Shrimp paella

This is adapted from a recipe on myrecipes.com.

Ingredients

Broth:

3 cups water

1 teaspoon saffron threads

2 cups vegetable stock

Herb Blend:

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Paella:

16 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1 pound)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice

1 cup frozen green peas

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

To prepare broth, combine the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

To prepare herb blend, combine parsley and next 4 ingredients (parsley through 2 garlic cloves); set aside.

To prepare paella, peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; saute 1 minute (the shrimp will not be cooked through but it should be turning white and pink and curling up).

Remove shrimp from pan, and keep warm. Add onion and bell pepper to pan, and saute 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, paprika, crushed red pepper, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes. Add rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, herb blend, and peas. Bring to a low boil, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. If the liquid runs out before the rice is soft, just slowly add more vegetable stock.

Stir in the shrimp and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Remove from heat; cover with a towel and let stand 10 minutes.

Potato Latkes (Potato pancakes)

1 lb potatoes (about 4 small ones... but not tiny ones)
2 T. minced onion

1 egg
3/4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
pinch of nutmeg

1. Grate the potatoes and immediately immerse them in a bowl of cold water (otherwise they'll turn brown). Rinse the potatoes a few times to get all the oxidized juice out of them (aka brown liquid), and combine immediately with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Heat a skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom just until it bubbles when a drop of water hits it. You don't want the oil to be splattering everywhere, so don't get it much hotter than this point.
3. Shape pancakes in your hand. Place them in the pan and press them down to 1/4 inch thickness. Cook until the top starts to look a little dry, then flip. This will take a while (3-5 min for the first side) if you want it to cook the potato throughout.

This is a good quick meal. I eat them with ketchup and a side of applesauce. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

From: Foodnetwork.com

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional

1 piece pre-made pie dough

Whipped cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Cornbread and Sage Stuffing

From: NY Times

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or 1 tablespoon each olive oil and unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
4 stalks celery, cut in small dice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons rubbed sage, or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground pepper
A double batch of Quick Cornbread, crumbled (you can do this in a food processor fitted with the steel blade)
1/2 cup milk, or as necessary, for moistening

About 2 cups vegetable stock

4 tablespoons unsalted butter if baking separately

1. Heat the olive oil (or oil and butter) over medium heat in a large, heavy, nonstick skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about three minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the celery. Cook together for another few minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the garlic, and stir together for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Combine well. Taste and adjust salt. Moisten as desired with milk.

2. Stuff the cavity of the turkey, or transfer to a buttered or oiled 2-quart baking dish. Dot with butter. Cover with aluminum foil, and heat through in a 325-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Yield: Makes enough stuffing to fill an 18-pound turkey.

Advance preparation: You can make the cornbread several days ahead and the stuffing a
day ahead.

Turkey Gravy

From my Mama :)

You can use water or milk as the liquid. I generally use milk.

You can use flour or corn starch as the thickener. I usually use flour.

Mix about one cup of milk with about 4 T (heaping) of flour until there are no lumps.

In a saucepan mix 2-3 cups meat drippings (e.g. from turkey bag) with the flour and milk.

Heat, stirring occasionally until thickened.

If it doesn't thicken enough, mix more milk and flour together, add to pan and heat more.

Add seasonings to taste.

Mom's Famous Strawberry Jello

(makes a 13X9 pan)

1. Mix 1 large box or 2 small boxes of strawberry jello (regular or sugar free) with 2 cups boiling water until dissolved.
2. Add one can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
3. Add frozen strawberries (the kind with sugar added) about 1 pound or 2 cups (This measurement doesn't need to be exact.)
4. Mix in large bowl.
5. Pour half the mixture in the dish and refrigerate until firm.
6. Cover the other half with plastic wrap and set it to the side. (Not in the fridge)
7. When it's set, spread with about 2 cups of sour cream (any variety).
8. Pour the other half of the mixture on top and let set.

Sweet Potato Souffle

From: Aunt Susan

3 cups cooked sweet potato (can use fresh or canned)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup canned evaporated milk

1/4 stick margarine (do not melt)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp. butter flavoring

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• Whip together with mixer. Pour in casserole dish (I use small rectangular pyrex dish)

Top with:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup self rising flour

1/2 stick margarine (do not melt)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

• Mix with pastry blender. Sprinkle on top and bake at 350-375 degrees. for 30-35 minutes.