Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

I have been meaning to make this for awhile, but never really had the time. Today the electricity went out at work, or all of Rancho Mirage for that matter...so after a dip in the pool and some good "Breaking Dawn" reading, I was in the mood to cook a good meal and it was AMAZING! Now, I am not really one for spicy foods, but I am learning to like them, considering Marc LOVES all things spicy. This receipe is courtesy Guy Fieri aka The Food Guy, so making it on the BBQ will bring this meal to it's full potential of yummy! Here it goes:

INGREDIENTS

20 Strips of Bacon (about 12 ounces)
20 Medium-Large shrimp, shelled and deveined (about 1 pound) - I just used Costco's Bag of Shirmp, no tails

1/2 cup of BBQ sauce

1/4 cup of olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice - I used fresh lemons, I just love the smell of them

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

3 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Bamboo Skewers

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak 5 to 8 Bamboo skewers in water for about 20 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill or under the broiler.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until halfway done, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool on paper towels. Wrap a piece of bacon around the middle of each shrimp; skewer with bamboo through the point where the bacon ends meets up to keep them from unraveling. Thread 3 to 5 shrimp on each bamboo skewer. (Since I used the Costco shirmp they were kind of small, so I wrapped about 3 shirmp into one piece of bacon..and continued with rest of steps).

3. Puree the barbecue sauce, oil, lemon juice, mustard, chipotles, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and fresh ground pepper in a blender. Set aside half of the sauce for dipping. CAUTION: the sauce is very spicy, so to tone it down a bit, I added more BBQ sauce.

4. Preheat the grill, grill pan or broiler. Grill or broil (on a foil-lined backing sheet, if broiling) for 5 minutes, basting with the sauce once they begin to turn pink. Flip, baste again and grill or broil until just cooked through (about 4 more minutes). Serve with extra sauce.

WAAALAA!

SIDES

I thought this meal would be really good with Corn-on-the-Cob...so I buttered up some cobs, sprinkled a little Lawry's Salt on them, wrapped them up in foil, made some fork wounds and threw them on the grill for about 20-25mins.

Red, White and Blue Dessert

I know this is a little late - considering 4th of July was...oh...almost a month ago! BUT, it is still July and you can make this desert anytime and make a different design on the top. I happened to make it for our Annual 4th of July party we had at our friends house, and it ended up being a hit!!




INGREDIENTS

2 Packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
2 quarts strawberries, halved, divided
2 quarts blueberries, divided

HOW TO MAKE

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and extracts until fluffy. Fold in whipped cream (which means pour in slowly). Place a third of the mixture in a 4-qt bowl. Reserve 20 Strawberry halves and about a 1/2 of blueberries for top.
Layer half of the remaining strawberries and blueberries over cream mixture. Top with another third of the cream mixture and the remaining berries. Spread the remaining cream mixture on top. Use the reserved strawberries and blueberries to make a "insert here" on top. Makes about: 18 Servings

Nutrition Facts
One serving: 1 cup
Calories: 168
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholestrol: 32mg
Sodium: 44mg
Carbs: 20g
Fiber: 3g
Protien: 2g

Piquant Turkey Cutlets

Ingredients
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 turkey cutlets
2 tbls EVOO
3/4 cup dry white wine(I think i threw in some chardonnay that i was drinking)
1 1/4 cups chx broth
1 jar sun dried tomatoes (sliced)
1 1/2 tsp capers
1 1/2 dried marjoram
1 1/2 tbls butter
(Optional: Serve with pasta)

Directions
1 In a plastic food storage bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Cut each turkey cutlet into 3 or 4 pieces. Add half the turkey cutlets to the bag; seal and shake to coat. Remove turkey pieces; set aside. Repeat with remaining pieces.

2 In a large skillet, heat oil. Add half the turkey pieces. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes per side or until browned. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining.

