JBug's Kitchen Antics

Red and Green Shrimp Enchiladas

In all the years we've lived here in hell, I'd yet to try making Red and Green (aka Christmas) Shrimp Enchiladas until last night's version from Taste of the South Magazine. Of course I had to add my special touch to suit our tastes - for example flour tortillas instead of corn and more chipotle in adobo sauce, but darn they're good!

 

Tortillas loaded with sauteed onion, red bell pepper, minced jalapeno and spiced up with chopped chipotles in adobo sauce and creamy sour cream and melted cheese, it's a perfect way to showcase gorgeous fresh perfectly cooked shrimp.

As is my usual habit, I kept asking the big guy how they could be better as in "I like the green sauce better than the red because it has more spice. Don't you?"; or "don't you think they'd be great with Mole instead of enchilada sauce"; or "if you don't take a breath between shoveling bites into your mouth, you're gonna asphyxiate yourself" but I only got one reply back and that was "they're good just as they are." Such is the dinner conversation around our place when food's on the table.

Red and Green Shrimp Enchiladas (adapted from Taste of the South Magazine)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix

1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (or less to taste)

1 pound peeled and de-veined large fresh shrimp

1/2 cup sour cream

8 ounces Queso Fresco cheese, crumbled

8 flour tortillas (6 inch size)

1 – 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce

1 – 10 ounce can green enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add onion, red bell pepper and jalapeno and cook until vegetables have softened (about 5 minutes). Add taco seasoning mix, chipotle and shrimp. Stir to incorporate well, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until shrimp just turn pink. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and crumbled Queso Fresco.  Scoop a generous half cup full down center of each tortilla and roll up tightly. Place seam side down in greased casserole dish. Pour red enchilada sauce over half, and green enchilada sauce over the other half. Sprinkle with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Download Red and Green Shrimp Enchiladas

 

 

Thai Curried Shrimp with Coconut

Before you read any farther I've got to tell you last night's dinner was absolutely not to be believed out of this world. I kid you not. Please don't moan, groan and start fanning your taste buds in incendiary anticipation either. Darn it all trust me. It wasn't that hot!

Loaded with beautiful little white shrimp, though I wasn't calling them beautiful during the 45 minutes it took me to shell and clean the little lovelies, this bowl is spiced with red Thai curry paste and sweetened with coconut milk. Served over a bed of rice to soak up all that yummy good stuff, it made for a happy husband last night and we all know that a happy husband means a happy house.  Oh, don't forget to remember to put some lime in your coconut.

 

 

Thai Curried Shrimp with Coconut

1-1/2 pounds peeled & deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste or more to taste

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 – 14 ounce can light coconut milk

2 tablespoons corn starch (optional)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Fresh limes for garnish

Toasted coconut for garnish

Hot cooked rice

Combine shrimp, ginger and garlic. Heat wok over medium high until smoking. Add sesame oil and shrimp/ginger/garlic mixture. Stir fry for 3 minutes or until shrimp is barely pink. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add bell pepper, curry paste and curry powder to wok. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, coconut milk and corn starch. Add to wok and cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Return shrimp to the pan, add cilantro. Cook for 1 more minute, then take off the heat. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes to allow shrimp to finish cooking.  Serve over rice. Garnish with lime and coconut. Download Thai Curried Shrimp with Coconut

Shrimp Salad with Orange and Tarragon

I have a confession to make. The last time I made this for dinner I bragged about the fact that we ate the whole 2 pounds worth of shrimp in one sitting. Well, goes to show how much has changed around here with the two of us working out. When you're counting the calories against the minutes it takes to burn them off on the elliptical, consumption is considerably less as we found out last night. One pound of shrimp in a salad for two is more than enough to fill the void.

This salad is adapted from an Ina Garten recipe and it's a real winner. The beautiful shrimp were on special at Sprouts and they wanted $2.00 more a pound for the cooked versus uncooked variety, so I bought the uncooked ones and roasted them in a 400 oven. It took a mere 6 minutes until these beauties were perfectly done and with a much better flavor than the boiled or steamed version.

Mixed with an orange and tarragon mayonnaise, along with some fresh fruit and a piece of cheese toast, dinner was ready in a flash, the kitchen was cool and cleanup a breeze. What more can one ask for?

 

Shrimp Salad with Orange Tarragon Mayonnaise

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and cleaned

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & pepper

Rinse and dry shrimp well. Sprinkle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 oven for 6 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.

Mix together the following

1/2 cup light mayo

1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1 tablespoon orange juice

1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion.

Combine with cooled shrimp and refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes to blend flavors.  Makes 3 servings

Big Beautiful Prawns

Yesterday was a busy day for the beach. We’ve spent so much time relaxing that it’s hard to get motivated to do anything, but we did go to the Flounder for breakfast followed by grocery shopping. After the chores were taken care of we headed out for a long walk on the beach we’ve haunted in the past that’s half way between Waldport and Yachats. As you can see it was coated in a misty shroud which has been the case on the coast the past couple of days.

You see when it’s warm in the valley as it has been, it is usually misty and cloudy on the coast – but cool and after all that’s what we come here for. Personally I love the weather. It’s never boring and absolutely beautiful whether it’s clouded over, covered in fog or basking in sunshine.

It’s amazing how much the coastline changes from year to year. Signs of a very stormy winter are evident as there’s been a significant amount of erosion and the beach as we knew it is just not the same. The big guy and I talk all the time about the merits of having a home right on the ocean or one farther away but with a view and quite honestly he’s winning the argument right now. I’d hate to have a gorgeous place that disappears into the ocean because the cliff it sits on is being undermined and that happens more often than you think in this man’s country.

Anyway after our long walk we headed to Yachats and their annual Lions Club fish fry for lunch followed by a nap in our cozy little abode. As you can see, there’s no shortage of food at the fish fry and the pies are produced by the local ladies and come in every flavor you can imagine. I always have to have a piece of mixed berry and this one had everything you’d wish for in a berry pie including blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and even some rhubarb. The big guy chose a piece of peanut pie that had a filling much like pecan pie but topped in peanuts. He said it tasted just like peanut brittle and enjoyed every crumb.

Dinner last night was later and included a crisp salad along with prawns cooked in garlic, butter and lemon juice served with a little loaf of French bread courtesy of Ray’s Supermarket. Delicious and pleasantly light it was a fitting end to our busy day.

