Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

2 lbs. (12-15 count) raw shrimp

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on (or just buy peeled, deveined raw shrimp). Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread them in one layer. Roast for 8-10 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through. 

Set aside to cool.

Serve with cocktail sauce.

Serves 5.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 5 points per serving (not including cocktail sauce).

This is an Ina Garten recipe.

Jean's Corn Bread

1 egg
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. milk
¼ c. flour
1 ¼ c. corn meal
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. bacon drippings or vegetable oil

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together in bowl. In small bowl, mix egg and milk and beat with fork. Combine dry ingredients and milk mixture together and add bacon drippings. Pour into iron skillet (or cake pan) greased with shortening and floured. Bake for 20 minutes.

I don't care for sweet cornbread, and this--my aunt's recipe--isn't sweet. Whenever I come across a recipe that calls for a Jiffy cornbread mix, I use the dry ingredients from this recipe instead. That way I can avoid the sweet wang that Jiffy has. This is also the cornbread I use to make dressing for holiday dinners.

Makes 8 servings.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 5 points per serving

Fruity Grilled Pork Tenderloin

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup plum jam

3/4 cup Cherry Coke

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb. each)

In a small sauce pan, mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, and jam over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Combine sauce with soda in a large plastic resealable bag; place meat in bag, and seal. 

Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Grill about 20 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Makes 8 servings.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 5 points per serving

This recipe came from allrecipes.com

Honey Mustard Chicken

1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins

Salt

Black pepper

½ c. honey

½ c. barbeque sauce

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. minced garlic

1-2 lemons, thinly sliced (seeds removed)

Spray bottom of 4 ½ quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Salt and Pepper the chicken and place in slow cooker. Mix honey, bbq sauce, mustard, and garlic together and pour over chicken, turning meat to coat. Lay lemon slices over top of chicken.

Cook on LOW for four to five hours.

Discard lemon slices, Serve chicken with sauce.

Sloppy Joes

1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 large bell pepper, any color, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 c. ketchup
½ tsp. minced garlic
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ c. water
Sandwich buns

Brown and drain or steam the ground beef. Set aside.

In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, sauté the green peppers and onions until softened. Add beef to vegetables in skillet. Stir, and then add ketchup, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, mustard, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Add ½ c. water. Restir. Then simmer over medium-low heat, about 15 minutes.

Serve on sandwich buns.

This is a modified recipe from Ree Drummond’s Blog, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Cheese-Garlic Biscuits

2 c. Bisquick

2/3 c. milk

1 c. shredded white cheddar

Dash of garlic powder

Additional milk for brushing

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Stir Bisquick, milk, cheese, and garlic powder until soft dough forms. Drop by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Brush tops with milk.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.