Kitchen Ambush - Shrimp Scampi and Black Beans and Rice

I admit it. I'm an addict. A Food Network addict. (Also a Pinterest addict.) I guess I have an addictive personality.

I'm watching a new-to-me show, KITCHEN AMBUSH.

What a fun show. Fun, except I'd be mortified if somoene told me my kitchen was filthy, which is what one of the host chefs just told somebody. I keep my kitchen clean so I don't think that would happen to me. Unless he would count the fast food bags my hubby insists on overfilling the fridge with. He's on my sh-- list, ya know.

Anyway, what could the ambush chefs make if they ambushed my kitchen?

My pantry is really full. Some dinners are planned (not as much this week as I'd like because hubby overstuffed us with his snacks and leftovers) and most aren't.

There are a LOT of black beans. I bought a six pack at BJ's before two of my picky eaters told me they HATE black beans. I LOVE them - they don't know what they're missing. I'll have to make two versions of dinner again, one of my pet peeves.

I also have one large jar of Prego Italian sauce, minute rice, egg noodles, canned spinach, canned mushrooms, canned soups, french onion soup mix, mashed potato mix, bread, bread crumbs, flour, sugar, brown sugar, syrup, spaghetti, angel hair pasta, velveeta shells and cheese, Bisquick, nutella, baking powder, baking soda, zucchini, sweet potatoes, one onion, red/orange/yellow peppers, green onions, blue berries, shrimp, chicken legs, ground beef, tilapia, lobster/shrimp dip, Ritz crackers, sweet pepper jelly, pudding, brownie mix, cake mix, lemon juice, fresh garlic, barbecue sauce, ketchup, cottage cheese, yellow rice, chicken boullion, eggs, turkey bacon, and tortillas. I may have forgotten a couple things.

Oh! Another stipulation is that you have to make the meal in 30 minutes or less. That's my kind of cooking. But it's not always that easy.

Of course, there's my go-to easiest meal ever - Spaghetti with meat sauce. Duh! What a no brainer.

Then there's shrimp fried rice. Wait! I don't know if my 18 year old human eating MACHINE, devoured the ham tat is so necessary to this dish. Probably.

Crepes with nutella. That would be desert but not the main dish.

There's always another easy stand by - scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Or French toast.

If I had cheddar or Monterray Jack cheese, which I usually do, I'd make chicken quesadillas. I used all the cheese on homemade macaroni and cheese last night. I think I can squeeze some ham and cheese into my packed fridge as they're staples in my kitchen.

I have lots of American cheese so I could make grilled cheese.

I need to come up with fancier meals than grilled cheese, however, to fit the spirit of the show.

Maybe black beans and rice for half of us and grilled cheese for the picky eaters.

No! I've got it! Shrimp Scampi with black beans and rice on the side.

So, here are my newly made shrimp scampi and black beans recipes.

The shrimp scampi was so simple, yet so delicious. And I'm throwing in a bonus. We stopped at BJ's inbetween my writing the first part of this post and cooking shrimp scampi. We sampled baguette bread dipped in an olive oil mixture that was simply to die for. Knowing it would be the perfect accompaniement to the scampi, I scooped up the baguette. So I'll also post the recipe for the baguette oil.

 

SHRIMP SCAMPI
 

 

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 pounds shrimp, deveined and without tils
Butter
1 medium clove, Fresh Garlic, minced
Lemon Juice
Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Melt approximately 1 stick butter in a non-stick skillet. When melted, add thawed shrimp. Cook on medium heat.

Generously squeeze lemon juice over the shrimp. Add the minced garlic and sprinkle sea salt over shrimp.

Cook until shrimp look pink, stirring often.

BLACK BEANS

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 can 16 oz black beans
3 small peppers, 1 each orange, yellow, and red, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
sea salt
black pepper
1-2 tblsp butter

DIRECTIONS:

Put black beans in medium-sized pot. Stir in minced peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, and butter. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Stir often.

Meanwhile, make rice to go with beans. I made up a pot of Zatarain's yellow rice which was very tasty.

BRUSCHETTA AND DIPPING OIL

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 rolls baguettes
1 cup virgin olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2-3 tblsp Italian spices

DIRECTIONS:

Mix olive oil, minced garic, and Italian spices.

Heat for 1 minute in microwave.

Slice baguettes into very thin slices.

Dip bead in warm oil mixture.

Yum!





 

CAJUN CHICKEN

Happy Easter!

(So that I could enjoy Easter with my family, I wrote this post in advance.)

What a lazy Sunday afternoon. My umpiring hubby is at softball games all day and night, and my youngest daughter has no softball games tonight. So there's no rush to make dinner before games.

