Shannon's Cookbook

Matt "invented" this recipe while out in Vegas. The best part is when you get to the rum infused blueberries in the bottom of the glass. I am just estimating the amounts. 1 shot light rum (we used Bacardi) splash fresh lime juice couple fresh mint leaves small handful fresh blueberries sugar to taste club soda Garnish: lime slice, mint leaves Add everything to a tall glass (except soda). Muddle mixture. Top off with club soda. Garnish with lime slice and mint sprig. Matt liked his with more sugar than I did.

The other day my mom and I were discussing her pizza dough and what she does or doesn't put in it. I was surprised to find out that all she uses is flour, water and yeast. No salt, so sugar and no oil. I guess I always thought she used those ingredients for some reason. Well, I am going to give that simple recipe a try here, in making the base for submarine club sandwiches. These turned out perfect, just like Big Al's, the restaurant that inspired them. Homemade Sub Buns 3 cups flour, plus extra for kneading 1 cup warm water, plus extra as needed 1 package active dry yeast olive oil for bowl Add flour to bowl of stand mixer and make a well. Add water and yeast. With dough hook, mix dough til it comes together into a ball, adding more water as needed. Meanwhile, oil a large bowl lightly. Add dough and roll til covered with oil. Cover bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place til doubled, about 1 hour. Remove from bowl and knead a few times on a light

When M. posted this recipe, I just couldn't resist making it. I love cooking with yogurt, as yogurt adds great tangy flavor but also tenderizes the meat or chicken at the same time. And it works well here, the chicken just melts in your mouth. This is my variation on M.'s recipe: 3-4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts fresh juice from 1 lemon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Spray a 9 x 13" baking pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and sprinkle all over with lemon juice and salt and pepper. Let sit 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine in a medium bowl: 1/4 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip) 2 T Dijon mustard 1 t Worcestershire sauce 1/2 t each: garlic and onion powders 1/4 t cayenne pepper pinch dried thyme Combine and pour over chicken. Spread evenly. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or til chicken is browned and cooked through. Serve chicken with sauce over sauteed spinach or your favorite side dish. For M.'s o

One of my favorite cookie bars of all! 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed Milk 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 1/3 cups flaked sweetened coconut 1 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 13x9" baking pan with non stick cooking spray. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a spatula. Bake 25 minutes or til lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars.

On Matt's last trip to Vegas, he brought home a kitchen full of authentic Mexican items, including almost a dozen Molcajetes, or salsa holders. I planned a dinner around those holders. Some day soon, when it isn't quite so hot outside, we'll do a whole fiesta to include the other items. They ranged from a tamales pot, trays, toys (although I don't know what we'll do with those things), tortilla presses (I better find a good recipe first), pots and pans, tortilla steamers and a few other items. The recipe for my Adobo seasoning can be found here: Adobo Seasoning Tacos 1 lb lean ground beef 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 T Ancho Mexican chili powder 1 t oregano 1 t Adobo seasoning (I used homemade) water as needed (I think I used about 1 1/2 cups all told) flour tortillas lettuce, shredded shredded Mexican blend cheese Add beef and seasonings to the slow cooker. Cook on high 4 hours, keeping an eye on the water level, adding however much as you lik

All the talk about potato salad yesterday made me hungry for it so I whipped up a big batch. It'll make a great lunch today. Just add some extra black pepper and I'm good to go. The potato salad was really simple; it was hot yesterday and I didn't feel like doing too much chopping and fussing with it. Measurements are approximate. Potato Salad 6 potatoes, peeled, cooked and diced 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1/4 cup mayo 1/4 cup dill pickle relish 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped salt and pepper to taste In a large bowl with a tight fitting cover, toss potatoes with remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

