Greek Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

Greek Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

3 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
2 tsp. olive oil
2 3/4 c. chopped sweet onion
1 c. Arborio rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 c. sliced asparagus
1 pound peeled deveined shrimp, 1" pieces
1/2 c. crumbled feta
1 T. chopped fresh dill (fresh MAKES this dish)
2 T. lemon juice
s&p

1) Simmer broth and water, do not boil, keep warm over low heat.
2) Heat oil over med-high heat. Add onion, saute 5 min or until tender. Stir in rice and garlic, saute 2 min. Add broth mixter 1/2 c. at a time, stirring constantly until each portion is absorbed completely.
3) Stir in asparagus and shrimp, cook 5 min or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat, stir in cheese, dill, lemon juice. Season with s&p.

Parley
Risotto has such a stigma, that it's terribly difficult to make and only amazing chefs can pull it off. Well....either it's not that hard, I don't know what it's supposed to be like, or I'm an amazing chef, because every time I make this we love it. It's not hard, it's just time consuming and at times it tries your patience. The keys to this recipe, I believe, are constant stirring (this creates the "creaminess" of the rice) and the fresh dill. Splurge at the store and get fresh dill, you'll thank me. Turn on some music, pour a glass of chilled white wine, and stir stir stir. :)

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

Ingredients

The Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1  teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 egg

1 cup beer

The Sauce:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 lime, juiced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 teaspoon minced capers

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

All the Rest:

Oil for pan frying (I had about a quarter to half inch in the bottom of my fry pan)

1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions

1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas

1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded

Gaucamole

Fresh diced onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, lime and cilantro

Directions

1. I suggest making the sauce a few hours ahead of time if possible (or even the day before) as giving it time to sit lets the flavors really meld together.  Honestly, it is delicious directly following preparation so if time is an issue don’t let that stop you!  To make the sauce mix together the yogurt (I use low-fat) and mayonnaise in a medium sized bowl (again I use a light version like Smart Balance).  Slowly add fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Shred cabbage and place in serving bowl or on a plate.  I also like to serve these with an assortment of “freshies” such as sliced jalapeno, lime, cilantro, and tomato.
3. For the batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cayenne pepper and salt.  In a separate bowl blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (a few lumps are ok).
4. Heat oil in large fry pan, or if you have one, a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.
5. Pat fish pieces dry with paper towels and dredge lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas being careful not to get them too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, white sauce and whatever “freshies” you desire!  If I have it on hand I also like to serve these with guacamole or sliced avocado! 

Parley

First, let me start out by saying that I really like this fish taco recipe...the beer battered fish would be fantastic on it's own and the sauce is really delicious.  I will certainly be making these again!  As usual there is a story behind this recipe but to do it justice I will have to write it up and post it sometime later (work gets in the way of everything and I'm already up way too late tonight)!  That said I've been wanting to get this recipe posted for two weeks now and so decided to piecemeal it a little bit.  Enjoy in the meantime!

Aunt Mae's Cuban Chicken

Aunt Mae's Cuban Chicken

1.5 to 2 pounds skinned chicken thighs or = of other chicken
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp whole cumin seed
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 c rasins
1/2 c pimento-stuffed green olives
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 T red wine vinegar

rice to serve with

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Stir everything else except the rice together, pour over chicken. Cook on low all day, tightly covered. Serve over rice.

Parley
Aunt Mae was my mom's aunt, I believe. No, she wasn't Cuban. Honestly I'm not sure how "cuban" this recipe really is. All I know is that it's easy and yummy. Don't let the unusal combo of olives and raisins deter you--it turns out great. Audrey devours this, especially the raisins and olives. If you don't have green olive (spanish olives) in your undoubtedly well-stocked fridge already, buy "salad olives" at the store. They are green olives with pimentos, but they seem to be the ones that aren't perfect. You know, the pimento fell out, or the olive got squished or whatever. It's the same stuff as the regular olives, just cheaper. And you're going to cook them for 8 hours anyway, so it really doesn't matter waht they look like. I usually by bone-in, skinned thighs, just to make it easy on myself. If you have time, skin your own and save some $$. I do suggest using chicken with the bones in, as it tastes better and won't get so "dry" tasting. I usually toss in more than 1/2 a pepper because we all love them. I use ground cumin, 'cause that's what I have. I also usually toss in extra olives and raisins (see above!). Serve over some brown rice, cous cous or quinoa and you have a great, easy crock pot meal.

