Baked Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:
· 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 1 cup unsalted butter
· 1/4 cup white wine
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 2 tablespoons dried parsley
· 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
· 2 tablespoons minced garlic
· 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs


Directions:
1.  Place shrimp into a saucepan, cover with water to a depth of 2 inches over shrimp, and bring to a boil. Cover pan and cook until shrimp are pink, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.
2.  Combine butter, white wine, lemon juice, parsley, cayenne pepper, and garlic in a 2-quart casserole dish.
3.  Place casserole dish in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4.  When butter is melted, lightly toss shrimp in butter mixture until coated. Sprinkle bread crumbs over shrimp.
5.  Bake in the preheated oven until bread crumbs are lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Crispy Fish with Lemon Dill Sauce

Ingredients:
· 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
· 1 cup panko crumbs
· ½ teaspoon paprika
· ¾ teaspoon onion powder
· ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
· 4 (6-ounce) cod fillets
· 1 teaspoon black pepper
· ½ teaspoon salt
· Cooking spray
· ¼ cup mayonnaise
· 2 tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle
· 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
· 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
· Lemon wedges

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Combine panko crumbs, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
3. Sprinkle fish evenly with pepper and salt. Dip each fillet in egg whites and dredge in panko mixture. Place on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
4. Combine mayonnaise, pickle, lemon juice and dill.
5. Serve fish with sauce and lemon wedges.

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
3 tablespoons flour
4 tilapia fillets
2 tablespoon oil, divided
Lemon wedge

Directions:
Combine breadcrumbs, pecans, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a shallow dish.
Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a medium bowl.
Place flour in a third dish.
Dredge 1 fillet in flour; dip into buttermilk mixture, then into breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with remaining fillets.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet (non-stick works best) over medium-high heat.
Cook 2 fillets for 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily.
Add remaining oil and cook additional 2 fillets.
Serve with lemon for squeezing.

Tuna Melts

Ingredients:
5 ounces white tuna (Albacore, preferred), drained
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 whole fresh jalapeno, finely chopped
2 whole hard boiled eggs, chopped
6 whole sweet pickles, diced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
Splash of pickle juice
Salt And pepper, to taste
6 whole English muffins split
12 slices cheese (Swiss, Provolone, Muenster)

Directions:
1. Combine tuna with onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, eggs, and pickles. Stir in mayonnaise, Dijon, and pickle juice. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Place English muffin halves on a large cookie sheet. Place a large spoonful of tuna salad on each of the twelve English muffin halves. Use the spoon to spread/flatten.
4. Put pan into the oven for five minutes, then briefly remove and lay a slice of cheese on each muffin.
5. Return to oven and turn on broiler. Watch carefully to avoid burning; bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Salsa Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tilapia fillets
• 1 jar mild salsa
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 lime thinly sliced

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Coat one side of 4 (8x10 inch) pieces of aluminum foil with olive oil.
3.  Center each fillet on a foil square. Spoon a generous amount of salsa over fish.
4.  Sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro. Position 2 slices of lime on top of each fillet.
5.  Close and seal foil packets, and place on a baking tray.
6.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Grilled Blueberry BBQ Salmon

Ingredients:
· 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
· 1/3 cup ketchup
· 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
· 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
· ½ teaspoon onion powder
· 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
· 1 ½ pound salmon filet, whole or cut into portions
· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add blueberries. In about 10 minutes, the blueberries will bubble and burst, then mash with a fork. Add in ketchup, vinegars, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk well to combine and break up blueberries.
2. Turn the heat to medium. Stirring every few minutes, the mixture will start to bubble. When it does, turn the heat down to low and cook for 20 minutes, whisking every few minutes. Sauce will be slightly clumpy and thick.
3. Preheat the grill to high. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Once the grill is hot, lay the filet directly on the grate. Cook for 5 minutes, then gently flip.
4. Brush the BBQ sauce on the salmon and let cook until flaky and opaque, about 5 to 6 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.
5. Serve with remaining sauce.

Chipotle Shrimp and Rice

Ingredients for Rice:
· 1 cup long-grain whole grain rice
· ¼ cup fresh cilantro
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· ¼ teaspoon salt
· ¼ teaspoon pepper
· ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Ingredients for Shrimp:
· 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 2 teaspoons minced garlic
· 2 teaspoons lime zest
· ¼ teaspoon salt
· ¼ teaspoon pepper
· ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
· Cooking spray
· 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
· 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add cilantro, oil, ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper and chili powder.
2. To prepare shrimp, while rice cooks, combine shrimp, garlic, lime zest, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon chili powder in a medium bowl, tossing to coat shrimp.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice and butter, cook 1 minute, tossing to coat. Remove from pan and serve over rice.

Truckload Meat Sale

In honor of our Truckload Meat Sale at J & J Foods starting today, we thought we'd link to some of our favorite meat recipes over the years! Hope you enjoy!

