Cajun Shrimp Pizza

For this Super Bowl theme week, Wednesday was reserved for the location of the Super Bowl...NEW ORLEANS! Unfortunately, I didn't have a ton of time, so I had to go with something quick! Therefore, no crawfish dish or jambalaya....

So, this recipe is super yummy and quick! And, I used Creole seasonings instead of Cajun seasoning only because I forgot we had any Cajun seasoning left.  It was just one of those nights...at least dinner got on the table...you all know what I mean!

Cajun/Creole Shrimp Pizza
Ingredients
1/8 purple onion, diced
1/8 green pepper, diced
2 T. Creole/Cajun seasoning
12 or so raw shrimp
pizza sauce
pizza crust (I used Boboli original pizza crust)
(I also used some of the leftover crab meat from Tuesday night's meal)

Step by Step Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season both the shrimp and the veggies with the seasonings.

2. Saute the peppers and onions. Remove the veggies from the heat.

3. Cook the seasoned shrimp until they are no longer pink.

4. Top the pizza crust with sauce, then the veggies, cheese, and then shrimp.

5. Bake for 8 minutes.
Enjoy!

Roasted Garlicky Green Beans

I found a recipe on roasting garlic and I just HAD to try it! But, I didn't want to put it on bread (just yet) I wanted to see what the garlic was really like after roasting it...so I figured if I used it on a vegetable that would be a good combination...healthy somewhat bland vegetable meets the deliciousness of garlic.I will DEFINITELY use this on bread soon!!!!

Roasted Garlic
1 bulb of garlic
a few splashes of extra virgin olive oil
aluminum foil

Step By Step Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut top 1/3 of garlic off.

Place on large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle EVOO over it. Crumble the aluminum foil around garlic.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Garlicky Green Beans
Ingredients
green beans
roasted garlic paste (from above recipe)
salt and pepper
(Grated cheese....going to try using this next time!)

Step by Step Directions
1. Steam the green beans for approximately 3-4 minutes.
2. Using a paper towel to hold the garlic, squeeze the garlic paste out.

3. Transfer green beans to a pan. Stir in garlic paste. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper. (add in cheese if you prefer)

Eat the day after and get more of a garlicky taste!

Not So Pretty Crab Cakes...

Well, I tried. I don't know how people make pretty crab cakes. There must be a trick I don't know about. Or, I could chalk it up to how much I dislike the Ravens, so since this was the "Ravens" recipe for the week...I could leave it at that. (And no, I won't go off on a tangent on how much I am not and never will be a Baltimore fan....bleck!)

Back to the recipe...I gathered the ingredients I would use to put together a crab cake. Apparently, I missed the true "glue" of the cake. I think I needed to use more mayo or another egg...but whatever it was I missed it. Or, I mixed the ingredients together in the wrong matter...I'm not sure. Next time I might mix my dry ingredients first and the other ingredients together in another bowl. Then, combine. However, they tasted very good, had a GREAT "bite" to them, but they didn't stay together as a "cake."

burnt and falling apart...BUT tasty!

Well, here is my crab cake recipe...feel free to give me any tips you have for improvement!!!

Pugh's Not So Pretty Crab Cakes
Ingredients
1 lb. crab meat or imitation crab meat (depends on how much money you want to spend)
1/2 red pepper, sauteed and diced into small pieces
1/2 green pepper, sauteed and diced into small pieces
1/2 c. Panko bread crumbs
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 T. chives
2 T. Old Bay seasoning
2 T. mayo
a few splashes Frank's Red Hot

Step By Step Directions
Mix all ingredients together. Form into cakes. (I used a 1/4 c. to measure)
Heat over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Flip once.

Forever and Ever....

Just had to put that out there...

A San Francisco Treat ~ Joe's Special

Since this week has a "Super Bowl" theme, I did a little bit of research to find a simple dish from San Francisco. The story behind this dish can be found here. But, in case you are pressed for time, here is a tidbit:

Original Joe's
“The name “Joe’s” was a generic name that dates back to the Barbary Coast in San Francisco. During the 1920’s, a group of entrepreneurs decided to open a new restaurant on Broadway Street in San Francisco….it was also a restaurant where the “Joe’s Special” was created. Folklore has it that a customer ordered a spinach omelet very late at night. The customer asked the chef if he had anything else available to cook. The chef replied he had some hamburger left. The customer asked him to throw some of the hamburger into his omelet. The dish became so popular that they eventually put it on the menu.”

