12.03.2010 It's been a crazy Fall...

Wedding date is set :)  Sunday, 3.27.2010...  Now to iron out every other detail... I never knew wedding planning was so overwhelming but subconcisouly I must have because I had always intended on eloping, some days I think it still might not be to late.  All in all I can't complain though, we have A.Mazing family and friends that are helping tremendiously.  I always have in the back of my mind that I know more than anything I want it to be married to this wonderful man and start our new life together so it keeps the stress to a minimum.

Now on to share some much needed recipes!

I made my apple dip for Jonathan one recent Fall Football Saturday and he has been begging for more every since!  A co-worker shared this with me sometime last year and it's always a hit.

Apple Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened ( I use 1/3 fat)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 bag of Heath toffee Bits

Mix together and serve with apples and/or graham cracker sticks.  A tip from keeping your apple slices from turning brown is to sprinkle or store with some lemon juice.  Also, Pampered Chef makes a great apple slicer for those that aren't trusted so good with knives like me :)

11.8.2010 y'all come back now ya hear

Classic Southern Blackened Catfish

Yield: 4 servings

Compound Butter:

1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp Creole seasoning

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 tbsp chopped chives

Catfish:
1 lemons, thinly sliced
Compound butter (recipe above), divided
4 8oz fresh skinless, boneless catfish filets
1/4 cup Creole seasoning
Whole chives for garnish

For the compound butter:  In a bowl, mix the butter with the Creole seasoning, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper; mix in chopped chives and set aside.  The butter can be made ahead and chilled; bring to room temperature before using.

For the catfish:  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Preheat a large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Line the bottom of a 9 x 11-inch baking dish with the lemon slices and dollop half of the compound butter evenly over them.  Evenly coat both sides of each fish filet with 1 tbsp Creole seasoning.  Working in batches, add the seasoned filets to the hot skillet and cook 2 minutes on each side to just toast and brown the seasoning.  With a spatula, carefully place the seared fish on top of the buttered lemon slices in the baking dish.  Bake until the fish easily break apart with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes.  Immediately top each hot fillet with a spoonful of remaining compound butter; transfer to heated serving plates and garish each filet with a few whole fresh chives.

5 Ingredient Fix - Easy, Elegant, and Irresistible Recipes, Claire Robinson, Host of 5 Ingredient Fix [October 2010]

Enjoy!

One Kookin' Kouple

10.31.2010 LOVE AT FIRST BITE!

So yes it was Halloween but since we celebrated that on Friday night with friends at a viewing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, at the always fabulous Alabama Theater, we decided to do a little different kind of celebrating... WE GOT ENGAGED (10/30)!!  A random day trip on that Saturday to the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Tennessee led to much, much more than just a tourism photoshoot!  We are so excited about spending the rest of our lives together!!

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody,

you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible"

~ When Harry Met Sally ~

Celebration Dinner - Cajun Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Grits (Pampered Chef Recipe, 29 minutes to dinner volume 2)  Yield: 6 servings

GRITS

3 cups - reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup uncooked quick grits*

4oz smoked Gouda cheese

SHRIMP

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 medium green bell pepper

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 can Rotel

1 can (15oz) tomato puree*

1 3/4lb large cooked shrimp (31-35 per lb), peeled and deveined
1/3 cup snipped fresh parsley (optional)

1.  Cook grits.  Place broth and cream in Large Micro-Cooker.  Microwave, covered, on HIGH 3-5 minutes or until hot.  Add grits; cover and microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes or until thickened.  Grate cheese into grits with Rotary Grater; stir until cheese is melted.

2.  Prepare shrimp topping.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Dice bell pepper and add to skillet along with pressed garlic and seasoning.  Cook 2-3 minutes or until bell pepper is tender.  Add tomatoes, puree/sauce and shrimp; cook 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

3.  Serve.  Remove skillet from heat.  Divide grits among serving plates; top with shrimp mixture.  Garnish smipped fresh parsley, if desired.

 *We use Jim Dandy Quick Grits and Tomato Sauce (makes for a thinner sauce).  We always make a double recipe of this dish. It's great leftover.

It was love at first bite!

