Author Archives: Parker

Pecan Pie Brownies

Pecan Pie + Brownie = OMG

Pecan Pie + Brownie = OMG

Meet the love child of pecan pie and fudge brownies…I think these might be illegal in 11 states.

Pecan Pie Brownies

Pecan Pie Brownies

Ingredients

    Pecan Topping
  • 1 stick of butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup corn syrup
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups coarsely chopped pecans
  • Brownies
  • 1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 Tb water
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of a brownie pan (8x8 inch) with cooking spray
  2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, chocolate syrup, oil, water and 2 eggs until well blended. Spread in pan.
  3. In 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth.. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and 2 eggs until well blended. Cook 2-3 minutes, until mixture begins to boil.
  4. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Spoon pecan topping evenly over brownie batter.
  5. Bake 35-38 minutes until center is set. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/pecan-pie-brownies-2/

Spicy Shrimp Fettuccine in a Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Spicy Shrimp Fettucine Final Product

My favorite pasta of all time.

This is a Parker twist on an old Emeril recipe and it never disappoints. Fancy enough for company but low maintenance enough for a cozy night in at home. It’s perfect for this time of year when it’s cold out and you want some hot pasta to warm you up! If you want to turn down the heat a notch, you can omit the jalapeños, but I don’t recommend it. You can also substitute gluten-free pasta  or zucchini if you want to make this low-carb and/or gluten free.

Spicy Shrimp Fettuccine in a Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Spicy Shrimp Fettuccine in a Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Ingredients

    Spicy Shrimp Pasta
  • 1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • 2 jalapeños diced
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves diced
  • 1/2 cup roasted red pepper diced
  • 2 Tb butter (divided)
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (Just take 1/2 cup out of the pot of water you cooked the pasta in right before you drain it.)
  • 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan plus more for topping on pasta
  • 2 Tb Spice mix (recipe below)
  • Fettuccine cooked al dente
  • kosher salt
  • fresh chopped basil
  • Spice Mix
  • 2 Tb chili powder
  • 1 Tb paprika
  • 1 Tb garlic powder
  • 1 Tb onion powder
  • 1 Tb thyme
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

    For the Pasta
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Make sure you salt the water-- 2 Tb of kosher salt will do the trick. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water before draining the pasta and set aside.
  2. For the Sauce
  3. In a large saucepan, saute onion, garlic, jalapeño and roasted red pepper in 1 Tb butter on medium heat until soft, about 7 minutes. Add heavy cream, 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and 1 Tb of the spice mix, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low and stir while sauce thickens, another 5-7 minutes.
  4. Add 1 cup of pepper jack and 1/2 cup of parmesan to sauce and stir to combine. Let the cheese melt into the sauce while you cook your shrimp.
  5. For the shrimp
  6. Sprinkle 1 Tb of spice mix on shrimp until coated (you may want a little more) and heat up a frying pan with 1 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil until butter gets bubbly. Add shrimp and do not move them around in the pan. Set your timer for 3 minutes exactly and then flip the shrimp over. Set timer again for 2 minutes and those babies are done! In my experience, the 3/2 minute timer trick will guarantee you never overcook them.
  7. Stir the drained fettuccine into the sauce. Plate up the pasta and top with shrimp, fresh basil and a few more pinches of parmesan.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/spicy-shrimp-fettuccine-in-a-chili-cream-sauce/

Letting cheese thicken

Let the cheese get all melty while your sauce thickens up. Delish!

Homemade Chips with Melty Blue Cheese and Bacon

YES.

YES.

One of my first food experiences when I moved to Atlanta in 2006 was this: Homemade chips plus hot blue cheese dressing plus bacon.  Um, YES.

The restaurant that served this has long shut down, but my memory of the deliciousness lives on!  I’ve recreated the dish and it is freaking awesome.  The key is adding that little bit of bacon fat into the sauce….OMG.

Homemade Chips with Melty Blue Cheese and Bacon

Homemade Chips with Melty Blue Cheese and Bacon

Ingredients

    Blue Cheese Sauce
  • 4 slices crispy bacon crumbled (Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes and save 1 tsp bacon fat)
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb bacon fat
  • 3/4 cup full fat sour cream
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tb worcestershire
  • 1 Tb fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese plus more for garnish
  • chopped scallions to garnish
  • Chips
  • Baking potato (peeled and sliced thin)
  • Canola oil
  • Kosher Salt

