Coconut Shrimp

I am a huge fan of the coconut shrimp at Outback and have tried a few times to copy it but have failed miserably at my attempts. I found this recipe in my All You magazine and tried it. My family loved it and said it was the best shrimp they had ever eaten. It is a little different than Outbacks but very good. We just eat cocktail sauce with it.

24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp. Tabasco

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup sweetened flake coconut

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

Pat shrimp dry. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with Tabasco. In a third bowl, mix bread crumbs, coconut and red pepper.

Pour enough oil to measure 1 inch deep in a large skillet. Warm over medium high heat until 370 degrees. I just use my deep fat fryer to cook mine.

Working with one shrimp at a time, roll in seasoned flour, then dip in egg mixture. Then press shrimp into coconut mixture until completely coated. Transfer to a cookie sheet or plate until ready to cook.

Fry shrimp, a few at a time, until golden brown turning once or twice, 3-4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

My recipe for cocktail sauce is some ketchup and add a little horseradish to taste.

Raspberry Orange Pancakes

These pancakes were amazing. My family gobbled them right up and we will be doing them more often. I got the recipe from elleapparel@blogspot.com, but I changed the recipe a bit.

• zest from 1 orange
• 1 pint fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 4 large eggs, separated

1. Working over a bowl, use a grater to zest the orange, being careful not to remove any of the bitter white pith. Cut the zested orange into wedges, and set them aside.
2. Add the raspberries to the bowl containing the orange zest. Stir in 1/3 cup sugar, gently crushing the raspberries with a wooden spoon. Set aside while making the pancake batter.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, 1 tbsp. sugar and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the ricotta cheese with milk and egg yolks. Add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture, and stir until just combined. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
4. Beat egg whites with a handheld mixer until they hold soft peaks. Next, gently fold the raspberries with their juices into the batter, and then fold in the egg whites. (You want little clumps of whites in the batter. The important thing is not to overmix it.)
5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat.
6. Cook the pancakes. We put the homemade buttermilk syrup on our pancakes.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

So I love any food that is Mexican, authentic or americanized and these taquitos are no exception. They were absolutely delicious. I got the recipe from ourbestbites.com.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (i used canned)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

corn or flour tortillas

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. We dipped ours with sour cream and salsa.

Overnight Waffles

At our house we LOVE our buttermilk waffles so much that I have really never imagined looking for another recipe.  And then after weeks without enough time in the morning to make my normal waffles I was desperate. I wanted waffles and I needed to find an easier solution for our crazed mornings. That is when I found this overnight waffle recipe at The Sisters Cafe. I was a little afraid, I have had yeasted waffles before and they were nothing to write home about, but these were incredible! They are super light and fluffy with an outer crunch that is perfect. They literally melt in your mouth with a buttery flavor that makes you want to eat at least a dozen. (Not that I did or anything!) Wow!

Overnight Waffles

1/2 teaspoon Instant yeast
2 cups All purpose flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Milk  
8 T. Butter, melted and cooled (I might try cutting out a couple   
                 of tablespoons next time…) 
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 eggs

The night before, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, then the butter and vanilla. The mixture will be loose. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature.

In the morning preheat waffle iron. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter.

Pour batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Serve immediately or keep warm for a few minutes in a low oven

Light Brioche Burger Buns

I LOVE bread! There really isn’t much else to say. My ultimate goal is to make all of the bread we eat. I am still working on the perfect sandwich loaf that is whole wheat, but not heavy. This week’s try was just o.k. And so in the meantime I saw a recipe at Annie’s Eats on making Brioche buns for hamburgers (or any sandwich for that matter!) and they were AMAZING!! The recipe has a few more steps than a simple French bread roll, but it’s worth it! 

Brioche Rolls

3 tbsp. warm milk  
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour (I used all purpose and it worked great!) 
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for a good 8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky. That’s o.k. try not to add more flour otherwise your buns might be a little tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts.  Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

One of my favorite childhood memories is my daily breakfast with my Dad. Yes, you heard that right my Dad made a warm breakfast every morning. Kids from the neighborhood would often stop by on their way to the bus stop for a quick bite. Now I have this dream of giving my kids the same thing. When I saw this Oatmeal Pancake Mix recipe I knew I needed to give it a try. I was a little weary that they would be too hearty, but instead they are surprisingly tender and delicious. We now eat them weekly!

(Thanks for the picture Mel, I never seem to remember before they are gone!)

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats, blended
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable or canola oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). If desired, grind the oats in a blender or food processor before adding to the other dry ingredients for a smoother mix. With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it  is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I’ve never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. (I let mine sit for about 5 minutes—works wonders!) Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side.

Giveaway!

As promised last week we’re having a giveaway! Isn’t the apron cute? It’s also really easy to make. All you need is a placemat and some ribbon. So if you would like to enter the giveaway you have a couple of different options. You can a.)be a follower or become a follower b.)make a comment about us on facebook or c.)make a comment about us on your blog. You can do one or all three. Just comment below and let us know what you did. The giveaway ends Wednesday at noon. Good Luck!