Soul Food Saturday

I know for our family we are all about traditions. Every Thanksgiving we have the same recipes because they are someone's favorite. And for some we don't have every aunt, uncle or cousin to make those recipes all the time, am I right? So we NEED those comforts. Ever thought about mixing it up just because? Well this is where asparagus comes in. A twist on our favorite casserole takes a turn and adds some spice. Grab a plate, you've gotta taste this!


Loaded Asparagus Casserole
2 tbs. Unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. Half and half
2 cans asparagus tips, drained
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 c. Fried jalapeños, divided

In a medium pan add butter and allow to melt. Add onion and stir to combine with butter. Cook until onion has softened slightly. Add bacon and stir to combine. Cook until onions are clear and bacon is cooked through. Add mushroom soup along with half and half, then stir to combine until smooth. Add pepper and asparagus, stirring again to combine. Add 1/2 c. of fried jalapeños and stir gently to combine.
Transfer mixture to 9inch round baking pan. Place in 375 oven uncovered. Bake 10-15 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from oven and add remaining 1/2 c. of fried jalapeños  to top. Return to oven for additional 5 minutes or until top is browned. Garnish with dried parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Soul Food Saturday #36

Welcome to the last weekend before Christmas. I hope you're ready because time is flying! If you're finalizing your menu plan, especially the party foods, Bekki has a great idea for you today!

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus with Chipotle Mayo

2 lb fresh asparagus ends trimmed

12 slices turkey bacon, uncooked

1/2 c. Unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp Granulated garlic

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Divide asparagus spears into 12 bundles (2-3 pieces each). Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting 1/2" from bottom of the tips. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. Arrange bundles in a shallow baking pan.

Combine seasoning in a small bowl. Pour mixture over asparagus bundles.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until spears have begun to wilt and bacon looks fully cooked.

 

 

Chipotle Mayo

1 c. real mayo

3 chipotle peppers with 2 tbs. Adobo sauce

 

 

In a blender, add chipotles, and Adobo sauce. Blend until peppers are finely chopped and nearly smooth. Add mayo and blend until smooth. This recipe can easily be doubled, and lasts just as long as regular mayo when kept in closed container.

Frozen Is My Friend

In a perfect world I would have a fish market just down the street where I could go and get fresh seafood any day I wanted, every day if I wanted. But alas, this is northern Indiana and while some of our supermarkets have a nice seafood counter, it's just not quite the same. Yes, I can go to the nearest Kroger and get some fine looking fish and seafood out of their case, and it tastes great, but sometimes I wish for what we were lucky enough to have in Florida during our summer beach vacation. When I shared my Fried Oysters and Crispy Cajun Shrimp with you I told the story of how we love visiting the market as soon as the boats come in with the fresh catch of the day~ it doesn't get more fresh than that! Not to mention taking out the "middle man" makes it so much more affordable. In fact, the only problem with using my supermarket's seafood counter is that it can get a bit pricey. But I have found one way around this...bagged frozen shrimp. I can find various sizes, tail on or off, EZ peel, already deveined, etc at an economical price to feed our family of 3. Yes, I still buy fresh, but I save that for special occasions when we are home in the Hoosier State. Other nights when I just want shrimp for an "everyday" supper I turn to the frozen and they work really great in recipes. And I have found that since I discovered this little trick we are able to eat shrimp more often because I'm not waiting for those special occasions or trying to find room in the grocery budget for them. If you are blessed to live on a coastline where seafood is at your fingertips any time you wish, I am green with envy. But if you are like me and want to cook with shrimp but not break the bank, check out the frozen section the next time you are at your store. You might be just as pleasantly surprised as I was!

Shrimp Stir Fry
1 12 oz bag (71/80ct) frozen deveined shrimp, thawed
1 c. frozen broccoli, thawed
1 c. frozen asparagus, thawed and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 medium carrots, peeled and julienned into 1 inch pieces
4 scallions, greens only, cut on a diagonal into 1 inch pieces
2 small green bell peppers, seeded and julienned into 1 inch pieces
2 (4 oz) cans mushrooms, drained
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
Soy sauce to taste
3-4 TBS vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

To begin, make sure all thawed veggies and shrimp are VERY dry. Preheat vegetable oil in an electric skillet to 375. The key to this is making sure the oil is screaming hot and the ingredients are super dry. You don't want spatter if water hits the oil. When oil is hot, add carrots, mushrooms, peppers and broccoli. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add asparagus and scallions. After about 2 minutes, add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until pink and opaque. At this point, turn heat down to 325. Add teriyaki sauce and soy. Stir and let flavors combine until veggies are completely cooked and flavors are combined, about 5-7 more minutes. Serve over rice, noodles or on the side with some egg rolls.

Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Oct. 16, 2012
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Oct. 17, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 19, 2012

Shrimp at Very Good Recipes
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More From My Heart To His

I am so incredibly lucky to have the most amazing husband in the world. (Yes, I know other wives are saying,  "Nope, mine is". But I think we can all think that about our own and brag accordingly!) He is so supportive of everything I try to do or take on, succeed or fail. And he is always encouraging me when I don't think I can do something or have already done it and not had it turned out the way I envisioned it. So when I get the chance to show him, even in a small way, how much I appreciate him and everything he does for me and our family, I will jump at the chance. And what a better time to spoil him, and show him a little extra love than his birthday weekend?

