Articles by B. Coop

Keto Shrimp and Grits Recipe

Keto, Recipes, Seafood
Posted on 1 Comment on Keto Shrimp and Grits Recipe

What I love about the Keto diet is that cheese isn’t taken from me! Yes! And I can have heavy cream? Yes to ketosis! Now, to the worst part of keto for me. No potatoes. They are my favorite starch! Dang it! Oh well, God made cauliflower. They’re not grits. Only grits are grits. But, it’s a great substitute for a great meal. And mashed cauliflower can be purchased in the frozen food section adding to the ease of preparation!

Don’t be alarmed by the amount of sodium. When following the keto diet, you may need to increase your sodium intake. ALWAYS consult with your doctor before being keto or any other diet to ensure that you don’t put your health at risk. All bodies are different.

My Cookies know I love huge, fresh shrimp! I decided to leave the tail on, but feel free to take it off if you’d like. Just make sure you devein them! I like to season every element of my dish. So, sprinkle a little Cajun spices on and toss.

Now, let’s discuss this sauce. It’s heavenly! And completely keto approved! There’s bacon, heavy cream, cheese, and wine! Yes, you can have dry white wine on keto. All of these flavors combine will make you second guess that you’re following a “diet”.

We have to doctor up our “grits” a little bit. I add kerrygold butter, cheese, and Herbes de Provence. A bit of cream cheese can be added too. Salt and pepper to taste and you’ll have a satisfying, low carb, keto friendly meal!

5 from 1 vote
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Keto Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients

Shrimp:

  • 1 lb large raw shrimp
  • 2 tsp Cajun seasoning

Sauce:

  • 4 strips bacon diced
  • 1 TBS kerrygold butter
  • 1 TBS minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 TBS lemon juice
  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Cajun seasoning to taste

“Grits”:

  • 1-2 12 oz package(s) frozen mashed cauliflower
  • 1 TBS kerrygold butter
  • 1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 1 tsp Herbes de Provence seasoning
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnishing

Instructions

Shrimp:

  1. Season the shrimp and set aside
  2. Fry the bacon in a pan
  3. When the bacon is done, remove it from the pan leaving the drippings in the pan
  4. Add in the butter
  5. When the butter melts, sauté the garlic in it for 30 seconds
  6. Add the shrimp into the pan
  7. Cook for 2 mins per side or until the shrimp is done

Sauce:

  1. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock
  2. Add in the lemon juice
  3. Pour in the heavy whipping cream
  4. Add the Parmesan, onion powder, and Cajun seasoning to taste
  5. Allow the sauce to simmer on low for 5 minutes
  6. Sprinkle fresh parsley in and stir

“Grits”:

  1. Cooked the mashed cauliflower in the microwave according to package instructions
  2. Pour it into a bowl and combine it with the butter, cheese, and Herbes de Provence.
  3. Taste and adjust salt as needed
  4. Enjoy

Air Fryer Crispy Keto Chicken Wings

Chicken, Keto, Recipes, Reviews
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For my birthday, we visited one of my favorite restaurants. It’s a steakhouse, but their wings are incredible! They have the best flavor with nice, crispy skin! They don’t even taste fried in grease or baked. It’s weird. But, then it hit me. “I can get this same texture with an air fryer. I gotta some my Cookies!!” Which brings us here to this post. I’m going to teach you how to make the BEST and CRISPIEST chicken wings in an Air Fryer!

We need flats and drums! Rinse them well. Yes, I will ALWAYS rinse my bird. I don’t care what those folks say. My chicken is getting rinsed! Also, pat it dry well with paper towels. 

I keep the spices simple. Don’t want them overly salty. I used my favorite poultry seasoning. Thanks, Chef Paul! And I add a little extra onion and garlic powder. 

Put the Orange Box Down!

The key ingredient to achieving extra crispy wings is Baking Powder. Not the stuff in the orange box. That’s baking soda. We need POWDER. It’s all science. The baking powder does two things. It draws out the moisture in the skin making the skin crisp. Don’t worry. It only draws the liquid out of the skin, not the meat itself. Your wings won’t be dry at all! The baking powder also creates tiny air pockets on the skin. And what do air pockets do when you add pressure? It pops! And what pressure will we be adding? A bite! So, when you bite into these wings you’ll get that nice crispy crunch. Bomb right??

