Singapore Chili Stir-Fried Shrimp

Need to spice up your repertoire? This will spice it up for sure.  However, unless your kids like heat, this is not a family friendly meal.  We are trying to eat healthier these days.  So I served this over a nice salad.  The salad didn't need any dressing.  I just used the sauce from the shrimp and it was delicious.  Have some water on the side just in case....

Adapted from: Cooks Illustrated
Directions:
1 pound jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled, deveined and butterflied
1 tablespoon cooking wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 - 3 scallions , white and light green parts, minced (about 1 tablespoon), plus 2 tablespoons scallion greens, sliced thin and reserved
2      TBSP minced jalapeño chiles
2 tsp minced garlic cloves
2      tsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup V8
3 tablespoons Sriracha
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions:


1. Toss shrimp with wine and soy sauce in medium bowl; set aside to marinate 10 minutes. Meanwhile combine minced scallion, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger in small bowl; set aside. Stir together in a separate bowl the V8, chili sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.
2. Heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add shrimp and cook, stirring every 10 seconds, until just turned pink, about 1 minute. Push shrimp to sides of skillet, clearing a spot in center of pan.
3.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and scallion mixture to clearing and mash with spoon; cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds, then stir mixture into shrimp. Remix the V8 mixture and stir into skillet; cook until sauce has thickened, 30 to 45 seconds.
4.  Sprinkle with reserved scallion greens, and serve.

Izakaya Seki

Here it is.  My first post on something I did not cook!  Date night took us to Izakaya Seki.  We knew there was going to be a wait, but even when we showed up at 9pm there was a 1 hour wait!

This is the place to be if you like sake or japanese beer.  They have the largest variety I have ever seen.  Since I am trying to not drink beer right now I tried the mixed drink called calpico and my husband had a Japanese lager that is described as ricey - Koshihikari Echigo.  It is a milky white drink that is mildly sweet.

Kalbi

Onto the food - there was so much on the menu that looked tempting.  I had a hard time picking what to try.  Unfortunate for me, my husband was not in an adventurous mood, but I still enjoyed the dinner.  We had the Sashimi Appetizer (no picture - I was starving!).  The fish was super fresh, but the highlight was the octopus. The octopus was perfect and I think I refrained from ordering a full order of just that.  The little plates that followed were kalbi (Grilled beef short rib), kara-age (Fried chicken), and kushikatsu (Pork Belly).

Kara-age

Date night was a success.  We really enjoyed the different Japanese cuisine and would love to go back and try the items on their specials list.  Go visit soon, but make sure you aren't starving when you get there.  

Izakaya Seki 1117 V Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009

Tuna noodle casserole

Comfort and easy for a weeknight. That is the goal for cooking after a full day of work! My family loves casseroles. I definitely did not grow up eating casseroles. I grew up eating stir fry, roast duck, soy sauce chicken, um any other chinese dish you can think of. So this casserole thing is quite a novelty. However, I am not a fan of canned soup casserole. Not saying I haven't used the Campbell's shortcuts in the past- afterall my husband loves the infamous greenbean casserole. The original recipe called for mushrooms. Unfortunately, my 13 year old claims mushrooms are not her favorite. Given her love of the greenbean casserole, I substituted her favorite vegetable.

Adapted from: Gourmet


Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 can french cut green beans
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup Cooking wine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (6-oz) can tuna in olive oil, drained
6 oz dried curly egg noodles (preferably Pennsylvania Dutch style; about 3 1/4 cups)
4 oz coarsely grated Cheddar (1 cup)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
2. Saute onion in 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with a pinch of salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add green beans drained, soy sauce, Sherry and boil, stirring occasionally, until the sherry is evaporated. Remove from heat.
4. Make the roux by melting the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Add broth in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Keep whisking otherwise it will clump up.
5. Whisk in milk and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in greenbean mixture, lemon juice, and salt.
6. Add flaked tuna into sauce and stir. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
7. Cook noodles in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain noodles in a colander and return to pot. Add sauce and stir gently to combine. Transfer mixture to baking dish, spreading evenly.
8. Cook 20 to 30 minutes and serve.

