Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Yes, ANOTHER corn chowder recipe!

This one has white wine and shrimp in it.  And it was FABULOUS.  It comes from the September 2011 issue of Woman's Day. 

We ate it with a simple salad and cheddar-garlic biscuits Chris made -- the recipe for that is on the Bisquick box.  They were possibly THE BEST biscuits I've ever had.  Ever.

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

4 oz sliced bacon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup dry white wine
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 cup corn kernels (cut fresh from 3 small ears or frozen and thawed)
3/4 lb medium peeled and deveined shrimp (I buy cooked shrimp and add them at the very end just to take the chill off -- you don't want them to overcook)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh flat- leaf parsley, chopped (I skipped this)
crusty bread for serving

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 5-6 minutes.  (I use kitchen shears to cut it raw so you don't have to deal with cutting up hot, greasy bacon)  Transfer to paper towel lined plate.  Break into pieces.

Wipe out the saucepan and heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, salt, pepper and cook, strring ocassionally, for 5 minutes.  (I added the celery at this point because I wanted to make sure it wasn't crunchy).

Add the potatoes, wine and 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, 12-15 minutes.  Stir in the celery, corn, shrimp and cream.  Simmer until the shrimp are no opaque throughout, 3-4 minutes.  Top with back and parsley.  Serve with bread, if desired.

Special Sauce

I'm not kidding, this is what this yummy sauce is called!

It was fantastic on a cheeseburger tonight.  I whipped it up with what I have in the kitchen, and I did not have adobo sauce or celery salt.  It was delicious without it.  [Now I make it with celery seeds, which adds a wonderful flavor without salt]

It comes from the June 2011 issue of Bon Appetit.

Special Sauce

1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp finely grated onion (unless you love onions, I'd half this next time OR use a Vidalia onion instead*)
1 Tbsp sweet or dill pickle relish
2 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies in adobo [I skipped this]
1/8 tsp celery salt [I use celery seeds instead]
1/8 tsp kosher salt

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and serve with burgers.

* It occurred to me last night that this sauce would be FANTASTIC if you finely chopped the onions instead of grating them and carmelized them first.  YUM!  [That's the only way I make it now!!]

Mini Meatloaves

I will be up front.  I don't like meatloaf.  I have no idea why I even tried these little guys, but they are DELICIOUS!  I've been making them for years.

You can mix and match the add-ins to create what you and your family would like the most.  I've only made them the Fiesta way, but this week I am trying the Italian version.  The secret is Stove Top -- the seasonings are already blended for you!

Since you make them in a muffin tin, they are a fun dinner for kids too!

This recipe comes from the Fall 2005 issue of Kraft Food & Family magazine.

Mini Meatloaves

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 package Stove Top stuffing mix
1 cup water

Choose one of the following sets of ingredients:

Italian
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Fiesta
2 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup salsa
3/4 cup shredded Mexican style cheese

Mediterranean
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
3/4 cup crumbled feta

BBQ
1 tsp garlic poder
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix meat, stuffing mix, water, and your seasoning choice until well blended.  Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.  Make an indentation in the center of each with a spoon.

Spoon your sauce choice into the center of each meatloaf.

Bake 30 minutes or until meatloaves are cooked through.  Top with cheese.  Continue baking for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Spicy Tomato Vodka Sauce

Nothing beats my mom's recipe for homemade sauce.  But sometimes you want something that doesn't have to simmer all day!

This recipe is a wonderful vodka sauce.  Quick and easy.  It comes from the February 2011 issue of Cuisine at Home.

Spicy Tomato Vodka Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I don't like hot stuff, so I just used a sprikle)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes in juice (original recipe called for 2 cans of whole tomatoes and no crushed tomatoes, but I like the combination of the two better)
1/2 cup vodka
1 fresh bay leaf (I used dried)
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan

Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and pepperoni to oil and saute until onions are soft, about 4 minutes.  Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and basil.  Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute  Stir in tomato paste to coat mixture and saute 1 minute.