3 Add wine to skillet; cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Add broth, sun dried tomatoes, capers, and marjoram. Gently boil about 4 minutes or until lightly reduced. Return turkey pieces to skillet. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add butter, swirling around until melted. Serve with pasta.

Crockpot Steak Burritos

INGREDIENTS
2 Flank Steaks
2 Envelopes of Taco Seasoning
1 Onion
1 Can Chopped Green Chilies
1 tbls White Vinegar
Flour Tortillas (Makes about 10)
1-1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1-1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (i just buy them in a can)
sour cream
Someone who can roll burritos :)
(I added beans, corn, and rice for toppings)

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut steaks in half; Rub with Taco Seasoning; Place in Crockpot coated with cooking spray; Top with Onion, chilies, vinegar. (My meat was dry, i would also recommend adding a cup or so of chicken broth)

2.Cover. Cook on Low for 8-9 hours.

3. Remove Steaks. Shred meat with 2 forks. Return to Crockpot; heat through. Spoon 1/2 cup of meat mixture down the center of each tortilla.

4. Top with Cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream (and extras). Fold ends and sides over filling and roll it up! :)

(My meat was dry, but VERY tasty. I think the addition of the broth would help out.)

Better Stuffed Tomatoes

I wanted to post the remix of this recipe before I left for France (which is coming up very very soon) and wouldn't have to make it anymore. I found a better way to make the stuffing with US ingredients. This way tastes a lot closer to the original.

Stuffing Ingredients:

-1/3 lb mild pork sausage

-2/3 lb ground turkey (or half one half the other.. pork sausage is fatty)

-2 cloves minced garlic

-1/2 tsp cumin

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1 tsp basil

Directions:

Get your hands dirty by mixing all the ingredients for the stuffing well by hand, and then follow the original recipe!

Fettuccine a la Carbonara

This is Eric's all time favorite pasta recipe. It is the go to meal when I ask him: What do you want to eat tonight? The first time I had this, Eric had made it for me, but I guess now I'm the one who makes it (in the US.. this will soon change). I'm not sure if this is French or Italian, but I've never seen it in any Italian restaurants in the US, so lets say its both.
Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
-1 pack of low sodium bacon, cut into little pieces with the big fat cut off
-1 pack fettuccine pasta
-1/2 a carton of heavy whipping cream or use your judgement... I'm really not good at giving precise measurements I'm noticing
-1/4 cup reserved pasta water
-a few shakes of dried thyme
-a few shakes black pepper
-a few shakes dried parsley (but go ahead and use fresh, its better)
-1 or 2 egg yolks depending on your ickiness factor (mine is low, so I use 2)
-shredded swiss and parmesan (I cannot help using both)
Directions:
1. Put your pasta on. This takes the longest. Do the rest while the pasta cooks.
2. Put your cut and trimmed bacon in a sautee pan with NO BUTTER OR OIL! Add thyme, pepper and parsley and watch it cook.
3. Drain the excess fat from the bacon using the same thing you use to drain the pasta (what is it called?)
4. Don't forget to take 1/4 cup of water out of the pasta before you drain it! Then drain it and put it back in the pot, and pour the egg yolks and mix it in with your spatula or tool of choice.
5. Add the bacon, heavy cream, and 1/4 cup pasta water into the pasta and mix around
6. Serve with shredded swiss and parmesan on top (and fresh ground black pepper, because I now can no longer live without it)
Variations:
Eric likes his exactly as the recipe states above, but I've added sun dried tomatoes and even zucchini sauteed with the bacon, and its very good too!

Lemon Chicken w/ Potatoes

Ingredients
1/4 cup slivered almonds (I always have these on hand. They are good with salad, fish, etc.)
6 Boneless Chx Breast (or however much you would like to cook)
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tbls vegetable oil
2+ potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 cup water
Green Beans (Fresh, frozen or canned :)) My green beans had a bean variety in it too.
3 tbls lemon juice

1. In a large skillet toast almonds for 4 minutes. Transfer to a small dish. Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper seasoning. In skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add Chicken; cook for about 4 minutes on each side to brown. Transfer to plate.

