Friday Foodday

Oh thank goodness for Friday. Anyone have any good recipes for me? Here are some of my favorite from this week.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
c/o Skinny Taste

Ingredients

• 2 oz pancetta, minced
• 2 lb brussels sprouts (weight after outer leaves and stems removed)
• 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or sliced thin
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions
With a large sharp knife, finely shred the brussels sprouts after thoroughly washing.   In a deep heavy saute pan, sauté pancetta on medium-low heat until fat melts and pancetta becomes golden, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden. Add shredded brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to taste and sauté on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes until tender crisp.

Butterfinger Nutter Butter Cheesecake Bars
c/o Lauren's Latest 

 Ingredients
for the crust
16 whole nutter butter cookies
1/4 cup melted butter
for the cheesecake filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon all purpose flour
6 fun size Butterfinger chocolate bars
for the topping
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×9 square dish with foil or parchment and set aside. {If you are lining your pan with foil, lightly grease with non stick cooking spray.}  Grind nutter butter cookies in a food processor until the consistency of graham cracker crumbs. Pour in melted butter and pulse a few times to mix. Press into prepared dish and set aside.   In a large bowl, whip cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Stir in egg, vanilla and flour. Finely chop butterfingers and fold into the cheesecake mixture. Pour over top nutter butter crust and bake for 18-22 minutes or until cheesecake has set. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled.
Pour chocolate chips and butter into a small bowl and microwave using the ‘melt chocolate’ function, stirring every 20-30 seconds. If your chocolate is almost melted, don’t put it back into the microwave! Just keep stirring- the residual heat will continue to melt the chocolate completely. {If your microwave doesn’t have this function, zap your chocolate at 50% power at 20 second intervals, stirring in between.} Spread melted chocolate overtop of the bars evenly and place back into the refrigerator 5-10 minutes to harden the chocolate. Remove from refrigerator and using the foil or parchment, remove the entire block of bars from the pan. Cut into bars and serve.

Shrimp Stew
c/o Kitchen Bellicious

  Ingredients

1 pound of shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1/2 pound of quartered red or new potatoes

1 link of andouille sausage, sliced

2 stalks of celery, largely diced

1 onion, quartered and taken apart

4 ears of frozen corn ( not canned or fresh but frozen)

1 tsp salt and pepper each

1 tsp cajun seasoning

1 tsp crab boil seasoning (powder form)

1 TBSP fresh basil and parsley

4 cups of chicken stock, warmed

2 bay leaves

dash of hot sauce

1 cup oil

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt and pepper each

Directions

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet- lower heat and add in the flour, stirring constantly until the flour is completely incorporated and the roux turns a nice golden color- approx 15-20 minutes. Add in the chicken stock and remaining ingredients. Meanwhile, if you do not have the leftovers from my shrimp boil then heat the butter and oil in a separate pan and saute the celery, onion and potatoes (the potatoes will not cook all the way through- they can finish cooking in the stew). Saute for 4-7 minutes then add in the sausage. Cook until sausage is slightly browned.