Spiced Shrimp and Clementine Salsa

Now is the time to buy a box of clementines before they go out of season and before the price of citrus sky-rockets. If your clementines are getting old and you need to use them up, why not make a meal out of them? This recipe for spiced shrimp and clementine salsa is light and satisfying. It's a great way to get use out of all of those spices in your spice rack that you haven't touched in a while.

I added some olive oil to my bag of spiced shrimp before grilling them. Also, I didn't follow the salsa amounts exactly since I was only making enough for my husband and I. So I eyeballed the measurements. As far as I could tell from the recipe they wanted you to have whole sections of the clementines in the salsa. That would make the salsa too dry and chunky in my opinion so I essentially supremed my clementines. Instead of using a knife I just used my hands to peel off the skin and I separated the flesh with my fingers. When I tasted the final salsa it was a little sour for my taste so I added a little sugar. The final product was delicious and the shrimp would work well with many salsas, sauces, and side dishes. I served the meal with an orzo salad but couscous would go really well with the shrimp.

Calamari Fritti

Last night I knew I had to use the calamari that I had de-thawed in my fridge before it went bad. Since it was already 10pm and we were starving, I decided to make a quick calamari; something I've never done before. Now that I own a deep fryer it's a fairly easy meal to make.

I had an unopened box of corn flakes and heard that they made a good coating for calamari. So, I coated the squid in flour, then an egg/milk mixture (1 egg, 1 T. milk), and a final coating of crunched up corn flakes. Then I deep fried each batch for 1-2 minutes until golden.

The calamari were really good. I served them with a roasted red pepper marinara sauce on the side. The calamari were much more tender than I expected (since they had been previously frozen) and the corn flakes provided the perfect crunch and flavor. It didn't even need any spices (although some spice wouldn't have hurt the dish).

For a quick snack or appetizer I definitely recommend making calamari fritti with corn flakes! Or, if you're like me, it can make a quick late-night meal.

Tom Yum Revisited

Tom Yum Koong

4-5 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined (reserve shells)
1 package of white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
12 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
2 scallions, green parts, cut into 2 inch strips
5 thick slices of fresh ginger
3 thai chilies, or to taste
1 tsp. red chile paste
juice of 2-3 limes
2-3 T. fish sauce
1 slice of tomato, if desired

1. Place rinsed off shrimp shells in a pot of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
2. Remove shells.
3. Add shrimp, mushrooms, lime leaves, scallions, ginger, chilies, and red chile paste. Boil for 5-6 minutes.
4. Add fish sauce and lime juice and simmer for several more minutes.

I think this soup tastes better after it's been in the fridge for a while and then reheated. Keep all of the ingredients in the soup (do not remove anything; if you need to, instruct guests not to eat leaves, ginger, and chilies).

Personally, I wouldn't bother making this soup without the lime leaves. I did in the past and now I realize that the lime leaves MAKE Tom Yum. Tom Yum without lime leaves is merely a poser.

This soup lasts all week if it's just for one or two people. Otherwise I would say it serves about six. It might be an acquired taste, though. I don't know many people who like Tom Yum who aren't experts regarding Thai cuisine.

You can find kaffir lime leaves at 99 Ranch Market in Kearny Mesa (and other locations in Southern CA) or possibly your local Asian market (they're not easy to find). They are usually in the produce section.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp Salad

Summer is upon us and it's time to start making those light summer salads. My favorite shrimp salad is from Eating Well's June/July 2005 issue all about shrimp. This tasty salad is perfect for picnics, potluck, and leftovers. I think it tastes even better when you stuff it inside tomatoes.

Click here for the recipe.


Note: When I made this for dinner the other night I was extremely upset to find out that the pound-and-a-half of shrimp that I had bought was smelly! I know, I should have asked to smell it first but it was cheap and looked fine. I was sure that I would have to throw it out but after boiling the shrimp for a few minutes I peeled and chopped them up and quickly stir-fried them in my wok with a tiny amount of minced garlic. This instantly got rid of the shrimpy smell and worked out perfectly in the shrimp salad.

Shrimp Banh Mi

I know I've mentioned this sandwich several times in the past and I just know that you all are dying to get the recipe.

Fortunately the recipe is online at Eating Well.com. This magazine has really surprised me. I think eating healthy is extremely important but it's not always that easy to come up with innovative cooking recipes when limiting fat, calories, etc. Eating Well does a really good job at mixing it up. Their recipes are interesting and satisfying. Their Shrimp Banh Mi is, while not authentic by any means, delicious.

A few notes:

1.) Tonight I used very large shrimp but I actually think that smaller shrimp work better for this sandwich.

2.) Personally, I wouldn't make this if you don't have plain yogurt. While an authentic banh mi has only mayo, the yogurt is healthier and makes the consistency moist and much tastier than just plain mayo.

3.) Add the 1/4 t. of cayenne. It gives it a nice kick without being spicy.

