2 mangos, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 lemons
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
4 grouper fillets
8 taco-size flour tortillas
For the Salsa:
Combine the mango, jalapeno, garlic, onion, crushed pineapple and cilantro in a medium bowl and toss with the juice of one lemon and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Allow to marinate for at least an hour. This can be made a day ahead.
For the Sauce:
Mix together the sour cream, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, and the juice of one lemon. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Cooking and preparing the Fish Tacos:
Rub fillets with the remaining 3 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning to cover. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Place fillets in oil and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Continue cooking in a preheated 400-degree oven for 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove from oven and slice each fillet into 4 pieces. To serve, place 2 pieces of fish in a flour tortilla and top with about 3 tablespoons of salsa and 2 tablespoons of sauce.
Citrus Slaw
1 lemon
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bag tri-color slaw
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
Add juice of one lemon, orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to a blender. Blend on low and slowly add in olive oil until dressing is blended well. In a large bowl, mix together slaw, cilantro and green onion. Pour dressing over slaw and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes and serve.
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Smothered Chicken with Mushroom Risotto
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Honey Mustard Dressing (Click here for recipe)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
6 slices bacon
4-6 slices provolone cheese
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté mushrooms and onions with butter and soy sauce until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Fry chopped bacon in the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, add chicken breasts and sear on each side in bacon grease for 2-3 minutes. In a 9 x 13-inch casserole, pour chicken broth to cover the bottom. Place chicken evenly in dish and cover with Honey Mustard Dressing. Top with mushrooms, onion and bacon, then finally with cheddar and provolone cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until chicken reaches 165-170 degrees.
Honey Mustard Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Mix all ingredients and store covered in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Mushroom Risotto
2 tablespoons butter
7 cups chicken broth
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced Vidalia onion
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups of Arborio Rice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter and add the mushrooms. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and set aside for later. Add the other tablespoon of butter to the same saucepan over low heat and cook the Vidalia onion until tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, then pour in wine and stir for an additional 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth to the rice and stir until absorbed. Continue this process until all the broth has been added and the rice is al dente. This will be anywhere from 25-30 minutes. Never quit stirring. That’s the most important part. Remove rice from heat and stir in the mushrooms, green onion and Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
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Pork Chops with Fig Balsamic Glaze
2 tablespoons oil
4 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup Fig Jam (Click here for recipe)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large iron (or oven safe) skillet over high heat, add the oil to coat the bottom. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Sear for 2 minutes on each side. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest on a plate for 10 minutes. While the pork chops are resting, using the same iron skillet over medium heat, add the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, scraping the pan with a spoon to remove the delicious bits on the bottom. Stir in the fig jam and thyme and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in butter and stir to melt. Pour over pork chops and serve.
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Grilled Flank Steak with Cheese Grits
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 pound flank steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
Combine all of the ingredients except the steak in a large resealable bag. Add the steak and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to overnight to marinate. Prepare your grill for indirect heat. Make one side high heat and the other side low heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and place directly over high heat. Sear on each side for 2 minutes, then move to low heat and continue cooking until internal temperature is 115 degrees (for medium rare). Remove from the grill and tent with foil to rest for 15 minutes. The steak will continue to cook and the temperature will rise. Slice across the grain to serve.
Cheese Grits
6 cups water
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
2 cups milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 cups of instant grits
Salt and pepper to taste
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
The most important step in this recipe is to salt your water first. If you do not, the grits will never be salty enough. Bring the water and milk to a roaring boil and add salt. Boil for 2 minutes then add grits and stir continuously until they begin to thicken. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, then remove from heat and add butter and cream cheese. When they have been mixed in well, add the Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Salt and pepper to taste, then pour mixture into a casserole dish and top with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
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Chocolate Cheesecake
1 package Oreo cookies
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons flour 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9” springform pan with non- stick cook
ing spray.
