Month: August 2020

These are crispy, light and SCRUMPDILIOCIOUS! The delicate sweetness of the lobster paired with the simple breading is a perfect combination. They don’t take long to cook, so don’t turn away while they are frying. They are a perfect accompaniment to my shrimp and grits!

You will need:

4 lobster tails, shells off and cut into bite sized pieces

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water added

1 to 2 tablespoons of my Cajun spice blend (see recipe under ‘Tips’) or your favorite spice blend

1 cup of flour

1 tablespoon of corn starch

Oil for frying (I use grape seed or smart balance oil)

Heat your pan over medium high heat and add the oil once the pan is hot. While the oil is heating, place your lobster in a bowl. Put the flour and corn starch in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Season your lobster and flour/corn starch mixture with the Cajun spices. Pour the egg mixture over the lobster. Lift out the egg coated lobster and place it into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Toss to coat and fry just until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). Drain on a paper towel and serve.

#yumola

I don’t know how authentic this recipe is, but I do know it is a huge hit with my family and everyone who has tried it. I hope you enjoy my version of this popular dish.

For the shrimp you will need:

1 pound of bacon (can omit and use your favorite oil of choice)

2 pounds of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined* 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons (or more) of my Cajun spice (see recipe under tips) or your favorite Cajun spice blend

1/2 – 1 stick of butter

1/4 cup of white wine you would drink (not sweet) or chicken stock (can use broth)

1 bunch of green onion, chopped**

For the grits you will need:

1 cup of old fashioned grits

4 cups of chicken broth or stock

2 tablesooons of butter

1/4 cup of heavy cream

1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese (more if you like it extra cheesy)

For the shrimp:

Chop the bacon and place in a large sauté pan. Fry until crisp; remove, drain on a paper towel and set aside. In the same pan, add the onion and peppers to the bacon fat and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium high heat. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the cajun seasoning and stir. Add the garlic, butter, shrimp and the remaining cajun seasoning and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine or chicken broth/stock and simmer for an additional 3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. You do not want to overcook the shrimp.

For the grits:

While the bacon is rendering, start your grits and cook according to the packaging making sure to use the chicken broth/stock instead of water. The grits will take 20 minutes to cook. Be sure to stir them, occasionally, during the cooking process to prevent lumps. One minute before the cooking time ends, stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter and the 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.

To assemble, ladle some of the grits into a shallow bowl. Top with the shrimp, chopped green onion and bacon.

Enjoy!

*I use wild caught extra jumbo shrimp – 16/20 per pound or colossal- 13/15 per pound

**the chopped green onion isn’t shown in my picture but, trust me, you want to add it. I just snapped the picture before sprinkling it on top.

#yumola

Peach cobbler and ALL OF THE FEELS have gone hand in hand for as long as I can remember in my family. It usually meant my Mom was in the kitchen surrounded by all of her loves who were anxiously awaiting her masterpiece! My Mom’s peach cobbler was (and still is) a huge part of every family gathering. No one can make it quite like her and EVERY ONE of us measures the success of our own version by her example. Mine is the best … just saying. Shhhhh, don’t tell my sisters or other family members. It was no easy task to watch her throw in ‘this and that’ and then adapt that to a recipe. So, although this will not be exactly like Granna’s Peach Cobbler, it’s pretty darn close.

You will need:

8 peaches peeled and sliced (or frozen)

a squeeze of lemon 

2 Tablespoons flour (or 1 T of corn starch)

1 cup sugar (more if the peaches aren’t sweet)

1 1/2 sticks of butter (reserve 1/2 a stick to put on top of the crust)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg  (I prefer nutmeg)

1 pie crust recipe (see my recipe under ‘Tips’ or buy two store bought crusts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place the peaches in a large bowl and add the squeeze of lemon, flour (or cornstarch), sugar, vanilla and cinnamon (or nutmeg). Mix together and pour into a glass or ceramic baking dish. Add 1 stick of butter (cut in cubes) on top of the peaches and place into the oven. Cook until the peaches cook down a bit and the mixture starts to bubble or about 15-20 minutes.

While the peaches are cooking, make your pie crust or roll out one of your two store bought crusts to fit the baking dish. Carefully remove the peaches from the oven and taste for sweetness. You want it to taste a little too sweet. If it doesn’t, add a little more sugar. Just trust me. Place one pie crust on top. Spoon some of the peach mixture over the top of the crust and place it back into the oven for 5 minutes just to let the dough start to cook and puff up a bit. Remove the dish from the oven and place the final crust on top. Randomly place the remaining 1/2 stick of butter on top of the crust and sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar. Put the cobbler back into the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until the crust browns. Top with vanilla ice cream and feel ALL OF THE FEELS!

Enjoy 💗

#yumola