Monday, March 10, 2014

Shrimp or Chicken Fried Rice

One thing that we love more than the Crab Rangoons is fried rice! We loved the fried rice from the local Japanese Steakhouse when we lived in Washington State, but it is soo pricey. This is a very yummy substitute. My recipe is modified from this video:





This recipe goes pretty quickly once it gets going. My advice is to have a second hand in the kitchen and to cut and measure things before you get started. Before you begin cook your rice and let it chill in the fridge unless you already have some leftover rice in your fridge. The key to this is to have the rice cold.

 
Ingredients:
 
1/2 C. Chopped Celery
1/2 C. Diced Carrots
1/4 C. Chopped Green Onions
1 Lb. Shrimp or Chicken. (we normally do shrimp but when I took the pictures we did chicken.)
3 Eggs
3 to 4 C. Rice Cooked & Cooled (we use Jasmine rice)
2 Tbsp. Oil
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
 
 
Heat your skillet or wok. I use a cast iron wok, the video uses a deep skillet.
 
Add oil to hot skillet.
 
Add Carrots to oil and cook for a minute or two, to softened them.


 
Add eggs and scramble until cooked.
 
 
 


 
Add rice and stir.
 


 
Add Shrimp and stir.
Add soy, garlic, salt, and sugar.
Heat mixture until hot and shrimp is cooked.
Add celery and onion, and stir.
Heat mixture til hot and serve.
 
Enjoy!!


Crab Rangoon

Whenever we eat Chinese, the one thing I can not get enough of is the Crab Rangoon or Crab Wontons. Years ago I searched for a recipe and I came across this one. I am not sure which website it was, so if it is yours please let me know. 

This recipe is not exactly like the restaurants. Its not fried or sweet, but my family just loves these. Anytime we cook any kind of Chinese, we always include these in the meal.  My daughter loves to help me cook and these are easy for her to help mix and fold.


Ingredients

8 Oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
6 Oz. Canned Crab (drained)
2 Green Onion sliced
1 Clove Garlic or 1/2 Tsp. Jarred Minced Garlic
2 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Tsp. Soy Sauce
1 Pkg Wonton Wrappers
Water
Cooking Spray


Combine cream cheese, crab, onions, garlic, Worcestershire, and soy sauce in bowl until blended.

 

Place small spoonful into middle of wonton wrapper.
My daughter filled this one so its a little full.
 
Moisten each corner with water. Then pull alternating corners together towards the center.

 
Place on greased cookie sheet at bake at 425 for about 8 minutes until brown. (Give or take a few minutes depending on how well your oven works.)
 
 
I apologize for not having a finished product picture, as soon as these come out of the oven its a fight in the family to get to them. LOL
 
I have used original, Neufchatel, and as pictured Greek blend cream cheeses and I don't notice too much of a difference so feel free to use whichever kind you like.
 
 
Enjoy and Happy Cooking!


 


Saturday, March 8, 2014

Strawberries & Bananas Fruit Salad

I don't think I have been to a buffet anywhere in the south that this wasn't offered on the dessert bar.  It's super simple, mostly healthy, and mega yummy.



  
Ingredients:

1 Lb. Strawberries
3 Bananas
1/8 C. Sugar

Slice strawberries and bananas.

Put strawberries in bowl. Add sugar.

Mix in bananas, and let sit in fridge for 30 minutes to several hours.

This is better on the first day. The second day the bananas tend to break apart and get soggy.

Enjoy!






Shrimp Creole

When I was a kid, we would splurge occasionally and have shrimp. Nothing we loved more than Shrimp Creole. I have no idea where my mom got the recipe, but its been in her handwritten recipe book for 25+ years. This recipe is mostly healthy and a little spicy and chocked full of veggies. Plus it is incredibly yummy. This is a microwave recipe. I assume you can do it on the stove top, but I've never tried it.

 
 
Ingredients:

12-16 oz. Shrimp peeled, deveined, tail off (original recipe calls for 12 oz. but hubby likes meat so we usually do 1 lb.)
1/2 C. Chopped Green Peppers
1/4 C. Chopped Celery
4 Chopped Green Onions (cut the root off and trim the tops)
1 Clove Garlic (or 1/2 tsp. of  jarred minced garlic)
2 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
16 Oz. Whole Canned Tomatoes
6 Oz. Tomato Paste
2 Tsp. Dried parsley
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Red Pepper flakes (more or less if you like it spicy or not)


Mix all chopped veggies, garlic, and butter in microwave safe dish. (I use a round glass Dutch oven with a lid.)


