“Man Pleasin'” Cookies

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Makes: Approx. 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 3 cups quick-cook oatmeal
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a mixer, cream together the shortening, margarine, sugar, and brown sugar until combined.

Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until the mixture is fluffy.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, oatmeal, and walnuts.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and stir until combined.  Add the chocolate chips and mix until well-distributed.

Drop the cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto an un-greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Additional Tips:

  • Don’t let the cookies brown while they are in the oven, or else they will be over done.
  • Most of the time, I don’t add the walnuts to these cookies, just because it’s a hassle to chop them up and I’m extremely lazy…. but they still taste great!
  • These cookies are a surefire way to impress anyone you might be interested in romantically… just saying!

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Macadamia Encrusted Halibut with Tropical Salsa

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Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 (8 oz.) fillets halibut, skin removed
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
  • 1/8 cup flaked coconut
  • 1 egg
  • Juice from 1/2 lime
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper

Tropical Salsa

  • 1, 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
  • 1 peach
  • Juice from 1/2 lime
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. chives
  • Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Finely chop the macadamia nuts and coconut, and set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, salt, and pepper.

Dredge the halibut fillets in the egg mixture.  Roll the fillets in the coconut-macadamia mixture until they are completely covered.  Pour enough of the white wine into a small baking pan to cover the bottom and place the halibut into the pan.  Squeeze the juice from 1/2 a lime over the fillets, and garnish with chives, if desired.  Bake for 20 minutes.

While the halibut is baking, cut the peach into bite-sized pieces.  In a small bowl, combine the peach, pineapple, lime juice, sugar, chives, salt, and pepper to taste.

When the fish is flaky and its nut coating is lightly browned, remove from the oven.  Top with the tropical salsa, serve, and enjoy!

Additional Tips:

  • Try making the salsa with mango instead of peach for even more tropical flavor!
  • If you don’t have white wine readily available, you can use chicken broth instead.

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Summer Smoothie

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Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 bananas, frozen
  • 8 strawberries
  • 6 oz. peach yogurt
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

Cut the strawberries and frozen bananas into small chunks and place in a blender.  Add the yogurt, juice, and ice.  Blend until combined, and enjoy!

Additional Tips:

  • This smoothie is perfect for breakfast!
  • When freezing the bananas, peel and loosely wrap them individually in aluminum foil.  Pop the foil-covered bananas in the freezer, and you’ll be good to go!  When it comes time to use them, the foil is much easier to get off than the peel would be.

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Chocolate Banana Shake

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Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 bananas, frozen
  • 2 cups milk
  • Chocolate syrup, to taste

Directions:

Cut the frozen bananas into small chunks and place in a blender.  Add the milk and chocolate syrup, and blend until smooth.

Additional Tips:

  • This is the best way to quickly use very ripe bananas!
  • When freezing the bananas, peel and loosely wrap them individually in aluminum foil.  Pop the foil-covered bananas in the freezer, and you’ll be good to go!  When it comes time to use them, the foil is much easier to get off than the peel would be.
  • This drink is my go-to after a soccer game!  The potassium in the banana helps prevent muscle cramps, and the chocolate milk helps to build muscle!  Also, it’s cold, delicious, and easy, so…

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Koldewyn Fried Shrimp

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Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lbs. large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 qts. vegetable oil

Dry Mix

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup Instant Ralston (see helpful items below)

Wet Mix

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Butterfly the shrimp by cutting nearly through the center of each shrimp to lay it out flat.  Wash well, and soak in salt water for 30 minutes (if desired).  Drain.

Fill a large pot or deep fryer with the vegetable oil and begin heating over medium-high heat or according to fryer instructions.  Heat until the oil is 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a shallow pan, combine the 3/4 cup flour and the instant Ralston to make the dry mix.  In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining 1 cup flour, baking soda, and water to make the wet mix.

Once the oil is up to temperature, you may begin the process of frying the shrimp.  Roll each shrimp in the dry mix, then dip in the wet mix, and then place in the hot oil.  The best way to do this is in batches of 3-4 shrimp, for about 5 minutes per batch.  Deep fry until each shrimp is golden brown, and is cooked through.  Cooking times will vary based on the number of shrimp per batch, and the size of the pot in which they’re being fried.

Additional Tips:

  • Serve these shrimp with a sauce made of equal parts ketchup and mustard.  It might sound overly indulgent, but this sauce is literally the best!
  • As far as I know, you can only buy instant Ralston online.  I’ve included it in the helpful items section below for easy access.  This is the secret ingredient that makes these fried shrimp so amazing!  Don’t skip out on it!
  • Make sure you dip the shrimp in the dry mix first, and then the wet mix!  It’s counter intuitive, I know, but it works!
  • BE WARNED: Once you get a taste of this fried shrimp, you will never be able to eat fried shrimp anywhere else ever again!

