Shrimp Po Boy

It's "Foodie Fridays"!! I hope you all had a great week. We have a nice treat for you to try. Have you ever been to New Orleans? Do you enjoy cajun cuisine? Well, this Shrimp Po Boy recipe will definitely take you there.

Thanks to our Empty Nester, you will have a new thing to try this week. This is her special take on a recipe seen on Food Network. 

Enjoy!

Shrimp Po Boy

Ingredients
4 soft sub rolls (Hoagies)
2 cups of Canola oil
1-3 tbsps of mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups of Jumbo crab meat
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
31-40 ct. Large shrimp
1 small Butter lettuce
Sriracha (to taste)
Tony's cajun seasoning (enough to coat shrimp)
2-3 cups of Buttermilk
2 tbsps of Butter
1/2 cup of flour
1-2 tbsps of Cornstarch
1-2 Roma tomatoes

Directions

1) Take the Buttermilk and put it in a bowl along with the shrimp. Allow the shrimp to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2) While the shrimp are marinating, take the Hoagies and split them in half to open the bread up for the sandwich.
3) Take the butter and melt in a skillet.
4) When butter begins to sizzle, add the bread in the pan with the inside portion down.
5) Once that bread appears to be golden brown, remove it from the skillet.
6) Drain buttermilk off of shrimp and set aside.
7) Take the canola oil in a pot and bring it up to a medium heat.
8) Mix cornstarch,  Tony's seasoning,  and flour in a bowl.
9) Take the shrimp and toss it in the dry mixture. Make sure to shake off any excess flour.
10) Once the oil is ready for frying, add the shrimp in one at a time. Make sure not to over crowd the pot. Keep a watchful eye over the shrimp because they only need about 4-5 minutes. When ready, place the shrimp on a napkin to soak up the excess oil.
11) While the shrimp are frying, you can combine the crabmeat and mayonnaise together and spread on the bottom of the hoagie bread.
12) Slice the tomatoes and place on top of the crabmeat mixture.
13) Take a few pieces of lettuce and place on the sandwich and top it all off with the shrimp.

An Easy Carrot Meal

Happy Sunday!

Today we want to showcase two ways to cook with carrots. First we will talk about a carrot soup recipe that we make often in the winter. Then, we can't have dinner without dessert! We have a more healthy version of carrot cake cupcakes that is truly a treat.

Hopefully these recipes will inspire you to cook more with carrots!

Carrot Soup

Ingredients
1 leak chopped (do not utilize the green portion)
2 1/2 cups of white potatoes
3-4 cups of chicken broth (cover up to 1 inch over the ingredients)
4 carrots
1 pint of heavy cream (add to individual serving as much as desired)
Salt and white pepper to taste

Directions
1) Chop all vegetables and add to stock pot with the chicken broth.
2) Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, let cool
3) Use an immersion blender to blend the vegetables (you can use a blender)
4) Once blended, pour into soup bowls, add cream, salt, and white pepper to taste.
5) Time to enjoy!

For a sweet treat,
go to https://www.yahoo.com/food/martha-goodness-74306131183.html
for instructions on how to make "Hazelnut Carrot at Cupcakes with Cream cheese Frosting"

Pasta Salad

Hey everyone!  We missed "Foodie Friday", but I wanted to make sure to at least show you guys a tasty side dish I (Young Hipster) made today!

Quick and Easy Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1/2 box of whole wheat penne pasta
1/2 a can of black olives
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup of fresh mozzarella (pearl sized mozzarella balls are more convenient)
Italian dressing
1/2 cup of broccoli
Tablespoon of butter

Instructions

1.) Boil water for pasta on high heat. When water begins to boil, add in pasta and let cook for about 8-10 minutes.
2.) Drain noodles and let cool.
3.) Chop veggies and add the broccoli to a pot of boiling water. Only cook for 2 minutes and drain.
4.) Take red bell peppers and a tablespoon of butter and saute in a skillet on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
5.) Once the red bell peppers are finished, take a bowl and add all the ingredients together.
6.) Lightly drizzle the Italian dressing over the pasta mix and toss until everything is coated with dressing.

