Sauteed Shrimp on Warm Black Bean Salad

I got this recipe from Good Housekeeping online. It's a superb slapdash meal for those who keep frozen shrimp in their freezers like me. The only items from this recipe that I don't stock are bell peppers and cilantro because they're both so quick to wilt. 

Use the following:

• Two hands full of shrimp, already shelled and deveined
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 lime
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 can black beans, rinsed (retain the bean 'juice')
• One hand full of fresh cilantro leaves

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the shrimp. Heat half of the oil for one minute over medium heat. Sautee the shrimp for about 6 minutes, or until opaque. 

Meanwhile, grate the entire peel of the lime.

Transfer the shrimp to a small bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. 

Heat the remaining oil for one minute before adding the onion and red bell pepper. Sautee the vegetables for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Add the cumin and cook for another minute. Add the black beens, lime peel, and then squeeze all of the lime juice into the pan. Add salt and pepper, and cook until heated through. 

Spoon the black bean mixture onto your dinner plate; top with shrimp; and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

When I made it, I didn't retain the bean 'juice' or chop the cilantro--two things that I think would have improved the meal. Still, the flavor was excellent and it paired nicely with a fruity Spanish wine.

-M

Can I just say sorry?

It's been so long since I've post, I'm truly sorry.  Honestly, in the beginning the food blog was like a new toy, all shiny and new, but grew dull over time and was relegated to the bottom of the stack. I feel a resurgence as summer hits, with new farmer's markets popping up and the cornucopia that is the Central Valley's claim to fame hits our table.  Summer in California means fresh fruits and veggies!  Can't wait!!

But first, I had the opportunity to eat lunch at Club 33, this super exclusive restaurant inside Disneyland. My menu selection (chosen 3 weeks ahead of time) was salmon and Joe's was the steak.  Both were good, although I believe the salmon was farm raised, and had I known that I would not have chosen it.  It was not as red and flaky as copper river salmon, but here I go sounding like the salmon snob I am.  Joe absolutely loved his choice.

 The ladies restroom with fresh roses on the sink and individually folded, thick paper towels (with the 33 logo) to dry hands.  Very classy and pretty.

 The toilet in the stall looks like a wicker chair.  The seat top lifts to reveal a regular toilet seat.

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 Terriyaki salmon on a bed of pesto risotto, with a side of sauteed spinach.

 On the left are fresh fruits, grilled tomatoes, and cheese (huge chunks of blue cheese, yum). On the right are cold salads, including a Cesar Salad and Pasta Salad.

  On the left, under the ice, are crab claws, shrimp, and pieces of lobster (shell on).  On the left is antipasti, smoked salmon, and cold meats selections.

 Dessert bar.  Not much more to say other than I had at least one bit of everything under the glass!

Joe's steak, accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes.  Very yummy!

It was a treat to eat lunch inside this beautiful restaurant, using real china and personal waiters, especially given the casual Disneyland setting.  I'm hoping when Joe hits his 25 year mark with AT&T he chooses to celebrate here.  I would definitely eat here again!

Halibut Olympia

Halibut Olympia, Halibut Almondine, and Fried Halibut Chunks are my all-time favorite halibut dishes. On Good Friday, I made Halibut Olympia. It's super easy and quite delicious!

I served the halibut with whipped garlic potatoes and sauteed green beans, plus a nice white wine (varietal escapes me) recommended by the always spot-on Mr. Wright.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Halibut
• 2 small onions, sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley or 2 Tbs dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Instructions:

• In skillet over medium heat, sautee sliced onions in olive oil until translucent
• Line bottom of baking dish with sauteed onions
• In bowl, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, shredded Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt & pepper, and butter
• Roll rinsed, patted dry fish in bread crumbs
• Place fish, skin sideways, on top of sauteed onions
• Pour mayonnaise mixture over fish
• Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes 

-Marie

Cooking for Two

S. has asked me to marry him! No longer will I be "cooking for one" in New York City. I will, however, still be making meals in a teensy-weensy kitchen and with limited ingredients. Even more, I should be inspired to blog oftener now that I wil. be cooking for two (which is much easier, I might add!). I so look forward to the spring and summer: Be on the look-out for picnic-inspired posts from me!

-Marie

Martini with a starfish!