I made a big lunch so maybe I'll make a quick, easy dinner.

Even my pets are taking it easy as we watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding and I blog. Here's Bobby whom I caught in the BJ's box I brought home yesterday from our weekly shopping. He's a cat so of course he can't resist a box. My little buddy likes this box better than the catnip toy we bought for him.

He was relaxing until I took the first picture. Maybe the flash woke him up.

 

 

That flash made him look demonic but he's really a sweetie.

 

Now you can see his eyes better, without the demonic glow. I should have given him a box for Christmas. He loves it so.

 

Back to lunch, in addition to Bobby's wonderful box, I bought a lot of fresh chicken at BJ's yesterday. I slept in really late so I didn't have time to look up a recipe. So I made up my own. The kids all gave it a thumbs up.

 

CAJUN CHICKEN

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Fresh chicken enough for your family

 

lemon juice

 

Cajun Spice



 



Black Pepper


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees Farenheit.

Meanwhile, place chicken in a glass baking casserole dish. Liberally sprinkle first lemon juice, then black pepper, then Cajun spice over the chicken.

Bake 15 minute.

Turn over and liberally sprinkle the other side of the chicken with lemon juice, black pepper, and Cajun spice.

Bake another 15 minutes.

Serve warm.

Yum!

Beef Enchilada Casserole

My refrigerator door fell off last night. I bent over to get an onion out of the vegetable bin and the next thing I knew, there was a hard, heavy weight sliding right down me.

I caught the door before it slammed to the floor. Fortunately, it wasn't that heavy. I was more surprised than anything.

My daughters rushed to my aid as I yelled, "Dave! The refrigerator door fell off." Then I screwed up my face and hunkered down to hear the inevitable swearing.

You see, recently, we bought a new house and my husband blames me when anything isn't perfect. So far the floor is creaky. The dishwasher leaked and we had to replace it. The toilet seat in our bathroom came off. The shower in our bathroom is too low so he has to bend to get in and out. The toilet in the kids' bathroom was leaky. God, I hope nothing else goes wrong in the next year or he'll never stop moaning.

Luckily, he got out his handy tool kit, laid on the floor, and screwed the door back on. Meanwhile, I stepped around him to finish dinner.

So far (knock on wood), the fridge door is staying on.

When I got home tonight I had no clue what I was going to make for dinner. We already had spaghetti this week and we're out of fish. It would take at least a couple hours to make shrimp fried rice and I was too tired to do that after an eight-hour work day. I thought about making tacos but didn't have an appetite for them.

Then I remembered my husband had liked the look of a burrito recipe I found. As I dug the ingredients out of my pantry I changed my mind and decided to make an enchilada casserole which sounded faster and easier than rolling burritos.

I haven't made an enchilada casserole in awhile and I was missing the green chilies I usually add, and I had bought sour cream, so I made some changes. It obviously worked out well as my older daughter pronounced the enchilada's better than my lasagna.

I hope you'll like it, too.

 

Beef Enchilada Casserole

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

 

1-2 pounds ground, Hamburger

 

1 large can Red Enchilada Sauce

 

1 can Refried Beans

 

1 package Lipton's Spanish Rice, cooked

 

4 large Tortilla Shells

 

1 pound Cheddar Cheese

 

1 pound Sour Cream

 

1 chicken boullion cube

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.

 

Prepare the rice. Cook the hamburger with the enchilada sauce and boullion. Set aside.

 

Divide the cheese into two halves.

 

Layer a thin covering of enchilada/hamburger sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish. Cover with two tortillas.

 

Next layer the refried beans, hamburger, more enchilada/hamburger sauce, rice, and one half of the cheese. It should be nice and thick now.

 

Place the remaining tortilla shells over the cheese.

 

Smother the tortilla shells with sour cream. Make sure the tortillas are thoroughly covered. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the sour cream.

 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is meltd and golden.

 



 

Taco Shephard's Pie

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here's a tasty potato dish. If you really wish to be Irish, add green food coloring to the mashed potatoes.

This is a quick cheater recipe which is good for a quick dinner after work or when you're tired.

I say "cheater" because there's not a lot of cooking involved. However it's very tasty.

TACO SHEPHARD'S PIE

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups Cheesy Instant Mashed Potatoes
1-2 lbs ground beef
2 packages taco seasoning mix
2-3 cups water
mixed vegetables (optional)


DIRECTIONS:

Brown ground beef,  Add taco seasoning mix and 2-3 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer until most of the liquid has boiled off.

At the same time, make mashed potatoes per package instructions.

If you want vegetables, heat in microwave

Pour ground beef mixture and if desired, vegetables, into a large bowl or casserole dish. If vegetables are added, mix well. Spoon mashed potatoes on top of taco meat.