Truckload Meat Sale

J & J Foods
1075 Jesse Jewell Pkwy SW, Gainesville, GA 30501

Wednesday, November 20 through Wednesday, November 27

See full ad here: www.jandjfoods.com/meatsale

Slow Cooker Barbeque Ribs

Georgia Peach Pork Chops

Sirloin Kabobs

Pecan and Cornbread Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Caribbean Style Ribs

Sweet Potato Sausage Balls

Salsa Baked Tilapia

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Shrimp and Crab Cakes

Ingredients:
10 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
6 ounces flaked crabmeat, squeezed dry if necessary
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Dijonmustard
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/3 cup fine, unseasoned bread or panko crumbs
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Thoroughly mix shrimp, crab, egg white, mustard, hot pepper sauce and pepper in a bowl.
Shape into 8 patties, each about 3/8 inch thick. Spread breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and coat the patties on both sides with crumbs.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat; add crab cakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Shrimp and Grits Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 Tbsp. butter
¼ tsp. pepper
¾ cup milk
3 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 ½ lb. large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 3 oz. package cream cheese
1 green onion, chopped
½ tsp. hot sauce
½ tsp. Ole Bay seasoning
2 tsp. lemon juice
Garnishes: sliced green onions, Barbecue sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring chicken broth and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add grits and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until thickened. Add butter and pepper, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat and let cool 15 to 20 minutes.
Whisk milk into cooled grits; stir in baking mix until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough to a ½-inch thickness and cut with a 2 inch round cutter. Place biscuits on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.
Cut 24 shrimp in half lengthwise and set aside.
Process cream cheese, onion, hot sauce, Ole Bay, lemon juice and remaining shrimp in a food processor until mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
Split biscuits in half, and spread cut sides evenly with the shrimp puree, and top with remaining shrimp. Garnish, if desired.
Makes 48. Makes a great appetizer.

Catfish Po'Boys

Ingredients:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
2 Tbsp. instant minced onion
2 tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. ground red pepper
½ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1 to 2 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 8 oz. catfish fillets, cut in half crosswise
4 hoagie rolls, split
2 cups shredded lettuce
8 tomato slices

Directions:
Combine mayonnaise, relish, onion, lemon juice and pepper, stirring well; cover with plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine breadcrumbs and Creole seasoning in a shallow dish. Combine egg and 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, stirring well. Dip fillets in egg mixture and dredge in breadcrumb mixture; place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes or until fish flakes with fork.
Spread chilled mayonnaise mixture on cut sides of rolls; top with fillets, lettuce and tomato.
Cover with roll tops. Serve immediately.

Super Grouper Sandwich with Homemade Zesty Tarter Sauce

Ingredients for Sandwich:
· 4 grouper fillets
· Olive oil
· Salt and pepper, to taste
· 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 8 slices
· 4 leaves romaine lettuce
· 4 sub rolls

Ingredients for Tartar Sauce:
· ½ cup mayonnaise
· ¼ cup horseradish sauce
· ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
· 3 tablespoons pickle relish
· ½ teaspoon pepper

Directions for Sandwich:
1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Brush fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Grill fillets turning once, until fish is cooked through, about 6 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
3. Brush the rolls with olive oil and lay the bread on the grill, cut side down, until just toasted.
4. Layer the grouper, tomatoes and lettuce on the rolls and spread with Zesty Tartar Sauce.

Directions for Zesty Tartar Sauce:
Mix all ingredients together and chill at least an hour. Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Grilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked small pasta shells
1 pound peeled, deveined and de-tailed small shrimp
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
While pasta is cooking, grill shrimp over medium heat either on outdoor grill or grill pan.
In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in shrimp, cucumber, celery and pasta.
Refrigerate until serving.

Chipotle Fish Tacos with Slaw and Avocado

Ingredients:
· 4 (6 to 8 ounce) cod fish fillets
· 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
· 1 (7 ounce) can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
· 1 lemon
· 4 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
· ¼ cup mayonnaise
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon pepper
· 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
· 4 large flour or whole wheat tortillas
· 1 avocado, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat outdoor grill or grill pan to medium heat.
2. Sprinkle each fish fillet with the Old Bay seasoning on both sides. Remove two chipotle peppers from the can and chop them up. Spread the pepper mixture on each side of the fish fillets. Half the lemon and sprinkle the juice of whole lemon on the 4 fillets.
3. Grill the fish about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
4. To make the slaw, mix together the cabbage, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate until time to serve.
5. To assemble tacos, layer fish, slaw and avocado on a flour tortilla.

Shrimp Scampi

Hi All!  This week I thought I talk about some recipes that would be great for your special Valentine's Day celebration but really, any day is special enough to cook a great meal!  
This Shrimp Scampi is yummy and would be perfect with a steak for a "Surf and Turf!"