ENJOY!

Stir Crazy

Stir Crazy

15795 Bluemound Rd.

Brookfield, WI 53005

262-786-3100

brookfield@stircrazy.com

It's Super Bowl Sunday! Although we are not offering any recipes on typical game day foods, we are bringing you a great Asian inspired restaurant that we feel will be great any day. The family was together again for this trip.

For this meal, we decided to get our appetizers with our meals.

"Crab Rangoon" $7.25 (Crispy stuffed wontons with seasoned cream cheese and jumbo lump crab meat)

"Create Your Own Stir Fry" $14.99 Chicken with Shanghai Noodles

The two above photos are from me, the "Young Hipster." I love that the "Create Your Own Stir Fry" offered so many choices for veggies, meats, vegetarian options (tofu), and noodles (Lo-Mein, Flat Rice, or Wheat) or rice (Brown, Fried, or White). 

Once you place your order with the waiter, the waiter brings back a little wok for you and a cup attached to it where you can choose your sauce. You then take your wok over to the self-service veggie station where they offer a wide array of fresh veggies and sauces that you can put in your meal. Once you have selected everything you want, you take it over to the wok stations where the chefs cook your meals in front of you. 

It's a nice treat to see.

The portion sizes are perfect and filling. A great healthy, fresh meal!

"Thai Sticky Wings" (Chicken wings tossed in a sweet chili sauce) $7.75

"Create Your Own Stir Fry" $14.99 Shrimp with Shanghai Noodles

This appetizer and entree combo is from the "Empty Nester." She decided to have a try with the "Create Your Own Stir Fry" as well and she was very pleased. The appetizer was her favorite! You get 5 wings and the sauce was sweet and spicy. Her thoughts were that, "the wings were very juicy. They were very flavorful and made you want more!"

"Japanese Steak" $19.00 ( Filet mignon topped with a soy butter mushroom medley and frizzled sesame onions with grilled wasabi asparagus as a side.)

This feast was ordered by our "Mr. To the Point." There weren't any complaints from him about this meal. He liked the wasabi flavor on the asparagus and the steak was cooked well. He paired this with "Crazy Shrimp" appetizer that you see below. This was shared between him and the "Busy Mom." They both called this shrimp dish, "The best!" The sauce was excellent.

"Crazy Shrimp" $8.25 (Tempura battered shrimp tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce with an Asian slaw on the side.)

"Thai BBQ Tacos" $15.25 (Roti Prata bread filled with either beef, chicken, shrimp, or tofu and topped with a cucumber salad. A side of fried rice comes with it.)

This meal was ordered by our "Busy Mom." She felt that this meal was light, yet filling. The cucumber slaw gave the taco a refreshing bite and crunch. Her favorite was the roti prata bread. She liked that it was buttery, flaky, and toasted to perfection!

Our little "Picky Eater" indulged in her favorite food of choice. French Fries! She was very happy.

Give "Stir Crazy" a try! Why not today? They have a special discount going on today for the "Super Bowl." It's called the "Big Game Special". Buy one entree, get one FREE! It is only for today and you must present the coupon. It's available on their website.

Check them out on 

http://www.stircrazy.com/

Maxie's

Maxie's

6732 W. Fairview 

Milwaukee, WI 53213

Phone: (414) 292-3969

http://maxies.com/milwaukee/

Hello everyone! We decided to hold off on "Foodie Friday's" this week. Instead, we are presenting you with another restaurant review. The weekend was kicked off with the whole family.

The "Empty- Nester", "Busy-Mom", and "Mr. To the Point" all opted for appetizers. The appetizers included Fried Green Tomatoes, Mussels and Herbsaint (made with Housemade chicken andouille sausage and french bread), New Orleans BBQ Shrimp (with grilled french bread). The shrimp were very good, cooked perfectly and had a lot of flavor.They all agreed that these were fresh and delicious.

Below is an image of what you me receive when you order the Mussels. The "Empty Nester" said that the mussels were juicy and melted in your mouth. The sauce was heavenly and the bread with the sauce was an excellent touch! She stated she would definitely get it again.

