Shrimp Cheese Ball

¾ pound cooked fresh shrimp which has been boiled with water and  Old Bay Seasoning and 2 Bay Leaves, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese – room temperature
1 stick of butter – room temperature
½ cup green salad onions chopped
¼ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
2 clove garlic finely chopped
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Add all ingredients into a food processor with blade attachment and process until mixture is smooth.  Line a 2 cup mold of your choice with plastic wrap.  Spoon the mixture into the mold and chill over night.  Remove mold mixture onto a serving platter and serve with crackers of your choice.  Do not forget your favorite glass of wine or cocktail.  This is an oh so good cheese ball and is best served with quality crackers and you just have to have fun!

Hot Crab Meat Appetizer

1 cup of canned artichokes – well drained

1 pound of crab meat
1 pound fresh mushrooms
1 small onion chopped
3 and 4 tablespoons of salted butter
2 ½ tablespoons of flour
1 cup of heavy cream
½ teaspoon of Tony Chachere’s The Original Creole Seasoning
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce
½ cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon Paprika
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup grated Asiago cheese

Place drained artichokes on the bottom of 9 X 9” square pan sprayed with non stick coating.  Sprinkle ½ of the crab meat over the artichokes.  Sauté the onions and then add sliced mushrooms which have been sautéed with 3 tablespoons of butter.  Top the mushrooms and onions over the first layer of crabmeat.  Sprinkle with the remaining crab meat.   Melt 4 ounces of butter, thicken with the flour and slowly add cream, whisk until creamy. Add remaining ingredients, Tony Chachere’s, Worcestershire Sauce, dry sherry,  paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper .  Stir until the cream sauce is smooth and creamy.  Pour sauce over the crab and artichokes layers and then sprinkle the top of the casserole with the Asiago Cheese.  Bake 20 minutes until hot at a 375 degree oven.

Serves 6 to 8 and best when served with hot French Bread or good quality crackers.

Enjoy!  Have some fun!

Southern Praline Brownies
1 package of supreme fudge brownie mix
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup pecan liquor
1 cup of chopped pecans
3 tablespoon of melted butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 X 13 inch rectangular pan.  Prepare the brownies as directed on the package, adding the vanilla and pecan liquor .  Spread the brownie mixture in the 9 X 13 rectangular pan.  Mix brown sugar, pecans, and butter in a small bowl.  Sprinkle the mixture in a small bowl.  Sprinkle this mixture over the brownie dough.  Bake 30 minutes.  Cool and cut into 1 ½ inch squares.  Makes 4 dozen brownies.

Remember one thing we want to do always, just have some fun!

Beer Bread

3 cups self rising flour

3 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
12 oz of beer any beer will do.  (Shiner Beer is obviously my favorite because it is home of my mother and grandparents!)  Shiner has been served in my family long before all of you went nuts drinking the many flavors of Shiner today. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl measure the flour and salt, stir until well blended.  Then make a well with the flour and salt mixture, add the egg which has been beaten, the honey and the 12 ounces of beer.  Beat by hand for 1 minute only.  Pour into large loaf pan which has been sprayed with non stick coating.  Bake for one hour until done.  Do not overtake.

You know, even though this is beer bread you still can have fun and open that bottle of wine!  Enjoy with your favorite cheeses, stews or soups.  Grilled beef or chicken is delicious with this bread as well, and add a salad!  Just remember one thing, have some fun!

Savory Bread Pudding, Shrimp in Red  Creole Sauce,  and Jellied tomatoes

 Bunko was at my house last Friday night.  My girlfriends have been playing Bunko for near 20 years.  Although we all have been friends for 20 to 30 years and then some even longer!  We are great group which we all have great respect for one another.  We are all different but the love we share is the same, true!  Our Bunko entails a group member hosting a dinner party at her home.  We all try to attend, not easy, even after all the years of raising our children.  And then there are the times we get together and just eat, have a few drinks, and talk, laugh and never play a game.  As was last night!  Oh well, trust me, we were having fun!

