the dough in a kitchen cabinet to allow it to rise because my kitchen is FREEZING and WINDY! LOL It worked! If after an hour and it doesn’t rise, move your bread!!!
Ina’s Salmon Cakes
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The original recipe called for smoking my own salmon or something and that wasn’t happening…waaaay too many steps for breakfast when I KNOW the canned Salmon would work JUST fine- and it did.
These cakes get their moistness from the mayo, eggs, lemon juice, and simply not being overpowered by flour. The bread crumbs don’t fight the moistness like flour. You may want to add a little more. My cakes were very fragile but we like the flavors of the capers (kinda vinegary…yeah I said “vinegary” lol) lemon with the fish and veggies without too much “cake”. To each his own but more play with the recipe, they can pull of a lot of flavor….like someone else you know hunh? ; ) (ME! )
Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- olive oil
- 1 cup small-diced red onion (1 med. onion)
- 1 1/2 cups small-diced celery (4 stalks)
- 1 cup small-diced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
- 1 cup small-diced yellow bell pepper (1 small pepper)
- 1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 can smoked salmon
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs (or panko, Japanese bread crumbs)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Hellman’s Light…don’t tell Greg)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
- Juice of 1 lemon
Directions
Place 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of oil, the onion, celery, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, capers, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and peppers in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Empty salmon into a bowl by itself standing in the shape retained from the can. Gently separate the fish from the sides to expose the full spine of the fish. Try to remove it whole. If you are unsuccessful, no biggie, take your (of course well cleaned) hands and pick through it for any wayward pieces of bone. Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, and eggs and toss lightly.
Add the cooled cooked veggies and mix well. (Whenever you’re working with raw eggs, you want to be sure to not scramble the eggs by adding them to anything hot) Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into salmon cakes, 2 1/2 to 3 ounces each.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the salmon cakes and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a 250 degree F oven and serve hot.
*Salmon cakes can be shaped and stored overnight in the fridge on baking sheets wrapped in plastic; fry just before serving.
RECIPE REGRETS: Not having some sort of dipping sauce or a mango salsa to accompany this dish. I tried, unsuccessfully to mix a little mayo, ketchup and lemon juice. It was edible but not the sauce I was going for.
Greg’s Bday Breakfast-Part 2 (Bananas Foster French Toast)
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I’ve made this recipe before and could not WAIT to make it for my family. For some reason, whenever I go home, I get really lazy and just love to let my mom take care of everything. However, since I was playing host this weekend, I KNEW this would be on the roster. Greg had reservations about the French Toast and the Shrimp and Grits meal combo but I knew they would appreciate it. We all consider ourselves FOODIES but since I am not in a great culinary city like Miami, I am charged with actually having to replicate the dishes I love….plus they can’t cook…shhhh.
Bananas Foster French Toast
(courtesy of Paula Deen)
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons butter, divided
8 large croissants, halved
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
6 ripe bananas, halved crosswise and lengthwise
1 teaspoon rum extract
Directions:
In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs, cream, and cinnamon. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Dip 4 croissant halves in egg mixture to coat both sides. Using a fork, remove croissants from egg mixture, letting excess mixture drip off. Place croissant halves in hot skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and croissant halves. Set aside and keep warm.
In a large skillet, combine corn syrup, brown sugar, maple syrup and pecans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add banana halves and rum extract. Coat with the syrup mixture, and simmer 1 minute. Spoon over French toast. Serve immediately.
Greg’s Bday Breakfast – Part 1 (Southern Shrimp and Grits)
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This weekend was a really exciting one. My mother, 3 of my sisters and their children came up from Miami to visit for my husband’s bday on Saturday. For some odd reason, he wanted to show the kids a good time for HIS birthday. 
Anyway, I was very excited to cook for them and just HAD to prepare something special WHILE still sticking to the plan to continue to be adventurous in the kitchen. They are pretty critical so I was a little apprehensive. In the end, I decided to so with something old and something new; Bananas Foster French Toast (made with fresh croissants) and Cook’s Magazine’s- Southern Shrimp and Grits. I’ve made a shrimp and grits recipe before and it was good but this one was FANTASTIC. The other one (pictured in an earlier post) had awesome flavor that was combined with the shrimp before it topped the grits. In the current recipe, there was flavor ALL OVA THE PLACE!!! It was fantastic, simple, and the presentation was phenomenal!! I was so proud that my experimentation worked out because they are used to my mother’s fabulous cooking and I was very nervous.
