Salmon Cakes

I know I said I probably wouldn't be blogging until we came back from vacation, but I loved these and had to share. We will be leaving August 31st for two weeks in our used-but-new-to-us motorhome. I'm hoping I have some cool stuff to share as we travel. In the meantime, I made these fish cakes the other night. Let me rephrase that. I sort of made these the other night.

The more I looked at the recipe, the more hesitant I became because the only seasonings were salt, pepper, lemon zest and chives. Perhaps it would make the white fish it called for in the recipe sing, but I was using canned salmon instead of white fish and I needed some spices or herbs that would stand up to and compliment the strong flavor of the salmon.

What I ultimately decided to do was combine this recipe with another recipe for Crab Cakes from the cookbook, Catch by Travis Lofland of Deadliest Catch. My son made the Crab Cakes for Travis' book signing on Anna Maria Island, FL and they were by far the best I've ever tasted.

What I liked about the Bon Appetit recipe was the addition of the corn and lemon zest, so I kept those in my recipe.

I didn't take a photo of the finished product, but I did manage to take a photo of my lunch the next day.......a salmon cake slider...with the leftovers. Sorry for the horrible photo. I took it with my phone.

Anyway, I made this Roasted Red Pepper and Chive Aioli to serve with them and they were delicious. This recipe made 12 nice sized Salmon Cakes. I used an ice cream scoop to portion out the patties, which yields the same amount as a 1/4 cup measuring cup.

Salmon Cakes

Makes 12 cakes

4 - 6 ounce cans pink (skinless and boneless) salmon, well drained
2 large eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1 cup fresh or frozen, but thawed corn kernels
3 tablespoons minced chives
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno pepper
1/2 of a medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/4 cups Japanese (Panko) bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter

Dump the salmon in a large bowl and break it up with a fork. Sprinkle the salmon with lemon zest, chives, parsley, jalapeno, onion, red pepper, corn and Parmesan cheese, gently tossing with a fork after each addition. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and eggs until they are thoroughly combined. Whisk in the salt and pepper. Fold the mayonnaise mixture into the salmon mixture using a rubber spatula to gently combine.

Begin sprinkling the salmon mixture with the Panko bread crumbs about 1/4 cup at a time, gently folding to combine after each addition until all of the crumbs are used.

Using a 1/4 cup measure or ice cream scoop and form the patties to about a 3-inch diameter. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate until they are firm, at least 30 minutes. You can skip this step and cook them as they are, but you run the risk of them falling apart while they cook.

Here's where I stepped away from both of the original recipes I noted above. I did not reserve any bread crumbs to cover the surface of the patties before cooking. When my son made the Crab Cakes, he also omitted that step. I just didn't want to "over-bread" the patty.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the patties a few at a time, being careful not to over crowd your pan. Cook the patties until they are golden brown about 3-1/2 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove to a serving platter. Enjoy!

Fettuccini and Shrimp Rosé

I think I was Italian in another life. I just wish I could remember living in Italy. It was probably pretty awesome, but the memories escape me.

But seriously, even though I'm part Norwegian, part Russian Jew, part German and a smattering of American Indian, I'm partial to Italian food, particularly pasta.

Tom is generally the pasta chef in our house. Sometime in the early 1980's he acquired this cookbook, which he's nearly worn out...


It's chock-full of wonderful, authentic Italian pasta recipes from classic red sauce to carbonara to puttanesca. There are really 99 recipes in the book, but even though Tom has used the cookbook for over 30 years, we have yet to try every single one.

This particular recipe isn't in the book, probably because combining Parmesan cheese and shrimp (or any kind of fish, for that matter) is supposed to be taboo in authentic Italian cooking. However, I've been known to break tradition now and then.

If you are craving a hearty dish that's quick and easy, here it is. The whole dish takes about 30 minutes from stove top to table. Warm a loaf of French bread in the oven and you've got a meal for a family of four to six people, depending on appetites.

I use smallish frozen shrimp, 31-40 count. They're bite sized, yet big in flavor.

Feel free to use any other kind of pasta ~ spaghetti, linguini, angel hair ~ whatever you have on hand.


Fettucini and Shrimp Rosé

• 4 tablespoons butter (divided)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 20 to 25 medium-sized raw shrimp (31-40 count), peeled and deveined
• 1 - 1 pound package fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
• 1 - 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Over medium high heat, melt two tablespoons of butter with the olive oil in a large skillet (it should be large enough to hold all the pasta and sauce at the end). Add the onions and sauté until slightly browned (about 6 or 7 minutes). Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the tomatoes, chili flakes, salt, pepper and brown sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.

Add the white wine and peas to the pan and bring to a full boil. Add the cream and Parmesan cheese and again bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat so that the mixture is barely simmering and prepare the pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, quickly sauté the shrimp in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.

To serve, drain the pasta and add it and the cooked shrimp to the simmering sauce.

Enjoy!

Fajita Seasoning Mix & Grilled Fish Soft Tacos

I don't always cook complicated meals. Just like you, I like to get dinner on the table in a hurry and be done with it.

One way I accomplish a quick meal is to keep things on hand that help me do that. But I don't particularly like packaged prepared foods, sauces or seasonings, with a few exceptions. I try whenever possible to make my own. I like being able to control the salt content and eliminate MSG and preservatives.

