Mom's Clam Chowder

This is a special dish that I give credit to my mother for.  It is slightly tweaked, yet still delicious!

Portions: 6

Ingredients:
2 lb. frozen diced potatoes
1 lb. bacon
13 oz. minced clams
1 medium onion
1/4 cup black pepper
1/2 cup minced garlic

Prep: 10 minutes
1) Cut bacon into small pieces, about 1/2 inch in length, and begin cooking on medium heat until all pieces are thoroughly cooked.
2) Pour the frozen potatoes into a big pot, and fill with hot water until the potatoes are just barely covered. Begin cooking on medium-high heat.
3) Dice the onion.

Cooking: 20-30 minutes
1) Once the water begins boiling, add the clams, bacon (when it's finished cooking) and the grease if you prefer, onions, garlic, and black pepper.
2) Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for roughly 15 minutes.
3) Serve with crushed saltines, sourdough bread, or croissants!

Shepherd's Pie

Portions: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
Garlic salt
Black pepper
Worcestershire sauce
4 large potatoes
1/2 cup minced garlic
1/2 lb. butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
10-12 baby carrots
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup green onion

Prep: 30 minutes

1) Chop potatoes into 1-inch pieces and submerge them in boiling water.  Boil potatoes for approximately 25 minutes.
2) Season ground beef with garlic salt, pepper, and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce; begin cooking on medium-low heat.
3) Begin dicing carrots, then onions, and green onions.

Cooking and Baking: 35-45 minutes

1) Once ground beef is browned, add carrots and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.
2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3) Add onions and green onions, and mix together ingredients.
4) Once potatoes are soft, drain the water and mix together the butter (or margarine), minced garlic, and milk.  Continue mixing until the potatoes are nice and fluffy.
5) Drain the grease from the meet and add to an 8x8 baking dish.
6) Pour mashed potatoes over the top of the beef mixture and gently indent the potatoes with a fork.
7) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes are golden brown on the top!

Cooking Tip of the Week: Pan-Frying Chicken

Hello, readers!  I'd like to share my technique on cooking chicken without access to a grill--frying!

I prefer to cut my chicken into 1-inch pieces or long, skinny pieces.  Always cut the raw chicken before cooking it.  I cook chicken on medium-low heat, and continually check both sides of the chicken as it's cooking in the pan.

Unless I'm marinading chicken, I season it as soon as the meat hits the pan.  You can mess around with different seasonings to your liking.  I normally add garlic powder/salt, Italian seasoning, and a few drops of teriyaki or hot sauce.

As the chicken is cooking, make sure you're paying attention to which sides of the chicken are cooking; you don't want to cook meat on the same side for too long.  Once all sides of the chicken are no longer pink, it's finished!  If you are cooking whole chicken pieces, cut into the thickest part of the chicken to ensure the chicken is fully cooked.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Sweet 'n' Spicy Shrimp Bowl

Portions: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. shrimp (tail on, unpeeled)
2 cups uncooked white rice
1/4 medium onion (diced)
1 orange bell pepper (sliced)
1 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp Sriracha

Prep: 15 minutes

1) Peel the shrimp.
2) Combine teriyaki, garlic, honey, and Sriracha.  Marinade the shrimp for 45 minutes.
3) Boil 4 cups of water.

Cooking: 30-40 minutes

1) Stir rice into boiling water, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2) Saute onions and bell pepper slices for 15 minutes.
3) Pour shrimp and marinade into a skillet and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Plating: 5 minutes

1) Pack 1 cup's worth of rice and flip into a bowl.
2) Surround the rice with 1/4 lb. of shrimp and onions.
3) Pour desired amount of marinade over the rice.
4) Place bell pepper slices on top of rice, and serve!

Chicken Bacon Bomb

Portions: 2

Ingredients:
4 tsp. flour
1 egg
Garlic salt
Cayenne pepper
Italian seasoning
2, 1/4-pound boneless chicken thighs
4 strips thin bacon
Pepperjack cheese
6 medium mushrooms (sliced)
Teriyaki sauce

Prep: 10 minutes

1) Begin cooking bacon on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2) Crack the egg into a bowl and beat; add flour and seasonings into a gallon-sized bag and shake around.
3) Dip chicken pieces in egg, covering both sides.  Then, add pieces to the bag and shake to coat.  Repeat step 3.

Cooking: 20-25 minutes

1) Wrap chicken pieces with the semi-cooked bacon pieces; fry both sides of the chicken on medium-high heat for 5 minutes each.
2) Place chicken into a baking dish with just enough teriyaki sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.  Insert dish into oven and bake for 10 minutes.
3) Saute the mushrooms in the bacon grease while the chicken bakes in the oven.
4) Add sliced pepperjack to the chicken approximately 1 minute prior to removing the dish from the oven.
5) Plate the chicken and add the mushrooms on top for an explosion of flavor; serve with your favorite side (recommended: alfredo pasta or fried potatoes)