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Sunday, April 7, 2013

A COOKOUT AND GAME NIGHT WITH SHEILA AND RUSSELL - April 2013!

Our Supper Club is getting together again in April with a cookout at our friends Sheila and Russell's home!  Here's the menu:

Chicken Enchilada Dip with chips
Antipasto Platter
BBQ Ribs
Twice Baked Potatoes
Roasted Brussell Sprouts
Baked Beans
Snickers Trifle

Finally Atlanta is seeing warm temperatures, and we're celebrating it with an outdoor cookout! 

CHICKEN ENCHILADA DIP
(Adapted from my-plate.blogspot.com)
Photo Credit: my-plate

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled or boiled in chicken broth for ~35 minutes and shredded
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonaise
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (use more is you like more heat)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, green chile peppers and jalapeno pepper.
Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium baking dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

SNICKERS TRIFLE
(Recipe from Tasty Kitchen)
Photo Credit: What Life Dishes Out

1 whole Pan Prepared Brownies (8 Inch By 8 Inch Or Larger)
2 packages Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix (Approx 3.5 Oz Each Pkg)
4 cups Cold Milk (for Pudding Mix)
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3 whole Snickers Bars (2 oz each)
1 jar Caramel Sauce (8 oz or larger)

Cut your prepared brownies into about 1 inch chunks (I used about 3/4 of an 8 x 8 inch pan) and set aside.
Prepare pudding as directed (combining the powdered mix with the amount of milk specified on the package), and set aside.
Beat heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form, then set aside.
Chop Snickers bars into small pieces, and set aside.
Assemble dessert: Crumble brownies into bottom of trifle bowl to cover surface.
Drizzle a few spoonfuls of caramel sauce over the brownie pieces.
Spread half of the prepared pudding over brownies and caramel.
Spread half of the whipped cream over top of pudding layer.
Sprinkle with half of the chopped Snickers.
Repeat layering, finishing off with the remaining Snickers chunks.
Cover and chill for a few hours before serving.

Here are a few pictures of what we enjoyed:








We had so much fun!  We enjoyed each other's company, had great food AND even had a Blackjack tournament!  Looking forward to our next get-together at Don and Diane's in June!



Friday, April 5, 2013

MARDI GRAS WITH LESLIE AND MARK - February 2013!



The February theme for our Supper Club is MARDI GRAS!  Our friends Mark and Leslie are hosting this fun event.  Unfortunately we are out of town for this one, but I'm sharing the menu and recipes so we can recreate the fun whenever we want to!


MENU:
Appetizer
Jambalaya
Salad
Red Beans and French Bread
King Cake


I found some more great recipes!  These are from Kevin (Closet Cooking):
Shrimp Etouffee
Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
Cajun Red Beans and Rice
Shrimp and andouille grits
Fried green tomatoes with remoulade
Blackened catfish tacos

SHRIMP ETOUFFEE
Photo Credit: Kevin Closet Cooking

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
2 cups shrimp stock
1 cup tomato, diced
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound shrimp shelled and deviened
hot sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Directions
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat, cook until it starts to brown sprinkle in the flour while mixing and simmer until it turns a dark brown, about 10-20 minutes.
Add the onion, celery and peppers and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute.
Whisk in the stock, add the tomato, creole seasoning and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the shrimp and cook until cooked, about 5 minutes.
Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
Mix in the butter lemon juice, green onion and parsley and enjoy over cooked rice.Tip: If you do not have shrimp stock, simmer the shrimp shells in chicken stock or beer for 30 minutes.

SHRIMP AND OKRA GUMBO
(From Kevin Closet Cooking)
Photo Credit: Kevin Closet Cooking

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
1 cup onion (diced)
1 cup celery (diced)
1 cup green pepper (diced)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 pound okra (trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch slices)
4 cups shrimp stock
1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes (chopped)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound shrimp (shelled and deveined, save those shells for shrimp stock)
4 cups cooked rice
1 bunch green onions (sliced)
1 handful parsley (chopped)

1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Mix in the flour and cook until it turns a dark golden brown while stirring constantly, about 4-6 minutes.
3. Add the onions, celery and green pepper and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Add the okra and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add the shrimp stock, tomatoes, paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 1-3 hours.
8. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3-5 minutes.
9. Serve with rice and garnish with green onions and parsley.
CAJUN RED BEANS AND RICE
Photo Credit: Kevin Closet Cooking
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 pound andouille sausage (cut into small pieces)
1 cup onion (diced)
1/2 cup celery (diced)
1/2 cup green pepper (diced)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
4 cups chicken broth
2 (19 ounce) cans red beans (rinsed and drained)
1 ham hock
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups cooked rice
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
Add the sausage and saute until lightly golden brown, about 5-7 minutes, and set aside.
Add the onions, celery and green pepper to the pan and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the stock, beans, ham hock, sausage, paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for at least 1 hour continuing for another hour or two if you have the time to bring out more flavour from the ham hock.
Remove the ham hock, pull the meat from it, cut it into bite sized pieces and add it back to the pot if desired.
Mash or puree about a quarter of the beans.
Serve over rice.

BLACKENED CATFISH TACOS


Photo Credit: Kevin Closet Cooking


1 pound catfish or other white fish
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons creole seasoning
8 (6 inch) tortillas
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1 cup pico de gallo
1/4 cup remoulade sauce
hot sauce to taste
Directions
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Dip the fish into the butter, sprinkle on the seasoning and pat it in.
Place the fish in the skillet and cook until it just starts to blacken but not burn, about 2 minutes, flip it and do the same to the other side.
Assemble tacos and enjoy.


The Pie Belle’s Mardi Gras King Cake
(From Bourbon and Boots)



Dough
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 pkg. (envelope) active dry yeast
½ cup white sugar
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs

Filling
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Icing
1 stick butter, softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
Decorating sugars (purple, green and gold)
Heat the milk and butter in a saucepan until it reaches a temperature of about 110 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the milk and butter mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of the flour, salt and eggs; stir well to combine. Add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. (If you use a stand mixer, use the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 4-5 minutes).
Lightly grease a large mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a lightly damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough by punching it once and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin and roll it into a rectangle that is about 10 x 14-inches. Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it evenly over the butter.
Roll up the dough into a log and seal the seam by pinching it together.
Form the log into a ring, pinching the dough together at the two ends to form a seam.
Place in a greased 13 x 9-inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise again, overnight.


Next morning, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take the ring out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (still covered).
Remove plastic wrap and bake the ring for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. While the ring is baking, combine the icing ingredients and mix with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
When the ring comes out of the oven, coat it generously with icing. Then decorate the top with colored sugars (green, gold, purple), in alternating sections, about 2 inches each.

Don’t forget to hide the plastic baby charm inside, but warn everyone to look for it!

Photo Credit: Denise Jones




Photo Credit: Denise Jones



Next get-together is in April at Sheila and Russell's home - can't wait!!!