So what’s up today? As I write this, the big guy’s out on another foraging trip. You see there’s a minus tide which means easy access to the sea’s bounty and it’s likely he’ll come home with his quota of clams or even some crab. Plans today include freshening up the cottage and getting ready for some house guests. You see this coming week is our entertaining week – tomorrow the big guy’s hunting partner John arrives for a few days followed by some other Oregon friends who visit every year when we’re on the coast. Needless to say there’s likely to be a lot more cooking going on than there has been the last few weeks so stay tuned.

Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Meatballs on Salad

I have to admit to thinking twice before I put these meatballs on the menu, but I'm just so darn happy I did because they are some tasty little morsels. I mean, what's your first thought when you think of shrimp mixed with pork? Yeah, me too but thankfully I got beyond it.

"Famous for its lively fresh flavors and artfully composed meals, Vietnamese food and cooking is the true 'light cuisine' of Asia. Abundant fresh herbs and greens, delicate soups and stir-fries, and well-seasoned grilled foods served on, or with, rice or noodles..." I had to quote this because I couldn't have said it better myself and I don't know about you, but I've never left a Vietnamese restaurant unhappy. Gee, I'm not sure why I needed to justify the decision to give this recipe a try, but I just did! Oh well!

OK about the meatballs - a half pound each of ground pork and freshly chopped shrimp is combined with napa cabbage, fresh ginger, green onions and a touch of cilantro,and a little panko and it's all bound together with egg white to produce unbelievably flavorful and tender meatballs. As you can see, I served them on top of a salad made up of butter lettuce, radishes, cucumber, carrots, a touch of shredded cabbage (slaw), and some sweet onion all topped with an Asian flavored vinaigrette. A little mint would have been a nice touch too, but I didn't think of it until just this moment. It was a much welcome, light dinner after our excesses over the weekend. Download Pork and Shrimp Meatballs on Salad

If you're not in to salad, these meatballs would be fabulous as the filling in lettuce wraps or on top of a bowl of vermicelli rice noodles mixed with cool veggies like cucumber, carrot and bean sprouts - just like the salad I can't help but order whenever we go to Miss Saigon on Ina for dinner. They would also be great in the Vietnamese sandwich called a banh mi... an Asian take on the classic sub or fabulous as part of an appetizer platter including potstickers, spring rolls and the like.

However you shake it they're mighty good eats.Trust me, give them a try and you won't be disappointed.

Chile Relleno with Tequila Shrimp

I don't know about you but normally when I think about a Chile Relleno there's only one thing that comes to mind and that's a nice big chile stuffed to the gills with cheese, coated in a light batter and deep fried. The cheese oozes out on the plate and the spicy heat of the chile warms the palate. It's crisp and creamy at the same time and oh so fattening. Well that's not the version we had last night.

A chile relleno literally means "stuffed chile" and any chile can be filled with everything from chorizo, to creamy chicken, to chile verde to shrimp, as was the case last night. Adapted from a recipe in John Conley's book, Salsa Brava Cocina, this version loads roasted Poblano chiles with sauteed vegetables including sweet corn, zucchini, sweet onion and red bell pepper along with perfectly cooked shrimp finished with a flash of tequila.

What exactly do I mean by "flash of tequila"? Well, let's just say if I hadn't stood back far enough when the tequila ignited, the eyelashes I'm missing from rubbing my itchy allergy eyes would have been joined by the rest of the hair on my head. Not a good thing so for heavens sake when you do that - step back and don't panic. The fire goes out pretty quickly and I say that with confidence because the microwave which is above the stove is still intact and the flames went far, far above that! LOL

I took this recipe a step farther and created a rich creamy slightly cheesy sauce to go inside the relleno to keep the filling moist. The bonus is that the whole thing can all be prepped in advance then finished under the broiler just before serving, which makes it just about perfect in my books. Download Chile Relleno with Tequila Shrimp

By the way, for those of you that are unfamiliar with chile peppers, poblano chiles are relatively mild in flavor with a meaty texture making them a perfect candidate for stuffing; however, the skin is rather tough and the flavor and texture of the pepper is enhanced when it is roasted and the skin is removed. I've included instructions for performing this little task in the recipe. Don't let it scare you - it's easy and worth the effort.

Also if you're liking the sound of stuffed peppers, check out the others we've enjoyed here in the past.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Green Chiles

  Turkey Stuffed Anaheims

Shrimp with Red Eye Gravy and Grits

You know how sometimes the idea of something is better than the actual - like living in a place that has perpetual summer. You kind of miss the beauty of winter, spring and fall - or maybe it's the change you miss. Or buying that beautiful little vermillion orange MGB, license plate number THL533 and bombing all over Canada with it, convertible top down and shit eatin' grin collecting bug guts and all. Then comes winter; the Triple A guy waits down the block to give you a boost every morning because he knows the call's coming in just after 7:00 bells and when you've finally got the darn car started ya gotta dress like an Eskimo so you don't freeze to death.

Well you'd think I'd learn my lesson, but oh no. History does repeat itself and last night's dinner was a perfect example. You see I got all excited because I found a recipe on line from Mr. B's restaurant in New Orleans. Several years ago the big guy took me with him to a convention there and we ate at Mr. B's as much as we could. I ALWAYS ordered the same thing ...beautiful jumbo Louisiana shrimp, wrapped in crispy almost charred applewood smoked bacon and served on a bed of creamy, rich grits covered in red eye gravy. It was amazing - the memory of it just made my mouth water! Big time.

Well I HAD to cook it for dinner last night. The big guy was on board with the idea and stopped on his way home to get some red pepper jelly and we were off to the races. Grits were cooked, all creamy, shiny and gorgeous. Shrimp wrapped in bacon and smokin' up the house on what had been my nice clean spotless stove. Ingredients for what they called Red Eye Gravy reducing in the pan - cooked shrimp on skewers waiting to be stripped and placed on a pillow of grits ...2 mouths absolutely watering with anticipation.

Well you probably get the picture. Something got lost in the translation between New Orleans and Tucson because it just wasn't that good. In fact, not even good enough to post the link and that's all I got to say about that! Now I'm off to wash the grit and smokey grime from the cupboards AND the kitchen ceiling, AND scrub the plantation shutters, AND re-polish the windows AND clean the stove ...AGAIN! Poopy darn, I say. Actually what I'm really saying is unprintable, but you knew that already didn't you.

Seafood Pie with a Phyllo Crust

The story goes something like this. Take the bounty from the sea as in gorgeous sockeye salmon, all glistening sunset colored  fresh and wonderful; add large, pink and lovely shrimp, perfectly cooked with a little squeaky bite to them, and translucent pearl like bay scallops; cover it with a wine flavored rose' sauce smoothed with a touch of cream; top it with a pillow of crisp, light paper thin golden phyllo pastry... What have you got? An absolute show stopper of an entree' both in taste and appearance.

