Garlic buttered shrimp

Do you ever have those days where you just feel like you've failed at almost everything? I had one of those today.

It started out a little behind schedule with a cranky Quinn who hadn't eaten breakfast yet. I got him dressed, brought him down stairs and stood him in front of his toy basket to distract him while I went to pack my lunch. It was then followed by Quinn taking a nose dive right into the bookshelf that the toy basket lives at the bottom of and resulted in streaming tears and me almost breaking down into tears as well. I felt awful!

Food packed, baby fed and out the door, off to the sitters we went. Then back to the house to park the car for Eric and a quick walk to BART later I was finally on my way to work and to my project manager scheduling meeting where I was called on first to present and had to 'pass' because I wasn't ready (embarrassing!). Then back to the desk to layout my jobs in my new project tracker chart, which took the better half of the day, and then receiving projects back only to find out that I had forgotten to give the most crucial design aspect of the job to the designer (doh!). I was an hour behind on one of my pump sessions and it took my until almost 3 to be mentally and emotionally capable of writing up a legible work order. Yeah, it was one of those days.

At least I had my yummy leftovers from last nights kick A meal to chomp on during my working lunch break.

Garlic Buttered Shrimp
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

2 Pounds raw shrimp, deveined
2 Sticks butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp Kosher salt
4 Cloves garlic (or equivalent of minced garlic)
1/4 C Fresh parsley
1 lemon, juiced (or equivalent of lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt & parsley. Pulse until combined.
Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.
Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly.

I served mine with white rice, Cheddar bay biscuits and a fresh salad.

Note: Make sure you scoop up/poor all the buttery goodness from the pan onto your plate, you're gunna want it, trust me!

Kelly

Steak Salad

I love beef, and I love salad, so when I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's blog I had to give it a spin. I found the marinade/dressing to be one of the best of all times and the fried onions were to die for (and I don't even really like onions).


Steak Salad
Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

2 whole Rib-eye Or Strip Steaks, Extra Fat Trimmed
_____
FOR THE DRESSING/MARINADE:
¾ cups Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon (additional) Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 cloves Garlic, Peeled (or equivalent, minced)
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Lots Of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
_____
FOR THE ONION STRINGS:
2 whole Onions, Sliced As Thin As Possible
2 cups Whipping Cream
2 cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Salt
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 quart Canola Oil
Black Pepper To Taste
_____
FOR THE SALAD:
Lettuce Mix: Romaine, Arugula, Watercress, Raddiccio, Etc.
Small Grape Tomatoes
¾ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese

To make the dressing/marinade, combine all ingredients in a mason jar with the lid. Shake vigorously to combine; taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
Place steak in a plastic zipper bag. Pour in half the marinade and seal. Refrigerate and marinate for at least two hours.

Prepare the onion strings: Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with whipping cream and soak for at least an hour.

Make the onion strings: Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tap to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove to a paper towel-lined plate as soon as they are golden brown. Repeat until onions are gone.

Grill (or sautee) the steak over medium-high heat until medium rare, about 2 minutes on each side (depending on thickness). Remove from heat and allow to rest. Slice steak against the grain in thin slices.

In a large bowl, add lettuce mix, blue cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Add a little dressing and toss to combine. Add more if needed. Add candied pecans at the end and toss to combine.
Heap salad on a plate, making sure to get plenty of blue cheese, tomatoes, and pecans on each plate. Add half a steak to the top of each plate, then top the steak with onion strings.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes:
1. I hate blue cheese so I swapped that out for feta instead.
2. I threw some candied almonds on top, yum!
3. I didn't have any tomatoes, but it sounds like a lovely addition. :)

Kelly

What's Baking at the Westover's

So I was in a sugary, baking mood the other day while at the book store and I picked up a book called I <3 Sugar, yes, I heart sugar. I loved the name so much, I bought it. And about a week later I was in a sugary baking mood again so I finally broke out the book and searched it's contents for the perfect recipe that I could make with what I had in the cupboard. And thus, the Cranberry & Coconut cookies were born. And they were delicious!

 Cranberry & Coconut Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with your Silpat (or parchment paper).

Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well, then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Sift the flour and salt into the mixture, add the coconut and cranberries and stir until thoroughly combined. 

Scoop up tablespoons of the dough and place in mounds on the prepared cookie sheets, spaced well apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheets for 5-10 minutes then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
 

Enjoy!

Kelly

What's Cookin - Lemon Basil Chicken

So I went to the farmer's market on Friday and picked up some green beans, broccoli, lettuce... the necessities. I begrudgingly passed by the strawberries, bread and flower vendors. Maybe next time...

But, on my out of the market I passed by the most amazing smell and so I had to stop to find out what it was. It turned out to be lemon basil. I quickly bought a bunch (well, Christy bought a bunch and we split it) and I couldn't stop smelling it for the rest of the day.

