This may be in too close imitation of Miss Rachael Ray... but here goes... I had 30 minutes to make dinner and I had s'more shrimp in the fridge... And it just so happens that the other day I was watching Food Network and in this episode of "30-Minute Meals", Ms. Ray makes Beer Braised Shrimp with Louisiana Salsa and Rice--Granted I only saw the salsa and the rice part... but it sure caught my attention. That's the whole meal!
Here's the recipe: (use the link... then you can print it out easier!)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/beer-braised-shrimp-with-louisiana-salsa-and-rice-recipe/index.html
Maybe I have to watch the episode again because I'm still figuring out which beer would make the best to cook with... Also, don't be shy with the lime juice--it's all you need to make the salsa's dressing. The rice is good too! It's like a reallllllllly easy pilaf.
Enjoy!
When I got Omaha Pork Chops as a gift from a very grateful mommy of twins (;o) Thanks Jenn!), I thought to myself, "I want to do something different than what I usually do with pork chops." I mean this is top-grade meat... I can't just throw a rub on it and fry it on the pan--that wouldn't be right. I also coupled it with my scalloped potatoes.
Smothered Pork Chops
4 bone-in rib pork chops (6 oz each) 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
2 onions, halved and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
2 tbsp water 3 oz bacon (3 slices), chopped fine **see below for substitute
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1. Pat the chops dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Brown the chops on both sides about 6 minutes, then transfer to a large plate.
2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until lightly browned about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the water, scarping up any browned bits, then transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the bacon to the skillet and return to medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon fat in the pan (you should have at least 2 tbsp but if not, substitute vegetable oil for the missing bacon fat).
4. Whisk the flour into the fat left in the skillet and cook over med-low heat until golden about 5 minutes. Whisk in the broth, scraping up the browned bits. Return the chops to the skillet and cover them with the onions. Add the bay leaves, cover, and simmer over low heat until the pork is completely tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Transfer the chops to a serving platter and tent with foil. Continue to simmer the sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chops and sprinkle with the crisp bacon before serving.
**Substitute for bacon: I used one 6 oz. Italian sausage--casing removed. You would prepare it similarly to the bacon (as described in Step 3) but while frying it, be sure to break it up with a spoon--like when you're frying ground beef. When I used the sausage, it did not produce enough oil, so definitely add some veggie oil--as explained in Step 3.
Tip of the Day: Be sure to heat the oil that you add to "HOT!" level, because it will make a better roux for the gravy.
Do you remember back in September when I made Shrimp Linguine? Back then I called it Seafood Linguine with a Mushroom and Garlic Cream sauce. This time, I was so much better.
Ok... I will divulge something a bit more personal than I usually do on my bloggie... The reason why I haven't been blogging lately is because I haven't been feeling myself. I think getting back in to it... and by IT... I mean cooking... I've actually started to feel "normal"... or close to normal again... Anyways, that's enough of the mushy stuff...
And on with the good stuff:
Tip#1: I used Shrimp (20-25 a pound) this time--totally so much more yummier (such bad english!)
Tip #2: Use Crimini Mushrooms in this one... they hold up well and taste good
Tip #3/Note: I'm still trying to figure out what vegetable would go good in this pasta... (Please ignore the fact that I used frozen peas and carrots in this one.)
Tip #4: Use the full amount of prescribed garlic
Tip #5: Be generous with the garlic & herb spread
Done!
Oh wait!!! I almost forgot... Please note: In the background, it's a glass of Organics Orange Blueberry Italian Soda--oh yes! do it! and tell me bout it later. :o)
Happy 2009 everybody!!
It's still winter and it's still cold. I continue with my theme for this winter... don't ALL cooking shows do some sort of Comfort Foods special. So when I was a kid, my mom used to make this killer Etouffee recipe! She used real crab and tons of shrimp and lots of butter and lots of... what do they call that... oh yeah, LOVE. (keehee) It's really jus some kind of seafood stew that you serve over rice. It's not as spicy as gumbo, unless you make it that way.
If you want to get technical about it: When I google "etouffee", here's what I came up with... "Etouffee is a Creole and Cajun dish typically served with shellfish or chicken over rice, similar to gumbo". There's more... but need I say more...
