What's for Dinner? Shrimp and Veggie Fried Rice!

I discovered (via Facebook, of course), that it is the Chinese New Year today.  So in honor of my friends from the Orient, I decided to cook a Chinese dish this evening.  I made a fried rice that was packed with veggies, shrimp and ham.  It was pretty easy to make and really, really good!  And not to mention, this cook-at-home version is waaaay healthier than the oil-laden versions you most likely are getting when you order take out. Nothing quite says "Welcome, Year of the Dragon" like some fried rice!  You can really use any combo of protein and veggies in this...use what you like...the method will be the same.  Happy New Year to you!!  Enjoy!

Shrimp and Veggie Fried Rice
Serves 6
Download PDF

2 TBSP plus 1 tsp peanut oil, divided
1 cup diced ham (I get a large, thick slice from the deli and cut into cubes)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small crowns broccoli, cut into small florets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
1/2 cup frozen green peas
3 cups cooked rice (I like Jasmine)
2 large eggs
1 large handful bean sprouts
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp to 1 TBSP garlic-chili paste (depending on how hot you like it)

In a large wok or skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over high heat.  Add ham and sauté until browned.  Reserve to large bowl.  Add in shrimp and cook until just done and browned.  Reserve to same bowl.  Add 1 TBSP oil and add in onion, asparagus and broccoli.  Sauté for 5 minutes until veggies start to brown.  Add in 1-2 TBSP water and cover, letting them steam for a few minutes until veggies are to desired tenderness.  Remove cover and add in garlic, ginger and peas.  Sauté 2 minutes more.  Pour into same reserved bowl.  Heat remaining 1 TBSP oil.  Add in rice and sauté 2 minutes until grains start to brown.  Make a well in the middle of the rice and crack the eggs in the center.  Let the eggs fry for several minutes.  Start pushing them around until they are scrambled and fully cooked.  Mix in with the rice and then add back in all the reserved ingredients.  Add bean sprouts, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili paste.  Make sure well combined and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Moroccan Lamb Tagine!

For Christmas, my awesome Sisters-in-Law got me a Moroccan tagine.  The word tagine is used to describe a Middle Eastern dish of slowly simmered meat and/or vegetables but it also is the word for the earthenware vessel they use to cook it in.  My SILs know that I love to cook and that I have ALMOST every cooking utensil/vessel I need...BUT they did their homework and discovered I did not, in fact, have a tagine!  Well, thanks to them, I have ventured into the world of Middle Eastern cooking for the first time...and so glad I did!  First off, you do not need a tagine to make a tagine!  Any heavy Dutch oven or pot with a tight fitting lid will do.  Secondly, this type of cooking uses A LOT of different spices.  Lucky for me and my days working for Whole Foods, I have tons of (free) spices, so we have them all.  If you don't have all these spices (and I'm fairly positive 99% of the country would not), just kind of use what you have.  The spices that seem standard for tagines across the board (that most people may have) are cinnamon, ground ginger, paprika, cayenne, turmeric and saffron).  Don't go overboard on the cinnamon.  This is supposed to be a savory dish with a hint of sweetness.   Most of the recipes call for some sort of fruit: i.e. dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, etc.  Now, I am not a fan of the fruit and meat combo thing (as many of you know by now)...but I actually would have tried it this time, had I not had all the other ingredients in my house already.  So next time I will.  But if you want to throw in any of these ingredients, by all means, do it!  I hope you try this one...it is something different that is really tasty!  Enjoy!

Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Serves 4
Download PDF

• 1+ lbs of lamb loin, cut into bite-sized chunks (lamb loin can be expensive, so if you want, you can use any stew cut, it will just need to cook longer to achieve ultimate tenderness)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP butter or ghee
• 3 large carrots, cut into small rounds
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP freshly grated ginger
• 1, 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2-3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 preserved lemon, cut in small wedges (if you can find preserved in the store, use fresh)
• parsley or cilantro, to garnish
• couscous

In a Ziploc baggie, add all spices (paprika through coriander and mix well.  Toss lamb meat with olive oil and add to bag.  Seal and mix, making sure all the lamb is coated with the spice mixture.  Refrigerate (the longer the better, but if you don't have long, that's ok!).