I know I'm being incredibly lazy, but, in my defense, I've been working long hours these past few weeks and have had little time to cook (except for the yummy split pea soup I put in the crock pot Saturday, but that takes 20 min of prep and 6 hours of - nothing!). 


Instead of cooking, I give you a starfish martini! Made by Obao on 53rd between 2nd & 3rd:

I love that place, and I last went there for dinner with my friend, M., a few weeks ago. We were delighted to find a starfish in her martini! A little touch like this certainly has the power to delight. After all, I did take photo and post it on the Internet! 


P.s. In case anyone is interested,  Obao also makes excellent crispy pork belly. So bad for your cholesterol, but sooooooo tasty.

Casserole with bacon, asparagus, and chicken

What a super simple casserole.  Leftover roasted chicken from the night before, lightly sauteed asparagus, crisped bacon, and penne rustica. 
Cook penne according to directions, add other ingredients. Pour a mornay sauce over (bechemal sauce with gruyere cheese) the mixture.  Add whatever herbs you like.  I used rosemary and ground mustard. Lightly toss.  Sprinkle shredded gruyere cheese on top (maybe 1/4 cup), bake 375 for 30 min. 
The great thing about this casserole, and any casserole for that matter, is they can be made larger or smaller, depending on how many need to be fed.

I don't really have any helpful hints because this is the easiest dish to make!

~Julie

Breakfast Burritos

A few weeks ago, I made breakfast burritos because, as we all know, leftover taco materials are the mother of invention:

Ingredients
Flour tortillas
Scrambled eggs
Sauteed onions and mushrooms
Diced tomatoes
Sliced green onion
Shredded monterey jack cheese

...the end is almost here....

As soup season winds to a close, I reminisce about the wonderful, heavier, winter-type meals I've made (and the lack of meals my sister has made :-).   Hearty soups with beef, potatoes, vegetables, and cream.  All so good, and not so good for my health.  Today's inspiration came from the Sacramento Bee, again, yet was changed to incorporate healthier ingredients for a lighter, yet bolder flavor.

Turkey Kielbasa and Bean Soup
One large turkey kielbasa, cut into small chunks.  Brown in olive oil with diced red onion and garlic (the more the better) for about 15 minutes.  Add a small pinch of paprika.  Add six cups of vegetable stock (I make mine by mixing beef and chicken stock, equal amounts), one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, one medium can of navy beans rinsed well, one finely chopped chipotle from adobe sauce, and 2 cups finely shredded cabbage.  Bring to boil and turn down to simmer for approx. one hour.


Helpful Hints
The original recipe calls for chorizo, but substituting turkey kielbasa cuts the fat WAY down.  Also, the recipe did not call for cabbage, but I had some leftover from fish tacos and I like cabbage in soup, so...
Chipotle can be added to any dish for a bit of smokey, spicy flavor.  Just remember to peel it open and scrape out the seeds first.  Be sure to wash hands VERY well after doing this.
I didn't have navy beans on hand so I used white beans, which are very similar.  

~Julie

Creamed Salmon on Biscuits

One of my favorite meals of all times.  This is pure comfort food for me, and is so super easy to make!

Creamed Salmon
Make a roux (basic butter and flour mix).  For liquid use any combination of cream, milk, half & half, or chicken stock.  For this recipe I used 1/4 c. cream (leftover in fridge so using it up), part milk, and half a can of chicken broth (again, already open in fridge and using it up).  Add sauteed celery and onion (1/4c. each), salt, pepper, and marjoram.  Let cook for a few minutes on low then add 1 can salmon (I used smoked salmon I got from my brother), about 1 1/2 cups.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes.  Pour over homemade (or store-bought) biscuits.  I use Bisquick brand baking mix for mine. Canned or frozen peas would be great in this recipe, but I'm the only in my family who likes them so I leave them out.  It's helpful to make extra biscuits so the kids can have some with butter and honey.

~Julie

Sticky Toffee Banana Pudding

The brand new issue of bon appetit arrived last week, and an instant family favorite was born! 


toffee sauce
1 1/4 plus 3 T heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 unsalted butter
banana cake
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (approx. 3)
1 T dark rum
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
sliced banana as garnish

Directions
For toffee sauce: Bring 1 1/4 cups cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and 1/8 tsp salt to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook at gentle boil until sauce coats spoon thickly and is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, whisking occasionally, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.  Whisk in 3 T or more cream to thin sauce to desired consistency.  Can be done ahead, up to two days.  Cover and chill, rewarm slightly before serving. 

