Clam Chowder Darling

After a bad experience with restaurant clam chowder on Friday, I dug out a tried-and-true recipe for Monday's dinner at home. Here it is with thanks to Renny Darling and The Joy of Eating.

Clam  Chowder  Darling

Serves 4

8 strips of bacon, optional

4 medium-sized red potatoes, peeled and finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter or bacon fat

2 small onions, very finely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 6-ounce cans minced clams, undrained

2 cups bottled clam juice

1 teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup heavy cream at room temperature

1 cup regular whipping cream at room temperature

Salt and white pepper to taste

Parsley, snipped, for garnish

1. If using bacon, sauté bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Then transfer to a double thickness of paper towels to drain.

2. Boil chopped potatoes in water for about 4 minutes. Use 4- or 5-quart pan, but only use as much water as you need. When finished, drain potatoes and remove from pan. Wipe pan dry to use for next step.

3. Melt butter or bacon fat in the same pan used for the potatoes.

4. Sauté onions on medium heat until tender.

5. Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.

6. Crumble the cooked bacon into the pot. Also add undrained clams, clam juice, basil, thyme, heavy cream, regular cream, and cooked potatoes.

7. Bring to a gentle simmer. Gently simmer for about 10 minutes.

8. Season with salt and white pepper.

9. Serve hot with a bit of snipped parsley sprinkled on the top.

Crab Rangoon

This month, my assignment for Secret Recipe Club was:

Morsels of Life

Somehow, I ran across her recipe for Baked Crab Rangoon.  I have been in love with Crab Rangoon since I first learned how to make them in college.  I have always deep fried them, and they are fabulous.  I was intrigued by this baked version so there was no question about my recipe choice.

I did do a few things differently.  First, I sprayed the muffin tin with olive oil spray, put the wonton wrappers in, then sprayed the wrappers and crossed my fingers.  It worked just fine.  I did pull them out after just 5 minutes in the oven.  They were browning quickly on the corners and I was concerned about warming them up again with the cream cheese mixture.

I don't have access to much crab meat in the small desert town where I live, so I picked up some canned.  I used more cream cheese, because I couldn't see how 1/4 cup could possibly stretch to fill 20 wonton skins, (wonder if it's a typo?) and stirred in the green onion because that's how I make mine.  I was interested to see what the lemon juice and Worcestershire brought to the rangoon, because I don't add them to mine.  I chose to omit the sour cream, no real reason other than it was optional.

The first batch turned out okay, but I lowered the oven temperature for the second baking as I was concerned about burning and 3 minutes wasn't really enough to warm the cream cheese very much.  I guess we just prefer the deep-fried version with the melty cheese!  Don't get me wrong, we still ate them all!!

For the second batch, we decided to put the cream cheese mixture in before baking the wontons at all.  I baked those for 7 minutes, and the result was good.  The cream cheese mixture was hot and creamy, but the wontons were a bit less crispy on the bottom. 

I'd say you could do it either way, really.  These would be a good appetizer to make ahead for a party if you didn't want to be standing around deep-frying, just have them made up and pop them in the oven (or not) right before the party starts, but just know they're not exactly what you'd expect from a crab rangoon.

Please follow the link if you'd like to see the original recipe.  My version is listed below. 

P.S. Next time I will omit the Worcestershire as well. 

They are pretty little things!

Crab Rangoon
Adapted from Morsels of Life

24 wonton skins
1 can of crab meat, about 6 ounces
2 teaspoons lemon juice
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (omit)
4-5 green onions, sliced (3 stirred in, 1-2 reserved for garnish)

Spray muffin tin with olive oil, press wonton skins gently into tins, then lightly spray skins.

Bake at 375 degrees F about 5 minutes, and wonton skins should be crispy.  *(see above for alternate baking option)

Meanwhile, combine remaining materials (except crab) and mix well. Gently mix in crab. Spoon filling into wonton shell, about 1 tablespoon per wonton.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes to warm up entire Crab Rangoon, if desired, keeping a close eye on them so they don't burn. Garnish with reserved green onions.

Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

I don't recall ever trying one of Emeril's recipes before. I could be wrong, but I know I don't have any of his cookbooks, and I just can't think of one that I've tried. This recipe came from Everyday Food magazine, which you know I love.