I mix all the herbs and spices for each type of seasoning in a bowl and store them in jars. I put labels on the jars as well as necessary measurement instructions using my handy dandy label maker. Easy peasy.

I used the Fajita Seasoning for the 'Grilled' Fish Tacos.



For a quick meal, I also like to keep items in my freezer that thaw quickly, like this bag of individually packaged tilapia fillets.


Granted, these packaged fillets are small and thin. They're not the most ideal size for frying, baking or grilling as an entree in and of themselves. Honestly, the only thing they are really good for is for fish tacos, chowders, stuffings or ceviche. But that's fine by me because I make those types of dishes quite often.

I like these bags of  fillets because I can take out as many individual packs as I need, toss the packs of fillets in a large bowl of lukewarm water and in 5 or 10 minutes, they are thawed and ready to cook. And that is exactly what I did for the fish tacos.

Once I had the packs of fillets in the bowl of water, I wrapped corn tortillas in some foil and put them in a 300 degree oven to warm up. I didn't want to take the time to make a taco sauce, so I poured some ranch dressing that I'd made a few days earlier into a small bowl and added a heaping teaspoon of Tone's Southwest Chipotle Seasoning and mixed it well. Then I chopped up some onion, tomato and cilantro and set them aside in separate bowls. By the time I finished that, the fillets were thawed. I removed each of them from the bags and seasoned them with a good sprinkling of the Fajita Seasoning on both sides and set them aside on a plate.

With just about everything else ready to go, I heated my frying pan and added about 1/2 tablespoon of oil and cooked the fish a couple of minutes on each side. Done!

All that was left to do was add some shredded lettuce or cabbage and some shredded cheese, maybe even some avocado if you have it. If you prefer, you could instead make a grilled fish salad, adding some canned pinto or black beans.

Dinner is on the table in 15 or 20 minutes, from start to finish. And delicious!


Fajita Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons onion powder 
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder 
• 1 tablespoon oregano 
• 1 tablespoon white pepper 
• 1 tablespoon cumin 
• 1 tablespoon chili powder 
• 1 tablespoon Tone’s Southwest Chipotle seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon salt 

Mix spices together and use for seasoning chicken, shrimp and beef fajitas, as well as seasoning onions and bell peppers before grilling or sauteing.

Spicy Cajun Shrimp on Sauteed Kale and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chorizo Cream Sauce

Cajun spices and Mexican chorizo? Yep. They go together. They even compliment each other.

The contrasts in this dish are remarkable. I love the spiciness and succulence of the shrimp mingled with the sweetness of the potatoes and the earthiness of the kale and when it's finished with a healthy drizzle of the   chorizo sausage cream sauce, the flavor is knocked out of the park. Make no mistake, this is a spicy dish, but worth the heat.

Although there are several components, the dish comes together nicely since the kale and cream sauce can be made while potatoes are baking. The shrimp is done at the last minute.

Although the recipe uses kale, which I used, I think you could use any kind of greens you like, such as spinach, turnip or beet greens.

I started with the recipe Kevin posted at his blog, Closet Cooking, but I changed it up a bit and substituted Mexican chorizo for the Andouille sausage Kevin used.



Cajun Shrimp on Kale and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chorizo Cream Sauce

For the mashed sweet potatoes:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For the shrimp:

• 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

For the Chorizo Cream Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 to 1/2 of a 10-ounce tube of chorizo (not smoked) - depends on how much spice you like
• 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter

For the kale:

• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400⁰F

Wash and dry the sweet potatoes and bake until tender, about one hour.

While the potatoes are baking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and break up with a fork as it cooks. Saute the chorizo until cooked all the way through, about 4 or 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the onion and celery and saute until translucent, another 4 or 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and saute another minute. Add the wine or broth, scraping all the bits from the sides and bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the cream and simmer until it is reduced again by about half. Whisk in the butter, then remove the pan from the heat, set aside and keep warm.

Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, cut them in half and scoop out into a bowl. Mash well with a fork, then mix in the butter and cinnamon. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

In a medium frying pan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter for the kale. Add the kale and saute until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a bowl, toss the shrimp, olive oil and Cajun seasoning together until the shrimp is evenly coated.

Melt the butter in another frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove the pan from the heat.

To serve, divide the mashed sweet potatoes between four plates, top with a portion of kale, a portion of shrimp and drizzle with the chorizo cream sauce.

Stuffed Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce

I don't mean to offend anyone, but I don't understand the popularity of cream cheese? Over the last year or so I've seen recipes for cream cheese in everything. Cream cheese in spaghetti sauce??? Arrrggghhh!

And what's the deal with cream cheese in sushi? {turning slightly green}

Obviously, I don't care for the taste of cream cheese. For me, it's a lot like Velveeta - an alien adopting a cheese form. It resembles cheese, but something isn't quite right. That's not to say that I don't use it occasionally. I use it for my cream cheese/onion spread for smoked salmon, but I cut the sweetness by adding low fat sour cream. So, you see, I walked into this recipe with a clear bias.

