Recipes - Melissa Cookston (2024)

Grilled Lemon Pepper Lobster Tails

March 27, 2023

if you asked most people to pick the most decadent dish, you’d find lobster tails would be among the top vote-getters. Most people reserve lobster tails for very special occasions, and generally only order them in a restaurant. While lobster is no “value meal,” you can definitely make better lobster

Garlic Parmesan Squash Saute

March 25, 2023

In the South, we value side dishes as much as the main course. So much so that dinner at my house is often made up of side dishes. A tradition around here is to get a “meat and three” or a “veggie plate” at many local diners. This Garlic Parmesan

Smoked Buffalo Pork Tenderloin

March 20, 2023

Pork tenderloins don’t get nearly enough ink as an all-around excellent dinner option. They’re hard to overcook, easy to portion, and take any flavor profile you want to give them. Like American BBQ? Ok. How about Asian-flavored- perfect. Thinking a bit more Mediterranean? Well, they’ll be excellent in that as

Easy Habanero Grilled Shrimp

March 12, 2023

When you want delicious grilled shrimp, you can’t be afraid of the flames! This recipe for Easy Habanero Grilled Shrimp is super tasty and super delicious. Best of all, you can get it cooked in only 4-5 minutes! The Best Shrimp for Habanero Grilled Shrimp I grew up in Mississippi,

Amazing Crab Cake Recipe

March 12, 2023

Crab cakes are one of my favorite things to eat, and I like to treat myself and my family to them occasionally. This Amazing Crab Cake Recipe is a mixture of Jumbo Lump crab meat and lump crab meat, for a rich texture and flavor. Many crab cakes are full

Easy Garlicky Green Beans

March 4, 2023

This Garlicky Green Bean recipe uses French green beans, or haricot vert. This is a type of green bean that is thinned and usually harvested earlier than the thicker “green bean” that Americans are used to eating. They’re not the most common item in my area, but they can be

Smoked Beef Rib Bites

March 4, 2023

Beef spare and back ribs get short-shrift in the PR department. Pork ribs, beef plate ribs, (those “dinosaur” ribs you see,) and beef short ribs always get the big love on pics and posts. But I’m here to tell you when you cook beef ribs into Beef Rib Bites as

Smoked Lemon Pepper Spatchco*ck Chicken

February 26, 2023

I really love smoked chicken, but a lot of recipes are just a heavy, BBQ flavor that’s just too potent sometimes. My recipe for Smoked Lemon Pepper Spatchco*ck Chicken has a beautiful, light, citrus flavor as the prevalent note. However, I love those umami mid-flavors, so I used my Garlic

Tenderloin Tips in Brown Gravy

February 26, 2023

I like buying whole cuts of meat and breaking them down. Whole ribeyes can be broken down in several ways- steaks only, prime rib roasts and steaks, ribeyes, ribeye caps, Delmonico steaks, or any combination. The same is with whole sirloins, whole pork loins, and such. But whole beef

Cajun Sloppy Joes Sandwiches Recipe

February 18, 2023

While I am well aware that my Cajun Sloppy Joes Sandwiches Recipe won’t break down any culinary doors, it is an easy, flavorful, twist on a classic weeknight dinner. Sloppy Joe sandwiches are delicious, let’s face it. They’re easy to cook, and kids love them. This version is a bit

Easy BBQ Shrimp

February 18, 2023

BBQ Shrimp is a classic New Orleans dish. “BBQ” in the name is a bit of a misnomer, there is no grilling or smoking involved. Rather, the dish is a combination of butter (plenty of butter,) garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Traditionally, the shrimp are sautéed shell-on (and sometimes head

Red Beans and Rice

February 17, 2023

Red Beans and Rice is one of my favorite comfort food dishes. Unlike many of those dishes, red beans and rice is a welcome dish in summer as well as chilly weather. The sultry spiciness of cajun spices cool hot summer nights as well as warm up crisp fall evenings.

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