Anyway, it's a great, easy recipe, and you likely have almost everything you need in your pantry. All I had to buy was fresh broccoli and I happened to be out of sausage. That's it! I will be looking more closely at Emeril's recipes too after this one...

It has a secret ingredient, which I haven't told anyone about, because people have such strong feelings about it. We've made it two or three times already! I took a batch of this pasta to a Boy Scout banquet last week, and more than one person liked it. A friend of ours even asked for the recipe, which I planned on posting here regardless.

We LOVE it. At least Number One and I do. H-Bomb picks out the sausage, Sawed Off picks out the broccoli, they trade and everyone is happy!

The text in the magazine says, "Anchovies are the secret ingredient in this dish. They give it a deep, savory flavor without a bit of fishiness, so if you're tempted to skip them, don't." I agree, DON'T. I have actually used an entire tin in one batch of the pasta, although for the banquet I stuck to the 4 fillets. The first time you make this, unless you're a huge fan of those little fishes, you should probably use 4 fillets. But a whole tin is delicious too!


On to the recipe. Enjoy!

Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage
Serves 6
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound pasta (Emeril uses rigatoni, we've used penne, farfalle, etc.)
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 pound Italian sausage (I just use a package of Jimmy Dean's Italian)
Parmesan, grated, for serving

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. In last 2 minutes of cooking, add broccoli and cook until bright green and crisp-tender. (just cook for the 2 minutes) Carefully reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, anchovies, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Add sausage to empty pasta pot and cook over medium-high, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and coked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, return pasta and broccoli to pot, and add oil mixture. Toss well to combine, adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta (I usually end up using about 1/2 cup water). Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.

Taste & Create: Shrimp Laksa

*Taste & Create is an amazing monthly food blog event, created by my friend Nicole of For the Love of Food. Participants are paired up randomly, and each create a recipe from their partner's blog! It is so fun! Please join us. The deadline to sign up is the 8th day of each month, email me at cowgirlmin07[at]gmail[dot]com if you're interested!

My partner this time was Vicky from Avocado Pesto. I'm sorry to say this recipe is embarrassingly late, but better late than never, I suppose.

So initially I was intrigued by these pork/dough things on Vicky's blog, called Cha Sui Bao, don't they look fabulous, and Vicky even emailed me the recipe! I decided I didn't have the ambition, let alone the ingredients, to prepare that dish now. But I WILL. Some day.

After some more searching, I decided to make Vicky's Almond Macaroons. And then that just didn't happen. Am I glad that I didn't settle for making some cookies with which Vicky herself wasn't thrilled.

I was searching again, in desperation now, when I found it. A recipe that sounded so delicious, I just had to make it that night. It is called Shrimp Laksa, and it is heavenly. A fairly simple Malaysian shrimp soup, with coconut milk and curry paste and a dollop of peanut butter, shrimp and lightly crunchy fresh vegetables. It was so good. I will definitely be making it again!

My pictures look different than Vicky's, perhaps because her cilantro appeared to be used whole, as more of a garnish, while I just chopped mine and tossed it in the pot. You can see what a colorful, flavorful soup this is! Did I mention, I'm making this again? ;-)

I do have two young boys, and although one of them eats Cholula sauce by the spoonful, he doesn't like his regular food to be spicy, so I modified a bit. Also couldn't find lemongrass (no surprise) in my teeny tiny grocery. But hey, we even had a box of rice noodles in the pantry! It was destined. You'll find my modifications below in parenthesis. Follow the link to check out more of Vicky's creations!

So the verdict from the boys: the 8-year-old loved it, the almost-6-year-old did not. We also loved it, so the 6 year old is out of luck, I'm making it again!!

a very bad, poorly lit iPod photo, but here it is served up with the noodles!

