Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp

Hello everybody! Today we are going to be making bacon wrapped stuffed shrimp. My inspiration for this recipe was after eating this at the Rainforest Cafe and after loving the idea so much, I decided to try my own take on this delicious dish and the result is also quite delicious if I do say so myself.

Let’s begin!

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Jumbo Shrimp (6-8 Shrimp, Peeled, Devained, and Butterflied, Tail-On)
• ~1 Pound Bacon (1 Strip per Shrimp)
• 1 Pound Crab Meat
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup Breadcrumbs
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Curry Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/4 Cup Melted Butter

Directions:

1. Mix the crab meat, egg, breadcrumbs, black pepper, chili powder, salt, curry powder, and old bay together.
2. Divide the crab meat mixture evenly among the jumbo shrimp and stuff the shrimp.
3. Wrap the jumbo shrimp with a slice of bacon.
4. Brush with melted butter.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
6. Enjoy!

 

Baked Fuji Apples with Red Wine Caramel Sauce

Hello everybody! Today we are going to make baked apples. As if that wasn’t delicious enough, we are going to top that off with a caramel sauce made with red wine for a deliciously sweet flavor.

Let’s begin!

Ingredients (Baked Apples):

• 2 Fuji Apples
• 4 Tablespoons of Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons of Cinnamon
• Confectioner’s Sugar (Optional)

Ingredients (Red Wine Caramel Sauce):

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Water
• 1/2 Cup Cabernet Sauvignon (You can use another red wine if you’d like)
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Cut the apples and half and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over them.
2. Bake apples for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
3. While apples are baking, heat up the water and cup of sugar on medium heat until the sugar has begin to caramelize. This should take approximately ten minutes while you stir constantly.
4. Remove the sugar from heat and add the wine and heavy cream. Be careful as the caramel will bubble.
5. Put the syrup back on the stove and add the vanilla extract and stir to mix.
6. Plate an apple half and drizzle caramel sauce over it. You may sift confectioner’s sugar over it if you would like.
7. Enjoy!

Almond Crusted Tilapia

Hello everybody! Today we are going to be making Almond Crusted Tilapia. This is a delicious seafood dish that is quite easy to make and tastes delicious, it’s a great blend of slightly sweet and slightly spicy.

Let’s begin!

Ingredients:

• 4 Tilapia Filets (4 ounces each)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Almonds
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 3 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1/4 Cup of Butter (Melted)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, crush the almonds with the garlic, ginger, salt, red pepper, chili powder, sugar, and olive oil. You can break it down until the consistency is the way you like it. I preferred it more fine as you can see in the above picture.
2. Coat the tilapia filets so they are completely covered in the almond mixture.
3. Brush each filet with melted butter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish flakes with fork.
5. Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Cornish Hen Stuffed with Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing

Hello everybody! Today we are going to be making a Cornish hen. For those of you who have never had a Cornish hen, it is really difficult to articulate just how great of a protein it is. It is almost like a mini chicken but it lends itself well to being a blank canvas to add flavors to. The recipe that we are going to make today is a wonderful and interesting combination of sweet and savory. This is because we have flavors like bacon and chorizo that mesh well with sweeter flavors like the liqueur that the cornbread stuffing has.

Let’s begin!

Ingredients:

• 2 Cornish Hens
• 1 Cup of Your Favorite Liqueur (I used Kinky Liqueur, a blend of mango, blood orange and passion fruit)
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
• 3 Cups of Cubed Cornbread
• 2 Teaspoons Chicken Bouillon
• 2 Links of Spanish Chorizo
• 1 Cup of Your Favorite Shredded Cheese
• 6 Tablespoons of Butter
• 1 Pound of Thick Cut Bacon
• 2 Teaspoons of Salt
• 2 Teaspoons of Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Heat up the liqueur, garlic, ginger and chili powder to make a reduction. This is done by simmering the alcohol away so you have a thicker fruity syrup. You shouldn’t be left with much but this is really concentrated with tons of sweet and spicy flavor!
2. Saute the chorizo, butter, cornbread, shredded cheese, chicken bouillon, and liqueur reduction from above in a frying pan on medium heat for five or so minutes until the stuffing is nicely browned.
3. Stuff the chorizo cornbread mixture in the Cornish hens.
4. Rub the outside of the Cornish hens with salt and pepper.
5. Wrap the Cornish hens in bacon.
6. Brush the tops with a bit of extra liqueur.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 35 minutes or until there is no more pink inside.
8. Enjoy!

Chorizo Dip With Beef Roux

Hello everybody! Today’s recipe is something that I wanted to try out and the result was pretty good if I do say so myself! Chorizo is a type of Spanish sausage and when blended down like we will do today, it lends itself well to today’s appetizer. We will be making a dip that consists primarily of chorizo and goes great when spread on tortilla chips or fried plantains!

Let’s Begin!

