Thai-Style Stir-Fried Chicken and Basil November 7, 2010

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut or peanut oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, diced
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like your food
• 2 chicken breasts sliced lengthwise (about 1/4 inch thick), then cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips
• 1 green pepper, chopped (substitute a red, yellow or orange pepper, if you wish)
• 6-8 white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Heat the oil in a well-seasoned wok or a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions start to soften but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until it’s no longer pink and the onions are beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the green pepper and mushrooms.

Add the green pepper and mushrooms. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is just cooked through and the liquid reduces to a saucy consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the basil, and stir to wilt it.

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Oven-Fried Chicken Drumsticks February 6, 2010

Image via Wikipedia

Any time I take this to a party, I get requests for the recipe. The original recipe called for chicken wings but this is so much better. Excellent Superbowl food!

Ingredients:

• 15-20 chicken drumsticks
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups panko crumbs (Asian section of grocery)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Run a sharp paring knife around the bone at the narrow end of the drumstick just below the meaty part. Remove the skin and discard. Separate the tendons and cartilage at the end of the drumstick so that the bone is bare and can be used as a handle for eating. Repeat with the remaining drumsticks.

Place the chicken, buttermilk and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Please the butter on a large baking sheet and place in the oven to melt. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Combine the panko crumbs, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder in a large plastic bag. Lift the chicken pieces out of the buttermilk and, 2 at a time, drop in the bag and shake to coat.

Place the chicken on the buttered pan. Bake until golden, 45 minutes until the chicken is golden and tender.

Make-ahead: The chicken can be prepared and marinated in buttermilk a day ahead and kept, covered, in the refrigerator.

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Shrimp Slumgullion February 2, 2010

Image by Lisa Norwood via Flickr

Derived from my favorite dish at Mo’s in Newport, Oregon.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon – thick sliced, center cut (10-12 oz. package)
• 1 cup onion, coarsely chopped (1 medium onion)
• 2 cups clam broth (2 bottles, 8 ounces each)
• 3 cups  potatoes, peeled and diced (3 medium potatoes, Yukon Gold)
• Dash of  Tabasco
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream (1/2 pint container)
• 1 to 1 ½ cups clams, chopped (If using fresh, purchase 2 pounds clams. Steam separately in a pot with a lid with a small amount of water until open, about 10 minutes. Shuck and chop the clam meat. Add the resulting clam liquor to the soup pot. If the liquor is sandy, let the liquid settle and pour off just the top or strain it.) Or use two 6.5 ounce cans chopped clams.
• 2 cups small cooked shrimp (1 pound bag)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Fry bacon over medium heat until crisp.
Drain the bacon on paper towels, cool, and break into bite-size pieces.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
Saute the onion in the reserved bacon fat.
In the meantime, add the clam broth and add potatoes to a large pot.
Bring to low rolling boil and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
Add Tabasco sauce and pepper
Add cream and clams to potatoes.
When clams are warm (in a few minutes) stir in shrimp and bacon.
Salt to taste.

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Lemonade with Stevia September 19, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

After last year’s crop of fresh lemons, I made several batches of limoncello. Since the liquor requires only the peel of the lemon, I had a considerable amount of lemon juice left. I froze it in 1 cup quantities for lemonade. I used 6 teaspoons of stevia in my first batch of lemonade but find that, as I’ve reduced the amount of sugar/sweetener in my diet, I like my lemonade tangier.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of freshly juiced lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
• 3 teaspoons stevia (or more, to taste). I use SweetLeaf stevia. If you are using concentrate start with 1 teaspoon, taste, and adjust. It’s a lot easier to add sweetener than adjust once it’s too sweet.
• 6 cups of water

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a pitcher, adjust sweetness with stevia, if necessary, chill and serve over ice.

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Shrimp Tacos with Citrus Cabbage Slaw September 14, 2009

Quick and easy dinner recipe. I’m not a fan of mayonnaise based dressings so really liked the tang of the citrus dressing for the cabbage slaw.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 small cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup corn kernels (1 to 2 ears fresh corn or frozen and thawed)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 4 medium flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the orange and lime juices, sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the cabbage, corn, and jalapeño and toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Serve the shrimp with the tortillas and the slaw.