I didn't have any fish at home so I took out some chicken breast chopped up my new favorite smelling plant and threw it in a bowl with some butter and a pinch of salt and pepper (and when I say pinch, I mean 4 finger pinch), basted the breasts and stuck them in the oven with my favorite homemade Cheddar Bay biscuits. Then I threw the green beans in a pan with some garlic olive oil and, of course, some salt and then sat down with my boys to an unbelievably tasty meal.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Kelly

What's Cookin - Rosemary Chicken Kebabs

So I made this meal well over a week ago, but I never had a chance to share it, so here it is. I got the idea while sitting in the pump room at work flipping through a food magazine. It turned out to be really tasty, definitely a meal I'd make again.

Rosemary Chicken Kebabs

Marinade:
Balsamic vinaigrette
Salt
dried rosemary
dried thyme
dried parsley
olive oil

Mix enough of everything to coat the chicken in a Ziploc bag. Toss the cubed chicken and let sit for up to 30 minutes. Place chicken on skewer with zucchini, tomatoes, and red onions (or whatever veggies you have laying around). Throw them on the BBQ on low for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

I served mine with a side of white rice and some garlic fried string beans. De-Lish!

What's Cookin - Chicken Divan Casserole

I had two heads of broccoli and a pair of chicken breasts in the fridge this morning. This afternoon I have a lovely Chicken Divan casserole in the oven! Don't you just love how that happens. It went a little something like this.

Chicken Divan
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

2 heads of broccoli - chopped and separated
2 Chicken breasts - cooked and shredded
1 Can cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter - melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*

Place broccoli on bottom of well greased casserole pan. Add the shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

{What's cookin in your kitchen?}

What's Cooking at the Westover's - Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde

Last night I got a little adventurous and mixed things up a bit with my salmon. It turned out fabulous, although the salsa left me a bit wanted. I think a mango salsa was more of what I was envisioning, so naturally the citrus salsa fell a little flat. I'll just have to explore a mango salsa next time won't I? :)

Grilled Salmon with citrus salsa verde
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

Salsa:

• 2 large oranges
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 scallions, finely sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:

• Vegetable or canola oil, for oiling the grill
• 4 (4 to 5-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, each about 3-inches square
• 2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the salsa: Peel and trim the ends from each orange. Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add them to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, orange zest, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Spoon the salsa verde on top of the salmon or serve on the side as an accompaniment.

Note: We served ours with a side of fried zucchini. Yum!

What's Cooking at the Westover's - Spring Bowl

This one is an adaptation from a restaurant in Post Falls, Idaho called the White House Grill. Its a great little Greek place in the middle of nowhere. Their slogan is "if you like garlic, we like you!"

Unfortunately my fridge was lacking tomatoes, asparagus and artichoke hearts this evening, but the garlic yummyness still continues. :)

Spring Bowl

2 cups bell peppers, red, orange, yellow
1 bunch grape tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese
A few sprigs asparagus
1 can Artichoke Hearts
3 cups Cal Rose Rice - cooked
Minced Garlic - to taste (I use about 4-5 Tbsp.)
Crushed Red Pepper
1 can Garbonzo beans (chick peas)
2 Chicken breasts - cooked & shredded

Saute minced garlic in a few Tbsp of butter until aromatic. Add veggies and cook until tender. Add rice, chicken, garbonzo beans and 3/4 cup feta cheese. Mix until combined, salt & pepper to taste.

Serve in individual bowls topped with crushed red pepper and remaining feta.

Side Note: I usually end up mixing some garlic salt into it because I love garlic and I really love salt. :)

What's Cookin at the Westover's - Pasta e Fagioli Soup & Cheddar Bay Biscuits

This soup is super easy and always tasty. Courtesy of Erika Sexton, its basically impossible to mess this one up.

The biscuits come from Perry's Plate. If you've ever eaten at Red Lobster these biscuits are an excellent replication of their famous biscuits.

Pasta e Fagoli

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 large celery stalk, diced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 package ground turkey

1 large can chicken broth (I always find that I actually need more than this in the end after the pasta has cooked and soaked a bunch up...)

1 can (15-19oz) white or light kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5oz) crushed tomatoes

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt (I use more I'm sure...I like salt)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup rotelli pasta (the ones that look like corkscrews)

1 package (10oz) frozen chopped spinach

1. In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute until vegetables are tender. In the last two minutes of this process, add the pressed garlic. (I often put the garlic in with the ground turkey instead because I have a knack for burning garlic and that's yucky)

2. Add the ground turkey in chunks and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir until turkey meat is thoroughly cooked and lightly browned.

3. To dutch oven, add the chicken broth, kidney beans, tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaf; at this point, add water (or more broth) if needed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the frozen spinach; cover and let simmer until the spinach is cooked and incorporated into the soup.

4. Add the pasta and simmer until pasta is done; approximately 10 minutes more.

5. Remove bay leaf and serve in bowls. If desired, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 1/2 c Bisquick
4 T cold butter
1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 c cold whole milk
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Brush on top:
2 T butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a med bowl using a pastry cutter or large fork. Don't mix too thoroughly -- mix til the butter is about the size of peas. Add cheese, milk and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

Drop 1/4-cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop. (or a 1/4 c measuring cup) Bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops begin to turn light brown.

