Baked Shrimp Po' Boys + Oven Baked Beignets

Happy weekend! I hardly ever post on Saturday, but I wanted to write up the 2 True Blood recipes from earlier this week in case anyone is interested in making them for tomorrow night's premiere...or just in general. (oh and bonus that You've Got Mail is on TBS right now while I'm writing this...score!)

I concocted the po' boys on a whim. I had never baked shrimp. I had never made a po' boy. In fact, I honestly wasn't even sure what went into a po' boy. But once I have an idea, I just go with it. I'm so glad I went with this one. Shaun is already asking me to make this again. The tender shrimp with a salty cornmeal crust, a seasoned sauce and some fresh lettuce come together in a salty, flavor explosion! And I can't wait to try it again...for True Blood or not.

 

Baked Shrimp Po’ Boys
Serves 3 - 4
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined & tails off*
½ C cornmeal
½ C all-purpose flour
cooking spray
2 Tbsp Creole seasoning (recipe below)
1 C mayonnaise (or ½ C mayo, ½ C Greek yogurt mixed together)
2 C romaine lettuce
3-4 Portugese-style rolls

Creole seasoning
*Adapted from Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning
2 ½ Tbsp paprika
1 ½ Tbsp garlic powder
1 ½ Tbsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy!)
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme

Whisk the seasonings all together and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Once your shrimps are all cleaned, lay out on a plate and sprinkle very lightly with the seasoning.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and cornmeal. Dredge the shrimp in the mixture and lay on a wire rack sprayed with cooking oil, and set over a foil-lined baking sheet (got all that?). Sprinkle lightly with the seasoning and spray the shrimp lightly with cooking spray. Turn the shrimp over and repeat. Bake for 10-12 minutes until shrimp are cooked through, but not overcooked. Meanwhile, mix 1 Tbsp of the seasoning with the mayonnaise and set aside. When shrimp are done, remove from the oven. Spread sauce onto the roll, layer on the shrimp and top with a bit of lettuce.

 

Enjoy! 

As for the oven baked beignets, I used a Good Housekeeping recipe via Jenna @ Eat Live Run.

Now. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that they are the same thing as fried beignets. They aren't. They are doughier and a little heavier. BUT. They are delicious. They are healthier by not being fried. And they are way easier since you don't have to stand over a fryer (bonus) and you are saved from having to clean the fryer (my least favorite task ever). Check out the recipe on Eat Live Run if ya like!

So there you have it. Two on-a-whim recipes that came together in a flash and tasted like a million bucks. Or something like that. I hope you enjoy these! And if you missed all things True Blood earlier this week, check out this post. Can't wait to open the discussion tomorrow on the season premiere! xo

Create a True Blood Theme Party

I'm so beyond excited this week. After almost a year-long wait, one of my favorite shows returns this coming Sunday. It's True Blood! Vamps and werewolves and fairies, oh my!

It's no secret that I have a TV/pop culture addiction. I'd think it was a problem if I didn't love it all so darn much. So instead, I'll call my obsession a hobby. And it's not too shabby to have a hobby with some eye candy either. Blood, sex, campiness...True Blood never ceases to go way beyond over the top and I love every moment. It's nothing short of sexy fun.

Since I'm counting down until the premiere, I thought it would be so fun to pull together all you need to vamp it up this coming Sunday with a True Blood theme party!

It all starts with the decor. I'm not suggesting over-the-top Halloween-style, but have some fun. Black and red will be the theme colors - bring it into the table linens and partyware. Fun glasses for your Tru Blood drinks are a must. Oh, and don't forget to play Jace Everett's Bad Things on loop (it's also just one of my favorite opening credits of all time). You can see the extended board on Pinterest (where you can follow me too!)

Clockwise from top left: Fangy napkins/plates, Essie Fishnet Stockings, Black paper lanterns, Border Collie

And of course, the food will be just as important.

Your party just won't be complete without some Authentic Tru Blood. I prefer O Negative. Mix sparkling wine or Sprite with cranberry juice and a couple of drops of red food coloring. Garnish with fresh cherries.

For the main course, I like Sookie's Baked Shrimp Po'Boys. We are channeling Louisiana after all, so Creole fare is necessary! I'm pretty sure Sam would serve these at Merlotte's in a heartbeat. Not to mention that these are super easy and destined to be a crowd pleaser.

 

 

 

To sweeten things up, bake up some Bon Temps Beignets. Douse with powdered sugar. Devour faster than Russell would a lady of the night. Hot out of the oven is best.

How about some Blood Orange Cake? I imagine this would satisfy just about any vampire, including a one Mr. Eric Northman (yowzah). Garnish with fresh slices of the gorgeous reddened fruit.

 

To top things off, a Compton Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake. This is actually perfect anytime...vamps or not.

So there you have it. All you need for a True Blood party that would make Lafayette proud. All we need are some headdresses and glittery eye shadow. So what do you think?

Will you be watching on Sunday? Do you have any ideas to add to my list? And if you don't watch True Blood (which you should), have you ever thrown a theme party?

What I'm Pop Culturing This Week, June 22nd

It's week 2 of pop culture madness. Not that I haven't always been a pop culture nut, but now I just feel the need to document and share it with you. Let's get down to business.

What I'm Watching...on DVD:
Still going strong on True Blood. While I feel as though I can't get through it fast enough (due to Netflix lead time and the Netflix-provided and unwatched Vicky Christina Barcelona DVD sitting on my player for the last 6 weeks...I swear, I'll get to it), it is nice to drag out the 12 (is it 12?) eps so I can get more Bill, Jason, and especially Lafayette before I plunge into season 2. Next up is Dexter and Mad Men, season 1 of both.

What I'm Listening to...on the Treadmill:
Often the most dreaded and mundane part of my day, I need to have a long list of running-appropriate music in a two week rotation, since I get very sick of the same songs very quickly. Recommendations are requested, so please leave them in the comments!
Here's what got me through this morning (in addition to closed-captioning GMA):

Beggin' Madcon
I Gotta Feelin' Black Eyed Peas
Bad Things (Club Mix) aka True Blood theme song Jace Everett
Boom Boom Pow Black Eyed Peas
Use Somebody Kings of Leon
Just Dance Lady Gaga
Poker Face Lady Gaga
Closer Ne-yo
Don't Trust Me 3OH!3
Cool Down: Lucky Jason Mraz & Colbie Callait

What I'm Reading...on Kindle:
Still working on Pillars of the Earth...and this one's gonna be a while. Not that I want it to go anywhere fast because I'm loving it, but after a couple of weeks I'm only half way through. I hear there's a sequel, World Without End, which may be up next. Since I'll be leaving for my Aruban paradise vacation in 1.5 weeks, I'm on the lookout for good beach reads...please leave suggestions in comments!