Shrimp and salad with rice today

I picked up a couple of frozen shrimp dinners and cooked them today. One was Polynesian Coconut Jumbo Shrimp and the other was Japanese Style Panko Jumbo Shrimp the both came with the same two sauces: Thai Chili Style and Tangy Orange Sauce. I though they would be an easy dinner, you just pop the in the oven for 25 minutes. I crossed my fingers that they would not be too awful. They actually were pretty good. We all agreed that we'd be willing to give them a try again.

I served them with steamed rice and a salad made with mixed greens, watermelon, Asian pear and kiwi. It was dressed
with an Asian Sesame oil Dressing.

Pork bulgogi with rice, laver and kimche

PORK BULGOGI

Recipe By: Norm Matthews

1 Boston butt pork roast, sliced wafer thin

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

2 white onions, quartered into 8ths

toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle over the meat for garnish

peanut oil-for frying

Mix all ingredients except peanut oil and toasted sesame seeds. Set aside for a few minutes to marinate. Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Heat oil, add pork and marinade mixture and stir fry until the meat is no longer pink. I usually do it in three batches and it takes about 7-8 minute per batch. When it is all cooked, return all of it to the skillet or wok, cover and let steam for a few more minutes. Serve with steamed medium grain rice or fried rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Cuban steak with broiled tomato, roasted asparagus and chinese cabbage

Cuban steak with chimichurri sauce. For recipe see Feb 21 dinner.

Asparagus was roasted along with the chuck steak. I was tossed with olive oil salt and pepper. Broiled tomato was also broiled with the steak but not as long. Cut in half, scoop out some seeds, add butter, salt and pepper and top with bread crumbs and broil until bubbly.  Chinese cabbage was par boiled then cooked with butter and salt for a couple of minutes. 

Chicken again and again

We are on a chicken kick.  Cassie made chicken fajitas and refried beans yesterday.

For the chicken soup, no recipe as such. I mean there aren't exact measurements. You can use chicken stock but I started with a whole chicken and cut off the breasts for my son's GF to make chicken fajitas then used the rest of the chicken to make the soup. The meat was cut off the legs and thighs and saved for the next day. The back, neck and wings and leg and thigh bones were used to make the stock. Here is what I did to make the soup: I simmered the carcass bones with an onion, a carrot, and a stick of celery in water to cover for two hours. I discarded the solids and saved the stock. Next day, In a separate pan I melted about a tablespoon of butter and another tablespoon of olive oil and added about half a chopped onion, a couple of carrots, a celery stalk and eight or nine sliced button mushrooms, and sauteed until soft. I added them to a saucepan with the broth and a couple of turnips, peeled and sliced and a celery root trimmed and cubed and simmered for about 10 minutes. While that was simmering I added the cubed chicken meat to the pan plus a little more oil and sauteed until just done through and added that to the broth along with some egg noodles and simmered 6 minutes. I added a teaspoon of chicken base, Adobo seasoning to taste and a packet of Sazon Goya con azafran. In another skillet I melted two tablespoons of butter and cooked them with an equal amount of flour then added about a half cup of milk and whisked just until it started to thicken and I added it to the broth and simmered another couple of minutes, until the noodles were done, then served immediately. I hope that was clear enough to follow.

Grilled chicken again

See Sunday Feb 20 for todays chicken.  Same recipe for chicken but for the white sauce I doubled the horseradish and reduced the mustard to a couple pinches of Colemans dry mustard.  We had green beans with it. I reheated some left over corn but tossed it out when I tasted it. It was not fresh. Maybe it was my taste buds because I am not feeling well but I tossed it anyway.  We also had bread and butter.  I was feeling too tired to make a salad.

Cassie and Charlie made dinner tonight

Cassie made a banana pudding that her host made when she visited Florida last year


and her macaroni salad



Son grilled hamburgers- I had mine with bacon and avocados.  This one is Cassie's and he also made sweet potato fries.


