i'm baaaaack

so there's a baby in my belly hence my falling off the face of the earth for the last few months. pregnancy hasn't been very polite to me- eating and cooking just weren't on the agenda. well, i'm over the hump and expecting another baby girl in march. here's to getting back in the saddle again. my truck-driver appetite craves pretty much everything that's bad for you so strap on your seat belts (or elastic pants?).
i bring you kung pao shrimp! friends, this has a kick. red pepper flakes give it the heat so be sure to adjust the measurement based on your tolerance. i'm not a fishy eater, so i did the same rendition just substituting chicken. 

kung pao shrimp
1 lb peeled shrimp (i used 31-40 ct shrimp)
3 c brown rice
1/2 c cornstarch
3 tbl olive oil
6 tbl soy sauce
3 tbl sesame oil
3 tbl sugar
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 c dry roasted peanuts

1. cook rice according to the package.
2. whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, red pepper flakes and ginger. toss shrimp in cornstarch.
3. heat olive oil in saute pan until pan is hot. add shrimp cooking on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on  each side until cooked thru. 
4. pour sauce and peanuts over shrimp. simmer for 5 minutes allowing sauce to thicken. stir allowing sauce to coat both shrimp and peanuts. serve on brown rice.

fish tacos with chipotle sour cream

taco week day 5: fish tacos with chipotle sour cream
i have a secret to share. i can no longer go on having you think that i eat seafood. i don't. i hate it. it smells and it tastes funny. ugh, i know. okay, i feel so much better. this does not, however, mean i won't make it; especially since every other normal person loves it. i just have to suck up the smell every time i do. so i ate this but substituted the fish for black beans! regardless, the highlight of this dish is hands down the chipotle sour cream. you won't be disappointed.

fish tacos with chipotle sour cream
2 tilapia filets, cut into 1" cubes
6 flour tortillas
1 cup red cabbage, sliced thinly
1 tbs white wine vinegar

chipotle sour cream
8 oz light sour cream
2 tbs adobo sauce (found in cans of chipotle peppers... just use the sauce)

fish marinade
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
juice from one lime
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbs cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

1. combine marinade ingredients and cubed fish. toss to combine and marinade at room temperature for 20 minutes. strain from olive oil.
2. toss cabbage with white wine vinegar and a generous amount of salt and pepper and set aside.
3. combine sour cream with adobo sauce and set aside.
4. heat saute pan until hot. add fish and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
5. pile fish on top of a warm tortilla, followed by cabbage and sour cream.

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blackened salmon

i did some research to find out what really makes a recipe "blackened" thinking it had to contain a specific spice. not so much. it's actually the technique: cooking a protein in butter or olive oil and allowing it to cook to a black crispy state of yumminess without burning. who knew? maybe everybody already new this and i am the odd man out.

blackened salmon

2 salmon filets (no skin)
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. combine all dry ingredients in a shallow bowl.
2. pat salmon dry with a paper towel. place salmon in bowl pressing down, allowing spices to adhere. turn over and repeat on other side.
3. heat olive oil in a saute pan until hot. add salmon. cook for 5-7 minutes without moving. flip to other side and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

chicken & shrimp with pancetta chimichurri

this is by far the best summer dinner party main dish... it's a hit every time. (i'm still trying to pretend it's summer here folks, just go with it). my girlfriend, lisa, brought over spanish rice made with yellow and red cherry tomatoes from her garden. it was simply delicious.
do yourself a favor and make this for special friends.

chicken & shrimp with pancetta chimichurri

1 lb boneless chicken breast
1 lb jumbo shrimp
1/3 c fresh oregano

pancetta chimichurri
8 oz pancetta, 1/4 in cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c fresh parsley
1/2 c fresh oregano (or 2 tbl dried)
1/3 c red wine vinegar
3/4 c olive oil
3 tbl lemon juice

1. season chicken & shrimp with oregano, salt and pepper. drizzle with olive oil. grill chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side and shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side.
2. in small skillet, saute pancetta in 2 tbl olive oil until crispy (about 6 minutes). place on a paper towel to drain.
3. combine all other chimichurri ingredients in food processor streaming in olive oil in slowly.
4. serve chicken & shrimp with pancetta on top and drizzled with chimichurri.

birthday dinner party

it was my best friend's birthday recently and she asked for risotto. every time i make this recipe, it turns out fabulous. i'm going to give jamie oliver all of the credit here. isn't he also known as the naked chef? i realized while writing this that i had no idea why! so... i googled it. apparently it's the name of a show he does in the uk. the idea behind the naked chef is stripping food down to it's bare essentials proving you don't need a lot of ingredients for a tasty fare. funny because i don't believe his risotto recipe would fit into that category. i add white truffle oil at the end- but that's totally up to you. i served the risotto with a roasted salmon wrapped in swiss chard. it was a hit.
on another note, jamie oliver has done some pretty impressive things lately. check out his website on the food revolution. 

risotto bianco with asparagus

2 pints stock (vegetable, chicken or fish)
2 tbl olive oil
dollop of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 head celery, finely chopped
2 c risotto (arborio rice)
2 wineglasses of dry white wine
asparagus, cut in 1-2 in pieces
5 tbl butter
2 tbl white truffle oil
4 oz. parmesan cheese

1. heat the stock and set aside. put olive oil and butter in a sauce pan, add onion, garlic and celery. cook for 15 min slowly on low-medium heat.
2. once veggies are softened, add the rice and turn up the heat. fry rice for a minute. add wine and keep stirring allowing alcohol to cook off.
3. add a ladle of stock and a pinch of salt. turn heat down to a simmer stirring occasionally. keep adding ladlefuls of stock and stirring until rice is cooked. this should take between 15-30 minutes. add asparagus in last 5 minutes of cooking.
4. remove from heat and add 5 tbl butter, 2 tbl white truffle oil and parmesan.

adapted from jamie oliver

roasted salmon wrapped in swiss chard

2 tbl unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbl fresh tarragon, finely chopped
2 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 1 tbl lemon juice
4 leaves swiss chard
4 (6-8 oz each) salmon fillets

1. bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. cook swiss chard in water until tender (about 4 minutes). use tongs to remove and lay flat on a foil lined baking sheet.
2. combine butter, tarragon, lemon zest and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. place one fillet on top of a leaf, near tip; repeat with remaining fillets. sprinkle fish with lemon juice. spread butter mixture over each fillet and wrap leaf around tucking the stalk underneath. roast in oven at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

adapted from martha stewart