Instructions

    For the Sauce
  1. Bake bacon on a rimmed cookie sheet at 400 until crispy, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tsp of bacon fat and put in a frying pan. Saute garlic cloves in bacon fat and butter on medium heat until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Blue cheese will start to melt into the dressing. Top onto chips with additional blue cheese, bacon and scallions to garnish.
  3. For the Chips
  4. Peel a baking potato and slice thin on a mandolin. Soak sliced potato pieces in cold water for 15 minutes and then dry off with paper towels. This will rub off some of the starch so they crisp up easier. (Soaking isn't necessary, but I like the results better that way).
  5. Heat up about 2-3 inches of oil in a large frying pan or dutch oven on medium high heat. When oil sizzles just a bit, (test it out with one chip) add chips in batches. Turn over when browned on one side.
  6. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/homemade-chips-with-melty-blue-cheese-and-bacon/

 

OMG.

OMG.

Quick and Dirty Dinner: Dirty Rice with Smoky Chicken and Sausage

Quick, Dirty and Delish

Quick, Dirty and Delish

Usually after a long day, I love nothing better than trying out a new recipe and unwinding in front of the stove with a little Dateline or 48 Hours playing on my laptop in the background.  I know, macabre, right?  Creating delicious culinary art while listening to stories about murders and horror?  I’m a news reporter at heart and I’m still addicted to real life crime stories!

Lastnight, I was just trying to git’erdone.  No true crime, just true tired.  I opened the fridge and saw I had leftover chicken we grilled over the weekend that needed eating, some random veggies, sausage and a box of Zatarain’s Dirty Rice.  Doneski.

The irony is that my man came home and proceeded to plow through my leftover “everything but the kitchen sink” dinner and declare it tasted even better than his all-time favorite jambalaya.  Wha-what?  I think dude was just hungry.  I also credit his bad-ass grill skills for the smoky flavor of the chicken which really took the simplicity of this dinner to a whole ‘notha level of delish!

Dirty Rice with Smoky Chicken and Sausage

Dirty Rice with Smoky Chicken and Sausage

Ingredients

  • Zatarain's Dirty Rice Mix
  • 2 Tb butter (divided)
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • 8 oz spicy sausage sliced
  • 1 Tb Grade B Maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups grilled chicken diced
  • 2 roasted jalapeños chopped
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms
  • 1 cup spinach
  • kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Make rice according to package directions (boil 2 1/2 cups water with 1 Tb butter and add rice mix. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer on low for 25 minutes).
  2. Saute chopped onion and mushrooms in 1 Tb olive oil on medium heat for 10 minutes until lightly caramelized. Add in spinach and stir until slightly wilted, about 30 seconds. Toss in a pinch of kosher salt.
  3. In a separate frying pan, melt 1 Tb butter and add sausage. Cook on both sides until done-- about 7 minutes. Stir in 1 Tb Grade B Maple syrup to coat. This adds a nice, sweet flavor to the smokiness of the sausage.
  4. Add chicken and chopped jalapeños to vegetable mixture to warm them up.
  5. Stir in rice to combine.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/quick-and-dirty-dinner-dirty-rice-with-smoky-chicken-and-sausage/

I might add some a cup of kidney beans to the mix next time for even more stick-to-yer-ribs effect!  Only ish– no leftovers!

Cowboy Casserole aka “Tots of Delish”

Cheesy, crunchy, spicy tots

Cheesy, crunchy, spicy tots

I called this dish “Cowboy Casserole” when I first made it, but it’s more Napoleon Dynamite than Marlboro Man…Nerdy, crunchy delish!

napoleon_tots1

It’s the layers of flavor that make this dish so awesome…

 

Melt cheese under the broiler for a couple minutes before serving

Melt cheese under the broiler for a couple minutes before serving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cowboy Casserole aka “Tots of Delish”

Ingredients

    Layer 1:
  • Flour or corn tortillas
  • Layer 2:
  • 1 to 1.5 pounds ground beef or chuck
  • Spice Seasoning:
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • Layer 3: Black Beans
  • 1 can black beans (drained)
  • 2 garlic cloves diced
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 Tb fresh cilantro
  • Layer 4: Roasted jalapeño corn
  • 1 can of corn (drained) or 4 ears with kernels cut off
  • 1 jalapeño diced (I keep the seeds for some added heat)
  • 1 Tb Mexican crema or cream cheese
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • Layer 5: Tater Tots
  • 1/2 bag of Tater tots
  • Layer 6: Cheeeeeeeese (your fave Mexican cheese combo)
  • Cilantro for Garnish