Shrimp Laksa
Serves about 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

2 teaspoons fresh lemongrass, finely diced (I used a few long strands of fresh lime peel, knowing that cilantro would be added at the end, I read online that citrus peel + cilantro is a fair substitute although not exactly the same)

1-2 teaspoons red chili, chopped (I wasn't sure which type of chile, so I didn't use any)

2 teaspoon ginger, grated, DIVIDED

10-12 oz raw shrimp, halved lengthwise (we left them whole)

1 can coconut milk (400 ml)

1 liter chicken stock

1 tablespoon chunky peanut butter

4 teaspoons lime juice (I used juice from one half a lime)

3 teaspoons red curry paste (I used 2 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons fish sauce

4 oz sugar snap peas, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 green onion, sliced into 4 pieces lengthwise and then into long strings (this was hard, I did it the first time but next time I'll probably just chop them up)

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

8 oz vermicelli thin rice noodles, cooked according to package directions and rinsed with cold water

sriracha, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and cook onions over medium heat for 3 minutes and then add lemongrass, red chili and 1 teaspoon ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. (I didn't read this, and just added everything together. It still turned out)

2. Add the coconut milk, red curry paste and peanut butter to pan, whisking until smooth.

3. Add the fish sauce, chicken stock, ginger, shrimp, sugar snap peas and red pepper. Cook until shrimp is pink and vegetables have cooked a little but are still crunchy.

4. Add lime juice, green onions and cilantro.

5. Serve with vermicelli noodles and add sriracha to taste.

Roasted Salmon with Lentils

We have one boy, H-Bomb, who LOVES salmon (and all seafood!) and one boy, Sawed Off, who doesn't like salmon at all. We keep serving it. Last night, when I served up this roasted salmon with lentils, Sawed Off immediately said he doesn't like salmon, he didn't want to eat salmon, etc. complain etc. I asked him if he wanted sauce. He said no. Then I poured sauce on his dad's salmon, and Sawed Off said, "That sauce smells good." So I asked him if he wanted the sauce on the side or on top, and he said on top!

Sawed Off ATE that salmon and loved it, and even asked for more sauce on top! Give this recipe a try, even if someone in your family has mixed feelings about salmon. You might be surprised. And if you like salmon, try this recipe, it's a good one!



Roasted Salmon with Lentils
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

3/4 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
(I also added 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
nonstick cooking spray

Combine the lentils and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery (and carrot); cover, and continue cooking until the lentils and vegetables are just tender, 15 to 25 minutes more. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer the lentil mixture to a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid with the vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic and parsley; season with salt and pepper. *I prepped all these ingredients while the lentils were cooking, then added the cooking liquid at the end.* Toss half the dressing with the lentil mixture.

Heat the broiler. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the salmon on the sheet; broil until opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon the lentils onto 4 plates; top with the salmon, flaking it into large pieces, if desired. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

This recipe comes from a weeknight favorite of mine, Everday Food: Great Food Fast.

It's a great cookbook for fairly last-minute dinners, and I turn to it often.

Kara-Áge Tilapia and Homemade Ponzu Sauce

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program, I received a free box of Kikkoman Kara-Áge Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix. I have never heard of Kara-Áge [KAH-rah AH-geh] before, but reading the box and the letter from foodbuzz informed me that it is Japanese-style fried chicken, or fish. "One of the most popular cooking techniques in Japan...Kikkoman has made age-old traditions modern, by simplifying the recipe for today's family."

For the Kara-Áge, my husband thawed and cut up tilapia in 1-1/2" square pieces. The coating mix is very fragrant, right out of the box. It smells delicious. The method couldn't be easier: add mix to a bag, toss fish pieces, then fry in 1/4" oil for 2 to 4 minutes.


The box recommends serving the chicken or fish with Kikkoman Ponzu or Lime Ponzu. Of course I didn't have any Ponzu, and didn't have a clue what Ponzu is, or how to make it, but thank you very much google! I found a recipe in The New York Times. Then reading the Ponzu recipe, I didn't know what dried bonita flakes are...google told me they are dried fish, which of course I didn't have, so I added a splash of fish sauce. That may be completely wrong, but I don't know any better! I used the sake and sugar in place of the mirin, and tossed in a piece of toasted seaweed instead of kelp.

Kara-Áge Tilapia and Homemade Ponzu Sauce

I had such high hopes for this Kara-Áge fish...but the aromatic mix doesn't contribute much flavor to the final product. It tastes like fried fish, which is fine, because that is indeed what it is. It is better dipped in the Ponzu sauce, but overall just not something to get excited about. The Ponzu sauce is fairly tasty, and it will be interesting to see how it is with other dishes.

