Spinach Balls

16 ounces frozen spinach, cooked and drained

2/3 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a fiesta blend)

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup onion

2 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

extra parmesean cheese for rolling

Heat oven to 375. Saute onions and garlic in butter until soft. Combine with cooked spinach, eggs, bread crumbs and cheeses. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Form mixture into small balls and roll in parmesean cheese. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (Reese's Cake)

I made this for my brother-in-law's birthday this past weekend. I didn't eat any, but everyone said it was delicious! The hardest part was not eating all of the Reese's Cups as I made it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

For the cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)

For decorating
1 ½ – 2 batches peanut butter frosting
Miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped (I put them in the freezer for about half an hour to make it easier to cut)

Directions
1. For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. 4. Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
5. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.) Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Baked Catfish

There is a local seafood restaurant that we have been going to for years that has the BEST seafood. I worked there for 6 years and enjoyed trying all of their unique dishes. This was a favorite, a baked fish called The Howard. In the restaurant they use black drum or snapper and cook it in the skin. We had some catfish laying around, so I decided to try it that way. It was soooo delicious.

The Howard
source: Mike Anderson's Seafood and Other South Louisiana Favorites

Howard Sauce:
1 1/4 cups olive oil
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons Season All
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

Mix all ingredients together. Marinate fish overnight in some of the sauce, reserving some for spooning over fish before serving.

Baked Fillet:
1 stick margarine or butter, melted I cut this down to half a stick
6-8 fresh fish fillets (skin and scales left on) I used catfish with no skin and scales
salt
pepper

Pour butter into a baking dish, add fish (reserving marinade). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinade on top of each piece of fish. Bake for 30 minutes at 450. Spoon reserved marinade (not used to marinate overnight) on each piece before serving.

Strawberry Pie

I look forward to the spring for 2 reasons--boiled crawfish and strawberries! This pie is so quick and easy to make. I'm not sure where the recpie originated, but my mom has been using it for years.

Ingredients:
2 pints fresh strawberries
6 ounces water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
10 ounces Sprite
1 small strawberry Jell-O
1 cup sugar
Cool Whip
12 mini graham cracker crusts or 2 baked pie shells

Cook water, Sprite, sugar and cornstarch until thick and clear. Add Jell-O and cook a few mor minutes. Slice strawberries and place them in crusts. Poor liquid mixture over strawberries, let chill. Top with Cool Whip.