Today (July 15th, 2010) is officially the opening day of Shrimping in Galveston, Texas!

Whenever we visit Galveston, we have to bring home some fresh jumbo Wild Gulf Shrimp!

I also watch when the Wild Gulf Shrimp goes on sale at H.E.B. and stock up.  I put in individual Ziplock bags and freeze.  I make Shrimp cocktail with homemade sauce, Cajun dishes, Vietnamese dishes….do I sound like Forrest Gump?

Ingredients

Rub

1 1/2 tablespoons Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Curry
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons White Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Paprika

Basting Butter

1 stick Butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoon Parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
3 tablespoons Dry White Wine
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh Lemon juice

Sriracha Sauce

2 Egg Yolks
1 1/2 teaspoon Shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh Lime juice
2 teaspoons fresh Grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons fresh Orange juice
1 1/2 ounces Sriracha Sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 cup oil (I used Peanut Oil, but you can use any oil)
1 tablespoon fresh Cilantro, chopped

Directions

Peel, devein your shrimp and thread them on skewers. Make sure that all the tails are facing the same direction and they should also touch each other.

Combine chili powder, paprika, curry, cumin, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne pepper and salt.

Brush your shrimp with olive oil, the oil will help to keep the spices on the shrimp and also will make sure that the shrimp doesn’t stick to the grill.

Make sure that the shrimp is fully covered with olive oil.

Sprinkle the seasoning that you have made generously on the shrimp. Since lot of the seasoning will cook off or fall off, you need to be very generous.

Make sure all the sides of the shrimp are covered with the seasonings.

Combine butter, white wine, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, fresh chopped garlic, fresh parsley and fresh cilantro.

Mix it well.

Combine egg yolk, fresh chopped garlic, grape fruit juice, lemon juice, orange juice, salt, minced shallots, Worcestershire sauce and the Sriracha sauce in a food processor.

Add oil slowly, in thirds to the mixture in the food processor.

Blend the mixture again.

Add some more oil and blend it again. Finally, add the remaining oil and add cilantro to the mixture.

Mix the mixture thoroughly, into a thick sauce texture.

Pre heat your grill and turn it down to low, spray it with oil. Set the skewers of shrimp on to the grill, baste the shrimp with the butter mixture frequently.

Cook the shrimp approximately 3 minutes on each side and baste both the sides with the butter mixture.

Steam some rice, add the shrimp and drizzle some Real Texas Sriracha sauce over the shrimp.

Real Texas spicy shrimp with Real Texas Sriracha sauce served over steamed rice is ready now!

Just in time for the weekend!

Summer means fresh Mangos and Avocados.  Adding just a little spice and chilling this salsa brings a refreshing new flavor to your taste buds! Serve with corn tortilla chips and a Mango Margarita and everyone will go crazy.

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon ground Ancho Pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon ground Coriander
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Shallot, minced and fried
1 small Avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 small Mango, peeled, pitted and diced
3 tablespoons Lime juice

Directions

Slice the bottom of the mango; peel the skin of the mango either using a knife or a peeler. Cut the flat side of the mango; going around the seed of the mango while cutting. Do the same for all the sides of the mango. Dice the mango.

Note: The mango seed is very skinny.

Dice the avocado into chunks.

Combine fresh ground pepper, coriander and salt mix well. Set the mixture aside.

Add diced avocado, diced mango in a bowl.

In a skillet add the shallot and garlic and fry it in oil.

Add the garlic mixture to the mango and avocado in the bowl and stir. Squeeze fresh key lime juice over the salsa and stir the salsa.

Sprinkle the spice mixture over the top of the salsa and stir it well. refrigerate the salsa for at least hour.

Take out the salsa out of the refrigerator and put it in a serving bowl. Serve with some corn chips.

Real Texas Mango Avocado Salsa is ready to be served!

I love anything Peachy!  Especially anything with Fredericksburg Peaches.  It’s the first of June and it’s peach season in Fredericksburg and around Stonewall, Texas.  That area is going to have an exceptionally good season since we’ve had plenty of rain.  The peaches are small right now, but so juicy and sweet.  It’s not quite time for my favorite peaches, the Freestone Peach;  That won’t be until the end of June.  The Freestone Peach is a special peach where the meat literally  breaks or falls away from the pit.

We recently drove to Fredericksburg and picked out our peaches.  We go blasting down the Interstate at 80 mph and it doesn’t take long to get there.  Yes, that is the speed limit out here in Real Texas.

You can keep up with the peach harvest and find all the peach stands at http://www.texaspeaches.com

One of my favorite peach and vegetable stands is Vogel.  The Vogel family is one of the original farming families, and I just love the folks here.  They have grown up working in the business for generations.  We ate homemade Peach ice cream that was made at the peach stand!  That’s Fredericksburg!   The farmers not only harvest their fruits and vegetables, but they make some wonderful treats and sell them too.  Go find your favorite peach stand operated by one of the families in the Fredericksburg or Stonewall areas.