SOUTHERN SHRIMP AND GRITS
RECIPE NOTES:
1-Do not sub instant grits here. 2-You MUST have an ovensafe skillet. (Don’t worry about buying anything fancy, make sure everything is metal (handles, enforcements, etc.) and that there is no rubber. The one I have is Wolfgang Puck (a gift from mom and dad that they tried to take back this weekend, lol. ) that I’ve had forever. 3-You can substitute smoked cheddar or smoked gouda for the extra-sharp cheddar.
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 onion, minced ( about 1 cup)
1 tea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tes minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
3 1/2 c water
1/2 c heavy cream
1 cup old-fashioned grits
6 oz extra sharp white cheddar, shredded (about 1 1/2 c)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 scallions, thinly sliced (+ 1 to add for garnish just before serving)
1/4 tea pepper (again, I like the large pepper flakes for appearance)
1 1/2 pound extra large shrimp (21 to 25 ct) *
Adjust oven rach to middle position and heat to 450 degrees. (When you can, please buy an oven thermometer. You’ll be more pleased with the outcome of your oven dishes and recipes won’t seem so off, lol. More than likely, the actual temperature of the oven is 25-50 degrees lower than the oven may report, $4.50)
Melt butter in a 12 in ovensafe skillet over med heat. Add onion and salt and cook until softened, 5 to 7 mins. Stir in garlic and chipolte and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in water and cream and bring to boil. Slowly whisk in grits. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring freq., until grits are thick and creamy, about 15 mins. Off the heat, whisk in cheddar, eggs, scallions, and pepper. Lay the shrimp on their sides in a pinwheel formation over the grits and then press on them lightly to submerge about halfway. Bake the casserole untl the top is browned, the grits are hot and the shrimp are cooked through, about 15 mins. Let cool 15 mins before serving.
*Try to leave the tail meat on the shrimp (the fan part at the end) to give it lenght. I takes a little more time when cleanin gb/c if you’re like me, you just snatch that part off and keep it moving. Also, when placing the shrimp, stretch them out to get the pinwheel effect. It was definitely a crowd pleaser.
Blueberry Pancakes
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On Sunday morning, I decided that we would have PANCAKES! My mom didn’t make pancakes for us as kids. She was more of a “grits n eggs”, southern girl and we had no complaints. I recalled watching one of my favs, “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” in which he challenged the famed Clinton Street Baking Company (CSBC) in New York to a Blueberry Pancake Throwdown. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, he finds people that are perceived to make the “BEST” something (pancakes, mac n cheese, crab cakes, fish tacos, etc.) and tries to improve their recipe and then challenge them to a duel. You should check it out….I digress.
Bobby’s Pancakes beat out CSBC’s and made it to my “To-do” list. I planned to perform the recipe as created but there were 2 reasons why I didn’t:
Haute Eggs
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As I told you, I’ve exhausted my Fiercefoodie budget for the month (or until Greg forgets) yesterday on my Patron. Nevermind the fact that he ate 2 cupcakes. Ummmhmmm…. Anyway, I noticed that I have no breakfast contributions on the site so I decided to try to get some daylight shots for a change (supposedly a key factor in food photography) and scramble some eggs. Plus, I was in no hurry to dirty my recently cleaned kitchen, so a one-pot dish was ideal. After a check around the fridge, I found a couple slices of oven roasted deli turkey, deli Muenster cheese, a little white cheddar, a shallot, sundried roasted tomatoes and a little heavy cream.
Of course, you can use ANYTHING for the scramble. Scrambles are quick and more forgiving than trying to fold your eggs over into an omelette. I can do it though (very slowly however) so don’t sleep on my skills. : ) But with the scramble, you get to stuff it with a lot more goodies that otherwise wouldn’t fit in that thin little envelope. Usually, I use leftover mushrooms, onions and peppers but apparently I haven’t cooked anything lately (if you let Mr. Ungrateful tell it, lol) Hey! Birthday girls eat out.
Tyler’s Ultimate Shrimp & Grits
1
(Recipe courtesy of Food Network.com)
Level: Easy, 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ( I quasi-covered the bottom of the skillet with the EVOO)
- 1 medium white onion, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 pound andouille or spicy Italian spicy sausage, cut in chunks
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 to 3 bay leaves
- 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