If you're looking for a dirty rice recipe using chicken livers, you won't find it here. I substituted bacon. This household doesn't do the liver thing. Shrimp 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 cup your favorite Cajun marinade (I used a prepared) Preheat grill over medium high heat. Marinade shrimp 1 hour. Drain well and discard marinade. Skewer shrimp and grill a few minutes per side or til shrimp are cooked. Serve shrimp with dirty rice. Dirty Rice olive oil 6 slices lean or center cut bacon 1 small onion, minced 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced Cajun seasoning to taste 1 cup chicken broth 1 bay leaf 3 cups cooked white rice In a large frying pan, heat a little oil over medium heat. Saute bacon til fat starts to render. Stir in onion, bell pepper and celery and cook til softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook a few seconds. Add seasoning. Add the broth and bay leaf an

For this recipe, you can use fresh minced onion but I just wasn't in the mood for it, so I used onion powder. Add everything to your personal taste. If you don't have Ancho chili powder, for instance, just use regular. 1 lb ground pork 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 T vinegar (I used cider vinegar) 1 T Ancho chili powder 1 t paprika 1 t onion powder 1 t cumin 1 t Adobo seasoning 1/2 t oregano, rubbed 1/2 t salt splash or two hot sauce Mix ingredients well and refrigerate 8 hours and up to overnight. In a large frying pan over medium high heat, fry chorizo til lumps are gone and mixture is free of big meat chunks, about 40 minutes. If mixture appears too dry, add a bit of pinto bean cooking water or plain water. Taste and adjust as desired. It is now ready to use in your favorite chorizo recipe. For this particular batch, I made chorizo, pinto bean and egg tacos. For the taco recipe: Chorizo Tacos For the Adobo recipe: Adobo Seasoning

This an adaptation of the usual recipe for my chocolate chip cookie bars, however, I also went one better. I topped the warm bars with extra chocolate chips for an added layer of delicious semi sweet chocolate. 2 1/4 cups flour 1 t baking soda pinch salt 1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 t vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 (12 oz) package semi sweet chocolate chips plus about 1/2 cup extra for sprinkling Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 13x9" baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (which makes the job easier), beat butter and sugars til creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread mixture into prepared pan (I used moistened finger. It makes this part easier too). Bake 25-27 minutes or til golden brown. Sprinkle warm bars with remaining chocolate chips. Spread over the top

I love this recipe, as you don't even have to cook the manicotti pasta first before baking. 1 medium (15 oz) container ricotta cheese 8 oz (2 cups) mozzarella cheese, grated and divided 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 clove garlic, minced freshly grated nutmeg (to taste) salt and pepper to taste 1 (8 oz) package manicotti, uncooked 1 large (18 oz) jar prepared pasta sauce (I used mushroom), divided Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, combine cheeses (using only half of mozzarella), egg, garlic, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Stuff uncooked manicotti with the cheese mixture, from both ends. (I used a ziploc bag that I had filled with the mixture and snipped a corner. MUCH easier than using a spoon). Pour about half the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Arrange manicotti in a single layer on top of sauce. Pour remaining sauce over the top. I also added a bit of water to the sauce. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 40-45 minu

Many recipes call for a jarred sofrito, but I like to make my own from scratch for this recipe. It just had a little "extra" in it, since I don't remove the meats from the pan before adding the tomato sauce and spices. It really adds to the flavor of the whole dish. canola or vegetable oil 3-4 pork butterfly chops, trimmed and cut into pieces 1 chicken thigh, cut into pieces 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 green pepper, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 small can tomato sauce 2 t Adobo seasoning (I used homemade) 2 packets Sazon Goya (with or without cilantro), or to taste 1 t oregano 1 1/2 cups cooked red beans 1 potato, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup sliced green olives hot cooked white rice hot sauce (optional) In a large Dutch oven drizzled with a little oil, brown pork chops and chicken. Stir in onion and green pepper. Sauté for a few minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, Adobo, sazon and oregano and bring to a simme

I found this recipe in one of the books that came with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and I'm so glad I did. These were the best pitas I've ever made. Had I been making sandwiches of some kind, they would have been perfect; they all puffed up and had perfect pockets for filling with goodies. 3/4 cup warm water, plus additional as needed 3 3/8 t active dry yeast 6 cups flour 1 1/2 t salt 1 1/2 cup warm milk olive oil, for the bowl Preheat oven to 500°. Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. In a small bowl, combine the water and yeast and let stand til frothy, about 10 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend flour and salt. Make a well; pour in the yeast mixture and then warm milk. Turn machine on medium speed and mix til dough forms a ball. (Keep an eye on the dough, adding a bit more water if the dough looks dry). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times. Form the dough into a ball. Lightly oil a bowl wit