In tagine or pot over medium high heat, heat butter.  Add lamb and brown on all sides.  Remove from pot with spoon and reserve.  Add onion and carrot and cook for 5-8 minutes until they begin to soften.  Add garlic and ginger and cook for a few more minutes.  Add back lamb and chickpeas and stir.  Add in broth (the broth should just barely cover meat mixture (add more broth or water if it doesn't).  Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes, add in lemons.  Continue cooking until meat is very tender and stew is of a good consistency (again you will need longer if not using lamb loin...lamb loin will take about an hour or a little over).  Garnish with parsley or cilantro and serve over couscous and enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Buffalo Chicken Sliders!

I'm a fan of just about anything that involves Buffalo chicken.  However, if you get a sandwich at a restaurant, it usually involves a big deep-fried breast and the sauce is mixed with a ton of butter.  I came across this recipe for making Buffalo chicken in the crockpot...and it's actually healthy...SCORE!  It really couldn't be any easier to make and the result is fantastic.  Now, this makes a lot, so I suggest you freeze about half of it for a later craving.  Other things you could do with it: make a Buffalo chicken pizza, top a salad with it, Buffalo chicken dip for the Super Bowl, Buffalo chicken cheese balls.  Give this a try...it won't disappoint!

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken (Sliders)
Serves...lots!

• 3 lbs frozen chicken breasts
• 1 bottle Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix (if you find this tangy, use half a packet at first)

In a Crockpot, add chicken, wing sauce and ranch packet.  Cook on either low or high (6 or 8 hours it doesn't really matter).  It will not take the whole time, but you can leave it in if you like.  Before you are ready to eat, shred chicken with two forks and mix well with the sauce.  Let sit in the Crockpot for a little while longer.  Serve and enjoy!

To make sliders, get good crusty rolls (I like to use Ciabatta) and slice them in half.  Toaster oven them until they get toasty!  Add Buffalo chicken to the bottom.  Add a sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles and top with a slice of provolone or mozzarella.  Re-toast in the oven to melt the cheese.  Add any veggies you like (i.e. tomatoes, lettuce, slaw, onion, etc.).  Top with ranch or blue cheese dressing.  Enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Pulled Pork Napoleons!

When we were in New Orleans over Christmas, we ate at a place that is right on the edge of the French Quarter called the Palace Cafe.  We have never eaten there in the past because it is right on Canal Street and it has a big neon sign and it just screams "tourist" from the outside.  But after receiving great recs from several friends and family we decided to stop by there.  It was a nice December day and they have little outdoor tables.  We were just going to get a snack and a drink (for Sully), but after reading the menu, we decided to go for a full-on meal.  Everything looked so good, but this dish really stood out.  Their description was a "Cochon de Lait Pot Pie". Cochon de Lait is Louisiana's version of a pulled pork, but theirs is slow roasted and SO delicious. In the Palace Cafe's dish, there was no crust or anything, like a normal potpie has, just served with a piece of garlic baguette.  Well, needless to say, it was awe-some!!  And it was funny that while we were eating, Sully's best friend Kyle happened to walk out of the restaurant...he was lunching with some friends.  Can't get much better than that!

When coming up with the recipe here, I decided to do a stovetop-style braised pulled pork and instead of calling it potpie, which is really isn't, a layered Napoleon was more the right description.  Now, most of you aren't total weirdos like me, and will probably choose not to layer your ingredients in a beautiful tower like I did...but I promise, it really took no time at all to do that part.  We just have the luxury of owning a lot of egg rings (Sully loves him an egg ring...don't ask!), that made it easy for me to build the tower.  If you don't have the patience or the care to make a tower, just serve as a plated dish all together.  It will taste the same!  :)  Bon appetit!

Stovetop Pulled Pork
Serves 4-6
Download Recipe

1, 2-lb pork tenderloin, sirloin or butt/shoulder
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water, plus more
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 rounded tsp cayenne
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Cut up pork into 2-3 inch pieces.

In a heavy dutch oven or pot, bring cider and water to a boil.  Add in spices and stir to dissolve.  Add in pork and reduce heat to a low simmer.  Put lid on and cook for about 1 hour, turning pork occasionally. After an hour, take the lid off and let liquid reduce down until the liquid starts to caramelize and the pork is browning.  Stir well.  Pork will start falling apart.  Begin to shred pork, when ready with a fork or stirring utensil. Once well browned, add more water if you need to, to make a little bit of a juice (but not too much). Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Napoleons
Serves 4

1 TBSP butter

1 small bag pre-washed baby spinach

2 cups Stovetop Pulled Pork
2 cups mashed potatoes
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add in spinach and let wilt.  Toss until cooked.  Remove from heat.