When you take the biscuits out of the oven, combine topping ingredients and brush over top of hot biscuits.

Makes a dozen.

What's Cooking at the Westover's - Tomato Toretllini Soup

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup with Oven Roasted Asparagus

Eric has been feeling a little under the weather lately so I decided to help him out by making him some soup. I decided to go vegetarian and non traditional and happened across this recipe a few weeks ago. It sounded nice n' quick and very tasty and I was pleasantly surprised. It has lots of flavor and is VERY filling. Pairing this creamy soup with the crunchy oven roasted asparagus turned out to be a very smart move. (I like my asparagus baked in the oven to keep it crunchy and keep all the nutrients in them.) All in all, I highly recommend this recipe, enjoy!

Tomato Tortellini Soup

1 pkg. (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cans (10-3/4oz. each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp. Onion powder
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Dried basil
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Additional shredded parm, optional

Directions: Cook tortellini according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini: carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

One bunch of asparagus drizzled in Olive Oil and loveingly sprinkled with salt. Set oven to 350• and bake for 15-20 min. (12-15 min. for super crunchy)

What's Cooking at the Westover's

Honey Glazed Salmon with Polenta and Green salad.

I forgot to take pictures, how sad is that! But, I was able to find a few online that give a good representation:

Honey Glaze:

2 TBS Soy Sauce

1/4 cup Honey

3 TBS Dijon Mustard

Stir together soy sauce and honey in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in Dijon mustard.

What's cookin at the Westover's

Sauteed Golden Potatoes with Fresh Cut Bell Peppers and Garlic Bread.

It began with a bag of Golden potatoes, diced and thrown onto the frying pan with some Olive Oil and salt. Then came the Kielbasa, followed by Red pepper flakes and a bit more salt (because salt is my favorite food). Add to the table a bowl full of fresh cut bell peppers and a delicious loaf of the most garlicy garlic bread ever and viola! Dinner. :)

What's Cookin At the Westover's

Tonight was "Lovingly salted, Butter basted Salmon" - Served with a side of veggies (we had peas).
Yes, it was as good as it sounds.

And of course... a prego picture.

This is one of the super cute outfits that Tamara sent us. Thanks Tam!

33 Weeks

What's cookin at the Westover's #2

While sitting in church yesterday snoozing over the Dry Council speakers I had the sudden craving for homemade spaghetti sauce. So I went online to my favorite cooking website cooksillustrated.com and found a Beef Balongnes Sauce with Pancetta and Red Wine. Oh good heavens, it sounded so freaking amazing I had to have it.

So I ran over to Trader Joe's to buy an onion, some celery, carrots and Pancetta and was pleasantly surprised to find a 'stew and sauce starter kit', meaning chopped onions, carrots and celery all in one convenient container. It was a sign, and I never turn away from a sign, especially not when food is involved, so I knew I was moving in the right direction. I placed my convenient container into my cute little cart and wandered over to the meat section where I found once again a convenient little container of pre-chopped Pancetta. Could this get any easier!?! The last item on my list was a bottle of wine, so I wandered over to the Zinfandel section and grabbed a bottle that stated it had hints of cherry.

At home I spent the next 3 hours in the kitchen making the sauce, which turned out AMAZING! (I substituted Turkey for the Beef to keep the fat content down.) We had our friends Morgan and Jo over to share our lovely meal with, complete with angle hair pasta, garlic bread and a tossed salad, and spent the evening chatting away and eating delicious food. It was the perfect balance of lazy and productive wrapped into one. :)

The wine.

The sauce.

What's cookin at the Westover's

Tonight's menu consists of:

Pesto

Makes 3/4 cup, enough for 1 pound of pasta. Published July 1, 1996.

Pounding the basil releases its flavorful oils into the pesto more readily. Basil usually darkens in homemade pesto, but you can boost the green color a little by adding the optional parsley. For sharper flavor, substitute one tablespoon finely grated pecorino Romano cheese for one tablespoon of the Parmesan. The pesto can be kept in an airtight container, covered with a thin layer of oil (1 to 2 tablespoons), and refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to one month.

Ingredients

1/4	cup pine nuts , toasted (or substitute almonds or walnuts)
3	medium cloves garlic , unpeeled
2	cups packed fresh basil leaves
2	tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (optional)
7	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
	Salt
1/4	cup finely grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Toast the nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes; set aside. Add the garlic to the empty skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool slightly, then peel, and chop.

2. 2. Place the basil and parsley (if using) in a heavy-duty 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag. Pound the bag with the flat side of a meat pounder or rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised.

3. 3. Process the nuts, garlic, herbs, oil, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Plus Angel Hair Pasta

5. Add shrimp (Kelly's favorite!)

And:

Waldorf Salad

Can you say YUM! :) I've been dreaming about this meal all day...