I'm sure you must all get rather sick of hearing me yank my own chain, but as you'll see if you're a regular visitor, I absolutely thrive on trying new recipes, particularly it seems when the pressure's on and we're entertaining for dinner. That's what I did last night when I was out to impress. Download Seafood Pie with Phyllo Crust

I served the best fruits of the sea, smothered them in a to die for sauce, topped it with the easiest, papery thin pastry there is known in the universe and darn near impressed the heck outa' myself. Good - you bet. Easy - uhhh ya! Perfect dinner party food...you otta' believe it. Served with a frosty glass of cold Pinot Grigio Piave from Villa Sonia (Italy) and a light salad of mixed greens in a creamy dill flavored dressing - oh, man...what a dinner fit for a visiting dignitary.

Unfortunately, there was only one problem...said visiting dignitary's flight was delayed and he ate dinner with the peons in Denver last night, so it was just the big guy and I moaning over this masterpiece. Poor, poor, deprived Larry - you snooze you lose...big time! Guess I'll have to make up for it tonight, huh.

Pad Thai with Chicken and Shrimp

When the big guy's late getting home and dinner needs to happen fast, Pad Thai fills the bill on all counts. Once all the ingredients are prepped, the cooking part takes a brief 5 or 6 minutes. The key to success is making sure you've everything ready before you start cooking or you'll likely have a disaster on your hands.

This particular version of Pad Thai combines soy sauce with peanut butter and Asian chili paste for heat,  along with a touch of brown sugar for sweet and vinegar for sour. Combined with chicken, shrimp, rice noodles, and a few vegetables the result is light, mildly spicy and crunchy without the heavy sauces that most of us are accustomed to. We loved it and we'd have it again in a heartbeat. Download Pad Thai with Chicken and Shrimp

The noodles are firm; the barely there sauce adds just the right amount of moisture to the dish and the fresh bean sprouts add the perfect crunch. It's not too sweet like some versions are and the combination of cilantro and mint along with fresh lime juice really enhances the flavors. Don't leave any of it out - it just wouldn't be the same...that is unless you absolutely hate cilantro in which case you could replace it with fresh basil.

As for today - well the big guy's buddy Larry's coming to visit for a couple of days so I'll be getting the house ready for company, hauling out the special china and polishing the martini glasses. Kinda' sounds like a party, doesn't it?

Ocean's Bounty - Pasta with Scallops and Shrimp

Monday's can sure be busy can't they? My little Mommy used to call them "blue Monday's", because the weekend's over and a new week's beginning. Actually more than likely it was because Monday was traditionally "wash day" and doing laundry on the farm was not a pretty job back in the day.

Well for us, the only blue thing yesterday was the sky - that is when I took the time to notice later in the day. It was grocery day along with getting caught up after a weekend away, so dinner last night was simple and quick. That meant pasta of course.

When I say quick, I mean quick. By the time the pot of water boiled and the linguine cooked, the garlicky vodka infused sauce filled with shrimp, scallops, tomatoes and a touch of cream was ready and waiting. Download Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops We actually topped our bowls off with more spicy red pepper flakes, and a smidgen of grated asiago cheese. Along with a fresh tossed salad, it was a meal fit for a king! By the bye - the king loved it. How could he not? It was delicious!

Now for you purists that frown about the fact that we had cheese with our seafood...get a grip. I'm going to quote from the forward in John Conley's cookbook Salsa Brava Cocina (the cookbook we picked up on the weekend). He says "...To cook is to express oneself, to feel, explore, and experience that which comes from within, that which came before, and that which lies ahead --to create something that has an existing basis, but to do it not by following rules but rather by following feelings. A recipe is only a thought, a road map with many detours..."

So, how does that grab ya? Yup, I thought so! I couldn't agree more.

Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika

Dinner last night was quick and easy. After all Friday nights around here usually require something quick and casual as far as dinner is concerned because we're old and usually exhausted at the end of the week. I had picked up some shrimp on sale at Sprouts during last week's market run and since I've a whole bottle of smoked paprika to use up, decided to try this recipe adapted from Bon Appetit. Download Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Smoked Paprika

In my opinion roasted shrimp are far superior in flavor to the boiled variety, particularly shrimp roasted with the shells on. Unfortunately I didn't have that option because the shrimp I'd purchased on sale had already been peeled and cleaned down to the tails but they certainly didn't suffer overly. Just make sure to use a cast iron pan and heat it well before adding the well dried shrimp, otherwise they'll steam instead of roast. Spiced up with garlic, roasted red peppers, olive oil, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and finished with oregano and sherry, these tender little morsels are ready in less than 10 minutes. We had our shrimp with warmed Mediterranean flat bread courtesy of TJ's and a fresh tossed salad. How's that for a quick dinner? Best of all, there's lots left for lunch today. Bonus!

If I make these again, I'll up the garlic quotient and add some of those preserved Meyer lemons I've forgotten are hiding on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator; however, the shrimp were good and tasty with plenty of heat - enough that a little tzatziki or other such cooling agent on the side would be lovely, just to give your palate a break.

Shrimp and Andouille on Grits

Last night's dinner was another salute to comfort food at its finest. Funny how winter seems to demand a different style of cooking - and us crazy people that live in the Southwest aren't immune from that requirement. It's been cold here too although I do realize that the term "cold" is relative. When spring temperatures are high 80's and 90's and summer's are triple digit, a high in the 40's is darn cold.

We happen to love shrimp and we love grits so putting them together in the same bowl is a great solution to a quick dinner. Unfortunately I'm still having a little trouble in the moderation department though - I kinda' loaded those darn grits with some herbed goat cheese last night so they weren't exactly the diet variety, but holy cow were they ever creamy. Topped with red and yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic, andouille sausage, tomatoes, lots of seasonings and of course lovely 16-20 size shrimp, dinner was ready in a flash and rather delectable I might add. This particular recipe is one of those throw it in the pot dinners, but I'll try and re-create it as best I can. Download Shrimp with Andouille Sausage  For those of you that are "gritless" (Canada), it would be just as fine on a bed of rice, pasta or even some polenta.

So listen people, how 'bout a little feedback today. What, pray tell, was on your menu last night?