This recipe may have a lot of ingredients, but it sure is an easy dish to prepare. It turned out excellent, just loaded with flavors. 1 t ground cumin 1 t ground cinnamon 1 t ground turmeric 1 t sea salt 1/2 t black pepper 1 lb skinless chicken thighs olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1/2" fresh ginger, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 hot pepper flakes 1 cup canned diced tomatoes ½ t cumin seeds 1 pinch Saffron threads pinch thyme 1 lemon, juiced and zested 1 T honey 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves Combine cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle generouly over chicken. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan over medium high heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Stir in onions and cook 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cumin seeds, saffron, and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 10 minutes

I used my own previous recipes for both of these recipes, with a few minor changes. Even my own recipes can benefit from tweaking. Popeye's Style Fried Chicken Strips 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 t season salt (I used my homemade) 1/2 cup self rising flour 1/2 t cayenne pepper 1/t t season salt 2 eggs vegetable oil for frying In a large ziploc bag add chicken, buttermilk and season salt. Turn bag several times to ensure everything is mixed. Marinate at least 2 hours and up to 8. Remove chicken from bag and drain well. Meanwhile, in a large container with a tight fitting cover, combine flour, peppers and season salt. Set aside. Add the eggs to a large bowl and beat til blended. Dip each piece of drained chicken into the egg. Add chicken to flour container and shake well, til chicken is fully covered. Remove and set aside to rest at least 15 minutes. If resting longer, refrigerate. Heat oil in a large cast iron skill

I forgot to post this from the other night. Rachael's original recipe calls for ground pork but I substituted ground beef. Ground pork never goes on sale. The recipe also originally called for mashed sweet potatoes but I substituted regular, as they sounded better for this particular adaptation. 1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into chinks salt to taste 1 cup buttermilk olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1/2 onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb ground beef 1 1/2 t sweet Hungarian paprika pinch thyme, rubbed black pepper, to taste 2 T cup grainy Creole mustard 1 egg 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 2 T butter 1 celery stalk, chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 2 T tomato paste 2 T flour 2 to 3 T hot sauce, to taste 1 1/2 cups chicken broth In a large pot add water to cover potatoes; bring to a boil, cook 15 minutes or til potatoes are tender. Drain and return to hot pot; mash with buttermilk til smooth. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat a little olive

When mom gave me this recipe, she told me that the soup was "awesome", her word exactly. Well, I thought the combination was interesting, as I've never added quite all those ingredients to a black bean soup before. It intrigued me enough to try it. Of course, mom was right. The soup was smoky, tangy and fully of veggie goodness. This makes a small pot of soup. 1/2 cup dry black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained 4 cups chicken broth 1 smoky pork hock olive oil 1 cup smoky diced ham 1/2 onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 jalapeno, chopped (for spicy soup, for mild soup, use 1/2 green pepper) 1/2 t cumin 1/2 t oregano, rubbed 1 bay leaf salt and pepper to taste 1 cup diced tomato hot sauce to taste 1 small handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped 1 cup frozen corn juice from 1 fresh lime In a soup pot or Dutch oven, add beans, broth and pork hock and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover; reduce heat to medium low and simmer beans

One of my favorite desserts of all of them. And it doesn't even have any chocolate in it. My stand mixer really helped to mix the topping for this. The mixture gets quite thick. 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter 1/2 cup old fashioned oats 1/2 cup flour plus 1 1/2 T 1 cup walnut pieces 4 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 8" square pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream brown sugar and butter. Mix in oats and 1/2 cup flour. Slowly add in nuts til mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside. Add rhubarb to prepared pan. Stir in 1 1/2 T flour. Dollop oat topping over rhubarb. Bake about 40 minutes or til topping is golden brown and rhubarb is bubbling. Let rest 10 minutes or so before serving. If you can wait that long. Serve warm.

