Shrimp Fajita's

This is one of my all time favorite recipes and it is so quick and simple to make. As you can tell, I don't use a ton of spices. I like meals that are very tasteful, easy to make, and that look great. Presentation is everything when you are cooking. There are two ways to prepare this meal. Prepackaged ingredients or fresh. I prefer the fresh route, but for this post I am giving you the quick and easy way in addition to the fresh way. In this particular recipe I use HEB grocery products. I can give you options if you don't have an HEB near you. Try this one out and comment at the bottom how you like it or not.

This meal serves around 6 adults

INGREDIENTS

• 1- bag of frozen fajita veggies
• 1- bag of precooked frozen beef or chicken fajitas 
• 1- 8 oz can Mexican flavored diced tomatoes  
• 1/2- lb peeled small shrimp (15-20)
• 1- bunch cilantro 
• 1- small bag shredded cheese Mexican mix
• Chef Rico's Texas salsa ( you should have that ready at all times)
• 2- limes
• 1- 8oz sour cream
• 1 - package medium size tortillas
• seasoned salt
• pepper

Quick and Easy Preparation Method:
1. add a little cooking oil to a large skillet and saute the frozen fajita veggies for about 10 minutes or until fully cooked
2. Add in the frozen fajitas
3. Add in the Mexican flavored diced tomatoes
4. Add 1 cup water
5. Add seasoned salt and pepper to your liking
6. Stir and cover on medium heat for 30 minutes stirring occasionally
7. While you are waiting, quarter the 2 limes and medium chop the cilantro
8. Add the shrimp after cooking the fajitas have been cooking at least 30 minutes on medium to low heat
9. Stir in the shrimp and cover again for 5-10 minutes and you are ready to serve

If you are using all fresh ingredients then use the Optional method:

hand cut into strips 1 - green bell pepper, 1- red bell pepper, and 1- white onion
saute over medium heat in cooking oil for 10 minutes or until fully cooked. Cook up fresh fajitas on the grill and then cut into short strips of meat about 3 inches long. Season as cooking with seasoned salt and pepper.

Garnish and serve
Heat the flour tortillas for 30 seconds
Garnish with your chopped cilantro, a dab of sour cream, some shredded cheese, and squeeze a quartered lime over it. For added flavor make up some Chef Rico's Texas salsa and Chef Rico's avocado dip. Spread the avacado dip on the bottom of the tortilla then add the other ingredients. Top with salsa.

Comments? Suggestions?
 

Chef Rico's Beach Boil

I actually tried this for the first time while on a family beach vacation and loved it. I have been looking at a lot of recipes and procedures for this and decided to try it out on the family. Am I glad I did! It was yummy. My recipe is going to be for a large group so adjust it down accordingly if need be.

This recipe will serves 8-10 adults

INGREDIENTS

• 9 - fresh ears of sweet yellow corn in the shuck
• 2- large lemons
• 1- large white onion
• 1- large pouch Shrimp and crab boil
• 16 - red potatoes
• 1 - large sausage link (i used Polska Kiebasa)
• 2- lbs large shrimp in the shell but headed
• 1- large beer
• seasoned salt
• pepper
• 1- bottle tarter sauce
• 1- bottle cocktail sauce
• 1- 6-7 gallon boiling pot
  

Preparation method:

1. Fill the boiling pot about 3/4 full. It will take about 45 minutes to get this to a boil depending oon what heating method you are using so start early
2. Add in the Shrimp and Crab boil, the bottle of beer, and the 2 lemons cut in half
3. Add in the white onion peeled and quartered
4. While waiting for the water to boil begin preparing your other ingredients.
5. Cut the sausage into 1 inch pieces and set aside
6. Cut the red potato in half and set aside ( don't peel)
7. Shuck the corn and remove all the strings and set aside. Cut both ends off slightly. Then cut the ears into 2 pieces each

Adding your ingredients:

8. Add the red potatoes - once the water is almost to boil, add the potatoes. Watch the potatoes so they don't get mushy by stirring them and pulling on out to check.
9. After the potatoes have cooked 10-15 minutes, add in the corn
10.After the corn has cooked 10 minutes, add in the sausage
11. Season with salt and pepper to your liking
12. After the sausage has cooked 5 minutes, add in the shrimp
13. Cook another 5-10 minutes and your ready to sample

Total cooking time of the ingredients should be around 45-50 minutes

On a large platter, scoop out your ingredients draining well as you scoop to the platter. Arrange the platter nicely or for fun serve it up on white butcher paper to your guests.

Comments? Suggestions?

Chef Rico's Perfect Chopped Onion Method

This is a great way to hand chop onions and make them any size you like; fine grade, medium grade, or large grade. You will want different sizes depending on what you are making many times. Plus, this is quick and easy and sets you up for more than one time. Once you slice off how much you need, store the rest in a sealed plastic bag or sealed container.

Start with how you buy the onion at the store. You don't need to peel it just yet!

Take a sharp wide blade knife and cut both ends of the onion off and discard

Score the onion by making  a cut about 1/8 blade deep across the onion

Now peel the onion back to reveal the shinny part like this

Here is where you determine the size of your chop. Slice the onion about 1/4 think and you get large; slice it 1/8 thick and you get medium grade chop; slice it really thin like 1/16 and you get a fine chop.