Lamb cutlets with mustard and thyme

Easy fancy grilling - this is the recipe for you. My husband thinks I slave all day to make him this fancy Lamb dinner. I'm sure that this would taste just as yummy on lamb chops as well. I usually serve it with grilled asparagus and cous cous. Little does he know it takes about 10 minutes to assemble and less then 8 mins to cook! I have been known to make this Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. It's a versatile dish and can even be made en masse for a dinner party. This recipe makes appetizers for 8 and dinner for 4. Put on your jacket and get outside to make this yummy dish.
Recipe from: Washington Post



Ingredients: 

2 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijon-style mustard
2 tsp low fat mayo
several sprigs thyme or lemon thyme
fresh ground pepper
2 racks (1 3/4 to 2 lbs) lamb, preferable cold and frenched already
coarse kosher salt.

Directions: 

1. Make the marinade -  Add the oil, mustard, mayo, thyme and generous amount of black pepper.  Use a fork to ensure the ingredients are combined.

2. Trim the lamb racks and cut into cutlets (lamb ribs).  

3. Marinade the lamb in mixture for 15 minutes or more. I tend to try to do at least an hour.

4. Preheat grill to med high.  Cook on grill for 3-4 mins on each side.

Chicken Marsala

An Italian favorite.  My husband's step mother made us Chicken Marsala when we went to visit her this past year.  I didn't realize it really was so easy.  The hardest part for me was finding the Marsala wine!  After a visit to my local Safeway - yes you locals know this trip was useless...I visited World Market of all places.  They truly are worldly at World Market.  I did not want to drown out the flavor of the dish by serving it with too much.  I served the chicken with buttered noodles, but I think next time I might try a carbonara.  This has definitely joined the regular rotation at my house!

Recipe adapted from: BJ's Monthly magazine

Ingredients:
  
4 Chicken boneless skinless half-breasts; (pounded to even thickness)
1/3 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
4 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoon Butter
1 clove Garlic
1 cup sliced cremini/bella mushrooms (fresh, sliced)
1/2 cup Marsala wine
Italian parsley for garnish

Directions:

1.  Combine flour, salt, and oregano in a shallow bowl.
2.  Heat the oil, butter, and garlic in a skillet. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and place in skillet.
3.  Saute the chicken on medium heat for about 2 minutes on the first side, until lightly brown. Flip the breasts and add the mushrooms around the chicken pieces. Saute chicken until cooked completely .
Remove chicken from skillet and place on serving plate(s).
4.  Add the wine to the mushrooms and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper.
5.  Spoon mushrooms and sauce over chicken, garnish with Italian parsley and serve.  Serve with buttered angel hair.

Quinoa Carrot Breakfast Bars

Mornings in my house are crazy.  In the midst of potty training, getting the clothes for potty training at school and feeding my child, I'm shocked I remember all I need to get out of the house - Oh wait.  That didn't happen yesterday.  I left the house with the nap mat, the potty training clothes, my work computer and my lunch....what did I forget?  My PURSE!  Good thing 1.  I had a yummy green smoothie for breakfast and I packed myself a snack cake for later in the morning.  I'm a big fan of pick it up and run.  This breakfast bar has potential.  I am publishing the recipe as I found it from another blog.  My recommendation???  Split the flour 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour.  The rest of the ingredients are super healthy for you.  A little splurge can't hurt - right?  Anyway....I have a week worth of breakfasts to grab and go!

from: Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
4 medium eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup grated carrot (1 large carrot)
1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions:
1.  In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.
2.  In another large bowl mix together eggs, yogurt, honey, and vanilla.
3.  Add dry ingredients and quinoa to wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined.
4.  Add carrot, raisins, coconut, and nuts and fold into the mixture.
5.  Pour into greased 8 x 8 baking pans.
5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
6.  Cool bars completely, cut and divide into freezer bags.

Spicy Chicken & White Bean Chili

Football means football food.  I have made various types of chili in the past... Cincinnati chili, Turkey chili.  I have never tired chicken chili.  This recipe appealed to me recently because it clearly uses the dark meat of a chicken.  I really do think white meat chicken might make the chili kind of dry.  The other reason this recipe appealed to me is that it didn't have to stew and cook all day to get flavor.  I was able to use my Vitamix twice while making the chili which is a win-win in my books!  I upped the chilpotles in this recipe to 3.  The heat is nice although it might make you sweat if you don't have a beer handy to wash it down!  In case you are wondering this might not be a kid-friendly meal if you kick up the heat!