Cook in Microwave uncovered for 3 minutes.
 
Drain liquid off of veggies.
 
Drain liquid from tomatoes into the veggies. Then mash the whole tomatoes. I have a Pampered Chef Mix n Chop that fits perfectly into the can that I use to mash the tomatoes.
 
 
Add the mashed tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, salt, red pepper flakes, and shrimp.
 
 
Microwave covered on high for 11-13 minutes until shrimp is done.
 
Serve over white rice.
 
 
 
Easy Peasy, simple, delicious!
 

Enjoy!
 
 
 
 
Ingredients:

12-16 oz. Shrimp peeled, deveined, tail off (original recipe calls for 12 oz. but hubby likes meat so we usually do 1 lb.)
1/2 C. Chopped Green Peppers
1/4 C. Chopped Celery
4 Chopped Green Onions (cut the root off and trim the tops)
1 Clove Garlic (or 1/2 tsp. of  jarred minced garlic)
2 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
16 Oz. Whole Canned Tomatoes
6 Oz. Tomato Paste
2 Tsp. Dried parsley
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Red Pepper flakes (more or less if you like it spicy or not)


Mix green peppers, celery, onions, and garlic with butter
Cook in Microwave for 3 mins uncovered
Drain
Add Tomatoes, paste, parsley, salt, red pepper, shrimp
Microwave covered on High 11-13 minutes
Serve over white rice










New Name, New Blog, Same Recipes

We've moved. I hope everyone found the new blog easy enough. I have been having a hard time finding the old blog Lil Bit Of Everywhere in search engines. I'm hoping a new more unique name will help everyone find us a little easier.

For those of you who are visiting for the first time. A little introduction, I am Nic a 30 something, SAHM, Air Force wife, Loadmaster Wife, cooker, blogger, teacher, accountant, penny pincher, Jane of all trades, and general miracle worker.  I have one daughter whose 4, and we are working on #2 (prayers it happens soon). I've been married to the Air Force for going on 15 years. We've been stationed across the U.S. and hubby has traveled all over the world. In these travels we've picked up a wide variety of recipes and tips and tricks along the way.  We are both from Northeast Arkansas and that will always be home, but we also call Washington state home. We lived in South of Tacoma for 6 years and fell in love with the people and the area. Currently, we live in the Memphis, TN area. It's such a blessing for us to be soo close to home after so many years away. I love the Air Force! We've been blessed to be able to experience all of the many things we have being in the Air Force.

This blog is primarily a recipe blog. We are SOUTHERN! to the core. A lot of our recipes are family recipes and primarily southern recipes. Southern food is decadent! and not always healthy. That's a warning, if you're looking for a healthy food blog this ain't it. All of my recipes are super yummy though! This blog isn't solely Southern food. It's a mix of recipes from our childhood and our travels. Hubby travels ALOT! He's been to 6 of the 7 continents, and it's not the one you think.  South America is all he's missing. He's one of a few people that have been to Antarctica. We are both foodies for lack of a better word, and constantly like trying new local and exotic cuisine. (Not always with good results. Hubby got gastroenteritis while visiting the Philippines once and was sick for almost 2 months.) All of the recipes from this page are safe though, tried and true and loved by almost all of our family. We have an eclectic mix of foods that we enjoy on a daily basis and both of us love to cook and try new things.

While this blog is primarily recipes, I should also inform you that I am a Bzz Agent. I do product tests and opinion surveys. So occasionally I will post some new product test or recipe as a part of my affiliation with them. I love being a Bzz Agent and encourage you to join. Free products for an opinion and a few moments of your time. Check it out.  I'm also a minor couponer and bargain hunter. I use ibotta, and while I'm new at it so far I'm loving the money I'm saving. In addition, I am a kitchen tool junkie. I love all the neat little kitchen gadgets and trying new tools and techniques.

I am also a binge blogger. I don't get a chance to post one recipe a day, so I might post 3-4 a day and nothing for a week or two. I hope you enjoy my blog and my recipes. I try my best to link back to whoever I got the recipe from, but if I've credited the wrong person for a recipe please let me know.

Enjoy! and happy cooking.