I was asked to make mojitos


For three I used juice of three limes plus a little from a plastic lime, approximately 3 1/2 to 4 ounces rum, and two heaping tablespoons of sugar. I blended it all together with about 12 mint leaves in a blender with an ice tray of ice then poured it into three glasses and filled them with carbonated lemonade. Garnish with more mint leaves.

What to do with leftover corned beef. Duh!

Rueben sandwiches of course. I used pumpernickel bread, swiss cheese and sauerkraut which has been squeezed dry.  I put cheese on the bread, then a combination of Russian and Thousand island dressing, ( so it does not make the bread soggy) mixed with kraut, the corned beef and another layer of cheese.  The outsides of the bread is buttered and grilled until the cheese melts on both sides.

Saint Patricks Day 2011

I was going to wait until Sunday to make this because that is when we will all be home at dinner time but Cassie didn't want to wait. She will reheat this when she gets home around midnight.

The Soda bread was raw in the middle. I took it out when the timer said it was done because the outside was getting burnt.  The temp. gauge told me it wasn't done but I just cut around the uncooked part. There was still plenty for all of us.

Corned Beef

FOR THE BRINE

• 2 quarts water

• 1 cup coarse salt

• 1 tablespoon Tender Quick

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

• 1 cinnamon stick, crushed

• 4 dried bay leaves, crushed

• 8 whole cloves

Make the brine: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salts, sugar, and spices; remove from heat, and stir until salts and sugar dissolve. Let cool.

Make the corned beef: Place the brisket in a food saver bag along with the brine and seal it without using the vacuum function... or Place brisket in a nonreactive container just large enough to hold it. Pour cooled brine over meat. Place 2 small plates on top to keep meat submerged; cover, and refrigerate for 2 weeks.

To cook brisket

7 to 8 oz  of beer

10 black peppercorns

6 whole allspice

12 sprigs parsley

3 cloves garlic peeled, sliced

1 onion. peeled and sliced

1 celery stalk

1 carrot

Rinse brisket; discard brine. Place in a large pot. Bring to simmer.  Immediately remove and pour off the water.  Add 14 ounces beer and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add onion, celery, and halved carrot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Transfer corned beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Discard remaining solids from broth, then bring to a boil.  Add

4-5 carrots, peeled

3-4 parsnips, peeled

3-4 turnips, peeled, sliced

1 head cabbage wedged

Add vegetables and cook 10 minutes or until tender crisp, add cabbage on top and steam 10 minutes.

Rasher Potato Bake  recipe from Irish guy Joe King  KC Star Mar 16, 2011

Preheat oven to 350º

1/4 C. butter

1 lar onion, minely minced

1 (8oz) package mushrooms, sliced

! lb. canadian or Irish bacon, fried, cut bite size 

8 large potatoes, peeled, diced 1” cubes & par boiled

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 Cl heavy cream

1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 T. chopped parsley

Melt butter and saute onions and mushrooms until soft

Stir in bacon and parboiled potatoes and heat to warm through. + S&P

Transfer to baking casserole, add cream and cheese. Sprinkle parsley and cover. 

Bake 30-40 minutes removing lid last 10 min. to brown on top.  Serve with Soda Bread

Soda Bread

3 cups bread flour

1 cup cake flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup raisins

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk

1 Preheat oven to 425°. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

2 Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then stir in raisins.

3 Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, sprinkle in a little more flour. Do not over knead! Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf.

4 Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about 1/2'' deep in an "X" shape. Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped with a knife, about 35-45 minutes. Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil.

Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.

Transfer bread to a rack to let cool briefly. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted.

Adapted from Saveur Magazine.

Shrimp Dinner Monday Mar. 14, 2001

Tonight was a boiled shrimp dinner with asparagus, coleslaw, french fried shoestring potatoes and strawberry shortcake.

TANGY APPLE-CABBAGE SLAW

From  Cooks Country

In step 1, the salted, rinsed, and dried cabbage can be refrigerated in a zipper-lock bag for up to 24 hours. To prep the apples, cut the cored apples into ¼-inch-thick planks, then stack the planks and cut them into thin matchsticks.

Serves 6 to 8.  

