Main Dishes
Time for the main event
The main dish can be difficult for some folks. If you start with good ingredients, keep it simple and relax you will serve the best food anyone has ever had.
Shrimp Your Way
Shrimp Your Way
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds of shrimp
Sauce:
6 Tablespoons of melted butter with
1/4 cup white wine
or
Juice of 2 lemons
Seasonings:
Add seasonings that you like to the butter sauce. For example:
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
or
4 tablespoons of chopped garlic
or
2 tablespoons of minced fresh dill weed
or
Any combination of the above or whatever you like on your shrimp
Arranging the shrimp in a pretty design will thrill your guests. It will taste the same even if you don't 'fancy-it-up".
Directions
Preheat the oven to Bake on 450 after your shrimp are cleaned. The best shrimp to use are wild caught with the head off and the shell on. Take each shrimp and with kitchen shears cut the back of the shrimp shell from the head area to the tail. Clean the vein if there is one. Keep half of the shrimp in the refrigerator until you are finished with the first half. It is important to keep the shrimp cold. After all of the shrimp have been cut and cleaned give them a rinse and drain in a strainer over a bowl. Keep the shrimp in the refrigerator to drain.
While the shrimp are drying off, prepare the butter sauce in a small pan over medium low heat. Once the sauce is prepared turn off the heat. Give it a little taste. You will need some salt, maybe a teaspoon. If you like heat add it now. Red pepper flakes, black pepper or hot sauce work well.
Take the shrimp out of the refrigerator. Pour them out on some paper towels to soak up the excess moisture. Arrange the shrimp in your casserole dish. I start on the outside edge and work inward. Whatever you do, you want an even layer of shrimp.
Once the shrimp are arranged, pour the sauce over them as evenly as possible. Put the dish in the oven. Cook for about 10 to 13 minutes. You will know they are done when they turn pink. You will also see them start to curl. Take out of the oven and serve.
Filet Mignon
Filet Mignon
Ingredients
Dinner for 4
4 7-8 ounce filet mignon steaks
1 1/2 tablespoons of cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of kosher salt
2 tablespoons of grape seed oil
2 tablespoons of butter
At about $5 a serving this is a great bargain for a fancy meal. That is if you cut up your own tenderloin. I buy beef tenderloins when they go on sale for $9-$12 a pound. Watch this to see how easy it is to cut up your own tenderloin:
I make a simple sauce with the pan drippings. The recipe is at the end of the filet recipe and is certainly optional.
Directions
Take the steaks out of the refrigerator at least an hour ahead of time. Then dry them with a paper towel. Coat each steak all over with the cracked black pepper, You can not substitute regular powdery black pepper. If you have a pepper grinder adjust it to it's rough, chunky grind setting. Even most disposable pepper grinders have that setting.
Once the steaks are peppered. coat them with salt. You may think it is too much salt but it isn't! These steaks need the salt.
Heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium high heat until the skillet is nice and warm. Now put the oil and butter in the skillet and cook until the butter is bubbly in the oil and then starts to calm down. Add one steak and count to 15. Then the next and count to 15 until all of them are in the skillet. The skillet cools slightly so taking your time here will allow the skillet to reheat. This way you will get the best sear on the steaks. Set your timer immediately for 3 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn the steaks over and set the timer for another 3 minutes.
As soon as the timer goes off take the steaks off to a plate or platter. Quickly cover the steaks with foil tucked tightly around the plate. Don't touch them of 10 minutes. Just let them rest.
You can serve the steaks now with just some steak sauce or you can use the resting time to make a quick sauce.
Sauce
In the same skillet, with the heat turned off, pour in either 1/3 cup cognac, brandy or white wine. Stir in and scrap up the bits on the bottom of the skillet for 2 minutes. Keep a large lid handy as you turn the heat back on to medium in case the liquor flares up. Now pour 1/2 cup of cream in. Simmer and stir occasionally for 3 minutes. Take a taste for salt and/or pepper. Serve.
