Spicy Lime Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (such as Emeril's Essence®)
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp (30-40 per pound)

Directions

1. Mix together the Cajun seasoning, lime juice, and vegetable oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add the shrimp, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
3. Cook the shrimp on the preheated grill until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center, about 2 minutes per side.

Spicy Coconut and Lime Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• skewers

Directions

1. Combine the jalapeno, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, coconut, olive oil, and soy sauce in a food processor; blend until smooth. Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and allow to marinate at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
3. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, piercing each shrimp near the head and tail.
4. Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning frequently until nicely browned on all sides and the meat is no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 wedges lemon, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat grill for medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, crush the garlic with the salt. Mix in cayenne pepper and paprika, and then stir in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with garlic paste until evenly coated.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve.

Herbed Pecan Crusted Scallops

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
• 1/3 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, cut up
• 2 teaspoons HERB-OX® Chicken Flavored Bouillon Granules
• 1 teaspoon freshly shredded lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sea scallops (12-15 per pound)

Directions

1. In work bowl of food processor, combine pecan pieces, herbs, garlic, bouillon, lemon peel and pepper until a paste forms. With machine running, gradually drizzle in olive oil until mixture forms a paste. Rub paste onto scallops. Thread scallops onto 4 kabobs. Grill scallops over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until opaque.

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Dip

Ingredients

• 2 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pounds salmon steaks
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
2. In a medium bowl, mash together avocados, garlic, yogurt, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Rub salmon with dill, lemon pepper, and salt. Place on the prepared grill, and cook 15 minutes, turning once, until easily flaked with a fork. Serve with the avocado mixture.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

• 4 ounces linguine pasta
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into thin strips
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguini pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl, and toss to coat.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute chicken in butter until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add green and red bell peppers, sliced mushrooms and green onions; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat, and stir in heavy cream. Season the sauce with basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper, and heat through.
4. In a large bowl, toss linguini with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 pound angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook red, yellow and green bell peppers in 2 tablespoons olive oil with garlic until just tender. Stir in diced tomatoes and diced tomatoes with chiles, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove to a serving bowl.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook chicken in butter mixture until juices run clear, 5 to 10 minutes. Place cooked chicken over tomato sauce and sprinkle with basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and Parmesan. Serve with cooked pasta.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Artichoke Hearts, Feta Cheese, Capers, and Black Olives

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (8 ounce) bottle Italian-style salad dressing
• 1/2 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 (6 ounce) can sliced olives, drained
• 1/4 (4 ounce) jar capers, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) container crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Place the chicken breast halves into a plastic zipper bag. Shake the bottle of Italian dressing and pour into the bag. Seal the bag and shake to thoroughly coat the chicken with the dressing; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking dish with olive oil.
3. Remove the chicken breast halves and shake off excess marinade. Discard the leftover marinade. Place the chicken between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2 inch.
4. Mix together the artichoke hearts, olives, capers, and feta cheese in a bowl; spoon about 2 tablespoons of the feta mixture into the middle of each flattened chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast around the filling and secure with toothpicks. Place the rolled chicken breasts into the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken has browned and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes.

Beef and Cheese Baked Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked pasta
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 1/2 cups Classico® Tomato and Basil Sauce
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook ground meat and onion in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until meat is browned. Stir in pasta sauce, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer the ingredients in the prepared baking dish as follows: half of the cooked pasta, all the provolone cheese, all the sour cream, half of the sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Baked Pepperoni Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rotini pasta
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 28 ounces Classico® Tomato and Basil Sauce
• 4 ounces sliced pepperoni sausage
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef with onion until beef is brown. Drain. Combine beef mixture with sauce, pepperoni and cooked pasta and pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with mozzarella.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden.

Lasagna Alfredo

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 3 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, diced
• 2 (16 ounce) jars Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 pints ricotta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Cook spinach according to package directions; drain.
2. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and one jar of alfredo sauce, stir together. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta and drained, cooked spinach, and stir.
3. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, place one layer of lasagna noodles, edges overlapping. Pour chicken and alfredo sauce mixture over noodle layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over chicken mixture. Top with another layer of noodles. Spread spinach mixture evenly over noodles. Pour 1/2 of remaining jar of alfredo sauce over spinach mixture, spread evenly. Sprinkle another cup of mozzarella over sauce, lay on the final noodle layer and top with remaining 2 cups of mozzarella and salt and pepper to taste. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until top is brown and bubbly.

Beef Tenderloin With Roasted Shallots

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup port wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 pounds beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 sprigs watercress, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In 9 inch pie pan, toss shallots with oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until shallots are deep brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, combine beef broth and port. Bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the volume is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste. Set aside.
3. Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan, set over medium heat on the stove top, saute bacon until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add beef to pan; brown on all sides over medium high heat, about 7 minutes.
4. Transfer pan to oven. Roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125 degrees F (50 degrees C) for medium rare, about 25 minutes. Transfer beef to platter. Tent loosely with foil.
5. Spoon fat off top of pan drippings in roasting pan. Place pan over high heat on stove top. Add broth mixture, and bring to boil; stir to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to a medium saucepan, and bring to simmer. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste; whisk into broth mixture, and simmer until sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining butter. Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cut beef into 1/2 inch thick slices. Spoon some sauce over, and garnish with watercress.

Zesty Turkey Wrap

Ingredient

 

2 cups finely chopped leftover cooked Butterball® Turkey
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup ranch style dressing
6 lettuce leaves
6 (8-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

 

Directions 

1. Combine turkey, onions, tomatoes and dressing in medium bowl.
2. Place lettuce leaves towards one edge of each tortilla. Top each lettuce leaf with equal amounts of the turkey mixture. Roll up.Whole wheat tortilla rolled around a mixture of ranch dressing, lettuce, chopped turkey, onions and sun-dried tomatoes.

Makes 6 servings.
Tip: Instead of tortillas, try using pita pockets: Cut pockets in half, line with lettuce and add turkey salad.
Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Butterball, LLC.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups water
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions

1. Melt butter or margarine in a heavy cooking pot. Add onions and chopped celery; saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour, mixing well. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not burn, or let it go lumpy. Add water, chicken broth, and chicken soup base; stir until smooth. Bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes and chopped asparagus. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Puree soup in a food processor or blender in batches. Return to pot.
3. Stir in half and half cream, soy sauce, and black and white pepper. Bring soup just to boil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot.

World's Best Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Pomegranate-Grilled Lamb Chops

Ingredient

 

1 cup fresh or bottled pomegranate juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 black peppercorns, crushed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
4 double-thick California lamb loin chops
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds; for garnish
Mint leaves; for garnish

 

Directions 

1. Combine pomegranate juice, garlic, peppercorns and chopped mint in non-reactive bowl; mix well. Add chops and turn several times to coat well. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, turning occasionally.
2. Remove chops from marinade; drain and set aside. Pour marinade into small saucepan. Heat to boiling and simmer 20 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup.
3. Brush chops with reduced marinade and oil.
4. Broil or grill chops about 3-inches from heat, brushing once or twice with marinade. Cook to preferred doneness, about 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes for medium and 9 to 10 minutes for well done.

Makes 4 servings.
Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the California Sheep Commission