Recipe from Real Simple – Shrimp Tacos With Citrus Cabbage Slaw Recipe

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Chicken Pot Pie November 20, 2008

Ingredients:

• 1 8-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 refrigerated pie crusts
• 1 10 ¾-ounce can cream of chicken soup
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Defrost the vegetables in a microwave for about 3 minutes. Cut 2 piecrusts into quarters, to yield 8 equal pieces. Coat the inside of 4 small aluminum-foil pans (4 ½ inches in diameter, 1 ¼ inches deep) or 4 ramekins with vegetable cooking spray. Line the bottom of each with a quarter of crust, molding it with your fingers to fit. In a large bowl, stir together the soup and milk; add the remaining ingredients. Spoon about 2/3 cup of the mixture into each pan or ramekin. Top each with a piecrust quarter. Pinch the edges together and cut vents in the top. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Of course, everything tastes better with the addition of sauteed onion, garlic and mushrooms so I added those to this recipe before cooking.

Recipe from Real Simple.

Makes 4 servings

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White Chicken Chili October 15, 2008

I made this chili in a crockpot for a chili fest. It was the first one gone.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion (or 2 medium), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 (4 ounce) cans diced mild green chili peppers
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 4 (15 ounce) cans white beans
• 2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese

Preparation:

1. Debone the rotisserie chicken, saving the meat. Place the chicken carcass into a pot, cover with 3 cups of water and simmer at least 30 minutes to make chicken broth.
2. Chop the chicken meat and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, green chili peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender.
4. Mix in the strained chicken broth, chopped chicken meat and white beans. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Makes 6-8 servings

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Baby Summer Squash with Squash Blossoms July 10, 2008

Zucchini blossom

Our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share included baby summer squash and squash blossoms last week.

Ingredients:

• 1½ tablespoons butter
• ½ pound baby summer squash (yellow crookneck, zucchini or pattypan), chopped
• Celtic sea salt or Fleur de sel (fine French sea salt)
• 9-10 zucchini squash blossoms

Preparation:

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. Add squash; sauté until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Season with celtic sea salt or fleur de sel.
4. Transfer to plate.
5. Melt remaining butter in skillet. Add squash blossoms and cook until barely wilted and still bright orange, about 2 seconds per side.
6. Arrange on top of squash and serve.

Makes 2-3 servings

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Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese July 9, 2008

I’ve made the following recipe with both arugula and Red Russian kale. If you like the sauce a bit more juicy, add some sour cream to thin it out. I get country-style bacon from a local butcher and freeze it in packs of three slices each, perfect for adding to dishes for a bit of flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 thick country-style bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) Italian style diced tomatoes in juice
• 2½ cups coarsely chopped fresh arugula (about 3 ounces)
• 1 9-ounce packages fresh fettuccine
• 3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add bacon; cook until translucent and nearly crisp, about 3 minutes.
3. Add onion and garlic to same skillet and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Add thyme and crushed red pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes with juice. Simmer until tomatoes are heated through, about 4 minutes. Add arugula and simmer until wilted, about 1 minute.
5. Add goat cheese, toss to combine.
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente (tender but still firm to bite), about 3 minutes. Drain.
7. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add sauce and season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve, passing Parmesan separately.

Makes 2-3 servings

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Shrimp with Tabbouleh, Tomatoes and Feta June 14, 2008

Bulgur is cracked wheat that has been parboiled and broken into different size granules: fine, medium and coarse. And because bulgur is partially cooked, it has a nutty, roasted flavor.

Fine bulgur is used in breads and desserts. Medium bulgur is the all-purpose form that can be used in salads, stews, chilis and soups. Coarse bulgur is chewier than the other forms and also can be used in salads, soups, and works well in pilafs and stuffings.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 100% Whole Grain Quick Cooking Bulgur Wheat
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided
• 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt, divided
• 10 cooked peeled deveined large shrimp
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped arugula
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation:

1. Mix 1 cup water with 1 cup of bulgur in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover, then turn the heat on very low and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
2. Remove the bulgur from heat and put in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons oil , stir and cover.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons oil, 1 tablespoon plus 1 and 1/2 teaspoon mint, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Mix in cooked shrimp.
4. Marinate shrimp for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. To the bulgur, mix in tomatoes, arugula, feta, green onions, garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 and 1/2 teaspoon mint, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Season salad to taste with pepper.
6. Mound salad in large shallow bowl or on individual plates. Spoon shrimp and dressing over and serve.

Makes 4 servings

How to choose shrimp – see Poison Shrimp Cocktail

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