Chicken and Potatoes
Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
1 boneless skinless chicken breast or leg/thigh per person up to eight portions
4-6 small potatoes per person – cut in half
2/3 cup Italian dressing divided in half (low fat works too!)
½ cup Parmesan cheese divided in half
Hot sauce - optional
This simple recipe delivers on flavor. Use your favorite Italian dressing or make your own.
Directions
Place potatoes in a single layer on the bottom of a baking dish. Size 9x9 for four portions, larger for larger portions. Pour half the dressing over the potatoes. Sprinkle half the cheese over that.
Place chicken in a single layer over the potatoes. Cover with remaining dressing and cheese. Sprinkle some hot sauce if desired.
Cover dish well and cook in a preheated 350 oven for 45 – 60 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from oven and let rest 8 - 10 minutes before serving.
Five Spice Chicken Wings
Five Spice Chicken Wings
Ingredients
20 2 piece wings cut into 40 pieces
4 T Five Spice seasoning
1 T dry ground ginger
1 t cayenne pepper
1/3 cup jarred teriyaki sauce
1 T honey
1 – 2 T Texas Pete
These wings will give your local wing place a run for their money.
Directions
Mix together dry rub of Five Spice, Ginger, Cayenne. Coat wings with dry rub. I usually put the wings in either a large bowl or large zip bag to mix up with the rub. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or more if possible. Just need to re-chill the chicken. Preheat oven to 450.
Place wings on a rack that is placed on top of a foil lined cookie sheet or jelly roll pan (for easy clean up). Just be certain the pan has edges to keep any fat from dripping onto the floor of the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove to platter and immediately brush on the sauce mixture of Teriyaki, Honey and Texas Pete. Serve warm. You can hold in a warm oven of 170 for an hour or so if you want to make these before your guests arrive.
Roasted Chicken
Roasted Chicken is a favorite with my husband. He loves the dark meat and the rest of us eat the breast meat. My sister eats the crunchy skin.
One chicken - Spatchcocked
1 cup Salt
1 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns (optional)
3 bay leaves (optional)
Seasonings (see below)
8 teaspoons (pats) of butter
Purchase a whole chicken that weighs 3 1/2 - 5 pounds. When you get home, if the chicken is frozen leave it on a dish in the refrigerator for 24 hours to thaw.
Prepare a brine to soak the chicken in up to 24 hours. Boil 2 cups of water. Meanwhile put the brine seasonings of sugar, salt, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large bowl or Dutch oven. Pour the boiling water in the bowl and stir gently until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Then add a couple of cups of ice to cool off the water.
Spatchcock the chicken. This means to butterfly the chicken by taking the backbone out. Watch this video to learn how: https://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/spatchcock-roasted-chicken-5567369. Place the spatchcocked chicken in the brine. If it does not cover the chicken, add more cold water. Cover well with plastic and place in the fridge for 6-24 hours, until you are ready to cook the chicken.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 450⁰. Take the chicken out of the brine and discard the brine. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Put 4 pats of butter in a large cast iron skillet or on a cookie sheet with a rim to lay the chicken on. At this point you get to decide on seasonings. You are going to lay the chicken on top of the seasonings and pats of butter.
Seasonings to consider: fresh or powered sage, fresh or dried thyme (I like fresh lemon thyme that is easy to grow by my front door), dried oregano, fresh or dried rosemary(rosemary is just too easy to grow not to keep some in a pot on your deck).
Now that you have the ‘bed’ for the chicken ready, place the dried chicken on top of the butter and seasonings. Now for the fun part! Gently lift up a corner of the skin on the breast and shove a pat or two of butter on top of each breast under the skin. Now that brings the flavor and moisture to the party.
Lastly, drizzle some olive or grape oil over the top of the chicken skin. Liberally salt and pepper the oiled skin.
Put on the middle rack of the preheated oven, uncovered. Cook for 40 minutes. Don’t open the oven to peek. At the end of the cooking time insert an instant read thermometer in the thigh. It should ready, but just to be sure it should read about 160 and will rise in temperature as it rests. Cover the chicken loosely with foil, wait 15 minutes, 20 if you can, cut and serve. The juice on the bottom of the pan can be spooned over the chicken.
