Chicken Chesapeake

I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was enjoyed! The ingredients intrigued me. I don't normally cook with crab meat, and although the meat was a little pricey, it was worth it. Don't use artificial crab meat...go with the real thing!


8 oz. lump crab meat
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 (8 oz) package sliced baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup minced green onion
1 cup dry white wine (I had cooking wine, so I used a little less due to the sodium)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
hot cooked rice


*Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray., Sprinkle crab meat over baking dish.

*Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.

*In a large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from pan and place over crab in baking dish.

*Melt remaining butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and green onion; cook for 5-6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add wine and cook for 5-6 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in chicken broth and cream and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper (I omitted the salt due to the white wine).

*Pour mixture over chicken and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Server over rice. Sprinkle with black pepper before serving, if desired.

-taken from Paula Deen's magazine

Shrimp and Grits

I recently had shrimp and grits for the first time last Spring at McCormick and Schmick's. I couldn't believe how good the dish was! Since then, I'm always interested in finding a tried and true recipe for it. Here is one I found from the Lynchburg, VA restaurant, Meriwethers. (a bit of trivia: this is the place Roy and I had our first date!). The recipe was in a Lynchburg local magazine. Meriwether's is a delicious restaurant and I've never had anything bad there. Roy is not a fan of grits but he enjoyed it and said I could make it again anytime! The cheese, bacon and tomato give it a wonderful flavor. So, without further ado, here it is:

2 1/2 C whole milk

2 1/2 C vegetable stock

1 C uncooked grits

1/4 stick butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C grated cheddar cheese

1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

1 tomato, diced

2 slices cooked bacon, diced (Applewood Smoked)

1 portobello mushroom, chopped and sauteed seperately

24 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

To prepare grits, bring stock and milk to a boil; slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes or until the grits are thick and tender. Stir in salt, butter, cheeses, diced tomatoes, chopped bacon and mushrooms. Add more milk if necessary to maintain creamy quality.

Season shrimp with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Grill shrimp on both sides for 2-3 minutes.

Serve in individual bowls or family style. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top. Serves 6.

BANG BANG SHRIMP (Yes...the REAL deal)

If you've been to Bonefish Grill, you know EXACTLY what Bang Bang Shrimp is AND if you've tasted the delicacy, you probably find yourself CRAVING it from time to time. If you haven't tasted this delicacy....put it this way...they don't call it Bang Bang for nothing!

WELLLLLL, no need to make a special trip to Bonefish anymore for your craving. Thanks to some tips from an undisclosed insider, I've struck GOLD!!!!!!!!!! My husband really wants me to keep this find a secret, but I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I deprived my peeps of a party in their mouth. So, shhhhhhh but I'm sharing my gold so that you too can whip up this luxury in the confines of your very own kitchen. You can thank me later. :)

I'm not kidding...this is SO legit that I'm scared to post this under my name from fear that the Bonefish police are going to come after me. We made it for dinner Saturday night, had leftovers which were our appetizer for Sunday family lunch and have STILL been craving it ever since!

Ladies and Gentlemen, without furthere ado, BAAAAANG BAAAAANG Shrimp. You won't be disappointed!

This recipe may self destruct so be sure to put it in a REAL safe place.

Ingredients

• Jumbo Shrimp (the bigger the shrimp=the bigger the bang)


• Rice flour


• Mayonnaise (NOT low fat or FF)

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (Do not compromise this. KEY ingredient. It's the bottle w/ the rooster)

Sweet Thai Chili (couldn't find so I used...) OR Sriracha Chili Garlic Sauce (...and it worked perfectly w/ a dash of Sugar or Splenda...Again, don't compromise...also has rooster on bottle)

SHRIMP

Moisten (sorry for gross word) shrimp w/ milk or buttermilk. Coat w/ Rice flour. Flash fry in oil. Drain off oil. Stir sauce in with shrimp.

SAUCE

Begin with one cup of mayonnaise (adjust amount of mayo depending on size/amount of shrimp). Begin by stirring in 3-4 tablespoons of Sweet Thai Chili OR Chili Garlic Sauce depending on desired spice level (I did 4 tablespoons of Chili Garlic sauce w/ a dash of Splenda). Then, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of Hot Sauce depending on desired spice level (I did 3-4ish but we like things SPICY!). Mix well. Stir into lightly fried shrimp. Covers 2 lbs. of Jumbo Shrimp perfectly.

Tastes GREAT when served on top of iceberg lettuce and a side of rice. These two side items also help "cut" some of the heat from the spice.

VOILA!!!!

Spicy Shrimp with Papaya-Lime Salsa

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne

1 1/4 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups cubed papaya

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 lime, peeled and diced

Preheat the grill or broiler. Spray a grill basked or the broiler rack with nonstick cooking spray. In a large zip-close plastic bag, combine the paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne; add the shrimp. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air; shake to coat.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the papaya, scallions, and lime; set aside.

Grill the shrimp in the basket or broil them 6 inches from the heat until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve, with the salsa on the side.

Serves 4. WW Points: 4

*We aren't fans of fruity salsa, so we just made our homemade salsa-diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and corn-and it was great!