Thus, this is a very easy recipe to make and you probably have the ingredients already in your kitchen!

This recipe was adapted from: Good Food

Joe's Special

Ingredients

-eggs (1 egg for each person eating the dish)

-splash or two of Tabasco

-approx. 1 t. oregano

-salt and pepper

-extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)

-1 T. unsalted butter

-1 medium onion, diced

-1 clove garlic, minced

-92% lean ground beef (use enough for the group you are serving)

-1 lb. fresh spinach

Step by Step

1. Whisk eggs, Tabasco, oregano, salt, and pepper together. 

2. Over medium heat, heat EVOO and butter until the butter melts. Add onion and garlic. Watch that the garlic doesn't burn.

3. Add in ground beef. (I added more Tabasco over the meat). Stir until brown. 

4. Cover with spinach. 

When the spinach begins to soften, make a "nest" and pour egg mixture in. Continue to stir together until the egg scrambles. It doesn't hurt to add in a bit more salt/pepper and/or Tabasco. 

I served with a piece of garlic bread. I would also recommend serving with salsa. Ours turned out to be a bit dry (and we love salsa). 

And....

For dessert we had strawberries!!! From PLANT CITY, FLORIDA!!! They are the BEST!!!

Super Bowl Week Menu!

As I was putting this week's menu together, I was feeling like a boring cook. Anything I wrote down seemed like something I had made before....and well, that was last week. (as I'm sure you noticed! My apologies!)

Anyway, with the Super Bowl less than a week away, I thought I would theme this week with tailgating favorites...only a bit healthier and served nightly with sides. Also, I included two recipes influenced by the two Super Bowl teams...I will post tonight's dinner (hopefully) tonight.

This week's (tentative) menu...things sometimes tend to change!

49ers Monday - Joe's Special (A San Francisco inspired recipe)

Ravens Tuesday - Maryland Crab Cakes, Mac n Cheese, Garlicky Green Beans

NOLA Wednesday - Cajun Shrimp Pizza

Tailgate Thursday - Crock Pot chicken wings, potato fries and veggie

Friday....nothing on tap just yet...

Preschool Penguin Crafts!

So, I have been working in the preschool room this school year....this is a HUGE change for me seeing as I have spent the rest of my teaching career with students who are almost taller than me...it is the complete other end of the spectrum...now I have knee pain from having to bend down so much...

Anyway, I have thrown myself into looking for crafts that can be completed in this age group. I want to have that feeling of being a "real" teacher again...so if this is the place I am now...I am going to make the most of it!

January the students learn about winter and winter "things." This includes PENGUINS! Scouring Pinterest, I found these little crafts and I just HAD to share their completed penguins! They are so darn cute!

This one was a two person job when painting their little feet and toes...and if you plan to do this make sure you are prepared for some wiggling! One person painted, one was ready with the baby wipe to clean....then the next day, they kids glued the other parts to their penguins....

(they sponge painted the big penguin...we covered the white part with newspaper so they didn't get the black paint in the wrong spots)

And then, this one was a high prep project because we cut out all of the parts to the penguin beforehand. The students painted the toilet paper tube. The next day, they decorated it. (it was a one-on-one project) FYI....we taped the hair to the tube. If I ever do this project again, I WILL make SURE there are feet for the penguins. These little 3-year-olds were VERY concerned that their penguins couldn't move because they didn't have feet. So, next time, I will add feet!

Thank you to all of those creative people on Pinterest! 

These are FANTASTIC!

Tilapia Pasta

This recipe is my husband's FAVORITE! I am sure I have said this before, but this truly is one of his favorites...he especially likes it because I make enough so he has leftovers for lunch. (and it is one of those recipes that the next day, the dish is EVEN better)

It isn't a favorite of mine, because there is a lot of chopping...however, that aside it is a flavorful and HEALTHY fish dish! So, if you don't mind chopping....and you like fish, this dish is for you!

Tilapia Pasta
Ingredients
*1 zucchini
*1 yellow squash
*1 small yellow onion, diced
*1 pint of cherry tomatoes
*2 T. cilantro or Italian parsley
*4-5 minced garlic cloves
*whole wheat pasta (enough for the amount of people you are cooking for)
*tilapia filets (I used 2)
*1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
*salt and pepper
*tomato and garlic seasoning (if you don't have this...use garlic salt and chili powder)
*1 c. mozzarella, shredded
(if you have spinach or other vegetables you can substitute those. I have used peppers, vidalia onion or asparagus...use what you like!)

