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? Seafood Chowder!

This past weekend was a good one.  We had our annual Christmas party and it was a ton of fun.  The food theme this year was "Paninis and Crostinis".  Basically, just a lot of different sandwiches from different countries.  It was fun to do (and I will be blogging a few of them in the upcoming weeks) and oh-so-delicious.  We had a lot of leftover sandwiches, and what goes better with sandwiches than soup?  I was feeling seafood, and chowder is nice and hearty (I would say for the cold weather we have been having, but it was 75 degrees today!).  This chowder was really good, and it led me to beg the question, "why does chowder you get in a restaurant have to be SOOOO bad for you?"  This chowder that I made had no cream at all...only 1 cup of 2% milk.  The stats on it are really good for such a thick and creamy soup.  And you can basically use any seafood you like...mix it up!  Give it a try...you won't be sorry!

Seafood Chowder
Serves 6-8
Printable Recipe

1 TBSP olive oil
2 leeks, mostly white part, halved and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch dice (depending how chunky you want them)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups seafood stock (this can be found now in any grocery store in the broth/stock section...if not, use chicken broth)
1 cup milk
1 lb cod or halibut, cut into small chunks
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 lbs bay scallops (the small ones)
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1-2 TBSP fresh dill
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add celery and leek and saute until just soft.  Add garlic and potato and saute 2 minutes more.  Sprinkle flour over veggies, stir and let cook several minutes.  Add broth and stir well.  Let thicken.  Add milk and stir.  Simmer until potatoes are just soft.  Add in fish, cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add shrimp and scallops.  Let all simmer for another 5 minutes.  If chowder gets too thick, add some more stock.  Add dill. At the very end, add in Gruyere cheese and remove from heat.  Serve with garlic toast or oyster crackers and top with more cheese, if desired.  Enjoy!

What's for Apps? Shrimp Summer Rolls!

Tonight we went to a cookout down on the Intracoastal at our friends Austin and Jenny's Club's dock. It was so fun and the breeze down on the water almost made us forget it was 100 degrees out!  I had to bring an app, and I wanted something that could be served at room temp and that was refreshing in the oppressive heat.  These came to mind.  I hadn't made them in a long time, but thought they were just the thing.  Now, these can be a little time consuming to do, but they are fun, and I suggest making them with a friend while drinking a glass (or two) of wine (advice I should have given myself before I started these). But in the end they are worth it because they are beautiful, delicious and seriously healthy.  Give them a try...they'll be the hit of the party!

Shrimp Summer Rolls
Makes 10 large rolls

• 1 lb 30 count shrimp
• 1/2 pkg vermicelli rice noodles (found in Asian aisle), soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained.
• 1 package Vietnamese rice paper (you can find these at the Asian market or sometimes in the Asian aisle of the supermarket--do NOT use egg roll wrappers...they are not the same thing!)
• 5 crab sticks, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded and julienned
• 1 handful pre-shredded carrots
• 1 pkg enoki mushrooms (optional)
• 1/2 bunch green onion, chopped
• 1 bunch mint, leaves stripped and roughly chopped.
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves stripped
• sweet chili sauce (store bought--in the Asian aisle)
• ginger soy sauce (recipe below)

Fill medium pot with water, bring to a boil.  Salt water and add shrimp.  Cook for 2 minutes, or until pink and firm.  With a slotted spoon, remove shrimp into a colander and rinse.  Slice shrimp in half. Turn off heat on burner and add noodles.  Let soak 10 minutes until they become soft.  Drain and rinse.  Set aside.

Line up all ingredients.  Fill shallow plate with warm to hot water. Cover another plate with a damp paper towel.  Dip rice paper in warm water and let sit for 10-20 seconds.  Make sure all areas are under water.  When soft (don't let sit too long--you don't want it soggy) carefully pick up rice paper and place on damp paper towel (if it gets wrinkled, don't panic! Just carefully smooth it out).  In the center of the rice paper, put 5 shrimp across, uncut side down.  Then layer all ingredients on top.  Fold side closest to you up over ingredients.  Fold sides in (like a burrito) and then tightly roll up until fully sealed.  Repeat with remaining rice papers and ingredients.  Do not stack the rolls, as they are very sticky! Slice in half and serve with dipping sauces.  Enjoy!

Ginger Soy Dipping Sauce
Add 2 TBSP soy sauce and 2 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce (or you can do all one or the other) to a small bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil. Grate peeled ginger into the sauce (maybe 1/4 tsp).  Grate 1/2 clove garlic into the sauce.  Add 1/2 tsp sesame seeds. Whisk together and let sit to allow flavors to come together.

Download PDF of Recipe

What's for Apps? Goat Cheese and Shrimp Stuffed Peppers!

We were going over to a friend's house for an impromptu cookout and I had to bring something.  I went out in the garden and picked some beautiful Anaheim peppers and took out some goat cheese to soften.  I have made these in the past, but something about using your own vegetables makes them taste better!  This is a really yummy, not-too-hard thing to make.  Anaheims don't have too much heat in them, but if you want more, you could use Poblanos or Jalepenos.  If you don't like shrimp (what's wrong with you?), just do the cheese mixture...still delicious.  Enjoy!






 Goat Cheese and Shrimp Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4 (appetizers)

8 Anaheim peppers (as large as you can get them)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 oz goat cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced

Put peppers on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray or lightly oil.  Place under high broiler until skin begins to blister and turn black (watch carefully or you will have the fire department knocking at your door!). Turn peppers and repeat for second side.  Remove and place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rest 15-20 minutes.  After they have rested, remove skin, make a slit, longways down the pepper and discard seeds.

In bowl, combine goat cheese and 1/2 cup Monterrey Jack.

In skillet, heat oil and add shrimp.  Saute for 2-3 minutes, until no longer translucent.  Add garlic and shallot and cook for 30 seconds more. Transfer to cutting board and roughly chop shrimp.  Add warm shrimp, garlic and shallot mixture to cheese mixture.  Stir to thoroughly combine.
Stuff each pepper with cheese mixture (evenly distribute among 8 peppers).  Top with remaining Monterrey Jack (evenly distributed among peppers).  Broil for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.  Mmmmm.

Download PDF of Recipe