There are a lot of recipes out in the blogosphere for dishes similar to this and most of them use the same basic ingredients and measurements, including cream cheese. I knew I wouldn't use cream cheese and I initially made a little side-bar note to possibly use sushi rice for the stuffing because that's more like sushi. But when I finally got around to making the dish, I had about a cup of homemade ricotta leftover in the refrigerator and decided to use some of that instead of rice. I also used my own teriyaki sauce that I had saved in a bag in the freezer.

The key is to this preparation is to make certain the pocket in the salmon isn't too large and that you don't over-stuff the salmon because once the cheese gets hot it melts and an overabundance of cheese melts out into the baking dish. As you can see from the photos, I used too much stuffing. Had I used the rice, as I initially thought, it wouldn't have been a problem. But I don't think it would have been as tasty either.

Then I got to the ingredients in the cream sauce. The basic ingredients for this sauce are universally Sriracha, mayo and sweetened condensed milk. I wasn't about to open a can of sweetened condensed milk for just a couple of tablespoons and wind up throwing the rest away. And just those three ingredients didn't sound all that appetizing together, so I made a couple of adjustments there, too. I loved the sauce for Bang Bang Shrimp, so I figured I'd use that sauce as the base for the sauce for this dish. So I mixed some mayo, Sriracha and Thai sweet chili sauce, which gave it the sweetness the sweetened condensed milk would have added. I also added a little soy sauce for a little salt and a splash of sesame oil (since sesame seeds are sprinkled on the salmon).

It worked. It all worked. The combination was so darn tasty - the marinated salmon, the not-too-sweet stuffing, the sweet/spicy Sriracha sauce, all of it sprinkled with the sliced green onions, served with steamed brown rice and stir fried Chinese pea pods. As my granddaughter would say, Yum-may.



Stuffed Baked Salmon with Sriracha Sauce

2 - 6 to 8 oz. salmon fillets, preferably center cut about 1-inch thick
1 cup Teriyaki sauce (recipe follows)
Sriracha Sauce (recipe follows)
3 - 4 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced
sesame seeds

Place the salmon fillets in a zip-lock bag with the Teriyaki sauce and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour (I marinated mine for most of the day).

Preheat the oven to 400˚

In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese and the 1/2 teaspoon of Thai sweet chili sauce and set aside.

Prepare a small baking dish by spraying well with cooking spray or thoroughly brushing with oil.

Remove the salmon from the marinade. Make a long slit in one side of each salmon fillet to form a pocket, being careful not to pierce all the way through. Stuff the pockets with about a tablespoon or so of the cheese mixture. Place the stuffed fillets in the baking dish. Sprinkle each fillet with sesame seeds. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.

Remove each fillet to individual plates, drizzle with the Sriracha cream sauce and sprinkle with sliced green onions.

For the Teriyaki Sauce:

This is the Teriyaki sauce I used for Chicken Teriyaki, but it is the basic Teriyaki I use for everything from chicken wings to steaks.

1 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 cup beer
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced green onion
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Add all of the marinade ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer very gently for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the marinade to cool to room temperature before using to marinate meat or fish.

Place the chicken, meat or fish pieces in a large zip-lock type plastic bag. Pour the teriyaki marinade over. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least one hour. The flavor is best when the chicken or beef is marinated for several hours or overnight.

Any remaining unused sauce can be frozen for use at another time. Discard any used marinade.

For the Sriracha Cream Sauce:

1 tablespoon Sriracha
1/2 cup mayonnaise (use full-fat or lite)
1-1/2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Adjust to your taste by adding more Sriracha or chili sauce.

Drizzle over cooked, stuffed salmon.

Happy Medicare Birthday Tom....The Appetizer

I know I've been gone for over a month. Not gone really, just not posting. But I think I'm back now and posting on a regular basis ~ at least 'regular' for me.

Today is not Tom's birthday. It was two weeks ago and he was 65.

We don't buy each other birthday or anniversary gifts anymore. We both really have everything we could need or want, except for a million dollars of course. We rarely go out to eat anymore. We've been to just about every eatery in this little town and there's not much of anything very special to speak of. So, instead we take the opportunity to cook something special for each other.

This year's menu for Tom's birthday:

Can you tell we love the beach??

I won't repost the recipe for the Coriander Crusted Tilapia because I've already done that HERE, but I will start this series of posts with our appetizer.

A couple weeks before Tom's birthday I ran across the recipe for Mini Lobster Rolls posted at BonAppetit.com and thought they would be wonderful for my beachy theme.


Of course, the recipe calls for cooked fresh lobster meat. Huh. Not here. All of the live lobster tanks have been removed from both of our markets because I think we were the only customers to ever buy a live lobster. Sadly, our city does not have a fish monger and the best I could do was frozen lobster tails, so that is what I used. However, I felt like I needed to give the previously frozen lobster a little flavor punch so I cooked the thawed lobster tail in a court bouillon instead of plain salted water. It worked well.

The following recipe includes my changes. You will find the original recipe at THIS LINK



Court Bouillon

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced, then cut the juiced lemon in quarters
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 small carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for at least 10 minutes. Carefully strain the liquid and return it to the pot.

To prepare the lobster, immerse the lobster tail in the court bouillon and simmer gently, covered, for about 10 minutes for a 10-12 ounce tail. Remove from the pot and allow to cool before you remove the shell.



