Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

Lately I have been craving Southern food.  Partially because of the Seattle Met- Hot Breakfast Spots issue which wrote about chicken and waffles, partially because I tried Bitterroot's cheesy grits and participial because of my friend, Miss K made shrimp and grits one time and I fell in love with them.  It took me a while to find grits at the grocery store and finally I found Bob's Red Mill corn grits at QFC.

Cheesy Grits:

Ingredients

*1 cup grits

*1 1/2 teaspoons salt

*2 large egg

*1/2 stick butter, cut up

*1 1/2 Cheddar cheese

*2 gloves garlic, finely chopped

*Dash of cayenne pepper

Direction

1) Preheat the oven to 350F

2) In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits and salt. Whisk constantly for 1 minute. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 mins, or until the grits are thick and creamy.

3) In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs. Take about 1 tablespoon of the hot cooked grits and whisk it into the eggs. Stir the warmed eggs back into the pan of grits and stir well to combine. Stir in the butter, cheese, garlic, and cayenne pepper.

4) Spoon the mixture into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Top with extra grated cheese in the last 5 minutes of baking.

Shrimp:

Ingredients 

*1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 

*1 teaspoon oil

*1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts  

*1 large garlic clove, minced

*4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice  

*2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

Direction

1) Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. 

2) Heat saucepan and add oil. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and saute over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Immediately add the lemon juice, parsley, and green onions. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Falafel with Avocado Spread

Eating falafel always reminds me of the trip through Egypt and Jordan that Mr. S and I took a while ago. This recipe is a healthier version of traditional falafel which I pan fried instead of deep fried.  But don't worry, it still tastes as delicious!

Ingredients
 Patties: 

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained 

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

1/4 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips (about 3/4 ounce) 

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions 
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro 

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 large egg white 

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

Spread: 

1/4 cup mashed peeled avocado 

2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato 

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion 

2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream 

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Direction:

1. To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Shape bean mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated.
3. To prepare spread, combine avocado and next 5 ingredients (through salt), stirring well. 
4. You can place the spread and falafel in pita bread or any bread that you prefer.

Sticky Rice Roll (Chi Fan)

There are a couple of Shanghai breakfast places only a few block away from where I grew up.  They mainly serve Chi Fan, which is sticky rice roll with soy milk all day long.  After talking with some Chinese friends, I found out that making sticky rice roll is very easy.

Ingredients:

*2  Fried bread sticks/crullers (油炸鬼)

*2 cup glutinous rice, uncooked

*1 bag preserved vegetable (炸菜)

*1 cup pork floss (肉鬆)

Left pickled vegetable \Right pork floss, also called dried shredded cooked pork 

Directions:

1) Soak the glutinous rice overnight.  Cook the drained, soaked glutinous rice in a rice cooker after adding water 3 cups of water. 

2) Place a piece of plastic wrap on a working surface. Spread 1 cup of cooked rice on the plastic wrap and form a rectangular shape. Use your wet fingers or a wooden spoon to spread the rice. Put 1/2 fried bread sticks on the rice towards the middle.  Spread 2 tablespoons of pork floss along the bread sticks, as well as the preserved vegetable. 

3) Life the plastic wrap from the end nearest to you and roll against you to form a cylindrical roll. Tuck in all the ingredients inside the rice roll. Cut the roll into half or third, serve warm.

Chicken with Cornmeal Dumplings

Cornmeal dumplings was surprisingly tasty. This dish is very easy to make despite a long ingredient list.

