Chocolate Coconut Pie

Chocolate Coconut Pie

1 package German's sweet chocolate (4 ounces)

1/4 cup butter

1 1/3 cups coconut, small can

3 eggs, beaten

1 can evaporated milk, large can

1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pie shell, unbaked

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add milk, coconut, eggs, and sugar. Stir until blended; pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool, and serve with whipped cream.

Hot Bean Dip

Hot Bean Dip

8- ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces sour cream
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
1 can refried beans
10 dashes hot sauce
2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded and divided

Combine first five ingredients and half the cheese; mix well. Put into a casserole dish and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Grouper Piccata

Grouper Piccata

2 grouper fillets

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 lemon, halved
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Season fish with salt.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Sear fish till opaque halfway through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add remaining butter and melt, then flip the fish and cook through, 3 to 4 more minutes.
Transfer fish to warm plates. Add capers to pan, allow to sizzle about 15 seconds. Squeeze the lemon juice over the capers and sprinkle with the parsley. Stir to combine. Spoon the lemon butter over the fish and serve.

Serves 2

Italian Pie

Italian Pie

1 1/4 pounds ground chuck

1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 1/2 ounces salami, diced
1 ounce pepperoni , diced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 13.75-ounce jar bruschetta spread (I used Classico Tomato Basil)
2 eggs
2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1 single crust pie dough

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Brown the ground chuck, drain well. Stir spinach, salami, pepperoni, dried herbs, and bruschetta spread into meat; cook 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside 1-2 minutes to cool.
Stir in eggs and cheese and season lightly with salt and pepper, then transfer to an 8x12-inch baking dish.
Roll the pie dough into a rectangle to fit over meat mixture. Trim or crimp edges.
Cut a few small slits in center of crust. Bake 25-30 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and crust is golden.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Greek Style Baked Halibut with Tomato, Capers, and Olive Vinaigrette

Greek Style Baked Halibut with Tomato, Capers, and Olive Vinaigrette

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
4 6-ounce halibut fillets
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together lemon juice and mustard. Add oil in a slow steam, whisking until emulsified. Add the oregano and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange fish pieces in a ceramic or glass baking dish just large enough to hold them in one layer. Season with salt and pepper; top with the tomatoes, olives and capers. Pour the vinaigrette over fish. Bake in middle of oven until just cooked through and no longer translucent, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how thick the fish is. Put the crumbled feta over the top of the fish and serve with the vinaigrette from the baking dish.

Serves 4

Granny's Shortbread Cookies

Granny's Shortbread Cookies

1 pound unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup rice flour

pinch salt

Mix all ingredients well. Form into rolls; wrap with waxed paper and refridgerate. Cut 1/4" thick, place on a cookie sheet and prick with the tines of a fork...about 3 times. Bake at 300 degrees and check often, about 30 minutes. Don't let brown too much!

Sauteed Shrimp and Vegetables

Sauteed Shrimp and Vegetables

3/4 pound large Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/4 cups broccoli florets

3/4 cup red bell pepper strips
3/4 cup sugar snap peas
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1 stalk celery, sliced on the diagonal

Sauce:
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger root
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (may use fish or shrimp stock if available)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (1/8 to 1/4)

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat one to two tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add vegetables in this order, cooking one to two minutes after each addition: carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, onion, celery, and bell pepper strips. Cook, adjusting the heat to keep from over-browning until tender crisp. Remove vegetables to a warm plate.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then add shrimp, cooking and stirring 4 to 5 minutes until just cooked through. Whisk again, then add the sauce to the pan. Return the vegetables back to the pan, bring to a boil and simmer two minutes.

Serve in shallow bowls over hot rice if desired, although this is delicious without and much lower in carbs.

Sauteed Grouper with Sherried Lentils and Brown-Butter Almonds

Sauteed Grouper with Sherried Lentils and Brown-Butter Almonds

Lentils:

3/4 cup French green lentils

4 cloves garlic, peeled, PLUS 1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic

kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar

Almonds:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 ounces sliced almonds
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Grouper:
2 6-ounce grouper fillets
kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Lentils:
In a medium saucepan, heat lentils, 3 cups water and 4 cloves garlic to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain; season with salt to taste.
Mash the cooked cloves of garlic with the softened butter.
In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and cook, over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until garlic begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add cooked lentils, tossing to combine with sherry vinegar. Stir in the mashed garlic butter until lentils look glossy, about 5 minutes. Add more vinegar and salt if desired; keep warm.

Almonds:
In a cold skillet, combine butter, almonds, and salt. Stir gently over medium heat until almonds start to color and butter begins to brown. Remove from heat when almonds are light golden and butter foams, about 5 minutes. Let nuts darken a few minutes, then pour into a cool bowl to stop the browning. Add more salt if desired.; keep warm.

Grouper:
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Place a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat and add oil. Place the fish in the skillet and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the fish, add butter to the pan and cook about 5 minutes longer.
To serve, divide the lentils onto two warmed plates. Place fish on top of the lentils, then top with almonds, drizzling with brown butter on the plate.

Pizza Casserole

Pizza Casserole

1 pound ground chuck, cooked and drained

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

3 1/2 ounces sliced pepperoni (cooked...see note)

12 ounces egg noodles or other pasta, cooked and drained

2 jars pizza sauce (15 oz jars)

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Place cooked meat on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole. Layer the cheddar cheese over the cooked meat. Combine the cooked egg noodles with the pizza sauce and layer over the cheese and meat. Lay the pepperonis on top of the pasta, then put the shredded mozzerella on top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovering to let brown the last 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Note: If you put the pepperoni on a paper towel covered paper plate and microwave for a bit (about 2-3 minutes)...BEFORE you put them into the casserole...you will cut down on the fat.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Roasted Red Pepper and Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons roasted red pepper, well drained and diced

1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil), diced

4 pitted kalamata olives, minced

2 ounces fontina cheese, grated
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Make a pocket in each chicken breast by taking a small sharp knife and carefully cutting into the side of the breast, working to make a large deep pocket. It helps to hold your hand flat on the top of the breast while doing this.

Combine the remaining ingredients except the 1/2 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter; mix to blend well. Stuff each chicken breast with the filling. I found that by turning the chicken breast up on its side allowing the pocket to face upwards, like a cup, that it made stuffing it a bit easier. Don't overfill.
Take a 6" bamboo skewer and carefully "sew" the opening together with about 4 "stitches". Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium oven proof skillet over medium to medium heat. Add the chicken, outside part down (or what would have been the skin side), and cook for 5 minutes, or until well browned. Turn the chicken over and place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove skillet from oven, and place chicken on individual plates. Remove skewer before enjoying.