Mini Lobster Rolls
Adapted from Bon Appetit

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, slightly softened
• 12 - 1/3-inch-thick bread rounds cut from 1 baguette
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup finely diced celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• Dash of paprika
• 1 - 10 to 12 ounce cooked lobster tail, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread some butter on each baguette slice. Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes, until the bread browns slightly. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack or plate to cool.

Combine mayonnaise, celery, parsley, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, lemon peel, and dash of paprika in large bowl; stir to blend. Mix in lobster. Mound some lobster salad on each toast and serve.

Coriander Crusted Tilapia in Ginger Coconut Broth

It's hard to find fresh ocean fish here in Arkansas. The Fresh Market in Little Rock sells fresh, sushi grade tuna on a weekly basis, but all the seafood sold here in my local Kroger or Walmart is previously frozen and thawed prior to sale.

Tom went to Kroger a few days ago for some shrimp and came home laughing. The sign above the shrimp said "Fresh Gulf Shrimp (Previously Frozen). Seems like an oxymoron to me.

Anyway, shrimp, tilapia, tuna, swordfish, scallops, crab legs, etc., all come frozen and mostly available in one or two pound bags. The tilapia sold in bags goes one step further, sealing each fillet in its own separate plastic envelope before hand. Unfortunately, those are thin, almost tasteless, little fillets good for maybe a seafood chowder or soup and little else.

Imagine my excitement when I saw a package of nice and thick Tilapia fillets packaged in butcher trays. Yes, they were previously frozen, but they were large and substantial instead of the paper thin fillets in the bags.

I decided to use the fillets to make a dish that I ordered and thoroughly enjoyed at McEwan's on Monroe in Memphis about a year ago, Coriander Crusted Tuna with Ginger Coconut Broth. The chef wouldn't give me the recipe, so I made it on my own with a little trial and error. This time, instead of tuna steaks, I used the Tilapia. I served it over steamed brown rice, topped with a little steamed spinach, then topped with the fish and a nice big ladle of the coconut ginger broth. It was delicious.



Coriander Crusted Tilapia in Ginger Coconut Broth
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table

For the fish:
2 large Tilapia fillets, approximately 1/2-inch thick
2 tablespoons or more ground coriander
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the broth:
1 tablespoon roasted peanut oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons finely chopped Thai basil (I only had Italian basil this time and it worked out fine)
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 can coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons fish sauce
juice of one lime

Prepare the broth first.

In a medium saucepan, heat the roasted peanut oil. Add the grated ginger, green onions and coriander to the oil and sauté over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the basil and cilantro and sauté another minute.

Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring the broth to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes before preparing the fish.

To prepare the fish, salt and pepper one side of each fillet, then sprinkle liberally with about 1/2 of a tablespoon of ground coriander for each fillet. Turn the fillets over and repeat the process.

Heat the oil in a frying pan large enough to hold both fillets. Over medium high heat, cook the fish until a nice brown crust has formed on one side, about 2 minutes. Gently turn the fish over and cook until a crust has formed, about another 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve immediately.

To serve, put a large spoon of steamed white or brown rice in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Top the rice with a nice spoonful of seasoned steamed spinach. Place the a Tilapia fillet on top of the spinach and pour a nice big ladle of the Coconut Ginger Broth over all.

PRINT THE RECIPE: Coriander Crusted Tilapia in Ginger Coconut Broth

So Where Did I Leave Off ??

I had to go back and look at my last post to refresh my memory. I've been pretty distracted so I haven't posted for almost a week and I didn't even finish my 4th of July recap. Shame on me. Well, I'm going to do it now.

Sunday, July 4th was quiet. Since moving into the city limits, we are prohibited from setting off fireworks like we did in the country, so we didn't have any, nor did we have company. And we didn't go anywhere to watch fireworks because there was the threat of a storm, so we stayed home. And we ate.

We had decided ahead of time to make July 4th our hors d'œuvre dinner night: Smoked Salmon Crostini with Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread, Brie & Fig Crostini with Truffle Honey Drizzle and Chicken Liver & Sage Crostini. However, when we finally came to our senses, we realized that it would be far too much to eat and postponed the Chicken Liver & Sage Crostini for the following night.

We began early in the day, smoking whole salmon fillet. This isn't my recipe. It's my son, Chris'. He made it when we visited last Christmas and it was gone in a flash!

Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon
Adapted from a recipe by Chris Powers
PRINT RECIPE: Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon

1 untreated cedar plank (please be certain it is untreated)
1 salmon fillet (whole side) approximately 2 lbs.
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
1/4 cup or more brown sugar

Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Lay the salmon fillet, skin side down, on the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the fillet with the lemon pepper. Starting with 1/4 cup, sprinkle the brown sugar generously over the salmon. If you need more to cover it completely, use more. Pat the brown sugar down onto the fillet. Wrap the seasoned fillet in the plastic wrap, then wrap that in foil. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.

While the salmon is marinating, immerse the cedar plank in water. Use a can or jar to hold the plank down. Allow the plank to soak in the water for as long as you marinate the salmon.

Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and allow to come to nearly room temperature. Remove the cedar plank from the water and remove excess water with a towel. While salmon is warming up, start your coals in your smoker and bring the temperature up to about 200 to 225 degrees. If you are using a barbecue grill without a smoker, bring it up to the same temperature, but you will not place the salmon on the direct heat. Instead you will use the shelf that sits above the main grill.

