Sautéed Shrimp Salad

May 11, 2016Leave a comment

With the days getting longer and warmer, I’ve found myself wanting to play outside when I get home from work.

Boyfriend cleans the pool. I water the garden and flowers. We sit on the deck and chat while drinking a beer or a glass of wine.

Then I realize it’s almost 8 p.m. and I haven’t even thought about what’s for supper.

Last night was like that. I don’t ever want to be a slave to my kitchen. But I do want to make something quick and easy on the nights I’d rather just relax.

Sautéed Shrimp Salad

What you need:

Favorite greens
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Fresh dill
Fresh basil
Shrimp
Olive oil
Garlic
Red pepper flakes

First, prepare the salad. I used Buttercrisp lettuce I grew in the garden, cherry tomatoes, half a cucumber, fresh dill and fresh basil.

I cut the tomatoes in half, and the cucumber into half moon shaped pieces. I julienned the basil and chopped the dill.

The dill and basil took this simple salad to the next level. Very vibrant in flavor.

Prepare the shrimp by seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Heat up the pan on medium high, and throw in a little olive oil and a couple cloves of garlic, roughly chopped.

Add the shrimp to the screaming hot pan. Add in red pepper flakes to taste. Sauté until shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add in more fresh chopped dill and basil. Serve immediately.

I separated my shrimp and salad because the shrimp had tails on. But I combined everything once I took care of the tails. Boyfriend went all in with a combination bowl.

Light and fresh. This is a delicious meal to enjoy on the days when you’d rather not cook.

I found it really satisfying to eat greens I grew myself. And if you aren’t growing an herb garden yet, go ahead and do that. It will take you cooking game up several notches.

What is your go-to meal when you’d rather not be a slave to the kitchen?

Pizza Stuffed Sandwich

May 10, 2016Leave a comment

No stir fry or lasagna to show you today, but I did invent a sandwich to end all sandwiches.

Introducing the Pizza Stuffed Sandwich.

What you need:

Mini French bread rolls
Your favorite marinara sauce
Sandwich size pepperonis
Mozzarella cheese

Slice the roll down the middle, but not all the way through. Dig out the bread from the inside. Spoon marinara sauce inside the roll. Layer pepperoni and cheese. Add another layer of sauce and continue layering all ingredients until the roll is completely stuffed.

Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

I also whipped up a quick strawberry shortcake with the strawberries I got from the Farmers Market.

Lady Fingers, strawberries and whipped cream. Simple and delicious.

The Pizza Stuffed Sandwich was a huge hit. The boyfriend approved, and asked for seconds.

The shortcake was more for me, and it was absolutely amazing.

Tell me about your Monday night dinner.

Weekend Eats

May 9, 2016Leave a comment

Yesterday I spent Mother’s Day with my mom and grandma. In true fashion, food was our main priority.

We had brunch at The Root Cafe in downtown Little Rock. Such a delicious way to start the day.

I had the Root Benny. Poached eggs on a bed of local greens with thinly sliced ham and homemade hollandaise sauce. We shared the yogurt parfait and a plate of French toast.

So so so good. If you haven’t been to the Root Cafe, you have my official endorsement. And no, they didn’t pay me to say that. I just love everything they make.

After brunch, we hit the Bernice Garden Farmers Market. I got a load of fresh Arkansas strawberries, yellow squash and broccoli.

Super excited to incorporate those items into this week’s meals.

I’m feeling a stir fry or Italian moment coming. I’ve been thinking about lasagna today. Or a veggie packed noddley stir fry. Maybe I will whip up a couple of strawberry shortcakes.

What sounds good for supper?

Southern Comfort Food

May 4, 2016Leave a comment

When I’ve had a rough day, I crave food that gives me comfort. Being from the South, my comfort food is considerably better than pizza or ice cream.

Fried Pork Chops, Rice with Homemade Milk Gravy and Black Eye Peas

What you need:

Four breakfast pork chops, bone in
Flour
Milk
Canola oil, enough to fill halfway up the sides of a skillet
1/2 cup rice
1 cup water
2 15-ounce cans black eye peas
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste

For the gravy:

Grease from the pork chops, about 3-4 tablespoons
2 heaping tablespoons flour
Milk, enough to fill halfway up the side of a skillet
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil over medium high heat. Pour milk into a bowl and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Pour flour onto a plate and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Soak the pork chops in the milk mixture. Then, dredge the chops through the seasoned flour.

Fry until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes on each side.

Cook rice according to package directions. I used Riceland Extea Long Grain White Rice because it’s grown in Arkansas. My hometown to be exact.

Open the cans of peas, and heat over medium heat in a pan on the stove. I like to add lots of pepper.

Once the pork chops are cooked, remove any excess grease. Keep some grease with the pork chop bits, and add two heaping tablespoons of flour. Stir vigorously.

The flour will take on a deep brown color and become creamy. This will cook off the flour taste.

Pour milk into the flour mixture, enough to fill halfway the side of the skillet. Turn the heat to low. And stir constantly until the gravy thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gravy is difficult to make, but you can master it. The key is low heat, constant stirring and good, flavorful grease.

I’ve made it so many times I don’t measure anything. So if these measurements are off a little bit, that’s why.

There is nothing better than a plate of Southern comfort food. This recipe was a staple in my mom’s kitchen, and I have many fond memories of watching her cook.

It felt good to channel my mom in my own kitchen and know the legacy of her pork chops and gravy will live on every time I make it.

Who knows? Maybe she will start letting me make it for her so she can relax for a change.

What is your go-to comfort food?

How Does Your Garden Grow

May 3, 2016Leave a comment

Y’all, this is the first year I’ve planted a real garden.

Boyfriend’s backyard had a very sad, overgrown raised garden bed, and after hours of laborious love we have nursed it back to health.

Yes, we did get rainbow colored tomato cages. Because life is too short for regular tomato cages.

In the garden, we planted Buttercrisp lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, cucumbers, yellow squash, basil, dill, lavender and cat nip.

We’ve placed insect repellent flowers throughout to help manage it.

I’ve fertilized it once with organic plant food. And I’m impatiently waiting for fruit.

So far, I’ve only trimmed the basil a couple of times, the lettuce once. What a nerve wrecking process that was. Lettuce is fickle. And it needs a ton of water.

But I love coming home from work to check on it. It’s such a cool thing to grow your own food. My future salads will taste so good.

I am really excited to share about my garden. It’s such a huge part of my life right now, and it will play a major role in the food I create in the upcoming months.

Tell me about your garden. Do you have one/want one? What’s in it? How does it look right now? Feel free to post and share in the comments. Or on Facebook because I have that now. 😊