Jean's Almond Shrimp

serves 4

Shrimp:
2 lbs shrimp, deveined and peeled (tails left on if desired)
cornstarch
slivered almonds
oil for frying

Shrimp sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp melted butter
3/4 tsp paprika
3/8 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients for shrimp sauce and mix well. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Heat 1/2-1 inch of oil in pan. Mix cornstarch with warm water until it forms a smooth paste. Dip shrimp in mixture and coat with almonds. Fry both sides in oil until cooked (3-4 minutes). Keep warm on a rack in oven.

Serve shrimp with sauce over rice.

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Well, this is embarrassing...did I really miss posting for the entire year of 2012? I think about this blog all the time--every time I try a new recipe, in fact, which is often. Pinterest has largely eliminated the need for me to post online recipes here. Plus, the food porn is very satisfying.

This recipe is entirely attributed to Jean, the wonderful head of the Chinese kitchen next door. I had tried to emulate her almond shrimp once and failed miserably because I couldn't get the almonds to stick. I asked what her secret was and she told me, "cornstarch!" Lo and behold, it worked wonders. I never really knew why I had a mason jar of it in my cabinet all those years, but now as soon as I discovered a use for it, I've run out.

The shrimp sauce is something I've been searching for for years. I kept looking at the recipes I found online, thinking, "surely this can't be it..." Finally I decided to give one a try. Though I was skeptical at first, my hubby and his very food-happy friend assured me that it was completely authentic-tasting. I guess they're the ones I need to keep happy anyway. =)

Magic Vanilla Ice Cream

serves 4

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 ounce white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream

Microwave sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate in large bowl until chocolate melts, stirring halfway, about 30 seconds. Let cool. Stir in vanilla, salt and sour cream.

With electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip heavy cream to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until incorporated.

Place in airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.

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From NPR. Really good! I successfully made lavender ice cream with this recipe. I attempted to chocolatize it, but it didn't have quite the effect I wanted. I have a few other recipes I'll try involving custard, but this is definitely a keeper because it is quick, easy, and delicious! I used vanilla yogurt in place of the sour cream.

Parmesan Chicken Tenderloins

serves 4

1 lb chicken breasts or tenderloins
2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
dried spices to taste (basil, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, parsley...)
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter and oil
1 clove garlic, sliced or chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup white wine

Brown mushrooms, if desired. This can be done while preparing chicken.

Lightly beat eggs. Mix Parmesan cheese and spices, salt, and pepper. Dry chicken pieces and dip into egg batter and Parmesan coating. Heat butter and oil in a pan until butter is melted and foam subsides. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides. Deglaze pan with wine and add mushrooms. Cook until chicken is done, but do not overcook.

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It's almost too simple! But oh so good.

Almond-Crusted Chicken

serves 8

whole chicken, cut up
2 tbsp dried onions
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup butter

Heat oven to 375°F. Melt butter. Grind dried onions, garlic powder, almonds, salt, and pepper in food processor until powdery. Dip chicken pieces in butter and coat with almond mixture. Place in a pan and sprinkle excess butter and coating over chicken. Cover loosely and bake for one hour or until done (internal temperature of chicken should be 165°F).

Chicken Chasseur

serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts (approximately 2 lbs)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp flour
6 tbsp dry vermouth or dry white wine
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 cup diced or crushed tomatoes, drained
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until browned, turning, about 8 minutes in all. Remove. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.

Add the butter to the pan and reduce the heat to medium low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the vermouth and bring back to a simmer. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, thyme, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices. Reduce the heat; simmer, covered, until the chicken is done, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

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I made this the other day (from a package! shh!) and it was good. I have no idea if this recipe tastes at all like what I made, but it does look yummy. I tend to cook everything in the crock pot, especially since I have a bad habit of drying chicken out on the stove. Someday I'll try this for realz though.

Cranberry Pork Chops

serves 4

4 pork chops
3 carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 can cranberries
1 cup chicken or beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, flavored or plain
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 onions, sliced (or 8 oz pearl onions)
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
bouquet garni


Brown pork chops in a skillet over medium heat. Place carrots in crock pot. Top with pork and all remaining ingredients except mushrooms. Cook for 4-6 hours on low. Add mushrooms and continue cooking on high for 1 hour. Remove lid to reduce liquid or drain and make gravy.

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Still working on this one...the pork was a little tough last time I did this, probably because I forgot to brown it before cooking it. This is a conglomeration of several recipes, so I'll be tweaking as I return to it. This recipe is great with chicken and beef as well.

Quiche Cups

makes 12

Base:
6 eggs
2 tbsp cream cheese or heavy whipping cream

Veggies:
2 cups fresh or frozen spinach, chopped
1/4 cup diced peppers
1/4 cup diced onions or green onions
1/4 cup diced tomatoes, well drained
1 tbsp minced jalapeño peppers

Other add-ins
1 cup shredded cheese
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup chopped meat
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, parsley, oregano, or other herbs/spices
1 tsp hot pepper sauce

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with muffin cups. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine eggs and cream cheese or whipping cream in blender and mix until fluffy. Add other ingredients as desired. Pulse blender just until mixed.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Egg cups will expand as they cook--to prevent falling, cool in oven with door open.