When the smoker has reached the correct temperature, brush the top side of the cedar plank with a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil. Remove the salmon fillet from the foil and plastic wrap, then place the salmon on the plank. It's ready to smoke!



Keep the temperature between 200 to 225 degrees and allow the salmon to cook slowly for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. If using a smoker, add wood chips to the coals periodically.

After 3 hours, your salmon should be moist and flaky.



Remove the salmon from the grill and transfer from the plank to a serving platter. Discard the plank. Do not reuse.

Serve on crackers or crostini with Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread.



For the Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread, I started with my daughter-in-law, Kelly's recipe, but added a few more ingredients.



Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table
PRINT RECIPE: Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread

1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese (I use low-fat)
1/2 cup sour cream (also low-fat)
1/2 of a medium red onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, minced

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and completely combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Rum/Butter/Citrus Sauce

I haven't been posting regularly. Some days I think I'm going to stop food blogging altogether. Other days I think I should blog every single day. I could do that because I cook, or Tom cooks, nearly every single day.

But making the time to blog about the food we cook and eat is an issue. There's taking the photos, downloading and categorizing them, then uploading them to the host site. Then I have to write the recipes in my Google docs to link to for my readers to print. If I'm giving credit to another food blogger, I need to capture the link for the original recipe on his or her site. Then I can begin to write the blog. It's a painstaking and tedious process.

And, I have been approached by a company to do a giveaway of some sort. Tons of food bloggers are doing them. I know giveaways are great ways to increase readership and reward readers for visiting my blog, but it would mean I would have to invest more time blogging, so I have decided not to do one.

I know it sounds like I'm whining. Okay, it doesn't just sound like I'm whining; I am whining, but I'll stop now.

In addition to all of the blog posts I receive daily in my Google reader, I sometimes visit Publix Apron's Simple Meals site.

When we visit our son, Chris, in Savannah, we shop at the Publix market near his home. They have a wonderful selection of fresh fish and their Apron's Simple Meals site has some really simple but delicious recipes for fish and seafood and that's where I got this recipe. I paired the fish with a simple citrus sauce and served it with cheddar cheese grits and steamed broccoli. It was a yummy dinner.


Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Rum Butter Citrus Sauce
Adapted from Publix Apron's Simple Meals
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup plain, unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 cup oil

1. In a food processor, chop the pecans finely (like coarse bread crumbs); combine with bread crumbs in medium bowl. Place flour in second medium bowl. Blend milk and egg together in third medium bowl.

2. Preheat large sauté pan on medium 1–2 minutes. Sprinkle both sides of fish with seasoned salt.

3. Dip fillets in flour (coating both sides) then dip into egg mixture (allowing excess to drip off). Finally, dip into pecan mixture. Wash hands.

4. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add fish (wash hands) and cook 2–3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve.

Rum/Butter/Citrus Sauce

5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons onion, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 tablespoons dark rum
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet. Add the onion and cook until it is tender and translucent, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the rum, stirring constantly. Add the lemon and orange juices, the honey and salt and stir to combine. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and cook until the butter is melted and the sauce comes to a boil, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

Note: I made the sauce before I cooked the fish and just kept it warm until everything else was ready.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE

Fish Burritos

I was born and raised in California. The Hispanic influence, particularly in food, was prevelant everywhere, but most notably in southern California because of it's close proximity to Mexico.

While Taco Bell, Del Taco and other Mexican style fast food establishments were popping up all over the country, San Diego County, where I lived, had the 'Berto's', small taco shops that served authentic Mexican dishes, freshly made and fast all with "Berto" at the end of their names.

Alberto's and Roberto's battled it out in downtown Oceanside near the beaches, while Alberto's cornered the market in Vista. Then came the battle. Besides Alberto's and Roberto's, others opened as competition...El Roberto's, Ramberto's, Juanberto's, Aiberto's, Filiberto's, Rigoberto's and Adalberto's.
My son's swore by Roberto's in Oceanside and that's where they and all of their high school friends could be found having a late night snack every Friday and Saturday night around midnight or so before heading for home.

Less than a mile from where Tom and I lived in Vista, was the Alberto's we visited almost weekly. We'd stop in to take food home: hot corn tortilla chips fresh from the fryer, sprinkled with finely grated cheddar cheese with a side of creamy guacamole. The fish burritos were homemade flour tortillas filled with chunks of battered and fried fish fillets with a crunchy crust on the outside and tender, flaky, juicy white fish on the inside, rolled in a warm tortilla with finely shredded cabbage, cheese, tomatoes and chopped cilantro with a spicy, smokey pink sauce. Oh my. My mouth is watering.

I miss Alberto's. I miss real Mexican food. But when I crave a wonderful fish burrito, I can come pretty darn close to Alberto's.

Granted, I don't make homemade flour tortillas, but I sure can make their simple guacamole (avocado, salt, pepper, lime juice, garlic powder and onion powder - that's it). But it's the crispy, batter-fried fish and the smokey sauce that takes me back to that little taco shop.

FISH BURRITOS
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table

For the fish...

• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1 lb. cod fillets
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (plus a little more for pre-dredging)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 -12 oz. bottle or can of beer (I use Corona. Do not use a light beer.)

