Saturday Down South: NOLA-Style BBQ Shrimp

It's here again, folks... it's officially Alabama-LSU week in college football. It's essentially the biggest game of our season. Even though my Crimson Tide is undefeated and ranked #1, this game has got this entire house nervous. Unfortunately for us, we're playing in Baton Rouge this year, so we weren't able to go root on our boys in person, but we are certainly there in spirit! As a part of SEC tradition, everyone typically bases their tailgate spread on the food of what the opposing team is famous for. So naturally, that means Creole or Cajun recipes on this particular weekend. When we made the trip to New Orleans for the college playoff game two years ago, I heard about Barbecue Shrimp. Now, this isn't your ole typical BBQ. It involves unpeeled, head-on shrimp that is simmered in a shit ton of butter, hot sauce, worcestershire, and lemon. This buttery spicy sauce is heavenly in every way possible... and even better, there is a requirement of serving it with a baguette of french bread, so that you can sop up all that sauce. Um, yum. I added my own little touches to it by adding my favorite homemade BBQ rub, which sweetens it just a tad, and by also infusing the dish with some fresh parsley + chives. I think that it lends another element to the whole thing that is much needed. We adored this recipe for NOLA-Style BBQ shrimp and have every damn intention of making it over and over and over again. It is absolutely fabulous for feeding a crowd or you know, just you and a friend... whatever you wanna do is up to you!! Enjoy :)

oh here comes the bread for soppin'

um... perfection.

For the BBQ Shrimp:

6T Unsalted Butter

3 Sticks Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes + Chilled

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1C Beer

1C Hot Sauce

½C Worcestershire Sauce

¼C Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

2T Homemade BBQ Seasoning

2T Fresh Cracked Pepper

3lbs Head-On Large Shrimp (unpeeled)

Kosher Salt (as needed)

1T Fresh Parsley, Minced

1T Fresh Chives, Minced

1 Lemon, Thinly Sliced (for garnishing)

Warmed French Bread, For Dipping

Directions:

1. Heat the 6T of unsalted butter in the largest skillet that you have over medium-high heat (we used a paella pan and it worked great). Add in the minced garlic and cook until it is soft and fragrant… about 1-2 minutes (do not burn the garlic).

2. Add in the beer, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, BBQ seasoning, and pepper. Stir to combine it into the melted butter and garlic. Bring this mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 8-10 minutes. Add the head-on, unpeeled shrimp; cook, flipping once, until the shrimp is cooked through (just when it begins to turn pink). This should only take a few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cubed, chilled butter to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt.

3. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle the chives and parsley all over the shrimp and place the sliced lemon evenly throughout the pan. Serve the BBQ shrimp with warmed French bread for sopping up the sauce. Enjoy.

Summer Staples : Mexican Marinated Flank Steak with Candied Jalapeno Chimichurri

Mexican Marinated Flank Steak with Candied Jalapeno Chimichurri 

We love any kind of steak. It has to be cooked perfectly and seasoned perfectly. I love any kinda cut of red meat, but each one needs to be treated accordingly. For flank or skirt steak, it is crucial that they are marinated overnight in either a heavy spice rub or a flavorful wet mixture. My go-to marinade involves soy sauce, lime juice, chipotle pepper in adobo, worcestershire, fresh garlic, and lots of herbs + spices. It's awesome. And something we utilize often, like weekly, in our house. Nothing is better than a perfectly grilled or charred flank steak that is cooked to the perfect temperature. We like it medium rare with the prettiest hot pink center. It's mouth-watering honestly. But, I know how we all work, and we don't just want any 'ole steak (though amazing on its' own), it's gotta go over-the-top. And that's where my Candied Jalapeno Chimichurri comes into play. It's the bomb y'all. It's herby, spicy, sweet, & the perfect compliment to some steak. I love the candied jalapeno component, butofcourse. I adds an unbelievable sweetness, but balances perfectly against the spice + herbs. The chimichurri is a MUST. Don't get it twisted and make this STAT. Enjoy :)

Candied Jalapeno Chimichurri 

For the Mexican Marinated Flank Steak:

1/3C Soy Sauce

½C Olive Oil

1/3C Fresh Lime Juice

2 Limes, Zested

1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo

¼C Worcestershire Sauce

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1T Garlic Powder

3T Dried Oregano

1 ½T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

1t Pepper + Ground Cumin

¼t Red Pepper Flakes

1 Large Flank Steak

For the Chimichurri Sauce:

1C Fresh Parsley, Minced

1C Fresh Cilantro, Minced

1-2T Dried Oregano

½t Red Pepper Flakes

1 Shallot, Minced

¼-½C Candied Jalapenos, Finely Chopped  

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

2T Roasted Red Pepper, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Mexican Marinated Flank Steak: Place the soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and all of the seasonings in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds or until thoroughly mixed. Pour the marinade over the flank steak. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. Before cooking, remove the meat from the marinade and let it come to room temperature for an hour. Once it has come to room temperature, dry the marinated meat completely by wiping it with paper towels. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper. Heat a large pan or griddle over high heat and grease it with a little oil. Cook the meat for roughly 3 minutes on each side for a medium rare steak. Once it has cooked, remove it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. After resting, slice the meat against the grain into thin slices.

2. For the Chimichurri Sauce: Finely chop the parsley, fresh cilantro, garlic, shallot, and candied jalapenos (or process in a food processor several pulses). Place in a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil, herbs, spices, vinegar, salt, pepper, minced red pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings. Serve immediately drizzled over the marinated steak.   

Bloody-Good Bloody Mary's with Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree, Horseradish Infused Vodka, & Hot Sauce Ice Cubes

Wow, we are absolutely pooped. But, we had an amazing time celebratin' the new year downtown!! Hands down, best NYE party ever :) Even though we stayed up late, we had been planning our New Years' Day brunch for like two weeks. No lie. And what do I think of that has to be a part of our feast... Bloody Mary's of course! I know this is not the main dish, but it wouldn't be the start of 2012 without some these bad boys (or girls I guess). Well, I'm no Bloody Mary expert, but I knew I wanted to do everything from scratch (but of course). First, I infused some vodka with fresh horseradish. I did this for about 1 week, so that the vodka would have great horseradish flavor, which is a key component in any great Bloody Mary. Next, I knew that I didn't want to use any ole' tomato juice or mix from the store. No no no, that's not good. So, I bought some ripe heirloom tomatoes and roasted them in the oven along with some shallots, rosemary, and a whole head of garlic. This is the key to this drink people. Roasting the vegetables gives the drink an amazing body & base to add on to. After roasting, I pureed the mixture with some fresh tomato water and all the traditional fixins' like lemon, hot sauce, worcestershire, & a few other knick knacks. Another component that is also a must-have are the hot sauce ice cubes. I honestly can't think of anything more unappetizing than a watered down Bloody Mary. So these flavored ice cubes solve that problem because when they melt, they just add more heat & flavor to the drink (yum). To assemble the drink, we put a dash of worcestershire at the bottom and filled our glasses with the hot sauce ice cubes, and then poured that gorgeous tomato puree over them 'cubes. Top the Bloody Mary's with some cold beer, all sorts of pickled vegetables, and lime wedges (for squeezin'). We have now dubbed these babies as our "Bloody-Good Bloody Mary's" because, well... they are bloody good. Aight?! I know, so cheesy. Anyway, make these for your next party or brunch next weekend because these are damn good... bloody damn good!! Enjoy :)

Bloody-Good Bloody Mary's with Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree, Horseradish Infused Vodka, & Hot Sauce Ice Cubes 

Heirloom Tomatoes, Shallots, Garlic, & Rosemary Ready to be Roasted (which means extra-yummy flavor)

For the Horseradish Infused Vodka:

1 750mL Bottle of Vodka

1 3inch Piece of Fresh Horseradish, Peeled & Cut into 6 Slices

For the Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree:

2lbs Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes,

4 Shallots, Peeled and Quartered

1 Head of Garlic, Peeled into Cloves

Olive Oil

Fresh Herbs (thyme, oregano, basil, or rosemary)

Salt & Pepper

For the Tomato Water:

1lb Sweet Tomatoes, Chopped

For the Hot Sauce-Tomato Ice Cubes:

½C of Your Favorite Hot Sauce

1C Tomato Juice (or bloody mary mix)

For the Bloody Mary Mix:

3C Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree, Cold

1C Tomato Water

¼C Hot Sauce

3T Fresh Lemon Juice

1T Worcestershire Sauce

1t Sriracha

1T Pickled Jalapenos, Minced

1t Fresh Ginger, Minced

1t Prepared Horseradish

1t Honey

1C Horseradish Infused Vodka, Chilled

¼C Tequila

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Bloody Good-Bloody Mary’s:

