So I have a love - hate relationship with shrimp. My first real memory of shrimp dates back to 1986 in Spain. Dad ordered Paella and it was delivered with shrimp on it. The shrimp-ees had their heads, and shells, and feet, and everything still attached. I wasn't a fan of having to take apart my shrimp before I ate it - especially when one of them still had some egg sacks attached. Ick.
I'm not a fan of taking my shrimp apart. I like my shrimp peeled and deveined.
This recipe calls for shrimp with tails on it, which I'm fine with, but all I found to buy were shrimps that have their bodies still on and what I affectionately call their "poop track". I had to take them apart and remove the "poop track". Makes me not want to cook shrimp.
Still I managed and this recipe is easy and delicious. I made these early and chilled them then put them on a salad. Worked well for me.
I think I may make this again for a Sunday dinner appetizer.
Spicy Grilled Shrimp
Recipe from Cuisine at Home
makes 4 servings
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 T canola oil
1 T minced garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left on
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. For marinade, whisk everything but the shrimp together in a bowl. Place shrimp in bowl and let marinate for 5 minutes, or up to 30 minutes.
Grill shrimp until charred on both sides, basting with the marinade, about 2 minutes per side.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Grilled Asian Chicken
This particular recipe is from my favorite recipe cookbooks, Cuisine at Home. Their recipes are simple and usually delicious. This one is no exception.
I followed the recipe, mostly. I've been trying to be better about staying with the recipe lately. This one I only added a second tablespoon of soy sauce to the sauce for the noodles. It was a bit too peanut-buttery for me (I know, hard to do).
I did chop up the chicken and put it in with the noodles though. Seemed the easiest way to eat the chicken to me.
Anyhow, make this recipe. You won't be disappointed.
Grilled Asian Chicken
Recipe from Cuisine at Home
Serves 4
For the chicken marinade:
1 T soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Combine all the above, except chicken breasts. Put the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it. Seal it and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Preheat your grill while the chicken is marinating. Then grill the chicken until it's done.
8 oz spaghetti
1/2 c chicken broth (I use low sodium chicken broth)
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
2 T brown sugar
2 T rice vinegar
2 T lime juice
1 T soy sauce (this is where I used a second tablespoon)
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T garlic, minced
1 T chile garlic sauce
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. While it's cooking mix together chicken broth through chili garlic sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in cilantro. Check flavor, it may need some salt.
Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat.
Top each chicken breast with pasta and garnish with peanuts.
I followed the recipe, mostly. I've been trying to be better about staying with the recipe lately. This one I only added a second tablespoon of soy sauce to the sauce for the noodles. It was a bit too peanut-buttery for me (I know, hard to do).
I did chop up the chicken and put it in with the noodles though. Seemed the easiest way to eat the chicken to me.
Anyhow, make this recipe. You won't be disappointed.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Cuisine at Home |
Recipe from Cuisine at Home
Serves 4
For the chicken marinade:
1 T soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Combine all the above, except chicken breasts. Put the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it. Seal it and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Preheat your grill while the chicken is marinating. Then grill the chicken until it's done.
8 oz spaghetti
1/2 c chicken broth (I use low sodium chicken broth)
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
2 T brown sugar
2 T rice vinegar
2 T lime juice
1 T soy sauce (this is where I used a second tablespoon)
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T garlic, minced
1 T chile garlic sauce
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. While it's cooking mix together chicken broth through chili garlic sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in cilantro. Check flavor, it may need some salt.
Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat.
Top each chicken breast with pasta and garnish with peanuts.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Spaghetti Puttanesca
In prep to my visit to Italy, I'm making some Italian food this month. I started with a super easy and super delicious recipe; Spaghetti Puttanesca.
I love all the components of this recipe individually. Together they make a mouthwatering, delicious meal. I got a bit carried away with the red pepper flakes though. My mouth was on fire for a while after.
This is an Everyday Food recipe (a magazine created by Martha Stewart). Sadly the magazine is no longer in publication.
Spaghetti Puttanesca
Recipe from Everyday Food
Serves 6 (I reset the recipe to make for one)
1 pound spaghetti
I love all the components of this recipe individually. Together they make a mouthwatering, delicious meal. I got a bit carried away with the red pepper flakes though. My mouth was on fire for a while after.
This is an Everyday Food recipe (a magazine created by Martha Stewart). Sadly the magazine is no longer in publication.
Spaghetti Puttanesca
Recipe from Everyday Food
 |
| Courtesy of Everyday Food |
1 pound spaghetti
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 rinsed anchovies, (optional)
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, and their juice
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions; drain; return to pot.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and anchovies, if desired, mashing them with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes.
Add whole tomatoes and their juice, breaking up tomatoes with hands. Stir in capers and olives. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Toss with pasta; season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and anchovies, if desired, mashing them with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes.
Add whole tomatoes and their juice, breaking up tomatoes with hands. Stir in capers and olives. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Toss with pasta; season with salt and pepper.