INGREDIENTS

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and chopped fine

1 tsp. salt

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and matchstick cut

2 green onions, thin sliced

1/2 C. cider vinegar

1/2 C. sugar

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 

 INSTRUCTIONS

1 Toss cabbage, salt and set to drain in strainer and let stand 1 hour. Rinse, dry well.

Add apples and green onions.  

1. Bring oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and pepper flakes to boil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover;  refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before serving.  Make the day before.

                                  Corn 

Steam 10 minuted, cut off cob, add salt pepper and butter.   Corn on the cob was a dollar each for corn on the cob which was about 7 inches long, so I got a bag of frozen corn and will nuke it.

Asparagus

I have some in the refrigerator and will steam it instead of the corn.  

                             French Fries

Cut Russet potatoes into shoe string slices. Fry in batches in 375 degree oil until starting to brown, remove, when all are done, bring heat up to 425 and return fries to oil and cook until golden brown on outside and creamy on the inside. Remove, drain and salt.

                           Louisiana Killer Shrimp

               Nancy from MD   Recipe from: Sherrybeth 

                                      Servings: 4 to 6 

2 tablespoons rosemary

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon black pepper

5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 quarts chicken broth

3 ounces tomato paste

½ cup butter

1 ½ pounds shrimp, peeled, tails on

1 loaf French bread, toasted

Crunch up the rosemary and thyme using fingers. Place all ingredients, except shrimp and french bread, in a large pot. Simmer this mixture for 2 ½ hours.

Five minutes before serving add shrimp and cook about 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp is done. Serve shrimp with broth and toasted French bread for sopping the broth.

Note: I shelled shrimp and boiled it with the liquid for 10 minutes, then strained them out and discarded.

Note for the day before, I saved and froze the liquid from the last time and used it again. Take out of freezer and thaw shrimp too.

Served with Pete’s bread:  recipe from a couple days ago.

Strawberry short cake with whipped cream

cut strawberries the day before and put in a zipper bag with some sugar so syrup will develop.  Whip cream in Kitchen aid with some sugar and vanilla. Start it when the shrimp goes in the pot. 

Casserole with left over turkey

Dinner tonight was my version of turkey tetrazzine, Pete's recipe for white bread, a salad made with candied walnuts and a squash baked with salt, pepper, butter and maple syrup.

Turkey Tetrazzini                Oven to 350º                  Butter 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking dish

!/2 box Farfalle pasta or other of choice. Boil in salted water until soft/firm. It will cook more and absorb sauce in the oven.

Butter or live oil about 1Tbsp.

3/4 to 1 C. baby bella mushrooms

Butter or olive oil about 1Tbsp.

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic minced

4 lb. turkey, cooked, chunked (left over turkey)
1 Cup cooked peas

1/4 C. dry white wine

4T. butter or olive oil 

4T. flour

1/2 C. milk

1/2 C. cream  or 1 C. half and half  instead of milk and cream.  May use skim or 2% milk                                         

2C chicken broth

2T. thyme, fresh

1T. lemon zest

2T. thyme

3T. parsley
salt and pepper to taste.

2/3C. grated parmesan

1/3C fresh buttered bread crumbs

Melt 1T. butter in skillet and saute mushrooms until water is evap. about 12 min. Add onions and garlic; saute until translucent about 8 min. Add wine and simmer until most of it is evaporated.  Transfer to bowl.

Melt 4T. butter and add 4 heaping T. flour and cook, whisking 2 minutes. Add milk, cream and chicken stock, whisking constantly until thickened.  Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, parsley and cooked peas. Add cooked turkey, cubed and heat through, add to mushroom mixture and peas and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook and drain pasta (spaghetti or farfalle or linguine. Add to meat and sauce, toss to coat.

Transfer to prepared baking dish, top with cheese, the buttered bread crumbs and bake until golden and sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

Bread-Pete's white (9x5)

Recipe By :Pete Schuyler, Sarasota, FL

Serving Size : 56 Preparation Time :0:20

Categories : Bread low sodium

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

36 ounces bread flour -- sifted (2 lb 4 oz)

2 1/8 tablespoons sugar

1 5/8 teaspoons salt

1 3/8 tablespoons yeast -- rounded Tbl.