Another rule to crispy wings is space. The air needs to circulate around the wing to cook evenly and crisp the skin as much as possible. So, leave a little space between each wing. You may have to cook the wings in batches to insure even cooking.

Not all air fryers are created the same. But, hopefully, they all work well at getting the job done. My Cosori unit has a basket. So, instead of flipping over each wing in the middle of the cooking time, I can just shake the basket. But, if you have to flip then flip, baby!

Did I mention these guys are completely, Keto friendly? Yep! You can enjoy these babies and remain in Ketosis! A win is a win!!

Happy Cooking,
B. Coop

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Air Fryer Crispy Keto Chicken Wings

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken wings
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 2 TBS poultry seasoning or seasoning salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 TBS baking powder not baking SODA. Put the orange box down!
  • Olive oil non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat air fryer to 400 F
  2. Rinse and pat the wings dry well

  3. Pour the olive oil over the chicken wings and toss to coat

  4. In a small powder, mix all spices and the baking powder together.
  5. Sprinkle it over the chicken evenly; toss to coat
  6. Spray the cooking rack or basket of the air fryer with cooking spray
  7. Place the wings into the air fryer in a single layer with a little space between each wing. (Be careful not to overcrowd them. May have to cook in batches.)

  8. Air fry the wings for 15-25 mins* stopping halfway through the cooking time to shake the wings around in the basket (or flip the wings over if your air fryer doesn’t have a basket.)

  9. Allow the wings to rest for 5 mins before serving
  10. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Timing depends on your air fryer. Mine cooked in 15 minutes. Make sure the wings have an internal temp of 165 F and as crispy as you desire.

Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Chicken, Pasta, Recipes
Posted on 1 Comment on Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Whenever I visit an Italian restaurant, I don’t even bother opening the menu. I already know exactly what I want to order! Chicken Parmesan! I know it’s not an authentic Italian dish from Italy. But, boy, it is GOOD! And, of course, I made my version super easy to recreate!

The grocery store I frequent always has thinly sliced chicken breasts or chicken cutlets. It should be really easy to find. If not, just slice a boneless breast in half, lengthwise. Then pound it with a mallet until it’s nice and thin. This will allow the chicken to cook evenly. 

As for the breading station, I keep it simple with flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. I have to make sure the seasoning is perfect. So, I use poultry seasoning. Chef Paul’s is my favorite!

Fry them in a little bit of olive oil. We don’t need to cook them completely as we will be baking them. But, we definitely want to get that beautiful, golden brown color on them. So, fry each side for 3 minutes. 

Use your favorite marinara sauce. But, be careful not to drown them in sauce. They’ll become really soggy and lose that crispy crunch from the well seasoned breading. 

Fresh cheese is important for this recipe. If you’ve ever used fresh mozzarella then you know how soft in texture it is. This can make shredding it yourself a pain! But, I have a remedy. Just pop it into the freezer 30 minutes before shredding. It’ll make the task a whole lot easier.

I serve over my favorite pasta. Angel hair. And I always made sure I have more sauce to top my pasta with. Garnish with more basil and enjoy this restaurant quality Chicken Parmesan at home!

Happy Cooking,
B. Coop

5 from 1 vote
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Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 thinly sliced boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 TBS poultry seasoning*
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cup Garlic & Herb breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 25 oz marinara sauce
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese shredded**
  • Fresh basil to garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F
  2. Season chicken breasts with 1 TBS of the poultry seasoning on both sides
  3. Create a breading station with 3 shallow dishes
  4. Pour the flour, garlic powder, and the remaining 1 TBS of poultry seasoning into one dish.
  5. Beat the eggs in another dish.
  6. And pour the breadcrumbs into the last dish
  7. Dredge each chicken breast into the flour, then the eggs, and lastly, into the breadcrumbs.
  8. Set aside.
  9. Heat the olive oil in an oven safe skillet on a medium heat setting
  10. Fry each chicken breast in the oil for 3 minutes per side
  11. Top each breast with 1 TBS of marinara sauce
  12. Add the cheeses on top of the chicken
  13. Sprinkle on the basil
  14. Bake, uncovered, for 15 mins.
  15. Garnish with more basil.
  16. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*I use Chef Paul’s Poultry Magic **Freeze the block of fresh mozzarella for 30 minutes. This will make it easier to shred.