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Modified from a South Beach Diet recipe. Two favorite combinations so far: cheddar cheese, spinach, green onions, and hot sauce, and spinach, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and cilantro.

Venison Tenderloin

serves 6

4 pounds venison tenderloin
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Combine the red wine, vinegar, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary in a large ziploc bag and mix well. Put the venison tenderloin into the bag. Close tightly, pressing out as much air as you can. Place meat in the refrigerator to marinate, turning two or three times, for at least 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Remove meat from marinade, and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the temperature reaches 150 degrees. Let the roast stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

While the tenderloin roasts, heat marinade in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Remove all but a few tablespoons of the sauce and whisk in 2 tbsp flour. Slowly add the rest of the sauce back in, along with milk or beef broth. Continue to add liquid and reduce until there is about two cups of gravy. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with venison.

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This was my first time ever eating venison, let alone cooking it. The marinade was great (especially the gravy), even though it was quite vinegary. The resident venison expert (my fiancé) was awed at how much better it was than any venison he had eaten before. Perhaps the butter-baste was partially responsible. =)

Considering how dry the meat is, I would probably cook it in a crock pot next time, which would eliminate the need for a marinade. However, it was a very good introduction to venison. Definitely repeatable.

Chicken with Cilantro and Lime

1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds
or 6-8 drumsticks, breasts, or thighs

Marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp onion powder or 1 tbsp grated onion
2 tbsp cilantro
1/2 tsp ground chile pepper

If roasting a whole chicken, remove giblets. Rinse chicken inside and out with warm water. Tie chicken with kitchen string if you will be cooking it on the rotisserie.

Mix marinade ingredients in large ziploc bag. Put chicken or pieces in bag and marinate 6-8 hours in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 450. Roast about 15-20 minutes per pound. When done, temperature should be 180 (170 for breasts, thighs, or drumsticks).

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Quick Lemonade

almost from scratch!

1/2 cup lemon juice
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar syrup

Mix, add ice, enjoy on a hot day!

Sugar Syrup

yields 1 1/2 cups syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Mix and heat until sugar dissolves completely. Use in lemonade, teas, and other beverages in which excessive stirring to dissolve sugar is not desired.

Super Chicken Divan

aka One Amazing Cholesterol Trip

1 lb chicken, cubed
2 cups broccoli
2 tbsp butter
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Cook chicken in butter and olive oil. Cut broccoli into 1/2 inch spears. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 inch salted water to boiling. Add broccoli. Boil uncovered 5 minutes; drain and keep warm.

In the same saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Saute onions until soft. Add remaining ingredients, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Add chicken pieces. Serve over rice or noodles.

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Sort of based on two Betty Crocker recipes, one for Turkey Divan, one for Chicken Divan. I couldn't decide which one I had more ingredients for, so I just combined them. I got an all-star approval!

Cranberry Meatballs

makes 3-4 dozen

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 red or green bell pepper, finely chopped

Sauce:
1 can (approx. 15 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 tbsp hot sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Line 2 large baking dishes with nonstick foil or regular foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Heat oven to 325°.

Combine meatball ingredients, blending well. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs and arrange in a single layer in the two prepared baking dishes. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Drain well on paper towels. Put the meatballs in a slow cooker or large saucepan. Combine the sauce ingredients and pour over the meatballs, stirring gently. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. If using a crock pot, cover and cook on low for 2 to 4 hours. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with toothpicks from a slow cooker on low setting or serve warm from a chafing dish.

Holiday Relish

aka Cranberry Sauce

12 oz fresh, frozen, or canned cranberries
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 orange, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp grated orange rind
1/2 cup red wine
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Put all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir to combine. Keep stirring and bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer gently until relish thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Garnish with orange rind curls.

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The recipe I was following is from Parade, but I made a few changes, some of which I can't remember, but I think I hit most of them. Judging by the picture at parade.com, the original recipe does produce something more like relish than sauce. Adding some wine (mulled wine if possible) makes it more liquid and adds a rich flavor. Based on what was in our mulled wine, one could probably add cloves and allspice to this sauce, or just add it to the wine and enjoy that while cooking for the holidays! (It does wonderful things to pot roast as well.)

Thanksgiving

Well, the roommates, the bf, and I survived our first Thanksgiving on our own. After three days of shopping and price-comparing, two days of cooking, and a full day of eating (and drinking), we are as fat and happy as stuffed turkeys on December 1st. At least, the turkeys who don't realize that Christmas is right around the corner.

Thanks to Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Gardens, and the World Wide Web, we successfully served a 12-pound turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, gravy, spinach salad with pomegranates, and even champagne punch in a fountain--most of it for the first time and all of it from scratch. Granted, we were a little lopsided in our portions. For instance, we have bowlfuls of salad and green beans left over, but hardly any gravy or stuffing. But thank God we have so many leftovers! Any weight I've lost this semester by eating healthy will be back to visit after this week is over.

I'll post the recipes soon, with modifications and exciting stories. Until then, it's off to bed before racing the Black Friday crowds!