For the Burritos...

• 4 to 6 burrito size flour tortillas, warmed slightly
• grated cheddar cheese
• chopped cilantro
• bag of finely shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
• chopped tomatoes
• Fish Burrito sauce (recipe follows)

1. Cut cod fillets into approximately 1/2-inch square strips that are 4- to 6- inches long.
2. Heat the oil in an large iron skillet (which I use) or deep fryer to 365 degrees. Dry the fish strips and lightly season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the egg to the flour mixture, then add the beer, whisking constantly, until completely combined into a thin batter.
4. Put a 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour on a small plate. Roll the fish strips in the dry flour to coat and gently shake off the excess. Now dip the fish strips into the batter and drop each strip one at a time into the hot oil. I use my fingers for this, but you can use a fork.
5. Fry the fish until both sides are golden brown, turning to evenly brown. Drain on paper towels or on a paper bag.

For the Fish Burrito Sauce...

• 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (finely minced), plus about 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce (I put what left in the into a small canning jar and store it in the refrigerator)
• the juice of one lime
• the juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Mix all the ingredients together and allow the flavors to combine while you are preparing the fish.





To serve...

On one tortilla, spread a some of the Fish Burrito Sauce down the middle of the tortilla, add the cabbage, sprinkle with cheese, cilantro and chopped tomato. Top with 2 or 3 pieces of the hot fish. Roll up and enjoy!

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE

Super Bowl Munchies

I posted this entry on my blog for our local newspaper, but I thought I would share it here, too.

I'm working on a menu of munchies to serve Super Bowl Sunday. No chili. No soup. No pots of anything. Just munchies.

I like to have several things to choose from that will agree with several different tastes and palates. So far, these are what I have on my list:

• Mini Kielbasa Ruebens - An appetizer Tom created several years ago. He toasts cocktail rye bread in the oven and tops it with a dollop of horseradish sauce (we generally use one made by Kraft), a little Bavarian sauerkraut, a slice of kielbasa and a piece of swiss cheese, then he bakes them in a 400 degree oven until they are hot and the cheese is melted.

• Sushi Cups - We had something similar to this at a very elegant Christmas party about 8 years ago. For the cup, I just use prebaked phyllo cups from the frozen food section at the grocery store. I make a small batch of plain white rice and allow it to cool. I dice about a 1/2 pound of sushi grade tuna and add some minced green onion, a 2 to 3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce and a teaspoon or so of toasted sesame oil and mix well. Then I merely fill the cups, starting with a little rice at the bottom, then some of the seasoned raw tuna mix, topped with a small bit of wasabi mayonnaise and a piece of pickled ginger. This is one of my very favorite appetizers.

• Roasted Tomato/Cheese/Basil Crostini - I used to watch Paula Deen's program on the Food Network. During one of her shows, she made a Tomato Pie. I thought the ingredients sounded wonderful, but my results were awful. The pie was soggy and flavorless. So I modified the recipe to make appetizers. I slice a French baguette (or even easier, use a small loaf of pre-sliced French bread), brush both sides of each slice with olive oil and bake in a 400 degree oven until toasted, but not crisp. For the tomatoes, I cut Roma tomatoes in half (each half will be used for one appetizer, so cut as many as you need for the number of servings you want. Place the halves on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper (so much easier to clean the pan afterward), drizzle with olive and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until they are soft and caramelized. From the ingredients in Paula's recipe, I mix the cheeses, chopped green onion and chopped basil with just enough mayonnaise to bind the mixture together, then spread a little of mixture on to each piece of toasted bread, top with a roasted tomato and bake in a 400 degree oven until the cheese mixture is melted and hot.

• Mike's Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing - I will share that recipe in another post, but my son's Buffalo Wings are the very best I've ever eaten.

• Steamed Shrimp with Remoulade - The Remoulade is made from a recipe from the old PBS "Great Chefs" series. I will also share that recipe next time, but I couldn't find a photo.

Provided I make enough of each appetizer, I don't think anyone will go hungry.

But I still have to decide what to have for dessert. Yesterday afternoon I tried a new recipe for Oreo Cream Cheese Cupcakes. They turned out really good and I will share that recipe and photo at another time.

What are you having Super Bowl Sunday?

Buffalo Shrimp Salad with Spicy Blue Cheese Dressing

I did it. I deleted a food blogger from my Google reader. Actually, I've deleted more than one.

I don't cook every single recipe I read from every post I receive. I couldn't. There are far too many. I think I subscribe to just under 90 blogs, most of them food related. When I do try the recipes, I attempt to post the results and give credit to the blog from which I "borrowed" the recipe.

I deleted the first blogger because credit was rarely given where credit was due. I attempt to skim through the posts in my reader on a daily basis, so I have a good idea of who is posting what sort of dishes. When I see some of my very favorite bloggers posting wonderful original recipes and photos, then two or three days later see this one blogger posting the same recipe with no credit to the original blogger, and I see this blogger doing it repeatedly, it just ticks me off. Delete!

Another blogger writes really well, gives credit where it is due, but even though the photos make the food look wonderful, the food sucks. I tried three of this blogger's recipes and all three were really just horrible, throw-in-the-trash-don't-eat-it bad. Sorry, but delete.

