SAUTEED SHRIMP AND PASTA

TERIYAKI AND GINGER SHRIMP

This makes 2 generous servings over the pasta of your choice... I like penne or fettuccine...

1-1/4 lb          15-20 count/size shrimp (peeled and deveined - save shells and heads if you plan to make shrimp stock for cooking pasta - see link below)

1 TBSP       finely grated fresh ginger (or about 1 tsp. of ground ginger)
1/4 - 1/3 C    Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce (I use Kikkoman)

1/8 tsp (2-3 shakes) of cayenne pepper - more for more heat

2 TBSP     oil
2 TBSP     butter

               butter for the pasta, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

About 30 minutes before dinnertime, combine the shrimp, teriyaki marinade, cayenne and ginger in a plastic zipper bag.  Massage to spread the ginger.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes, turning often.

Get the pasta cooking according to directions (and it's really good cooked in shrimp stock - see below) I prefer cooking my the pasta a couple of minutes longer than al dente.

The shrimp will cook quickly so start them when the pasta has about 5 minutes left.

Put the oil and butter in a wok (or just use oil if you prefer) and heat until almost sizzling (but don't let the butter brown). Pour most of the teriyaki out but try to hang on to the ginger.  Dump the shrimp, ginger, and remaining teriyaki sauce from the bag into the wok and stir/cook for about 3 minutes until the shrimp are opaque white.  Add a shake or two of cayenne pepper for a little more zing if desired.  Remove from the heat. (I never cook a shrimp longer than 3 minutes on the stove - a bit longer when grilling the great big ones)

Drain the pasta and add a dab of butter if you like to keep it from sticking together, but work fast.

Plate the pasta and top with shrimp.  Voila!  Enjoy!  (Excellent with just a salad)

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/shrimp-stock.html

Try cooking with shrimp stock sometimes - make it ahead and freeze in 2C zipper bags - it's worth the extra effort!

LUMP CRAB APPETIZER

This is so easy and so elegant

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (16 oz)   Pasteurized LUMP crab meat (found in the cold foods section)

1 small     package of 'spring mix' salad greens

2             lemons

crackers for serving
Old Bay seasoning for serving

Remoulade sauce
http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2011/03/remoulade-sauce.html

Cocktail sauce
http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/shrimp-cocktail-and-sauce.html

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the two sauces a day in advance; refrigerate.  If you have 8 'shot glasses', get them ready and store in the fridge to keep cold.  If you don't have that, chill two small serving/soup bowls for the sauces and add a spoon to each

Wash and spin the spring mix dry, removing any obvious large stems on the greens. Spread a layer of the greens on four salad plates and refrigerate until just before serving.

Remove ends of lemons and slice into 'squeezable' quarter.... cover and refrigerate until serving.

Pasteurized crab meat is essentially 'cooked' and can be eaten out of the can.  If you want, you CAN saute it in a tiny dab of butter, sprinkle on some Old Bay, and serve warm.  My preference is NOT cooking it but serving it cold, with some Old Bay seasoning on the table for guests who desire it....

At appetizer time - drain the crab and spread 1/4 of it (4 oz) atop the salad greens - keeping the crab on one side of the plate.  Add 2 lemon wedges to the other side, and shot glasses of sauce if using them...

Serve with Ritz, or any cracker that is MILD and won't overwhelm the crab.

ENJOY!

LET’S GROW SOME HERBS!

I’m rather new to growing herbs but I’m a total fan and will keep at it until I stop cooking!  It’s also great for cleaning out the garage/basement/shed!

All of these herbs can be grown in the garden in the ground, if you don't want to use pots - but I keep my herb garden on my deck for easy access AND because the deer don't come up on the deck - yet!

Round up all those flower post you’ve been collecting, select 6 large ones if this is your first attempt at herbs.  Buy 1-2 bags of potting soil and then head for the seed department at your local home improvement store or Walmart.  You’ll also need 6 white plastic knives and a permanent marker.

