We had college friends in for dinner last night, so I cooked up some Shrimp Creole over rice, buttery drop biscuits, and mini lime cheesecakes. To make the Shrimp Creole, I started with a recipe from Emeril Lagasse, but made it into a slow-cooker recipe for Slow-Cooker Month. Not knowing exactly when our guests would arrive, this was a great cooking method. It's not a "throw & go" recipe, but definitely worth making. I think this is 5th time I've made it! For the mini lime cheesecakes, I used the same recipe found in Red, White & Blueberry. This time around I used limes in place of the lemons and individual, pre-made graham cracker crusts.
Shrimp Creole
adapted from Emeril's Shrimp Creole
Ingredients
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
Salt and cayenne
2 bay leaves
2 pounds peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (or 1 28oz. can petite-diced tomatoes)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of hot sauce
2 pounds of large shrimp, peeled, tail-off, and deveined (I use raw frozen shrimp, thawed)
Essence, recipe follows (I use Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning, which is the same thing)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (I omitted this)
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Directions
In a saute pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, peppers, and celery to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and cayenne. Saute the vegetables until they are wilted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, saute 1 minute more.
In slow-cooker, place sauteed vegetables, tomatoes, & bay leaves. Season with worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and cayenne.
Cook in slow-cooker on high for 3 hours.
Season the shrimp liberally with Essence. Add the shrimp to the slow-cooker and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and curl up. Stir in the green onions.
Serve the Shrimp Creole spooned over the rice.
Drop Biscuits
from Better Homes & Garden Cookbook
Makes 12 biscuits
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup butter, cut up into tablespoon pieces
1 1/2 cup buttermilk (skim milk + 1 1/2 tbs. vinegar or lemon juice)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk all at once. Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
2. Using a large spoon, drop dough into 12 mounds 1 inch apart onto a greased or parchment covered baking sheet.
3. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from baking sheet and serve warm.
Mini Lime Cheesecakes
6 individual, store-bought, graham cracker crusts
Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 1/2 limes)
2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and sour cream, then lime juice, lime peel, and vanilla. Spoon batter into pie crusts (about 1/4 cup (heaping) batter in each)
Bake cheesecakes until slightly puffed and set in center, about 30 minutes; cool completely in pan on rack. Chill cheesecake until cold, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.
Serve with whipped cream on top. (And a sprinkle of lime zest, if you want to be fancy.)
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