Recipes for at-home cooking

There are so many fun cooking sites, and I enjoy following many of them through social media. So many recipes pop out at me that I would like to make or share with you through this recipe column. As I have been looking through a few of these over the past few days, I came across these recipes that seem interesting and worthy of passing along.

I hope you have a way of reading all of the column online, because there are many recipes that don't make it into the newspaper due to sheer volume I send in because I don't know when to stop.

As you are sheltering at home, if you have recipes you would like to share with us, please send them to me as we'll see about getting them included in this column.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

• 1 pound baby Dutch yellow potatoes
• 3 ears corn, each cut crosswise into 6 pieces
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender and parboiled, about 10-13 minutes. Stir in corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking time; drain well.

In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic and Old Bay seasoning.

Place potatoes, corn, shrimp and sausage in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Stir in butter mixture and gently toss to combine.

Place into oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and corn is tender.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Kentucky Benedictine Spread

On any other normal year, the Kentucky Derby would be running the first Saturday in May. Since our world is turned upside down and The Derby is now moved to the fall, I thought I would go ahead and share this recipe in its honor, whenever it might run.

This old fashioned recipe for Kentucky Benedictine Spread is perfect for any gathering.

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
• 1/2 cup chopped scallion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dill weed
• Pinch cayenne optional
• 1 to 2 drops green food coloring

Peel cucumber and split lengthwise down the middle. Take a spoon and remove the seeds before chopping. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, dill weed and cayenne with a mixer.

Fold in the chopped cucumber, scallion and food coloring and mix with a spoon. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Note: Enjoy with your favorite crackers or make into sandwiches. When making sandwiches, once you remove the crust, flatten the bread with a rolling pin before adding the spread.

Millionaire Peach Salad

Millionaire Peach Salad is one of those delicious Cool Whip concoctions that's really more like a dessert than a salad. It's full of peaches, marshmallows, and pecans and makes a great potluck recipe.

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 (12-ounce) carton Cool Whip
• 1 small (3-ounce) box peach gelatin
• 2 (14-ounce) cans sliced peaches in heavy syrup
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.

Stir in Cool Whip and dry gelatin mix.

Drain peaches, reserving 2 tablespoons of syrup. Cut peaches into bite-sized pieces.

Stir peaches and the 2 tablespoons of syrup into the mixture.

Stir in marshmallows. Chill at least 2 hours.

Stir in pecans just before serving.

Pineapple Lemon Crumb cake

For the crumb topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the cake:

• 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple (do not drain), divided
• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

For the icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 4 teaspoons reserved pineapple juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the crumble topping: In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and butter using a fork. You want to end up with it fully mixed and you should have small crumbles.

Then, stir in chopped pecans. Set aside.

Prepare the cake: First, open up the can of crushed pineapple and set aside 4 teaspoons of pineapple juice to use for the icing later.

In a large bowl, combine the crushed pineapple (with the rest of the juices), lemon cake mix, eggs and oil. Mix for about 2 minutes using an electric mixer.

Pour cake mix into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.

Bake for about 35 to 38 minutes (until it bounces back to the touch or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.) Allow the cake to cool completely.

Making the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and pineapple juice. Whisk until smooth.

Drizzle the icing all over the cake. Slice and serve.

Frozen Cranberry Orange Salad

Who says cranberries are just for fall and winter? That would be someone who has not eaten this delicious frozen, refreshing salad. Whole-berry cranberry sauce is available year round in the canned fruit aisle.

• 1 can (20-ounce) crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 can (14-ounce) mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 can (16-ounce) whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 12 ounces Cool Whip

In a large bowl, combine crushed pineapple with cranberry sauce and oranges. Fold in marshmallows and Cool Whip.

Spread in freezer safe 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Cover and freeze for 6 hours, or overnight. Store in freezer until ready to serve. Slice and enjoy. Return leftovers to freezer. Can be made in advance.

Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe

This Avocado Chicken Salad recipe is so good. It is an easy, excellent chicken salad recipe with lemon dressing, plenty of avocado, irresistible bites of bacon and corn. For even more protein, you can add 2 hard boiled eggs, halved or quartered.

Avocado Chicken Salad:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked, shredded or chopped
• 2 large avocados
• 1 cup corn from 1 cooked cob
• 6 ounces lean bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/4 cup chives (or scallion), chopped
• 2 tablespoons dill chopped, or to taste

Lemon Dressing: 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Dice or shred the 2 large cooked chicken breasts and place into a large mixing bowl.

Peel and pit 2 large avocados, slice into bite-sized pieces and add to the mixing bowl.

Add 1 cup of cooked corn (freshly cooked corn is best), toss in 1/4 cup chopped scallion, chopped bacon, and 2 tablespoons fresh dill.

Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Drizzle over your salad and toss to combine. Serve with slices of hard boiled egg if desired.

Note: Use rotisserie chicken, cook your own chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper or use well-drained canned chicken. For a healthier salad, you can use uncured turkey bacon which tastes amazing, but has less fat.

