Pammie's Miami Shrimp

Here is my rendition of a dish called "Miami Shrimp"...

Pammie's Miami Shrimp

2 lbs fresh shrimp, deveined and peeled
1/4 c olive oil (may sub w/ veg. oil
but I always use Olive for better flavour)
2 t salt (seasoned salt if
available)
1/2 t Lemon Salt (white salt if available)
1 T Cajun Pepper
1/4 c extra dry Vermouth
2 T Lemon Juice

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Peel & de-vein shrimp if necessary. Preheat electric skillet to 320 degrees. Add oil, salt, pepper, and shrimp. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and tender, stirring constantly. While cooking, sprinkle with Cajun Pepper to taste (I use 1 T).
Increase the temperature to 420 degrees. Add vermouth and lemon juice. Cook 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Drain.
Reserve juice for delicious dip.
Serve hot or cold as an appetizer or an entree.

Delicious!

My variations from the original recipe are:
I use Lemon Pepper instead of White Pepper, I add Cajun Pepper, I always use Olive Oil, never Veg. Oil, I reserve the juice because it is very delicious & good for dipping the shrimp in. I always sub seasoned salt for plain salt.

Speedy Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is a recipe from the days when my kids (4 children) were young, picky eaters (this dissipated when they became teens!). It's an awesome, easy to make dish that all 4 of my kids loved. It was rare for me to find such a dish, so I thought I should share this with other busy Moms (& Dads).

It's easiest/best to make in a large non-stick wok, & the ingredients are pretty basic. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether or not Green Giant still makes the Create a Meal kit I used in this recipe years ago, so you may need to improvise.

Ingredients:

2 t oil (Peanut or Olive preferred)

1 10.5 oz pkg Chicken Chunks or Nuggets(Tyson preferred - fun shapes for extra kiddy appeal)

1 pkg Green Giant Create a Meal! frozen Sweet & Sour Stir Fry Meal Starter

2-3 cups hot cooked rice (best results from rice steamer if you have one)

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Cook rice while preparing rest of recipe.

Cook chicken chunks in oil until thoroughly heated through. Remove from wok or skillet. Place on paper towel to drain any excessive oil.

Add frozen sauce, vegetables, and pineapple to wok or skillet.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 7-10 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender.

Stir in the Chicken Chunks.

Serve over rice.

Pammie's Cheesy Poblano Chile Rellenos Casserole

Maybe I should call this recipe Bake-stuffed Poblanos instead. This recipe is a stray from a recipe I have in a book, which combines some of the ideas in the recipe with some of the methods from one of my Mom's favorite recipes, Baked-stuffed Green Peppers, and with what I recall of the Chile Relleno dishes I've had in Mexican Restaurants (which varies from restaurant to restaurant).

The result of this experiment was, of course, delicious. It even tastes great re-heated, and make a delicious brunch, lunch, or dinner. Light & tasty, and not too filling yet very satisfying. Here it is:

Pammie's Cheesy Poblano Chile Rellenos Casserole

Ingredients:

1 T Margarine or butter (preferably whipped butter such as Move Over Butter - delicious & inexpensive)

1 c chopped onions (mild yellow or shallots)

2 4.5 oz cans Chopped Green Chiles (Old El Paso is a good brand with a very mild bite)

3 c shredded cheese - Monterey, Cheddar, or Mexican Blend (I use a "Mexican Blend")

3 eggs

5 Poblano Peppers (substitute with 4 Green Peppers if not available)

3/4 c sour cream

1/2 t crushed Red Pepper

1-2 t Mexican/Fajita or Taco seasoning

1 c seeded tomato

1 lb ground beef

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Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 9" square pan (preferably with spray-on olive oil - I'm a big olive oil fan). Melt butter or margarine in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir until crisp-tender. Stir in Green Chiles. Remove from heat & set aside.

In same skillet, brown hamburger (add more margarine/butter if necessary), sprinkle with Fajita or Mexican or taco seasoning to taste. When hamburger is browned, mix in onion/green chile mixture with hamburger.