Spicy Shrimp and Sausage Stew

Hey y'all. We're up and running again - finally. It's been a comedy of errors but I'll spare you the details. We sure have some catching up to do because we've had 4 awesome dinner's since this enforced computer vacation. I'll tell ya' one thing though - it's proved to me just how much time I spend on this darn contraption. I mean the house is cleaned, the windows washed, the laundry done, ironing up to date and I was even contemplating putting a coat of starch in the big guy's underwear. Needless to say, he's going to be VERY happy the computer's home!

Last night's dinner had to be something that would hold well since the big guy's started teaching a late class on Wednesdays. I wanted to try something different and it had to be calorie conscious as well as high in the flavor quotient. I settled on this. Download Spicy Shrimp and Sausage Stew

The trinity of green bell pepper, onion and celery is sauteed in a dutch oven until the vegetables are soft, then joined by some garlic - in our case a lot of garlic, creole seasoning, cayenne and oregano and given a chance to heat up a bit before 6 ounces of smoked andouille sausage hit the pan. After the sausage acquired a little brown color, I added some chicken broth along with a can of Rotel tomatoes and let it simmer for 40 minutes. Just before serving I threw in a can of great northern beans and 8 ounces of peeled and de-veined medium shrimp. Garnished with a little parsley and some extra hot sauce, this simple stew filled some very hungry bellies. It kind of made my eyes "bug" out a tad though I gotta' admit.

It had what the big guy calls "a dew". What that means is there's enough spicy heat that it makes your eyes water and your nose run - mine, not his. What can I say? He's immune to excess spice. Actually, I'll amend that statement to almost immune. I did happen to see him once crying over some home made East Indian hot sauce we picked up at the Millarville Market in Alberta. I should have figured something was up when the vendor asked if we were sure we wanted two jars of the stuff. Now that was HOT!

Coconut Lime Shrimp with Peanut Sauce & some news!

Before I tell you about this fabulous Coconut Lime Shrimp, I've got a confession to make. This is NOT what I had for dinner last night. Hey, I'm flying solo this week if you discount Max and Georgie, so last night's dinner was actually some left over meatball lasagne that we talked about a while ago. I enjoyed it very much, but actually I was dreaming about this grilled shrimp so figured I'd just extend the dream and make it semi-real.

 
This marinated shrimp recipe is courtesy of Epicurious.com and was a real find. The big guy and I have made it many, many times and haven't changed the recipe one iota, except to double or triple it depending on our audience. In fact, it's a favorite feast of our kids - a really tight group of the big guy's students that we adopted a couple of years ago, one of whom we're having dinner with tonight. I can't wait to see you Jordyn! Our "babies" are spread out all over the world now, but every time we make "Allie's Shrimp" we think of our crew and the laughs we shared on Monday's over a groaning table. By the way we call it Allie's Shrimp because one of our girls who's the size of a minute, devoured an incredible amount of them one night!

Anyway as you'll see these shrimp are marinated in a mixture of fresh basil, coconut milk, lime, as well as the asian trinity then threaded onto skewers and grilled. They're cooked in a New York minute and absolutely delicious, served with a peanut sauce and some Soba noodles. Now I realize I should be posting this recipe when it's BBQ season, but next time we have 'em, I'll tell you all about it, OK? Don't worry, we won't be doing it any time soon.

We had a storm blow through here last night that was incredible. Good thing our Christmas lights aren't up yet because they'd now be adorning a tree somewhere in Kansas. It blew the lid right off the weber and I haven't found it yet. Yikes. It was wild! I went out to check on Georgie at one point and she was literally holding on to her cushions with all her might. Obviously she's fine though as she just got finished giving Max the old one, two, three across the snout. Such children!

 
Now, about my news! Yesterday, I was presented with the Neno Award by fellow blogger and good friend Mags from www.othersideof50.blogspot.com I am so honored, surprised and totally touched by her gesture. When I first started blogging after much procrastination followed by a boot in the butt from the big guy, it was meant to be a way to share my passion for creating good food, and encourage others to eat well, have fun in the kitchen and be adventurous - every night of the week. I had no idea the biggest bonus would be "cyber" meeting fellow bloggers and making an incredible new life long friend along the way. Thank you Mags - I treasure you. You've taught me so much and with your encouragement and your humor, you've made this blogging adventure a total blast. 

Creamy Pasta with Shrimp and Tarragon

A warm bowl of fettuccine, covered with perfectly cooked shrimp in a creamy rose tomato sauce redolent with tarragon and spiced with a hint of cayenne. Sound scrumptious? Guess what - it certainly was!

Last night's dinner was another easy on the cook feast, but it sure wasn't easy on the cleaner upper. Don't know how I managed to use almost every pot in the house making pasta and a salad, but somehow I did it. Growing up there was always a very loud groan from my twin sister when I was the cook for the evening because I was notorious for using copious amount of cookware and since the cook didn't have to do dishes after dinner, I was often off the hook while she slaved away. Wonder if she ever figured out that the more she complained the more dishes I used. Ha. I'm a little wiser now and usually clean up as I go because I never know when the big guy's going to pull rank on me and take the night off from kitchen duty - like last night. Wouldn't ya' know it?

 

This recipe for pasta with shrimp and tarragon is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks called Idaho a la carte. Download Pasta with Shrimp and Tarragon Originally meant to use scallops, I substituted shrimp - have you seen the price of scallops lately? A scratch tomato sauce is reduced and pureed, then made rosier with the addition of heavy cream, mellowed with tarragon and spiced up with a hint of cayenne and a few red pepper flakes. For those of you that aren't in to seafood, it would be wonderful with the addition of grilled chicken breasts or even a mild sausage. As well, if you don't like the flavor of tarragon you can substitute basil if you wish, but the tarragon flavor though subtle, really makes the dish. While hearty enough for a main course along with a salad, it would be a great first course at a dinner party too - maybe on some angel hair pasta.

By the way, the basil you see on the plate is from my own little herb garden - I just had to show it off. For some reason it's sheltered enough between two parsley plants to withstand the cold temperatures we've been having lately - 37 this morning. All the herbs are absolutely thriving - ah with the exception of the rosemary cause it's gotten too many haircuts lately - those darn rosemary rolls from Pioneer Woman are going to be the death of it.   

Finger Lickin' Lip Smackin' Shrimp

Last night's dinner was in fact finger licking, lip smacking good and since we've had it before, we knew it was going to be fabulous. This Cajun Shrimp is oven baked, spicy, yummy and absolutely delicious. We've told you about it a couple of times but hey when something's this good, it's worth revisiting don't you agree?