Thanks to Robin (who sent me two huge bottles of Sambal Oelek ), I was able to make these, my favorite hot wings ever. *WARNING: These wings are super hot and not for the faint of heart* 2 lbs (1/2 of a 4 lb bag) frozen chicken wings 1/2 a large (18 oz) bottle sambal oelek Preheat oven to 400°. Bake wings 30 minutes. Turn and bake another 30 minutes or til golden brown and crispy. Pour sambal over the top of the baked wings. Stir til sauce covers all the wings. Bake another couple minutes, til sauce just bubbles. Everything in the 'slaw is to your taste. Broccoli Slaw 1 pkg broccoli slaw rice vinegar (your favorite variety) olive or sesame oil sambal oelek salt to taste your favorite Asian seasonings (optional) In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and sambal. Toss with slaw. Add salt and seasonings to taste and toss. Cover and refrigerate til needed. I'm stuffed!

Mom made these on her George Foreman grill. I sure wish I had one. fresh hoagie rolls sliced salami sliced ham sliced provolone cheese softened butter pepperoncini peppers (optional) Olive Sauce (recipe follows) Preheat George Foreman grill. Slice rolls lengthwise to open, leaving hinge. Layer salami, ham, and provolone inside rolls. Spread butter on first half. Grill in Foreman til golden brown. Spread butter on other half. Grill til cheese is melted. Open and top with peppers (if using) and spread with olive sauce. Serve immediately. Olive Sauce 1/4 cup mayo 1/4 black olives, sliced 2 T sliced green olives, sliced black pepper to taste splash vinegar to taste (optional) In a small bowl, mix mayo and olives. Refrigerate til needed.

My sister Shelley sent me this recipe. It came from her friend from Belize and Shel raved it about it. Of course, I had to have it! The original recipe calls for sliced plantains, but Shel said try sliced bananas and I thought that sounded even better. You could easily make this vegetarian or vegan by leaving out the pork. 1 cup (1/2 lb) dried black beans 2 smoked pork hocks 1 small onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1-2 jalapenos (I only used one) 1/2 t thyme (or to your taste) salt and pepper to taste 1 can coconut milk hot cooked white rice 1 sliced green banana Rinse beans with cold water, then soak beans for 4 hours using 6-8 cups of water. Drain and rinse again. Over high heat in a big soup pot, boil beans with hock, onion, celery, garlic and jalapeno for 1 hour. Season beans with thyme, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as desired. Add coconut milk. Stir and then let boil til beans are tender, about 30 more minutes.

My sister Robin's friend made these tacos when I was at Robin's house last November and I've been wanting to make them myself ever since. Ground pork was finally on sale this week, so I knew that I could make the chorizo from scratch, and I had everything else I needed. The recipe for the chorizo can be found here: Chorizo Filling cooked chorizo 1/2 cup dried pinto beans, cooked and drained 4 eggs, beaten flour tortillas shredded cheese (I used habanero, but use your favorite variety) hot sauce (or your favorite salsa) sour cream (optional) Stir cooked pinto beans into cooked chorizo; reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes more, adding more liquid as needed. Stir in eggs and cook til eggs are set, stirring often. Warm tortillas (using your favorite method. I like to just microwave them). Fill tortillas with chorizo mixture, cheese and hot sauce. Serve with a side of sour cream.

I used to buy this rub already made from a local Middle Eastern market, however, now that I know what Kamil uses, I make my own. I still however, get the sumac from him. It is optional if you don't have access to a market such as this one. There are countless versions of this particular spice mixture. Feel free to adapt to your own tastes. I did. 1 t garlic powder 1/2 t sumac 1/2 t salt 1/4 t cinnamon 1/4 t cumin 1/4 t black pepper 1/8 t allspice 1/8 t cayenne Mix spices in a container with a tight fitting lid. When getting ready to use, add about 1 t of spice blend to olive oil and fresh lemon juice as the base for a marinade. Taste and adjust as desired.