Ingredients:
· ¼ cup olive oil
· ¼ butter, melted
· ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
· 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· Black Pepper, to taste
· Crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
· 1 ½ pounds, medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
1. In a large glass bowl, stir together the olive oil, butter, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, black pepper and crushed red pepper (if using). Add shrimp and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat grill pan to medium-high heat. Discard marinade.
3. Grill for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until opaque.
Great served over linguine noodles.

Here's a photo of my Shrimp Scampi.  I decided at the last minute to make some cheese grits and sprinkle with bacon bits.  Because well... grits and bacon.

 

12 Days of Christmas - Chunky Potato, Corn and Crab Chowder

“Seven Swans a-Swimming” – Chunky Potato, Corn and Crab Chowder

Ingredients:
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 1 onion, chopped
· ¾ cup chopped celery
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· 1 pound potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 2 ½ cups skim milk
· 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
· 1 teaspoon pepper
· 1 (14 ¾ ounce) can cream-style corn
· 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
· 8 ounces lump crabmeat
· 1 teaspoon salt
· Bread bowls

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and sauté for 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour, cook 1 more minute; stirring constantly.
2. Stir in milk, thyme, pepper, corn and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cover and reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in crab and salt, cook 5 minutes; stirring occasionally.
4. Serve immediately in bread bowls.

Crab Dip with Fire Crackers

Crab Dip:

Ingredients:
· 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
· 1/3 cup sour cream
· ½ cup chopped onion
· 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
· ½ teaspoon garlic salt
· 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
· 1 pound crab meat or about 2 cups

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix together cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add onion, Worcestershire, salt, and lemon juice. Mix well. Gently stir in crab meat.
3. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Fire Crackers.

Fire Crackers:

Ingredients:
· 4 sleeves unsalted saltine crackers
· 1 cup canola oil
· 1 (1 ounce) packet ranch dressing dry mix
· 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
· ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
1. Line crackers on the ends in an air-tight container.
2. In a small bowl, mix oil, dressing mix, pepper flakes and garlic powder. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed. Continue to stir to prevent the pepper from settling on the bottom of container.
3. Spoon mixture evenly over crackers, like drizzling icing on a cake.
4. Close lid tightly and flip the container over every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes. Lightly shake back and forth to be sure all crackers are coated. Can store up to a week.

Crab Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 (8-ounce) can imitation crab meat, drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 croissants, rolls or bread for 2 sandwiches, toasted
2 slices mozzarella cheese
Lettuce and tomato

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, crab meat, salt and pepper.
2. Place mixture on the bottom half of croissants and put cheese slices, lettuce and tomato on top. Add top half of croissant.

Grilled Salmon with Bacon and Corn Relish

Ingredients:
6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
2 ears white corn
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
Salt and black pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon vegetable oil
2 (8-ounce) center cut boneless salmon fillets
1 cup fresh spinach leaves (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
2. Cook bacon crisp in a skillet or microwave; then crumble and set aside. Cut kernels from corn ears into a large bowl using a sharp knife. Scrape cobs with the back of a knife into the bowl to get the juices.
3. Stir together the green onions, bell pepper and corn in a medium saucepan; cook and stir until vegetables start to get tender, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper. Stir in olive oil and vinegar. Turn off heat under relish.
4. Spread vegetable oil onto both sides of salmon fillets and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook on the preheated grill until fish shows grill marks; it flakes easily and is still slightly pink in the center; about 5 minutes per side.
6. Spread spinach leaves onto serving platter and top with salmon fillets. Serve with Bacon and Corn Relish.

Shrimp, Vidalia Onion and Roasted Corn Tacos

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I would like to take this opportunity to thank and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to serve our country. I know that I have no idea what some folks and their families have had to go through to make sure that our freedom has remained in tact. What I do know is that for some, it has been huge. How can we ever say thank you enough for that?

Today, our family will go to our community's annual Memorial Day Parade. I look forward to sitting with my friends and family including my 88-year old mother. My daddy served in WWII and Mother often tells of that time in their lives. How heart broken and scared she was when the love-of-her-life went off to war. Thankfully, he came back. Many did not.

So today, enjoy your family and of course, eat some good food. But please don't forget that all gave some but some gave all.



Ingredients:
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 Vidalia onion, cut into small slices
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into ½ inch pieces
Ole Bay seasoning, to taste
1 cup pico de gallo
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
Flour or corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss corn with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and transfer to a baking pan. Roast for 20 minutes or until corn is browned.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and onions. Sauté until onions are caramelized. Remove from skillet. Add shrimp to skillet, sprinkle with Ole Bay and sauté until shrimp are pink.
4. To assemble tacos, layer shrimp, corn, onions, pico de gallo, cilantro and cheese in tortillas.