Prepare Polano Peppers by slicing in half and de-seeding. Stuff each half with the hamburger/onion/chile mixture. With the remaining hamburger mixture, spread evenly into greased pan. Place the stuffed Poblanos on top of mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

In small bowl, beat eggs slightly. Beat in Sour Cream and Red Pepper flakes. Spoon egg mixture evenly over cheese. Sprinkle with chopped tomato.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes (usually 45 for Poblanos) or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Serve with Spanish Rice (preferrably Zatarain's) and Refried Beans.

Muddville Chili - A Homemade Recipe with NO Beans

OK, so I like to cook...I find it very relaxing & it's a way to express my creativity in a medium others can enjoy...food. This is actually a recipe from my friend, which I of course altered along the way (like I always do) to create a delicious meal.

Disclaimer: This recipe includes tomatoes, which, if you want chili that's "truer", you can exclude. "Real" chili (a sort of cowboy stew) is comprised of little more than beef, chili powder or some other spices to make up "Chili Powder", maybe onions & garlic, and a maybe other vegetables, if available...

Here it is:

1 lb cubed beef (for stews) or ground beef, 1 lb spicy sausage, preferrably chorizo, but I used what I had - Hot Italian Sausage, or 2 lbs cubed beef or ground beef

1/2 c cooking oil (preferrably Olive Oil)

1-2 12 oz can/bottle cheap beer (non-alcoholic will work)

1 14oz can stewed tomatoes (preferrably spiced for mexican dishes)

1 8 oz can tomato sauce (may sub BBQ sauce - I used tomato sauce)

2 small onion, chopped (preferrably Shallots - best flavour)

1 medium Green Pepper or Poblano Peppers (if you can find - I used Pablanos)

**Optional 1-3 Chipotle peppers if you can find. The more Chipotles you put in, the more the chipotle flavour will "take over"

5-6 cloves garlis, minced - for the jarred garlic, 1/2 t = 1 clove

1t Oregano

1t Ground Cumin

4T Chili Powder

1t salt

1/2t Sugar (unless you sub'd BBQ sauce for Tomato Sauce)

Cayenne Pepper (to your liking - I'm always generous with spicy stuff)

4-5 Medium Jalapenos, chopped (Fresh, if you can find. Save 1 whole 1 to simmer with Chili batch)

1-2 small sample bottles or capfuls of Tequila
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Brown the meats in 1/4c Olive Oil. Transfer meat to kettle, saving broth for sauteing the veggies. Add Stewed Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Beer, and heat mixture on low while preparing veggies.

Saute Onions, peppers & garlic in remaining liquid. Add another 1/4 c Olive Oil if necessary.

Add remaining ingredients (spices and tequila) to veggies and simmer for 30 minutes.

Transfer to kettle, deglaze the skillet with 1/2 a can/bottel of beer & pour into kettle. Simmer for at least 1-2 hrs, stirring occasionally & adding beer as needed.

Serve with garlic bread, more beer (to put out the fire!) and/or more tequila (yuck).

There it is! Muddville's famous Chili recipe. You will note that this is TRUE Chili...that is, it contains only meat, NO BEANS, and is HOT! It's great for cold winter days, or clearing your head if you have sinus problems or a cold.

What's Cooking?

I enjoy cooking, and it is one of my favorite hobbies. I decided to create this blog to publish some of my favorite recipes, which are largely modified or created by myself.

Many of these recipes were passed on to me by my mother or extreme modified versions of recipes I have found on boxes, cans, and in books. Some you will not find published anywhere.

I love spicy food, so I tend to cook a lot using cajun seasoning, and I also love "quick & easy" recipes (being a mother of 4), as well as crock-pot recipes. I've been told I have a knack for creating delicious masterpieces from left-overs (esp. variations on Shepherd's Pie, Hash, & Mexican Lasagne), as well as cooking up wonderful breakfast dishes that stick to your ribs all day. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I just love to cook when I get the chance. It's a great way for me to relax, express myself, and share with others!

So sit back & enjoy...soups almost on!