4.) I use my Kyocera slicer to slice up the carrots and cucumbers. I also add the cucumbers to the bowl of rice wine vinegar (although I've just been using rice vinegar). While it sounds like I'm being paid by Kyocera, I'm not. I truly think their mandolines and julienne slicers save LOTS of time and effort.

5.) 99 Ranch Market makes the BEST "sub" rolls for Banh Mi's. Go out and get some and put them in the freezer. If you're not in the area then try your local Asian grocery store. You can also use the rolls for the steak banh mi that I made in the past. Oh, and don't forget to toast them!

6.) The recipe says to spread the mayo mixture on the bottom of each baguette. I think the sandwich would be way too dry if you don't put it on both halves (as well as on the shrimp if you'd like). Plus, it's so tasty that you'll want to use a lot of it.

Pan Seared Sole with Potato Scales and more...

A few weeks ago I learned that my apartment complex holds cooking classes once a month for its residents. There is a nice big gourmet kitchen in the clubhouse for just this occasion.

I'll admit it, the reason I signed up for the cooking class this month was because the chef was making crispy tempura squash blossoms stuffed with herbed goat cheese. However, as I suspected, the squash blossoms weren't available in the markets (both grocery and farm) so he made a Fried Chevre with Arugula and Pea Shoot Salad instead. While I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to try squash blossoms for the first time, the fried chevre was very satisfying. The recipe is very easy. Just cut up a log of good quality goat cheese into small logs. Coat with a few herbs, flour, egg, and dried breadcrumbs. Then chill in the fridge for at least a half hour. Then fry them up until golden brown. Place on top of a salad made with arugula, pea shoots, a few cherry tomatoes, and drizzle with a scallion dressing (made with sour cream).


For the main dish our chef, Michael Hampton (from BigCityChefs), whipped up a pan seared sole with potato scales and a quick lemon-parsley sauce. The "scaly" sole is quite simple. Slice a russet potato on your nifty mandoline (I like my Kyocera slicer for anything super thin) and place on the filet of sole so that it looks a bit like fish scales. Place in the fridge for a few hours and you're ready to fry. This dish has inspired me to make a similar dish later this week or whenever I feel better. (Stay Tuned.)

The reason I went to the class today despite my nausea was that for dessert our chef was making a Ginger Peach Cobbler. Anything ginger is #1 in my book right now (to help with the nausea).

GINGER PEACH COBBLER
Presented by Chef Michael Hampton of BigCityChefs

makes 8-10 servings

8 Peaches, peeled and sliced
3 T. grated ginger
3/4 cup sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. kosher salt
3/4 c. heavy cream (or water, if you're lactose intolerant like me)
2 sticks of cold butter

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (He set the oven to 350 tonight and it turned out fine.)

2.) In a large bowl, add the peaches, ginger, 1/4 c. sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix together.

3.) For the dough: Into a bowl sift together the flour, 1/2 c. sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 12 T. into small pieces. Add it to the flour mixture and cut it with a pastry cutter or crumble with your hands until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Pour in the cream or water and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

4.) In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 T. of butter. Add the peaches and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. There can be gaps, the dough will puff up and spread out as it bakes. Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar; put it into the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Vietnamese Garden Rolls

These are a favorite of mine but I usually don't have the patience to make them. Not that they take all that long; I just love shrimp and tend to want to eat them right away.

Vietnamese Garden Rolls

You'll need:

Spring Roll Wrappers (you might have to get these in an Asian market)
Lettuce
Thin Vermicelli Rice Noodles (in Asian section of grocery store)
Avacado
Large Cooked Shrimp (tails removed) or tofu cut into rectangles
Shredded carrot
Julienned Cucumber
Bean sprouts
Julienned Red Bell Pepper

Note: All of these vegetables are optional. Tonight I only had avacado and lettuce so that's all I used. The rolls taste much better with additional veggies like carrots and cucumbers.

1.) Soak spring roll wrappers, one or two at a time, in a bowl of cold water. Soak until the wrappers are completely soft. Lightly dry wrapper on a paper towel to soak up extra water.

2.) Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot (but not quite boiling) water for about 3 minutes, until soft.

3.) Place one wrapper down on a plate or cutting board. Place a butterflied shrimp in the center of the wrapper. Top the shrimp with a slice of avacado, a few of each of the vegetables, rice vermicelli noodles, and a small leaf of lettuce.

4.) Fold the top and bottom of the wrapper over the filling. Then fold one side of the wrapper over the filling and roll up towards the opposite side.

5.) Serve with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce or peanut sauce.

Note: the recipe I used this time for Nuoc Cham is not the best one I've ever had. Nigella Lawson actually has a great recipe for it but I can't find it right now. If anyone has it please let me know (I think it's from Nigella Bites). I'd love to get a copy.

Thai Citrus Shrimp with Long Beans and Szechuan Noodles

Hey everyone! I'm back from my trip to Santa Barbara and San Francisco and while I don't have as many pictures as I would like, I have a lot of stories of good food to tell. It'll take me a few days but I'm hoping to have my San Fran posts up by the end of the week.