Hot Sauce Ice Cubes

Prepared Bloody Mary Mix, Chilled

Pickled Green Beans, Okra, Asparagus, Carrots & Jalapenos

Cocktail Onions

Lime Wedges

Cold Beer (for topping the drink)

Celery Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Horseradish Infused Vodka:  Add the horseradish slices into the vodka. Seal the bottle or container, and let it steep for at least 1 week or up to one month (for a stronger flavor). Once you have reached your preferred strength of flavor, strain the vodka into another clean bottle, discarding the bottle that you had infused it in. Chill the vodka in the freezer until ready to use.

2. For the Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cut the heirloom tomatoes into quarters. Spread the tomatoes, shallots, and garlic cloves onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and toss with the fresh herbs. Roast for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes & shallots are brown and caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Dump all of the remaining ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until cold.

3. For the Sweet Tomato Water: Roughly chop your sweet tomatoes and place them in a sieve that is set over a bowl, and let it drain for two hours, or until the tomatoes stop dripping. Discard the chopped sweet tomatoes or toss them into your drink for extra texture.

4. For the Hot Sauce Ice Cubes: In a mixing bowl, mix together the hot sauce and tomato juice (or bloody mary mix) until smooth and combined. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze.

5. To Make the Bloody Mary Mix: In a large pitcher, combine the roasted tomato puree, sweet tomato water, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Sriracha, fresh ginger, horseradish infused vodka, and tequila. Stir until smooth and combined. Taste the liquid and season with salt & pepper. Chill the Bloody Mary mix until very cold.

6. To Make a Bloody Good-Bloody Mary: Fill tall cocktail glasses with some of the Hot Sauce-Tomato Juice Ice Cubes. Pour in the Bloody Mary Mix about ¾ of the way up the glass, and then top with cold beer to the rim. Garnish with pickled vegetables, cocktail onions, and lime wedges. Sprinkle some celery salt & pepper on top and enjoy. Serve cold. 

Here are also some pictures from our NYE celebration last night...

Homemade Spicy Chex Mix

Well, I just arrived back in Savannah this afternoon, and I'm so glad to be back. Celebrating Christmas was fun in Atlanta, but I missed my Mountain Man dearly (he was in Birmingham), and I missed the warm weather. I still can't get over the fact that it is 70 degrees and sunny here, but freezin' cold just 4 hours away. So bizarre. Anyway, this recipe is perfect for any occasion or party really because it is simple to make & makes a huge batch, so you can feed a lot of people. It's also a simple, salty snack that people will keep grabbin' for all night. The glory about homemade chex mix is that you can alter it to your tastes. I obviously like my food quite spicy & flavorful, so I add a little bit more than the average person. Also, the chex cereal is my favorite, so I substituted that in for other ingredients. Just play around with it... it's pretty easy!! I hope you had a great holiday & enjoy :)

Homemade Spicy Chex Mix

For the Mix:

6C Corn or Rice Chex

4C Wheat Chex

3C Square Pretzels

4C Mixed Nuts

4C Cheese Crackers

2C Bugles

3 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Melted

4-6T Worcestershire Sauce

6-12T Hot Sauce

1-2T Fresh Garlic, Minced

Cajun Seasoning, Paprika, Cayenne, Chili Powder, Garlic Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line two baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper, and set them aside.
2. Mix the Dry Components: In a large bowl, mix together the chex, pretzels, nuts, crackers, and bugles until they are evenly incorporated.
3. Make the Seasoning: In a bowl, mix together the melted butter, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and garlic.
4. Make the Chex Mix: Pour the butter mixture over the mixed, dry components and toss to completely cover evenly. Separate the buttered chex mix evenly onto the prepared baking sheets. Spread in an even layer. Sprinkle the buttered chex mix with the seasonings listed above. Use as little or as much as you like, just do it to taste. I like mine very spicy, so sprinkle it heavily. Toss the cover.
5. Cooking the Mix: Bake for 3 hours, stirring & tossing every 30 minutes for even baking. Sprinkle with more seasonings throughout the baking process to coat more heavily. Once they have baked, remove from the oven and cool completely.
6. Serve in a large bowl. Store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags (this made about 2 large gallon-sized bags).