Instructions

    Layer 1: Flour or corn tortillas
  1. Line a casserole dish with tortillas and bake until crisped up slightly, for 5 minutes at 425.
  2. Layer 2: Taco Meat
  3. Brown beef and drain. Add spice mix and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer until combined, about 5 minutes on medium heat.
  4. Layer 3: Black Beans
  5. Saute diced garlic and onion in olive oil on medium heat until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add chili powder, salt and cilantro.
  6. Layer 4: Roasted jalapeño corn
  7. Saute corn and jalapeño in olive oil on medium high heat until corn starts to brown slightly, 5-7 minutes. Turn heat down and add crema or cream cheese and stir to combine and melt.
  8. Layer 5: Tater Tots
  9. Lay out half the bag on a cookie sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes at 425.
  10. Layer 6: Cheeeeeeeese
  11. Once you've put the layers together and topped the cheese on the tots, broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese melts and browns slightly...Garnish with more fresh cilantro.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/cowboy-casserole-aka-tots-of-delish/
You might just find yourself stuffing it into your pockets to save for later….just sayin’.

Gimme your tots!

Gimme your tots!

 

Coconut Shrimp with Mango Basil Salsa & Lime Jasmine Rice

Burst of majah flavah!

Burst of majah flavah!

This is one of all-time favorite recipes— I’ve made this for crowds of 25+ and for intimate dinner parties.  It’s got that sweet heat combo with a a cool mango basil salsa that really adds a pop of fresh (and delish!)

Making the rice with coconut milk and lime also gives it a really authentic Thai flavor….Enjoy!

Coconut Shrimp with Mango Basil Salsa & Lime Jasmine Rice

Coconut Shrimp with Mango Basil Salsa & Lime Jasmine Rice

Ingredients

    Salsa
  • 1 mango, peeled and finely diced
  • 3 scallions, sliced
  • 5 basil leaves, julienned
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Shrimp
  • 4 fresh jalapenos, diced (keep the seeds for extra spicy heat!)
  • 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 one inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (or 2 TB of tube ginger)
  • 4 Tb dark brown sugar
  • 4 Tb soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 2 Tb Thai Chili sauce
  • 1 lime, zested
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • Handful basil leaves, torn
  • 2 Tb vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tb pepper
  • 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp (medium to large-- not the little guys!)
  • Lime Jasmine Rice
  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup water
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/2 lime, zested

Instructions

    For the salsa
  1. Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Make up to a day in advance. Keep covered in the refrigerator.
  2. For the shrimp
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine jalapenos, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, Thai chili sauce, lime zest, coconut milk, basil, vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours, refrigerated.
  4. Heat 2 Tb vegetable or canola oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Use tongs or a fork to remove the shrimp from the marinade and place in an even layer in the pan, reserving the marinade.
  5. Cook the shrimp until well browned on each side, turning once, about 2 minutes per side max. Transfer cooked shrimp to a serving plate.
  6. Add reserved marinade to pan, bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  7. Pour over the cooked shrimp and serve with Lime Jasmine Rice and Mango Salsa.
  8. For the rice
  9. Put the rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and gently simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the lime zest. Serve immediately.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/coconut-shrimp-with-mango-basil-salsa-lime-jasmine-rice/

Bacon and Jalapeño Corn Cakes

Savory, sweet with a kick

Savory, sweet with a kick

JP’s fave weekend meal is pancakes.  Last weekend, I was out of Bisquick and buttermilk, so I decided to look no further than my box of Jiffy.

99 cents delish

99 cents delish

All you do is add some milk, an egg, some jalapeños and bacon for pancakes that Aunt Jemima would covet.

Ingredients

1 box of Jiffy

2 Tb butter melted plus 1 Tb

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

3 pieces of bacon

2 jalapeños

1/2 cup white cheddar

Directions:  Saute jalapeños and bacon till crispy in 1 Tb of butter.

Bacon and Jalapeño

Bacon and Jalapeño

Combine Jiffy mix with egg, 2 Tb melted butter and 3/4 cup milk.  Pour about 1/4 cup portions into a pan to make pancakes.

Cook in a little bit of butter

Cook in a little bit of butter

When cakes are in pan, sprinkle with the crispy bacon, jalapeño and a pinch of white cheddar.  Flip over when they start to bubble.

Ready to E.A.T.

Ready to E.A.T.

Garnish with a bit more bacon and jalapeño.  Dive into DELISH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutella Stuffed Cupcakes

Nutella Stuffed Decadence

Nutella Stuffed Decadence

Let’s not bury the lead. These cupcakes are the bomb.com as the Williams family can attest after eating them…click the MOV link to see and hear 5 seconds of sheer adorable!  MOV_1057.MOV

Sprinkled with black sanding sugar and a wedge of dark chocolate

Sprinkled with black sanding sugar and a wedge of dark chocolate

I spied these on the Facebook page of my friend Loretta, (who might have one of the most gorgeous babies of all time) and still finds the time to bake.  Kudos, girl, cuz these little munchkins are keepers.