~one kookin kouple~

10.23.2010 Laisser les bons temps rouler!!

We definately let the good times roll with this awesome "beer shrimp boil" courtesy of Claire Robinsons' cookbook "5 Ingredient Fix - Easy, Elegant, and Irresistible Recipes" in honor of the Auburn/LSU throwdown!!! This book owns simple and affordable while keeping the ingredients fresh finishing with refined flavor. Did I forget to mention mouthwatering?! In just 5 ingredients Claire reaches BOLD favor that the boys, jonjon and punderwood, devoured before the last "L-S-Who?"



Ingredients:
Three 12-ounce bottles lager beer*

1 cup water

1 tbsp shrimp boil or Creole seasoning*

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black peppercorns

Juice of 1 lemon, lemon halves reserved

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, heads on and in shell, rinsed well*

Yield: 4 Servings

In a large pot, bring the beer, water, shrimp boil seasoning salt, peppercorns, and the juiced lemon halves to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil, covered, 10 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the lemon juice. Add the shrimp after 3 minutes for pink color throughout; with a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and transfer them to a serving bowl or bowls.

Add 1/2 cup of the boiling beer liquid to the butter and simmer 2 minutes.

Serve the warm shrimp with the butter dipping sauce on the side! 5 Ingredient Fix - Easy, Elegant, and Irresistible Recipes, Claire Robinson, Host of 5 Ingredient Fix [October 2010]

* We used: Dos Equis Amber; More Spicy Tony Chachere's; and 2 lbs large white shrimp (previously frozen) heads removed, easy peel with shell on

A.Mazing!!!!!!! Hope you all ENJOY :) Jonjon's Saucey Grilled Wangs recipe coming soon!! Stayed tuned!

Peace, Love & Football!!
onekookin'kouple

~ we're heatin' up the kitchen ~

8.27.2010 Chicken Marsala Tetrazzini

Total: 45 minutes, Makes 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients-

1 (8-oz.) package vermicelli

2 tablespoons butter

1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms

3 ounces finely chopped prosciutto

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup frozen baby English peas, thawed

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup

1 (10-oz.) container refrigerated light Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup Marsala

1 cup (4-oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation-

1.  Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and prosciutto, and sauté 5 minutes.  2.  Stir together mushroom mixture, chicken (we pre-baked our chicken in the oven for 40-45 minutes), next 5 ingredients, and 1/2 cup cheese; stir in pasta. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  3. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly.  Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2010

The Couple that cooks together stays together!  After working up an appetite at the park on our 3 mile journey that afternoon, we spent our Friday night date night "in" with dinner & a movie.  Dinner was a new recipe Jonathan found in the newest issue of Southern Living magazine for Chicken Marsala Tetrazzini paired with our movie of choice, The Bounty Hunter .  The new dish was great and it was a much needed relaxing evening in.

Make a dinner date!  Plan the menu ahead of time, so you are sure you have everything you need before getting started.  Don't get stressed out about it.  Instead, choose to have fun- split the duties, use your hands, set a lovely table, and laugh at your mistakes!  Keep it interesting.  It's easy to get into a rut and cook the same dishes over and over.  Try new cookbooks and different ethnic cusines. Consider signing up for a cooking class together.  We are both self-proclaimed "Foodies" and love sharing our ardent and refined interest in all things food (and maybe a little wine...) together.

The following Saturday morning we strolled through Birmingham's own Pepper Place Market http://www.pepperplacemarket.com/ looking for fresh ingredients and ideas to create our next culinary delight.  Fairing well, we enjoyed some homemade peach ice cream by Sassy's and left with 3 large eggplants, a basket full of okra and a few bottles of Sweet Melissa's http://sweetmelissassauces.web.officelive.com/default.aspx signature Ruby Red and Mopping Sauces.  Jonathan made some A.Mazing hot wings a few weeks back on one of our lake trips using Sweet Melissa's bbq dry rub, the mopping sauce as a baste & ruby red sauce to dip them in.  DELISH!  Post-market we enjoyed a margarita at iCantina then window-shopped for new furniture which lead to being in the right place at the right time snagging the new grill at more than fabulous deal!!

~One Kookin' Kouple~