 
Other than being quick and easy on the cook, these shrimp qualify as darn messy to eat since you have to pick a shrimp up out of a sea of the creatures swimming in butter, lemon and spices and peel it before you get to pop it into your mouth.  The paper towel manufacturers are going to love you for that, I promise. We had our shrimp along with some of those Rosemary Dinner Rolls we had the other night - see I told you I believe in revisiting the REALLY good stuff. If you haven't tried either recipe yet, you'd better get to it! It is absolutely great grub. Download Cajun Shrimp

To top off our dinner and at the same time post something new for you all, I whipped up a an old fashioned chocolate pudding cake- you know the kind that starts out with the cake on the bottom, covered with boiling water and magically does a switcheroo in the oven to become a saucy little sweetie with liquid mocha fudge on the bottom, topped by moist delicious chocolate cake. It only takes about 10 minutes to put together, and after 45 in the oven, during which you can enjoy the aroma, you'll have a memorable ending to a fabulous meal. About the puddings, they're going to explode a bit in the oven - in fact, mine exploded enough that the big guy took one look at them and said "what happened here". Be sure to put them on a cookie sheet before you cook them or you'll be cleaning your oven big time after.  Download Topsy Turvy Chocolate Mocha Pudding

You know, any normal female logic would advise that you have dessert FIRST before you fill up on anything else. Course there's a big guy in this house that would argue there's no such thing as "normal female" never mind "normal female logic."  Boy, could I show him a thing or two. Why does he think I let him eat most of the shrimp?

Risotto With Asparagus And Shrimp

The big guy's the one that cooks risotto in this house, so last night I'm the one that watched and drank wine while he did all the work. Course it wasn't without constant nagging on my part - hey the inside kitchen's my domain so I should get to express my opinion, right?

For all my comments, hints, nagging and "don't ya' think you shoulds", the big guy makes a mean pot of risotto all by himself. In fact, before we were married it was his "go to" dish of choice - that is when steak wasn't on the menu, so he can make it blindfolded or otherwise impaired.  He starts by sauteing onions, garlic and shallots in olive oil until soft, then adds the arborio rice, gives it a good stir and lets it cook until it starts looking a little transparent. At this point he sets the timer for 20 minutes and starts adding the heated stock in half cup increments, stirring continuously. By 8 minutes on the clock, the arborio rice has slowed its absorption of stock, and at this point he adds some white wine. At the 5 minute mark, the asparagus which had been sliced into coins hit the pot followed by the raw shrimp at 3 minutes. At the buzzer, he adds the butter, then the cream and parmesan cheese. Voila', like magic the rice is cooked in all it's shiny, creamy glory. Download Risotto With Asparagus And Shrimp

The big guy swears by the use of the timer to make consistently good risotto - and believe me, he does make it that way ALL the time. No matter what the additions - bacon, italian sausage, chicken or whatever's in the pantry, his risotto always turns out perfectly, with or without my "help" I might add.

Rum Coconut Shrimp and Fried Plantains

Grenada is the last stop in our week of Caribbean cooking and I can't believe our adventure is almost over. Darn, the unpacking is such a pain, isn't it? LOL 

The area of Grenada is made up of the island along with six smaller islands located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela and southwest of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines. Grenada was all but wiped out by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, with 37 people killed and 10,000 left homeless. Ninety percent of the buildings on the island were damaged or destroyed, but thankfully recovery is in process. Grenada is known as The Spice Isle as it provides 20 % of the world's supply of nutmeg, along with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace and allspice. Bananas and cocoa are also grown here.

 

 

 

Dinner last night was one of our favorites because we both love shrimp and really like plantains - I thought it was particularly enjoyable since the big guy did the cookin' in the outside kitchen. Hey - I don't allow no deep fryin' in the house - sure don't want to mask the curry smell from the night before. Ha.

When you're making a stand alone dinner like coconut shrimp, you really need to make sure your shrimp are top quality. We had no problem with ours - we bought them at Sprouts 16-20 size and they were unbelievable. The recipe is quite simple - merely bread the cleaned shrimp in panko crumbs, then dip in egg wash mixed with rum, garlic, salt and pepper, then a final coating in coconut before they hit the deep fryer. Download Rum Coconut Shrimp

"They were crispy on the outside and moist and meaty on the inside" - that's a direct quote from the big guy. What he also said was that they were "succulently delicious" - hey who's writing this blog anyway? Now, as for the plantains - these were the ripe variety rather than green ones. How can you tell? The ripe ones are brown on the outside, and the green ones...are well they're green. Dahh. The vegetable guru at Sprouts pointed out the best ones to us and gave the big guy a lesson at the same time. What can I say - we love this place!

The big guy cut the peeled plantains in about 1-1/2 inch pieces, then deep fried them until they were golden brown. He then removed them from the fryer and squished them down to about a 1/2 inch depth, and put them back in the fryer until they floated to the top. That's the signal that they're done. Removed from the fryer, they were sprinkled immediately with coarse sea salt and as quick as you could say Bob Marley, dinner was ready.

End of island adventure. Now we can look forward to weeks of Mac & Cheese - no not really. Stay tuned for further developments.

 

 

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Lime Rum-Mustard Glaze

Have your got your passport? How about sunglasses? Did you remember to bring sun screen? OK, ready? Buckleup buttercups - as I mentioned yesterday, we're doing a whirlwind tour of Caribbean cuisine this week with Tortola the first stop on our adventure, followed by a trip to St. Martin.

Tortola is the largest populated island in the British Virgin Islands with breathtaking views, hilly countryside and steep, narrow roads. The views are unspoiled by highrises since no building taller than a palm tree is allowed. Island cuisine includes West Indian specialties such as fresh spiney lobster, conch, turtle, spicy goat and curries as well as stewed mutton, saltfish and dumplings and many varieties of Caribbean fruits and local vegetables. With no flatlands to speak of agriculture is scarce and naturally that is reflected in the cost and availability of foods not indigenous to the island.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure that salmon is a local speciality found in the Caribbean or whether it is flown in; however, this recipe is from a Taste of the Caribbean Cookbook by Angela Spenceley. Download Salmon with Brown Sugar and Lime Rum Mustard Glaze The salmon is coated with a sweet and spicy glaze of brown sugar, honey, butter, dijon mustard, fresh ginger, lime zest, rum and olive oil, then wrapped in foil and grilled. The big guy cooked our beautiful filet of wild salmon for 10 minutes, indirect heat over charcoal. By the way, for those of you living in Tucson, Sprouts has wild salmon on sale this week for $3.99 a pound and each filet runs about a pound to a pound and a half in weight. It's beautiful, high quality and very fresh fish. Perfect, just perfect! 

