Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad

 I found this on skinnytaste.com and had it in my Pinterest posts a couple of times, so obviously it looked good every time I saw it.  Pin it.  Pin it, again.  I finally made it for super bowl Sunday.  It was a great way to balance out the abundance of chicken wings, meatballs, buffalo chicken, stromboli, etc, etc, etc.  It was a fan favorite!  I doubled it for the crowd.

Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad

1 lb shrimp, cooked and cut up in half or thirds, depending on size

1 large avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, diced small, seeds and most of the ribs removed

1/4 c. red onion, diced

1 medium tomato diced (I used cherry tomatoes halved instead)

diced cucumber (this wasn't is the original recipe, but I think it was a good addition)

juice of 2 limes

1 t. olive oil

1/4 t. kosher salt ( used more for my taste)

chopped cilantro (recipe called for 1 T. but, really?!?  I used more like 3 or 4 T.)

Put the red onion in a bowl and add the oil and lime juice and let it sit for at least 5 minutes to mellow out the onion.

Once the onion is done bathing, add the shrimp, jalapeno, tomato, cucumber, salt, cilantro, and avocado.  

(Hold off on the avocado if you are making this a bit ahead of time to save it from browning.  I added this before the party and tossed it in more lime juice to try to keep it fresh looking longer.)

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lb = pound

T = tablespoon

t = teaspoon

Rice Pilaf with Orzo

This is a seriously good side dish.  Mild flavors, yet delicious that won't overpower the main dish.  It's great with steak, chicken, and fish.  You really can't go wrong with this one!   And, if you want to kick it up, use the AWESOME seasoning blend option!

This recipe is for about 6 servings or so, but I doubled it for a dinner for 10 people and there were still about 2-3 cups left.  It will make enough!

Rice Pilaf with Orzo

2 T. butter

1/2 c orzo pasta

1/2 c. diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 t. chicken bouillon

1/2 c. uncooked white rice, rinsed (this is important to get rid of the extra starch--don't skip this step!)

2 c. chicken broth (if doubling the recipe, you don't need a full 4 cups.  Use 3 2/3 cups)

optional: 1/2 c. frozen peas

Kicked up seasoned option:  (add before the simmer)

1 bay leaf

3/4 t. chicken bouillon

1/2 t. dried parsley

1/4 t. thyme

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. oregano

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. dried pepper flakes

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the orzo, cook and stir until the orzo is golden brown.

Stir in the onion and cook until onion becomes translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  

Stir in the rice and chicken broth.  Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover the skillet and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.

Add the optional peas.  Remove from head and let it stand covered for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork before serving.

Sweet Potato Fries

For homemade fries, these really couldn't get much easier, and they have so much flavor!

Sweet Potato Fries

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled

2 T. olive oil

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. paprika

1 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long (or whatever!) and toss them in the oil.  

Mix the spices in a small bowl and toss with the potatoes.

Spread the potatoes out on 2 rimmed baking sheets. (They'll crisp better if they have room on the pan)

Bake at 400 degrees until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, flip and bake another 10 to crisp the other side.

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lb = pound

t = teaspoon

T = tablespoon

Norwegian Meatballs in Gravy

 For Christmas Eve, I like to keep to a general theme of some Scandinavian flavors.   I tried Norwegian Meatballs this year, and they did not disappoint.  This may be a new standard along side of our lefse.   This makes about 75 meatballs, so plan accordingly based on your crowd.  Meatballs in 2023, anyone?  (Update:  There were meatballs in 2023.)

A super-great thing about this recipe is that you can make the meatballs ahead of time and stick them in the freezer--Time saver!!  I would still recommend doing the gravy day-of.

I used my round shallow casserole enamel to make the sauce and add meatballs.  Worked great!

Norwegian Meatballs in Gravy

Meatballs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. milk

1 c. plain bread crumbs

1/2 c. onion, chopped finely

2 t. salt

2 t. sugar

1/2 t. ginger

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. allspice

1/4 t. pepper

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

Mix all ingredients above except the meat.  Let it sit until the liquid is absorbed.

Add the meat and mix until well blended.  Shape into 1 inch meatballs.