Jamie's Turkey Loaf

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground turkey
2 cans whole cranberry sauce
1 egg
1 pkg Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine ingredients in large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Grease bottom and sides of loaf pan and press mixture into pan. Cook at 350 for 50 minutes. Enjoy!

Parley

First, I must give credit where credit is due and this is my sister, Jamie's, recipe (as I'm sure the name I gave it implies). I'm usually not a huge fan of ground turkey anything; I don't hate it but find it to be bland with a strong poultry taste that is not my favorite. This recipe, however, is just the opposite - it's full of flavor and not too overpoweringly "turkey". It also happens to be super quick and easy!

Garlic Rosemary Chicken Burgers

Sauce:
1/2 cup lowfat mayonnaise (I used Smart Balance)
1/2 cup lowfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced

Burgers:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 sandwich rolls/buns
1 cup arugula, divided

Directions:

1) For the sauce, combine the mayo, yogurt, rosemary and garlic in a bowl. Mix well. Chill for an hour so that the flavors can combine.

2) In medium sized bowl mix the chicken, 1/4 to 1/2 the mayo mixture, salt, and pepper by hand (if you add too much of the sauce the mixture becomes too "wet" and difficult to form into patties. If this happens add some panko or bread crumbs to firm up. The mixture should be fairly moist though.) Form into four patties.

3) Grill for 7 minutes per side or lightly grease a large pan and saute until cooked through.

4) Spread a generous dollop of sauce on each bun, place 1/4 of the arugula on the top of each bun and a burger on the bottom half of bun.

Parley

This recipe comes from my days of watching the food network while I ran on the treadmill in ARM's basement on my lunch hour. I used to time it so that I could watch Giada as for some reason I've always loved her show. This was one of the recipes she made that I immediately went home and recreated...and loved. I've subsequently tweaked the recipe a little to my own liking, using a bit more garlic and substituting half the mayo for lowfat greek yogurt to shave some calories and it's just as good in my opinion. These are very easy to make, taste delicious, look fancy and are pretty healthy! Buon appetito!

Sloppy Joes

Suz's Sloppy Joes


1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped green pepper
1 can tomato soup
1 tsp each dry mustard, salt, poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 1/2 tsp vinegar (I use white)
1 T brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp liquid smoke
buns

Brown beef with onions and peppers. Add the rest and simmer, anywhere from 1 min to 20, whatever you have time for. Add water if too dry.

Parley


Although I call these "Suz's Sloppy Joes", I again have to 'fess up that this isn't my recipe. It came from my mom. But, they are, by far, the best sloppy joes. Manwich, get outta here!!! I always have the ingredients on hand, and they're super easy. You're probably thinking, "liquid smoke? What???" Yep, it exists. Find it at the grocery store, probably by the bbq sauces? Sheesh, I can't quite recall where it was, but I've purchased it at my local store twice now. Here's what it looks like (but I promise you don't have to buy a 12-pack!!). Warning...a little of this goes a long way. Use sparingly.

Veggie Strog

Vegetarian Stroganoff

1-2 T. butter
2 scallions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg sliced baby bellas
~1c. white wine
~3/4 c vegetable broth
1-2 T prepared mustard (we like grainy)
~1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
~1/2 package Boca Ground Crumbles
1/2 pkg wide egg noodles
1/3-1/2 c sour cream
blue cheese crumbles
black pepper to taste

Melt butter, add onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft.
Add wine and broth, stir, simmer until reduced by half.
Add mustard, meat crumbles and soup, pepper to taste. Stir. Adjust thickness by adding more soup or wine/broth. Turn to low, add sour cream.
Cook noodles.
Crumble blue cheese over served bowls.

Parley
I have to 'fess up. This is a Jenn Weller recipe. I think she made it here once for us and we absolutely DEVOURED it. James literally licked his plate clean, and there were no leftovers. I asked her for the recipe, and I'm pretty sure she told me how she just "wings it" when she wants to make it. Somehow she got me a recipe (I like recipes!). This works well each time, and each time, we still devour it. You could use real meat and chicken broth if you're not going veggie. I normally use the meat crumbles but use chicken broth since I never have veggie broth. This is a standard, "go-to" recipe at our house!