Personally, the fish made my lips and mouth go a bit numb, so there must be some ingredient to which I was having a reaction. At first I really thought it was the sake in the sauce, but after the numb sensation had worn off, I ate several pieces of fish with no sauce, and surprisingly my mouth went numb again, definitely from the fish itself. I have no idea what that's about, and it's unfortunate, I'm just glad it wore off quickly!

Ponzu Sauce

Source: The New York Times

Yield 2 1/2 cups

Time 15 minutes, plus 2 hours

Homemade ponzu will keep for several days with no loss in quality.

• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, more to taste
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice, more to taste
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 cup good-quality soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin (or 1/4 cup sake and 1 tablespoon sugar)
• 1 3-inch piece kelp (konbu)
• 1/2 cup (about 1/4 ounce) dried bonito flakes
  
• Pinch cayenne

• In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Let sit for at least 2 hours or overnight. Strain. Just before using, you might add a small squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. Covered and refrigerated, ponzu will keep for at least several days.

Bayou Eggplant and Shrimp Dressing

A friend of a friend posted this recipe on facebook, and I had all the ingredients (except cornbread!) so I decided to try it. The recipe comes from food.com, follow the link below.

I chose a new cornbread recipe to try out for this dressing, a true Southern unsweetened corn bread. I baked the cornbread in the morning, crumbled it and let it dry most of the day (rather than overnight).

For some reason this took some time to put together, longer than I expected. Perhaps in part due to peeling the shrimp? Or maybe because I recently moved my computer out of the kitchen (what??) and refused to print out the recipe...Anyway, allow yourself some time for this. It is a colorful dish when it's going together, and smells great.

On first taste, I have to admit I wasn't impressed. It was okay, but I didn't know if I'd make it again. But this dressing grew on me, and by the end of the dinner I was in definite *like* with it...more and more. I can now say that I really like it. And I can't wait to taste it tomorrow, as a leftover.



Bayou Eggplant and Shrimp Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, with leaves, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs eggplants, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
10 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread (dried overnight)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs, beaten
1 -1 1/2 cup chicken broth (or as needed) or 1 -1 1/2 cup turkey broth (or as needed)
3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, to taste

Heat the oil (medium heat) in a large non-stick skillet. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute/stir for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the eggplant, stir to combine. Cover and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes or until the eggplant is tender; stir frequently.

Add the shrimp and Cajun seasoning; cook/stir for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp are pink. Put the shrimp mixture into a large mixing bowl; add in the crumbled cornbread and parsley.

Gradually stir in the eggs and approximately 1 cup broth, until the mixture is evenly moist but not soggy. Season to with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a buttered casserole dish; drizzle with 1/2 cup broth.

Cover and bake in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes; uncover the last 15 minutes of cooking time if you want a crusty dressing.

Aunt Diane's Fresh Shrimp Dip

You might guess that I got this recipe from Aunt Diane. It's true. We went to her house over the weekend for a family get-together with a couple of our Australian friends, and she had this dip out for us when we arrived. I immediately asked for the recipe. Of course Diane said fresh shrimp are better, but in true ranch wife fashion, you make do with what you have. In her case, and in mine today, we used canned shrimp.

I didn't have all the measurements, so I winged it with the ingredients. But I think it turned out pretty darn good. I'm taking it to our girl's retreat this weekend, we'll just see what Aunt Diane says about how I did!

*I will try to remember to take a picture...if not this time, then next time for sure!

Aunt Diane's Fresh Shrimp Dip

1 8-ounce block cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2-4 green onions, minced
1/2 of a large green pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
shrimp (this time I used 1 6-ounce can of "tiny shrimp," drained

Mix ingredients and refrigerate for at least two hours. Stir before serving.

Serve with Wheat Thins and assorted vegetables.

Salmon with Thai Rice Salad

We had this salmon with rice salad back in December, when the season wasn't right but it sounded good anyway. This is a fantastic spring/summer dish, with the cold and flavorful rice salad underneath a nice piece of salmon.

If you're not used to the flavor of fish sauce, the first bite of rice might taste a bit odd, but just keep eating it in between bites of salmon and you will fall in love...that's what happened to me. I can't wait to have this again when the weather warms up!


