A few days ago I had dinner at a friend's house. Correction, a few days ago I cooked dinner at a friend's house. Nothing fancy, just some shrimp and greens with a salad. It was fabulous, so I thought I'd share the tricks of perfect shrimp.
First, let me talk about the shrimp themselves. I like to buy shrimp without heads, but no yet cleaned. This is because I usually buy them on sale in one pound bags, then freeze them. I think the shells help protect the fragile meat from breaking up when they thaw.
So, in the morning, take your frozen shrimp block out of the freezer and put into a bowl in the fridge (to avoid a puddle in your fridge). Around dinner time, take the shrimp out and put them into a collander in the sink while you prep the rest.
Rinse one pound of rainbow chard dry well.
Slice one or two cloves of garlic into chips.
Now it is time to clean your shrimp. Begin by peeling the shell off, grabbing the feet and 'unwrapping' the meat. Next, take a paring knife and run it along the back of the shrimp revealing the vein. This is not really a vein. It is really a poop shoot. It can be sandy, but even if it's not, it's still a yucky idea. Rinse said vein away under cool running water and continue onto the next little guy. I say little figuratively. I think shrimp smaller than 18-20 per pound are kind of a waste of time. They are hard to clean and it takes a lot of them to fill you up. A pound of 18-20s will feed two adults and a kid no problem.
Next, toss your clean shrimp with 1/4 cup of veg oil, the garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp oregano and 1 tsp basil.
And save those shells! They will refreeze great to be available for stock as needed.
Place a 10 in stainless skillet on med hi heat and let it warm for 2-3 minutes. Then drop your shrimp in. Cook 2-3 min on the first side, or until they pink and curl up. Once you flip them, toss the chard on top and squeeze a lemon over all. Cook another 2 minutes then mix the chard with the shrimp. Cook maybe one more minute, just until chard melts.
Drop in 1 tblsp butter to finish the sauce.
MMMM.. Serve alone or over a simple pasta.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
And so I return!
Hello everyone!
After an extended hiatus, I am returning to my blog as I think it will be a simpler way of sharing my recipes than repeatedly writing them on dinner napkins.
After an extended hiatus, I am returning to my blog as I think it will be a simpler way of sharing my recipes than repeatedly writing them on dinner napkins.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
BBQ Game Hen
I recently found out that according to the US Department of Agriculture,
Cornish Game Hens are actually just little chickens. Bigger than fluffy yellow chicks
But small chickens non-the-less. It is interesting that here in the good old U S of A, we are willing to pay more for something that takes less time and food than the original. A full size chicken, or pullet, takes 42 days to mature. Game hens? Only 29 days. And because they are smaller, they take up less space. And they eat less. But we continue to pay more for them.
Why? Well, I like a game hen because it is just enough, when served with three sides, to feed my husband, my baby, and me. No left-overs. But there is some thought that the immature bird has a better flavor. Hmm, I'm not sold on this point.
Anyway, tonight for dinner, I made a BBQ Game Hen, with sweet potato, green beans with bacon, and tomato salad. (We are leaving town Friday, I'm trying to clean out the fridge.)
Begin by peeling the skin off the hen. The BBQ sauce will stop it from ever getting crispy, and wobbly chicken skin is GROSS! Next, thoroughly season, with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Place into a no-stickem sprayed casserole dish. Now it's time for the BBQ sauce.
Combine 1 cup ketchup with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tsp. Soy Sauce, 1 tsp. Hot sauce, and 1 tsp. Garlic Powder.
Paint a thin layer of said sauce onto bird and place in a cold oven.
Turn oven on to 350 and set timer for 20 minutes.
Go read with your kid until the timer goes off.
Now pull the bird out and paint on another layer of the sauce.
Return to the oven and increase temp to 375, set timer for 15 minutes.
Wash your sweet potato. One large sweet potato will feed both my husband and me, so I only cook one. Wrap in cling wrap.
Chop 2 slices of bacon into 1/2 inch wide strips. Cut the direction where you end up with like 25 strips, not like 3. Put into sauce pan on low heat. Brown bacon, stirring occasionally. When crispy, add 1 can cut green beans. Cover. Leave alone on low.