2 1/8 tablespoons honey

13 2/3 fluid ounces water

6 1/3 fluid ounces 2% milk

2 1/4 fluid ounces unsalted butter

combine honey, milk, water, and butter and heat to 105 deg in microwave

in large mixer bowl combine WW flour, bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast

stir liquids to melt the butter and add, all at once, to the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl

With the dough hook installed, mix dough. If you don't have a stand mixer with a dough hook mix in a bowl until it comes together and then finish on a counter top or bench.

Add more flour by the tablespoon until the dough comes together, clears the bowl, Mix for 10 minutes with dough hook and remove to counter surface.

Knead by hand until no longer sticky adding flour as necessary. The dough should be soft and pliable. If it isn't, make a hole in the ball of dough, add a tablespoon of water, seal the hole and work it into the rest of the dough ball. Repeat if necessary but it should be OK. 

Cover bowl with plastic wrap, let rise in a warm place for 30 min. 

Preheat oven to 400 deg

Remove and form loaves, 1 lb 9 oz each, place in oiled loaf pans (see notes), return to warm place and let rise 30 min or until at least 1 inch above the pan top. Bake @ 400 deg for 25 - 27 minutes. Internal temp should be 190 deg. Remove from pans and cool slightly on a rack, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze the extra loaf until needed.


Candied Walnuts recipe provided by Seana N.


Ingredients:
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 Tb (1/4 stick) butter
Large pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup (I use probably 1 3/4 cup) walnut halves

Directions:
Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large skillet. Bring to boil, whisking. Boil 1 minute. Add walnuts; stir. Toss until syrup forms glaze on nuts, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer nuts to sheet of foil and quickly separate nuts with forks. Cool.

Turkey was on sale for 99¢ a pound

So I got a small one and roasted it with corn bread stuffing,  corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, roasted sweet potatoes ( under the foil) and a salad.  Olives were served separately because some prefer the regular kind and others like the kalamatas and some don't like any.

Japanese Inspired Chicken Dinner Mar 1, 2011

This is what I did with a chicken I got the other day. I cut up the legs, thighs, and wings and saved. I cut up the breasts, removed skin and bone and pounded out flat and saved.  With the breast bone and back along with an onion, carrot and celery stalk, made broth and put all parts and broth in refrigerator.  Next day:

Chicken breasts pounded out so as to be thin and large

salt

approx. 1/2 C.flour

2 Tbs. soybean miso

1 tsp sesame oil 

laver cut to fit chicken breasts

green beans, cut in half lengthwise

carrots cut in sticks

artificial crab sticks

asparagus

Prepare breasts and trim.  Lightly salt and let stand 10 minutes, pat dry.

Combine 1 T. water 1T. sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil and 2 T. soybean miso. Mix until smooth

Dust breasts with flour and top with nori. Brush with miso mixture. Top with par boiled green bean, carrot stick, crab stick and roll tightly. Secure with string or tooth picks..  

 Refrigerate until ready. 

Meantime make teriyaki sauce with

1/4 C. Mirin

1/8 C. Sake

Put in sauce pan and heat5 minutes. Add

1/8 C. soy sauce

1 T. sugar

Heat on low for 25 minutes and add 

1/4 C. orange juice.

Heat 3 inches of oil in pan and add thighs, legs, breasts.

Fry  breasts until golden brown, about 4 min per side. Remove to keep warm. Fry legs and thighs about 13-15 minutes per side, turning and covering last 13-15 minutes. Watch that it does not start to burn on the bottom.

While the chicken is frying bring chicken stock to a boil and add a head or Chinese cabbage cut in thin strips and simmer just until wilted.

When all chicken is cooked, discard oil, wipe out pan and add back chicken with teriyaki sauce and heat through, turning to coat all pieces and thicken sauce.  Place on platter atop cabbage and pour sauce over. Serve with rice.