Garlic-Peppercorn Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 1 pound shrimp (61-90 count); raw, peeled, tail off, thawed
• peanut oil (as needed)
• 1/2 cut wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh cracked ground black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs

Fill deep fryer 2 to 3 inches deep with peanut oil and heat to 350 degrees. Combine flour, salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, garlic, paprika and sugar in a bowl. Beat eggs only slightly in another bowl. Mix bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon pepper in a third bowl. Coat shrimp with flour mixture, then eggs, then bread crumb mixture; be careful to shake off the excess between each step and don’t overcoat the shrimp.

Fry 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.

Pop’s Cajun-style Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces Louisiana hot sauce
• 6 tablespoons margarine
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cook the wings until done (either bake or deep-fry). Mix all sauce ingredients except flour in a saucepan on the stove. Cook over low-medium heat. When warm, add flour to thicken the sauce. Stir frequently. When sauce is thick, cover bottom of 9×13-inch baking dish with sauce. Mix rest of sauce with wings and place in baking dish. Bake for about 20 minutes or until warm. NOTE: Each time these are reheated, they’re going to get hotter!!

Serve with blue-cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Fire Bites (like TGIFriday’s)

Ingredients:

• 26 ounce can sliced jalapeno peppers (not the pickled kind like those used for nachos)
• 2 2/3 cup cracker crumbs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• peanut oil

Drain the jalapeno peppers and set aside.  Mix cracker crumbs with flour together and blend well.  In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add water and blend well.  Heat oil in deep fryer approximately 350 degrees.  Dip slices of peppers in egg wash and then the flour/cracker crumb mixture.  Dust off any excess dry mixture and carefully place in hot oil.  Do not overcrowd the fryer with peppers.  Fry until golden brown, remove and let dry on paper towel.

Serve with your favorite Con Queso dip!!

 

Mexican Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 12 hard-boiled eggs
• 3/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1/2 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Slice eggs in half, lengthwise.  Remove yolks and set whites aside.  In a small mixing bowl, mash yolks with cheese, mayo, onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin.  Fill or pipe into the egg whites.  Serve immediately or chill, covered until ready to serve.

Potato Skins with Salsa and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 3/4 cup diced, seeded, firm, ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1/4 cup rinsed, drained canned black beans
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cucumber
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno
• salt (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons shredded part-time mozzarella (or reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese)

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes thoroughly; pierce with the tip of a knife and bake directly on the over rack until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, make the salsa: In a bowl, combine the tomato, corn, black beans, cucumber, scallion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, green pepper, cilantro, lime juice and jalapeno; add salt to taste.
3. Preheat the broiler
4. Halve the potatoes lengthwise and, using a teaspoon, carefully remove all but 1/8″ – 1/4″ of the potato, leaving the skin intact. Reserve the insides of the potatoes for another use (great for potato-cakes in the morning!). Brush the inside of the potato shells lightly with the 1 teaspoon olive oil.
5. Place the potato skins, cut side up, on a baking sheet and broil 3″-4″ from the flamer/coil for 5 minutes. Turn the skins over and broil for 1 more minute.
6. Spoon the salsa onto the potato skins, dividing it evenly. Sprinkle with the cheese, dividing it evenly. Broil the skins just until the cheese is melted.
7. Serve immediately!

Pop’s Tex-Mex Dip

Ingredients:

• 3 medium ripe avocados
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 1 package Taco Seasoning mix
• 2 (10.5 ounce) cans of refried beans or bean dip
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 3 tomatoes; chopped
• black olives; pitted, sliced and drained
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese
• tortilla chips

Mash the avocados with lemon juice, salt and pepper; and then set aside. Combine sour cream, mayo, and taco mix and mix well; and then set aside. Spread the bean dip or refried beans first onto bottom of platter. Top with the avocado and spread all over evenly. Layer next with the sour cream mix and spread evenly overall. Sprinkle scallions next all over. Sprinkle tomatoes next, then olives, and then top off with the shredded cheese. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Pop’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound red potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 4 cloves roasted garlic

To really get the full flavor out of this dish, these potatoes need to be baked, not boiled.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake potatoes for 20-30 minutes. During this time, roast the garlic also. Simply coat the bulb with some olive oil and wrap in foil and roast along with the potatoes. Remove potatoes and garlic from the oven and allow to cool. It’s up to you if you want to leave the potato skins on or not. Chop potatoes, add butter and half-and-half, and mix with an electric mixer. Add garlic and salt/pepper (to taste). Put potato mixture in a saucepan and gently heat back up before serving.

Leftovers make excellent potato-cakes the next morning for breakfast!!!

Crock-Pot Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 8-10 potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 4 tablespoons of cubed chicken
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• pepper
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (13 ounce) can evaporated milk

Peel and cut potatoes into small pieces. Slice carrots. Combine all ingredients except evaporated milk. Cook on high in crock-pot for 45 minutes; then cook 10 to 12 hours on low. Stir in evaporated milk at the beginning of that last hour.

Pizza Dipping Sauces

Garlic Sauce:

1. 1/2 cup margarine
2. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3. Combine ingredients in a small bowl.  Microwave on 50% power for 20 seconds.  Stir.  Serve.  Enjoy.

Cheese Sauce:

1. 1/2 cup milk
2. 2 teaspoons cornstarch
3. 1/4 cup Cheez Whiz
4. 2 teaspoon juice from canned jalapenos (nacho slices)
5. Combine cornstarch with milk in a small bowl and stir until cornstarch has dissolved.  Add Cheez Whiz and stir to combine.  Microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir until smooth.  Add juice from jalapeno slides and stir.

Pop’s Pancakes

Ingredients:

• nonstick spray
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or Bisquick)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• pinch of salt

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Use a pan with a nonstick surface or apply a little nonstick spray. In a blender or with a mixer, combine all of the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour the batter by spoonfuls onto the hot pan, forming 5-inch cakes. When the edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes (they should be golden brown …. not brownly-golden, that’s what I call burnt!). Cook pancakes on the other side for same amount of time.

Makes 8 to 10 pancakes.

My daughters really love these pancakes and here’s a few ideas you can try to bump these up a notch!

1. Try using vanilla extract when mixing the batter.
2. Add cinnamon
3. Add peanut butter
4. Add mashed-up bananas
5. Add apple butter (sparingly!!!)
6. Add pureed apples (granny smith’s)

Makes 8 to 10 pancakes.