Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Recipes! Mexican Shrimp Cocktail & Hot Spinach Dip

Good morning y’all!  Yesterday was a big day in the SLPS household.  Lallie went off to school for her first day of pre-kindergarten!  She was the class’ best cutter, line drawer and name writer.  We’re so proud!  Lallie has always been in a learning environment, Montessori since she was 18 months old.  However, this pre-K classroom was slightly daunting…..it looked like, well, a classroom!  They will be learning so much and it’s hard to believe that she will be reading words and maybe some small books by the end of the year! It’s a lot for a recently turned four-year old (and mommy and daddy) to digest! 
Over the weekend, Husband and I attended a friend’s 60th birthday party.  This family is very close to us, so I offered to make a couple appetizers for the party to assist with the planning.  These are both Southern Living recipes and are absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS!!!  In fact, Husband called the Mexican Shrimp Cocktail One of the top ten things he’s ever eaten!  A big hit and definitely worth sharing!  Enjoy!
MEXICAN SHRIMP COCKTAIL

  • 2 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 1/4 cup minced sweet onion
  • 1 tsp hot sauce (I used Louisiana hot sauce)
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped tomato
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Peel and devein shrimp.  Bring 6 cups of water and next 4 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.  Drain shrimp RESERVING 1/2 cup liquid.
Stir together reserved liquid, ketchup and next 3 ingredients.  Stir in shrimp, tomatoes and cilantro.  Chill and serve with avocado slices, lime wedges and saltines, if desired.  (We enjoyed on it’s own, maybe even as an actual dinner dish over risotto).

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HOT SPINACH DIP

  • 2 (10-oz) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained with ALL water removed
  • 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese
  • 2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 2 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
  • 2 tsps ground cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
Drain spinach, press between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture.  Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Spoon mixture into a 2 – 1/2 quart baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until barely browning around the edges.
Hope you enjoy!

Happy Tuesday Y’all!

16 comments:

  1. OH my goodness...those recipes look delish!

    And, of course, Lallie is cute as ever. She's really getting big.

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  2. That shrimp recipe is actually very similar to a family dish that my aunt has made for years. She picked it up when she was living in South Carolina. We've always called it "pickled shrimp"; ours calls for a bit of vinegar in addition to the ketchup. I actually don't cook my shrimp, but let the acid preserve it. It's kind of like a Lowcountry ceviche.

    Lallie looks so grown-up!

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  3. Lallie looks so cute...and those recipes look delish!

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  4. I've been eating shrimp coctail since I was a little girl and this recipe sounds absolutely delightful. The Mexican twist will be fun to try.
    I recently tasted a spinach dip for the first time (I know I know...where have I been) and I LOVED it. I'll tell you what, I was like a bear guarding my kill around that dip. I could have left the main course and piled a huge scoop of the dip on my plate. I'm going to have to try your recipes, you always have such good things to share.
    Miss Lallie looks so sweet and excited for school. What great memories she'll have. Her hair looks cute. Is it working out better to have it cut shorter?

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  5. Um, DELISH! I need to try that shrimp dish. We are big fans of shrimp (love to make shrimp and grits) and also spicy stuff so this would be right up our alley! Thanks for posting.

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  6. What a grown up young lady! Congratulations Miss Lallie. And I love the shrimp recipe - so nice to have something new to try!

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  7. Those appetizers look so yummy! I love spinach dip, so that one will get made for the next event.

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  8. Yum! That dip looks amazing! And congrats to Lallie on being so stinking smart and adorable!

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  9. Precious little school girl! Love the recipes I cant wait to try them. Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Yum! both of these sound so good. Going to have to try.

    xoxo.

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  11. Lallie is adorable! I love all mexican food and these recipes look delish. Just found your blog and enjoying reading....new follower! :)

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  12. Thank you for stopping by my blog :) I always looove meeting fellow Kentucky girls! :) I am so hoping those boots fit! Your blog is amazing and I clearly need to befriend you because you have some recipes up your sleeve and I should probably start to learn at the ripe age of 27 :) I hope you have a great day!! I look forward to reading more from you!!

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  13. That looks delish!!!

    new follower: )
    http://southernsavannah.blogspot.com

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  14. Those dishes look fantastic! I'm adding them to my must try file. What an exciting time, sending your little one off to school, enjoy!

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  15. I have seen those shrimp dishes at our favorite mexican restaurant and always wondered about them....now I can make my own. I also use alot of frozen spinach in recipes and the best way I have found to get all the extra moisture out is to put it in a clean dishtowel and twist, it will get all the water out! I also use this to get moisture out of grated squash/zucchini when I make squash cakes. YOu mentioned on Little Lucy Lu how you wanted to make those shelves for a mudroom, try looking at Ana White's terrific blog, she has one that you can make straight from PB for even cheap....she is amazing and takes you step by step!

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  16. "Pinning" that shrimp recipe now! Looks delish!

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