Guacamole

I am OBSESSED with Guacamole! I keep the ingredients around and make it every other day or so. It is best with Tostitos chips with a hint of lime (in my opinion) ha!

I don't have a specific recipe because I'm not good about measuring (which is why I don't bake) - but since everyone has been asking me - this is how I make it.

Ingredients:

Roma tomatos

Avacados

One onion

Fresh cilantro

Jalepenos (optional)

Limes

I just slice up maybe one or two tomatos and maybe a half or less of an onion. Add several dashes of cilantro and salt. (just taste). If you like it hot - cut up a jalepeno - I prefer no!

Use one or two avacoados (usually one per person) and smash it up and mix all ingredients together. I usually squeeze 2 limes on this because I like mine with a lot of lime taste! Just add more or less of the ingredients you like.

Chicken Stuffed with Prosciutto and Fontina

I made this for dinner last night. (Another Paula Deen recipe - I can't help it I love that woman). I couldn't find fontina cheese so I just used mozzarella cheese sticks. It was good - we had rissoto and salad with it.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 (4-ounce) piece imported Italian fontina cheese
• 2 slices imported prosciutto
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 bunch baby arugula
• 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced

Directions

Place each piece of chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound them thin with a mallet, the flat of a large knife, or a rolling pin. Trim the rind from the cheese and cut it into 2 thick sticks.

Wrap each stick with a slice of prosciutto and place in the center of each flattened chicken breast. Roll the chicken breast around the prosciutto and cheese to make a sausage shape and secure with toothpicks or butcher's twine. Season the rolls with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy skillet. Quickly brown the chicken rolls over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and scatter the mushrooms into the pan, sprinkle with wine and rosemary. Cook, turning the chicken rolls frequently, 10 to 15 minutes.

When the first bit of cheese begins to seep out, the chicken is done. Remove it from the pan to a cutting board at once. Cut each of the rolls at an angle into 6 slices. Cover to keep warm. Reheat the pan juices, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

To serve arrange the chicken and mushrooms on a bed of arugula leaves tossed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Warm the pan juices and strain them over the chicken.

Cheese and Pesto layer dip

I found this recipe by Paula Deen and used it at Harper's birthday party. I thought it was really good.

Cheese and Pesto Layer Dip

2 8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
16 oz smoked provolone shredded (I used mozzarella instead)
1 5oz parm cheese
1 cup Pesto
1 cup toasted pine nuts

Beat cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add cheeses and beat until combined.

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with heavy plastic wrap allowing edges to extend over sides of pan. Spoon 1/3 of cheese mixture into pan. Spoon 1/4 of pesto on top and repeat layers twice.

Cover and freeze for 4 hrs & up to 2 wks.

Before serving - unmold onto a platter, remove plastic and let stand for one hour. Press pine nuts on side (this takes a lot of work and I got lazy and just did a row instead of covering the whole thing).
Top with remaining pesto.
Serve with crackers

Paula Deen's Shrimp Gumbo Bake

I like to try all of Paula's recipes and let you know how they are........well this was VERY good!

It's a great change from the normal chicken. :-)

Ingredients

Gumbo:

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 cup chicken or fish stock
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 10-ounce package frozen cut okra
• 2 cups shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
• (This wasn't in the recipe but I added 1 1/2 cups of rice to thicken it up some and it was good that way!)

Topping:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup milk
• 12-ounce package corn muffin mix

Directions

In an iron skillet, saute onion and celery in oil. Add bay leaves, thyme, lemon-pepper seasoning and House Seasoning. Pour in stock and add tomatoes and okra. Cover pot and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in shrimp.

To prepare the topping, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together egg and milk, add to muffin mix, and combine until just well-blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls on top of hot shrimp mixture, leaving the center uncovered. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Cook's Note: This Southern dish usually is prepared and served in an iron skillet, but may be cooked in a frying pan with an ovenproof handle.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Oyster Crackers

My mom used to always make these at the holidays. They are SO addictive. She used to send me back to college with a huge tin of them and I won't tell you how long they lasted. They are the BEST snack.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (12 ounce) package oyster crackers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, ranch-style dressing mix, dill weed, lemon pepper and garlic powder. Pour this spice mixture over the crackers in a medium bowl, and stir until the crackers are coated. Arrange the crackers on a large baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This is a recipe from Barefoot Contessa. Scott thinks she is the boring person on earth. He always starts snoring when I'm watching her on TV. But she can cook. I would have gagged before I ate brussel sprouts until recently but these are REALLY good!


Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Paula Deen's Wild Rice and Shrimp Casserole

(Photo and recipe are by Paula Deen)

I took a picture of the casserole I made and deleted it somehow. This is REALLY good. If your husband is like mine - he won't eat anything with the name "casserole" in it so I just called it Wild Rice and Shrimp Supreme and he liked it.

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package wild rice
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Drain and cool.

Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.

Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.