Ingredients:

• 1 Link of Spanish Chorizo
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon Peel
• 7 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/3 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 2 Cups Milk
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 3 Teaspoons Beef Bouillon
• Shredded Parmesan (Optional)

Directions:

1. Melt the butter down on medium high heat.
2. Whisk flour and bouillon  in the butter very quickly for two minutes.
3. Microwave milk for two minutes and add to flour and bouillon mixture.
4. Set aside your roux for later.
5. Put the chorizo, black pepper, ginger, chili powder, lemon peel, garlic, and breadcrumbs in a food processor and blend it down as much as possible.
6. Saute the chorizo crumble in a frying pan with Olive Oil until it has darkened in color a bit.
7. Mold the chorizo crumble into a circle and top with roux.
8. You can add shredded parmesan and ground pepper if you’d like.
9. Enjoy!

Homemade Cantina Bowl

Hello everybody! Today we are going to be making a ‘Cantina Bowl!’ After seeing the new Taco Bell commercial a dozen or so times, I was inspired to put my own spin on the Cantina Bowl. Today’s recipe is a good dish to make for large groups. You can have four bowls out (one for chicken, rice, black bean and corn, and cheese) and have your guests serve themselves and craft their own bowls. This particular recipe serves eight people so it really lends itself well for a large gathering of friends and family as the recipe can easily be scaled up!

To make this dish easier to cook, this recipe is divided into three phases (Rice, Black Bean Mixture, and Chicken) with their own ingredients and directions. This allows this dish to not only be less overwhelming but, it’s easier to read as a result and should make preparation easier!

Let’s begin!

Ingredients (Cilantro-Lime Rice):

• 4 Cups of White Rice
• 5 Cups of Water
• 6 Tablespoons Lime Juice (3 medium limes)
• 5 Cloves of Garlic
• 3 Ounces of Cilantro Leaves (About 3.5 cups packed)
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• 5 Teaspoons of Ground Chicken Bouillon

Directions (Cilantro-Lime Rice):

1. Make a puree with the lime juice, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, and chicken bouillon in a food processor.
2. Add the rice, water, and cilantro puree from above into your rice cooker.
3. Turn on your rice cooker and cook until complete.

Note: If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can cook your rice in a pot by bringing the rice, water, and cilantro up to a boil and then simmering for 20 or so minutes until all the moisture is absorbed.

Ingredients (Black Bean and Corn Mixture):

• 2 Cans (32 Ounces) of Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
• 3 Cups of  Whole Kernal Corn
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• Remains of Cilantro Stalks from Above Rice Recipe (Optional)

Directions (Black Bean and Corn Mixture):

1. Heat up the olive oil and cilantro stalks for ten minutes or so to infuse the olive oil with cilantro.
2. Strain the olive oil and discard the cilantro stalks.
3. Add the olive oil, black beans, corn, and garlic and saute for five to ten minutes on medium-low heat.

Ingredients (Chicken):

• 2 1/4 Pounds of Chicken Breast (Cut into strips)
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 3 Teaspoons Ground Oregano
• 2 Teaspoons Cumin
• 2 Teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Peel
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Directions (Chicken):

1. Rub the chicken together with the salt, oregano, cumin, red pepper, and lemon peel so that the spices are evenly distributed throughout the outside of the chicken.
2. Saute in a frying pan on medium-high heat until fully cooked. This should take about fifteen to twenty minutes.
3. Increase heat to high for three minutes to get a lovely brown color on the outside.

Assembly:

1. Line your bowl with a scoop or two of rice.
2. Top rice with the black bean and corn mixture.
3. Place chicken on top of the bean mixture.
4. If you’d like, you can top your cantina bowl with a shredded cheese blend (this will be called a mexican or fiesta blend in your local grocery store) and crumbled tortilla chips.
5. Enjoy!

Well, there you have it! A bit more lengthy of a recipe but now you can have a delicious and festive culinary dish at home without having to leave the comfort of your own home! This dish would also be perfect for little kids who would have fun assembling their own bowl!

Tips:

• You can make burritos by putting the contents of the bowl in a tortilla!
• You can also use a tortilla as a bowl by baking it!
• By omitting the chicken, you have a great vegetarian dish!

Shark Steaks

Hello everybody! Today, we are going to be making a more exotic dish. While this recipe is a detour from the more traditional fare featured on my blog, it is by far, the dish that was the most involved for me as well as has the most interesting story.

While normally I delve right into the recipe, I feel that today’s dish deserves a bit more explanation. If you are wondering if I purchased today’s fish in the store, the answer is no. The shark that I cooked for this dish were three small hammerhead sharks that were fished off the coast in Treasure Island, FL. After a long day at the beach and everybody got out, my sister, cousin, uncle, uncle’s brother-in-law, and I decided to go fishing. While we were all unsuccessful, except for some small salt water catfish which we threw back, my uncle’s brother-in-law caught three hammerhead sharks!

I then took the liberty of filleting them which is not as easy as videos on YouTube would have you believe. It took me like an hour and a half to fillet three tiny sharks.