On the way out of town we had to stop and have homemade Peach Cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream on top at a little shop called ClearRiver Ice Cream, bakery and deli.  It’s just like an ice cream shop from the 1950′s and serves sandwiches, delicious homemade baked goods, specialty coffees, and several flavors of homemade ice cream.

We usually split a  fresh bowl of peach cobbler with ice cream (one for the road) and a couple cups of coffee and we’re ready to head home.

We never get tired of fresh Fredericksburg Peaches, we make Peach Cobbler, Ice Cream, Jam, and Salsa!  I use the Salsa to put on top of a pork tenderloin and cook in the oven.  Also, it’s great on grilled pork chops or chicken.  When the Freestone Peaches are available, I get a case, peel and slice and freeze.  The peaches are delicious to thaw and put a spoonful of homemade whipped cream on top!

Real Texas Peach Cobbler is so simple and is a fast dessert to make for surprise guests.

Just take out some fresh frozen peaches, whip up some homemade whipped cream, and bake a Real Texas Peach Cobbler!

Your guests will be delighted.  Here”s my Real Texas Recipe!

Real Texas Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Milk
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 cups fresh Peaches, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water
3 tablespoons Sugar to top the crust

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Wash, peel and slice the fresh peaches.

In a saucepan, add water and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add peaches and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Place butter in a glass 8 x 8″ glass baking dish and melt in microwave; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk and stir until mixed. Pour the batter into the glass baking dish with the melted butter. Pour the peaches over the batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, remove from oven to sprinkle crust with remaining sugar. Place back in the oven and continue to bake until crust is golden brown and crisp on the edges. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before serving, serve warm.

Top with homemade whipped cream or ice cream.

What do you get when you combine, Avocados, Lemon Juice, Jalapenos and a little milk and sugar?  The most delicious Ice Cream!  This is a must try recipe…if you have tried my Real Texas Avocado Pie with a Toasted Pecan Crust recipe, then trust me on this recipe!

Avocados add a creamy rich taste to recipes.

This recipe is sponsored by Paradise Grove Avocados and they provided the most beautiful large avocados I have ever seen!  They are so delicious and healthy but rich tasting.  I don’t think I will ever purchase another avocado in the store again.  You can order fresh avocados delivered to your door directly from Paradise Grove Avocados.  They ripen in just a few days, and you’ll love them.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Orange Juice
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1 can (14.5 oz) Evaporated Milk, well chilled
1 cup pureed ripe Avocados
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely minced

Directions

Add fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice and evaporated milk to a chilled bowl.  Beat everything until the mixture thickens.

Add sugar to the orange and lemon juice mixture while mixing it.

Add avocado paste and finely minced jalapeno to the orange and lemon juice mixture.  Mix it for a minute.

Freeze the mixture for about 2 to 3 hours until the mixture gets an ice cream texture. Stir the mixture frequently and make sure it doesn’t thicken too much.

The Avocado Jalapeno Ice Cream is ready to be served!

I’m on an Avocado kick, I just can’t help myself!  They are so delicious and when I found out that they are heart healthy, help cholesterol levels, and help you lose weight….what more could you ask for!

Avocados add a creamy rich taste to recipes.

As a snack, or an appetizer, I make these easy Real Texas Avocado Fries and serve with homemade Real Texas Picante sauce.

This recipe is sponsored by Paradise Grove Avocados and they provided the most beautiful large avocados I have ever seen!  They are so delicious and healthy but rich tasting.  I don’t think I will ever purchase another avocado in the store again.  You can order fresh avocados delivered to your door directly from Paradise Grove Avocados.  They ripen in just a few days, and you’ll love them.

Ingredients

1/2 sleeve Saltine Crackers
1 teaspoon Jalapeno Lime Pepper Seasoning
1 Lime, juice
2 cups Water
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Avocado, peeled, pit removed and sliced into 8 pieces
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Olive Oil

Homemade Picante Sauce (Click on the hyperlink for Picante Sauce recipe)

Directions

Add saltine crackers and Jalapeno Lime Pepper seasoning to a food processor and grind them. Put them in a bowl.

Peel and discard the pit from the avocado. Slice the avocado in to 8 pieces and sprinkle some salt and pepper over the pieces.

Dip the avocado pieces in all-purpose flour (make sure the pieces are completely coated with the flour). Dip in the lime water and then dip the avocado slice in the bread crumbs.

Place the avocado pieces on a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil. Spray olive oil on the pieces and put them in an oven that is preheated at 425°F and cook them until the pieces become golden brown.