Each time I have my girlfriends over I want nothing more to offer my heart and soul, wait on them, and create a wonderful menu they have never ate before.  I first created this during the holidays 2011.  Inspired from NOLA, I created a menu classic, from shrimp and grits.  Although instead of using grits, I thought, all this French bread and cornbread we had for the holidays why not combine the breads and make a savory bread pudding?  So here goes, take a ride on this and remember one statement I love to make, just have fun!

French bread – cubed and day old – 5 cups

Corn bread – cubed and day old – 5 cups
Milk – ½ gallon
Eggs – 12 eggs, 1 dozen
Onion – whole onion chopped
Bell pepper – 1 cup chopped – Mix the different colors, will add wonderful flavors to this dish
Celery – 1 cup chopped
1/3  cup olive oil
Lawry’s  - 1 Tablespoon
Granulated garlic – 1 tablespoon
Black pepper – 1 teaspoon
Sauté in a skillet, onion, bell pepper, celery, oil  and Lawry’s seasoning until tender
Mix the above ingredients and place in a Pam sprayed 9  X  13 casserole dish.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour.

Let cool for 15 minutes and top with red Creole sauce and shrimp and garnish with jellied tomatoes.

Red Creole Sauce

1 large cans of Contadina Crushed Tomatoes
2 large cans of water from the Contadina
2 small cans of Canadian tomato  paste
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons dried basil
6 bay leaves
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup of a dark roux

8 pounds of cleaned divined shrimp that are 20 to 30 count a pound.  Just the perfect size shrimp for this recipe.

Sauté olive oil, onion, bell pepper and celery in a large pot until tender.  Add seasoning, brown sugar, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste along with the water.   Cook over low heat , covered for 4 to 5 hours.  Stirring often and occasionally.  Add the roux after the sauce has been cooking for a couple of hours.  Make sure to stir often.   Once you have cooked the red Creole sauce long enough you can add the raw shrimp to cook quickly for no more than 10 minutes.  Very important to not overcook the shrimp.

Jellied Tomatoes

1 large package Grape tomatoes
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
4 tablespoons of butter

Place all ingredients in large saucepan and cook over medium heat on top of the stove, uncovered.  Render down until tomatoes have thickened as jelly.

The red Creole sauce and Jellied Tomatoes can be topped on rice or grits.   Any version is delicious, but come on, main statement, just have fun, let’s have some fun!

Southern Delight Pralines

Hello to all!  I am going to propose to you I am selling my Southern Praline Delights for 21.95 a pound plus tax and delivery where applicable.  My 1 pound pralines are approximately 14 pieces per pound 2 to 2 1/2 inch in diameter.  Order just in time for Mother's Day.  I aim to please everyone that is on your Mother's Day list!

You can contact me through my personal e-mail address, leopardlady265632@yahoomail.com

Thank you!

Chicken Filled Pies

Pastry
3 sticks of butter, salted, room temperature
3 cups flour
1 – 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature

Mix the above and refrigerate until well chilled, a couple of hours.  Roll pastry thin on floured cutting board.  Use a biscuit cutter and cut rounds 2 inch in diameter. 

Fill with chicken filling, approximately 1 teaspoon.

3 boneless skinless chicken breast
Season and grill your chicken on a grill for added flavor.  Let chicken cool and cut into small pieces. 
Place in bowl and add the following;
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of mozzarella grated cheese
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
Lawry’s Seasoning to taste
Mix with the chicken and add 1 teaspoon to each round of pastry.  Fold over and seal with a fork.  Also prick the center of each filled pie in order for pies to let out steam while baking.  Sprinkle with Paprika for color.  Bake on a cookie sheet which has been lined with parchment paper.

Bake in a 400 degree oven  for 20 minutes until golden brown.  Cool and enjoy, have some fun!