Sausage & Shrimp in Vodka Sauce

This was a last minute - wanted to make something fabulous but didn't have a lot of time or energy dinner - that came out of my head...
Sausage & Shrimp in Vodka Sauce
Shrimp (as many as you want) *I used precooked, peeled and deveined shrimp
Sausage (I used Hillshire Farm chicken sausage that is also precooked)
Angel Hair pasta
Vodka Sauce straight out of the bottle
Onion

Cook pasta per directions on package.
Cut sausage into bite sized chunks (I used scissors to do this). Put sausage and onion in a large saucepan and cook until the onion is nice and translucent. Add the cooked and drained pasta, the vodka sauce + about a cup of the starchy pasta water. Use tongs to incorporate. Season your shrimp with salt, pepper, etc. (I seasoned them with these ingredients) and add them at the last minute - just to warm them up. Serve and enjoy!!

I asked my husband what else I could add to make this really great and he suggested green peppers or broccoli - the possibilities are endless!

*If you've never had Vodka sauce - you have to try it!! It's like a marinara mixed with an alfredo sauce - so delicious!

Shrimp On The Barbie

I am so bad about remembering where I find recipes...
Shrimp on the Barbie
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash allspice
Large shrimp (as many as you need)
fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Place the shrimp onto your hot grill with the seasoning side down. Brush some more melted butter over the other side of the shrimp, followed by another light sprinkle of seasoning.
After 3 minutes or so the face down side of the shrimp should be browned and showing some light charring. Flip the shrimp over and grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until browned on the other side.

*I used precooked, shelled, deveined shrimp on my George Foreman grill – so it was 3 minutes flat (just warming them up).

Carmelized Onion Dip

Carmelized Onion Dip
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large Spanish onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves OR 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/2 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika

Heat olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and cook onions, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
Process mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese in food processor until smooth. Add onions, salt and pepper to taste and pulse a few times just until onions are coarsely chopped. Turn into serving bowl, then sprinkle with paprika. Serve with potato or tortilla chips.

Asiago Toasts

Asiago Toasts
1/3 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
1 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed (optional)
1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1/2 French baguette, cut into 18 slices
Combine all ingredients except baguette in small bowl.
Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on baking sheet; spread cheese mixture on baguette. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden, about 3 minutes.

*I didn't have that particular mayo - so I lightly drizzled the slices of bread w/EVOO and then used regular mayo for the spread - t's good...

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Black Bean & Corn Salsa
1/4 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (19 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)

Combine mayonnaise, lime juice and cumin in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Avocado Corn Salad with Creamy Salsa Dressing

I get emails from Best Foods (and coupons too!) and they have recruited Bobby Flay to invent some delicious recipes - this is one of them - so delicious...
Avocado Corn Salad with Creamy Salsa Dressing

1/4 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise

1/4 cup prepared salsa (one made with garlic, chiles and cilantro preferable)

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice OR red wine vinegar

1 medium head romaine lettuce, shredded

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1 large beefsteak tomato, halved, seeded and diced

1 cup fresh corn kernels, or frozen kernels, thawed

4 ounces Monterey pepper Jack cheese, dicedCorn tortilla chips, crumbled

Process mayonnaise, salsa and lime juice in blender until smooth, adding water if necessary to thin to dressing consistency. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper.

Arrange lettuce in large bowl and toss with 1/2 of the dressing. Gently toss in remaining ingredients except corn chips. Drizzle with remaining dressing, then top with corn chips.

*I added cucumber and jicama - so yummy!

Navajo Tacos/Navajo Fry Bread

I overheard someone in the grocery store talking about having a Navajo Taco for lunch and I just HAD to have one too. Making the Navajo Fry Bread is so much easier than I thought it would be - and soooo delicious.
Here is a plain piece of Navajo Fry Bread...
My girls helped me roll them out into 8" circles (see easy!)

and here is the final product... super delicioso!

Navajo Fry Bread
4-5 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups water

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in water and milk. Knead dough until incorporated. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.
Heat 1" vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 350 degrees (I use a candy thermometer).
Split dough into 6 pieces and roll them out until they are about 8” big. In the hot oil, quickly brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Top with ground beef, shredded chicken, refried beans, pinto beans, black beans, corn, grated cheeses, salsa, lettuce, green onion, sour cream - whatever!

Jicama Chips

I LOVE jicama. It's especially good in salads. It's a root vegetable that has a sweet tang. I'm not going to lie. When you pick it up at the grocery store - it's pretty darn ugly. But once you cut away the outer layer - that sweet, delicious veggie comes to life.

I often slice the jicama in half and then make jicama 'chips' as a snack. My kids LOVE them!! I serve them with salad dressing or sometimes with a little honey. My kids will eat them plain too - a delicious, nutritious snack!

Pearl Onions

I love onions. Like seriously love them. I must be part oger or something. I made Char's Roasted Potatoes the other night and decided to throw some pearl onions in the mix. You can usually find pearl onions in the freezer section at your grocery store - not so at my local mart - but they did have them in the produce section - the package I bought also came with instructions on how to easily peel them.


To peel them - put them in boiling water for approx. 3 minutes drain and rinse in cold water. Cut off the ends and the outer layer will come right off.


When you roast these onions, they become very sweet - and actually don't taste like a 'onion' at all. Super delish - definitely doing that again!!