Thai Green Bean Salad with Shrimp

I love Thai food. I love the spice, the tang, the fresh flavors. This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite Thai dishes, Papaya Salad.

 

5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (with seeds)
2 cups green beans
10 large cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, very thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, minced 
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts
1 lb. Gulf Shrimp (bigger and saltier-- worth the extra $3 bucks)
Olive Oil
Pepper

Mix the first four ingredients together and set aside (This is the dressing).
Boil the green beans in salted water until lightly cooked, approx. 5 minutes.
Drain the green beans and add the jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and red onion. Mix and set aside.
Heat olive oil with garlic and add shrimp. Season with pepper and spritz of lemon juice. Cook until pink.
Add shrimp to green bean mixture. Top with dressing and peanuts. Stir and serve.

I made wild rice with shredded coconut to serve on the side.

WARNING: super spicy and awesome.
-e  

Apple Crisp

So I happened to have an extra 8 granny smith apples on hand (a little turkey day over purchase), and instead of making an apple pie, I went a healthier route...well slightly.

Ingredients

6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces
(If desired, add chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel topping)

Instructions

 

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Lightly coat an 9"x13"  baking dish with cooking spray.

In a bowl, squeeze the lemon over the apples and add granulated sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Toss to coat. Place the apple mixture in the prepared baking dish..

 

Mix together the brown sugar, oats, flour, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.  Blend in the butter pieces until small clumps form and the butter is well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
 

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples and bake until the streusel is crispy and the apples are tender, about an hour.

Serve with frozen yogurt or ice cream...
really good and tart-- so if you like it sweeter add more sugar!
-e

Seriously Perfect Roast Chicken

When I say "perfect," I am being serious. I have made this chicken or at least a version of it at least 5 times and each time, it is AWESOME!!!
The recipe originates from Emeril's Perfect Roast Chicken.
The key to this recipe is high heat and seat salt. Just trust.

 

Ingredients

2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters

Any other veggie you want cut up (peppers, potatoes, parsnips, carrots)

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken, rinsed and patted dry (inside and out)

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Pepper

1 lemon, halved

2 bay leaves

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Rosemary and sage, dried

1 cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup dry white wine

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (yes, 500)
In a roasting pan (lined with foil for easy clean up), add all veggies and coat lightly with olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

Take your hand and put between the skin and the chicken and stretch out the skin to create space. Season the chicken both inside and out with the kosher salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken and place the rinds inside the cavity. Place the bay leaves inside the cavity.  Rub the garlic over the chicken and place under the skin and inside. Rain the salt over the outside of the chicken and then sprinkle with rosemary and sage.

Put the chicken on top of the veggies and place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Take about 1/2 cups of juices and put into a sauce pan. Whisk in flour, white wine, rosemary and sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened. Season with pepper if needed.

Serve chicken and veggies with gravy on the side.
It tastes like it was cooked in butter. You will love this.
-e

Easy Breakfast Frittuffins

This is inspired by my friend and co-worker Emily (her blog here), She told me about how she makes these mini frittatas in a muffin pan—easy to warm up as you want them! Great for quick breakfasts! The best part is you can use whatever you have on hand The recipe that follows is what I had on hand...

 

 

6 eggs

1/3 C milk

Chopped ham

½ Cup cheddar cheese

5 mushrooms, diced

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crack and the eggs and whisk with milk until fluffy. Add desired ingredients.

Divide amongst a greased muffin pan (this yielded 10 very full muffins. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Cool and Refrigerate. To warm, place in toaster oven for 2 minutes, or microwave for 30 seconds.

 

Super easy and will save you from spending 4 bucks on a starbucks sandwich ! (other mix ideas include: chopped veggies, breakfast sausage, peppers, goat cheese or feta and salsa!!) Also...you can use only egg whites! I only recommend if you have a use for the yolks...waste not, want not.

Enjoy!

-e

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

A different little twist on the typical mashed potatoes and ground lamb. This was created from the last 3 sweet potatoes left from Thanksgiving. Note: We didn't eat my sweet potatoes for thanksgiving...so you can only imagine how much STUFF I have made since...(sweet potato/pumpkin soup, whole wheat penne, sweet potatoes, spinach and leeks, recipes to come soon....)
 

