A funny thing happened on the way to making one of my latest soup creations, Thai Coconut Shrimp, a future post. I had extra shrimp, six to be exact! Hardly a meal, so I decided to make a quick scampi accompanied by a small salad for lunch. Hubby was a bit surprised when he came in for lunch! Seriously, who makes scampi for lunch? Someone who is currently on the Atkins lifestyle! How can you feel deprived eating an appetizer that tastes so decadent? And, it only took 5 minutes to make!
Asian Scampi
1 Tbsp butter
1 inch of lemongrass concentrate (from a tube in salad section)
1-2 Tbsp minced shallot
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
6 peeled, de-veined shrimp
1 tsp sliced scallions
1 tsp cilantro (optional)
In a small saucepan, melt butter, then add the shallot and lemongrass. Add the shrimp and cook on low-medium heat. Turn and add the coconut milk, stir until shrimp is done (just a few minutes). At the last second add the scallions and cilantro as garnish. The sauce will thicken and nicely coat the shrimp.
Okay, so I've done this before without great results. First time, I didn't cook the bird long enough. Ewwww, almost raw chicken, back on the grill! Second time it was just average. I guess the third time is the charm. I chose to use ginger ale (because That's what I had) and added a sweet and spicy rub on an organic chicken. I have to say it was cooked to perfection! Crisp and flavorful on the outside and sweet and juicy on the inside!
For the rub I mixed chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, garlic, salt and pepper. First, I rubbed the bird with a bit of olive oil, inside and out. Now, rub the "rub" mixture onto the bird, inside and out and under the breast skin, too.
I, then, had the "grill master", my hubby fire up the gas grill to high heat, then backed down the heat on one side. Place the bird onto the 1/2 full can of beer or ginger ale . I used one of those beer can chicken frames you can purchase at any home store in the grilling section. Put the chicken on the grill to cook on indirect heat for approximately 1 hour and 15-30 minutes. Make sure it's done. The juices will no longer be bloody when pressed. Remove from the grill and let the bird REST for about 10 minutes. Slice and eat....delicious!
For the last several months I've been the designated "soup kitchen" person at my son's deli. All his soups are made from scratch and most are delicious, or so I've been told. As the weather has warmed I've been wanting to make the transition from hot soups to cold pasta salads. It hasn't caught on yet since there are quite a few die hard soup lovers in the neighborhood!
To me, soup is very basic and not a science. Unfortunately, I don't have exact ingredients for you unless you're planning on serving an army. At the deli, a batch of soup is anywhere from 1 - 2 gallons, or so. I'll do my best to scale it down for you.
Turkey Corn Chowder
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder (or a Tbsp of fresh)
flour for roux (about 3-4 Tbsp)
1/3 jalapeno, diced
1 parboiled and peeled potato, cubed
1 cup milk
3 cups broth, chicken is good
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cups, diced turkey
salt to taste
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Start by parboiling a potato. set aside to cool. In a large pot add the butter and oil. Heat on medium, add the onion, celery garlic and cook until soft. Add the flour and stir until a thick roux is formed. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. It should thicken a bit from the roux and the addition of the potatoes.
This proved to be a "hit" at the deli. Another similar favorite was the addition of roasted poblanos.
Pancakes for dinner? Why not? Growing up this seemed like such a treat to have on a Sunday evening, before we curled up in front of the TV to watch Ed Sullivan and Bonanza. In all actuality, it was a go-to meal when 1) you ran out of money before month 2) laziness crept in and you didn't want to make the trek to the grocery store or, 3) you wanted a bit of nostalgia. The answer was 2 and 3! But, while these are not the epitome of a healthy dinner at least there were a few redeeming ingredients....bananas and walnuts!
These were "melt in your mouth" banana walnut pancakes!
6 Tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 ripe banana for garnish
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
more walnuts for topping, optional
Melt butter in microwave. In larger bowl mash banana. Add milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and walnuts. Blend until well mixed. Batter will be lumpy.
Heat griddle or pan until a water droplet bounces on a lightly greased surface. Spoon batter onto griddle and cook until edges are dry and middle "bubbles". Flip and cook for just a few more minutes. Butter or no butter, syrup and cut up banana on top! Don't forget the walnuts!
The seasons of Northern Nevada have such unique personalities. I would describe Spring as being flirtatious, fickle and a big tease! Just when you're about to embrace the warmer weather with those flip flops and shorter sleeves a cold front moves in to chill you again. Soups are still a perfect meal during the Spring. Light, yet hardy, and simple to make!
Keep this recipe handy throughout the year, but especially when your tomato plants are giving you a bounty of tomatoes. In the Winter switch to canned varieties.
Roasted Tomato Bisque
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
about 2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes. (You can roast your own but this is so much easier)
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cups broth (You can use veggie or chicken)
1 tsp herb de Provence seasoning
salt to taste
1 cup half and half
1 cup milk
I will now disclose that I made a giant batch for the restaurant, so these amounts are not exact. I've found that soups are very "forgiving". You can pretty much throw the ingredients together and 9 times out of 10 the result will be wonderful.
In a large pot start to cook the onions in the butter until they are soft. Add the garlic, tomatoes, broth and seasoning, except for the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
Blend the soup in a blender or a Ninja (I love my new Ninja) and return the mixture to the pan. Add the half and half and milk. Turn the heat back on to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste to see if it needs more salt. Serve with grated cheese of your choice and some home made croutons!