Yet another blogger posts recipes almost daily of the food cooked from the night before and only occasionally posts a recipe for something for which I could have already guessed the ingredients, and the rest of the time doesn't bother to give a recipe. Delete.

I'm getting much more selective with my subscriptions. Perhaps it will slow down the accumulation of posts I receive on a daily basis.

So with the general housekeeping out of the way, I want to share with you a dish I cooked (sort of) last night that was not my idea.

I have been craving salad. Big salads, with lots of stuff in them, but I'm tired of Caesar Salad (does anyone really get tired of it?), Mexican Chef's Salad, Cobb Salad...the whole lot. I wanted something different. Then I opened my Google reader to this post @ Beariatric and started salivating immediately. While I didn't use Tom's recipe, it was definitely his post that inspired me to put this salad together.

I've been using my son, Mike's, Buffalo Chicken Wings recipe for years. I think it is the best I've EVER eaten. And, I make an adaptation of Chef Paul Prudhomme's recipe for Blue Cheese Dressing from his Louisiana Kitchen cookbook. Mike's wings are flavorful and as spicy as you want to make them and Chef Paul's Blue Cheese is cool, but a little spicy with definite onion-y undertone.

For this dish, I adapted Mike's recipe to shrimp and halved Chef Paul's recipe for the dressing. This salad was cool, flavorful, spicy and satisfying.

Buffalo Shrimp Salad with Spicy Blue Cheese Dressing
Buffalo Shrimp recipe adapted from Mike Powers
Blue Cheese Dressing adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme Louisiana Kitchen

For the Blue Cheese Dressing:

1 egg
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (I used crushed red pepper)
1/2 pound blue cheese, coarsely crumbled

In a food processor or blender, combine the egg, onions and garlic; process a few seconds until well mixed. With the machine running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream; then add the buttermilk and seasonings and process a few seconds more until well mixed, stopping once to push the sides down with a rubber spatula. Add half of the blue cheese and pulse the mixture until the cheese is broken up into smaller pieces and combined with the dressing. Add the remaining cheese and just pulse a couple of times to mix, but leave the cheese somewhat lumpy. Remove to a jar or bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 1 quart of dressing.

For the Buffalo Shrimp Salad:

20 large shrimp, shells removed and cleaned and deveined
Buffalo Seasoning Mix (see recipe at bottom of page)
5 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce (Tobasco or Louisiana ~ I used Louisiana
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 bag of mixed greens
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 avocado, cut into chunks

Place the greens, iceberg lettuce, tomato and avocado in a large salad bowl. Keep cool.

To Make the Buffalo Shrimp:

Put the shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning mix and the flour. Mix until evenly covered. Set aside while you get the sauce ready.

In a small frying pan, melt the butter with the hot sauce. Add the remaining seasoning mix and cook one minute. Keep warm.

In another pan, pour in enough oil so that the oil is about 2 inches deep. Heat the oil on medium high until it reaches 350 degrees. Add the shrimp a few at a time (do not overcrowd) and fry for about 1 minute until just done and golden brown. Remove from oil and put in frying pan with sauce to keep warm. Continue this process until all of your shrimp have been cooked.



When all of the shrimp have been added to the sauce, dumped the shrimp and sauce into a bowl and mix well.

To serve, toss greens and lettuce well and pile on a plate. Top with shrimp. Pour Blue Cheese Dressing over all.


Seasoning Mix:

2 tsp paprika
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne (depending on how spicy you like it)
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery salt

Use a fork or very small whisk to thoroughly mix the seasonings together and set aside.

Window Wednesday and a Simple Tuna in Lemon Broddetto with Pea Puree

There's a lot going on in my kitchen...



but, there's not much going on in my yard. It's surviving, but just barely. I think I even caught one of my goldfish panting, if that's possible.

The soaker hoses and compost have been laid in the garden and around the roses...



We have a small pile of compost left and Tom is building a compost bin to contain it (photos next week). When it's finished, I will begin to add kitchen scraps and yard waste to replenish it and use it later in the summer.

We continue to have a few grape and roma tomatoes, but nothing to write home about.



And my heirloom tomato teases me with what looks like emerging blossoms, but...nothing yet.



Those nasty little leaf bugs make my poor sweet potato vine look like it's been hit with shotgun pellets...



but I don't feel so bad after a visit to the Memphis Zoo over the weekend. Their sweet potato vines look just like mine. But, I still refuse to use poison.

Sadly, as you can see, my yard is not flourishing, but I still have ample herbs for cooking. I may just have to visit the Farmer's Market here in Conway. It's open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I suppose a trip there tomorrow morning for fresh vegetables might be a good idea.

Last week, as I was prepping for the weekend in Memphis, I was watching Food Network off and on (mainly to avoid the entire All-Michael-Jackson-All-The-Time thing that permeated every other channel) and I happened to catch an episode of Everyday Italian. This time Giada DeLaurentis was preparing a salmon dish with a lemon broth and pea puree. It looked really beautiful, light, tasty and easy to make so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I didn't have salmon in the freezer, but I did have some nice Ahi Tuna I bought at Sam's Club a couple of weeks ago and froze for just such an occasion. And, lucky me, I found a bag of peas in the freezer as well.