 

 

 

3 large sweet potatoes

Salt and pepper

½  cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

1 Tablespoon butter

extra virgin olive oil

8 ounces  white mushrooms, quartered

2 lbs. ground beef or turkey

½  onion, chopped

2 tablespoons dried sage

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

2 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup dark beer

1 cup chicken or beef stock

3 tablespoons A-1 Sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

 

 

Cook the sweet potatoes. I am typically short on time, so I bake them in the microwave for like 8 minutes. Squeeze the potatoes out of the skin and mash with the milk, the egg and paprika; season with salt and pepper.

Place a heavy pot  on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, mushrooms, onions and cook until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned, 5 minutes. Drain. Add the sage and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the peas.

While the meat is cooking,  in another pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk.  Add the beer, until reduced, a minute or two. Add the stock and A1 sauce; season with salt and pepper. Cook until thickened slightly, then whisk in the mustard. Stir the gravy into the meat.

 

Pour the meat and gravy into a casserole pan (13x9) and top with the sweet potatoes. Broil until the potatoes golden-brown and set.

Enjoy this delicious, comfy casserole!

-e

 

 

Flavors of India Thanksgiving

I love Rachel Ray. She is awesome. I love that she is about creating delicious meals in not a lot of time. So, I was at the grocery store, picked up her November 2012 Magazine and decided to make her "Adventurous Thanksgiving Dinner." It has all the basics...stuffing, turkey, gravy, cranberries....but with a taste of India. I followed her recipes, with a couple of alterations mostly for amounts. We had 9 people and her recipes were for 8-10...and let's be honest....we wanted leftovers!!

Here is the menu:

Tandoori Spiced Turkey and Cracked Pepper Gravy (we smoked ours...so VERY different)
Naan and Cashew Stuffing
Cranberry-Mango Chutney
Stir-Fried Peas with Coconut
Mashed Potatoes... (My addition to the menu!)

Tandoori Spiced Turkey 

Let me first start out and say....all I did was dress the turkey. My husband smoked it and took care of all the cooking details...But the important part is the spice...so cook as  you please...but dress per these directions. (no picture...we ate it too fast!)

Ingredients

1 8 ounce jar ghee (Indian clarified butter) or 2 sticks (8 oz.) butter, clarified (I used ghee from Whole Foods-- and just used the whole 13 oz. since we had a BIG turkey) If you want to make clarified butter: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culinaryfundamentals/ss/clarifiedbutter.htm

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

5 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 teaspoons paprika

salt and pepper

1 fresh or thawed frozen turkey (12 to 14 lbs.), neck and giblets saved for another use

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

(As for the other ingredients I pretty much doubled them for out 20 lb. turkey

Directions

In a small saucepan, melt the ghee with the garlic, 4 tsp. garam masala, the ginger, paprika and 1 tsp. salt over medium-low heat. Let cool. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Carefully slide your fingers between the skin and the breast meat of the turkey. Spread as much of the ghee mixture under the skin as you can. Spread any remaining ghee mixture on the outside of the turkey.  
At this point, we smoked the turkey for 3 hours on cherry wood. 
To continue with Rachel Rays version...keep reading:

Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together at their ends. Tuck the wings behind the back of the turkey, if desired. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Baste, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting, basting every 20 minutes. Roast until the skin is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 155 degrees, 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes more. 

Tent the turkey with foil and let rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. In a large saucepan, cook the shallot in the butter over medium heat until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp. pepper and the remaining 1 tsp. garam masala. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the flour; cook, stirring, until the mixture turns light brown, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in 1/2 cup broth, stirring quickly to create a paste. Slowly pour in the remaining 2 cups broth, whisking constantly to keep the gravy smooth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Serve the gravy with the turkey.
 

Naan Stuffing With Cashews 

This was the star of the show!! Everyone raved about the stuffing!! I recommend going to an Indian Restaurant and buying Naan straight from the source. It's fresh and worth the $2 per piece! This recipe is modified for our group of 9 plus leftovers...I wish I had made more!!!

Remove from My Rec

Ingredients

10 pieces of naan bread, torn into pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green tops)
salt and pepper
2 8 ounce sticks butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1.5 cups whole raw cashews
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup chopped cilantro
 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Juice of 1 lime

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the naan, scallions and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until soft,  about 5 minutes. Add  the cashews and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir the cashew mixture into the naan mixture. Stir in the chicken broth, cilantro, mint   and lime juice; toss to coat.

Transfer the stuffing to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 20 
minutes. Remove the foil and bake until browned on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cranberry-Mango Chutney

This is a fun twist on the typical cranberry sauce. It's tangy, sweet and has a little punch of heat from the fresh ginger.

