Taco Salad with Adobo Chili Shrimp

Taco salads are pretty common in Mexican restaurants. Most of the time they consist of a fried taco shell filled with salad and a choice of shredded chicken or fajita style meat. I decided to make it a little bit better by using shrimp instead of the standard chicken or beef choices.

The shrimp in this recipe is marinated for a short period of time and then cooked in a spicy adobo chili sauce. The sauce that I make is also good on flank steak for fajitas or any other thick cut of steak. If you use it on beef, rub a little on all sides, seal and marinate over night. Use the remaining sauce to brush on while grilling.

1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

6oz crushed pineapple with juice

4 garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tbs ground comino

1lb shrimp, shells removed and cleaned

4 extra large flour tortillas

shredded lettuce

chopped tomatoes

chopped mixed bell peppers

chopped avocado

1 11oz size southwestern style corn

prepared salsa 

dressing

3-4 cups oil for frying

Prepare Sauce and shrimp:

In a blender combine the first 5 ingredients, chipotle peppers thru comino, and puree til smooth. Mix cleaned shrimp with 3-4 tbs sauce and set aside.

In a deep fry pan heat oil until a piece of tortilla floats to top when dropped in.  Take one tortilla, drop in hot oil and push middle down with ladle.

Carefully shape tortilla into a bowl, using two ladles or spoons if necessary. Make sure to fry all sides till they are evenly brown, being careful not to burn. When golden brown, remove from oil and drain upside down on a paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat 2-3 tbs oil and add shrimp. Cook for about 3 minutes, add 2-3 tbs adobo sauce and stir. Cook an addition 3-4 minutes or until done. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Place one shell on a plate and fill with lettuce, tomato, peppers, etc. Top with shrimp, salsa and dressing.

Chicken Parmesan

One of Sam's favorite dishes is chicken parmesan. He's loved it for as long as I can remember. He loves it so much that he used to sing a song about it when he was little! I made this the other day and it made up for me not making the pie he requested the night before.

When I make this dish, I like to use chicken breast that is cut thin. If your store doesn't offer it this way, just slice through a regular piece to make two pieces. I brown each piece in a little olive oil and then finish baking it in the oven. However, if you want to make a lighter version, after breading the pieces place them in a baking dish coated with cooking spray and then spray each piece lightly. Bake the chicken until no longer pink inside and then top with sauce and cheese.

8 thin sliced chicken breasts

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs

2 tbs grated fresh parmesan

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

olive oil for frying

favorite pasta sauce or marinara sauce

grated mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375°

Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts, set aside. Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a container big enough to dip pieces in. Mix egg and milk in a second container, big enough to dip pieces in. Heat a large skillet and add oil. Dip each piece of chicken in egg wash and then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Fry each piece in heated oil until both sides are golden brown. Place pieces in a shallow baking dish and bake for about 20-30 minutes or no longer pink inside. Remove from oven and top each piece with 3-4 tbs sauce and about a tablespoon of grated mozzarella. Return to oven and bake just until cheese begins to melt. Serve with cooked spaghetti and remaining sauce.

Layered Pea Salad- Make ahead Dish

Usually when I say the word salad, my kids ignore me. When I say pea salad though, they actually get excited and can't wait to eat it. I don't know if it's the peas that get them or maybe the shrimp or bacon, but they eat it and that's all that matters to me!

When you make this dish, try and use a glass bowl. Because of the different layers and their colors, this dish makes a pretty display. Use this as a building block of your own version. You can add layers of shredded carrots, apples, pecans, etc. or subtract some that I have. Just remember to prepare it the day before you plan on eating it, the flavors of the final 3-4 layers need time to marry.

* Depending on your bowl size you may need to adjust the quantities

1 1/2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

1 cup cooked small pasta (I used mini UT Austin colored pasta)

1 cup small cooked salad shrimp

4-5 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup mayonnaise

2 -3 tbs white sugar

fresh ground pepper

3-4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 green onions, chopped 

Layer lettuce to peas in order they are listed. Gently press down on top layer to pack. Carefully spread mayo, sprinkle sugar over mayo and add ground pepper to taste. Top with bacon, cheese and onion. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

 

Apple Cheesecake Crumb Pie

My son, Samuel, begged me for a pie the other night. He came up to me and said, "Mom, I have a sweet tooth. Can you make me a pie?" I promptly responded, "No." It was ten at night and way too late to start baking a pie! However, I had enough ingredients on hand to make this the next day. I planned it perfectly, when he walked in the house after school it was sitting on the rack cooling and smelling delicious. He was happy, which made me happy!

This is a really easy pie because it uses ready made ingredients with just a little doctoring. It can be served warm but is much better chilled overnight.

1 9" ready to bake pie crust

1 21ounce can apple pie filling

1 tub Philly white chocolate cream cheese

1 package regular cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp cardamon

2 tbs butter

Preheat oven to 375°

Beat white chocolate cream cheese, regular cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla and white sugar til fluffy and set aside. Spread pie filling into crust and top with cream cheese mixture. Cover edges of pie with foil, place in oven and bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix flour, brown sugar and spices together. Add butter and, with a fork, combine until a crumbly mixture forms. Top pie with mixture and place back in oven. Cook an additional 30-50 minutes or until knife inserted into first inch of pie comes out clean. If pie begins to brown to quickly, LOOSELY cover with foil.