Shrimp paella

olive oil
4 strips bacon
2 C. chopped onion
1 C. chopped bell pepper
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 heaping tablespoons flour
1 C. chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
1-1/2 C. chicken broth
1 C. frozen okra
1/2 lb. raw shrimp
1 C. rice

Cook the bacon til crispy and remove from pan.  Using about 1 tsp of the bacon fat, add the olive oil and saute the onions, bell pepper, crushed pepper flakes, paprika, salt and pepper for 5 min.  Sprinkle the flour into the onion mixture and cook 2 min - until flour is mixed in and turns to a paste.  Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken broth - allow to thicken.  Add the okra and cook for 15 min.  Finally, add the raw shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink.  Add the bacon bits at the end - serve over rice.

When I made my rice, I mixed 1/4 tsp. of saffron threads into the mixture. 

Breakfast casserole

I have to bring a breakfast-type food to an event coming up.  I've made this breakfast casserole before and it turns out great.  Here's the recipe:

16-1/4inch baguette slices, cut on diagonal
1 tbsp. butter
12 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1-1/2 cups Fontina cheese, shredded
3/4 cup diced drained roasted red peppers
6 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter an 8x8x2 baking dish.  Place 8 baguette slices in bottom; press 2 baguette slices onto each side.  Melt 1 tbsp butter in large pot over medium heat.  Add spinach; toss until wilted (about 3 min.)  Transfer spinach to strainer; cool.  Squeeze dry.  Transfer to medium bowl.

Heat same pot over medium-high heat.  Add sausage; break up and saute until cooked through.  Mix into spinach; mix in 1 cup cheese and peppers.  Spread atop baguette slices in bottom of dish.  Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend.
Whisk in last 4 ingredients.  Pour over spinach mixture and stir lightly with fork to distribute.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over top.  Bake until puffed, golden and set - about 55 min.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 15 min.

I'll post a picture when I actually put it together.

Football day, part 2

I also decided on a dessert.  The library has a great cookbook by Gale Gand, a pastry chef at Chicago's Tru Restaurant.  The title of the book is "Just bites : 175 luscious desserts..." (I can't remember the rest.)  I decided on lemon beehives - little lemon meringue pie bites.

Unfortunately, they don't look quite like the picture in the cookbook (I mean she is a pastry chef, after all), but they taste delicious!  I made the pastry crusts and the lemon curd (thanks, CLC, for 2 snow days!) and froze until this morning.  The final step is to make the meringue and pipe it onto the little pies.  Brown in the broiler and enjoy!!

Are you ready for some football?

The big day is here and I'm ready.  I decided on red pepper hummus, using the red peppers I canned this summer.  One can of chickpeas, 4 garlic cloves (I roasted mine), 1 cup of red peppers, 1/4 cup tahini, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. cumin, and salt and pepper.  Process in food processor until a nice consistency.  Serve with pita chips.