Salmon with Thai Rice Salad

Rich broiled salmon rests atop a lean vegetable-and-rice salad to make a beautifully balanced meal. The Asian dressing includes big impact flavors--fish sauce, lime juice and cayenne--but very little oil. Wine Recommendation: Rieslings are among the most versatile of white wines and one of the few that work well with salads. With this Thai-inspired dish, try a simple kabinett from Germany's Mosel region.

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
3 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch cayenne
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 carrots, grated
4 scallions including green tops, chopped
6 tablespoons chopped cilantro or fresh parsley
2 pounds skinless center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stir the rice into a medium pot of boiling salted water and cook until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly.

In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the sugar and cayenne. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, cucumber, carrots, scallions and cilantro.

Heat the broiler. Oil a broiler pan or baking sheet. Coat the salmon with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Put the salmon on the pan. Broil until just barely done (fish should still be translucent in the center), about 5 minutes for a 1-inch-thick fillet. Put the rice salad on plates and top with the salmon.

New Orleans-style Barbecue Shrimp

I found this recipe over at Louanne's Kitchen and immediately knew I had to try it. I halved the recipe and it more than fed five of us. I used less cayenne than the recipe called for, and it turned out perfectly.

SCRUMPTIOUS!!!! This shrimp is soooooo good. Bread for mopping up the sauce is a must. Our shrimp had tails on, but no heads. Delicious, I couldn't stop eating them! Try these TODAY!!


New Orleans-style Barbecue Shrimp
Recipe adapted by Louanne, from the cookbook: Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make A Roux?

6 lbs large shrimp (heads on, don’t peel them)

2 sticks butter

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon minced garlic (recipe calls for 1 teaspoon garlic powder, but Louanne prefers fresh~for my half recipe, I used 1 clove garlic)

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne (I used less than 1/2 teaspoon for my half recipe)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Rinse and drain shrimp, then spread in a large baking pan while making sauce.

Melt butter over medium low heat, add remaining ingredients and remove from heat. Allow sauce to cool for 5-7 minutes, then pour over shrimp. Marinate shrimp for 1 hour.

While shrimp are marinating, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake shrimp from 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes. *I totally forgot to stir the shrimp at all, and they turned out fine.

Do not overcook.

Serve in bowls with plenty of the sauce and lots of French bread for sopping up the sauce.

Senegalese Shrimp Soup

I have wanted to try this soup ever since I saw the recipe back in June. I ran across it on Iron Stef's Del.icio.us listings: Kitchen Parade's Sengalese (sic) Soup. You can serve this soup warm or cold, and delicious as it is warm, I think it would be fabulous served cold in the summer.

The whole family loved it. Next time I am doubling the shrimp. I used large ones, so each of us only got three or four shrimp, not enough! I'm going to stick with the large shrimp, but use 1 whole pound. Our shrimp were frozen and raw, so I thawed them in a bowl under cold running water while I was putting the rest of the soup together. When added to the soup, they were cooked through in less than 10 minutes.

It's fairly quick to put together, so have your ingredients prepped and ready. The soup has refreshingly complex flavors, hard to describe. We didn't let it sit for 6 hours, but I can imagine how much more fabulous it would be!

In my opinion, the lime zest is a must too.

Senegalese Shrimp Soup

Slightly sweet with honey,
summer corn and shrimp.

4 servings
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes - 24 hours

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 3-1/2 cups (28 ounces) low-fat chicken broth (not homemade)
  
• 2 tablespoons lime juice from about 2 limes
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup milk (preferably 2%, skim doesn't work)
• ½ pound shrimp (uncooked or cooked)
• Salt to taste
• Strips of lime zest, for garnish
  

Heat a Dutch oven on medium high. Add butter. When bubbly, add onion and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes until onion is tender. Stir in flour and curry and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in chicken broth, lime juice and honey and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer. Stir in corn and simmer for 3 minutes. Add milk and shrimp. If serving warm, heat completely but do not boil, until shrimp is fully cooked (if uncooked) or warmed through (if cooked). Season to taste. To serve, top with lime zest. If serving cold, refrigerate until cold. The soup improves if left to rest for 6 - 24 hours before serving.