For banana cake: preheat oven to 350 f. Butter 8x8x2 nonstick metal baking pan.  Dust baking pan with flour, tapping out excess.  Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Beat in mashed bananas, rum, and vanilla (batter will look curdled).  Add dry ingredients in 4 additions, beating just to blend after each addition.  Spread batter evenly in prepared baking pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 38 minutes.  Spread 1/2 cup toffee sauce evenly over cake.  Return cake to oven and bake until sauce is bubbling thickly, about 6 minutes.  Cool cake in pan on rack 30 minutes. Cut around cake in pan.  Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature with toffee sauce on top, with sliced banana if desired. 

Helpful Hints
I don't usually stock dark brown sugar, so I used golden brown in the toffee instead.  It was pretty good, but a dark brown sugar would have made for a richer flavor.  Also, I don't have dark rum so I used regular instead.  This step can probably be left out altogether since the amount is negligible and I didn't notice the flavor anyway.
I used my regular corning ware pan since I don't have a metal pan that size and the cake baked just fine.  And I passed on the sliced bananas on top, my bananas were very brown and not suitable for garnish.
(This recipe can be found on page 103, March 2011 issue)

~Julie

The absolute BEST brand of tea!!

The rain is starting and the cold is settling in.  Snow flurries are called for this weekend, which hasn't happened in the Sacramento area since the mid 70's.  Everyone is freaking out, but still secretly hoping it might stick for more than a few moments, at least long enough to scoop some up.  This is definitely the afternoon for hot tea.  I love tea in the winter, and in the summer I brew it, cool it, and add ice!  A few years ago we discovered Stash brand of tea.  They make fabulous regular and herbal teas in all sorts of interesting flavors. So here I sit, after putting together a spinach and bacon quiche for dinner (which I may or may not blog about later), and take a few quiet moments before everyone comes home and the chaos starts!!

~Julie

Is this a repeat???

Beef, Baley & Kale Soup

Okay, I can't keep track.  If this is a repeat I'm sorry....
The original recipe I got from my dad several years ago.

One head of kale, chopped fine
Chuck steak, about a pound, cubed small
1/2 cup uncooked barley (or to taste)
1 or two carrots, diced small
1 or two stalks of celery, sliced small
1 small onion, chopped
garlic, to taste

Brown beef in hot pan with a small amount of veg. oil.  Add onions and cook a few minutes.  Use one quart beef broth (or veg. broth), and add the rest of the vegetables.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 6 or seven hours.  Add barley approximately 2 hours before serving. 

Helpful hints

Don't skip the long simmer time.  Kale takes a long time to become soft.
Use whatever veggies you want, such as mushrooms.
Never add salt to soup when using a pre-made broth.  They are usually salty enough.
This is a great crock pot soup.  Just brown the meat first, then add the rest of the ingredients and cook up to ten hours (except barley, which would be added about 2 hours before serving).

~Julie

Andrew's birthday meal

Sometimes it's all about volume!  A long standing tradition in our family allows the birthday person to choose the restaurant of their choice (within reason), and Andrew usually chooses a place where the food is plentiful!  This year we went to Claim Jumper (clear across town) for their specialty: meat!  Not much more to say!!

Andrew and the Ore Cart: beef ribs, pork ribs, and a half-chicken!

XL size chicken fried steak (mostly breading)

The super-large Ore Cart, accompanied by veggies and mashed potatoes.

Parmesan crusted shrimp in a sherry cream sauce.

Tri-tip dip with a spicy thai slaw (super yum)

The Norwegian in Me

The week before Thanksgiving I happened to be in Midtown on a Saturday afternoon. Walking past the Norwegian Seamen's Church, I noticed a sign advertising a Christmas bazaar. Lured by the promise of a cup of grog, I ventured inside. (Grog is a type of mulled wine, though their "wine" was actually made of Cranberry juice). The mature gentleman serving it explained that one does not drink "spirits" in a house of worship. 

