Beach Shack Shrimp Tacos

INGREDIENTS

3 Kirby cucumbers

8 radishes

1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves

2 tbsp. rice-wine vinegar

1/4 small green cabbage

1 ripe mango

1/2 small Red Onion

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

8 corn tortillas

4 tsp. canola oil

1 lb. peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

1 tbsp. Caribbean jerk seasoning

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DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, radishes, ¼ cup cilantro and 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and remaining 1 Tbsp rice vinegar. Add the cabbage, mango and red onion and toss to combine.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush both sides of the tortillas with 2 tsp oil. Add tortillas in a single layer 2 or 3 at a time and cook until softened and golden brown in spots, 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep tortillas warm and pliable.
3. Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Season the shrimp with the jerk seasoning and cook until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
4. Fill the tortillas with the shrimp and cabbage mixture. Serve with the cucumber salad.

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skinned

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup tequila

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

2 teaspoons grated lime rind

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cooking spray 

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat using both burners. After preheating, turn the left burner off (leave the right burner on).
2. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub evenly over chicken.
3. Bring the pineapple juice, tequila, and honey to a boil in a small saucepan; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl, and stir well. Add cornstarch mixture to juice mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in lime rind, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and red pepper.
4. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray over right burner (direct heat). Cover and grill for 5 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with juice mixture. Move the chicken to grill rack over left burner (indirect heat). Cover and grill an additional 5 minutes on each side or until done, basting occasionally.

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Note:

If you would rather not use tequila, you can substitute 1/3 cup pineapple juice. Start the grilling over direct heat to get good grill marks and charred bits, and then move to indirect heat to gently finish the cooking.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ok, it's Fall y'all!  And what does Mom CRAVE when it gets cold....(No..not everything!) SOUP! This is one of the BEST if not THE best baked potato soup recipes I've found.  And even more exciting??  I played with it and found a way to make it just a tad bit healthier!  To my credit...the fam loved it more than my other super fattening almost as delicious soup. This is going to be my new go-to from here on out!

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 slices cooked bacon*, diced (heck, you know I used the entire package!)
• 5 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 pounds potatoes, diced (you don't even need to peel them!)
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 stick butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-ounce) can 2% evaporated milk
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
• optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, extra shredded cheese, extra bacon, sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add bacon, 5 cups chicken stock, potatoes and onion to the bowl of a large slow cooker, and stir to combine.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through.
2. Once the soup has slow cooked and is about ready to serve, cook the butter in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat until it has melted.  Whisk in the flour until it is completely combined, and then cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Gradually add in the evaporated milk while whisking it together with the flour mixture, and continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth.  Let the mixture continue cooking until it reaches a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then it should get really thick.
3. Immediately pour the milk mixture into the slow cooker with the potatoes, and stir until combined.  Add in the cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt and pepper, and stir until combined.  If you would like the soup to be even thicker, you can use a potato masher or a large spoon to mash about half of the potatoes (while the soup is still in the slow cooker) to thicken the soup up.  If you would like the soup to be thinner, add in an extra 1-2 cups of warmed chicken or vegetable stock.  Stir to combine, then taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
4. Serve warm, garnished with desired toppings.  Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.  (This recipe will not freeze well.)

Greek Chicken Kabobs

Okay...sharing these straight from my new BFF's...all six of the sisters from Six Sisters stuff.  (Now that was a mouthful to say).  Seriously some of the best gals you'll ever meet and some of the best food you'll ever eat!  These kabobs are the bomb and they were gone in minutes so I'm leaving them riiiiiight here so I can find them quick!  And it's great with Tzatziki Sauce!!! MMmmm!

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 8-oz plain yogurt
• 1 cup greek vinaigrette dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 red onion, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 green bell peppers, cut into 1" pieces

Instructions

1. In a large ziploc bag, place chicken, yogurt, greek dressing, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and oregano. Zip and mix with your hands. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
2. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them water for up to 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning.
3. After meat has marinated, slide alternating pieces of meat, onion, and green pepper onto skewers. Heat grill to medium-high heat and grill for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Tzatziki

Also seen on Six Sisters' Stuff

Ingredients

32 ounces plain yogurt 
2 cucumber ( regular, peeled and seeded ) 
3 clove(s) garlic ( crushed ) 
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 
1 teaspoon Lemon juice 
1/2 teaspoon dill weed ( dried ) 
to taste salt 
to taste black pepper 
to taste Olive oil 

