Shrimp Fra Diavolo (Recipe #22) and Lemon Spaghetti (Recipe #23)

Shrimp Fra Diavolo
From Food Network's Giada DiLaurentiis

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside. Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve.


Lemon Spaghetti
from Food Network's Giada DeLaurentiis

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Recipe #21: Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
from The Mansion at Turtle Creek via Food Network

3 tablespoons corn oil
4 corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh epazote or cilantro
1 cup fresh onion, pureed
2 cups pureed fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 whole bay leaves
4 tablespoons canned tomato puree
2 quarts chicken stock
Salt
Cayenne pepper
1 cooked chicken breast cut into strips
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 corn tortillas, cut in strips and fried until crisp

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute tortillas with garlic and epazote over medium heat until tortillas are soft.
Add onion and fresh tomato puree and bring to a boil. Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, canned tomato puree and chicken stock. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste, and cook stirring frequently for 30 minutes. Skim fat from surface, if necessary.

Strain and pour into warm soup bowls. Garnish with an equal portion of chicken breast, avocado, shredded cheese and crisp tortilla strips. Serve Immediately.

Burgers with Lemon Aioli (Recipe #19) and Stuffed Peppers (Recipe #20)

We have a bunch of gorgonzola left over from our antipasto platter last week, so I wanted to have grilled blue cheese burgers tonight. While I was playing around on Food Network's website, I came across this recipe. We already have the ground sirloin, but I'd still like to try the lemon aioli to put on top of my burger stuffed with gorgonzola. Ever since I tried the yucca fries with aioli at Fuego in Atlanta, I have been wanting to try to make an aioli myself.

Recipe #19: Lemon Aioli
from Food Network's Emeril Lagasse


3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch cayenne
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

With the back of a knife, mince the garlic, then crush. Gradually work the salt into the crushed garlic to make a paste. Place in a bowl. Whisk the eggs and lemon juice with the garlic paste and incorporate. Add the cayenne. Slowly whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture emulsifies.

Keep refrigerated until ready to use. (Use within 24 hours.)

Yield: about 1 cup

Recipe #20: Stuffed Peppers
from allrecipes.com

2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons white wine
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 8x11 inch glass baking dish.
In a pot of boiling water, cook the bell peppers for 4 to 5 minutes; until they begin to soften. Remove them from the boiling water and plunge them into a cold bath. Drain well.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and mix in the tomato, parsley, bread crumbs, white wine, and black pepper. Fill the peppers with this mixture and place them into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the peppers.
Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe #18: Coconut Cake

Coconut Cake
from Food Network's Barefoot Contessa

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe #17: Shrimp Scampi #2

Shrimp Scampi
from Food Network's Tyler Florence

1 pound linguini
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

Recipe #16: Crawfish Au Gratin

Crawfish Au Gratin
from cajun-recipes.com

1 stalk celery. finely chopped

1 cup onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

One 13-ounce can evaporated milk

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound cooked crawfish

1/2 pound Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375F. Saute onions and celery in butter until onions are clear. Blend flour in well with mixture. Pour the milk gradually, stirring constantly. Add egg yolks, salt, red and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Put crawfish in bowl suitable for mixing and pour the cooked sauce over the crawfish. Blend well and then transfer into a lightly greased casserole. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light brown.

Serves 6.

Recipe #15: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake
from Food Network's Emerial Lagasse

1 pound semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 1/2 tablespoon
1/4 cup Kahlua
8 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder, for garnish
Fresh raspberries, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Using 1/2 tablespoon butter grease a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with a parchment round. Cover pan underneath and along sides with foil and set in a roasting pan. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil.

Combine the chocolate, butter, and Kahlua in a metal bowl set over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler. Melt the mixture, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes; reserve.

Meanwhile combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until frothy and almost doubled in volume, about 5 to 10 minutes. Fold 1/3 of egg mixture into chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula. Repeat this process 2 more times – until all of egg mixture has been folded into chocolate mixture.

Pour batter into prepared springform pan and place in the roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides. Bake until cake has risen slightly and edges are just beginning to set, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cake from roasting pan and cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove foil, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Remove cake from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Remove springform pan sides, invert cake onto a large plate, and peel away parchment paper from bottom. Reinvert cake on another large plate or serving platter and garnish with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder immediately before serving.

Recipe #14: Chicken Andouille Gumbo

Chicken Andouille Gumbo
from The Gumbo Shop Cookbook

1 chicken, 2 –2 1/2 lb
3 quarts water
1 lb. fresh or frozen okra sliced into ½ inch rounds
½ cup plus 2 Tbs. cooking oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
1 16 ounce can chopped tomatoes
¾ lb. Andouille sausage sliced into ¼ inch rounds
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. sage
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt

Cut the chicken into eight pieces, cover with water and simmer for about one hour until chicken is tender and easily removed from the bones. Pour off stock and set aside. Allow chicken to cool, remove from bones and set aside.

In a large heavy skillet, sauté the okra in 2 tablespoons of oil for about 10 to 15 minutes until all the "ropiness" is gone. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven, heat ½ cup oil over medium high heat. Add the flour and make a dark brown roux. (there are instructions about making a roux earlier in the book). As soon as the proper color is achieved, add the onions, bell pepper and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally until tender. During this process, allow the vegetables to stick to the bottom of the pan a bit, and then scrape the bottom with a metal spoon or spatula. This allows some of the natural sugars in the onions to caramelize, rendering great depth of flavor.

When the vegetables are tender, add the tomatoes, Andouille sausage and sautéed okra. Continue cooking and stirring for about 15 minutes. Add the bay leaf, thyme, basil, sage, peppers and salt and mix well. Pour in about 8 cups of the chicken stock, bring to a slow boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Add the cooked chicken and additional stock of necessary and simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve in large bowls over steamed rice.

Meatloaf (Recipe #12) and Mashed Potatoes (Recipe #13)

Meatloaf
from Tyler Florence of the Food Network

Tomato Relish:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced
2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meatloaf:
3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 bacon slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish.

Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.

This is where you get your hands dirty! In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. To test, fry a small "hamburger" patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns evenly. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side. Unbelievably moist!

Mashed Potatoes
from Tyler Florence of the Food Network

1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, optional

Warm the cream with the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts; set aside.

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to boil then add 1 teaspoon of salt and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain. Pass the potatoes through a food mill or a ricer into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the warm cream and butter mixture until the cream is absorbed and the mixture is smooth. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and finish them off by stirring in 1/4 cup olive oil.

Recipe #11: Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna
from Allrecipes.com

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until browned. Drain. Combine with taco seasoning and refried beans. Spread half of mixture in 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with two tortillas, trimming if necessary, and half of cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Top with green onions and tomatoes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe #10: Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits
from Tyler Florence of Food Network

For the grits:
3 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the shrimp:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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
Pinch cayenne pepper, adjust to personal preference
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 green onions, sliced

For the grits:
Place a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the milk and cream. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal. When the grits begin to bubble, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, thin it out with a little extra cream. Season with salt and pepper.

For the shrimp:
Place a deep skillet over medium heat and coat with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic; saute for 2 minutes to soften. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until there is a fair amount of fat in the pan and the sausage is brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to create a roux. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and continue to stir to avoid lumps. Toss in the bay leaves. When the liquid comes to a simmer, add the shrimp. Poach the shrimp in the stock for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are firm and pink and the gravy is smooth and thick. Add the cayenne pepper, Tabasco and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; stir in the parsley and green onion. Spoon the grits into a serving bowl. Add the shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.