Home Style Hamburger Steak and Onion Gravy Recipe

Beef, Burgers, Recipes
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It’s nearly impossible to get a seat quickly at Cracker Barrel on Sundays. The reason is simple. There’s nothing quite like country cooking! If you want a meal that will stick to those bones and widen the hips, this is it! And one of their more famed menu items? Good, ole Hamburger Steak and Gravy! It’s a dish that takes very little effort to make. But, has a taste that will linger. It’s definitely a dish of nostalgia. Of course, I had to share my version with you.

I’ve found that 80/20 ground round beef is the best for this recipe. The amount of fat makes the burgers extremely juicy. And my little additions add the flavor and moisture.

The gravy is the easy part. Yes. I mean it! I know many fear making gravy from scratch. But, rest assured, it’s a breeze! I like my gravy to sit on top of the rice. There’s nothing worse than thin gravy that seeps through the rice. The gravy is the superior! Never let rice swallow that goodness up!

My Home Style Hamburger Steak and Onion Gravy recipe is as delicious as it is simple to make. Perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t want fast food. It’s a meal of substance!

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Homestyle Hamburger Steak & Onion Gravy Recipe

Ingredients

Hamburger Steaks:

  • 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 cup Garlic & Herb breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 TSP seasoned salt
  • 1 TSP onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder

Onion Gravy:

  • 1 sliced onion
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Hamburger Steaks:

  1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well to combine
  2. Form mixture into hamburgers
  3. Spray a pan with nonstick cooking spray
  4. Fry each burger on a medium high heat setting for 3 mins per side.
  5. Remove from the pan and set aside

Onion Gravy:

  1. Add the onions in the same pan with the burger drippings.
  2. Sauté until onions start to brown
  3. Add in the butter
  4. When the butter melts, stir in the flour until it’s no longer visible
  5. Pour in the beef broth and bring it to a simmer
  6. Stir well
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
  8. Add the burgers into the gravy, lower heat, and allow it to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until burgers are completely cooked.
  9. Serve over warm rice or mashed potatoes
  10. Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Shrimp Boil Recipe

Louisiana Favorites, Recipes, Sauces, Seafood
Posted on 2 Comments on Pressure Cooker Shrimp Boil Recipe

Yes. You read the title correctly. We’re doing a whole shrimp boil in a pressure cooker! And let me tell you, the flavor is REAL! Shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausages slandered in my homemade buttery seafood sauce! Oh! And I haven’t told you the best part. It only takes 6 minutes of pressure cooking!

I use two types of shrimp and crab boil. The Garlic and Onion and the original concentrate. The flavor is magnified! The original adds spicy and that Louisiana boil flavor. The Garlic and Onion of course adds, garlic and onion flavor. I love using that, because I don’t like to add the actual onion and garlic as I would in a typical boil. The pressure will make the veggies extremely mushy.

I use sweet corn, mini boiling potatoes, and roasted chicken and garlic sausage in my boil. But, feel free to add any of your favorites. Don’t forget the bay leaves!

To finish off this boil, I made my homemade Seafood sauce. It’s buttery and has just the right amount of kick! Pour it over the boil, but save some for dipping.

My Pressure Cooker Shrimp Boil recipe is the perfect way to satisfy that summer boil craving any time of the year! It’s done in minutes with minimum clean up. Make sure you have plenty of napkins though!

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Shrimp Boil in a Pressure Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of water or chicken stock
  • 2 bouillon cubes omit if using chicken stock
  • 1 TBS liquid shrimp & crab boil concentrated version
  • 1 TBS garlic & onion liquid shrimp & crab boil
  • 5-6 small red potatoes halved
  • 6 mini corn on the cobs
  • 1 lb smoked sausage
  • 1-2 lb raw shrimp heads removed
  • 2-3 TBS Cajun seasoning

Seafood Sauce:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1-2 TBS minced or crushed garlic
  • 1 cup boil liquid the water you boiled the shrimp & stuff in. You know.
  • 1 TBS Italian seasoning
  • 1 TBS onion powder
  • 1 TBS paprika
  • 1 TBS lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • Cajun seasoning to taste
  • 1 TBS Accent seasoning if you don’t like MSG’s don’t use this and don’t tell me about MSG’s in the comments.