Play tag with your kid until the timer goes off. You're it.
Repaint your bird again, return to oven and raise temp to 400. Set timer for 10 minutes.
Put sweet potato in microwave and turn on High for 7 minutes.
More tag. Now you kid is it.
When the timer goes off, paint your bird one more time, and reset timer for 10 more minutes.
Leave the sweet potato in the micro, though poke it to ensure it is pretty soft.
Slice up 2 tomatoes and 1/4 red onion. You want to go thick on the tomato and thin on the onion. Toss with olive oil and champagne vinegar.
Set the table.
Pull the hen and paint one last time. Leave in dish to rest while you plate.
Unwrap and split the sweet potato, give each person one half. Dot with butter and S&P.
Add a pile of green beans and tomatoes.
Now divide your hen down the middle and give each of you half.
Now eat dammit!
Cornish Game Hens are actually just little chickens. Bigger than fluffy yellow chicks
But small chickens non-the-less. It is interesting that here in the good old U S of A, we are willing to pay more for something that takes less time and food than the original. A full size chicken, or pullet, takes 42 days to mature. Game hens? Only 29 days. And because they are smaller, they take up less space. And they eat less. But we continue to pay more for them.
Why? Well, I like a game hen because it is just enough, when served with three sides, to feed my husband, my baby, and me. No left-overs. But there is some thought that the immature bird has a better flavor. Hmm, I'm not sold on this point.
Anyway, tonight for dinner, I made a BBQ Game Hen, with sweet potato, green beans with bacon, and tomato salad. (We are leaving town Friday, I'm trying to clean out the fridge.)
Begin by peeling the skin off the hen. The BBQ sauce will stop it from ever getting crispy, and wobbly chicken skin is GROSS! Next, thoroughly season, with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Place into a no-stickem sprayed casserole dish. Now it's time for the BBQ sauce.
Combine 1 cup ketchup with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tsp. Soy Sauce, 1 tsp. Hot sauce, and 1 tsp. Garlic Powder.
Paint a thin layer of said sauce onto bird and place in a cold oven.
Turn oven on to 350 and set timer for 20 minutes.
Go read with your kid until the timer goes off.
Now pull the bird out and paint on another layer of the sauce.
Return to the oven and increase temp to 375, set timer for 15 minutes.
Wash your sweet potato. One large sweet potato will feed both my husband and me, so I only cook one. Wrap in cling wrap.
Chop 2 slices of bacon into 1/2 inch wide strips. Cut the direction where you end up with like 25 strips, not like 3. Put into sauce pan on low heat. Brown bacon, stirring occasionally. When crispy, add 1 can cut green beans. Cover. Leave alone on low.
Play tag with your kid until the timer goes off. You're it.
Repaint your bird again, return to oven and raise temp to 400. Set timer for 10 minutes.
Put sweet potato in microwave and turn on High for 7 minutes.
More tag. Now you kid is it.
When the timer goes off, paint your bird one more time, and reset timer for 10 more minutes.
Leave the sweet potato in the micro, though poke it to ensure it is pretty soft.
Slice up 2 tomatoes and 1/4 red onion. You want to go thick on the tomato and thin on the onion. Toss with olive oil and champagne vinegar.
Set the table.
Pull the hen and paint one last time. Leave in dish to rest while you plate.
Unwrap and split the sweet potato, give each person one half. Dot with butter and S&P.
Add a pile of green beans and tomatoes.
Now divide your hen down the middle and give each of you half.
Now eat dammit!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Lobster... Yep, Lobster! Pan Roasted!
Now I love me some lobster! But I am living on chef wages here, so it is not something I get to taste, let alone feast on, very often.
But this week lobster tails are only $3 at my local supermarket. Yes, I said $3 each. Now that is a bargin! I guess the store received a new shipment of live guys before the last had been sold, so to make room, they hacked the remnants of the last shipment into tails and claws. While I think claw meat is a little sweeter, I don't think it is worth $6.99/pound if the shell. It is just too hard to get to, and you don't get very much (those shells are heavy!).
So, I got three of said tails wrapped up and brought them home. (One more note, when you only buy tails there is way less of the "oh my god, I'm killing a live animal" feeling; and this is something I can live my life with a little less of.)