Cucumber Avocado Soup

makes 5 servings

2 pounds soft-skinned cucumbers
6 ounces watercress, arugula, OR cilantro
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small jalapeño pepper (use more if it's very mild)
1 large Haas avocado (7 ounces)
1-2 teaspoons sea salt

Trim the ends off the cucumbers, taste each end, and trim off any bitter part. Cut the cucumbers into cubes. Wash the watercress, remove any heavy stems, and chop it roughly. You should have about 2 cups.

Combine half the cucumbers and most of the lemon juice in the container of a blender or food processor and puree. The cucumbers will soon be a liquid, and you can then easily add the remaining cucumbers, watercress, garlic, and jalapeño. Puree until everything is smooth, working in batches if you need to.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, peel the avocado, and cut the flesh into cubes; you should have not quite 1 cup of diced avocado. Add the avocado to the cucumber puree, along with a teaspoon of sea salt, and process again. The mixture will become thicker and creamier. Stir everything together in a bowl and taste. Add more lemon juice and more salt, a bit at a time and stirring thoroughly each time, until the balance feels right to you.

Chill the soup well. Serve it in small bowls, and drizzle each serving with a little olive oil, then scatter a few tomato cubes and croutons on top.

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This is a wonderfully refreshing summer soup--and a great way to eat more raw veggies.

Notes from The Splendid Table: Long, soft-skinned cucumbers, called English, Armenian, or Persian cucumbers, are best for this soup because they can be used with skin and seeds. If they are very large, check for mature seeds and remove them, but a slender cucumber of this type generally has tiny, soft seeds that puree perfectly.

Watercress adds a little bite to the mild cucumber and avocado. Arugula can be used instead, or a bunch of cilantro, but choose one — don't mix the flavors. This recipe is based on proportions for one large avocado and can easily be doubled.

Savory Mushroom Spread

2-3 tablespoons butter
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dry white wine
2 tablespoons pine nuts or almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons sour cream
salt and pepper

Melt butter in skillet. Add mushrooms, shallots and garlic and saute about 6 minutes on med-high heat. Add wine and cook 2 minutes longer. Cool mixture.
Remove to serving bowl and stir in sour cream and nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with baguettes or crackers.

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I started making this before realizing that I didn't have sour cream, so I crushed up the toasted pine nuts and mixed them, along with some heavy cream, into the mixture and kept cooking till it thickened. It's cooling on the stove now, so I haven't tested it on bread or crackers, but my spoon tests (and my nose) tell me that "savory" is the right word for this!

Butternut Squash Soup

with curried apples

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
8 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (about one squash)
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
16-20 oz cream cheese (and/or sour cream)

In a large saucepan, sauté onions in butter until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.


Curried Apples

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 small tart apple (4 ounce) peeled, cored, and diced

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, honey, and curry powder to a boil. Add apple; cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes and remove from heat.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls, add a spoonful of apples, a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with mint and cinnamon.

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Soup recipe from AllRecipes.com, curried apple recipe from MarthaStewart.com. This is an amazing recipe! So tasty! I used half a squash to test this recipe out, intending to make some kind of pasta dish with the rest, but my roommates all requested more soup instead!

Pancakes

Betty Crocker's new pancake recipe sucks. Just putting that out there. Instead of using 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda, it calls for 3 freaking tsp baking powder. So what you end up with is a pancake that tastes like baking powder. No thanks, Betty. I'm sticking with my favorite pancakes.

Tips for making great pancakes:

1. Figure out your stove! I've cooked on a gas stove all my life, so this electric beast in my apartment is throwing me for a loop. Mostly because I can't see how much heat is going into my food. On a gas stove, I'd cook pancakes at about medium heat, but on an electric, it's the medium-high side of low. I burned a depressing number of pancakes before figuring that out.

2. Cook for other people. There is nothing more satisfying or appetite-enhancing than seeing the looks of hunger, desire, and sublime bliss on the faces of those you are feeding.

3. Don't make more pancakes at a time than your pan can hold. If you want to cook a lot of pancakes, use a large electric griddle. If you're stuck with a medium-sized pan, believe me, you're better off making one at a time and ending up with beautifully browned rounds. Trying to flip too many pancakes in the same pan always makes a mess. (If you've got the heat right, you should still be able to cook fairly quickly.)

4. Add extras! Raspberries & dark chocolate, strawberries & bananas, strawberries & blueberries, and a strip of bacon are good starters. (If you don't believe in eating a pancake with a strip of bacon laid across the middle, I encourage you to try it.)

5. If you're adding in extras, mix them in with the batter rather than sprinkling them in once the pancake is cooking. This prevents the fruit/chocolate/whatever from burning.

6. Keep the sizes small! I use about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. They're easier to flip, quicker to cook, and just look darn cute.

7. Use brown (or extra) sugar, real butter, whole milk, and your favorite flavor/extract when making the batter.

Peach Push-up

1 peach, with the skin removed
1 oz vanilla rum
1/2 oz cream

Blend ingredients, shake with ice, and serve.

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I might try thinning this slightly with orange juice in the future...which would make it more of an in-season fuzzy navel.