On to the main course!

The "Young Hipster" opted to skip the appetizer and go straight to dinner. Above is the "Maxie’s Deluxe Crabcake Platter". This platter includes two crabcakes topped with a cajun mayo with slaw, rice and beans, and sweet potato fries. In this case, I decided to substitute the sweet potato fries for the daily vegetables. All of this totaled up to just $20.95! It was all well worth it. The crabcakes were mostly crab meat, which is great. I definitely got the bang for my buck. I paired this with a "Kentucky Sidecar." This drink is made up of four roses bourbon, lemonade, cointreau, and a sugared rim for $8.50. It was so popular that the "Empty Nester" and "Mr. To the Point" joined in with me and had that drink as well.

The feast above belongs to "Mr. To the Point." His meal of choice was the "BBQ Yum-Yum Farm Turkey." This item came with a hickory smoked whole bird that is chopped and covered with a sweet Memphis sauce, sweet potato fries, creamy slaw, and BBQ beans. He substituted the sweet potato fries for the white cheddar mac 'n cheese. The mac 'n cheese was creamy and the turkey had a nice smoky flavor to it. The BBQ that night came with an Arugula corn salad. Pepper taste of arugula paired greatly and created a nice balance with the sweetness of the corn. This all totaled to $18.95. 

The Po Boy was the winner in my book price wise. You get so much food for the reasonable price of only $13.50. The "Empty Nester" decided to try her luck with the Oyster Po Boy. It comes with the waffle french fries and the oysters are placed on fresh bread with a cajun mayo, lettuce, and tomato. She describes the oysters as juicy and  lightly breaded. The cajun mayo took the flavor profile over the top. The bread on the outside had a nice crunch and on the inside, it was pillowy soft.

Our "Busy Mom" had the "Farmed Catfish." For just $17.95, you can choose to have it creole style with a tomato sauce or fried with a tarter sauce. In this case, she went with the fried catfish. She felt that this catfish was fried perfectly and she stated that you know you have good catfish when their are no bones left in the fish fillet. The cornmeal crust coating was just enough where it didn't overpower the fish. It was a fan favorite for her. She decided to pair her meal with an Appletini.

Our little "Picky Eater" enjoyed the waffle french fries so much, that she barely left any on the plate. They offer a variety of items on the kids menu, which is a plus!

Quinoa with Veggies

It's Foodie Friday! 

This week, we wanted to focus in on a more healthy choice. Vegetarians, we celebrate you!

Quinoa with Veggie Medley (from the "Busy Mom")

The quinoa is cooked in vegetable broth and once cooked, add in diced cucumber tomatoes, red onion, green & red bell pepper, sliced black olives, and avocado (Veggies are good for you, so pile it up!).

*Follow label instructions for the proper cooking instructions for the Quinoa.

Since our "Busy Mom" is one of our resident health nuts, she was able to provide us with caloric breakdown.

All of these ingredients total up to only 327 calories.

Baked Salmon and Couscous

Good Evening!

Tonight we made Baked Salmon with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Parmesan Couscous topped with a Medley of Shiitake and Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients and Instructions

Baked Salmon

1.4 lbs of Atlantic Salmon

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder

Baked in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. You will know it is done when you touch it and it is firm.

Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous

1 box (5.8 ounces) of Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous

1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Bring 1 1/4 cup of water to a boil and add seasoning packet found in box with 2 tsp of Unsalted Butter

Add couscous and pull off of the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Fluff Couscous with a fork. Mix in Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom Medley topping

1 handful of sliced Shiitake Mushrooms

1 handful of Whole Portobello Mushrooms and slice after 

1 tsp of Unsalted Butter

1/2 tsp of Kosher Salt

2 tbsp of Vegetable Oil

1/2 tsp of Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 cloves of garlic (chopped)

Heat pan and add Butter and Vegetable Oil. Once melted, add in fresh garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are softened and golden brown. Mix the mushroom mixture and shredded Parmesan cheese into the couscous. Its ready to eat.  Serves 4.