Serve warm.

 

Grilled Cheese & Ham

My youngest daughter just asked, "Can you ever sit still?" Of course I answered, "No". At age twenty two she shouldn't have to ask. She's had years to observe me.

I'm pretty sure that I am the source of ADHD in four out of my five children. I have to multi-task or I fall asleep. I can't watch a movie without doing something else whether it be reading, writing, cooking, or playing on the computer.

She can't understand me. Worse, it seems I annoy her.

But that's me. I can't sit still.

So I've been up and down cooking while blogging, and taking pictures of my creations to add to the blog. Before I started cooking we shopped at BJ's Discount Center. Did I mention I have a family of 6, almost all big eaters and food lovers like me? I have to save money any way I can to afford to feed this troop.

Tonight I made a very simple, yet tasty dinner - grilled cheese with ham. Whereas I hate tuna, I LOVE ham. Ask my lunch friends at work.

I used to get this dish at a local diner. Unfortunately, the diner closed so I'm making this tasty sandwich myself.

GRILLED CHEESE & HAM

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices fresh thick bread per sandwich (Texas toast is really yummy)
2 slices American cheese per sandwich
3-4 slices deli ham per sandwich (the more the better)
butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS:

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Spread butter evenly over the bread.

Place the butter side down on the plate of one slice. Place one slice American cheese on top of bread. Cover with 3 slices ham. Top with the remaining slice American cheese. Then top with the remaining slice of bread, butter side on top so that it will touch the skillet.

In a preheated non-stick skillet, place two sandwiches at once. Fry until the side is golden brown. Flip the sandwich. Fry until the second side is also golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Transfer to its plate. Cut into four equal pieces, one catechorner to the other.

Serve warm with fries, sweet potato fries, or a bowl of soup.


 

Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Onions

I thought I'd try something a little different tonight than my regular zuchhini (which I love). I put my own attitude and spin on this, as I hope the American Idol judges would say about this recipe if they judged food.

I finished this dish shortly before American Idol aired tonight, so I had the pleasure of tasting it for the first time while I watched one of my favorite shows.

I'm really feeling Charlie and Lazaro tonight. Curtis is something else, too. What neat young men and awesome crooners.

Although I'm the best singer in my family, I was never AI material. Maybe someday, I'll make it into a cooking contest or a cooking show.

I can dream...

My softball umpire hubby was a dear last night and brought home my fav Skyline Chili with Cheese (for other Cincinnati chili lovers, a three-way). I was already asleep so I took it for lunch today.

 

Although it's super yummy, it's a ton of calories, so I made light dinner tonight - baked salmon with a side of my favorite zucchini with an added zing. It turned out sooooooo good, I'll definitely make it again. I bet you'll like it, too.

 

 



 

Zucchini, Mushrooms, & Onions

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 zucchini, sliced into french fry shaped pieces

1 slice of onion

1 handful of sliced mushrooms

1-2 Tblsp Butter

Lemon Juice

Pepper, to taste (I like a LOT)

 

 



 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

Slice zucchini, onions, and fresh mushrooms. Thin slices are best.

 

Melt butter in a non-stick pan on medium heat.

 

Place vegetables in pan. Sprinkle generously with lemon juice. Sprinkle black pepper to taste. As I said above, I like a LOT of black pepper.

 

Let the veggies set for a couple minutes, then turn, sprinkle lemon juice and pepper onto ungarnished side. Let set for a couple minutes on that side.

 

Stir frequently until veggies are soft and golden.

Makes 2 servings. Double for a family of four.

 

Serve warm with a main dish.

 

 



 

Skillet Zucchini

I don't know about you, but I'm a full-time working mother and wife. Although I recently moved much closer to work and I don't have a long drive home, I still usually don't want to stand on my feet too long after a long hard day at the day job. I also write romance novels so I don't want to waste all my remaining energy cooking. Thus I prefer to make simple recipes on week nights whereas I'll get more creative and take more time on weekends to cook.

I will admit that since I get home a lot earlier (except this week when I had to work late to make up time for doctor appointments), I'm much more in a mood to cook and I'm having more fun with it than I have in a long time.

What about you?

Did I mention my youngest daughter HATES vegetables? I have to hide them in her food to get her to eat them. Even then, she usually figures out my madness and refuses to eat. Except for potatoes. We call her the "Potato Queen" and "French Fry Queen".

I'm a little picky when it comes to eating veggies, too. I was worse when I was her age although I've always eaten spinach and green beans, especially when my grandma cooked them.

I didn't touch zucchini, egg plant, spaghetti squash, or a number of other veggies until I was well into my adult years. I was absolutely sure I'd hate them and positively gag. Now, I'll fix a spaghetti squash or zucchini just for me.

