Spicy Cormeal-battered Baked Catfish w/Really Lousy Photos!

Fishing around for a seafood dinner for tonight?  Then consider this crispy baked catfish!

Ready for baking----photos do not get any better than this!

I might live in the Midwest now, but my roots run deep in Louisville, where catfish is abundant at all-you-can-eat fish fry’s at family restaurants about year round.  

Chicken Cutlets Blue Bloods Way

I’ve said it before, I’m a huge fan of “Blue Bloods” TV show 
and haven’t missed one episode. 

  
The Blue Bloods Cookbook  
is just as good!

Crispy Sesame Chicken

Sesame seeds on oven-fried chicken?  Crispy chicken without a grease-filled iron skillet? 

This recipe got my attention, when I saw it in my America’s Best Recipes cookbook, and I had to try it!  The recipe includes grated Parmesan cheese and dry breadcrumbs, along with sesame seeds for the breading.  Use skinless chicken and it’s even healthier.

I can tell you this chicken ROCKED!   It turned out very crispy and juicy and smacked of good flavors.  Just try it --- I bet you will think so also!

Crispy Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon pepper

1 (3 to 3½-pound) fryer chicken, cut up, skinless

¼ cup butter, melted

Method:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

Dip chicken in butter.

Dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

4-6 servings

Yum!  Tender and crispy too!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes. 

Tangy Baked Pork Chops

I am a big fan of coating pork with a mustard preparation.  It not only amplifies the meats flavor, it also seals in the juices to make a tender cut of meat.  I even converted Bill ~ he’s a huge fan of pork but not of mustard like I am.  Thankfully, our tastes change sometimes and now he really enjoys meat spread with Dijon mustard or grainy mustard.

These pork chops are really tangy with the mustard and lemon juice in the dish.  They are a perfect combo; turning into a flavorful sauce for the pork chops.  I hope you give this a try!

 

Now, I’d like to take a moment to thank Moogie and Pap for the great book I won in the contest on their blog.  It’s Growing at the Speed of Life by Graham Kerr.  This book starts from the ground with information for gardening through to harvesting and cooking methods for appealing dishes.  It has engaging writing by the “Galloping Gourmet” that is very informative.  Thanks so much Moogie and Pap! 

Tangy Baked Pork Chops 

Ingredients:

2 pork chops, ¾” thick

¼ cup Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup bread crumbs

¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Method:

Coat baking pan with cooking spray.

Trim chops of fat.

Place bread crumbs on a plate and combine with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

In a bowl, stir together mustard and juice.

Coat chops with mustard mixture.

Dredge in bread crumb mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Turn chops over and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until done.

Serve

ENJOY!!!

Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway! 

Mom's Shrimp-stuffed Mushrooms

I have had my fair share of stuffed mushrooms and these are some of the best! There is no party food quite like stuffed mushrooms. Even those who aren’t mushroom aficionados are surprised how good they are when they try a stuffed mushroom cap at a party. They are always a huge hit at parties and with the Super Bowl being a week from today, they would be just perfect. 

This is another of Mom’s great recipes.  Mushrooms were one of her favorite foods, right up there with strawberries and we were served mushrooms of different versions often.  These mushroom caps are stuffed with a heavenly mixture of shrimp and cheese, and then baked until they are a sizzling, golden color.  They are easy to make too!

Shrimp-stuffed Mushrooms are a great tasty morsel that would be perfect for almost any occasion.  OK, maybe not breakfast, but they would fill the bill at brunch, as an appetizer before a formal dinner or a cook-out in your back yard.  I bet you won’t be able to eat just one!

Shrimp-stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1½ tablespoon finely minced onion

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup finely chopped shrimp

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

3 tablespoons sherry, divided

2 teaspoons parsley flakes

Dash salt

12 large mushrooms

Small shrimp

Method:

Wipe mushrooms with paper towel and remove stems.

In medium skillet, sauté onion in butter until tender.

Remove from heat, stir in shrimp, 3 tablespoons Parmesan, crumbs, 2 tablespoons sherry, parsley and salt.

Stuff mushrooms caps with shrimp mixture.

Place on baking sheet.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sherry, 3 tablespoons Parmesan.

Broil 5”–6” from heat source for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

 Serve hot, garnished with shrimp and parsley.

Just pop ‘em in your mouth and swoon!  Yum!