Food goodness

Ernie cooks dinner every night. He's fairly adept in the kitchen and is pretty willing to do what needs to be done, but it's only now become his "thing," since I love cooking. I try to keep it pretty simple and easy for him -- he's also worked a full day, and he goes and picks up both girls, who demand a lot of attention in the evening. Cue the pressure cooker, something I always sort of figured was an old fashioned way to cook things. It's quick, and the food comes out tasting like you had hours to cook it. Best of all? Easy. And usually a one-pot meal. This risotto doesn't taste entirely like it does if you stand in front of your stove and stir, stir, stir. But it's good, and on a weeknight? It's pretty darn impressive. adapted from "Food Network Kitchen's Making it Easy" 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, smashed 1 tsp. kosher salt black pepper 1 1/2 c. arborio rice 2 Tbsp. tomato paste pinch saffron 1/4 c. w...

I bookmarked this recipe a while ago for a night when I wanted Chinese food but didn't have the energy to go to the takeout place and get sweet and sour pork and crab rangoon. I'm glad I did, because with garlic scallion noodles, this was totally better than mediocre Chinese takeout. Original recipe here 1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, cleaned and deveined 3 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided 3 Tbsp. veg oil (maybe a little more, I eyeballed it) 1 package (16 0z. Package) frozen whole green beans 1 can (3 Oz. Can) water chestnuts ¼ c. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. Sherry (optional) ¼ cups chicken stock 5 cloves garlic, minced (or through the garlic press) 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced (or grated on the box cutter, which is what I did) Coat shrimp in 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. Set aside. If you forgot to defrost your green beans (which I often do), fill a bowl with lukewarm water and soak them to defrost. Drain. Stir together soy sauce, sherry, stock, and the remaining cornstarch in a sma...

From: Simply Recipes Ok, I admit that I tried to cheat and use frozen pre-cooked shrimp in this dish. I wouldn't recommend going that route- go get yourself some fresh shrimp, or even some frozen uncooked shrimp. Still, even with that less-than-great substitution (hey, that's what I had in the house and wanted to make this at the last minute), this dish was tasty. Using the pre-cooked frozen shrimp just left me with a lot more liquid in the final dish than I think you would otherwise have. The flavors were really good, though, and it was quick to throw together. Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1 Tbsp minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill 1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen Pinch of salt, more to taste Pinch black pepper, more to taste 3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled) Method 1 Preheat ...

From: A Perfect Pantry Yum! This was really good. I mostly went exactly off the original recipe, with the only changes being dried rather than fresh herbs because I didn't have the right ones on hand. This was a good main-course meal, but I could also see omitting the shrimp to make a totally meat-free entree or side dish (we're still eating seafood though we are not eating other forms of meat during Lent). 13.25 oz rotini (I used whole wheat) 1 lb frozen large shrimp, 31-40 size 2/3 lb feta, crumbled, divided 3/4 cup panko Zest of 2 large lemons, divided 4 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided (I used a palmful of dried) 4 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour 4 cups milk (whole or 2%) 1/2 lb gruyere or fontiago or Danish fontina, grated (I used fontina) 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill weed (or dried to taste) 1/2 to 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 to 1 tsp fresh black pepper Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook for 8 minutes; the pasta shou...

Since both of these recipes were adapted from their original sources by Annie and Deb, respectively, and I didn't do my own adaptations, I'll just post the links. Brazilian Shrimp Soup Ina's Lemon Cake Okay, I lied. I made a tiny adaptation to the soup. I had some leftover Thai jasmine rice in my freezer and I added that at the end of cooking instead of in the middle since, well, it was already cooked. Also, I thought it would go well with the tropical tone set by the coconut milk. Additionally, I used raw, shells-on shrimp and poached them in the soup until pink and then fished them out. I like the extra shrimpy flavor you get by using the shells. So, I let them cool, shelled them, cut them up into bite-sized pieces and then threw them back in to warm up. This soup was very good. I used lite coconut milk by Thai Kitchen, btw. Makes about 6 servings. I served with a mixed greens salad and whole wheat sourdough bread. As for the cake, I made it as Deb presented it. ...

