Belgain Waffles

We hosted the Ironman competition in our community on Sunday.  Because the bike portion of the race uses the roads in an around our home, Church was rescheduled for Saturday night--so we took full advantage of that and slept in (until 8:10am, which is SO late for us as we usually arise at 5:30am).  Since I had the morning at home I decided to make waffles.  This recipe feeds our family of 4 and I cook up the remaining batter and freeze the waffles. 

My favorite is to add fresh raspberries and chopped pecans to the batter after I've placed it in the waffle iron.  You can make each waffle to order with any variety of add-ons or just PLAIN!

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups self-rising flour
• 2 cups warm milk
• 2 egg whites
• Add-ins (berries, mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, etc.)

Directions

1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together. Add vanilla extract, butter and salt. Alternately mix in flour and milk until blended well.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they have formed soft peaks. Fold egg whites into batter and let stand for about 40 minutes or so.
3. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray, spoon the mix onto hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown and fluffy.
4. Serve with bacon or sausage
5. I serve each waffle as it comes out of the iron so we don't really eat together-but a waffle hot off the press can't be beat!
6. Cook the remaining batter, allow cool, cut in half, place on a baking sheet and freeze. Place the leftovers in a freezer bag and reheat for a delicious breakfast during the school week.

Barbequed Shrimp

This delicious dish is easy to prepare and can be used as a main course or an appetizer
Serves 4

2 pounds unpeeled large fresh shrimp
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cut catsup
2 bay leaves
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 Tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
2 Tbs Asian garlic-chili pepper sauce
2 tsp hot sauce

Spread the shrimp in a shallow foil lined broiler pan
Stir the butter and remaiing ingredients together in a  saucepan over low heat until butter melts.  Pour mixture over shrimp.
Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat shrimp evenly.

Serve with french bread for dipping up the sauce and a fresh ear of corn.  Can also be served over rice or boiled smashed new potatoes. 

Stock the Spice Cabinet

Every cook needs to rely on her spice rack to enhance the flavors of the meals she prepares.  Here are some of the things I CAN'T be without in my spice cabinet. 

I have a corner cupboard that I use--so if your space is smaller, find another location for some of these items (and once opened, some of these items MUST be stored in the refrigerator).  I also store fresh herbs in the freezer if I can’t use them all before they’ll deteriorate.
  sauce
Baking powder
Baking soda
Balsamic Vinegar
Basil
Bay Leaves
Cayenne pepper
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Cloves, ground
Coriander
Cumin
Garlic Powder (I only use Lawry’s)
Hot sauce
Italian bread crumbs
Lawry’s season salt
Minced Garlic
Nutmeg
Old Bay Seasoning
Onion powder
Onions, dehydrated
Oregano
Oyster sauce
Paprika
Parsley
Pepper corns
Rosemary
Thyme
Sage, rubbed
Salt (Kosher and iodized)
Sesame oil
Soy Sauce
Thyme
Worcester
Yeast
Oil (vegetable and olive)

I have a lot more stuff than this (saffron, lemon grass, etc.) but don’t use them with great regularity.  You’d go broke buying these all at once…so if you are just starting out add a new spice to your spice rack monthly! 

Spices lose their potency over time…so you’ll have to replace periodically to get the most flavor from them.  Purchase the highest quality spices you can afford.  Keep your spices in a cool, dry space (NOT over the stove!) for the best flavor and the longest shelf life.

Cajun Pasta

A delicious Pasta Dish!

Fettuccine, prepared according to package directions

1/2 green pepper diced
1 red onion, divided
     mince 1/2 onion
     reserve other half, sliced for garnish
2 Tablespoons celery, minced
2 Tablespoons sliced black olives, for garnish (if desired)
6-8 broccoli florets

6 sea scallops
12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 link andouille sausage, pan fried  and drained of grease

1 pint heavy cream
butter
Cajun seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Pan fry the sausage until browned, drain and set aside
Cook pasta according to directions
add 1 TBS butter to the pan and saute green pepper, celery and onions for 2 minutes until tender
Return sausage to pan
add sea scallops and shrimp and saute 2 minutes until done
add cream, turn up heat and allow sauce to thicken
Add Cajun seasoning to taste
Once sauce has thickened, add broccoli and pasta
Top with black olives and onion slices. 

Not healthy, but sure is tasty!

Chicken with Gnocchi

I made this at the request of DD2 for dinner on the first day of school yesterday.  It was delicious and not as complicated to make as the recipe may seem

Gnocchi (I used store bought potato gnocchi)

1 chicken breast per person, seasoned with salt and pepper, sliced into think strips

Marinate chicken in
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced,
2 stalks rosemary
Marinate chicken for at least an hour for the best flavor (overnight works too)

Julienne
1 medium zucchini
1 red pepper
1 medium onion cut into large slices and halved

Sauce:
Mix together the following
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup ricotta (I used low fat cottage cheese)
1 pint heavy cream

Prepare gnocchi according to package directions (place in boiling water for about 3 minutes or until the float to the top)

In the mean time,
Saute vegetables in a couple of tablespoons olive oil until tender, do not brown
Add chicken, turn up the heat and allow to cook until browned on all sides
Add cheese sauce and allow to thicken,
add drained gnocchi
Serve immediately!

The family declared this was delicious and I agreed!

Smashed Potatoes and Shrimp

This is a lovely summer dish which is fairly easy to prepare and can be modified to use the produce you have on hand

New potatoes (I prefer red)
mushrooms
asparagus (trimmed)
raw Shrimp, peeled, deveined

bacon grease (or olive oil)
Cayenne
2 (or more) cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1/3 cup white wine

Prepare a skillet with the bacon grease,
Boil the potatoes until tender, drain and add to the skillet.  Add garlic, Cayenne, salt and pepper to taste
Allow potatoes to brown
Add mushrooms, cook for about 5 minutes, allow to brown if you desire
add asparagus and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes
Add shrimp, cook for 3 minutes or until done
deglaze pan with white whine and allow sauce to thicken slightly.  Serve immediately