Roasted Salmon with Potatoes

Here's another recipe from Real Simple's website that we had for dinner last night. I had some salmon fillets, but didn't know how I wanted to cook them. This is easy, and you only use one pan. The recipe calls for mushrooms, which I didn't have...I'm not sure how good they would have tasted with this, so let me know if you add them!

H-Bomb LOVED this, even with the sauce, and kept saying, "Thank you for making this salmon, Mom, I love it!" He said it at least three times. Sawed Off didn't like it one bit. Number One and I thought it was good.


Roasted Salmon with Potatoes (and mushrooms)

Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

• 1 pound small new potatoes (about 10), halved
• 8 ounces mushrooms, optional
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• salmon fillets (1 large or 4 small = 1 per person)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes.
3. Push the vegetables to the edges of the pan and place the salmon in the center. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
4. Roast until the salmon is opaque throughout, the mushrooms are tender, and the potatoes are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, and parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salmon and vegetables before serving.

Taste & Create: Curried Tilapia with Coconut Rice & Wilted Spinach

It's Taste & Create time again! T&C was created by Nicole of For the Love of Food. It's a super fun event in which food bloggers are paired off and tasked with preparing a recipe from their partner's blog.

This month, I ended up with two partners, including Megan of A Bolder Table. So hard to choose just one recipe! I did a search for coconut, and found this recipe for Curried Mahi Mahi with Coconut Rice.

First, I had to figure out what Kecap Manis is...I couldn't find it at the store (I don't think anyone is surprised by this), so I decided to hunt for a recipe. I found a recipe at Gourmet Sleuth spelled Ketjap Manis, but of course I changed it. You can find the Kecap Manis recipe here.

Next, mahi mahi isn't available at our store either. I know, it's unbelievable. Luckily, since they installed the new freezer in the meat section, we can get frozen tilapia that's very good and very affordable. So I decided to go with that, and I'm going to grill the fish. I'm not a big fan of broiling...

Megan didn't say how much fish to use, so I just thawed five filets, enough for the four of us and an extra just in case.

Other than the grilling, I pretty much followed Megan's recipe. My notes are in italics below. At the last minute I decided to use my trusty grill pan, well-oiled.

I ended up grilling the fish on my grill pan for about 6 minutes per side, and it was perfectly cooked!


Curried Tilapia is EXCELLENT. We will definitely be making this again. Coconut Rice got mixed reviews, and all but one loved the spinach. What a great meal! Thanks, Megan!

Curried Tilapia with Coconut Rice & Wilted Spinach

When the fish is thawed, marinate it for an hour or so.
For this dish the marinade is:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil*I used 2 tablespoons oil because the marinade seemed too thick
  
• 2 tablespoons coconut fat (from the top of an undisturbed can of coconut milk)*my coconut milk didn't have any fat on top, it was more of a solid, so I just scooped out 2 tablespoons
  
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• fresh ground black pepper
• Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes)*I left this out because I have two small boys
  
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• a pinch of paprika
• a pinch of ground coriander
• 2 TB Kecap Manis (known as Sweet Soy Sauce in Indonesia)

Whisk the marinade together until well combined, turn fish to coat evenly. Let the fish marinate in the fridge for an hour or so while prepping the rest of the meal. When the rice is almost done, start broiling or grilling the fish, flipping it once, for about 5 minutes on each side or until flaky.

To make Coconut Rice:

Follow instructions for the rice of your choice, but add some coconut milk and fat to the water while it cooks. Super simple and delicious. *I used half water and half coconut milk.

We also did as Megan did, and wilted some fresh spinach in a pan with some peanut oil and a little soy sauce for some greens on the side.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Once upon a time, we had a Housewarming party. (okay, I'll admit it was just a few months ago) In addition to the real-life party, I opened it up to virtual participation. One guest showed up online, and it was the lovely steph from a whisk and a spoon. She brought Southwestern-style Garlic Shrimp Tapas, and guacamole and oven-baked tortilla chips! I've been drooling over steph's shrimp since then.

When a night came that I didn't know what to have for dinner, but had a bag of uncooked shrimp in the freezer, I thought of steph's shrimp. My shrimp had some issues, namely it was frozen, sort of small, and still had the shell on. I couldn't make the shrimp spicy and serve it up to the boys, and I wanted to serve it with pasta.