Here's the link to the recipe that I found:
http://www.nolacuisine.com/2006/12/28/shrimp-etouffee-recipe/
I have a confession to make... Occasionally, I have a slight over-seasoning problem. I can even tell you exactly what happened this time. I was being a good cook and tasting while I was cooking... you know, making sure the sauce was coming along the way I wanted it. Anyways, so I'm coming close to the end and I'm thinking... there's not enough creole taste to it. So I put a lil more creole seasoning in to the pot--what I didn't realize was that the shrimp AND the crab (before I have cooked them up) where "marinating in that same seasoning... In the end, people seemed happy with it... but I grumbled to myself. Next time, NO canned crab and careful with the creole seasoning!!
Who says it's too cold for ice cream?!
For the record, it is NEVER too cold for ice cream... hence, the sorbet freeze. So I can't tell you where I got this recipe, but it's so easy you might go out to the corner store right now and have one.
Sorbet Freeze
sorbet or sherbet
club or lemon-lime soda
Put 2 scoops of sorbet or sherbet in a cup and fill up the cup with the desired amount of lemon-lime or club soda. Stir and enjoy!
See! So easy! Told ya so! :o) Picture caption reads... I used Haagan-Daaz sorbet, this is a raspberry-mango combo that was sooooo delicious!! I had two! haha... just kidding. Sharing is caring!
So... my brother used to be known for making chicken parmigiana, and I figure I gotta get me a good chicken dish to get known for. I'm flipping thru my America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook and I come across the Chicken Piccata recipe. I remembered I have capers in my fridge. He would also be so proud... I used free-range chicken too!!
For those of you who do not have a Cooks Illustrated magazine subscription:
Chicken Piccata
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 8 thin, boneless chicken breast cutlets (4 oz's each)
salt and pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 large lemon, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons (and ends discarded)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 1/2 lemons)
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces, chilled
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Pat the cutlets dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Dredge through the flour to coat and shake off any excess.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the cutlets and cook until light golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining oil and cutlets.
Add the shallot and garlic to the oil left in the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and lemon slices, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice, capers, and any accumulated chicken juice. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. Off the heat, stir int he parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.
Yes!!! It's been a very long time since I posted and so I've come to post many a things... It's a stupid excuse to blame my missing camera cord for the reason I have not posted in so long. So here goes--as you all know... it's now winter... and you know what that means... the season of comfort foods. I've been making all sorts of warm, gooey goodness (*smile*) ...to comfort me in these times of coldness, wetness ;o), and something that hopefully warms you up from head to toe.
First off the list: I made a casserole today--if you don't know what that is... please ask your mom or your grandma. I feel sad if you've never had a casserole before. It's also uber-easy to make because I was helping my mom clean out her fridge by grabbing her leftover rotisserie chicken from Costco.
Chicken-Andouille Casserole
1-2 lbs. chicken leftovers or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used italian-seasoned bread crumbs.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsps vegetable oil
6 oz. andouille sausage, chopped (I diced mine.)
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne
4 oz. mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean, and sliced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (I used chicken broth.)
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom
3 tbsp chopped green onions
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
[If you're using raw chicken: In a heavy plastic bag, combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 tsp's of italian seasoning. Add the chicken and toss until well coated. Shake to remove any excess breading and reserve the remaining flour.)
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs (If you're not using seasoned bread crumbs, add some additional seasoning.), cheese, and butter and set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides (for raw, cook about 5 minutes.) Transfer to a plate.
Add the sausage and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until almost browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and give off their liquid, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the whole can of cream of mushroom condensed soup gradually, and stir until mixed well together. Add the chicken, stock (or broth), green onions, and parsley, stir, and bring to a boil. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the top and bake until bubbly and the top has a golden crust, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Here is my one, very important variation: Emeril's recipe calls for the casserole to be served over toasted French bread--but I suggest taking cooked pasta and mixing it with the chicken and cream of mushroom sauce mixture before sprinkling the bread crumbs over it and putting it in the oven. (See picture as reference--I used shell pasta... one of my favorites!!)
This recipe was inspired by Emeril's Chicken-Andouille Casserole, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-andouille-casserole-recipe/index.html
