Blackened Shrimp Po'Boy

• 1 lbs shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons creole seasoning
• 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 twelve inch baguettes halved crosswise, dig out excess bread
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce shredded
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced at an angle

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. In a bowl, combine shrimp,olive oil, and seasonings.
3. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard and 1-1/2 teaspoon water.  Stir until smooth.
4. Lay baguettes open on plates. Layer with lettuce, bell pepper, tomatoes, scallions.
5. Add the seasoned shrimp to the grill.  cover and cook 2 minutes.  Flip and cook covered for another 2 minutes.  Arrange the shrimp on the top of the vegetables and drizzle with the mayo-mustard sauce.

Tequila Marinade

1 cup Good Quality Tequila

2 Jalapenos, thinly sliced

1 shallot, fine chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 Mrs Dash Extra Spicy seasoning

Mix all ingredients together.  Great marinade for Shrimp

Vodka Cream Pasta

1 Tablespoon Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon butter

4 cloves Garlic, minced

2 Shallots, minced

1 cop Vodka

1 cup Chicken Stock

1 32 oz can crushed Tomatoes

Mrs Dash Table Blend to taste (1/4 teaspoon)

16 oz pasts, pene ridgate

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

20 Basil leaves, shredded or torn

Texas Toast garlic bread

Heat large skillet over moderate heat. Add olive oil, butter garlic and shallots. Saute for 3-5 minutes.  Add vodka and reduce heat by half for 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken stock and tomatoes.  Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat and simmer.  Season according to taste.

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.

Stir in the cream into the sauce.  When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from the heat.

Drain pasta and toss the hot pasta with the cream sauce and add the basil leaves.  Serve with the Texas Toast.

Classic Southern Fried Chicken

• One 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 - 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Table Blend
• 24 ounces solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco

1. Pat the chicken pieces dry and line a baking sheet with wax paper. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Add the chicken. In another bowl, whisk the flour with the seasoned salt and seasoned pepper. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour and transfer to the baking sheet.
2. In a 12-inch, cast-iron skillet, heat the vegetable shortening to 365°. Add all of the chicken and fry over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until deeply golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted nearest the bone registers 170°, 20 to 24 minutes. Drain the chicken on paper towels and serve right away.

Oven Baked Fried Chicken

• Vegetable oil spray
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 3 pounds chicken parts on the bone
• 1 1/2 cups instant polenta
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a large non-stick baking sheet with oil. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise and yogurt with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon each of the cayenne and black pepper. In a large resealable plastic bag, mix the polenta with the flour, the remaining tablespoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture and turn to coat completely. Transfer the chicken to the plastic bag, a few pieces at a time; seal and shake to coat.
2. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spray lightly with vegetable oil. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes or the chicken is cooked through and golden on the bottom.
3. Using tongs, carefully turn each piece of chicken and bake for 5 minutes longer, until the undersides are golden. Blot the chicken with paper towels, transfer to a platter and serve.

Chipotle Chorizo Lasagna

Sausage filling:

• 1 lb Mexican Chorizo
• 1 medium onion chopped

Cheese Filling:

• 1 - 15 ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• salt to taste

Sauce:

• 1 - 28 ounce can roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 - 28 ounce can diced tomatoes w/green chiles
• 2 teaspoons chopped Chipotle peppers in Adobo

Lasagna:

• 12 oven ready lasagna noodles
• 1 lb shredded Mexican cheese

Heat large skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add Chorizo and cook until browned (about 5-7 minutes).  Add onions about half-way through cooking the chorizo.

Whisk together ricotta cheese, Parmesan and egg.  Stir in cilantro and seasonings.

Combine sauce ingredients

Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9 inch glass baking dish.  Place 3 lasagna noodles on top and spread 1/3 of cheese filling and 1/3 of the chorizo filling over noodles, then 1 cup of shredded cheese plus 1/4 sauce.

Repeat two more times.  Finish with layer of noodles and remaining sauce.

Cover dish with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake uncovered for 15 additional minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Recipe received from Kelly McCall.

Asian-style Steamed Salmon

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup shitake mushroom caps, rinsed and sliced
• 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger minced
• 1 cup scallions chopped
• 1 Tablespoon lite soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 12 ounce salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1. Combine chicken broth, mushrooms, ginger, scallions, soy sauce and sesame oil in large shallow saute pan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add salmon fillets and cover with tight-fitting lid.  Cook gently over low hear 4-5 minutes or until salmon flakes easily in the thickest part.
3. Serve 1 piece of salmon with 1/4 cup of the broth.

Adapted from Well Being News, January 2011