 

Ingredients

1 12 ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups) 

1 cup orange juice 

1 cup sugar  

1 cup chopped dried mango 

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

  

In a large saucepan, bring the cranberries, orange juice, sugar, mango and ginger to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. 

Transfer the chutney to a bowl. Refrigerate to cool and thicken. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

 

 

Stir Fried Peas with Coconut 

I have the original recipe below- I just doubled it for our Thanksgiving because I love peas!

 

Ingredients

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric

salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

3 10 ounce packages thawed frozen peas

Directions 

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, turmeric,1 tsp. salt and 2 tbsp. water.

In a wok or large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over high heat. Add the mustard seeds and cover immediately (the seeds will begin to pop). When the popping slows down, uncover, add the peas and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the coconut mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are just tender and still bright green, about 3 minutes.

 

 

Mashed Potatoes

 This is just an easy how-to for mashed potatoes.

 

Ingredients

8 peeled and cubed russet potatoes  (Typically, you use one potato per person + one) but mine were huge.
1 cup milk
1 stick unsalted butter
salt and pepper

Directions 

In a large pot, boil salted water and add potatoes. Boil for about 15-20 minutes. They should starting to break apart. Strain potatoes in colander. Put back in pot and on low heat add butter and milk. Start to lightly mash. Add salt and pepper liberally. Continue to mix.I put mine into our kitchenaid and let it whip up, a hand mixer will work as well. If needed, add more milk while mixing.

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Chorizo Tomato Sauce

After spending the past five days in Arizona, I came home still craving some of that southwest spice!! I open the fridge and there were 3 chorizo sausages and about 1/2 pound of ground beef...perfect. I also happened to have a spaghetti squash on hand--- the perfect substitute for those of us who crave carbs(but shouldn't be eating them!) So, let's get started.

                           
Olive oil
1 Large Spaghetti Squash, Cut in half
3 Chorizo sausages
1/2 lb. Ground Beef or Turkey
1/2 Onion, Diced
1/2 Tomato (That's all I had-- you can use a whole), Chopped
1 Garlic Clove- Diced
1 Red Pepper, Chopped
2 Jalapenos, Finely Chopped
1 Can (12 oz) Tomato Paste
1 Cup Water
A little Red wine (I used 1/3 Cup Shiraz)
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Cumin


Preheat the oven to 375. Take a 13x9 glass dish and fill the bottom inch with water. Take a spoon and scoop the seeds out of each half of the spaghetti squash and place cut side down in the water. Place in oven on the top shelf and bake for 30 minutes.

While the squash is cooking, start heating a little olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until soft and then add the jalapenos and tomatoes. After about 2 minutes, add the ground beef and the chorizo sausage (I squeeze it out of the casing--- but that is my preference).

Cook over medium heat until the meat has cooked through, you can drain it, but I pat with a paper towel to get out the excess oil.  In a separate bowl, mix the tomato paste and water. Add this to the meat and stir. Let simmer for about 3 minutes and then pour in the wine and season with salt, pepper and cumin (generously). Turn down to a low heat and let it cook.

By this time, your timer will be near beeping for the squash. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. I rarely have patience so I hold the squash with a pot holder, while using a fork to scrape out the spaghetti "meat."

 Serve with lots of sauce and a little parmesean!! Super good and low carb!!
 Enjoy, E

Guiness Beef Stew

Another autumn comfort food staple...Beef Stew. I have many renditions of this family favorite--but this one is basic, hearty and flavorful.

1/2 C. Flour
3 lbs. Beef (Chuck, Stew Meat, etc), cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
4 Potatoes (Russet are the heartiest), cut into bite-sized pieces
3 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used 1 cup baby carrots because that is what I had)
1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. Worchester Sauce
2 C. Chicken Broth (beef or veggie--- this is what I had on hand)
1 Bottle Guiness
Ground Thyme
Smoked Paprika (don't substitute with regular paprika--- VERY different)
Sea Salt
Pepper
Bag of Frozen Corn
Crushed Red Pepper
Red Wine
Steak sauce, to taste
Olive Oil

Heavily season the flour with salt and pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Pat the bite-size pieces of meat with paper towels to dry and toss in the flour till lightly covered.
In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter and add meat (setting aside the bowl of flour). Brown the outside of the meat, but don't cook thoroughy. Add the bottle of guinness and let simmer. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get the flour bits up to thicken and create a gravy.