For some reason my hummus recipe from April 2007 is missing, so I am reposting it for Examiner.com. Enjoy it once again! 2 cups cooked chickpeas, plus cooking liquid 1/4 cup tahini 2 T fresh lemon juice 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 t sea salt olive oil paprika (optional) Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor til just combined. While running, blend in olive oil til mixture is smooth. If mixture appears dry, add a little cooking liquid til mixture is just the right consistency. Scoop hummus onto a serving plate or into a bowl and sprinkle with paprika.

Toasting the orzo added a whole new element to this soup. I would never have thought to do such a thing with pasta. I made a great stock for this soup from a chicken that I simmered for about an hour with some chopped onion, garlic and homemade southwest seasoning. 4 cups chicken stock 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs 2 T butter 1/2 cup orzo pasta olive oil 1 carrot, finely chopped 1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced southwest seasoning to taste salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed fresh lemon juice to taste shredded habanero cheese (optional) In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock and chicken to a simmer. Lower the heat and poach the chicken for about 20 minutes. Remove chicken and shred. Return to pot. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, til deeply golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add

While writing a recipe for Examiner.com I realized that I have never actually written out my recipe for refried beans. I have briefly referenced it, but never taken the time to make an article of it. What better timing than now, for Cinco de Mayo? 6 slices bacon, chopped fine 2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained 1 onion, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 T adobo powder (I use homemade) salt and pepper to taste shredded white Mexican or Mexican blend cheese In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add bacon and render the fat a bit. Stir in onions cook a few minutes.  Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds more.  Stir in remaining ingredients (except cheese). Cover mixture by about 1 inch with cold water; increase heat to high. Bring beans to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook, covered, about 2 hours. When beans are super tender, being to mash with a potato masher. Add additional water as needed. Taste and adjust as desired. When beans reach the

This is my absolute favorite way to make Mexican rice. I never use any other method, other than not usually measuring anything. Reposted for Examiner.com . 1 cup long grain white rice drizzle of canola or vegetable oil 2 cups chicken broth 1 small (15 oz) can diced tomatoes 1 t cumin salt and pepper to taste In a large frying with a tight fitting lid, heat oil til very hot over medium heat. Saute rice in oil til it starts to brown (be careful not to burn). Add chicken broth and the rest. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 20-25 minutes. Do not stir or lift the lid while rice cooks. Remove pan from heat and let rice rest while cooking other dishes. Fluff and serve.

When Mom called the other day and announced they would be in town tonight for an early Mother's day weekend celebration, she told me she had a new recipe that we just had to try. When she said it had kidney beans in it, I told her to stop right there. I knew I would like it. The chicken was simply boneless skinless chicken breasts marinated for a couple hours in Goya Adobo seasoning that my parents brought for me, and then grilled. Feel free to add and subtract to this salad as you like. Mom did. Southwestern Bean and Corn Salad 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup your favorite salsa taco seasoning mix, to your taste salt and pepper to taste 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and well drained 1 can corn, rinsed and well drained 1 can green beans, drained well 1 large can sliced black olives, drained well 1/4 red onion, minced 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced 1 clove garlic, minced small handful fresh cilantro, minced (optional) In a large bowl, blend sour cream, salsa, taco seas

I came across this recipe in a old edition of BH & G magazine at the doctor's office and knew it would make a great recipe for the next time my parents came for a visit. Well, that time was today. My parents were in the area on business and we decided to celebrate Mother's Day early as well. This was our dessert, and it was also the best cinnamon type rolls I have EVER eaten, without question. What was even better, was that my mother and I had made them together. In our version, we increased the amount of brown sugar, honey and pecans in the topping. Caramel was everywhere! We were all dipping our rolls in it. So not only was this an amazing dessert, it was also fun. Dough 1/4 cup warm water 1 pkg active dry yeast 3/4 cup milk (I used 2%) 6 T unsalted butter, cut up, plus more for bowl and plastic wrap 1/4 cup sour cream 2 eggs 4 1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 T salt Topping 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/3