 

The island flavors really came though loud and clear in this dish with the ginger predominant. The filet was perfectly cooked, incredibly moist and full of flavor. We'd do this again in a heartbeat - in fact, we managed to scarf down the entire one pound filet and had we bought 2, it would have been devoured too. It was that good.

Our salmon was accompanied by a light delicious salad from St. Martin made up of grilled pineapple, avocado and red onion, dressed with a sweet and spicy lime vinaigrette. St. Martin is the smallest island in the world shared between two different nations - St. Martin by the French and St. Maarten by the Dutch. They've co-existed for over 350 years. Located in the center of the chain of Caribbean islands, the climate is moderated by cooling trade winds meaning the average temperature is 82 in the summer and 80 in the winter. Their average annual rainfall is about 45 inches, most of which occurs during late summer and early fall.

St. Martin is known for its nude beaches, high fashion, shopping and fine dining style influenced by French culture..."the smell of fresh croissants and pastries mixes everywhere with the spicy aroms of West Indian cooking."  Nix on the nude beaches, but I have a feeling I for one would LOVE discovering the joys of St. Martin's cookin'.

 

This salad was perfect along with the salmon. If you've never tried grilled pineapple, you've just GOT to - it brings a whole different flavor to the mix as the sugars in the pineapple carmelize so the normally fairly acidic pineapple is much sweeter and milder. The vinaigrette has mild heat from Serrano pepper balanced with honey and a touch of cinnamon. Quite honestly I could easily live off the stuff. Download Grilled Pineapple Avocado and Onion Salad

As for the GMan, he loved it - the big guy loved it. Can you believe it? His comment after dinner last night was "this is turning out to be a BAD weekend. Friday night peas, now Saturday night salmon. What are you doing to my tastebuds". Got him AGAIN. Man I love being right!

 

 

Shrimp Salad With Mango And Avocado

Unbelievable. That's what yesterday was. The days are starting to cool off a bit (around 95 F) which makes it much more comfortable running errands let me tell you. I'll soon be getting out my gardening gloves - oh great! I have such a difficult time making anything grow around here, you just wouldn't believe it. It's fun to see the seasonal changes happening. The texas sage are all blooming again and the kumquats are starting to turn orange. That means the oranges, grapefruits and meyer lemons won't be far behind. Yippee. We're harvesting limes at an amazing rate and the big guy cooked up a bunch of Prickly Pear Jelly that I've yet to share with you (soon, I promise..it's amazing). It must be fall in Arid zona.

Since it's still rather warm in the kitchen and I swore after yesterday's chicken I'd make something cool for dinner, I whipped up a light shrimp salad with mango, avocado and lime for dinner. It's incredible the price of avocados right now - I don't know what they are in your neck of the woods but Sprouts has Haas avocados on sale here 4 for a dollar.  I just hit Frys and their price was 2 for a buck. Amazing deal.

This simple salad makes good use of those creamy rich little green orbs served beside a pound of cooked shrimp mixed with some sliced red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and mango. Dressed with the juice and rind of a lime along with a tablespoon of olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper, dinner was ready. We also had some crescent rolls courtesy of that cute little dough boy. If you need a recipe to follow you can find it in Cooking Light - http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1049306

This salad would have been perfect except that I used one of our sweet limes for a change. All I can say is thankfully this tree isn't very prolific because I'm not sure what I'd do with the darn things otherwise. Their flavor is decidedly perfumey and my tastebuds didn't appreciate it, particularly since I was all geared up for the usual acidic flavor of a regular lime. The big guy didn't complain though - it just meant he got to eat most of the salad.

Super Shrimp Cakes with an Avocado & Grapefruit Salad

Good old Robert Burns sure knew how to say it - "the best laid schemes o'mice an' men go oft awry, and leave us nothing but grief and pain for promised joy". I did NOT make it to Julie & Julia yesterday. Now isn't that cause for depression of the deepest kind? So, I wanna' know, how on earth would that old fart know how I was going to feel when he wrote the darn poem in 1785? Would someone please answer me that? And no comments from the peanut gallery about my being that old. I'm already punked enough.

When I got to the theatre there was quite the lineup, and since I'd no intention of standing in line outside when it was already in the high 90's, either I drag the big guy with me kicking and screaming over the weekend, or plan to go another day next week. I have a feeling that it may be the latter rather than the former, although GMan's admitted that he would go with me. Woe is me. I'm still pouting.

After the day's disappointment, I decided something new was in order for dinner, even though we're still fighting the battle of the bulge. I found this recipe for Shrimp Cakes on Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/shrimp_cakes/ and it's a lot different than the ones I normally make. Sweet potatoes are used as the binder, along with garlic, cilantro and some jalapeno and red onion for kick. It sounded like the perfect solution for the bag of shrimp I bought on sale at Sprouts.

I've learned something recently that's really come in plum handy, thanks to Ina Garten. Roasting shrimp in the oven is far and away the easiest and best solution to cooking these little gems, so I washed and dried the already deveined shrimp, put them on a sheet pan, sprinkled olive oil, salt, pepper and a little Old Bay seasoning on top, and shoved them in the oven at 450 for 6 minutes. The result - perfectly cooked, tastie, delectable shrimp. After they'd cooled a bit, I shelled them and then followed the directions in the recipe, almost to the letter. Hey, I didn't have coriander or cumin seeds so I didn't use the Spice Mix Recipe, but substituted some Old Bay and a teaspoon of ground cumin. I also used sweet onion instead of red onion, but that's no big deal.  What a GREAT recipe this is and a fabulous way to stretch a small amount of shrimp.  I made 4 very large patties, but made into small, bite sized cakes, it would be a wonderful appetizer to serve with drinks on the patio. Kind of a new take on a shrimp fritter. Oh yum!

I served an Avocado and Grapefruit Salad on the side, recipe courtesy of the Food Network and Ina Garten http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/avocado-and-grapefruit-salad-recipe/index.html  Gorgeous Hass avocados and red grapefruit are sliced and topped with a dressing made of dijon mustard, lemon juice and olive oil. I made half the recipe; however, next time I'll cut back on the olive oil. If you're making the entire recipe, I believe a quarter cup would be more than sufficient. The dijon and lemon juice mellow out the tartness of the grapefruit and the result is simply amazing - a perfect foil for the shrimp cakes. As you can see from the platter, I rounded it all out with a few pieces of melon, just in case we needed more vitamin C.