Step By Step Directions
1. Over medium-low heat, heat olive oil, onion, garlic and cilantro. Bring to a low simmer.

(see my mangled spatula...nice, right?)

2. Add in zucchini and squash. Cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add tomatoes. Meanwhile, heat water for pasta.

3. Once zucchini and squash begin to soften, remove mixture from heat. Pour into another bowl. Use same pan to cook the tilapia. The drippings will soak into the tilapia. Season the fish with the salt, pepper and tomato/garlic seasoning.

4. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Flake the fish as it cooks.

5. Add the vegetables back in with the fish. Mix the fish in with the vegetables. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

6. Drain the pasta. Pour back into the large pot. Pour veggies and fish over the pasta. Mix together.
Top with cheese.

Cheesy Cilantro Chicken Roll-Ups

This recipe turned out better than I thought it would. I guess I should back up and say why...well, when I made this recipe I was sick. Sick as in...I couldn't smell anything and I couldn't taste any flavors...so I wasn't sure what it was going to turn out to be. That being said, when all was said and done, it was spicy enough that even I (as sick as I was) could taste it and thought it was delicious. Only thing I had trouble with was figuring out how long to bake this chicken...it was a lot of pulling out of the oven and checking...I think I have it down, but it was a concern for me while trying this one out....

Cheesey Cilantro Chicken Roll-Ups
Ingredients
*2 fresh chicken breasts
*1 c. cilantro leaves
*1/2 c. - 3/4 c. mexican cheese blend
*1/4 c. flour
*1 T. chili powder
*1 t. coriander powder
*salt and pepper
*salsa and/or sour cream (for topping)

Step by Step Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Flatten the chicken breasts out until they are about 1/2 inch thick.

2. Coat the chicken in flour, chili powder and coriander. (I shook the chicken in a bag)

3. Lay the chicken out on a plate and cover with cilantro and cheese. Top with salt and pepper.

4. Roll the chicken and secure with each with a toothpick. (I had metal "sticks" my Mom gave me to use with turkey)

5. Place in a greased pan. Do not cover. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Top with salsa and/or sour cream to serve.

In case you want more heat, you could always add in some hot sauce or red pepper flakes....just saying!

Our Big Bang Theory theme party!

I LOVE throwing theme parties! And, I LOVE Big Bang Theory! So, how did I arrive at having this party as a 31 year old? Well....

My husband and I decided we wanted to invite some people over during the holidays....of course, everyone was already busy (we must be lame because we weren't busy).  But, that is neither here nor there...so we decided to have people over in January.  As we were watching another rerun of our favorite show, we got the idea of throwing this theme party. We decided to use Sheldon Cooper's "Newtonmas" explaination as our tie into Christmas...and yes, we kept our Christmas decorations up...tree and all!

Fast forward to the middle of January...and everyone is SICK! So, what was meant to be a bigger affair turned into  a few of our friends braving the conditions and coming over...that doesn't mean I wasn't prepared. This post doesn't have any recipes, but it does show the few things we did to our house to make it more "BBT" friendly.


Our Floor Mat

Our front door
It was made to look like the broken elevator. (this caused some confusion because then they had to go around to the back door to get in)

Around the house
I hung different quotes from the show that tied into the various things around the house. For example, the song Sheldon sings when he pees...that was hung behind the toliet.

Decorations

I forgot to take pictures of this, but I hung up cutouts of superheroes  around the house. I was going to hang them on the tree, but the tree was literally falling apart from being up for so long, so instead the cutouts were on the wall. Also, I found The Avengers tablecloth and napkins at Walmart.

Here are some other ones:

Hint...Fun with Flags!

And of course, I had to "highlight" Sheldon's spot

Food Ideas

We ordered pizza and I put the sign out for Giacomo's because that is where the guys get their pizza. (again, didn't take a picture...my bad!)

I made sugar cookies in the shape of a "soft kitty"

I made mini cheesecake cupcakes...an ode to the Cheesecake Factory (where Penny works) and I titled them as Leonard's Enemy...(you can find the recipe for this on this blog!)

Drinks

(with or without alcohol)
I also had Shirley Temples available...

And finally...


Dress Appropriately
Our friends were encouraged to dress like their favorite Big Bang Theory character or their favorite superhero...

 Ryan and I

aka Howard Wolowitz and Bernadette

Ryan and his brother 

Showing off their favorite TBS poses...

My sister in law and my other brother in law

Gotta love my family and what I torture them with!