Monday, December 27, 2010

Shrimp with Ginger and Lime


I adapted this from a Wolfgang Puck recipe-  and cooked the shrimp with the snow peas under the broiler as opposed to the grill or BBQ. 

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20 count)
2 limes, each cut into 4 wedges
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro

mix together lime juice, olive oil, ginger, brown sugar, garlic, zest and sesame oil. pour over peeled deveined shrimp, marinate for 30 minutes.

I put mine under the broiler with some snow peas and served over brown rice.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Chili Chicken with Basil

Oh my stars.  If you like spicy, try this recipe.  It's just spicy enough that it stays with you, not so spicy that you want to cry. :)  The only thing I did different was to add a little chopped green onion with the basil.

Chili Chicken with Basil (from Women's Health magazine) 4 servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 thai bird chiles (or serrano chiles)
1 tsp soy sauce
2 C loosely packed fresh basil (I chopped mine after measuring)
1 Tbsp fish sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/2 Tbsp peanut oil or canola oil
1/2 Tbsp red chili paste (I just used sriracha)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cracked pepper
Cooked Brown Rice, if desired, for serving (this is what I used)

1.
Finely chop the garlic and chilies, then use the side of your knife to press them together into a rough paste. (Add a pinch of salt to make this process easier.)
2.
Preheat a wok or stainless-steel saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the garlic-chili paste you just made, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic). Chop the chicken into small pieces and add them to the pan, cooking until they're lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, red-chili paste, and sugar, and continue to cook until the chicken is done all the way through, another 3 to 4 minutes.
3.
Add the pepper and basil, and cook until the basil is just wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately over brown rice.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

It was cold and snowy the other night, a perfect stew night, and Scott & I had the house to ourselves, so I made chicken stew with biscuits.  I'm still trying to master the perfect biscuit recipe, so until I do, I use storebought buttermilk biscuit dough,  This is my own stew recipe, super simple, super easy, and really delicious.  I use a rotisserie chicken when I'm in a hurry, if I have the time, I roast my own chicken, and use the carcass to make stock. 

Chicken Stew with Biscuits (serves 6)

1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 stalks celery, diced
2 peeled carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T flour
4 C chicken stock
1 C milk or cream
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large rotisserie chicken, pulled from the bones and diced
parsley, for garnish

saute the celery, carrots, and onion in the olive oil until they begin to turn translucent and tender.  season with salt and pepper. 
add flour, cook for a few minutes to cook off the flour taste.
add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
add milk.
add chicken and allow stew to simmer. 

while stew is simmering, cook biscuits according to package directions.

If your stew needs to be thicker, you can make a slurry of cornstarch and broth to add to it, or you can mash up some butter in flour and add to the stew-  an old trick from culinary school.  :) 

when biscuits are just about done, taste stew for seasoning and re-season if needed.  Split biscuit into bowl and ladle stew over biscuits. Garnish with parsley.  :)  yay!  now devour!

stuffed peppers

  My thoughts on this one:  I thought this was a good recipe, but I tend to like things a little saltier and spicier.  Next time I'd do pepperjack instead of cheddar, and I'd grate it and mix it throughout.  I would also use taco seasoning to give the meat a spicier flavor.  If I were going for an italian style pepper, I think I'd use italian sausage and maybe a combination of cheeses.  But it's a good starting point. 
Stuffed Peppers

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1/2 c. water
6 asst. colored bell peppers
1 c. cooked white rice (or more if you like more rice)
  • 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
  • Cheddar Cheese


  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef with the onion soup mix and water until evenly browned.  Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers.  Parboil for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)  In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 cup marinara sauce. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper, leaving about 1/4" or so space at the top. Spoon the remaining sauce over the stuffed peppers.  Cut cheddar cheese into sticks and insert 4 sticks an equal distance around inside edge of filled peppers.  Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until the peppers are tender.

potato pancakes

Giada's Potato Pancake recipe.  I love this alone, or with bacon gravy.  It's perfection. 


  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch diameter) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about another 2 minutes. Season the onion mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Reserve the pan.


Meanwhile, grate the potatoes in a food processor using the grating attachment blade. Use a kitchen towel to help squeeze out the water from the grated potatoes. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add the Parmesan and the basil. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.


Warm the remaining olive oil over high heat in the same pan that was used to cook the onions. When the pan is hot, but not smoking add the potato mixture. Use a spatula to press the mixture down into the pan firmly and evenly. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the potato mixture until the bottom is golden brown and the pancake can move in the pan, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low if the pancake is browning too fast in places. Place a large plate on top of the pancake and flip the pancake out of the pan. Turn the heat on the pan back up to high. When the pan is hot slide the pancake back into the pan and cook until the bottom is golden and is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Slide the pancake onto a serving platter, slice, and serve.