This is what I came up with, I totally used steph's techniques and recipe, just left out a couple ingredients. I encourage you to try steph's Southwestern-style shrimp, but if you need a quick family meal, you've come to the right place.

I thawed the shrimp by placing them in a bowl and running cold water over them until they were ready. Then I drained the shrimp. I left the shells on because I just didn't want to deal with peeling that many shrimp, and I decided it would add an element of fun to the dinner table--look, boys, you get to take the legs off your shrimp!

I marinated the shrimp and put some water on for pasta, this time we used about 1/2 pound of spaghetti.

I'll just get on with the recipe. This garlic shrimp pasta was delicious and light, and easy! Everyone loved it. (and I forgot to add the parsley)


Garlic Shrimp Pasta
adapted from a whisk & a spoon
serves 4, with a bit leftover

half a pound of pasta, al dente

about 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined if you wish
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 500°F. In a bowl, combine the shrimp with about one third of the minced garlic, two tablespoons of olive oil and salt. Let shrimp marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature (this should be long enough for your oven to preheat).

Once the oven is hot, pour the remaining olive oil into a medium-size, shallow casserole or baking dish (or a seasoned Spanish cazuela). Add the remaining minced garlic and the bay leaf and bake until sizzling, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and marinade to the sizzling oil, and return the dish to the oven. Bake (stirring once) for another 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through. The shrimp is done when there is no more gray, but rather all the shrimp are whitish-pink. For me this took several minutes longer, just keep an eye on it. Remove shrimp from oven. Throw out the bay leaf and season with additional salt (if necessary).

Meanwhile, drain cooked pasta and put in a large bowl. When shrimp is done, toss shrimp and oil with the pasta, until pasta is coated. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

*If you don't peel and devein the shrimp, make sure you tell your family they'll have to do it at their plates.

CAJUN COCKTAIL SAUCE and a cute way to serve it

Hi, Tamy here from OUR KrAzY kitchen, Always Eat On the Good China and 3 Sides of Crazy. Just dropping in to offer a family favorite in time for Mardi Gras which officially starts tomorrow, Fat Tuesday!

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon (save your rind to make the cute serving dish)
2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Frank's red pepper hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
Shrimp for dipping

• I use my mini food processor to mix it all in until well blended.
• Chill for a day or so before needed to allow flavors to meld together.

originally posted on Always Eat On the Good China

Steak & Shrimp with Parsley Potatoes

For the main course of our At Home Valentine's Dinner, we'll be having Steak & Shrimp, along with these delicious-sounding Parsley Potatoes, Caesar Salad and Black Forest Upside-Down Cakes! Of course we're doubling the recipe to serve our family of four. All recipes are from Everyday Food magazine.

We decided at the last minute not to make the shrimp. I wasn't able to find large shrimp, forgot to get them out of the freezer ahead of time and didn't feel like peeling a bunch of size 51/60 per pound shrimp. Although H-Bomb was most disappointed, we'll have to have those another night.

We cooked the steaks as directed, and I have to say that the spooning of hot butter has fabulous results. You've got to try it! These steaks were great! I can't remember what cut I bought, but they were delicious.


Because we didn't make the shrimp, I just tossed the potatoes in the pan we took the steaks out of (no wiping) and added the butter and parsley. YUM. Even H-Bomb, not a potato lover~the kid doesn't even like french fries!~said they were the best potatoes ever.


I'll report back on the shrimp!

Steak & Shrimp with Parsley Potatoes
Serves 2
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

This classic surf and turf is easy to make at home. Spooning hot butter over the beef is a steakhouse trick that helps it cook evenly and enhances its flavor.

1/2 pound small new red potatoes, halved or quartered if large
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 filet mignon, sirloin, or flat-iron steaks (6 ounces each)
3 sprigs thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 extra-large shrimp (6 ounces total), peeled and deveined, tails left on
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Place potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Season with salt; bring to a boil over medium, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Pat steaks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. When oil just begins to smoke, add steaks to skillet. Cook until browned well on all sides, turning with tongs as needed, about 10 minutes total (reduce heat to prevent burning as needed). Reduce heat to medium, top steaks with thyme, and add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. When butter froths, tilt skillet slightly so butter pools and repeatedly spoon it over steaks, 1 minute. Transfer steaks to a plate and tent with foil.