Ingredients

*3 tablespoons unsalted butter

*5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces

*Coarse salt and ground pepper

*1/2 bunch scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

*1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced medium

*2 celery stalks, diced medium

*2 medium carrots, diced medium

*1 teaspoon dried thyme

*1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

*2 bottles pilsner or another light- or medium-bodied lager (12 ounces each)

*1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes

*1 to 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar 

*2/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

*1/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal

*1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

*1 teaspoon sugar

*1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

*1 tablespoon unsalted butter

*1/2 cup buttermilk

 

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons butter, scallions, bell pepper, celery, and carrots to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions and celery are soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme and flour and season with salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Return chicken to pot and whisk in beer. With your hands, roughly tear tomatoes and add to pot along with juices. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Season to taste with vinegar. 
2. To make the dumpling, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work in butter until small crumbs form. Stir in buttermilk. Set a side.
3. Back to the chicken. Reduce heat to a medium simmer and drop dough by rounded tablespoons on top of stew. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.

Shrimp Jambalaya

Lately, I have found a lot of new Southern food restaurant opened up in Seattle.  I can see why people like Southern food, they are delicious and mostly comfort food.  Jambalaya will be a good example, rice with a delicious sauce, perfect for cold days!

 

Ingredients 

*1 tablespoon canola oil 

*6 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick pieces 

*1 medium onion, diced 

*1 bell pepper, cubbed

*3 celery stalks, diced 

*2 garlic cloves, minced 

*Coarse salt and ground pepper 

*2 teaspoons paprika 

*8 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped 

*1 cup long-grain white rice 

*1 pound medium shrimp (about 30), peeled, deveined, and tails removed 

*1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in paprika; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add tomatoes, rice, and 3 cups water to skillet; cover, and simmer over medium heat until rice is cooked and has absorbed all water, about 15 minutes.
3. Add shrimp to skillet, and cook, covered, until shrimp are opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve hot, garnished with scallions.

Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa

I am a big meat eater, but this black bean burger was so easy to make and very delicious.  I got the ciabatta bread for the burger for a twist.  If you want to make a mini-version, you can also use dinner rolls.

Ingredients

*2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 

*3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided

*3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

*1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 

*2 teaspoons ground cumin 

*1 teaspoon dried oregano 

*1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

*1/2 medium jalapeño pepper, finely chopped 

*2 large egg whites 

*Cooking spray

*1 1/4 cups chopped peeled mango (about 1 medium)

*3 tablespoons chopped shallots

*1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

*1 avocado, peeled and chopped 

*1 garlic clove, minced

*6 ciabatta bread, lightly toasted
*6 green leaf lettuce leaves

Direction

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and the next 7 ingredients (through egg whites). Shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.

3. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, mango, and the next 4 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a medium bowl. Place a patty on bottom half of each hamburger bun; top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1/3 cup salsa, and top half of bun.

Grass fed rib steak with mushroom vodka cream sauce

If you get grass fed steak, remember the cooking time is always less than normal steak due to the lower fat content. I found this recipe from Healthy Green Kitchen. The vodka cream sauce enhanced the flavor of the steak and the perfect cooking time makes the steak very juicy.




Steak:
Ingredients
*1 rib-eye steak, preferably grass-fed
*olive oil
*coarse sea salt

Direction
1) Preheat gas grill to medium-high (or prepare charcoal grill for cooking over moderate direct heat).
2) Pat steak dry. Rub with olive oil and then season both sides with course salt.
3) Grill steak for approximately 4-6 minutes on each side, until thermometer registers about 120°F for rare (fyi I never check the temperature).
4) Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5-10 minutes, tented with foil, before slicing (the internal temperature will rise a few degrees while steak stands). Serve with vodka cream sauce.

Vodka Cream Sauce
*3 tablespoons organic butter, divided
*1 small onion, peeled and chopped
*1 cup clean organic button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
*1/2 cup organic chicken stock, preferably homemade
*course sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
*1/4 cup vodka
*1/4 cup raw or organic cream (or whole milk)

Preparation:
1) Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes.
2) Add mushrooms and cook for another minute or two.
3) Remove pan from heat and pour in the vodka.
4) Return pan to heat and allow flame to burn off the alcohol, if desired.
5) Add stock to pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6) Turn heat to low and whisk in the remaining one tablespoon of butter and the cream.
7)Keep at a simmer until ready to serve, adding a little additional stock or cream to thin it out or thicken it, if necessary.