Two things. First, I chose to not include the anchovies only because I didn't have any on hand AND I didn't want to spend any more $$. Anchovies would make this dish even better. When you cook anchovies they become almost nutty, not fishy at all. I would recommend making it with them.
The other thing is adding something like chicken to this would make this even more hearty. If I had chicken on hand I would have sautéed it up in chunks and added it to the mix.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Classic Roast Beef
At Christmas time I had purchased a rump roast - they were buy one get one free, so I got two. I ended up not cooking one for Christmas so had both in the freezer. I thought I'd do one for Sunday dinner and perhaps one another time. The "other" time came up when I hosted book club this month.
I wanted to follow the recipe exactly because I was determined to get a roast beef that was pink and not grey. Too much heat too quickly causes a grey looking meat that's kinda gross. I was successful in my endeavors. The meat was cooked to a perfect medium rare - if I do say so myself.
This recipe takes time for the beef to cook 2-3 hours. So you do have to plan ahead. I'm a fan of making sure my meat is at room temp before I cook it too - it doesn't shock the beef and then make it tough. Could be an old wives tale, but dad did so I do.
I made mashed potatoes on the side as well as this recipe makes a fantastic gravy. I saved the vegetables to make a pureed soup with down the road. You could serve them if you wanted to.
The best part is I have left overs for French dip sammies. Oh yummy.
Classic Roast Beef
Recipe from Cook's Country
Serves 6-8
1 (4-5 lb) boneless top round roast, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch
Salt and pepper
1 T vegetable oil
4 T unsalted butter
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
1 onion, cut into 1/2 " rings
1 celery rib, cut into 2" pieces
1/2 c flour
1 tsp tomato paste
2 (10.5oz) cans of beef consommé (Have 2 on hand, but depending on how much gravy you want, one can may be enough.)
1 1/2 c water
If your roast isn't bound, tie some kitchen twine around it to keep it together. Sprinkle roast with 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225F.Heat oil in 12" oven safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Brown all sides of the roast, set aside.
Pour off all but 2 T of fat from the skillet and reduce heat to medium and melt butter in skillet. Add carrots, onion and celery and cook until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste and cook until flour is golden and tomato paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Off heat, push vegetables to the center off skillet. Place roast on top of vegetables and transfer skillet to oven - uncovered. cook until meat registers 125 for medium rare, 2-3 hours (Jenn note: I cooked mine to 150 for medium rare. It could be my meat thermometer, but 125 seems very rare to me.
Transfer roast to carving board, ten with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, using potholder, return skillet with vegetables to medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in consommé and water, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, 10-15 minutes. Strain gravy through a fine mesh strainer into 4 cups liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste - though check it first, mine was plenty salty.
Remove twine from roast and slice thin against the grain. Serve with gravy.
I wanted to follow the recipe exactly because I was determined to get a roast beef that was pink and not grey. Too much heat too quickly causes a grey looking meat that's kinda gross. I was successful in my endeavors. The meat was cooked to a perfect medium rare - if I do say so myself.
This recipe takes time for the beef to cook 2-3 hours. So you do have to plan ahead. I'm a fan of making sure my meat is at room temp before I cook it too - it doesn't shock the beef and then make it tough. Could be an old wives tale, but dad did so I do.
I made mashed potatoes on the side as well as this recipe makes a fantastic gravy. I saved the vegetables to make a pureed soup with down the road. You could serve them if you wanted to.
The best part is I have left overs for French dip sammies. Oh yummy.
Classic Roast Beef
Recipe from Cook's Country
Serves 6-8
 |
| Photo courtesy of Cook's Country |
1 (4-5 lb) boneless top round roast, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch
Salt and pepper
1 T vegetable oil
4 T unsalted butter
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
1 onion, cut into 1/2 " rings
1 celery rib, cut into 2" pieces
1/2 c flour
1 tsp tomato paste
2 (10.5oz) cans of beef consommé (Have 2 on hand, but depending on how much gravy you want, one can may be enough.)
1 1/2 c water
If your roast isn't bound, tie some kitchen twine around it to keep it together. Sprinkle roast with 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225F.Heat oil in 12" oven safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Brown all sides of the roast, set aside.
Pour off all but 2 T of fat from the skillet and reduce heat to medium and melt butter in skillet. Add carrots, onion and celery and cook until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste and cook until flour is golden and tomato paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Off heat, push vegetables to the center off skillet. Place roast on top of vegetables and transfer skillet to oven - uncovered. cook until meat registers 125 for medium rare, 2-3 hours (Jenn note: I cooked mine to 150 for medium rare. It could be my meat thermometer, but 125 seems very rare to me.
Transfer roast to carving board, ten with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, using potholder, return skillet with vegetables to medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in consommé and water, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, 10-15 minutes. Strain gravy through a fine mesh strainer into 4 cups liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste - though check it first, mine was plenty salty.
Remove twine from roast and slice thin against the grain. Serve with gravy.