3. Briefly rinse skillet under cold water and return to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet; when it froths, add shrimp and cook until beginning to brown at edges, about 2 minutes, turning halfway through. Season with salt and pepper, add half the parsley and toss. Transfer to a plate.

4. Return skillet to medium heat and add cooked potatoes. Cook, stirring, until potatoes are heated through and starting to break down, 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon butter and remaining parsley and toss to coat. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Serve steak and shrimp with potatoes.

Superbowl Sunday - Spicy Shrimp

I think everyone knows The Pioneer Woman. This recipe is the basics from one of her recipes and boy is it ever good!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of shrimp in shells
• About 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 -3 lemons
• Tabasco
  
• Worcestershire
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1-2 sticks of butter

Directions - Spread shrimp in single layer on a large, deep cookie sheet. Drizzle oil over shrimp, squeeze fresh lemons over shrimp, add generous splashes of Tabasco and Worcestershire all over the top along with a sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, dot top with pats of butter. Broil until done, about 10-15 minutes.

This will be on my Superbowl buffet today!

Smoked Trout Spread

At the family reunion last summer, Aunt Kathy gave me a gorgeous new cookbook: The Vineyard Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes & Wine Pairings Inspired by America's Vineyards. She had it signed for me by the photographer. Kathy owns a terrific book store in California, and is always sending us books (signed by authors no less!) that she thinks we will enjoy. So thoughtful and generous! Thank you, Aunt Kathy!

This is the first recipe I've tried out of the new cookbook, but there are many more that also look delicious. I really wanted to make this spread with smoked trout for our Housewarming Extravaganza, but for some reason we couldn't find any so we substituted smoked salmon.

I didn't have the time (or the help!) to assemble the spread on toasted pumpernickel triangles adorned with cucumbers and dill, but I was confident that our guests could figure out what to do! We served this dip with artfully sliced cucumbers and/or Artisan Bread Crostini, and I was right: our guests knew exactly what to do with this delicious spread--eat it any way they could!

The next time I run across smoked trout, I will be making this again. I'm sure it's equally delicious either way!



Smoked Trout Spread

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
1 pound smoked trout filet, cut into small pieces (I used smoked salmon)
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
4 scallions, trimmed and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
24 small slices of pumpernickel bread, toasted and cut into triangles (optional)
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
dill sprigs, for garnish (optional)

1. Place the ricotta cheese, sour cream, smoked trout, horseradish, scallions, dill, lemon juice and pepper to taste in a food processor. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings and process again. Scrape into a bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before serving.

2. Spread the pumpernickel toasts, if using, with the trout mixture and top with cucumber slices. Garnish each toast with dill sprig and serve.

Housewarming Extravaganza~Virtual Roundup!

It's a good thing we made so much real food for our Housewarming Extravaganza, because although we had several virtual guests on facebook and online, only one person brought food!

Steph of a whisk & a spoon is so sweet and thoughtful, she went all out to make our party special. Her Southwestern-Style Garlic Shrimp Tapas were so delicious, a definite favorite at our party. She also brought some guacamole with spicy toasted squash seeds and oven baked tortilla chips--YUM!

Photo courtesy of steph

Thanks, Steph! We're glad you could celebrate with us!

Here is her recipe if you'd like to make some shrimp for yourself. I know I'm going to!

Easy Crab Dip

I know I found this recipe in one of my books, but I only wrote down the ingredient list, not the amounts or title. I had to sort of wing it with the measurements, and ended up doing it my own way. If I run across the original recipe again, it will be interesting to compare notes!

I found lump crab meat at Costco, I would not substitute canned crab meat for this dip, it just wouldn't be as tasty. Prepare this delicious dip one day ahead of time to allow the flavors to combine. (this dip is even better the day after the party!)


Crab Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
fresh chives, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
scant 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Cholula)
1 pound lump crab meat

Mix all ingredients except crab with a mixer until creamy. Fold in crab meat with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula (not the mixer!) until combined. Cover and store in refrigerator at least 24 hours. Stir before serving with Artisan Bread Crostini.