Ceviche is a raw fish salad, but can also be made with shrimp or scallops. I prefer shrimp (which is cooked), but I also very much like it with white fish. Tonight we're having shrimp, because I had 2 pounds of frozen, cooked shrimp in the freezer. Recipe from my parents. My father's very funny notes in parenthesis. White fish or shrimp Lemon juice to cover fish overnight Drain lemon juice Add: 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup white wine (no whining) 1 tbs olive oil Salt & Pepper to taste 1 red onion diced 1 fresh tomato (check expiration date) Coriander to taste 3 or 4 jalapeño slices (or whole jalapeño diced if you’re not a wimp) and some jalapeño juice to taste (if you don’t use whole jalapeño) Hot sauce to taste Mix it all together, serve with tortillas or tortilla chips

Um yeah. You know how I'm supposed to be good now and limit carbs and salt and cholesterol? Sometimes that's just fine, and sometimes I need a big bowl of pasta. Tonight I needed a big bowl of pasta. Although, I did eat oatmeal for breakfast and a veggie burger on a low-carb bread for lunch, so I guess I had the carbs to spare. adapted from Giada 1 pound spaghetti pasta 1/4 cup olive oil 3 shallots, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 1 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio (or other white wine) 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 pounds clams, washed 2 cups arugula Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until tender but not brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another m...

Adapted from simplyrecipes.com and maybe 101 Cookbooks...I can't remember. I halved this recipe because I think that cooked shrimp eaten as a leftover is NOT good eats. It's rubbery and chewy and just, well, ick. So when I make a shrimp dish I make just enough to eat for dinner. * 1 Tbsp olive oil * 1 medium onion, chopped * 2 cloves garlic, minced * 2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes * 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I omitted b/c my plant isn't big enough yet) * 1 Tbsp minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill * 1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen (I used frozen from TJs) * Pinch of salt, more to taste * Pinch black pepper, more to taste * 3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled) Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet (a dutch oven works nicely here) on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 secon...

Another lemon pepper recipe for Gwen, who is wanting to use the much-ignored spice. :) 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined 3 Tbsp. butter 2 garlic cloves, minced (or put through the garlic press) 2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice lemon pepper Melt the butter in a skillet, and add the garlic to sauté until it starts to turn brown. Add the shrimp, sprinkle liberally with lemon pepper, turn and sprinkle other side liberally with lemon pepper. Add lemon juice. Cook shrimp until it is pink and cooked through.

adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe 1 pound linguini 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 large shallot, finely diced 5 cloves garlic, minced Pinch red pepper flakes, optional 20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail on Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 lemon, juiced 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves Cook pasta according to package. Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of water. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has...

Ernie and I joked that yesterday was a Pioneer Woman cooking day. I can't help it, I don't have much time to cook during the week (that should change when I'm home all the time) and a lot of PW's recipes have a lot of butter in them -- which makes me automatically think of "special occasions. This shrimp isn't really a special occasion type food, it just took a bit to thread all the shrimp through the skewers. Ree's original recipe is here , but here's how I did it. We ate it with my new favorite way to eat potatoes -- smashed -- and corn on the cob. And Ernie was a happy man. Peeled, Deveined Jumbo Shrimp Teriyaki Sauce Chopped Garlic 1 Tbsp. Sugar Salt Canned Pineapple Chunks, juice reserved Lemon juice Fresh ginger Make a marinade by combining Teriyaki sauce with remaining ingredients and reserved pineapple juice. Feel free to add whatever ingredients sound good! Stir in peeled/deveined jumbo shrimp and marinate at least a couple of hours. Skewer p...