I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. I was home! While I couldn't understand the language that most of the people were speaking, I saw a reflection of myself in the Nordic people. My best friend, L., a North Dakota born-and-bred Norwegian, makes lefse, a type of potato pancake, every year around Christmastime. The food tables at the bazaar contained lefse mix, pickled herring, chocolate advent calendars, and many other items to make a wonderful Christmas feast. I took away a tin of sardines and a couple of chocolate bars, including this one:

This candy bar, made by Nidar, is actually Finnish. I hope I don't get any flack for it.

godt nytt år
 
-Marie

Squash Soup

The winter of 2008 was the winter of squash soup. I think I made it a dozen times that winter, using a recipe that called for half and half. It was delicious, but filled with needless fat and calories. Back then I only had a blender; now that I have a wicked awesome food processor, a creamy consistency without the cream is no problem. Last week, I made squash soup for the first time in a long time and I made it the healthy way. 

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
• 32 oz chicken stock
• 1 tsp butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Melt butter in a large pot
• Cook squash, onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes until lightly browned 
• Cover vegetables with chicken stock and bring to boil
• Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 40 min or until veggies are tender
• Transfer to wicked awesome food processor and process until creamy
• Transfer back to pot and heat for a few min, until the temperature's right

Thank you to allrecipes.com for the recipe! 

Also, thank you to S. for being such a willing guinea pig! I paired the soup with a nice Zinfandel from Amador County, plus a selection of cheeses, bread, and veggie sticks. 

Note that I do not own a dining table. Such is life in NYC. 

-Marie

A great restaurant meal!

Lucky me got to spend 3 days in sunny San Diego for work, and with only two conference meals provided.  Both lunches, one hot and one a box lunch.  Good food, but nothing really spectacular.  The other meals we were responsible for, meaning we were able to choose some pretty nice places to eat (of course with future reparations of a certain dollar amount).  This meal was at a restaurant on Harbor Island called C level.  Interesting name, as it was right on the water with a SPECTACULAR view of San Diego city, including the USS Midway.

I ordered the lobster salad blt sandwich.  Really a good choice.  Chunks of lobster in a creamy sauce, topped with small, crisped pieces of bacon, lettuce & tomato.  The sandwich came with lobster bisque, which was of course super rich, but just enough of a portion that it wasn't overwhelming. 

 ~Julie

This is why cholesterol medicine is made...

Saturday was a beautiful day.  After the morning fog burned off the sun gave us 70 degrees.  Wow!  We took the opportunity to do some grilling.  T-bone steaks, asparagus, and baked potatoes.  Yum.

Joe used McCormick Grill Mates 'Montreal Steak' seasoning for the rub.  We grilled up some mushrooms and onions, plus I had some leftover filling I used for stuffed mushrooms on Friday night that made a nice compliment to the steak.  The asparagus was steamed on the grill first, wrapped in tin foil with olive oil and salt & pepper, then placed on the grate for those nice grill marks.  The baked potatoes were cooked in the microwave then wrapped in tin foil and kept warm on the grill. One chicken breast was cooked, seasoned with McCormick chicken seasoning (for Jessica).  To round out the meal we opened a bottle of Monte Antico, from Toscana winery in Amador County.  Fabulous meal!  

~Julie

Apparently everyone is not a fan....

...of a twist on an old family favorite: Tuna Noodle Casserole.  Made as a lasagna instead of casserole style with egg noodles.  The recipe was in the January 12th edition of the Sacramento Bee.  Using no boil noodles, tuna in oil, and evaporated milk, my family eschewed the recipe and told me it was NOT to be repeated.  Yeah, I agree.  So much so that I already threw the cut-out recipe away, so if you're interested you'll have to do an online search.  Sorry.

 
~Julie

Ode to My Sister

Fear not your fretful Costco meal,

Last night's brie, I ate the wheel.

Whenever cooking me eludes,

I eat but junk, my gut protrudes.


-Marie

I Cheated!

Okay, so we had a rotisserie chicken from Costco tonight, with mashed potatoes and gravy, plus mixed veggies.  Too easy, I know.  But I have to cut some material for the quilt class I'm taking this week, plus the new Reader's Digest came in the mail today.  Cooking is not on my list of priorities tonight!

~Julie