Several herbs are perennials – chives, parsley and thyme are great starter herbs.  These can survive a mild winter, or if they die back due to cold, they will pop up again the following spring.  These three herbs need large pots, but they don’t have to be very deep.  I prefer clay pots, but plastic works fine.  You also need one REALLY WIDE pot, that’s about 10-12” deep for ginger -a must!

Annual herbs, like dill and sweet basil are also a MUST for the herb garden and grow great in pots.

So – I recommend beginning with these five herbs, to grow from seeds:  chives, dill (NOT Mammoth dill), sweet basil, thyme, and flat leaf parsley.  You can also add cilantro if you like Mexican food, and curly parsley if you want to fancy up your serving platters.

GINGER ROOT

The last pot is for fresh ginger, and for all you need to know, please see my post called THE MIRACLE OF FRESH, HOME GROWN GINGER at the link below:

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-miracle-of-fresh-minced-ginger-and.html

PREPARE YOUR POTS AND PLANT:

Easiest thing is to line the bottom of each pot with a flattened coffee filter – keeps the dirt in but allows excess water drain through.  Fill all the pots EXCEPT THE GINGER POT to within about 2” of the top.  Sow your seeds as directed on the packet (about 1/2 of the packet) and sprinkle with potting soil to cover the seeds. Write the name of the herb on the knife handle and poke the blade into the dirt.

PARSLEY WARNING!!!!!  Plant THREE TIMES as much parsley as you think you will need!  In many areas in mid-summer, you will see black/greenish striped caterpillars dining on your parsley.  DON’T KILL THEM!  They will soon visit you again as beautiful Monarch butterflies!

WATERING:

For all the seeds, water very gently with a light spray hose.  These seeds need a good soaking as well, but be careful not to blast the soil or the seeds with scatter.  I prefer starting the seeds in a shady location until they start to germinate.  

Once the little plants are about 1/2” – 1” tall, move them to the MORNING sun side of your home, if possible.  They will need to be watered daily as the weather warms, preferably late in the afternoon after the sun has passed overhead.   When they get to be 3-4” tall, they can take lots of sun, but will need watering more often.

HARVESTING YOUR HERBS:

When the chives are 4-6” tall, you can start snipping them and adding them to your salads, and they are VERY good added to boiled, buttered potatoes. 

Same for the dill but it needs to be a bit taller because it’s very delicate – but it’s delicious on buttered potatoes and almost ANY baked or broiled fish.  There are also lots of ways to make dill dressings and dips – get adventurous!

And of course, if you make dill pickles, you are in for a treat.  Try one of the many refrigerator dill pickle recipes online… most call for fresh dill AND dill heads.  Dill HEADS are tiny green things that start to shoot up from the top of the plants, and they will turn into DILL SEEDS if they are not harvested.  The stalk with the dry seeds can be snipped and placed on a paper towel in an out of the way place…. Let the seeds dry until they fall off the stems and then put then in an envelope, label as DILL, and store in a dry place until next spring. 

Thyme is a must for anything poultry.  I have a baked chicken recipe on this blog that is delicious, and has fresh thyme, lemon slices, and garlic in the cavity. Check it out here:  http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/baked-chicken.html  Thyme is also wonderful in chicken stock and soup base.

Basil is my favorite herb, and if I could only have ONE herb in my garden, this would be it.  Try cutting a few leaves into thin strips (julienne) and add to a salad…. You cannot have spaghetti sauce without TONS of basil, so since this is a summer herb (and in my house spaghetti is a winter meal) I make and freeze spaghetti sauce all summer and add fistfuls of fresh, chopped basil. You can also make and freeze pesto – just don’t add the cheese until you cook with it!

Fresh parsley has an intense and lovely flavor, and I use it in cooking seafood dishes (I’m the queen of shrimp) or always as a tasty garnish for soups and salads.  Parsley CAN winter over if winters aren’t too severe.  Put the pot in a sunny location and out of the wind if possible.

Avoid MINT!  It will leave the pot and take over your yard.  If you need fresh mint, hit the supermarket!

If you really want to prolong your herb garden, try drying/dehydrating your herbs all during the growing season.  Invest in a cheap dehydrator from amazon.com,Walmart or Cosco.  You might even find one at a yard sale.  I dried herbs all last summer and gave these little jars of assorted herbs to my neighbors as Christmas gifts.

CAROLINA COCKTAIL

I had this at a wedding ... it's fabulous! (Especially if you are a redneck like me!)

SERVES: UP TO YOU!

INGREDIENTS:

Cornbread discs - 1 per serving

Baked beans - 1/3 C per serving

Barbeque - 1/2 C per serving

Cole slaw  - 1/4 C per serving

WIDE MOUTH pint MASON/KERR canning jars for serving (1/guest) plus 6-8 extras

DIRECTIONS:

FOR THE CORNBREAD:  Make your fav recipe for cornbread but cook it in 1 or 2 muffin pans adding only about half the batter you would normally use – you want the finished piece of cornbread to be a DISC no more than 1/2” - 3/4" thick. (This needs to be done ahead)

FOR THE BAKED BEANS:  Make your fav baked beans recipe.  If you don’t have one, buy 2 (14 oz) cans of Bush’s Grillin’ beans – combine with 1/3 C packed brown sugar and a large onion – finely chopped/grated.  Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes – set aside.

FOR THE BARBEQUE:  This is where it gets dicey….. you want a really tasty BBQ – don’t buy that krap in the pint container at the grocery – I’d recommend going to a Smithfield BBQ restaurant (or your favorite BBQ shack) and BUYING a few pounds of theirs (see serving sizes above).  OR…. Here’s my (2-day) BBQ recipe (It’s yummy and make plenty for later dining!)

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/pulled-pork-barbecue-north-carolina.html

This recipe  ^^^ makes about 3-5 pounds of really delicious EASTERN NC QUE… follow the recipe and then shred (pull it apart with a couple of forks) only as much as you need for this recipe (shred as you go, since this recipe is for a PULLED pork BBQ).....anyway

FOR THE COLE SLAW:  Make your fav recipe of Cole slaw.  If you don’t have one, get a jar of Marie’s Cole Slaw Dressing from the produce section of your grocery store (or T. Marzetti’s will work tho not as tasty) and some finely grated cabbage.  Combine the cabbage with a few shakes of celery seeds and the dressing, JUST ENOUGH TO BARELY COAT THE CABBAGE – DON’T GET IT ALL SOGGY! (Keep refrigerated until serving time)

FOR THE SERVING 'GOBLETS':  1 – 16 oz WIDE MOUTH MASON (OR KERR) CANNING JAR PER SERVING plus 6-8 extras

ASSEMBLY:  (this is best assembled about 2 minutes before serving.  It's actually great to put on the ingredients on a side  table and have someone on hand to make these as people ask for them.  If you make them ahead and let 'em sit around they  will get all mushy and krap)

1 – place a disc of cornbread in the bottom of the jar

2 – top the cornbread with about 1/3 C baked beans

3 – top the baked beans with about 1/2 C of BBQ

4 – top the BBQ with about 1/4 C of slaw

When you are finished, the jar should only be about 1/2 to 2/3 full - DO NOT OVERFILL!!!!

STICK A FORK IN IT – IT’S DONE!

CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES

When I tell you how easy this is..... my dear friend Edna (my Meals on Wheels partner) told me about this.  I've had more fun with this than you can imagine!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb pkg            dark Chocolate Candiquik
                       (Walmart)
                     
1 - 4 oz pkg       Bakers UNSWEETENED
                         chocolate

12-15 large, ripe strawberries

Other things to dip........

·         fresh pineapple (patted dry)

·         pretzels (loopy ones for individual bites)

·         marshmallows (cover halfway)

·         apple slices (patted dry – but they WILL darken) – dip halfway

·         orange, tangerine sections (patted dry) – dip halfway

·         combine some of the chocolate with some salted peanuts and drop in clusters on waxed paper

·         vanilla wafers (dip halfway)

·         Rice Krispie treats

·         Graham crackers

·         caramels

·         angel food cake squares

·         animal crackers

·         donut holes

·         peanut brittle

After dipping things, like fruit slices, try rolling in/sprinkling with finely chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Unless you plan to dip a small child in this chocolate, I recommend you divide the Candiquik into FOUR equal parts, and divide the Bakers into FOUR equal parts.  Place 1/4 of the Candiquik and 1/4 of the Baker's in each of three Ziploc bags and refrigerate until you're ready to use.

Wash the strawberries - LEAVE THE STEMS ON!  Dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Berries have to be completely dry for the chocolate to stick.

Combine the remaining 1/4 of the Candiquik and Baker's in the top of a double boiler.  (I use a small metal bowl and float it in a small saucepan).  Melt the chocolates and stir thoroughly to combine.

Spread a sheet of waxed paper on the counter and LIGHTLY grease it with soft butter.

Dip away!  Hold the berries by the leaves and roll the bottom 2/3s of the berries in the chocolate.  Hold a minute to allow the excess chocolate to drain.  Line 'em up on the waxed paper, leaving lots of space between them and allow the chocolate to harden before serving.  They are positively yummy just as they are!

Or.............  Get fancy!  When excess chocolate has dripped off the strawberries----

• roll them in mini-chocolate chips - dark or white
• draw swirlies on them with that grocery store decorating gel that comes in a tube (or if you are really fancy, melt some WHITE chocolate chips in the microwave in a small Ziploc bag and then snip off a corner of the bag and decorate away)
• dust them with powdered sugar
• drizzle with melted caramel
• sprinkle with a colored sugar or assorted sprinkles
• roll GENTLY in crushed pecans

And that's just for the strawberries!  Try dipping marshmallows or pineapple chunks or banana chunks in the chocolate. (Bananas are a last minute treat, as they will turn dark rather quickly)

For a neat surprise at Christmas, trim off the leaves and hold the berry by the tip - and dip in WHITE chocolate (Candiquik and Baker's also comes in white) - dip the wide end about 1/4 of the way up the berry - IT LOOKS LIKE A SANTA HAT!

Finally - when you get down to 'not enough chocolate for a berry'... warm the chocolate again and throw in some salted peanuts or pecans, stir to coat, and splop out some chocolate coated nuts with a coffee spoon onto waxed paper.

THIS IS YOUR TREAT for all the fun you did with the berries!

CHILI.... TO GET THROUGH WINTER

Note:  Anything I make that has ground up beef in it, I make with the highest fat content ground beef around.  It gives the recipe much more flavor AND - it's no big deal to drain off most of the fat.  It's also cheaper, and these days that matters!  So...... chili time!

This recipe will feed 4-6 people and give you leftovers to freeze for hot dogs.

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 lbs.        Hamburger
1 lb.                Stew beef - cut into dice size                               pieces

1 large          Onion - chopped
1 TBSP            Oil
1 TBSP            Butter

3 pkgs             French's Chili-O Mix (NOT                                  McCormicks)

1/4 C              Frank's Original Hot sauce
3 cans             Petite diced tomatoes - undrained
1 large jar       Picante sauce (I use Medium, but
                       hot works if that's your taste)
2 tsp.              cayenne pepper flakes

                      Beans are optional -         I personally don't use them


DIRECTIONS:

If you are using beans, pour them in a colander and set in the sink to drain.

In a large Dutch oven, brown the hamburger, breaking it into chunks  Cook until it's almost grey.  Drain well.

In a sautee pan/wok, add a tablespoon of oil and bring to a shimmer.  Pat the stew beef dry and toss it in the wok and stir fry until it's grey.  Add the butter and onion and cook another 1-2 minutes until the onions begin to soften.  Add this to the Dutch oven (undrained - butter makes EVERYTHING better!).

Add TWO packages of Chili-O to the pot and stir to coat.

Add the Frank's, tomatoes and picante (chunky salsa will also do fine) and cayenne pepper - stir to blend.

Add DRAINED beans and stir well

Bring to a simmer and reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.  Stir often, as this may scorch since we've drained most of the fat out. Add about 1/4 C of water if the chili seems too thick.

Check for taste and add the remaining pack of Chili-O mix (which will thicken the chili a little more) for a little more zing. Stir well and simmer another 4-5 minutes.  (You really CAN'T overcook this, but you CAN scorch the krap out of it if you abandon the stove!)

Remove from stove and let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes

Excellent served over rice and/or topped with your favorite grated cheese.  Also makes a great con queso when blended with cheese

Freezes great!

I'm not a crock pot cooker as a rule, but for winter parties I make the chili ahead and put it in the crock pot to keep warm, and that's one more thing I can check off my list!

Note:  If you are really into HEAT, add fresh jalopenos to the onions as you sautee them, or add your favorite peppers from a jar.  ENJOY!

PRODUCT REVIEW: IPAD STAND

I bought one of these about two years ago - from Amazon, I think.... (link to it is below).  I'm posting this in SHE COOKS because that's how I use this most of the time!  It's one of the FEW gadgets I've decided I will never be without!  

In addition to accommodating an iPad or other tablet either vertically or horizontally, it has four ANGULAR settings, for the best possible viewing angle for your device.

But.... it's THE best thing I've ever had to hold up a cookbook, a recipe card, or even a full size sheet of paper with a lengthy recipe.  I keep this in my kitchen and would be lost without it.

My only complaint with it - and this is so minor as to not even count - is... it has two little rubber 'skid-stoppers' on the back of the base - AND I LOST ONE OF THEM!  If I ever remember it when I'm out, I can find a pack of them anywhere that sells picture frames.... they are the size of half an aspirin.  I solved the problem by removing the other one so the stand wouldn't rock!

Check this out!  It's VERY well made and very attractive, and it would be a super gift for the cook who has everything!

http://www.amazon.com/Lipper-International-Bamboo-Expandable-Adjustable/dp/B005FL8BEG

PRODUCT REVIEW - ZOJIRUSHI BREAD MACHINE BB-PAC-20

My first bread machine was a Black & Decker my mom gave me (used)... it made the tower shaped loaves and the bread was great - but it didn't look like a 'loaf' of bread.  It eventually died and I did without for a couple of years, until I saw this baby... and broke down and bought one.  (They think A LOT of this bread machine!)

I've probably had it for six months now and it is THE greatest thing.... loaves are perfect every time (unless you don't seat one of the paddles properly - then you have a mess.)

My ONLY issue with this machine is trying to clean the INSIDE of the two paddles, and I finally hit upon a solution.  I took one of the cleaning things (technical term  LOL) pictured above from my gun cleaning kit, trimmed it with a pair of sharp scissors until it would fit in the paddles, and VOILA!  Now I can properly clean the entire machine.  Note to Zojirushi - you need to include something with your machine for doing this - it would probably cost $0.15 to produce and add.  Then your machine would REALLY be PERFECT.

Just a note to anyone getting one of these machine..... I found great plastic bags for the bread at the site below - I THINK this is the size I got but I can't remember.  But it's better to have a bag too big than one too small.  One word of caution - do NOT bag WARM bread - it will sweat and get soggy.  But once it's totally cooled, slip it in the bag and tie it up with a piece of raffia.... makes a SUPER gift.  All my neighbors got a WARM loaf of bread and a jar of homemade strawberry preserves for Christmas - I wrapped the bread loosely in parchment paper and put the bread and preserves in a little basket - and I tucked a storage bag in with it.  The plastic bags are about $17/100.... and you think you will never use a hundred bread bags..... trust me - you will!  (They do not come with twist-ties, hence, the raffia.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/double-bread-bags

I'm experimenting with bread recipes, altho the book that comes with the machine has GREAT stuff in it.  My buttermilk white is yummy and my neighbor said it makes the best French toast EVER.

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2014/10/zojirushi-bread-machine-basic-white.html

HAPPY BAKING!