Once home, I sliced up 4 or 5 cloves of garlic and added them to a stainless pan with a few tablespoons of veg oil on Medium heat and let them infuse the oil for a few minutes, watching to be sure they didn't burn. In the meantime... I lay the tails legs up and with a good chef's knife, crack through the bottom shell on the tails. Next, I crack said tails open, so the meat is exposed. A little salt for seasoning, and then they go flesh down into the pan. I add 2-3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and put it into an oven that has been PREHEATED to 400 degrees.
The tails cook 4-5 minutes, or just until the butter starts to brown. Then remove from the oven an pull the tails out of the pan to a plate to rest.
Serve over couscous (from a box) and add a few spoons of the yummy sauce to each.
Delicious every time!
But this week lobster tails are only $3 at my local supermarket. Yes, I said $3 each. Now that is a bargin! I guess the store received a new shipment of live guys before the last had been sold, so to make room, they hacked the remnants of the last shipment into tails and claws. While I think claw meat is a little sweeter, I don't think it is worth $6.99/pound if the shell. It is just too hard to get to, and you don't get very much (those shells are heavy!).
So, I got three of said tails wrapped up and brought them home. (One more note, when you only buy tails there is way less of the "oh my god, I'm killing a live animal" feeling; and this is something I can live my life with a little less of.)
Once home, I sliced up 4 or 5 cloves of garlic and added them to a stainless pan with a few tablespoons of veg oil on Medium heat and let them infuse the oil for a few minutes, watching to be sure they didn't burn. In the meantime... I lay the tails legs up and with a good chef's knife, crack through the bottom shell on the tails. Next, I crack said tails open, so the meat is exposed. A little salt for seasoning, and then they go flesh down into the pan. I add 2-3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and put it into an oven that has been PREHEATED to 400 degrees.
The tails cook 4-5 minutes, or just until the butter starts to brown. Then remove from the oven an pull the tails out of the pan to a plate to rest.
Serve over couscous (from a box) and add a few spoons of the yummy sauce to each.
Delicious every time!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
The slow cooker is another one of those forgotten wonders. You get everything ready, you put it in, you go away. When you return- Voila! Dinner!
This does require a little more prep than some people are willing to put in, so I have also included a less-prep version.
Begin by turning on your slow cooker to get it heating up. If you have Medium as a heat setting option, use it. If you have Hi or Low, go with Hi. If you just have On, that is cool too.
More prep version:
Begin by cutting 1 1/2 # of beef steak, (sirloin, tri-tip, what ever is on sale) into 2" cubes. Season generously with Kosher salt (1 tsp), Pepper (1/2 tsp) , and garlic powder (1 tsp.), Rub it in good!
Next, heat a stainless skillet on high with 2 tblsp. vegetable oil. (If you only have non-stick pans, stick to the simple version below). When oil ripples, turn heat to medium and add cubes of beef. Now you don't want any of the cubes touching, so you may have to do more than one round here. When the beef 'releases' from the pan, roll each piece as to sear a new side. The beef wont let go of the pan unless it is ready to be turned. That is how you know it is ready, it lets go. If it is stuck, it is still searing, so leave it alone. Look for 30-45 seconds per side. I usually to 2 sides.
Add the seared cubes to your slow cooker. If you are doing more than one pan full, be sure to add more oil, about another tablespoon, each time.
Once all your beef is in the slow cooker we are ready to use our Fond.
Fond is the fancy name for those little bits stuck in your stainless skillet.
To get those little bits loose, we are going to de-glaze our pan with some red wine. It's winter here, so I am using a Beaujolais Nouveau, but just whatever medium bodied red you have and like. Simply return your pan to Hi for 15 seconds, then pour in 1 cup of the wine and reset the heat to Meduim. Use a wooden spoon to help loosen the yummies. Mix a slurry of 3 tblsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water (I usually do this in a coffee cup). Add to pan, stirring as you pour. Now add this mixture to your slow cooker. Finish as below.
Less Prep Version:
Put your raw cubes of beef into your slowcooker. Add 1 cup red wine. Mix a slurry of 3 tblsp cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Add to slowcooker. STIR ALOT!