Place an egg ring or an aluminum can with both ends cut off (and well washed) on a plate. Firmly pack in 1/2 cup of pork.  Then 1/2 cup mashed potatoes.  Remove ring (or can) Add 1/4 of the spinach to the top and top with 1/4 of the cheese.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Broil in the oven for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese as melted and starts to brown.  Spoon some of the "au jus" around the plate. Enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Curried Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Chicken!

I got this recipe in my inbox today from a site I subscribe to (Chow.com) and it really caught my eye.  Theirs called for tofu, which I am not a big fan of, so adapted it and inserted chicken instead.  It turned out really great. Ok, now for the less adventurous of you, this one might sound weird.  But I promise you, it is really good! Although if you are like my mother and detest Indian food (or think you do, like she does), then maybe it isn't for you.  But in our house, it is a keeper...Sully even went back for seconds.  It does call for some spices that most of you probably don't have (we, however have about every spice known to man, which helps!).  Stores like Whole Foods and Fresh Market sell spices in bulk, so you can buy just a little of these so you don't have to break the bank on spices that you will only use a teaspoon of.  Recipes like this one really won't work without the correct spices.  Ok, enough spice rant!  I hope you give this one a try.  It's healthy, easy and delicious!  Enjoy!

Curried Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Chicken
Adapted from Chow.com
Serves 4
Printable recipe

• 3 TBSP olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 medium to large onion, diced
• 2 TBSP grated ginger (about a 2-3 inch piece)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp Garam Masala spice
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into medium florets
• 1 cup chicken broth, divided
• 2 large or 3 small chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup flour
• juice of 1/2 lime
• chopped cilantro (to garnish)
• jasmine rice

In a Dutch oven or heavy skillet, heat 2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat.  Add fennel seeds and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion and ginger and sauté until they being to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and spices and sauté another minute more.  Add chickpeas and cauliflower and stir to combine well.  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth.  Put lid on pan/pot and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer about 10-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is just tender.

While this cooks, in a separate pan, heat last TBSP of oil.  Toss chicken with flour and add to pan.  Saute until browned and cooked almost through.

When chicken is done and cauliflower is soft, add chicken into cauliflower mixture and gently combine. Add the remaining chicken broth and the juice of the lime and let simmer a few minutes more, until a slightly thickened sauce forms.  Serve over jasmine rice and top with chopped cilantro and Sriracha hot sauce (if desired). Enjoy!

What's for Dinner? White Chicken Chili!

First thing's first...HAPPY NEW YEAR!  It's been a hectic holiday season, so I apologize for dropping off for a bit. We had my family all here for the first half of Christmas Week, and then Sully, Finn and I flew to New Orleans for the second part.  It was crazy, but a lot of fun.  We had some really good meals over the past few weeks and I have lots to share with you but I will start with our dinner tonight.

Here in the South, we have an "arctic air mass" rolling in.  Considering this past weekend it was 72 degrees and I was really hot (some of that MIGHT have been the pregnancy), it was a seriously rude awakening when the high today was 39 and the winds were gusting up to 30 mph. Brrrrrr!  It made me want chili and white chicken chili was it! This is a really good recipe that is perfect for a cold winter's night.  Give it a try and cozy up by the fire.  Here's to a great 2012!!

And by the way, if you cook any of my recipes, please let me know how they turned out!  Good or bad!  I love hearing what people made and any feedback is appreciated. Cheers!

White Chicken Chili
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 medium onions
• 3 chicken breasts (about 1 lb raw, diced in small pieces)
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 4-oz cans diced green chilies
• 2 14.5-oz cans Cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained
• 4 cups chicken stock (I used low sodium)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (Monterrey Jack works well or I used low fat 4-cheese Mexican)
• 3 TBSP half and half (can delete this if you like, but it adds a nice touch of richness to the chili)
• cheese, green onion and sour cream for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat oil.  Add onion and sauté until they begin to soften.  Add in chicken and sauté until browned and cooked through.  Add garlic and cook one minute more.  Add in cumin, oregano green chilies and beans and mix together.  Add broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about one hour until chili starts to thicken. Add cheese and half and half and continue simmering until desired thickness is reached. Serve with garnishes and enjoy!