Chocolate Pizza

Yield: Makes 6 servings
For the true pizza lover: a dessert version.

Ingredients
Pizza dough - I used a generic Pillsbury rolled pizza dough.
2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick), melted
1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons chopped high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)
2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts
I used Perugina milk, white, and bittersweet.


Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer dough to prepared sheet. Make indentations all over dough with fingertips. Brush melted butter over. Bake until pale golden, about 20 minutes.
1. I forgot / didn't use any butter
2. I preheated the dough about 6 minutes.

Smooth chocolate-hazelnut spread over hot crust. Sprinkle chopped bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate over. Bake until chocolate begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over, cut into wedges, and serve.
I baked another 6+ minutes until the dough was slightly brown.

Bon Appétit, March 2007
by Giada De Laurentiis

It was amazing. The only thing that could have been better is if Giada was there making it for me!!

Hush Puppy Cornbread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen, fresh or canned but drained)
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup hush puppy mix (such as House Autry)
1/2 tablespoon baking soda

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 inch skillet or muffin tin.
 
2)  In a large bowl, beat together sugar, salt, butter, maple syrup and milk until creamy. Stir in corn kernels.  Stir in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3)  In a separate bowl, mix together remaining dry ingredients. 

4)  Stir flour mixture into milk mixture.  Beat until incorporated.

5)  Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve warm with honey and butter...yum!!

Parley

Perhaps more than any other recipe I’ve posted on this blog thus far, Hush Puppy Cornbread epitomizes my cooking style as well as my cooking "roots".  For me cooking began simply as an experiment with “leftovers” and the random flotsam and jetsam that inhabited my mother’s kitchen.  I slowly learned what flavors and textures worked together and what did not and over the years I developed a deep enjoyment for the creative aspects of cooking, broadened my culinary horizons, learned a thing or two about the finer aspects of the art but have always hung on to that rag-tag cooking tradition of using bits and pieces found in my kitchen at that moment.

The above preamble brings us to this evening’s edition of two well known, humble staples of southern cooking, cornbread and hush puppies.  Let’s see, the idea came about because I had an almost full can of opened sweetened condensed milk I had no idea what to do with (I had used a couple tablespoonfuls to make piña coladas the previous night).  As there was still had half of a rich and decadent lemon cake from my parents anniversary dinner sitting on the counter I didn’t want to make a dessert, the usual thing I suppose with the ingredient in question…what to do, what to do.  I began searching for recipes using sweetened condensed milk online and ran across one where cornbread and sweetened condensed milk were both used in the little Google description of the website.  I very quickly scanned the recipe and decided it was a go for cornbread…that is until I discovered we were running low on cornmeal and flour while at the same time remembering that our baking powder had gone a bit off considering the cake from the day before had not risen properly (still very tasty, just a bit flat).  In typical Jenn fashion I decided to make do with what I had on hand!  After a bit of rummaging through the cupboards and fridge I lined my assortment of make-shift ingredients up on the counter – some cornmeal, some flour, some hush puppy mix, baking soda, a can of corn and of course the little thing that started it all, a slightly used can of sweetened condensed milk.  I can’t help but channel a little bit of Friends here aka Joey…cornbread…good!  Hush puppies…good!  Sweetened condensed milk…good!  Mix them all together…good!  And that’s exactly what I did, substituting baking soda for baking powder, hush puppy mix for the missing parts of both corn meal and flour, substituting maple syrup for vanilla and adding corn just because I wanted to I proceeded with my grand experiment.  I mixed, stirred, poured and baked my motley muffins!  When I ascertained that they had reached the correct level of golden perfection I pulled them out, snatched one up, added a little butter and honey to the top and took a bite…and was in hush puppy cornbread heaven!  Despite there being a million cornbread recipes out there and despite the unlikelihood of anyone going to the trouble of gathering the  necessary ingredients to make this particular recipe I decided I’d blog it anyway.  I went back to the original recipe called “Amusement Park Cornbread” on allrecipies.com to figure out some measurements and had a good laugh when I realized that it did not, in fact, call for sweetened condensed milk at all, but rather plain old ordinary milk!  All’s well that ends well though so I think I’ll go have another Hushpuppycornbreadsweetenedcondensedmilkmistake….