Jazzy Baked Shrimp Boil

Ingredients:

5 medium red potatoes, cut into bite size pieces 

6 Tbsp butter

2 pounds raw shrimp 

2 pounds smoked sausage, sliced 

1 medium white onion, sliced 

4 corn on the cobs, chopped into pieces but raw

 2 Tbsp minced garlic 

1/2 tsp salt 

2 Tbsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp black pepper 

1/4 tsp cayenne

Directions: 

1. Place potatoes and 1 Tbsp of water in a glass dish. Cover and microwave for 8 minutes, stirring half way.

2. Preheat dutch oven pan and lid in the oven to 475 degrees. Add butter and return to oven for a few minutes to melt.

3. Peel shrimp if needed. Remove dutch oven from the oven and add potatoes, shrimp, sausage, onion, and corn. Stir to coat with butter. Add the seasonings and stir well. 

4. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Fudge

This was so easy and yummy.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup peanut butter
about 6 Tbsp boiling water

Directions:
1. Combine chocolate chips and condensed milk in a sauce pan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat.
2. As chocolate begins to melt, turn heat to low and stir in the peanut butter. Mixture will be thick like fudge after 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in boiling water, a little at a time until a thick but pour-able consistency is achieved.

Horchata

Ingredients:

6 and 1/2 cups water
3 cups milk
2 cups white uncooked rice

1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 Tbsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Combine 3 cups of water, 1 cup of milk, rice, almonds, and cinnamon in a blender. Blend for a few seconds on low to roughly cut up the rice.
2. Add the 3 remaining cups of water to the mixture and place mixture in fridge. Let it sit overnight or at least 6 hours. Stir once or twice while it soaks.
3. Strain the mixture into a big bowl or big jug. Add remaining 2 cups of milk, the sugar, and the vanilla. Stir well.
4. Keep chilled and stir well again before serving. Serve over ice.

Balsamic Glaze for Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
a few dashes of ground sage
2 cloves garlic

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil. Stir constantly.
3. Boil about 5 minutes (or until desired consistency is reached).
4. Pour part of the sauce on the pork loin 1 hour before pork is finished cooking.
5. Pour a little more over meat in the crockpot then remove for slicing.
6. Spoon extra sauce over meat on the plate if desired.

Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp salted butter, browned

1 1/2 cups oat flour (blend oats into fine powder)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

a few dashes of salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Brown the butter and let it cool while mixing the dry ingredients.

2. In a separate bowl, combine oat flour, oats, soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

3. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla to the brown butter. Mix well.

4. Add wet ingredients, nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips to the dry ingredients.

5. Mix just until combined.

6. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. This allows the oats to absorb the moisture. Preheat oven to 350 while dough rests. 

7. Spoon dough balls onto cookie tray covered with parchment paper.

8. Press the dough down lightly as they don't spread while cooking.

9. Bake for 8 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie rack.

Instant Pot Potato Chowder

This recipe makes about 8 servings. You can easily halve it; cook time will stay the same.

Ingredients: 

1/2 pound bacon, cut into bite size pieces

1 large onion, finely diced

3 celery stalks, trimmed and diced

2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and diced (about 8 potatoes)

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup water

2-3 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups of frozen sweet corn

Directions:

1. Spray Instant Pot with cooking Spray. Set to Saute.

2. Cook bacon until crispy. Press Cancel.

3. Remove bacon from the pot and most of the grease. Leave about 1 Tbsp of grease.

4. Set to Saute again. Add onion, celery, and potatoes to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes or until onions soften. Add garlic and brown for 1 minute. 

5. Press Cancel. Add broth, water, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir soup and lock on the lid. Make sure the vent is set to Sealing.

6. Select Manual for 3 minutes. When time is done, press Cancel and switch the vent to Venting for a quick release. 

7. Scoop out about 3 ladles of soup mixture and blend in blender.

8. Add blended soup back to the Instant Pot with cream, frozen corn, and bacon bits. 

9. Select Saute and bring the soup just to a boil, stirring often. Once it comes to a boil, select Cancel again and soup is ready to serve. Don't forget to stir once or twice after the Instant Pot is off. The bottom stays hot for a few more minutes.

Hint: You can add frozen corn to the bowls of hot soup to help it cool faster, instead of adding it in step 8.

Hint: For thicker chowder you can blend more soup, or add a cornstarch slurry to the soup and bring back to a boil. We thought the thickenss was just right without adding cornstarch and only blending a small portion of the soup.

Chocolate Protein Smoothie without Protein Powder

I don't really like protein powder and I don't like fake sugar, so I never have either on hand and most protein smoothie recipes call for them. This good for you, filling recipe doesn't use either! Give it a try. It's like drinking a candy bar!

Ingredients:
2 cups coconut or almond milk
1/2 - 1 cup of ice
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp nut butter
1 Tb honey
1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 Tbsp flax seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Add all ingredients to blender and select Smoothie option.

Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs

Not the prettiest meal, but boy do they taste good! Everyone in our family enjoys these meatballs. This instant pot recipe makes it an easy 1 pot meal and they turn out perfectly every time.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 Tb dried parsley
1 tsp onion powder or 4 Tbsp finely chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
a dash of pepper
2 (10 1/2 ounce) cans tomato soup
1 cup water
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions:
1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Shape into about 20 balls.
2. Spray Instant Pot bowl with Pam.
3. Turn Instant Pot to sautee and add the remaining 4 ingredients.
4. Stir well until it comes to a boil.
5. Press cancel and carefully add the meatballs to the sauce.
6. Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure vent is set on Sealing.
7. Select Manual for 12 minutes.
8. When the timer goes off, let it sit for 1 minute and then quick release the steam.

Granola

I adjusted a few different recipes to make this one that is just right for us.

Mix dry ingredients well in a bowl:

4 cups oats

1 cup nuts

1/3 cup chia seeds

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients:

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix very well.

Whip 1 egg white until fluffy.

Add the egg white to the mixture and stir to distribute evenly.

Bake on a parchment covered cookie tray at 350 for 10 minutes Stir and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, do not stir. After a minute or two carefully pull up the parchment paper with the granola on it and let it cool on a rack. Break into big pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container