2. Add potatoes and water to skillet; cook; covered for 5 minutes.

3. Add Green Beans and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 10 - 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Place Chicken on top; cover and heat through for 3 more minutes. Sprinkle individual servings with toasted almonds.

Tip: To get more juice from a lemon or lime, put in the microwave for 10 seconds before squeezing them. I also cut the lemon/lime in half and cover the lemon with a mesh bag to prevent seeds from entering.

Fish Burritos!

We started making these (and all kinds of other burritos) when we were craving some rubios/chipotle/santanas/robertos, and realized that there aren't any around here, nor is there anything remotely similar. We also then realized that we were pretty talented in other areas of cooking, so why not some good ol homemade burritos that blow your minds? We served these to my French in-laws, and they can't wait until we come back to make them for them again.

Ingredients:

-1 fillet of fish per person (i used tilapia, but i've used perch, cod, sheepshead.. use anything you want)

-a few Lemons or Limes

-Big flour tortillas

-1 tomato

-1 onion

-1 bell pepper

-1 serrano pepper or jalepeno (i don't use the whole thing)

-some chopped cabbage

-chopped cilantro

-chopped green onions

-1 can black beans (or refried if you insist)

-cooked rice

-3 tablespoons natural yogurt (for White sauce)

-1 tbsp mayonaise

-1 shake of cayenne pepper

-fresh ground black pepper (I am officially obsessed with this... i put it everywhere)

-drizzled EVOO

-few shakes chili powder

-few shakes ground cumin

-few shakes paprika (i just use whatever looks good)

-few shakes garlic salt

-shredded swiss (fine use cheddar if you want)

-1-2 avocados for a guacamole

-1 tsp heavy whipping cream

-FOIL

-someone who knows how to roll a burrito

Directions:
1. boil the rice first. Do the rest while its cooking. I like to squirt some lemon juice in my rice. you can also put the can of beans on low heat so they'll be ready.
2. marinate the fish fillets in some lemon/lime juice, drizzled olive oil, a little cilantro, paprika, chili powder, pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, and the chopped tomato.
3. while the fish is marinating, make the guacamole: mash up your avocado, pour in 1 tsp whipping cream, a squeeze of lemon, some black pepper, a little cilantro.
4. to make your "white sauce", mix the yogurt in a bowl with the mayo, some black pepper, shake of cumin, and little shake of cayenne. haven't you always wondered what was in that white sauce at rubios?
5.chop your onion and bell pepper and sautee in a pan with 1-2 tbsp EVOO for a few minutes
6. hurry up and chop your other veggies so they'll be ready: cabbage, serrano, green onions...
7. take your onions and bell peppers out, and replace with the marinating fish and its juices and cook until tender.
8. heat your tortillas, place on foil, and add your fillet of fish, a little rice, a little beans, and the toppings of your choice: sauteed bell peppers and onions, cilantro, green onions, cabbage, serrano, white sauce, guacamole, cheese, and your own salsa of preference if you want.
9. have your burrito roller roll them up in the foil so that you can actually eat it without it coming apart! Serve with a wedge of lemon and ENJOY!
This seems like a lot of work, but it took me about 35 minutes last night to do this.

*remove mayo, cream and cheese and this is fight food

White Clam Sauce Remix

This is Steph's White Clam Sauce. It was so yummiE! I added Peas and Sun Dried Tomatoes for Color. mmmm MMMMM. Thanks for the Recipe!!

Chicken Roll Ups Cordon Bleu

Here are Jessica's Chicken Roll Ups but since I am incapable of following instructions, I switched out the roasted bell peppers and cheese spread for Swiss Cheese and Ham (or smoked Turkey)

Yum Jess! I put this one in my Jessipe's folder teehee