Best part of this whole deal - there's shrimp cakes left for our lunch today. Can't wait to try them with a little salsa verde and slaw in a tortilla. Fresh pineapple would be great with it too. So what's on your agenda today?

Perfect Shrimp Salad

Yup, I said perfect, the absolute opposite of Sunday's debacle. You see, we had a two pound bag of shrimp left in the freezer that we had to eliminate before we head out of here. A side trip to Waldport and a trip into Ray's brought fresh tarragon and oranges to the party and the result was a roasted shrimp salad that would blow your socks off.

It would be a perfect lunch for one of my Mother-in-law's bridge parties, or stuffed into flat bread to feed a hungry crew or as dinner for two if one of the diners is named GMan. In fact, we were laughing about that during dinner when the big guy mentioned a lady in Ray's who didn't want to buy a 2 pound bag of shrimp because there were only 2 of them eating it and they wouldn't be able to get through that much of the stuff. Well, unfortunately we don't have that issue in this house. We had no leftovers and enjoyed every bite.

I cleaned the shrimp, then roasted them in the oven for 6 minutes at 400. They came out perfectly cooked and honestly it is so much easier than poaching them and losing all that flavor. After they cooled for 15 minutes, I mixed in the tarragon/orange mayonnaise, then chilled the salad for half an hour. Download Tarragon Shrimp Salad Served with some fresh jalapeno monkey bread, and a glass of Pinot Gris, it was a meal fit for company. By the way, the shrimp salad was served on a gorgeous crystal platter shaped like a clam that I found at the Yachats Thrift Store and purchased for the whopping amount of $5.00. Ya, isn't that something?

By the way, we went for a short drive up the Alsea River yesterday towards the spot that we're thinking we'll be calling home if we ever retire. We also took pictures of Peggy's Garden , and I'll be posting them shortly. You're not going to believe what you see. Honest! As for today, who knows what it brings. At this moment, the big guy's off gaper hunting and Max is sleeping on the sofa...mmm, sleeping on the sofa - what a unique idea. 

My oh my oh my - Cajun Shrimp & Peanut Butter Pie

Cotton isn't the old great thing to come from the south. A good feed of cajun shrimp and peanut butter pie will have you wondering what else you're missing. We took a little trip yesterday through our crowded refrigerator and this is what we came up with.

I posted these Cajun Shrimp before but it was a hot day in Tucson and turning on the oven was not an option, so I cooked them in a cast iron pan on top of the stove. This time they were done in the oven and I've got to admit there's no comparison in flavor. Oven wins hands down. I know I've repeated a few things during this month at the beach that we've had before, but this is one dish you'll be happy to have in your recipe box and use often. It is that good. Thanks to Southern Living and myrecipes.com for bringing it into our lives. To make it easier, here's the recipe. Download Cajun Shrimp

Now, as for the peanut butter pie, I've been making this little gem for years and years. It was a particular favorite of the big guy's staff during the old days in Grants Pass. It is extremely rich and creamy and a small piece goes a very long way, and for those of you who love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, you may just have found their equal. I used a ready made chocolate crust, but oreo cookie crumbs or chocolate wafers and a food processor would make short work of creating one from scratch.Download Peanut Butter Pie I garnished the pie with chopped peanut butter cups and a drizzle of Hershey's Chocolate Sauce.

Well I've gotta run. There's a big pan of cinnamon buns in the oven and the aroma is driving us insane. Happy Friday, y'all! 

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day everyone. Hope your holiday is a really special one. I'll fill you in on July 4th in Yachats in tomorrow's post.

We spent yesterday watching everyone prepare for the holiday and even made the huge mistake of going into Newport for groceries. Think every Tom, Dick and Jane on the central coast was in that store. I honestly thought the big guy was going to get into fisticuffs with two old broads who were visiting by the peaches, and gave him a filthy look as he reached around them. I almost mowed a little family down who were taking up an aisle. I was patient and polite (honest) until they'd ignored my efforts to get around them for long enough. Should have taken patience pills! Funny how one trip into town can undo all the good of your first week on vacation.

Course this vacation stuff might not be all its cracked up to be. I mean third day in a row, we're up at the crack of dawn. Correct that. Dawn hasn't cracked yet, but surely someone has. He left the house at 4:15 am to go clamming again. This time there's a minus tide so hopefully he's more successful than yesterday. He came home after several hours with 3, not quite enough for any recipe, and his ego was just a might bruised. They are being elusive, that's for sure. Heaven forbid we have to buy clams for the clams casino, linguine with clam sauce and clams with chorizo that I have planned for later this month.

Without clams to cook, last night's dinner was Tequila Shrimp in tacos. This particular shrimp recipe is from Chow.com and can be found at http://www.chow.com/recipes/26243 It is very simple to make and about an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. The shrimp are added to sauteed onion and garlic and finished with tequila and lime juice. I think the flavor could be enhanced with the addition of jalepeno peppers and some cilantro, and maybe some lime zest too. As you can see, we had them with shredded cabbage, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

By the way, we had some visitors yesterday. Not sure if they're going to show up clearly, so you'll have to squint, but there were 2 bucks and a doe eating the neighbors garden. Now, wouldn't that just tick you off if you had plans for the lettuce? We were so surprised we forgot to set the zoom on the camera, but at least it'll give you an idea of the heaven we're living in at the moment.

Yesterday, I succumbed to some serious couch time as Max and I slept the morning away. It was blissful, and I'm looking for a repeat in a few minutes. In fact he's already snoring from the most comfortable cushion, so I'd better get there before he hogs all the blankets. Ain't life grand?

Italy or Mexico - what to do

The big guy asked for a Mexican style shrimp dish called Camerones Diablo which supposedly translates to "demon with red peppers". It is a fiery hot dish of large shrimp, sauteed with garlic, peppers, onions and a spicy chile sauce. Somehow I shouldn't have been surprised that GMan would ask for it. I've never seen him admit that any spice is too hot for him. In fact, he never even breaks a sweat.  

I was more into Italian than I was Mexican when planning the meals this week, so I did a one up on him and decided to make Shrimp Fra Diavolo instead. The shrimp is cooked in a tomato, white wine sauce with hints of crushed red peppers, oregano, parsley and basil, and while flavorful, it is certainly not in the "demon" department. I served it on a bed of spaghetti flavored with lemon rind, lemon juice, parmesan and fresh basil. All together, it was outstanding and more than worthy of "company". Download Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Lemon Spaghetti

Of course, I could never serve it to company because it took less than 30 mintues to cook, and that includes cleaning and shelling the shrimp. When we have company for dinner for some strange reason I think the success of the entire evening depends totally on the number of hours I spend in the kitchen prior to their arrival. I always, always pick at least one dish I have never made before because I love the suspense of whether it's going to turn out or not. I know, I know. I must be sick. I usually have at least one melt down though so the big guy knows when to take the dog and run for the hills.