Regardless, in the end it was delicious! And if you don’t have the time or beach access to fish for sharks, you’ll be happy to know that there is a chance that your local grocery store might carry shark. If you are worried about the thought of eating shark, don’t be! It is a white fish that has a density very similar to tuna while having a taste similar to other white fish so while psychologically it might be different, the taste should not be too exotic for you! I encourage you to dive right in with some shark! (Pun totally intended!)

So, with that being said! Let’s begin!

Ingredients:

• 2 Pounds of Shark Fillets
• 1 Cup Triple Sec liqueur
• 8 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/3 Cup of Ground Peppercorns
• 2 Tablespoons Sea Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Prep Work: (Note, this only applies if you caught your shark like I did.)

1. Leave your shark fillets in the refrigerator soaking in milk for an hour. This helps remove the slight taste of ammonia that occurs as a result of some sharks urinating through their skin. (Hey, it may be more than you wanted to know but, you wouldn’t want to ruin your meal!)
2. Drain the milk and rinse your shark fillets.
3. Pat them dry.

Directions:

1. Mince the garlic using a garlic press. (If you don’t have a garlic press, a knife will work just fine.)
2. Add a couple of spoonfuls of Triple Sec to a pan and saute the garlic in it until the liquid has disappeared.
3. Mix the sauteed garlic, triple sec, ground peppercorns, sea salt, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon together.
4. Once the triple sec mixture is at room temperature, drizzle it over the shark fillets and rub the solid spices into the fillets.
5. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
6. Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side on medium heat. (Shark should flake with a fork)
7. Enjoy!

Well, there you have it!

Hopefully you have enjoyed this dish as much as I did!

Shrimp Alfredo

Hello everybody! Today we are going to be making Shrimp Alfredo! Shrimp Alfredo is a pretty self explanatory dish but nonetheless some appreciate a little guidance when it comes to cooking. So, it is my hope that with this recipe, you too can make your own simple yet tasty Italian creation!

Let’s begin!

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Shrimp (Peeled and De-Tailed)
• Half a Box of Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
• 1 Jar of Alfredo Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Grated Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

Directions:

1. Boil  water in a large pot
2. Put fettuccine to cook for 12-13 minutes (12 for Al Dente and 13 for a bit more cooked)
3. Saute minced garlic in olive oil for 30 seconds on medium heat.
4. Add shrimp to garlic and olive oil and cook until done (5-7 minutes)
5. Heat up alfredo sauce and add cooked shrimp to it.
6. When fettuccine is done, toss with alfredo and shrimp.
7. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
8. Enjoy!

There you have it! Shrimp Alfredo in less than ten easy steps! Until next time! Bye everybody!

 

Egg in a Basket

Hello everybody! Today’s recipe is a quick and easy one that makes for a delicious breakfast. It goes by many names but, I call it Egg in a Basket. In fact, today’s recipe is so popular that it even has it’s own Wikipedia entry!

Instead of telling you how easy the recipe is to make, I’ll just let the recipe do the talking.

Ingredients:

• Bacon Grease (Optional)
• 1 Egg
• 1 Slice of Bread

Prep Work:

1. Cut a hole in the middle of the slice of bread with a cookie cutter or an upside down glass/mug.

Directions:

1. Cook some bacon in a frying pan until it reaches your desired level of crispiness.
2. Leave the grease behind and place the bread in for 10 seconds or so.
3. Crack the egg into the hole and cook until it reaches your desired level of doneness!
4. Enjoy!

Voila! There you have it. A simple and delicious breakfast!

Black Bean Burgers

Hello everybody! Today we are going to be making black bean burgers. For those of you who have never had them before, they are a great healthy alternative to traditional burgers. Each burger is very filling but has less than 250 calories so you can not only enjoy them but do so guilt free! These burgers also have the added bonus of being vegetarian so you can make them an option at your next cookout for those who don’t eat meat.

Let’s begin!

Ingredients:

• 1 Can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed (16 ounces)
• 1/2 Can of Corn, drained (8 ounces)
• 3 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha (Optional)
• 1 Teaspoon of Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit. (You can also grill them!)
2. Mash black beans with a fork until you have a thick paste.
3. Add corn and mash a bit more to incorporate.
4. Beat egg and add garlic and salt to it. (You can add the sriracha at this point in time if you’d like a mild warmth to your black bean burgers.)
5. Add egg mixture to mashed beans and corn and stir so the entire mixture is covered in egg.
6. Add bread crumbs and mix until the entire mixture will hold together.
7. Form into 4 patties of equal side.
8. Bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet for 10 minutes on each side.
9. Enjoy!

Tips:

Feel free to get creative with this recipe! You can try the following things to give your black bean burger a delicious twist

• Treat it like a normal burger and add lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc.!
• Chop up some jalapenos and cheddar and add to the mashed beans!
• Add whatever other spices you think would be delicious!
• The possibilities are endless!