Continuing On:
Add 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup frozen pearl onions, 4 small potatoes (peeled and 1" cubed), 2 sticks of celery (cut into bite size pieces), and 15 baby carrots (cut in thirds). Add 1/2 cup beef stock, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary and 1 can diced tomatoes.
Close slowcooker.
Go away for at least 4 hours.
YUM!
Searing the beef adds alot of flavor both to the beef, and to the broth, by way of carmelization. It also helps the meat break down and become more tender faster.
This does require a little more prep than some people are willing to put in, so I have also included a less-prep version.
Begin by turning on your slow cooker to get it heating up. If you have Medium as a heat setting option, use it. If you have Hi or Low, go with Hi. If you just have On, that is cool too.
More prep version:
Begin by cutting 1 1/2 # of beef steak, (sirloin, tri-tip, what ever is on sale) into 2" cubes. Season generously with Kosher salt (1 tsp), Pepper (1/2 tsp) , and garlic powder (1 tsp.), Rub it in good!
Next, heat a stainless skillet on high with 2 tblsp. vegetable oil. (If you only have non-stick pans, stick to the simple version below). When oil ripples, turn heat to medium and add cubes of beef. Now you don't want any of the cubes touching, so you may have to do more than one round here. When the beef 'releases' from the pan, roll each piece as to sear a new side. The beef wont let go of the pan unless it is ready to be turned. That is how you know it is ready, it lets go. If it is stuck, it is still searing, so leave it alone. Look for 30-45 seconds per side. I usually to 2 sides.
Add the seared cubes to your slow cooker. If you are doing more than one pan full, be sure to add more oil, about another tablespoon, each time.
Once all your beef is in the slow cooker we are ready to use our Fond.
Fond is the fancy name for those little bits stuck in your stainless skillet.
To get those little bits loose, we are going to de-glaze our pan with some red wine. It's winter here, so I am using a Beaujolais Nouveau, but just whatever medium bodied red you have and like. Simply return your pan to Hi for 15 seconds, then pour in 1 cup of the wine and reset the heat to Meduim. Use a wooden spoon to help loosen the yummies. Mix a slurry of 3 tblsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water (I usually do this in a coffee cup). Add to pan, stirring as you pour. Now add this mixture to your slow cooker. Finish as below.
Less Prep Version:
Put your raw cubes of beef into your slowcooker. Add 1 cup red wine. Mix a slurry of 3 tblsp cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Add to slowcooker. STIR ALOT!
Continuing On:
Add 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup frozen pearl onions, 4 small potatoes (peeled and 1" cubed), 2 sticks of celery (cut into bite size pieces), and 15 baby carrots (cut in thirds). Add 1/2 cup beef stock, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary and 1 can diced tomatoes.
Close slowcooker.
Go away for at least 4 hours.
YUM!
Searing the beef adds alot of flavor both to the beef, and to the broth, by way of carmelization. It also helps the meat break down and become more tender faster.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Asian Chicken Salad
I'm not sure what makes this salad Asian. Perhaps the cabbage? Or the Turmeric? Or perhaps it is actually better described as chicken salad everyone will like.
Begin by slicing your chicken breast (1/2 breast per person) into long narrow, about 1 1/2 inch wide, strips. (This is for 2 breasts) Place into a bowl with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp turmeric, salt, pepper, and oh let's say 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Stir well. Add t tblsp olive oil. This will help to keep the chicken moist as it cooks. Now let that hang out and "get happy" for about an hour.
Next, put 4 eggs in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for 15 min.
In the meantime, slice cabbage as thin as possible, more like shave it, until you have about 1 cup. Slice an avocado and two medium tomatoes.
Always buy the best tomatoes the store has. It is worth the extra 50 cents to get something great, instead of wasting the first 50 cents to get something with no flavor. In the summer, buy local, the rest of the year, look for on the vine "hot house." The vine will keep the sugars in the tomatoes from being used up so fast by the cells, and hot house means it grew in a green house.
Okay, now slice 1/4 cup of red onion, thin is key here as well. Thick onion is spicy, thin delicate onion is sweet and refreshing!