To make the crust: Crush the Oreo cookies using a food processor. If desired, set aside about a tablespoon of the crumbs to garnish the finished cake. Add the melted butter, processing briefly or stirring until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Press the moist crumbs into the bottom and partway up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and set aside to make the filling. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
In a small microwavable bowl, combine the milk and the chocolate chips. Heat in the microwave, stirring frequently, until the chips melt and the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar at low speed with a hand mixer, until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each one. Stir in the vanilla, then the flour. Add the chocolate mixture, beating slowly until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter on top of the Oreo crust in the pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 1 hour. When it’s completely cool, cover the cake, and refrigerate it until ready to serve. Garnish the cake with the reserved crumbs.
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House Warming Party Invitation
Mark & Meredith
Meredith
Fuuuuuuck.
I can’t say it out loud. I want to, but my two-year-old, Lucy, is clinging to my leg and repeats everything I say as if it’s her damn job.
“Stop worrying,” Mark says as he sidles up behind me and wraps his arms around my middle, kissing my neck. “It’s going to be awesome.”
“I don’t have dessert,” I say in a panic. “Mark, why didn’t I remember the freaking dessert?”
“Because you just finished moving into a new house, have a newborn and a toddler, and run a business?” he suggests. That cocky grin of his lets him get away with a lot.
A lot.
“Mama, hungry,” Lucy says while staring up at me with big blue eyes. She has her father’s eyes.
“I know, baby. I’m just going to finish putting the bacon cups in the oven and then I’ll get you a snack.”
She leans her sweet, blonde head against my leg, still clinging. Lucy is sweet, down to her core. She’s quiet, and honestly isn’t that demanding. She’s been that way since the moment she came out of my body on a cold winter day two years ago.
Hudson, however, is always happy to remind us all that he’s here, and he wants everything now.
And he’s only three months old.
“I’ve got this,” Mark says, picking Lucy up and kissing her chubby cheek before putting her in her booster seat at the table and reaching for her snacks.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I mutter as I shove the cupcake pan in the oven upside down so the bacon can cook around the cups. “I can’t have people come and go throughout the day without serving them dessert.”
“I don’t understand the point of a housewarming party,” Mark says with a shrug as he pops a piece of tomato in his mouth. “I mean, we don’t need anything. We’re still trying to figure out what to do with half of our wedding gifts from years ago as it is.”
“It’s not about the gifts. I want to show the new house to our families and friends, and doing it all in one day is the easiest. I already told everyone not to bring anything.”
“Like they ever listen to that,” he replies. “You’ve met them. Giving gifts is like breathing.”
“Oh, God, I hope they don’t bring anything.”
“Stop stressing out about all of this,” he says and kisses me again, soothing me the way he’s done since we were teenagers. “The house looks great, the food’s going to be great, and if they want dessert, they can go to Nic’s after this. In fact, why don’t you just send me over there and I’ll buy five dozen or so. That should tide Will over.”
“She’s busy, and I’m not going to inconvenience her with this short notice.” I chew my lip just as Mark’s phone rings.
“This is my brother,” he says. “Hey, bro. What’s up? Yeah, you guys can come over anytime. Sounds good.”
“Let me talk to Natalie,” I say, hope springing in my chest.
“Hey, Mer wants to talk to Nat. Is she nearby? Great. See you in a bit.”
He passes the phone to me. There’s shuffling in the background, and then Natalie’s soothing voice comes over the phone.
“Hey, Mer. How’s it going over there?”
“I’m having a crisis, and I need your input.”
“Always happy to help in a crisis,” she says with a chuckle. “Tell me.”
“I don’t know how I did it, but I forgot all about serving dessert today. I don’t want to bug Nic. Do you have any ideas?”
“Actually, yes. Jules and I made a ton of these chocolate covered peanut butter truffles yesterday. They’re made with Nutter Butters and should be illegal in every state. I’ll bring those.”
“Oh my God, those sound amazing.”
“You’ll gain five pounds just from looking at them,” she assures me. “And Luke and I went to Montana last month, and I brought back a ton of huckleberries to put in the freezer. I’ll call Jenna in Cunningham Falls and ask her for a quick recipe.”