Meanwhile I've been to the 99 Ranch Market in the day since my return and have cooked up a few good things.

Before I tell you about tonight's dinner I have to share this story about my husband's attempt to "cook" last night. We got home late from running errands yesterday and it was too late to cook an actual meal so we decided to open the Oaked Arrogant Bastard growler we got before our trip and heat up a frozen CPK pizza (I NEVER eat frozen pizzas but I had one in the past and it was actually decent).



Well, all you have to do is heat up the oven to 425 (which he was able to do) and put the pizza on the rack (for a crispier crust) for 16 minutes. When I went to get it out after 16 minutes I realized that he had forgotten to take the cardboard off of the bottom of the pizza!!!! I mean, how hard can cooking a frozen pizza be?!?! Guess it's up to me to make all of our meals--fancy OR frozen. He'll never hear the end of this one. Even the cashier at the grocery store today thought that was a funny story (since he lives on these pizzas, apparently).

Okay..so now onto tonight's dinner.

I create my own recipes all of the time (just simple recipes) and I almost never remember to write it down. So I'm posting this blog right after dinner so that I don't forget. The main course of my meal tonight was Thai Citrus Shrimp.

THAI CITRUS SHRIMP

1 lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt and pepper

Sauce:

Flesh of 1 orange
Flesh of 2 lemons
E.V.O.O. (olive oil)
2 small garlic cloves, diced
salt and pepper to taste
approx. 10 Thai basil leaves


In a food processor or blender: process flesh of orange and lemons. Add equal part e.v.o.o. in steady stream. Add salt and pepper and Thai basil leaves. I added a few at a time just to make sure it wasn't overwhleming. Basil should be a complimentary flavor to the citrus and not overpowering.

Heat wok over high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook approximately 2 minutes each side. Add sauce and conitue to cook over medium-low heat until hot (about 2 minutes).

Voila. An extremely easy meal that would meet Rachel Ray's approval.

***

As a side dish I made my favorite veggie dish: long beans (a la Kady?)

LONG BEANS A LA KADY

Serves 2.

1/2 package of Long beans, trimmed and cut into 3 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, diced
crushed red pepper flakes, optional and to taste
1-2 T. soy sauce

Steam long beans for 5-10 minutes, or until soft but still a little crunchy.

Heat wok to high heat with 1 T. e.v.o.o. Lower to medium heat and add garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute. Add long beans and cook until slightly withered and browned. Add soy sauce (and turn on stove fan) and continue to cook for another minute to allow the beans to carmelize a bit.

Extras: you can add snow peas, cashews, or almonds for added flavor.

***

I always have to have a starch with my meals whether it be rice, bread, noodles, or potatoes so tonight I made Szechuan Noodles.

The recipe came from a cookbook called Hot and Spicy that I found at Marshall's for $8 and it's one of my favorite cookbooks.

A few weeks ago I research copyright laws and found that I'm not allowed to post recipes from cookbooks unless I've greatly altered it, so I'm going to just give you an idea of what's in it and if you'd like the recipe, feel free to email me.

SPICY SICHUAN NOODLES

Serves 4.

1 pkg. Fresh Noodles
(the thick Chinese kind, 99 Ranch Market has a LOT of brands and varieties)
roasted cashew nuts

Dressing:
scallions, cilantro, garlic, peanut butter, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, chicken stock, pepper

1. Cook noodles in boiling water with 1 T. olive oil (to keep noodles separate) for 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water.

2. Mix dressing ingredients. My changes: I forgot the cilantro, used crunchy (instead of the smooth) peanut butter, used rice vinegar, and pepper to taste.

3. The recipe just calls for it being mixed cold but since the rest of our meal was hot I stir fried the noodles with the cashews (instead of toasting the cashews in our TERRIBLE fire breathing toaster oven) and then mixed the noodles with the sauce before serving. I always like to stir fry my noodles a bit to keep them from being to slimy.

***

Here is one more photo for you to ponder before you go back to whatever it is you were doing:

Stay tuned for San Fran posts.

Sesame-encrusted Teriyaki Ahi

Last night's dinner was a success despite the fact that it was all last-minute. I had heard on Alton Brown's Good Eats that you should buy your shrimp frozen since it's frozen soon after being caught and deveined. It was on sale at Ralph's so I bought a 2 lb. bag of shrimp and two ahi tuna filets that looked super fresh (and were not dyed the way they do with a lot of farmed salmon). I wasn't feeling too creative so I just marinated them in teriyaki sauce and coated them with a mixture of black and white sesame seeds. It turned out to be delicious. At first I thought I had cooked them too long (about 4 minutes a side) but they were perfectly pink inside.

I had some leftover fresh pinneapple that I turned into a quick salsa (a staple of mine, especially when it comes to seafood dinners) which livened up the basmati rice and makes the meal light and refreshing. We can't eat too healthy, now, can we? That's why I just had to make sweet potato tempura. Yum.

This will definitely be a repeat dinner soon.