Prepare some Real Texas Picante Sauce to serve it along with the Real Texas Avocado Fries.

We don’t buy Picante Sauce in a jar any more!  I make a big batch and freeze in smaller zip lock bags.  I keep Real Texas Picante sauce in a glass container all the time in the refrigerator.

We use Real Texas Picante Sauce on everything, from eggs to just chips and Real Texas Picante Sauce!  There’s nothing better than a cold Lone Star, homemade corn tortilla chips with Real Texas Picante Sauce, sitting in our rocking chairs on the front porch.  You have to share with the puppies too!  And it ain’t made in New York City!

Ingredients

3 lbs fresh Roma Tomatoes
2 Poblano Peppers
2 Banana Peppers
2 Jalapeno Peppers
3 medium Sweet Onions
3 cloves fresh Garlic
3 tablespoon fresh Thai Basil, chopped (You can use any Basil)
2 tablespoons Wine Vinegar

Directions

I always choose Roma tomatoes as they are best suited for making Picante Sauce. It is good to spread out the tomatoes on a towel to ripen, instead of keeping them in the plastic bag. Tomatoes become moist and get spoiled when kept in a plastic bag. Dice the tomatoes into approximately 1/4″ cubes. Don’t waste anything when slicing tomatoes, even the top and end of the tomato can be used. Slice the tomato approximately 1/4″. Cut the slices into small cubes and then put them in a large pot.

You can use a single type of pepper or different kinds of peppers to make the picante sauce. In this recipe, I’m using Poblano, Jalapenos, and Banana Peppers. Rinse the peppers with cool water and put them on a broiler pan. Put the boiler pan in the oven on broil. When the peppers cook a little bit, start turning them over and do this constantly until it gets completely roasted. Once the peppers are roasted, place on a wet paper towel and put into a zip lock bag. Allow them to sweat in a plastic bag for about 15 minutes. Peel the skin from the pepper; make sure that the pepper is not too cold. This will help peel the skin very easily from the peppers. Always be careful while peeling and dealing with peppers.

I always wear gloves.

Open the pepper, and remove the seeds. You should not put the pepper in the water; the water will take out all the pepper oil contained in the peppers. Chop the peppers. Put the chopped peppers in a bowl and set aside.

Coarsely chop the onion. We can avoid tears when chopping the onion by rinsing the knife that we use to cut the onion with cool water. To peel the garlic, place the large part of the knife over the garlic and bang on the flat knife blade. The peel peels off the smashed easily. Mince the garlic. Place the chopped onion and garlic in a bowl and set aside.

The basil I use in the picante sauce is the Thai basil. Thai basil has a spicy flavor. Cut the Thai basil either at the top so that it can bush out more or cut the stragglers at the bottom. Rinse the basil with cool water. Pinch off the leaves individually and place them on a paper towel. If there is more basil than what you would like to use for the recipe, freeze the excess in a ziplock bag and use in the future. Chop the leaves using kitchen utility scissors and put in a bowl.

Cook the tomatoes; do not add any water as there is plenty of liquid from the tomatoes themselves. Add salt, sliced garlic and diced onions to the tomatoes. Mix them for a while; add the peppers that you have roasted and chopped. Add red vinegar wine to the mixture and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the Thai Basil. Stir the mixture and turn the heat to medium low or to a simmering boil. Allow the mixture to cook down for several hours.

When the picante sauce is cooked down and looks chunky, turn off the stove, cool down the sauce to room temperature. Put in the refrigerator overnight.

I freeze some in ziplock bags and thaw it all out and enjoy when I need a picante fix….which is often around here at Sherwood Ranch.

While in Galveston, David and I always go to the Fish Market down at the end of 19th Street or so and bring home fresh Shrimp!  Not much beats fresh Texas Shrimp right out of the Gulf!

This recipe is sponsored by Paradise Grove Avocados and they provided the most beautiful large avocados I have ever seen!  They are so delicious and healthy but rich tasting.  I don’t think I will ever purchase another avocado in the store again.  You can order fresh avocados delivered to your door directly from Paradise Grove Avocados.  They ripen in just a few days, and you’ll love them.

I love fresh Shrimp and I love fresh Avocado!

This is not only delicious, but also is very healthy.

I serve over whole wheat noodles.  The garlic, scallions and jalapeno add just a little spice.

Ingredients

2 avocados, mashed
1/2 lemon, zested
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1-2 Jalapenos, minced
4-5 Scallions, sliced into thin rings (white and green part)
1/2 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper, to taste

Parmesan Cheese for garnish

Whole Wheat Noodles (enough for 2 servings)

Directions

Place avocados in a bowl and with a fork mash. Add zest of lemon, lemon juice, sugar and fresh parsley leaves to the bowl. Mix together and set it aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add minced garlic, jalapenos and scallion. Sauté  just until a little brown.