After dinner tonight, GMan was ready to run in another direction - back to Sprouts for more shrimp so we could have a repeat of this tomorrow night. Yup - it's that good!

Thai Coconut Bouillabaisse

It's been a while since we've had some Thai food and I've been meaning to try this recipe for a while. It's from Cooking Light, and because we're in dire need of some "light" cooking, it seemed a perfect choice for tonight. We both kinda' pigged out big time on the Moussaka last night - not that it's the only reason.

 

I couldn't find any clams or mussels that I was satisfied were "fresh" enough, so just left them out. I used mixed seafood from Trader Joe's freezer that includes bay scallops, shrimp and calamari. I also used extra shrimp and a great piece of cod, cut into one inch pieces instead of the halibut called for in the recipe. I mean halibut at $12.99 a pound, versus cod at $4.99 ...dah!

We found the soup was a little short on flavor, even though I added another 2 Tablespoons of red curry paste (yup, I said 2 Tablespoons - so we're a little immune to heat, I guess), a squirt of honey and a tablespoon of fish sauce as well as a lot more lime juice. It was O.K. though and it would be a great base for just about any kind of main ingredient. For example you could use chicken broth rather than the shellfish broth, and add chicken, and noodles. Calorie wise, it fit the bill http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1809094 

Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

Late class day, but more important, we've friends coming over for dinner. They're our "backside" neighbors and a bundle of laughs. Unfortunately, they're leaving the neighborhood...must've been something we did...so this is our swan song dinner. I hate it when people move away on us - I mean it's never the ones you'd like to see leave. Now if it was Duncan the choco lab, I'd be saying here's your hat, what's your hurry.

Entertaining tonight was a good excuse to make a raspberry rhubarb pie and have the house smell like heaven. Funny, just as the pie was coming out of the oven, Nancy called to say there was a guy from Calgary looking at the house and he was on his way over here for a chat. Honestly, I think I talked his ear off and it is likely he won't be interested in purchasing their house because of the crazy neighbor. He should seriously consider it though - I mean...the aromas that come from our indoor and outdoor kitchens should more than make up for the quirkiness of the inhabitants.

Couldn't think of anything spectacular to serve with drinks so ended up making some little black pepper biscuits the size of loonies and serving them along side some devilled ham, kumquats and mustard sauce. Yeah...still eating left over ham from Easter, but its been in the freezer so I'm not poisoning anyone. We were too busy chowing down to take a picture. Sorry!

Then we had Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce from www.simplyrecipes.com. Go on over there and pick up the recipe. You won't be sorry you visited.

I pretty much made the recipe as is but I used 2 pounds of shrimp, added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and about a quarter cup of dry white vermouth to the sauce. I love the flavor it gives (plus it was sitting out on the counter from the martini makin's). I cooked the shrimp on top of the stove until almost done, transferred it to individual ramekins, put the feta cheese on top and finished it under the broiler. Hey...I didn't want to heat the kitchen up too much. We had it with spaghetti in a light pesto sauce, Italian bread and a mixed green salad. I think the spaghetti might have been overkill but I was afraid there wouldn't be enough food and I had to fill them up on something. Yeah right - I know! There's always enough!

We also neglected to take a pic of the pie. It was a beauty on the outside, but I'd put too much thickener in it thinking I'd need more with frozen rhubarb plus I pulled it out of the oven before it "burped". I think the true measure of a fruit pie is the mess it makes in the bottom of the oven and this one didn't get the opportunity to do that. It was very firm, good but firm. I'll be checking Sprouts every week hoping they get some fresh rhubarb in so I can try again. In my book, rhubarb and raspberry are better together than rhubarb and strawberry. Honest! Try it - you'll like it.

It was a fun evening with lots of laughter and a few tears at the end (mine). I hate saying goodbye. Hopefully we'll cross paths with Jeff and Nancy again - I mean Missoula isn't THAT far from the Oregon coast!

Rice is nice but noodles are better

Saturday's are usually nuts around here. We go for breakfast in the morning, then hit our favorite stores for groceries and by the time we're home, the day's half over. Its amazing there's always something that needs doing around the house - alot of outside maintenance, painting, hosing down, cleaning up, doggie doo doo detail, plant trimming - hey things just never stop growing around here and almost everything has some kind of thorn or burr or "ouchie" on it. Oh and the dust...the amount of dust in unbelievable. We've saltillo tile floors through most of the house which is really a blessing and a curse. Blessing because they're easy to wash and a curse ...because they're easy to wash. It seems like I'm constantly scrubbing the darn things and half an hour later, they look the same way they did before I bothered. Thankfully it rained today. Yeah, it rains in paradise sometimes which will do alot to clean up the dust issue. I shoulda' known though cause I washed some windows yesterday. Isn't it like washing your car? As soon as you do it rains.

As for dinner, didn't I tell you we're on a Vietnamese kick these days. Honestly, this dish is easy to make, very fast and incredibly tastey. The only problem was that I made an unholy mess in the kitchen trying to get it done in a hurry because we were hungry. By unholy mess, I mean disaster city - just use your imagination, because there'll be no pics of the kitchen --just a wok full of yummy food.

 

The recipe is from a cookbook called "Jackson Hole Cooks!" by Rebecca Woods. Download Vietnamese Shrimp with Rice Noodles  This is a book GMan brought me back when he went to a convention in Jackson Hole, WY. You see, whenever he goes out of town, he brings home a new cookbook for my collection. Sometimes its a regional one, or maybe a Junior League publication - I love those because they have everyone's best efforts in them. Just recently he came home with a Rick Bayless book that I've been coveting for years. We'll go there another time though. Needless to say, I don't mind it when he travels - at least not too much. The gifts are always wonderful and we miss each other, so that's a good sign.

Oh, about the recipe. I know you're dying to hear my opinion...it needed less noodles, cause even with all that dressing, it was kind of dry; more ginger; more lime juice; more HEAT - Sirachi please. Try it though and send a comment to let me know what you think. One more thing - a HUGE complaint - couldn't talk anyone else into cleaning up the kitchen! Do Molly Maids work weekends?