Cupcake Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (or any unsweetened cocoa powder)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup coffee, lukewarm (you can use decaf coffee if desired!)

Nutella frosting

coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

1 (13-ounce) jar Nutella, to fill the cupcakes (you may or may not use the whole jar)

Nutella Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup Nutella

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

pinch of kosher salt

2-3 Tbsp. milk (or heavy cream)

To Make The Cupcakes:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt until combined. Then in an additional separate bowl, stir together buttermilk and coffee. Add dry ingredients to creamed butter mixture alternately with buttermilk and coffee, beating well after each addition.

Line baking pans with about 24 paper baking cups, and fill each two-thirds full with batter. (Here is my tutorial for filling cupcake liners.) Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes have reached room temperature, use a melon baller (or a small spoon) to scoop out a small portion from the middle of the cupcake (about 1 teaspoon). Fill the empty space with a teaspoon or so of Nutella. Then top the cupcakes with the Nutella frosting (recipe instructions below.)

To Make The Nutella Frosting:

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and Nutella together on medium-speed until smooth. Add in vanilla and beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add powdered sugar until incorporated. Add milk until you reach the desired consistency, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 1 more minute. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes.

Nutella stuffed delish

Nutella stuffed delish

Killer Chili Garlic Crab Cakes

Star of the meal

Star of the meal!

This is a great meal for entertaining!  I’ve cooked this for anniversary dinners for personal chef clients and for my family’s Christmas dinner one year.  It’s always a hit.

Hint: Remember to sort through the crab meat to make sure there aren’t any shells mixed in and use paper towels to remove any excess moisture from the crab meat.  Watery crab will not hold together well or brown evenly.

Killer Chili Garlic Crab Cakes

Killer Chili Garlic Crab Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise (not low-fat)
  • 1 fresh garlic clove diced
  • 4 tsp chili-garlic sauce
  • 1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Tb olive oil
  • 2 Tb butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup celery
  • 1/2 cup sweet onion
  • 2 Tb jalapeño
  • 1 pound crabmeat, drained and coursely chopped
  • 1 large egg, beaten to blend
  • 5 cups breadcrumbs (you can sub gluten-free bread)

Instructions

  1. Mix mayonnaise, diced garlic clove, chili-garlic sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate chili mayonnaise.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 Tb butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, celery, onion, and jalapeño; sauté 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in crab, egg, 1/2 cup chili mayonnaise, and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, then 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs.
  3. Form crab mixture into eight 1/2-inch-thick cakes, using 1/2 cup for each. Dredge cakes in remaining 3 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, turning to coat. Place on baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
  4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1 Tb butter in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add crab cakes and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
  5. Transfer to plates. Serve, passing remaining chili mayonnaise separately.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/killer-chili-garlic-crabcakes/

 

Holy Delish Hummus and Pita Bread

Holy Delish

Holy Delish

What was that Jesus line?  “I am the bread of life….”  Well, it would’ve been more like “I will die without hummus on this bread” if he had tasted this shiznittabam

Homemade hummus AND homemade pita bread?  Read on, lovelies and you’ll never wanna go store bought again.
Culinary GOD-dess has spoken.

Ingredients

2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

4 cloves fresh garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pinch paprika

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 jalapeno pepper with seeds

Combine in a food processor.

Add additional oil and salt for desired taste and consistency.

 PARKER’S PITA BREAD

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 cup of warm water

4 cups of bread flour

2 teaspoons of salt

1 cup of warm water

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions: Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside, covered for 15 minutes. Dissolve salt in the remaining 1 cup of warm water.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour and make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture and salt water. Knead with hands for 10 minutes in the bowl. Add olive oil and continue to knead until all oil is absorbed. Shape into a ball in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in volume, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes more.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), and lightly oil baking sheets.

Take pieces of dough slightly larger than an egg and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 3/8 to 1/4 inch. (For larger or smaller pita bread pieces, take more or less dough). Prick the bread with a fork in several places.

Place on baking sheets and bake at 350°F (175°C) on the lowest oven rack for 2-3 minutes, then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and saute in a frying pan with 1 Tb of olive oil until lightly browned.  When thoroughly cooled, pitas can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or frozen.

Before using, brown in a lightly oiled frying pan for a few minutes until browned on both sides.