Move the jalapeno mixture to a corner of the skillet and add the shrimp in. Mix the jalapeno mixture in to the shrimp and cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes on each side, or until turns pink and no juices run from the shrimp. Turn over the shrimp; add some salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Continue to turn the shrimp over until it is totally cooked. Turn down the heat once the shrimp mixture gets cooked.

Add the avocado mixture and stir together. Cook the mixture for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until avocado mixture is heated.

To prepare, place some cooked noodles on a plate and top with the shrimp avocado mixture on top. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top.

Real Texas Avocado Shrimp is ready to be served!

I am always looking for unique recipes.  When I came across this recipe, I knew I just had to try it.

This recipe is sponsored by Paradise Grove Avocados and they provided the most beautiful large avocados I have ever seen!  They are so delicious and healthy but rich tasting.  I don’t think I will ever purchase another avocado in the store again.  You can order fresh avocados delivered to your door directly from Paradise Grove Avocados.  They ripen in just a few days, and you’ll love them.

David wasn’t too sure of this recipe, but I shared a bite of the avocado and he thought it was really good.  David has never eaten avocados, except in guacamole.  I have changed this!  I have prepared avocado prawns, an avocado shake, and now the most delicious avocado pie.

I decided to make the avocado pie with a toasted pecan crust and use key limes.

The result, if you closed your eyes and didn’t know that it was made with avocados, you would have thought you had taken a bite of a rich, creamy, smooth, key lime pie with a hint of avacado.

You have to try it for yourself and you will find a new recipe to add to your list of favorites.  And if you order your avocados from Paradise Grove Avocados, you will never purchase an avocado from the store again!

Real Texas Avocado Pie with Toasted Pecan Crust

Ingredients

Toasted Pecan Crust

2 cups fresh Pecans, ground coarsely
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 cup Butter

Pie Filling

2 large ripe Avocados, pureed
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 teaspoon grated Lime Zest
1/2 cup fresh Key Lime juice
2 Egg yolks
1 pinch Kosher Salt

Directions

Place the butter in a glass pie plate and melt in microwave for 30 – 45 seconds. Add the coarsely ground Pecans and sugar and mix with the butter. With a fork, press pecans against the pie plate bottom and sides. Bake in oven at 350F for approximately 10 minutes or until toasted. Cool on wire rack.

Combine sweetened condensed milk, lime zest, key lime juice, lightly beaten egg yolks, and salt; blend until mixture thickens. Stir in avocado puree. Pour filling into cooled toasted pecan crust.

Chill pie overnight.

Cornbread is personal to all Real Texans.  Each family recipe is unique and is the best cornbread out there.  Some recipes contain whole kernel corn, some call for Jalapenos, or red bell peppers.  The way it’s cooked is personal too.  Some cook in dutch ovens outdoors in a pit, in a slow cooker, in corn fritter molds, muffin tins, maybe in a skillet on the stove, or baked in the oven.

We like a moist sweet cornbread, and this recipe is our family recipe.  It’s made with Texas Honey (Fain’s Honey from Llano) and is soooo delicious.

Ingredients

2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 cups Yellow Cornmeal
1/2 cup Sugar
2 tablespoons Baking Powder
2 cups heavy Cream
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Honey
4 Eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the cream, oil, honey and eggs; stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean.

If you like your Chicken Spicy, you’ll love Real Texas Chicken Diablo!

With the crunchy coating, and a kick that’s not too hot, but with just enough spice to warm up the temperature.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Onion, minced
1 tablespoon Scallion, white and green parts, minced
1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
1/2 Serrano Pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, stemmed seeded and minced
1 pinch Garlic Salt
1 pinch Garlic Powder
1/2 cup Oil
6 Egg Whites
2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
1/8 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
3 cups Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Hot Chili Oil, divided
2/3 cup Scallions, white and green parts chopped

Directions

Add minced garlic, minced Serrano pepper, minced jalapenos, minced onion, minced green onion, garlic salt, garlic pepper, red pepper flakes and fresh ground black pepper in a bowl. Stir everything together and set it aside.

Dip the chicken breast pieces in a bowl containing beaten egg white. Coat the chicken breast with corn starch and set it aside in a plate.

Put the chicken breasts in hot oil. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Make sure that the pieces are totally cooked and not sticking to each other.

Heat up chili oil in a skillet. Add garlic mixture, green onion and garlic salt and stir well. Add the chicken breast pieces to the skillet and coat with the onion and garlic mixture. Re-heat the chicken pieces in the skillet.

Add some Spanish Rice, Jalapeno Sweet Pea Bake and Guacamole to the chicken dish, Real Texas Chicken Diablo is ready to be served now!