Directions

Strain yogurt using a cheesecloth over a bowl (if you don’t have that, a strainer lined with a coffee filter will work) fora couple of hours (I let mine strain for about 6 hours) or overnight to get out as much moisture as possible (I know that this step sounds funny, but I promise that if you don't do it, your sauce will be runny and not as delicious).
Shred or grate the cucumbers and blot them with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to get rid of as much moisture as possible.
Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep in the fridge until serving (let the flavors come together for about 30 minutes before serving).
If you want, drizzle a little olive oil over the top before serving.
Read more at http://myrecipemagic.com/recipe/recipedetail/tzatziki#wUFr68HVzcrf43MQ.99

One-Pot Cajun Pasta

This is definitely one of our new fam faves!  Easy breezy delicious...and best of all you only need to mess up one pan!  Fast and delicious!  Spice up your life and give it a try!


Ingredients:
- Olive Oil (2 Tbsp.)
- 2 Diced Chicken Breasts
- Andouille or Smoked Sausage (8 oz, sliced)
- Garlic (3 cloves, minced)
- Yellow Onion (1/2, sliced)
- Red Pepper (1, sliced)
- Green Pepper (1, sliced)
- Mushrooms (2 cups)
- 16 oz box of the pasta of your choice (we used linguine)
- Chicken broth (5 cups)
- Heavy Cream (1/2 cup)
- Shredded Parmesan (1 cup)
- Cajun Seasoning (1 Tbsp.)
(You can use a store-bought Cajun spice mix or make your own! We used equal parts cayenne pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.)

Directions:
Pour olive oil into the pot. Add diced chicken breast to the pot, cover with cajun seasoning, and stir until the chicken is evenly seasoned. Then, add sliced sausage and stir. Cook the meat on medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Once the meat is cooked, add in the garlic, onion, peppers, and mushrooms, and stir. Continue stirring for 3-5 minutes as the veggies cook down.

Add the dry pasta to the pot (if using long, thin noodles, break in half), then pour in the chicken broth. Stir until everything is well-mixed. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, keep covered bring the heat down to a simmer for 10 minutes (stirring every two minutes). If there still extra chicken broth, you can discard it, cook longer until the liquid evaporates, or add a little cornstarch to thicken the liquid.

Lastly, add heavy cream and parmesan and stir until your pasta is well blended. Garnish with green onions, more parmesan, a sprinkle of cajun seasoning (if you want some extra spice), and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Shrimp Po'boy Sandwiches - Cooking Light

Was the week to try something new and these were a hit!  Den said he would have these again ANY day!

Remoulade Slaw:
3 T mayonnaise
1 T minced shallots (I just used white onion)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp Tabasco
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
1 garlic clover, minced
2 1/2 C packaged cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw

Po'boys:
1 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 pieces French bread baguette, split and toasted
3 T cornmeal
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 slices tomato

1.  To prepare coleslaw, combined first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add coleslaw; toss to coat.  Cover and chill.

2.  To prepare Po'boys, combine cornstarch and next 4 ingredients (through egg white) in a medium bowl; whisk until blended.  Add shrimp; toss well.  Marinate in fridge 30 minutes, stirring once.

3.  Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/4 thick shell.  Place torn bread in a food processor; process until very fine crumbs.  Set aside 1/2 breadcrumbs; reserve remaining bread crumbs for another use.  Combine 1/2 breadcrumbs, cornmeal, and black pepper in a large zip lock bag; seal and shake to combine.

4.  Remove shrimp from bowl; discard marinade.  Add shrimp to breadcrumb mixture.  Seal and shake to coat.

5.  Heat large skillet over med-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes on each side until done.  Do not overcook!!

6.  Arrange 1/2 cup coleslaw on each bottom half of bread.  Top with shrimp and tomato slices.

Muschroom and Cream Cheese Stuffed Salmon

This is a light and super easy dish that's great for summer or any time of year.

1 large salmon fillet (I like to buy mine at Costco)
8 - 10 mushrooms, finely chopped
2 T lemon juice
3 T butter
4 oz cream cheese
Season salt

Score fillet from one end to the other 3 times.
Fill scored sections with softened butter.
Fill scored sections with softened cream cheese.
Cover entire fillet with mushrooms pressing firmly into scored sections.
Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with season salt.
Cover in foil.
Grill or broil for approximately 15 minutes.