Slow Cooked Cubed Steak
Perfect for the oven or the crock pot. An easy do ahead dish that pairs well with rice or mashed potatoes. Add a salad, peas or green beans for a complete meal.
3 or 4 Cubed Steaks
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 small canned mushroom stem and pieces
1 envelope Onion Soup mix
1 envelope Low Sodium Brown Gravy mix
3 cups liquid (See Notes)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees (*Using a crock pot or Instant pot? See below)
Start heating a 12 inch cast iron skillet up on medium high heat.
Sprinkle each steak lightly with salt and pepper. The other ingredients have salt so don't over salt the steaks. Then sprinkle each side with flour. All purpose or self rising is fine.
Add the oil to the hot skillet. Place the steaks in the oil. Cook in two batches if you need to. Turn the steaks once you see some blood or juices coming up on the top of the steak. Then once the steaks cook another three minutes, remove to a plate. After all of the steaks are cooked, turn the heat off of the skillet.
Now you will deglaze the pan (Add liquid to get the good brown bits up). You need to have the stove turned off if you are adding wine. I usually use 1 cup of red or dry white wine. Nothing sweet here please. The wine will start bubbling to cook off the alcohol. Wait 3 minutes, scaping the bottom of the skillet to get the brown bits loosened, then turn the heat back on to medium. Wisk in the mushroom soup (don't like mushrooms? Use cream of celery or cream of onion soup) Wisk in the onion soup mix, then the gravy mix. Now add 2 cups of water. Wisk. Then stir in the drained mushrooms. Don't like mushrooms, add some sautéed onions or chopped Chinese canned and drained water chestnuts.
Now return the steaks to the skillet. If they overlap a little bit it is fine. Add that meat juice from the plate also. Bring to a simmer. Cover tightly with a lid or heavy duty foil.
Place in the oven and set a timer for 2 hours. Don't worry about it, if you have a tight lid. Other wise, check every hour and add water or broth as needed 1/2 cup at a time. It is not a watery sauce, more like gravy.
After 2 hours the meat should be very tender.
*Special Note -
Liquids: If you don't want to use wine you may use beef broth. No broth in the house? Just use water, it will be okay!
Crock Pot: Prepare the recipe in a skillet through the part where you deglaze the pan. In the meantime in the crock mix together the soup, onion mix, gravy mix and mushrooms and water. Turn the crock pot to High for 3 hours, checking after 2 hours. Once the crock has heated up some you add the skillet ingredients and stir those in. Nestle the meat in last with their juices.
Instant Pot: Brown the meat in batches in the pot. If you are using wine, be sure you cook it long enough to get the raw wine flavor cooked out. Then add your other ingredients, just like the crock pot instructions and cook just like the crock pot. 3 hours at 250, checking after 2 hours.
Georgia’s Foolproof Chicken 1 and 2
Georgia’s Foolproof Chicken 1
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 soup can full of dry white wine
1 cup wild rice, well rinsed
My maternal grandmother, Georgia, liked these simple recipes. I found it a couple times in her things.
Mix soups, wine and rice together. Let stand in the fridge for several hours.
Pour this mixture into a casserole. Place chicken on top. Cover. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 1 hour.
After 1 hour remove from the oven. Stir the gravy, cover and cook another 45-60 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
Georgia’s Foolproof Chicken 2
One chicken cut up
¾ can cream of mushroom soup
¼ - ½ cup milk or cream
¼ - ½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 package herbed rice
Cook rice according to package directions. Mix the soup, milk and wine together in a bowl.
Brown chicken pieces in an oven proof skillet (cast iron is great for this). Once browned - not cooked - remove it from the skillet. Put the prepared rice in the skillet. Arrange the chicken on top of the rice. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Bake, covered in a preheated 350 oven, for 45 minutes.