Adapted from: Fine Cooking

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, cut in a medium dice
1 large white onion, finely diced
Juice of 2 limes, about 6 Tbs.
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
3 chipotles, plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
1-1/2 lb. boneless, skiness chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, or 3-1/2 cups shredded
store-roasted chicken
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 cup lager beer, such as Corona
Additional toppings: Sour cream
Serve with Cornbread

Directions:
1.  Make the topping by toss the avocado, about one-quarter of the onion, 2-1/2 Tbs. of the lime juice, and 2 Tbs. of the cilantro, salt and pepper to taste and put aside for garnishing later.
2.  In a food processor/Vitamix, combine 1 cup of the beans, the tomatoes and their juice, the chipotles,
and adobo sauce and process until smooth. Set aside.
3.  Season the chicken with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it's shimmering hot. Add the chicken (the thighs
should just fit, evenly spaced) and sear without touching until golden brown, 3 to 4
minutes. Flip and cook the other side until also golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and let rest for 10 minutes.
4.  Take the pot off the heat and set aside. When the chicken has rested, shred it by hand or chop
it coarsely.
5.  Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the remaining onion to the pot and cook, stirring,
until the onion begins to brown and soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder and cumin
and stir for 20 seconds.
6.  Add the beer and cook, scraping the dutch oven with a wooden spoon to incorporate any browned bits, until it almost completely reduces, 3 to 4 minutes.
7.  Add the remaining white beans and the puréed bean mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the chicken
along with any accumulated juices on the bottom of the plate.
8.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes so the chicken finishes cooking and the flavors mix and meld. Stir in 1-1/4 cup of the cilantro and the remaining lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
9.  Ladle into large bowls and serve immediately with a generous spoonful of the avocado
mixture, a dollop of sour cream (if using), and a sprinkling of the remaining cilantro.

Serve with cornbread.

New Year and New Resolutions?

Although I planned to post more in 2012 it seems that life got in the way. I had lots of highlights in 2012 including a ton of trips like Venice, FL, Palm Desert, CA, Nassau, Bahamas, Bowen Lake, WA, Rhehobeth Beach, DE, St. George & Las Vegas, NV, and lastly our girls trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico. (I know poor me) Somewhere in between there, I worked and spent loads of time planning social activities at the neighborhood pool. I think my husband is glad my duties will soon be over at our our pool so we can get back to enjoying time at the pool instead of working it. In 2012 I also was able to take a few cooking classes to expand my knowledge base. LivingSocial's 918 F Street is so convenient to take a class and I loved each one of them - Sushi with Sticky Rice, Sausage Making with Kyle Bailey from Birch and Barley, Pie making with Dangerously Delicious Pies were my favorites! Thanks @floridagirlindc for being my cooking class buddy.

So back to where we are...looking forward to 2013. Yes I am recommitting to the blog. The very first step is to make it easier to post to the blog. In my wealth of iDevices I have yet to successfully post through one of them. I've done my research and am trialing an app on my iPad mini called DraftCraft. Let me know if you know of better apps cause I need all the help i can get- including an excuse to get a wireless keyboard for my iPad mini as I type this!!! -forgive the mispellings.

2013 has motivated me to recommit to my love of food. Cooking and eating. Additionally I am thinking I need to expand my repertoire of cocktails I drink - even though I have been enjoying my pear martinis. Lastly my rededication to being healthy...my mommy bought me a VITAMIX....whooo hoo. Yes be prepared for smoothie recipes. I will continue to enjoy my various shades of green smoothie in the AM and frozen cocktails to start the evening then a homemade sherbert for dessert!!!

Anyway, motivation is something I am sharing also with my friend. I hope that my one friend will be launching her blog imminently AND when she does I will share and give her proper credit on this recipe. In the mean time I will share a recipe she taught me and my family enjoyed yesterday pre-Redskin loss.

Garlic Chicken Bacon Sandwich

Recipe from: my Gluten free Dairy free Carnivore friend

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast
8 slices of bacon
6 french rolls warmed
8 cloves of garlic minced
Lettuce or another green veggie

Directions:
1. Slice the chicken breast horizontally in half. Then pound each chicken piece to be more tender. Cut each breast half in half vertically. You should have 6 pieces of chicken now.
2. Cook the bacon to your desired tenderness. Crispy works well for the sandwich.
3. Place bacon on a paper towel to drain off the oil. Keep the baconfat goodness in the pan.
4. Over medium-high heat cook the chicken through on both sides. Then remove from the pan.
5. In the remaiing bacon fat goodness, saute garlic until browned.
6. To assemble the sandwich, in each roll place garlic, chicken, lettuce and bacon.

Tip: You might not want to go out on a date after this sandwich. If you do....bring your date a sandwich!!!