Dill Pickle Brined Grilled Pork

This is the juiciest, tender, and best pork tenderloin you can ever imagine.

• 2 cups dill pickle juice
• 2 (2 to 2-1/2 pound) pork tenderloins (Most packages come with 2 tenderloins in it. You can use one or both.)
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Trim tenderloins. Place pork tenderloin in a shallow bowl and cover with the pickle juice. Cover and marinate for 2 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Rotate the tenderloins periodically if the marinade doesn't cover them completely.

Bring meat to room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling.

Preheat gas grill before grilling to 400 degrees.

Drain the pork and pat completely dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.

Sprinkle garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika over the entire tenderloins and rub. Lightly grease the grill grates. Place tenderloin in the center of the grill and close the lid. Grill 4 to 5 minutes, or until the bottom has sear marks.

Rotate the meat, close lid, and grill 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat for the other two sides for a total of about 14 to 16 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees.

Remove pork from the grill and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Sugar Cookies with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

These are a delightful twist on the original sugar cookie. Soft, buttery cookies topped with vibrant raspberry frosting is the perfect way to celebrate spring.

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
• 2 cups flour

Frosting:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries (drain excess liquid)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 pound powdered sugar

For the Sugar Cookies: blend the butter, sugar and egg together, then add baking powder and soda and almond extract or vanilla. Add 2 cups flour slowly mixing it into the other ingredients. If it seems too sticky, add a bit more flour. If the dough still seems too sticky to roll out, you can pop it into the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes. Sometimes it's easier to roll out dough that is more firm.

Sprinkle some flour on a cool surface. Flatten the dough into a one inch thick round circle. Lightly flour the top of the dough, then roll the dough out to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Careful not to roll them too thin.

Using cookie cutters, cut your dough into shapes and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Then repeat until all the dough is gone.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Don't overbake.

For the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese together with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer. Add drained raspberries and vanilla and almond extract.

Slowly mix in the powdered sugar. The mixture may seem dry at first but the juice from the raspberries will blend in making it the right consistency. If it is still too thick, add in some of the drained raspberry juice.

Notes: If you are using a 3 to 4 inch cookie cutter, this recipe will make about a dozen cookies. The recipe can be doubled or tripled for more cookies.

Blonde Texas Sheet Cake with Pecans

First cousin to the ever-popular and famous Texas Sheet Cake, this blonde version is deliciously moist and fluffy.

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Spray a 10x15x1-inch sheet pan with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large pan, bring 1 cup butter and water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, 1 teaspoon almond extract, salt, and baking soda. Stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes or until the cake is golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes. For the frosting. Combine 1/2 cup butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Whisk in sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Stir in pecans.

Spread over warm cake.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Caramel Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 sticks soft butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup regular sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup semisweet chips
• 1/2 cup bittersweet Ghirardelli chips
• 1/2 cup Ghirardelli Milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 pound high quality bacon, cooked until very crisp and chopped

Caramel sauce

Beat butter and both sugars until well blended. Add in vanilla, egg and yolk until light and creamy. Add in flour, salt and baking soda just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Chill 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Drop by 2 ounce mounds onto parchment. Place in oven and immediately lower the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 9 minutes or until tops golden.

When cookies come out, immediately press in pieces of bacon. Let cool on baking sheets. Drizzle with caramel.

For each new sheet of cookies, let oven come back up to 425 and lower temperature every time.

Homemade Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing

• 1/4 cup sweet onion, diced
• 1 Serrano pepper, seeded and rough chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, rough chopped
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dark chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Place the onion, Serrano pepper, garlic cloves, lime juice and cilantro into a blender. Pulse until chopped. Add the remaining ingredients. Pulse until smooth. Add more buttermilk, if desired to thin.

Store chilled for at least 4 hours before serving. May make up to 3 days in advance, shake well before serving. Serve as a dressing, condiment or dip.

Note: This dressing can be prepared with light dairy products and mayonnaise, if desired.

Time Saving Oven Pancakes

Buttery and fluffy, this Time Saving Oven Pancakes recipes is not only delicious, they super easy and quick for busy mornings. 1 cup self-rising flour

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the 8- x 11 1/2-inch casserole dish in the oven while the oven is preheating. While butter is melting, whisk together the remaining ingredients: flour, sugar, milk, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over melted butter and bake 20 minutes or until the center is set.

You can insert a toothpick to test for doneness. When stuck in the middle of the cake and it comes out clean the pancake is done. This pancake will not brown on the top so do not use that as an indication of doneness. Remove from oven and place pats of butter on top if desired. Cut with a sharp knife in large squares and serve with maple syrup or pile high with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Chinese Buffet Seafood Bake

• 12 ounces imitation crab meat
• 12 ounces imitation lobster meat
• 6 ounces shrimp (canned, fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup mayonnaise, good quality
• 2 tablespoons sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl combine imitation crab and lobster meat. Add the shrimp and mayonnaise. Stir the ingredients well.

Add the sliced scallions, and lightly stir. Place seafood into a 1-quart baking dish that you have sprayed with nonstick spray. Add 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.