Now pour out the hot water from your eggs and fill the pot with cold water. Whack each egg on the narrow end and put back into the pot. Let sit another 5 minutes. This will make peeling the egg SOOO easy.
Now, mix your cabbage with 1/2 bag of romaine lettuce. I buy bagged lettuce because you only serve sandy greens once and your learn the value of machine washing.
Top with the tomato, avocado, and red onion. I like to mix this in a separate bowl, then pour them over top of the lettuce and cabbage mix.
Now it's time to cook the chicken. Place a piece of foil onto a jelly-roll pan and add 4 tblsp vegetable oil, spread thin. Lay out chicken so it isn't touching. Put into a cold oven. Turn oven on to 450 degrees. Cook 10 min.
Top salad with chicken. Next pour olive oil over the whole thing, maybe 4 tblsps. Now squeeze 1/2 lemon over the top of that. Season with salt and pepper.
Ta-da!
Begin by slicing your chicken breast (1/2 breast per person) into long narrow, about 1 1/2 inch wide, strips. (This is for 2 breasts) Place into a bowl with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp turmeric, salt, pepper, and oh let's say 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Stir well. Add t tblsp olive oil. This will help to keep the chicken moist as it cooks. Now let that hang out and "get happy" for about an hour.
Next, put 4 eggs in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for 15 min.
In the meantime, slice cabbage as thin as possible, more like shave it, until you have about 1 cup. Slice an avocado and two medium tomatoes.
Always buy the best tomatoes the store has. It is worth the extra 50 cents to get something great, instead of wasting the first 50 cents to get something with no flavor. In the summer, buy local, the rest of the year, look for on the vine "hot house." The vine will keep the sugars in the tomatoes from being used up so fast by the cells, and hot house means it grew in a green house.
Okay, now slice 1/4 cup of red onion, thin is key here as well. Thick onion is spicy, thin delicate onion is sweet and refreshing!
Now pour out the hot water from your eggs and fill the pot with cold water. Whack each egg on the narrow end and put back into the pot. Let sit another 5 minutes. This will make peeling the egg SOOO easy.
Now, mix your cabbage with 1/2 bag of romaine lettuce. I buy bagged lettuce because you only serve sandy greens once and your learn the value of machine washing.
Top with the tomato, avocado, and red onion. I like to mix this in a separate bowl, then pour them over top of the lettuce and cabbage mix.
Now it's time to cook the chicken. Place a piece of foil onto a jelly-roll pan and add 4 tblsp vegetable oil, spread thin. Lay out chicken so it isn't touching. Put into a cold oven. Turn oven on to 450 degrees. Cook 10 min.
Top salad with chicken. Next pour olive oil over the whole thing, maybe 4 tblsps. Now squeeze 1/2 lemon over the top of that. Season with salt and pepper.
Ta-da!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
How to bone a chicken breast
Here is a little How-To video on boning and skinning chicken breast.
First we skin: Simply run your fingers between the meat and the skin, pulling as you go.
Now the harder part, the bones:
Begin with the bones up, and meat down on cutting board. You want the point of the chicken pointing at you. Run a good boning knife along the keel bone toward you. Start with a shallow cut, then with each stoke of the knife, go a little deeper. Run your fingers through this groove to ensure there are no little attachments. Next, cut away from yourself, once again following the bone. Now continue to deepen your cuts, keeping your knife as close to the rib bones as possible until they fall away.
Now simply clean up your chicken breast by trimming off the extra fat.
Remember: Save all the stuff you cut off for soup by throwing it into a ziptop bag and freezing.
First we skin: Simply run your fingers between the meat and the skin, pulling as you go.
Now the harder part, the bones:
Begin with the bones up, and meat down on cutting board. You want the point of the chicken pointing at you. Run a good boning knife along the keel bone toward you. Start with a shallow cut, then with each stoke of the knife, go a little deeper. Run your fingers through this groove to ensure there are no little attachments. Next, cut away from yourself, once again following the bone. Now continue to deepen your cuts, keeping your knife as close to the rib bones as possible until they fall away.
Now simply clean up your chicken breast by trimming off the extra fat.
Remember: Save all the stuff you cut off for soup by throwing it into a ziptop bag and freezing.
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