Stir in tomatoes, vodka, bay leaf, and salt.  Crush tomatoes into chunks with a spoon.  Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until reduced by a third, about 30 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.  Stir in vinegar, cream and Parmesan.  Serve with your favorite pasta!

Mushroom Fusilli with Garlic Breadcrumbs

The final meal in your weeknight meal planner. The first couple of recipes I used regular breadcrumbs, as I didn't make my own. For tonight's I used Panko crumbs, and I think they came much closer to the fresh. I would advise prepping all the cutting and dicing ahead of starting the rest of the dinner. And I had a regular package of mushrooms - why I didn't get them sliced is beyond me! Another tasty and successful dinner!

Ingredients:
1 box (16 oz) fusilli pasta
1/2 container ricotta cheese (finish it up!)
2 tbsp EVOO
1 cup (2 oz) fresh breadcrumbs (finish it up!)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (finish it up!)
salt and pepper
1 pkg (10 oz) mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 cup heavy cream (finish it up!)

Directions:
1. in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the ricotta, adding the reserved cooking water to thin the consistency as desired.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp EVOO over medium-high head; add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the parsley; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook undisturbed for the first few minutes, until they have released all their liquid and are golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the cream. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
4. Toss the pasta mixture with the mushroom cream sauce; stir in the remaining parsley. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs before serving.

Sausage Rolls with Spinach Salad

Day 4 of your weeknight meal planner was another success. Of course, who doesn't like puff pastry?! I would note though that you don't need to preheat your oven until you put the pastry wrapped sausage in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. And although the recipe doesn't note it, try to work quickly with the puff pastry once it's out of the fridge so it doesn't lose the chilled quality. Also, for this salad and the previous one Tuesday night, I used a tupperware bowl with a lid and shook my salad to evenly coat the spinach or the lettuce.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (use the rest Friday)
1 red bell pepper, 1/2 finely chopped and 1/2 cut into very thin strips
1 sheet (half of a 17.3 oz pkg) frozen puff pastry, thawed but chilled (finish it up!)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced (finish it up!)
salt and pepper
6 cups (half of an 11 oz pkg) baby spinach (finish it up!)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Crumble the sausage into a bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs and chopped bell pepper. Divide the mixture in half and form each into an 11-inch log; refrigerate.
2. Line a work surface with a 16-inch length of parchment. Set the sheet of cold puff pastry on top and roll out into an 11-inch square. Cut the pastry in half. Lay a sausage log down the center of each strip. Brush the long sides with some of the egg. Wrap the sausage in the pastry; press the seam to seal, but do not seal the short ends. Transfer to the baking sheet seam side down.
3. Brush the tops with the remaining egg and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake until puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes; quarter each roll crosswise for a total of 8 pieces.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the EVOO, mustard, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the bell pepper strips and spinach; toss well.

Chicken Stir Fry

This is not your typical stir fry.  It is Asian, for sure, but I think of stir fry as having more vegetables in it, served over rice.  This is served with angel hair in a yummy sauce.

Regardless, this recipe is quick, easy and delicious!

Our preferred grocery store stopped carrying this flavor of Kraft dressing.  We've tried others, and none of them are quite right.  I finally did a search on Kraft's website to find out who sold it near me.  Happily, I found it again!

This recipe was on the cover of the Fall 2007 issue of Kraft Food & Family magazine.

Chicken Stir Fry

8 oz angel hair pasta
2 cups broccoli florets
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (I always skip this)
1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (I never chop them)

Cook pasta as directed, adding broccoli to boiling water for the last 3 minutes of the cooking time.

Spray a large nonstick pan with cooking spray.  (I prefer olive oil with a little minced garlic, salt and fresh ground pepper)  Heat on medium-high.  Add chicken and cook 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. 

Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper (I mix it in the measuring cup first).  Cook 1 minute, stirring ocassionally.

Drain pasta and return to pan.  Add chicken mixture and stir lightly.  Sprinkle each serving with peanuts.  (I just add the peanuts into the mixture before I combine it)