Here's my favorite zucchini recipe, daresay as yummy (or more so) than Duffy's.

SKILLET ZUCCHINI

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium to large zucchini (per person)
1 pat butter
Lemon juice
Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse the zucchini. Slice off the ends and discard. Cut zucchini in half or thirds depending how long it is. Then slice lengthwise into several sticks. Leave skin on.

Melt butter in large non-stick skillet.

In a bowl, drizzle sliced zucchini with lemon juice. Generously sprinkle with pepper.

Cook in skillet, turning often to brown zucchini. If desired, sprinkle more pepper on as the zucchini cooks.

When the zucchini is browning and softened, remove from heat.

Serve warm.




 

Tuna Casserole

Obviously this is a new blog so I'm still decorating and setting up housekeeping. I will try to post a new recipe every Sunday and Wednesday. Stay tuned for lots of yummy stuff!


I HATE tuna, so it's extremely rare you'll see a tuna recipe from me. I wish I liked it as it's healthy and cheap and my family loves it.

This is the one tuna recipe I can stand. It's also my youngest son's favorite meal which he requested for his last birthday dinner.

I like it because it's budget friendly, quick and easy to make, so it's one of my go to meals. I can stand it because I smother it with cheese, milk, oregano and garlic salt.

TUNA CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:

1 large can drained tuna
1 - 8 oz box cooked elbow macaroni noodles
16 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz evaporated milk (regular milk will work in a pinch)
Oregano, to taste
Garlic Salt, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Cook and drain macaroni noodles. Put in large 9 x 13" casserole dish.

Mix well with 1/2 cheddar cheese, all of tuna, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour on evaporated milk. Toss well again.

Generously sprinkle oregano and garlic salt on top of noodles. Sprinkle with a tad more salt and pepper.

Layer evenly with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake about 30 - 40 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Goes well with French bread or garlic bread.

French style green beans can be added if desired.  I usually omit them due to my husband's request.



 

Tasty Lasagna

It's been awhile since I blogged anywhere about anything and a lot of things have changed. One thing hasn't - I still have to eat to live and I SHOULD NOT be living to eat. Admittedly, I've often been about the second. As the full-time working mom of one husband, four human children, and four furry children still at home, I prefer recipes that are budget friendly (make that as close to zero cents per serving as possible), time friendly, and people pleasing to my picky family, as possible.

Thus, most of my recipes will be quick and easy, probably budget friendly, and sometimes healthy. When possible I'll choose the healthier, cheaper alternatives.

Last night was a birthday party night in celebration of my second oldest child, so it was NOT one of those nights. Instead of thrifty, I chose people-pleasing and made lasagna. When my father-in-law came up to me after the meal and asked skeptically, "Did you make that lasagna?" with the tone of voice he thought I'd bought it and heated it up, my heart dropped. Why did I spend so much money on home-made lasagna to have him think I'd cop out on the home made version? But my kids knew the truth and so do you, so I let it slide.

Even though my lasagna isn't the most budget friendly on the planet, it is extremely tasty and simple to make and so I'd like to share it with you. Because I have picky eaters and a vegetarian friend who sometimes join this, I make two, sometimes three versions of this dish. As I usually make two casseroles to feed my big family (add my oldest daughter, her spouse, and my two grandchildren, plus my father-in-law and friends), that's not a problem.

TASTY LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS:

Lasagna noodles, cooked and drained or precooked (6 per 9 x 13" casserole dish)
1 lb beef or pork, cooked and drained
1 can spinach, well drained, optional
1 - 48 oz container ricotta cheese
8 -16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
1 large jar Prego spaghetti sauce (I LOVE Prego, so I only use this brand and I usually use the meat flavored version except when making vegetarian)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Meanwhile cook and drain lasagna noodles and meat.

Layer each 9 x 13" casserole dish with thin layer of spaghetti sauce. Top with one layer of 3 lasagna noodles. Layer with another thicker layer of spaghetti sauce.

If spinach is desired, spread equally over sauce.

If meat is desired, spread equally over spinach and sauce.

Generously spoon ricotta cheese on top of the last layer. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 mozarella cheese.

Layer with 3 more lasagna noodles. Spread remaining spaghetti sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over sauce. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil. Bake for about 30 minutes until cheeses are bubbly.

* I make two casseroles, one with spinach and one without, because of my spinach-hating/loving family. When my vegetarian friend joins us, I also make a bread-loaf pan size without meat. I prefer the casserole with spinach even though my veggie hating daughter prefers it without.

 ** Serve with French bread, salad, and dessert.

Our Christmas Eve tradition includes having this dish.

Bon appetit!