a little of each

A family's cookbook

Shrimp Bites May 15, 2013

Filed under: Appetizers — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:11 pm
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These tasty treats will fly off the plate as quickly as you can make them.

Ingredients
1.5 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cucumbers
2 avocados
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper

Directions

To do ahead of time:
Cook shrimp according to the Fish Taco recipe. Allow to cool.

To do just before serving:
Peel and slice the cucumbers to 1/8″ pieces. Peel and mash the avocados. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves, a little salt and pepper and the juice of half a lemon. Stir. Line a serving dish with the cucumber slices. Using two spoons, scoop and apply 1/2 tsp of avocado mixture to each cucumber slice.  Place 1 shrimp (a whole shrimp if medium sized and half a shrimp if large) on top of the avocado mixture.  Place a small dollop of Crema sauce recipe on top of the shrimp.

 

Pink Ladies

Filed under: Drinks — alittlemoreofeach @ 2:44 pm
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This refreshingly delicious drink is served at Savannah’s Pink House. Stephanie and her sister-in-law, Kim Stratton, walked all over Savannah for the ingredients and spent an hour in their hotel room perfecting the ratio of the ingredients. It was tough work, but so worth it.

Ingredients
Absolut Raspberry Vodka
Raspberry lemonade
Fresh raspberries
Fancy ice

Directions

Mix in an ice-filled glass or pitcher, four parts lemonade to one part vodka.  Add fresh raspberries to the glass as an edible garnish.

 

Perfect White Sangria

Filed under: Drinks — alittlemoreofeach @ 2:39 pm
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This sangria is so delicious, it became Emily and Jeff’s signature cocktail at their wedding in October 2012.

white sangria

Ingredients

4 ounces brandy
6 ounces Monin White Sangria Mix*
1 bottle Pinot Grigio
Slices of oranges, lemons, and limes
Fancy ice (in a bag)

Directions

Fill a pitcher with ice.  Add all ingredients and stir.  Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with fresh citrus slices.  Serves four (or one in Stephanie’s case).

*If you cannot find the Monin mix, make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water, and add a couple cinnamon sticks for flavor.

 

Special Raspberry Lemonade

Filed under: Drinks — alittlemoreofeach @ 2:31 pm
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special raspberry lemonade

Ingredients

1 ounce Bacardi Limon
1 ounce Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
3 ounces fresh squeeze lemonade

 

Directions
Fill a martini shaker with ice.  Add all ingredients and shake well.  Pour into a Champagne flute or martini glass.  Serve immediately.  Makes one.  Caution:  these go down too easy!

 

(But I Don’t Like) Pimento Cheese

Filed under: Appetizers,Sandwiches — alittlemoreofeach @ 2:23 pm
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Adapted from a recipe from the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

Ingredients

8 oz block white cheddar, shredded
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 – 4 oz chopped pimento (depending how much you like or dislike the red stuff)
1 – 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together, by hand or with a mixer.  Chill.  bring to room temp before serving.  Serve on thinly sliced pieces of sour dough bread, toasted if desired.  Can also be used as a sandwich spread, with crackers, on top of a hamburger, in grilled cheese, and as a facial masque.  (Just kidding about the last one.)

 

Biltmore Macaroni and Cheese

Filed under: Main Dishes,Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 2:18 pm
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While Stephanie is not a big fan of macaroni and cheese, she does like this rich version adapted from a Biltmore recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded Gouda cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Directions

Place cooked macaroni into a baking dish.  In a sauce pan, heat cream and add Gouda and half of the Parmesan.  Whisk vigorously over low heat, making sure the bottom does not scorch.  When cheese is melted into cream, pour mixture over macaroni.  Sprinkle Panko and rest of Parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350 for 20 minutes until golden brown.  Serves four.

 

Sunday Gravy

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 2:15 pm
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Ingredients
4 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 Large onion, diced
2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped & divided
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 4 tsp. dried oregano
3 28 oz. cans plum tomatoes
3 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
3 1/2 cups water
6 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 lb sweet Italian sausage links
1 lb uncooked meatballs

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot for 30 seconds. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, Add 1 Tbl. basil, garlic, and oregano. Saute for 1 minute.

2. Add tomatoes, water, sugar and salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and add sausage and meatballs if desired.

3. Simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the pot. Remove the meats to a platter. Stir in remaining  basil. Taste and add salt if needed.

4. Serve over pasta, adding meats and topping with Parmesan cheese, if  desired.

 

Shrimp Feta April 8, 2013

Filed under: Main Dishes — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:46 pm
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photo(1)

 

 

Ingredients

2 cups chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbl butter

2 Tbl olive oil

4 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 Tbl fresh dill weed, minced

1 Tbl fresh basil, minced

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp sugar

½ cup parsley, chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ cup white wine

½ lb feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

In a large skillet with cover, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil and butter until golden. Stir in the next eight ingredients, tomatoes through black pepper. Simmer for five minutes. Add shrimp and wine. Continue simmering and stirring about three minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Don’t overcook. Turn off heat. Sprinkle cheese over mixture. Cover with lid and let sit two minutes or until the cheese has slightly melted. Serve from the skillet with crusty French bread and a green salad. Note: to make the recipe more like Bonefish’s, use crushed tomatoes instead of chopped and add some cream to make a thicker sauce.

 

Barbecue Shrimp

Filed under: Main Dishes — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:45 pm
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Ingredients

4 lbs shrimp

½ cup butter, melted

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tsp OldBay seasoning

1 tsp pepper, coarsely ground

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp hot sauce

 

Directions

Peel and devein shrimp. Combine shrimp and other ingredients in a large, shallow roasting dish. Toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer. Bake at 350 degree for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

 

Lemony Seafood Risotto

Filed under: Main Dishes — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:43 pm
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Ingredients

 

2 tsp olive oil

¼ cup finely chopped shallots or green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup uncooked short-grain white rice

½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

2 tsp olive oil

½ lb bay scallops

½ lb uncooked medium shrimp

1 tsp grated lemon peel

2 Tbl fresh parsley, chopped

 

Directions

Heat two tsp olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shallots and garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until shallots are tender-crisp; reduce heat to medium. Stir in rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice begins to brown. Stir in wine. Cook until liquid is absorbed. Pour ½ cup of broth over rice mixture. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking 15 to 20 minutes, adding ½ cup of broth at a time, stirring occasionally until rice is tender and creamy. Meanwhile, heat two tsp. oil in skillet on medium heat. Cook scallops and shrimp in oil for four to five minutes, until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from skillet and gently stir into rice mixture with the lemon peel. Sprinkle with parsley.