I looked through the archives to see if I had ever posted this recipe and it doesn't look like I did. Which totally surprises me, because this is a go-to recipe in our house, very quick and really tasty. 1 lb. shrimp (or more, if you like) 2 c. olive oil (or enough to cover the shrimp, it might take close to 3 c., I just eyeball it) 5-6 cloves garlic, smashed 2-3 shallots, sliced thickly (don't spend a lot of time on the shallots, just break them up a little) Half an onion, sliced Salt and pepper to taste Red pepper flakes if you're feeling feisty Put the shrimp in a large bowl. Add everything else, stir to combine, let marinate for 30 minutes. (You can skip this step if you don't have time. We sometimes do, and it turns out perfectly fine) Heat deep skillet over medium heat. Add everything in the bowl, cook until shrimp is done. And that's it. It's super easy, and really good. We usually eat this with some bread on the side, to dunk in the garlicky olive oil.

Ernie cooks dinner once a weekend now. It's good, because it gives me a break and he makes something fantastic. Last Saturday he made this, from a Good Eats recipe. 4 ounces vegetable oil 4 ounces all-purpose flour (my note: just make sure you use equal parts oil and flour, if you're not going to measure by weight) 1 1/2 pounds raw, whole, head-on medium-sized (31-50 count) shrimp 2 quarts water 1 cup diced onion 1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup diced green peppers 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 bay leaves 1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and browned (or smoked sausage, if you don't want spicy) 1 tablespoon file powder (where to find this? what? you haven't been to Penzey's yet?) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch ov...

Geoff sent me the link to an article from the NY Times (registration required, but it's free) entitled "Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less." Enjoy! http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

This is soooooo easy, and tasted so good. I'm looking forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow, after the flavors have melded together a bit more. See tips (below) for hints on serving with chicken or shrimp. from The Six O'Clock Scramble by Aviva Goldfarb 1 package (10 oz) saffron-flavored yellow rice 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed 6 plum tomatoes (or 4 regular ones), diced 1 small red onion, finely chopped (we used just over half of an onion, and that was plenty for us) 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar, or more to taste 1/8 cup olive oil, or more to taste 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (we forgot this, and it still tasted good, though I think it would have been better with it) Cook the rice according to the package directions. While the rice cooks, put the beans, tomatoes, and onions in a large serving bowl. Add the warm rice to the bowl and top it with the vinegar, olive oil, and cilantro. Toss it thoroughly. Tips from Goldfarb: - You can make this salad up t...

My parents found this recipe somewhere, and made it for us the last time we were visiting. It meets all three critera I use when cooking: It's quick, it's tasty and Gaby eats it. Here it is, as he sent it to me, with my notes in parens. 2 lbs cooked shrimp (I used the frozen, already cooked ones) 1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used the healthy choice low sodium/low fat kind) 8 oz cream cheese (I used non fat here, too) 1/2 cup chopped onion (or one small onion) 1/4 cup milk 2 glugs cooking sherry (ummm...probably about 1/4 to 1/3 c.) 1 tbs thyme 2 tbs butter/margarine Melt butter in pan and add onion. Cook until onion is soft. Add soup, milk and sherry. Cook until combined. Add shrimp and thyme. Bring to boil. Add cream cheese and cook until cream cheese is melted and ingredients are thoroughly heated. Serve over pasta (or egg noodles).

My first time ever cooking shrimp: a success! This was really simple and surprisingly good. From the website of the farmshare we belong to: 6-8 oz rice noodles 1 lb. stir fry greens 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tbs. fish sauce 2 tbs. hot sauce (Asian type) 2 tbs. sugar or honey 2 tbs. oil 12 medium shrimp (or substitute chicken or tofu) 1 onion 3 cloves garlic Prepare Asian noodles (rice can be substituted). Make sauce by combining vinegar, fish sauce, hot sauce and sugar. Heat wok over medium heat and coat with oil. Sauté onions and add garlic. Add sauce and heat to simmering point. If using chicken, add next and cook until done. If using tofu or shrimp add and stir quickly until coated; add other ingredients. Cook until shrimp is pink and greens are wilted. Do not overcook shrimp. Serve over noodles. Garnish with uncooked stir-fry greens and lime wedges.