Instructions

  1. Pour water (or stock) and liquid crab boil into the pressure cooker
  2. Add in the bouillon cubes if you’re using water
  3. Layer in the potatoes, corn, and sausage (in that order – Momma Dee)
  4. Sprinkle 1-2 TBS Cajun seasoning on top
  5. Using the manual setting: set the cooker on HIGH and set the timer to 5 minutes.
  6. When the 5 mins are over; do a quick release of the pressure
  7. Add in the shrimp on top of everything else
  8. Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon over the shrimp and sprinkle 1 TBS Cajun seasoning on top
  9. Set the cooker on HIGH again and the timer for 1 minute.
  10. When it’s done, do a quick release again and strain 1 cup of the boiling liquid into a cup.
  11. Allow the contents of the pot to soak in the remaining liquid while making the seafood sauce

Seafood sauce:

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan
  2. Add in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute
  3. Add all remaining ingredients
  4. Stir well to combine and bring to a simmer
  5. Simmer on low for 5 minutes.
  6. Turn off the heat
  7. Two options: Use as a dipping sauce or pour the sauce over the shrimp, corn, sausage, and potatoes.
  8. Enjoy!

The BEST Fudgy Brownies Recipe EVER!

Baking, Desserts, Recipes
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My Darling Cookies, I have worked tirelessly to create the BEST brownies in this life. Of course I’m biased! So, you’re just going to have to make them for yourself to see that I am NOT lying! I had to go back to every thing I learned in my Science classes in high school to develop this recipe. I wanted the perfect amount of every ingredient to make chewy and fudgy brownies that aren’t too sweet and have those nice crackly, shiny tops. The Good Lord came through as usual! This recipe is the ONLY brownie recipe you’ll need from here on out.

Brownie recipes tend to be so complicated. I tried to make this one painless. I even used inexpensive chocolate. A giant Hersey bar! Can’t go wrong with a classic. If you can’t find a huge 8 oz bar, just use two 4.4 oz bars. Or, go with your favorite chocolate. Chocolate chips will work as well.

I use granulated sugar as well as dark brown sugar. I chose dark brown sugar, because of the depth of flavor. There’s more molasses in dark brown sugar than light brown. But, it will still work if you don’t want to make another store run.

The key to achieving ooey gooey fudgy brownies with the perfect chewiness is to beat the hell out of the eggs and sugar! I mean, whip it good! You’ll know you’ve whipped it enough when the batter thickens slightly. Do a good stretch before grabbing the whisk!

I’m a self-rising flour kind of gal. But, not for this recipe. We need all purpose flour, because we don’t want cake like brownies. Self rising flour contains baking powder which works for cake brownies, but not chewy brownies. All the lift we need will come from the eggs and the amount of air we incorporate into the batter by whisking it vigorously with the sugars.

DO NOT OVER MIX THIS BATTER! Once you sift in the flour and cocoa powder, just fold it into the mix with a spatula. Ditch the whisk! We don’t want to over work the batter and stiffen the brownies.

Here’s where we secure those chocolaty pockets of goodness. Fold in those chopped up chocolates. When our brownies bakes, the chocolate will melt making your first bite of these brownies pure heaven!

After baking the brownies will jiggle ever so slightly in the middle when you shake the pan. The edges will have set and you’ll know they are ready to go. Just allow them to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing and slicing. Rinse your knife in hot water and pat dry in between cuts to make clean slices. Enjoy!

Happy Baking,

B. Coop

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The BEST Fudgy Brownies Recipe Ever!

Servings 9 pieces

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter melted
  • 8 ounces good quality chocolate chopped
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 TBS pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Spray an 9×9 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper
  3. Place 4 oz of the chocolate in a small bowl
  4. Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it over the chocolate
  5. Stir until the chocolate melts; set aside to cool
  6. In a mixing bowl combine the sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and salt; whisk vigorously for 2-3 mins
  7. Whisk in the chocolate/butter mixture
  8. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder
  9. Fold it in just until combined; don’t over mix
  10. Fold in the rest of the chopped chocolate
  11. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and spread it out evenly
  12. Bake for 30-35 minutes
  13. Allow the brownies to cool for 20 mins before cutting
  14. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*I use a large chocolate bar. Chocolate chips are fine as well.