“I haven’t tried huckleberries yet, so that sounds fantastic. Thanks, Nat. I owe you.”
“Trust me, eating all the calories today will be payment enough. I’ll call Jenna, and hit the store for ingredients on the way to your place. Luke called to ask if we could come over early and let the kids play outside for the day.”
“Of course, you’re always welcome here. You know that. Mark built that play yard for the whole family, since we all seem to breed like we’re solely responsible for populating the earth.”
Nat snorts and assures me they’ll be here soon. We hang up and I take a big breath, letting it out slowly.
“Okay, this is handled. Nat’s taking care of dessert, and they’re coming early so she and I can get it ready.”
“See? It’s working out,” Mark says as he takes Hudson out of his bouncy seat and cuddles him in the crook of his arm. “Now that these two have had a snack, I’ll take them up to change their clothes.”
“You’re the best husband in the history of husbands.”
“I know.” He flashes that cocky smile and takes the kids upstairs to get ready for the party. I finish with the BLT cups, the hot crab dip, artichoke dip and bruschetta, so when Natalie arrives, we can focus on the dessert.
Natalie is true to her word. Less than thirty minutes later, Luke, Nat, and their whole brood of four kids come bustling into the house. Luke and Mark immediately take the kids outside, and Natalie and I get to work.
“God, I love your backyard,” Nat says as she stares outside, holding a cup from Starbucks. “We might be over here all the time from now on.”
I stand next to her, taking in our husbands laughing and playing with our kids. Mark is carrying Hudson in a carrier on his front.
“I always melt when we watch them with the kids.”
“It’s hot to watch handsome guys be good dads,” she agrees. “Okay, enough ogling. We have work to do. Jenna gave me the recipe for something called huckleberry delight that sounds, well, delightful.”
“I love anything delightful,” I reply with a laugh and we dig in.
“Mom, Aunt Mer!” Olivia yells, barreling through the back door. “Stella’s here!”
“Let them in,” I say to my niece as I measure out the sugar. “Thanks, honey.”
“I brought balls,” Jules announces, carrying a bag and holding it high, making us giggle. “Thank God you saved me from eating them all myself.”
“Nat brought some, too. You made a million of them.”
“I was PMSing,” Jules says with a shrug. “I was convinced that I wanted to eat all of them. What can I do?”
“Stir these berries,” Nat says, passing the spoon. “We’re cooking them down and making them thick.”
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“Can I just eat these with a spoon?” Jules asks.
“I agree,” I say. “They smell so good.”
“We need to take everyone to the Montana house,” Nat says with a smile. “It’s awesome there. Maybe this fall we can all go.”
“I’m in,” I say immediately. “We could use the time away.”
“Are you okay, honey?” Jules asks me.
“Oh yeah. I’m just stressed out. Whoever said having two kids is the same as having one was a dirty liar.”
“I’m not having any more,” Jules says, shaking her head. “This one can pump out a dozen, but one is enough for me.”
“We’re done at four,” Nat says with a grin. “And you’re right. Having two is a ton more work than one. But more than that and it’s really not so bad.”
“I’m finished,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m happy with the two we have.”
“They’re pretty adorable,” Jules admits after Nat takes the cooked berries and covers the desserts in the pans, then sets them in the fridge.
“These just need to set up for a bit. In the meantime, I want a tour.”
“Me, too,” Jules says.
“This is my favorite part of today.” I do a little shimmy in the kitchen, then gesture for them to follow me.
And for the next several hours, I give tours of our new home to our friends and family. I can’t even begin to describe how proud I am of Mark and Isaac and the whole team who brought this house to life.
“I didn’t think I’d ever want to leave our other house,” I confide in Sam and Leo later when we’re standing in the master bathroom. “I loved it there. But with the kids, we just needed more space.”
Indulge With Me (With Me In Seattle Book 10) Page 10