 Now cut the slice in half and separate to prepare for chopping

As you chop the slice, move it around with your fingers toward the blade. With the onion now in inner circles, when you cut this way, you end up with chopped onion.

Disclaimer: This post is strictly for chopping method purposes only and does not deal with food storage methods or how long to keep foods stored.

Bourbon Steak Marinade

Grilling steaks is on of my all time favorite meats. My son Joey, (culinary student) grilled the one in the picture for me. Notice the grill marks are perfect and he uses a temp sensor to grill to just the right degree for however you like your meat. (Cutting into a steak while grilling will loose the juices and cook unevenly)

My part in this  meal was the steak marinade. I have used this one for a lot of years and I have to say it very different from anything else I have used. Obviously one of the main ingredients is bourbon and the results is incredible flavor. So, if you are your Baptist and don't drink, go to the neighbors house and borrow a shot.

This recipe will marinate up to four 8oz steaks

Ingredients

• 1- shot Bourbon (please only a shot, more does not make this any better)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• pepper to taste
• well marbled steak

Preparation method:
1. Combine all the ingredients, except the steaks, in a large mixing bowl and still until well mixed
2. Place your steaks in a large resealable plastic bag
3. Add all the mixture and seal the bag
4. Shake the bag around ensuring the mixture is all over each steak
5. Refrigerate over night for best results

Grill em up!

Comments? Have did you enjoy this recipe?

Chef Rico's Simple Steak Salsa

Have you ever thought of steak salsa? That's the only terminology I can think of for this mixture. We were eating at an outdoor barbeque place in Durango,Colorado many years ago and they used this salsa and I just fell in love with it. After the show they put on for the crowd, I went back to the kitchen and inquired about the salsa. The guy I talked to gave me the recipe with no problem and told me I may be shocked at how simple it is to make. I have made this for over 25 years now and still love it; and YES, IT IS SIMPLE TO MAKE!

This recipe serves around 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 - green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion (medium chopped)
• Garlic salt to taste
• Season Salt to taste ( Kountry Boys Ole #1) is my favorite

1. Pour the diced tomatoes in a large bowl and with two knives back and forth, chop the chunks up smaller.
2. Wash and core the green bell pepper then chop medium size and add to the bowl
3. Chop the white onion smaller and add to the bowl and stir mixture
4. Add the garlic salt to taste. I like mine pretty garlicky!
5. Add the seasoned salt but not too much
6. Stir the mixture well and then refrigerated before using

I told you this was simple but very tasty and awesome on steaks

Comments? Have you tried this yet?

Chef Rico's Pork Tender Loin Crock

This meal is so simple and so good a kid could cook it. In fact, that is exactly who made it with me this past week. While visiting our grand kids in Missouri, they all helped me cook dinner one night with my Pork Tender Loin recipe. What I absolutely love about this recipe is once you prepare it in the crock pot, you leave it cooking all day and come home to a dee-lish-ous dinner.  

The tenderloin serves 6-8 people so add veggie portions accordingly.

Ingredients

• 1- Pork Ternder Loin (usually comes in two pieces)
• 1/2 - medium white onion
• 2 - small red potatoes per person serving
• 1/2 cup - fresh carrot per person serving
• Weber Chicago Steak Seasoning
• Seasoned salt
• 2- cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1. Use a crock pot liner for super easy cleanup
2. Rinse the tenderloin with water to remove any blood and place in the crock pot
3. Slice the 1/2 onion in large rings and then cut in half and place on top the tender loin all along the top from one end to the other
4. Add seasoned salt to just lightly dust the top of the tender loin
5. Next cover the top of the tenderloin with the steak seasoning with a solid covering from one end to the other
6. Add 1/4 cup water to one side of the tender loin.
7. Wash the potatoes then quarter them and add to both sides of the tender loin.
8. Peel the carrots then slice to quarter inch thickness and add to the sides of the tender loin.
9. Pour the creme of mushroom soup over the top of the meat and veggies.
10. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours with the lid on.

Serve with steamed broccoli or green beans and salad for a wonderful and tasty meal. Enjoy!

Avocado Dip Rico Style

I have been making this for years and everyone seems to love it so i am sharing my secret. NO more powder packets for me. I use all natural ingredients that turns into a wonderful dip to die for. Depending on the ripeness of the avocados you purchase, you can create the dip a little chunky or just creamy and smooth; your choice.

Ingredients

• 2 - large avocados
• 1/4 cup - chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup - chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup - chopped tomato
• 1/2 - fresh lime
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• pinch seasoned salt

1. Take the avocado and cut in half and remove the seed
2. Spoon out the inside and place in a large bowl
3. Mash with a fork to the consistency you prefer
4. Add in the chopped cilantro, red onion, and tomato and stir a minute or two mixing well
5. Add in the pinch of salt, pepper, seasoned salt
6. Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the bowl and mix in well and you are done

A GREAT OPTION:

1. Take some boiled eggs and cut in half and remove the yoke.
2. Rinse each half and dry
3. Fill each egg half with the avocado dip
4. Sprinkle with seasoned salt for color and flavor
5. Top with a small amount of shredded cheddar cheese if you like