The Best Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

Baking, Chicken, Recipes, Sauces
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Yep. I said the BEST and I ain’t taking that back! My Day 1 Cookies know that I’m not to be trusted around a BBQ pit. So, I have to make as much magic as I can in my oven. And, baby, this chicken is something serious!

Use whatever part(s) of the bird you’d like. Leave the bone in and the skin on. And make sure that you pat your chicken very dry using a paper towel. We want the dry rub to stick to that bird really well.

Oh, yeah, there will be some dry rubbing going on! Pause….sorry. Anyway, I keep my dry rub simple yet flavorful! You can rub it down and refrigerate to marinate it if you’d like. That’s always good. But, if you’re in a hurry, it’ll be just as good if you rub then bake immediately!

I like to bake my chicken in my cast iron skillet. But, a baking dish or roasting pan works too.

Now, the BBQ sauce. I’m going to assume you already have some of Coop’s homemade BBQ sauce made and chilling in the fridge by now. Here’s the recipe: http://coopcancook.com/homemade-bbq-sauce/

I like my chicken saucy! So, I’m little heavy handed with the sauce. Brush as much or as little as you’d like before broiling.

Broiling makes the sauce sticky! The messier the BBQ the BETTER! And talk about juicy! No dry bird included in this recipe. Break out the paper towels and enjoy!

Happy Cooking,

B. Coop

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Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Recipe

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken pieces bone in, skin on
  • 2 tsp baking powder NOT soda. Put the orange box back!
  • BBQ sauce of your choice Better use mine!
  • Cooking spray

Dry Rub:

  • 2 TBS brown sugar
  • 1 TBS Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 1 T onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 T smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. Wash (run some water over that bird!) and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel
  3. Sprinkle on the baking powder and toss chicken to coat
  4. In a small bowl, mix all Dry Rub ingredients together.
  5. Sprinkle the rub onto the chicken evenly
  6. Spray a baking or roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray
  7. Place the chicken into the pan skin side up
  8. Bake, uncovered for 20 mins.
  9. Flip chicken over and return to the oven
  10. Continue baking for 20-25 more minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 F (Just stick a fork in the bird and make sure the juices are clear, Chile!)
  11. Remove the chicken from the oven, flip it back over (skin side up), and drain off any liquid.
  12. Brush the BBQ sauce liberally over the chicken
  13. Turn your oven on broil and place the chicken on the top rack
  14. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until sauce is sticky
  15. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving
  16. Enjoy!

Apple Cream Cheese Cobbler

Baking, Desserts
Posted on 3 Comments on Apple Cream Cheese Cobbler

I’m always down for easy desserts! This Apple Cream Cheese Cobbler is my go to dish when I want to impress company without fooling around with flour, eggs, milk, etc. Baking is not one of my favorite tasks. So, whenever I’m able to cut corners, I cut them! But, you’d never be able to tell by the taste.

Start with a good quality cream cheese. Make sure that you give it enough time sitting out of the fridge to come to room temperature. We want it good and soft. Softened cream cheese is a breeze to blend.

I use two blocks. But, if you’d prefer a thinner layer of cream cheese, just use 1 1/2 blocks.

Canned apple pie filling adds to the ease of this recipe. No apple peeling necessary! You can also use canned peaches, apricots, or cherries instead.

Bake until the crust is a nice, golden brown color. If you find that the crust is starting to brown faster than the inside is baking, just cover the top with aluminum foil. We don’t want to take it out too soon. The inside crescent rolls will be doughy and uncooked.

I serve this easy cobbler with fresh whipped cream. French vanilla ice cream would be a dream topper as well. But, it’s just as delicious served as is!