In the flour bowl, toss potatoes until lightly covered.
In a large pot, heat more olive oil and 2 tbsp. of butter. Add onions and garlic until soft. Throw in potatoes and saute for a couple minutes. Add the carrots, bay leaf, chicken broth, meat and guiness mixture and worchester sauce. Stir and bring to a boil. Season heavily with smoked paprika, salt, pepper and thyme.  I, of course toss in some crushed red pepper. Add the frozen corn. Turn down to a simmer.

The stew should be fairly brothy at this point, so let it cook for about an hour or until it cooks down. I add a good splash of red wine (maybe 1/3 cup)  and 2 or 3 tablespoons of steak sauce (like A-1, I used an English Steak Sauce) for an extra sweet kick .
It's rich and delicious. Enjoy with a frosty beer or a glass of red wine.

Cheers!
-E

Quick and Easy DIY Decor Project : Fabric Wrapped Canvas

So, true story: My roommate and I at the time had moved into our new apt, just painted and were going to have a party. However, we had nothing on our new accent wall...and it looked really blah. Having zero budget per usual, buying art was out of the question. By buying art, I mean shopping at
Marshalls or Homegoods, nothing fancy! So I looked around the house... I managed to find 3 canvases... (although not everyone has these laying around... they are easy to find at thrift stores, typically with an ugly painting on front.) Mine were old paintings that I had done and hated and just never painted over. SO, I started thinking....what can I cover them with, or should I paint something else?? Time was of the essence, so I took a tablecloth I had bought at World Market (approx. $8), cut it into 3 pieces and wrapped the canvases like a present and hot glued the edges!

Voile! An easy fix to a boring wall. You can use fabric, paper, wallpaper or anything you can wrap with a clean folded corner. I used hot glue becuase that I what I had- but a staple gun would be ideal.


I used a fun print that looks different on each panel, but you can use different fabrics or prints-- I like the cohesiveness of the same solid color- it adds a punch but isn't too busy.

Quick, Simple and Inexpensive.


-E

My Version

If you need a step by step, check this out:
http://fabyoubliss.com/2012/02/13/fabulous-diy-fabric-covered-canvas-wall-decor/

Galumpki (Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

A traditional family dish in my house growing up was a good ole Polish comfort food classic: Galumpki, AKA: Guh-wump-kee. It's basically a pot of delicious cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice that stew in pickled juice. Because of it's humble roots... its cheap and can be made with any ratio of rice and meat ( the poorer you were, the more rice you used!). I like to mix ground meats..any combo would work...veal and pork, beef and turkey...heck, mix em all up!

My dad would make 2 pots. In one, the cabbage stewed in chicken broth and tomatoes- in the other, straight pickle juice and IT IS GOOD.Well last night, I merged the two..and because the Italian Wedding Soup I made was in our one big pot, I baked them...and what a sweet surprise that was!



Galumpki-

1 white/ green cabbage, cored with the bottom cut off
1/2 lb ground turkey, raw
1/2 lb  ground pork, raw
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. Caraway seeds
1 Cup Rice (Cooked according to bag) --- I used brown rice, typically white is used.
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small can tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes, drained
1/2 C. White Vinegar
3 Tbsp. Sugar (I used raw)

Preheat oven to 350.
Start cooking the rice per directions. Once done, set aside to cool.
While the rice is cooking, bring a large pot of slightly salted water to boil and add the cabbage. Cook covered for about 15 minutes or until leaves start to unravel. Remove cabbage and let cool in a colander. Reserve 2 cups of cabbage water.

In a large bowl, mix meat, onions, garlic, egg and breadcrumbs. Add the rice (it doesn't need to be cool, just not hot enough to burn your hands when kneading the mixture). Add salt, pepper and coriander, stir.

Take your first cabbage leaf , cutting off the hard core bottom, add a large tablespoon of the meat mixture and fold the large part of the leaf over, tuck in the side and place fold side down on plate (like a burrito!). Continue until the mixture is done.

Now prep your pan (13x9 glass), add a little olive oil to the bottom and layer the bottom with whatever leftover cabbage you have, sliced to create barrier from the bottom of the pan to the rolls. Add the rolls on top, they can be very close together, but don't double layer.

Set pan aside and start the tomato sauce. Mix tomato paste, canned tomatoes, cabbage water, vinegar and sugar. Taste- if its too vinegary, add more sugar, if its too sweet, add more vinegar-- I personally added another 1/4 C. vinegar-- but I love the tang!

Once mixed, poor over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours. Check after an hour just to make sure it's not bubbling over.

It's best served with rye bread and butter-- a true Polish dinner!



Na Zdrowie!
-E