History:

This is the first time I’ve written a history in association with one of my recipes, and it’s only because Koldewyn Fried Shrimp is one of my family’s most cherished secrets.  Legend has it that this recipe originated with my great-great-aunt Lillian.  Supposedly, the recipe came from a famous fish restaurant located on the coast of California in the 1950’s.  It has been passed on through subsequent generations of the Koldewyn family since that time.  Enjoy!

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Easy Aztec Brownies

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Makes: 13″ x 9″ pan

Ingredients:

  • 1, 18.3 oz. box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 Tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. chili powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the vegetable oil, eggs, water, and vanilla.  Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder, and brownie mix.  Stir until completely combined.

Pour the batter into your greased pan and bake for 22-25 minutes.  Your brownies will be done when a toothpick inserted a few inches from the side of the pan comes out mostly clean.

Let cool before cutting, and enjoy!

Additional Tips:

  • You should be able to modify any regular brownie mix or recipe by simply adding the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chili powder.
  • Use Mexican vanilla if you can get your hands on some!  Yes, you can taste the difference.
  • If you really like spice, feel free to up the dosage of the chili powder!  These brownies aren’t super in-your-face about their Aztec heritage, but feel free to give them a bit of attitude if you’d like!
  • My husband tells me that these brownies taste even better the day after they’re made (assuming you can wait that long to eat them, of course…)

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Basic Baked Potatoes

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Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 russet potatoes
  • Additional toppings
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Sour Cream
    • Butter
    • Green Onions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wash the potatoes extremely well.  Using a sharp knife, stab the potatoes a few times in order to let the hot air escape while cooking.

Place in the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, and serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Additional Tips:

  • I have a very abbreviated list of toppings included under ingredients.  You know what you like on your potatoes!  I certainly won’t tell you what to do with them!

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Baked Squash

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Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 squash (acorn, spaghetti, butternut, etc.)
  • 2 Tbsp. of butter
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the squash in half.  Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds, making sure not to miss any of them.  Place 1 Tbsp. butter into each half of the squash, where the seeds used to be.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top of the butter.

Flip the squash upside down inside of a 13×9 pan.  The softer, inside part of the squash should be facing down, and the outside part with the skin on should be facing up.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the bottom of the squash is browned and very soft.

Carefully flip the squash so that the cooked, edible portion is facing up.  Using a spoon, scoop the inside of the squash out into a serving bowl.  Be careful not to scrape away any of the outside skin.

Add additional salt, pepper, and/or butter to taste.

Additional Tips:

  • Please be careful while scooping out the inside of the squash.  It will be super, duper hot!  I usually hold the squash down with a fork, using my other hand and a spoon to carefully scoop away at the squash.
  • Extra butter never hurt anybody…

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Mom’s Meatloaf

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Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • 1 egg
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 1 Tbsp. oregano
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 3 strips of bacon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the bacon.  Mix until well blended.  Dump the mixture into a bread pan.  Form into a loaf, tucking down the sides and smoothing the top of the mixture.

Place the bacon on top of the loaf, followed by some extra BBQ sauce.

Bake for 1 hour and serve hot.

Additional Tips:

  • Serve with squash (find recipe here!) and baked potatoes (find recipe here!)  All three dishes cook at the same temperature for the same amount of time.  The result?  A well-rounded meal with minimal effort!
  • Feel free to mix and match ingredients with whatever you have in the pantry.  No bacon?  Sad, but manageable.  No mushrooms?  No problem!  It’s pretty hard to mess this one up.
  • I usually mix all of the ingredients up by hand.  It’s feels really gross, but I have yet to find a better way to expertly blend them all.

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Tzatziki Sauce

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Makes: Approx. 3 cups

Ingredients:

  • 3 cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/4 in. pieces
  • Salt
  • 1 cup plain, whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup chopped mint

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss the diced cucumbers with a few generous pinches of salt.  Firmly squeeze the cucumbers several times with your hands in order to release the excess water.  Drain.

Add the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic to the cucumbers, and mix well.  Season with salt.  Stir in the mint just before serving.

Additional Tips:

  • This sauce smells super garlicky.  Lest it pollute the delicate tastes of your other fridge foods, store the tzatziki in an airtight container.
  • Tzatziki (without the mint) can be made up to 3 days ahead of when you want to use it.  Simply add the mint right before serving.
  • Goes great on gyros (find the recipe here!) and is also delicious when used as a dipping sauce for pita chips!

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