Happy Baking,

B. Coop

5 from 1 vote
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Apple Cream Cheese Cobbler

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 8 oz blocks cream cheese softened
  • 2 8 oz tubes crescent rolls
  • 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 T pure vanilla extract
  • 21 oz can apple filling
  • 1 T cinnamon
  • 1 T brown sugar
  • 1 T granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 stick salted butter melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Place cream cheese in a bowl
  3. Pour in sugar and vanilla extract
  4. Using an electric mixer, mix well
  5. Spray non-stick cooking spray in a 13×9 casserole dish
  6. Spread one tube of crescent rolls at the bottom of the dish
  7. Pour in the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly
  8. In a small bowl, stir the apples, 1 T of cinnamon, and 1 T of brown sugar together
  9. Layer the apple mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer
  10. Top the dish with the other tube of crescent rolls
  11. Brush or pour the butter evenly on top
  12. Mix the 1 T of granulated sugar with the 1 tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle it on top of the butter
  13. Bake uncovered for 35-45 mins or until golden brown
  14. Rest for 20 mins before serving
  15. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you’d like a thinner cream cheese layer, use 1 1/2 blocks of cream cheese. If the crust starts to brown too quick, cover the top with foil and continue baking as directed.

Browned Butter Teriyaki Salmon Recipe

Recipes, Seafood
Posted on 10 Comments on Browned Butter Teriyaki Salmon Recipe

Doesn’t the title of this recipe make your mouth water? Browned butter alone makes any dish sparkle. But, teriyaki sauce and salmon?? Man! I can not wait for you to try this easy salmon recipe!

Salmon is a popular fish. Good fatty acids, lots of protein, wonderful source of potassium, selenium, etc. etc. I’m not surprised that so many incorporate this fish into their diets. Preparing it is another plus. Super easy to cook. Doesn’t take long at all. Sear, bake, grill, or broil. It’s all good!

Frozen salmon is cool. But, fresh is always better. Sometimes, I buy the whole fish and cut it into 2 inch wide fillets. It’s much easier to handle during the cooking process that way.

My recipe only requires a 20-30 minute marinading time. I don’t like to marinate fish for hours and hours. Fish is more delicate than chicken, beef, and pork. It can lose some of it’s firmness if marinated too long. Especially if there is acidity, like lemon juice, included in the marinade. The acid will cause the fish to become mushy if marinated for longer than 30 minutes.

Now, let’s discussed the glorious browned butter! It is what it is. Browned butter! Browned butter is fragrant and adds a nutty flavor to the dish. Very simple to do. You just heat the butter until it browns. Done! I’m using a cast iron skillet to do this which is typically a no no as the dark pan makes it hard to see the butter brown. But, in this case, the salmon is forgiving. Just keep the heat to a low medium.

Salmon literally takes minutes to cook! I like to bake them broil it for a little char on the top and the edges. Comes out perfectly every time!

Happy Cooking,

B. Coop

5 from 1 vote
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Browned Butter Teriyaki Salmon

Ingredients

  • 4-5 salmon fillets
  • 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1 TBS brown sugar
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 TBS honey
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 TBS minced garlic
  • 5 TBS butter
  • 1 TBS lemon juice
  • 4 lemon slices
  • Dill or parsley to garnish

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, garlic salt, and ground ginger.
  2. Pour the marinade over the salmon in a covered dish or ziplock bag
  3. Gently toss the salmon in the marinade to coat evenly
  4. Marinate for 20-30 mins in the refrigerator.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400 F
  6. Heat the butter in an oven safe pan or skillet.
  7. Allow the butter to brown on medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the butter browns lightly; stir frequently
  8. Add in the minced garlic
  9. Sauté for 30 secs
  10. Stir in the lemon juice
  11. Add in the salmon fillets skin side down.
  12. Pour the marinade over the salmon
  13. Turn off the heat and baste the salmon with the butter sauce
  14. Place lemon slices on top of each fillet
  15. Bake for 3-4 mins depending on the thickness of the fillets
  16. Broil for 1-2 mins until the fillets are slighting charred.
  17. Garnish with dill or parsley
  18. Enjoy!

Seafood Stuffed Potatoes Recipe

Recipes, Sauces, Seafood
Posted on 3 Comments on Seafood Stuffed Potatoes Recipe

When I was about 9, there was this local seafood restaurant my family and I would frequent. Don’t worry. You know I’m not a typical blogger so this lil story will be brief. Anyway, the restaurant was called Louisiana Gold. There has never been a more appropriately named establishment. This place was indeed golden! The always had the freshest, Louisiana seafood. They made home style burgers, po boys, and perfectly seasoned boiled seafood. But, they were most famously known for their seafood stuffed potatoes. And boy were they OVER stuffed! Each potato was flowing with shrimp, crawfish, and that spicy cheese sauce. Man! Louisiana Gold unfortunately closed many years ago. I miss that place. I miss it so much I decided to recreate my version of that masterpiece. Here’s my Seafood Stuffed Potatoes recipe.