I've told you before how much Adam loves hearts of palm. I also shared with you the first recipe I ever used them in, Hearts of Palm Salad, which he loved and I make whenever I can. But they are still something I'm always looking for new ways to use. So when I saw this salad on Pinterest I was excited because it used asparagus, but then when I read further and discovered it also considered hearts of palm I was thrilled! This absolutely screams of summer both in taste and color. The freshness and crispness of the veggies to the hint of lemon flavor, it's the perfect star for summer ingredients. Plus, there is no mayo or cream, so it travels very well. Which is exactly what I did with it~ I made it in the morning and took it with us to my in-laws for Adam's birthday celebration in the evening.

It's my job to make sure my man feels special and loved every day, and they always say the "way to a man's heart is through is stomach", so who am I to argue?

Asparagus Salad From Kayln's Kitchen
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4 green onions, chopped
10 oz. can hearts of palm, drained
1 1/2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 1/2 TBS olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium pot, bring salted water to boil. Cut asparagus into diagonal pieces. When water is boiling, cook asparagus 2-3 minutes. Drain well. While asparagus is cooking, combine lemon juice, vinegar and Dijon. Whisk in oil until well combined. After draining asparagus add to a large bowl. Mix 2 tsp of dressing with warm asparagus to marinate. Slice hearts of palm in half and then chop into "half moon" shapes. Combine tomatoes, green onions and hearts of palm with asparagus. Pour remaining dressing over top. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until serving.

Shared on The Country Cook July 27, 2012
Shared on Addicted to Recipes July 29, 2012 
Shared on Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen July 30, 2012 
Shared on Make Ahead Meals July 30, 2012

Asparagus at Very Good Recipes
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Weekend Company {Guest Blogger Jane}

Welcome to your weekend, once again! I hope you had a wonderful week, and if you are as lucky as we were, a very sunny, warm one! Spring might have began this week, but Mother Nature apparently lost her calendar, b/c it was more like summer at our house! Do you have fun plans for the weekend? Today I'll be attending a baby shower for my future nephew!! That's right, your Everyday Mom is going to be an Everyday Auntie, once again. Adam's brother and his wife are expecting their first, a boy, this May. So today is the day we are going to celebrate this new life and begin the spoiling. However you're spending your weekend, I hope it's a safe, happy, and healthy one! Now, please welcome Jane to ~EMM....

Good morning and happy Saturday!! I am Jane from “See Jane Run, See Jane Cook” (http://seejanecookseejanerun.blogspot.com/), and I’m so happy that Krista from Everyday Mom’s Meals gave me this great opportunity to be a guest blogger!  I do a lot with my day, like most everyone, some of which includes working full time, teaching spinning classes, and meal planning for individuals, couples and families.  I think that healthy living doesn’t have to break the bank, and it doesn’t mean waking up and changing the world that you know.   Making healthy changes is all about one little thing at a time, letting it become habit, and then changing something else.  Simple as that!  So that’s my gig.  My blog covers different recipes that work and don’t work for me, as well as general rants, raves and life wonderings.  It’s sometimes scrambled, but it almost always makes sense in the end.

The recipe I’m going to share with all of you today is one of my absolute go-to recipes.  I probably make this at least once a week, if not more depending on my schedule.  It’s completely customizable based on your tastes and your appetite.  It’s originally a Weight Watchers recipe (although you’d wouldn’t guess it!) but as I said, I’m more of the “use what you’ve got, make it different” kind of cooks.  This is a great side dish to a chicken or pork main dish, or it’s wonderful as a light dinner on a warm spring evening, much like I’ll enjoy tonight!

Asparagus Risotto – Originally found at Weight Watchers (5 point plus)

You’ll need:

½ tsp table salt, for cooking water

1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 sprays cooking sprays

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 small shallots (**I use half a small onion instead of the shallots, and then I add about 1 tsp chopped garlic**)

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 cups canned chicken broth

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp table salt or to taste

1/8 tsp black pepper or to taste

-Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Fill a large bowl with ice water.  Add asparagus to pot; blanch for 2 minutes.  Immediately remove asparagus from pot and place them into ice water to stop the cooking process and help retain their bright green color – set aside. 

-Coat a medium pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat.  Melt butter.  Add shallots or onions and cook, stirring frequently until translucent – about 5-7 minutes.  Add rice and toss to coat.  Cook for two minutes, then add the lemon juice; cook until all the lemon juice has been absorbed. 

-Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer; keep warm.  Add ½ cup of hot broth to pot at a time; stir until absorbed.  Repeat with remaining broth, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding more.  The process takes about 20 minutes.

-When rice turns creamy and just done (should be slightly chewy and not mushy), remove pot from heat; add cheese and stir well.  Stir in asparagus; season with salt and pepper. 

Voila!

Now, the alterations I’ve made and will continue to make include:

-Using beef broth instead of chicken broth, then adding portabella mushrooms instead of asparagus

-In addition to asparagus, I’ve used broccoli florets, zucchini, finely diced red and green peppers (although red and yellow peppers would add a wonderfully sweet note that the kids will LOVE)

-You can add things like Italian sausage, ground turkey or tofu if you’re looking to make this into a main meal

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