Place the meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan.  Bake at 400 degrees until browned, about 18 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees.  Drain and set aside, or cool completely and freeze them.

Gravy

2 T. finely chopped onion

3 T. butter

5 T. flour

4 c. beef stock

1/2 c. whipping cream

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of pepper (white if you have it)

Sauté onion in butter.  Add the flour and brown lightly.  Slowly add the the broth.  Cook and stir until smooth and thickened.  Blend in the cream, cayenne, and pepper.

Add the meatballs to heat through, but don't bring it to a boil.

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c = cup

T = tablespoon

t = teaspoon

lb = pound

NY Strip Steaks in Cast Iron

 It was waaaaayyyy to cold to grill out, so we pulled out the trusty old cast iron to prepare our steaks.   I love a grilled steak, but this was definitely an acceptable alternative.

NY Strip Steaks in Cast Iron

2 NY Strips

2 T. olive oil

3 T. butter

salt and pepper to taste

sprigs of fresh rosemary (feel free to add thyme if you like)

2 -3 cloves smashed garlic

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Add the olive oil to a medium-high heated cast iron on the stovetop.   Pan sear the steaks 3-5 minutes on one side and flip for another 2-3 minutes on the other.

Add the butter, garlic, rosemary/thyme to the cast iron.  As the butter melts, spoon it over the steaks.

Pop the cast iron in the oven and finish off to the desired doneness, use your meat thermometer--probably about 8-10 minutes.  

Let them rest 5 minutes before slicing.

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T = Tablespoon

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs and Mushroom Gravy

This recipe is great over pasta or with a side of mashed potatoes.  And it can be started in the afternoon if you need a last minute meal in a slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs and Mushroom Gravy

1 c. chicken stock

2 1/2 T. flour

1 c. sliced shallots

8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms

4 oz. sliced fresh shitake mushrooms (if you can't find them, just use more cremini)

1/3 c. dry white wine

2 t. chopped fresh rosemary

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

3/4 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. black pepper

garnish of flat leaf parsley

Whisk together the stock and flour in a slow cooker until blended  Add the shallots, mushrooms, wine, and rosemary.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.  Arrange the chicken in the slow cooker, nestling it among the mushrooms and liquid.  

Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 4 hours.

Remove the chicken, and transfer the rest to a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil, stirring occasionally until the sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes.

Combine the chicken and sauce in a serving dish and garnish with parsley.

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T = tablespoon

t = teaspoon

oz = ounce

lb = pound

Banana Cream Pie

Banana cream pie is my hubby's favorite pie and I try to make it every Easter and occasionally on Thanksgiving.  His mom made a really good one and I also found a recipe for one in my old Aunt Myrtle's recipe boxes after she passed.  I combined the 2 and came up with this great version.  

I've also learned a good trick for those pie crusts that shrink up when you bake them.  Not cool.    I tried the following this year and it actually worked!  Before baking the crust, put it in a glass or ceramic pie plate, poke it all over and then stick it in the fridge or freezer for a bit.   Then, put parchment on top of the crust and form a couple layers of aluminum foil in the pie plate on top of the parchment.  Then fill, the foil with dried beans to weight it all down.  Mine took longer to bake than  normal. When the usual baking time was up,  I took all the layers off the crust and baked it a couple more minutes bare to finish baking the bottom.

Banana Cream Pie

One baked pie shell (see notes above for tips!)

Filling:

3/4 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. flour

1/4 t. salt

2 egg yolks. slightly beaten

2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 T. butter

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2 bananas thinly sliced

Heavy whipping cream, beaten with 1 - 2 T. powdered sugar

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Combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt. Sift if there are lumps.  Set aside.

Warm the milk in a sauce pan and slowly whisk the yolks in so they don't cook. Add the dry ingredients and cook over low-medium heat or double boiler until thick, stirring almost constantly.  Once thick like a custard or pudding, remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla.

Cool completely.

Put the cooled filling in the pie shell.  Make a layer with all of the sliced bananas over the top.  

Top with the whipped cream so the bananas are completely covered.

Refrigerate.

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c = cup

T = tablespoon

t = teaspoon