You have to have some big, healthy baking potatoes. They aren’t sold in 5 or 10 lb bags. Most grocery stores have them shelved separately and sell them by the pound. If not, just make sure you get the biggest, russet potatoes available.

You have two options. You can bake these guys in the oven for nearly an hour. Or, you can do what I do. Throw them in the microwave! Microwaves vary, so look for the potato setting on yours.

Clean the potatoes well. These things grow in the dirt, so they can be pretty dirty. Whether cooking in the conventional oven or the microwave, you’ll still need to poke small holes into the potatoes for venting. This will prevent an explosion. It will help the potatoes steam better and cook more evenly.

One of the things that made the seafood stuffed potatoes at Louisiana Gold so magical, was that they scooped the potatoes out of the skin and mixed it with sauce. This way, the flavors with all through the potato instead of just floating on top. I adapted their method by adding some rich extras to the potatoes.

You can add any seafood you want. I use shrimp and crawfish. But, some lump crab meat is incredible as well. I add a little bit of liquid crab boil to kick of the spice!

Choice of cheeses is optional too. However, I highly encourage you to try my blend first. Hey, I’m the expert here! J/K….kinda. And yes, I use American cheese. AND YES, I know it’s not actually cheese. I also know that no other real cheese melts quite like this stuff. So, I’m using it. Get over it!

This Seafood Stuffed Potato recipe is not one I’d recommend that you make often as it is RICH! I don’t even want to think about the calories in this thing. But, man of man is it worth it! God bless you to Louisiana Gold! Thank you for countless BOMB meals.

Happy Cooking,

B. Coop

5 from 1 vote
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Seafood Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 4 baking size Russet potatoes
  • 1 lb crawfish tails drained of fat
  • 1 lb of raw shrimp
  • 2 T minced garlic
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 4 T flour
  • 8 oz block cream cheese softened
  • 2 cups shredded American cheese Velveeta
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 1/2 cups half and half
  • 2 T cajun seasoning
  • 2 T liquid crab boil
  • 2 T onion powder
  • 1 T garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • chives or green onions

Instructions

Potatoes:

  1. Wash, scrub, and dry the potatoes well.
  2. Poke small holes all over the potatoes using a fork to vent.
  3. Now, you can either wrap them in foil and bake them on 400 F for 40-50 mins. Or you can wrap them individually in paper towels and microwave them one at a time using the “potato” setting on your microwave. *
  4. When the potatoes are done, carefully cut a split down the middle of a potato. Do NOT cut through the other (or under) side of the potato’s skin.
  5. Scoop the insides of the potatoes out and place it into a bowl; reserve the potato skins and keep them intact.

  6. Add in the cream cheese, chives, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

  7. Mix well, cover to keep warm, and set aside.

Seafood & Sauce:

  1. Add the shrimp and crawfish into a bowl

  2. Season the shrimp with 1 TBS of Cajun seasoning, 1 TBS onion powder and 1 TBS liquid crab boil.

  3. In a saucepan, melt 4 TBS of butter and add in the garlic
  4. Sauté the garlic for 30 secs.
  5. Add in the shrimp and crawfish and sauté until the shrimp are cooked; about 4-5 mins.
  6. Remove and set aside

  7. Pour the liquid left in the pot into a cup and reserve

  8. In the same pot, melt the remaining butter.
  9. When the butter melts, whisk in the flour
  10. Mix until the flour is no longer visible; about 1 min

  11. Pour in the reserved seafood liquid 

  12. Pour in the half and half while whisking.
  13. Bring it to a low simmer

  14. Stir in 1 TBS of Cajun seasoning and 1 TBS of onion powder

  15. When the sauce starts to thicken, stir in all remaining cheeses.
  16. When the cheese melts, add in the seafood and stir.
  17. Once the seafood is hot turn off the heat.
  18. Spoon the potato mixture evenly onto the reserved potato skins

  19. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly on each potato

  20. Ladle the seafood sauce over the potatoes

  21. Garnish with chives or green onions
  22. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*If you don’t have a potato setting on your microwave, cook it on HIGH for 5 mins. Turn the potato over and microwave it again for 3-5 minutes or until it is fork tender.