I cut Giada's recipe in half because I was just preparing the dish for the two of us, but it still made two very large, satisfying servings. I followed the recipe except that I substituted the salmon with tuna and left out the mint altogether (you may remember I ripped out my skanky looking mint plant weeks ago). But, since I don't really care for much for the flavor of mint anyway, I didn't miss it. I personally don't think the dish suffered. It was delicious and fresh tasting, and I can't wait to make it again.

What follows is the recipe as I prepared it, but you can get Giada's original recipe here.

Ahi Tuna in Lemon Brodetto with Pea Puree
Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis' recipe @ Everyday Italian

Lemon Brodetto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 lemon, zested
1 cup chicken broth

Pea Puree
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Ahi Tuna
1/8 cup olive oil
2 pieces (4 to 6 ounces each) ahi tuna
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

To Make Lemon Brodetto: Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender and translucent. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and broth. Bring to a simmer and keep warm, covered, over low heat.

To Make the Pea Puree: Combine the thawed peas, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor and puree. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Transfer the pea puree to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan. Set aside.

To Make the Tuna: Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Sear the tuna until a slight golden crust forms on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the fish and continue cooking until medium-rare, about 2 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fish.

To Assemble: Divide the Lemon Brodetto between 2 dishes.


Place a large spoonful of Pea Puree into the center of each bowl.


Place the tuna piece on top of each mound of Pea Puree.


Serve immediately.

Debbie @ The Friday Friends is on vacation, but check out her blog for what's outside her kitchen window.

Karen @ Karen Cooks may also be on vacation, but do take a look at her beautiful peonies outside her kitchen window. I covet them.

Shrimp & Grits

I was born and raised in central California where barbecue is spelled BBQ and means anything cooked outside on a gas or charcoal grill; where seafood means fish from the ocean; and where there are restaurants that serve nothing but soup and salad.

But, I have lived in the south since 1993. I've tasted a lot of southern cooking, from barbecue to crawfish to fried catfish, and refused to taste some, boiled chitterlings ("chitlins" for the uninitiated) being one of those. I have never been able to convince myself that anything that looks like this in it's raw state...

...could taste good if it looks like this in it's cooked state...



But this post is not about chitlins. It's about shrimp and grits. Even after sixteen years residence in the Natural State, I had never had shrimp and grits.

A couple of weeks ago, my son, Mike, posted an entry on his Myspace that said he was going to make Tyler Florence's Shrimp and Grits. Now, since Mike has an almost neurotic aversion to anything remotely southern, I knew this dish had to be phenomenal for him to make it. Shrimp and Grits must be awesome if Mikey likes it.

And, wouldn't you know it, after I saw Mike's entry, there was a Shrimp and Grits challenge on an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I printed all three recipes: Tyler Florence, Bobby Flay and BF's challenger, Joe Barnett. In the end, I chose Joe Barnett's recipe because I just liked all the components and I wasn't disappointed. This was one of the best dishes I've ever made....really!!



I followed the recipe almost exactly, except for these few things:

• No Wild Georgia Shrimp where I live. I used Thai shrimp instead.


• The grits recipe calls for a tablespoon of tomato paste. I left that out.


• I had some leftover spiral cut ham in the freezer and used that instead of the sugar-cured country ham.

Shrimp and Grits
by Joe Barnett via the Foodnetwork.com

Shrimp
1-1/2 pounds (26-30 count) Wild Georgia Shrimp
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (recommend Tone's Louisiana Cajun seasoning)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper

Grits
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes (recommend Knorr)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup quick grits (recommend Quaker)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3-1/2 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Sauce
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (recommend Texas Pete)
1 slice sugar-cured country ham

First, peel and devein the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine Cajun seasoning, paprika, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set the shrimp aside.

Next, make your grits. In a medium saucepan, bring water, chicken bouillon cubes and 2 tablespoons butter to a boil. Slowly add the grits, whisking often with wire whisk for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, cream, and cheese. Keep whisking for another 2 or 3 minutes until the grits become creamy. Don't skimp on the butter and the cream, folks.

Now saute the shrimp. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the spice-coated shrimp, and cook only until they're just done and tender. Don't overcook. Remove the shrimp from the saute pan and set them aside in a bowl. You can taste 1 or 2, to see if they're okay.


The roux is next. With all those wonderful drippings from the shrimp in the saute pan, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir with a wooden spatula to make a roux. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until roux reaches a medium-tan color, then slowly add the chicken stock and heavy whipping cream. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Set aside.

And last, a little country ham. Cook 1 center slice of cured country ham in a saute pan, and cut into cubes.



To serve, and this is the best part...place a few heaping spoonfuls of steaming cheese grits onto a plate...



...top with several sizzling shrimp...



...Drizzle that wonderful roux sauce over top of the shrimp, and sprinkle on a few cubes of country ham...



Enjoy.

After dinner, Tom packed up all the leftovers carefully in separate containers and the following night we had leftovers for dinner. Tom had Ceviche and chips. My sister, Karen, had tacos from two night before and I had the leftover Shrimp and Grits. I opted for warming the grits in a pan and mixing the shrimp, ham and roux gravy together in another small frying pan. It was just as good, although not as pretty...



Mmmmmm. I can't wait to make this again!