Seafood Shells!
This meal took a lot of work, but it was worth it! Filling:1 lb Jumbo Pasta Shells1 lb Large Shrimp1 lb lump crab meat1/4 cup sundried tomatoes2 cups spinach1 onion1 bell pepper (red and green)2-3 cloves minced garlic or 1 tbsp garlic paste1 cup mozzarella1/2 cup ParmesanSeason shrimp as desired. We used Cajun seasoning Sauce:2-3 tbsps butter1 diced shallot1 head roasted garlic1-2 tbsps tomato paste1/2 cup dry white wine or stock1/2 cup light cream1/2 cup ParmesanGarlic and herb seasoning Fine dice the veggies, you can put them all in the same bowl. Make it a BIG bowl. Pre-heat your oven to 400°. Cook your shrimp in olive or avocado oil (Cut them into small pieces first). Don’t overcook, these will go into the oven. Boil your JUMBO past shells while the...
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto with Shrimp Scampi
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto with Shrimp Scampi When picking up some basil pesto at Food Lion, I noticed there was a sun dried tomato version. I picked it up where it spent a month in my pantry. And then magic happened. Boil up some water and cook your pasta. I have a box of Italian angel hair pasta, 100% semolina flour pressed through brass dies. Meanwhile fine shave some romano pecorino. About a cup’s worth. In butter with some fresh diced garlic, quickly scampi some jumbo shrimp. I season mine with Kevin’s Creole Seasoning. Drain the pasta well, add a couple slices of Kerrygold butter, mix in a few fine minced cloves of fresh garlic. Stir in a couple tablespoon of the sun dried tomato pesto. Stir well. Add in a few forkfuls of chopped sun dried tomatoes...
Cashew Chicken
One of my favorite go-to meals is Cashew Chicken. And the good thing about this is that almost every ingredient is usually on hand. So I just pick up some chicken and broccoli and I’m set. I snack on cashews daily, so they are always around. Sorry for the non-exact measurement, I just always wing this. The sauce is my basic ‘Asian’ mix of Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Sesame Seed Oil and Thai chili paste. If I don’t have Thai chili paste, I usually have some Gochujang sauce, which is about the same. I don’t have exact measurements, but I use less of the fish sauce and sesame seed oil, as they are both powerful. I haven’t done it yet, but I always have red curry paste in the fridge, so I could sub that too. Could be interesting....
Karaage Wings
My take on Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken). Karaage is one of my favorite ways to make fried chicken. Traditionally it is deep fried, so that’s why I don’t make it anymore. But with wings in the fridge, I thought… “How about air frying Karaage Wings?” An hour before cooking, prepare your marinade.About 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce1 Tablespoon ground ginger (I use paste)2 cloves of garlic, minced2 Tablespoons Sake. I used Mirin, but you can use vermouth3/4 teaspoon sugar, I used agave Whisk together and add your cut up wings. Coat well and put into the fridge for at least an hour. Put about half a cup of corn starch in a large bowl. Traditionall you would use potato starch, but I never have. Toss in a wing at a time and coat well. I...
Steak and Onions
Tonight’s dinner has a backstory and a new item I’ve been working on. In middle school I found a book in our house called The Mudhen and The Walrus. I related with the carefree, zany and crafty title character, nicknamed Mudhen and his editor friend Froggie, who would go off to college and be the editor of The Walrus, the college paper. I think this was framed in the 1950’s. I went on to be the editor of my high school yearbook and photo editor of the newspaper. And then the editor of my college newspaper, with this book as a blueprint of what college life would be like…in the back of my mind. It did not disappoint. Many zany antics included. One meal he revered was Steak and Onions. With this long-past memory in my mind tonight, I decided...
Green Hatch, Carrot, Yellow Bell Pepper, Mushroom, Onion and Chicken Chili
With the fireplace roaring and Celtic Christmas music playing and it being in the 20s Sunday night, a bowl of steaming hot chili seemed like a perfect idea for a meal. But not just any chili…I give you a green hatch, carrot, yellow bell pepper, mushroom, onion and chicken bowl of red, topped with shredded smoked Gouda. In a dutch oven, seat 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs in olive oil. Remove. Chop in large chunks when they cool. To the fond, add a diced onion and sweat. Then a a rough chopped yellow onion and a shredded carrot and a pint of chopped mushrooms. Add 4 or 5 minced garlic cloves. Season with half a small container of chili powder, 3 tablespoon of crushed hatch chili flakes (or red pepper flakes) and black pepper. Add some chipolte powder or...