Cookery

Sun-dried Tomato and Shrimp Alfredo for Two


I made this last night and it was yuuuuuuuummy! So I thought I'd share.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb fettuccine

2 tbsp butter

1/2 - 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tbsp flour

1/4 cup white wine (I used Savignon Blanc)

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

1 - 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

1/4 diced sub-dried tomatoes

salt 

white pepper

garlic powder

Put a large pot of water on to boil with a handful of salt. When boiling, add the fettuccine. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce.

Add 1 tbsp of butter to a large pan over medium heat. When melted, add the shrimp. Add salt and pepper and cook until the shrimp is just cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the second tbsp of butter to the pan and when melted, add the flour. Cook for about a minute and then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the chicken broth and whisk a bit to incorporate all the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Then whisk in the milk and simmer gently until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, reduce the heat and continue to stir. At this point, check for seasoning and add white pepper, salt and garlic powder to taste, then return the shrimp to the pan. Using tongs take the cooked fettuccine directly from the boiling water into the sauce pan. Toss to coat and mangia!

Easy Fried Chicken

I realize that so far this has been a DIY renovation and home decor blog. Not a food blog. But I fell in love with food and cooking looooong before I started looking at tile, rugs, paint, curtains or trim. So in order to not get off theme, I will post recipes and cooking adventures on the (new) Cookery page of the blog only. 

Except for this first one. 

Enjoy!

Ed and I left work yesterday and headed to the grocery store for something "light and quick". 

What happened???

Yes that is fried chicken with mashed potatoes. At least we got some nutrients from the broc!

It all went wrong when we walked into the meat section and saw these.

$2.37? SOLD! Better get two...you know cause, drumsticks are small.

I have never fried chicken before and I've always heard it's really hard. I think because you have to fry it long enough for the chicken to be cooked but not burn it at the same time. Whatever the reason, I've always been scared to make it. 

Then a few months ago a girl in my wine book club who always says she can't cook, made fried chicken using her mom's recipe and said it was really easy. So I knew I had to give it a try. 

There are two things that - for beginners at least - are necessary for successful fried chicken. Number one: an electric frying pan. Number two? CRISCO. Yeah!!! GREASE.

Here's the recipe exactly as it was given to me:

Small can of Crisco (lard)

Chicken

Flour

Frying pan (with lid)

Heat Crisco in frying pan - don't have the heat up too high or the grease will splatter everywhere. Coat each piece of chicken in flour and place in skillet when grease is hot, turn the heat to medium/low - fry each side of chicken until crispy brown, set on paper towel when done to absorb excess grease.

THAT'S IT.

The only thing I did differently was add some salt and pepper to the flour before dredging.

Floured chicken.

Crisco out of the can. Appetizing! 

Melted and ready to go.

Everybody in the pool!

Mmm mmm good.

If I made it, this recipe has to be fool proof! I fried the chicken for about 20 minutes on each side. There's so much fat in the pan I don't think you could possibly overcook it. Give it a try!

But wait! There's more!

I had to throw in an app too. We pick up the ingredients for this all the time. It's so good and so simple.

Caprese salad (in this case sans basil)

I use platters regularly. Weekdays, weekends, I say put your food on a nice dish. It goes from regular food to something special instantly.

While I was busy in the kitchen, Ed made a fire for the first time in our fireplace. Nothing like pigging out and then vegging out by a nice fire.