Crab Stuffed Shells with Bechamel

It has been quite some time since my last post!  I have been busy with work and was visiting my best friend in Charleston (hey, Hillary!) last weekend, so I haven't had much time to get in the kitchen and cook.  Being at the beach had me in the mood for some seafood, so I whipped up some crab stuffed shells shortly after coming home!  Here's how to make them:

Spicy Garlic Shrimp

This is a really quick and easy recipe that's great for a last minute meal.  It takes about 10 minutes to cook and all of the ingredients are things that are easily kept on hand. Also, check out my recipe for General Tso Chicken which has similar flavors and is just as easy to make.  Here's how to make it:

General Tso Chicken

Who doesn't love General Tso Chicken?  It's that classic Chinese take out dish that is sweet, tangy and sticky.  It's so easy to make at home and much better for you than take out.  Almost all of the ingredients are things that I always have in my fridge and pantry, so it's great for a last minute meal.  Also, check out my recipe for Spicy Garlic Shrimp which has similar flavors, but no breading! Here's how to make it:

DIY Game of Thrones Coasters

A few years ago I made coasters as Christmas gifts for my friends and family.  They are so fun and easy to make and people really enjoyed them.  I love going over to their homes and seeing that they still have the coasters on their coffee tables.  I had a great Game of Thrones poster,but sadly the cats got to it and chewed the bottom of it.  It wasn't damaged that bad but it looked tacky on the wall.  I didn't want to throw it away because it was still in pretty good condition, so I made coasters out of it!  Here's how to make them:

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Okay, so these cupcakes aren't actually made with key limes.  They're made with regular limes but the flavors of a key lime pie are all there!  I used my pound cake recipe for these cupcakes, so if you prefer you can easily make this recipe using a bundt pan, just adjust the cooking time.  These are very dense, moist and filling.

 

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin Tacos

Pork tenderloin is tender, cheap and delicious!  It's a great cut of meat to cook in a slow cooker.  It'll last for days and is great for leftovers.  This recipe has a little Asian twist to it and I chose to make tacos with it.  It would also be great with just a big bowl of sticky rice.  Here's how to make it:

 

Linguine with Clams, Mussels and Bacon

Sometimes you just get a craving for some really good pasta that's super flavorful but not too complicated to make.  Here's the recipe for my last craving: 

Lobster Risotto with Roasted Asparagus

On Valentine's Day we kind of forgot to make reservations at the restaurant we had picked out... so we ended up at home cooking dinner instead.  That's always fine by me though, it's cheaper and just as fun and delicious.  Making lobster seemed like a very cliche thing to make on Valentine's Day, so off to the store we went.  Lobster Risotto is what we decided on.  I am a huge fan of risotto for several different reasons.  It's relatively cheap to make, it's filling and it can feed a lot of people.   It turned out great!  Here's how to make it:

Nutella Palmiers

Palmiers are a really easy cookie to make with very few ingredients.  You can easily switch around the ingredients to make any variety, even savory palmiers.  I made these for our Valentine's Day dessert along with some Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting that I made earlier in the week, hehe.  Palmiers are supposed to look like elephant ears, and they do!  Here's how to make them:

Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Valentine's Day!  Here's a great recipe for chewy red velvet cookies with tangy cream cheese frosting.  They're addictive!  I made these for Drew this year. :)  Here's how to make them:

Ghostbusters - Salted Caramel Candy Bars with Ghost Pepper SpicedChocolate and a Pretzel Crust

When Drew and I first started dating, one of the first things he ever gave me was a bag of spices from a local spice shop in Charlotte.  He picked out unique spices and blends so we could get creative in the kitchen together.  Knowing I love all things spicy, he got some ghost pepper salt.  Ghost peppers are one of the hottest peppers in the world.  It's really spicy and I couldn't think of a lot to use it in.  Unique flavor combinations are all the rage nowadays.  Sweet and salty, sweet and savory, sweet and spicy.. you get it.  I had recently had chocolate covered bacon with cayenne pepper and it inspired me to use the ghost salt with chocolate in some way.  So here's what we came up with.  Homemade candy bars with salted caramel and ghost pepper spiced chocolate.  They're hot but not too hot.  It sneaks up on you and shocks you for a minute but then it fades quickly.  They're so good!  I love the rustic look of them.  We jokingly called the Ghostbusters and the name stuck.  Here's how to make them:

 

French Toast Crunch French Toast

Nostalgia in a box.  This was my favorite cereal in the 90s and it's back!  I heard it was coming back to stores but I didn't believe it until I saw it.  We looked for it every time we were in the grocery store but never found it.  Then one day strolling through Target, there it was.  A miracle on the cereal isle.  Two boxes in my cart!  I don't even eat cereal anymore, but I had to get some!  Tastes like memories.  I knew right away I wanted to make French toast and crust it with this cereal.  Hello.. the name is French Toast Crunch after all.  Here's how to make it:

 

Creamy Chicken and Veggie Stew

Another lazy Sunday stew!  I've really been enjoying my dutch oven and have been thinking of all kinds of recipes.  The first time I used it I made a Root Vegetable Beef Stew, so this time around I decided to try a chicken stew.  This stew is full of vegetables and packed with flavor.  Here's how to make it:

Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad

I have been trying to make more salads at home rather than just grabbing one from a restaurant.  This one is really flavorful, fresh and delicious and the colors are beautiful!  Here's how to make it:

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar 

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 cloves of garlic, grated 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk well. Store in the refrigerator. 


I used this dressing for my Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad.