Keeping it Fresh Friday: Perfect Pan-Sear Shrimp

I love shrimp as an easy dinner option.  It cooks up so super quick and everyone in my family loves it. I've cooked it so many ways but this week discovered the optimal way to prepare shrimp.  The shrimp were caramelized on the outside, so tender on the inside, and not at all mushy.  Thanks America's Test Kitchen for sharing this article in your publication, Cook's Illustrated!  I'll give you the recipe as they have written it, with the basic directions for pan-seared shrimp, followed by three glazes.  We picked the chipotle-lime glaze and it was amazing. 

How to Pan-Sear Shrimp:
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. sugar

1.  Heat 1 T. oil in 12" skillet over high heat until smoking.  Meanwhile, toss shrimp, salt, pepper and sugar in medium bowl. 

2.  Add half of the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 min.  Remove pan from heat; using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but very center is opaque, about 30 sec.  Transfer shrimp to large plate.  Repeat with remaining 1 T. of oil and shrimp.

3.  After second batch has stood off heat, return first batch to skillet and toss to combine.  Add glaze, if using, and toss.  Cover skillet and let stand until shrimp are cooked through, 1-2 min.  Serve immediately. 


How to Make Garlic-Lemon Butter:
Ingredients:
3 T. softened unsalted butter
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. chopped parsley
1/8 t. salt

Beat butter with fork until light and fluffy.  Stir in garlic, lemon juice, parsley and salt until combined.  Add to shrimp when returning first batch to skillet.

How to Make Ginger-Hoisin Glaze:
Ingredients:
2 T. hoisin sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 1/2 t. soy sauce
 2 t. fresh grated ginger
2 t. water
 2 scallions, sliced thin

Stir together all ingredients.  Add to shrimp when returning first batch to skillet.


How to Make Chipotle-Lime Glaze:
Ingredients:
1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
2 t. adobo sauce from chipotle can
4 t. brown sugar
2 T. lime juice
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together all ingredients.  Add to shrimp when returning first batch to skillet.


Suggested sides: Serve shrimp on a bed of rice, with Fresh Cilantro-Lime Corn (see Keeping It Fresh Friday: Summer at its Peak, July 2011)


Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated magazine. 

Strawberry Cream Cake and Frank 'n Mac

My oldest son celebrated the anniversary of his baptism last week.  This is a tradition that my parents started, to make a special day out of the birthday in which we were born into Christ's Church.  N. got to pick whatever he wanted for dinner that night.

This is how we ended up with the menu we did.  In order of N.'s own priorities we had: stawberry cream cake, mac and cheese with hot dogs added, and tomato-cucumber salad.

So that brings me to a very important question, at least from the point of view of a mother of toddlers.  What is your favorite mac and cheese mix-ins?  I grew up thinking my dad was the king of mac and cheese with tuna, tomatoes and peas.  Usually we just throw in whatever is hanging around the fridge.  This is how I discovered that Candian bacon and roasted red peppers are a nice combo.  But what is your favorite, the add-ins you actually plan on adding in?


Oh, and the cake recipe.  I made it as a 4 layer, 6" round, halving the recipe.  Its a very tall cake so the full 9" round can serve 16-24 easily.  If you live in Colorado, Wyoming or New Mexico and want the altitude adjustments, please comment to let me know to include them. 

How to Make Strawberry Cream Cake:
For the Strawberry Cream Frosting:
Ingredients:
1 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp.
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. strawberry jam
1/2 c. chilled heavy whipping cream

1. Using mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, stopping to scrap down the sides of the bowl.  Beat in sugar, then jam.

2.  Beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form.  Fold whipping cream into frosting.  Cover and chill until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.


For the cake:

Ingredients:
3 c. cake flour
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3 c. sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
7 large eggs
2 T. vanilla extract
1 c. sour cream
6 T. plus 1/3 c. strawberry jam

1. Butter bottom of two 9" cake pans with 2" high sides.  Line with parchment paper.  Butter and flour pans.  Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into medium bowl.  Using mixer, beat sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Beat in vanilla.  Add sour cream, beating for 30 sec.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating to blend after each addition.  Divide batter between prepared pans.

2.  Bake cakes until tester comes out clean, about 50 min.  Cool in pan on rack 10 min.  Run small sharp knife around sides of pans and turn out onto cooling racks.  Cool completely. 

3.  Using large serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half.  Place 1 cake on cake plate.  Spread 2 T. strawberry jam over and top with another cake layer.  Repeat 2 more time with the next two layers.  Top with top layer.  Spread frosting over top and sides.  Spoon teaspoons of jam onto the top and sides and lightly spread over the frosting to give it a slightly glazed look.  Refrigerate cake if not served immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine May 2009, adapted from J. Morgan's Steakhouse in Montpelier, VT

Keeping It Fresh Friday: Early Orchard Harvest

I love the flavors of early fall and can't wait for it to come.  While its still early to go apple picking at the many local orchards in our area, late summer pears are hitting there peak now.  So here's another Italian classic and family favorite.  If you've never paired pears with blue cheese, you don't know what you're missing!

By the way, the recipe does really deserve the best quality blue cheese possible.  It originally calls for Gorgonzola, but if you can't find it or don't want to pay the extra cash, you can sub for still good quality but slightly cheaper Danish Blue or even for regular American blue cheese.

How to Make Linguine with Pears and Blue Cheese:
 Serves: 4

 1/4 c. butter
4 firm pears (about 2 pounds), peeled, cored, and cutinto 1/2" slices
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1 c. low-salt chicken broth
4 oz. (1 c.) Gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
12 oz. linguine
1/3 c. chopped pecans

1. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pears; saute until tender and beginning to brown but not soft, about 8 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer pears to bowl.

2. Add rosemary to skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 min.  Add broth, Gorgonzola, 1/2 c. Parmesan, and cream.  Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, whisking occasionally, about 6 min.  (Run your finger down the back of the spoon.  If it leaves a clear streak, the sauce is done.  I usually find it takes me longer than the 6 min, more like 8 min.)

3.  Meanwhile, cook linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally.  Drain; return pasta to pot.  Add sauce and pecans to pasta; toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, about 3 min.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer to large low.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan.


Recipe curtsey Bon Appetit Fast, Easy Fresh Cookbook, 2008.

Keeping It Fresh Friday: A New Mexico Fair Classic

The Hampshire County Fair is this week.  We took the boys to the parade last night.  We will take in the tractor pulls, chain saw competitions, live stock, petting zoo and fair food tomorrow.  This is the first of the late summer/fall harvest festivals for us and now I have fair food on my mind.

The good news: not all fair food has to be fried!  New Mexico fairs showcase a great variety of relatively healthy options.  Well, you know, so long as they are eaten in moderation, which I think is the real trick.  Common to all New Mexico fairs, sporting events, and Five and Dimes is the humble but tasty Frito Pie.  Its something I can easily make at home, nowhere near New Mexico!  Since I needed a cheap and easy meal for a weeknight, it was a perfect choice.  Not a thirty minute meal but so low maintenance, its perfect for school nights.  If you're really busy, follow the slow cooker instructions. 


If you want to go really Fiesta traditional, buy the lunch-sized bags of Fritos.  Pour the beans, cheese, chile, meat and onions inside and eat it right out of the bag.  Just be careful.  It is an aluminum bag and can get hot.

Oh, and soaking the beans.  I don't do it.  Why?  First and most importantly, my grandma didn't.  But if that doesn't work for you, here's the argument and counter-argument.  The claim is that soaking beans makes them softer and helps remove some of the enzyme that makes humans gassy after eating beans.  However, while removing the gas, soaking also removes a lot of the other minerals and nutrients that make beans so healthy in the first place.  The boil-before-you-cook method makes them softer and just use gas-relief products to take care of the rest.

How to Make Frito Pies:
Serves: 4-6

For the beans:
1 1/2 c. Pinto beans
1 T. lard, optional
1 t. garlic salt, optional

1.  Sort the beans.  Rinse and pick out any pebbles, dirt clumps, and beans that are broken, malformed, or just kind of ugly looking.

2.  Place in a pan and add water, covering just 1" above beans.  Boil for 10 minutes, adding more boiling water if necessary.

3.  Add lard and garlic salt, if you using.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 hours or until beans are almost tender.  Add more water as they cook, but not more than 1" above the beans, as necessary.  Mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon and continue cooking for 30 minutes longer or until completely tender.  (This will make the bean juice creamier.)

4.  Alternatively, place boiled beans in a slow cooker and simmer on low for 7 1/2 hours.  Mash slightly and cook remaining 30 minutes.  

For the Frito Pies:
1 lb. ground beef
2-3 T. New Mexico red chile powder
1-2 t. flour
1 1/2 c. water
1 bag of Fritos, or small lunch bags for individual servings
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 onion, diced

1.  Brown the beef over medium-high heat until fully cooked.  Drain off the fat. I set aside a little meat for the kids in case the chile is too hot.  Mix chile, flour and water together in a bowl, or place in a jar, cover and shake well.  Add chile mixture to meat and bring to a simmer.  Cook until thickened into a gravy-like consistency.

2.  Serve: spoon beans into a bowl.  Top with chile, cheese, onion and crushed Fritos. 

Cinnamon Rolls, or How I Met My Husband

They say that smell has a direct link to memory.  I know that this has scientific bearing but more importantly, I know this through experience. 

Case in point, cinnamon rolls.   I've used this recipe twice now and they make the moistest cinnamon rolls ever.  And they bring me right back to 2006.  I used to work in a mall book store right out of college.  (What else does one do with an English degree?)  The coffee shop across from the store sold spicy Mexican mochas and gooey cinnamon rolls.  They were baked in-house and the aroma was intoxicating.  Great days were the ones in which the owner of this coffee shop would bring us gifts of the last rolls of the day, which either had to be eaten or tossed.  They might have been hours old at that point, but the recipe was so good that they were still soft and moist.

I didn't always love working at this bookstore but I can love cinnamon rolls and the memories they evoke for one reason.  It was there at this bookstore that I met a man.  A man with expressive hazel eyes, who would buy any book I put in his hands just so he could talk to me.  The man I now sit across from, drinking coffee while we watch our sons rub sugary glaze through their hair.  Yeast and cinnamon and brown sugar are what I connect with the beginning of our lives together.  Not the cologne he wore, not the smell of new print, but the smell of cinnamon rolls.

I've decided that these rolls are going to become a special smell for our whole family.  Breakfast treats for birthdays, first days of school, Easter and Christmas mornings, "Proud of You" celebrations.  My boys might not grow up thinking of cinnamon rolls as "Mom met Dad" smells but I want them to connect something special with them, like I do. 

By the way, the secret to incredibly moist and gooey cinnamon rolls is Yukon Gold potatoes.  That's right.  Potatoes. 

How to Make Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls:
Makes 12 large rolls or 24 medium (seen here)

 Ingredients:
Dough:
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2" pieces
1 T. coarse kosher salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter
3 large eggs
4 1/2 c. (or more) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 c. warm water
3 1/4-oz. envelopes dry active yeast
2 T. sugar


Filling:
1 1/3 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
2 1/2 T. ground cinnamon
3 T. unbleached all purpose flour
9 T. unsalted butter, room temp.


Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
2 T. (or more) whole milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. coarse kosher salt

1.  Combine potatoes, 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt in large saucepan. Boil until potatoes are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mash potatoes with water in pan (do not drain water). Add butter and mash until butter is melted. Whisk in eggs, then 1 cup flour; mash until very smooth. Let potatoes stand until barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes. 

2.  Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup warm water into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; stir in yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add potato mixture to yeast mixture; mix on low speed until well blended, 2 minutes. Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well. Beat until sticky dough forms. 

3.  Spread 1/2 cup flour on work surface. Scrape dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 8 minutes.   May take a LOT more flour.  (I add about 1-2 cups extra.)

4.  Coat large bowl with butter. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

5.  Meanwhile, make filling: mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in medium bowl. Using fork, mix in butter. 

6.  Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Roll out dough to 24x16-inch rectangle. Or to make medium rolls, divide dough in quarters.  Roll each piece into 12x6 inch rectangle.  Sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Starting at 1 long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife dipped in flour, cut roll crosswise into 12 pieces, or 6 pieces for medium rolls.  Transfer rolls to baking sheet, spacing rolls about 3/4 inch apart. Cover baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes (rolls will be very puffy).  Or if making the night before, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.  

7.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Bake cinnamon rolls until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool rolls 10 minutes on baking sheet.

8.  Meanwhile, make glaze: whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and coarse salt in small bowl. If glaze is too thick to spread, add more milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls as needed. Spread glaze over warm rolls.

 
Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2009.

Toddler Time: Kool Blue Playdough

This old classic recipe was first taught to me by my mom.  She used to make this all the time for her kindergarten class.  Its cheaper than constantly replacing Play-doh and she liked to change the colors to go with the seasons.  We have plenty of store-bought dough but I need something to pass the afternoon with my boys.  This gave us something to make and something to play with.  A double bonus!  Plus, I love working recipes with 3-year-old N. right now.  He's learning to recognize his numbers and recipes help us out a lot.  Now if only I can get 1-year-old P. to stop eating the yummy smelling play dough... .  (It is non-toxic, by the way.)

Some tips.  The grape smell becomes a little strong.  Citrus ones, like orange and lime, smell good and make for pretty colors.  Because its saltier than Play-doh, make sure to wipe everything down when done.   Beware dough dropped on the floor and clothing as it can be hard to remove if rubbed into fabric. 

How to Make Kool-Aid Play Dough:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 pkgs. unsweetened Kool-Aid powdered drink mix
2 c. boiling water
1 T. oil

1.  Mix flour, salt and Kool-Aid

2.  Add oil and water.  Mix well with a spoon.  Cool until ready to touch.  (For faster cooling, chill in freezer.)

3.  Knead until color is uniform and dough is smooth.

4.  Store in air tight bag or container.  Keeps for about a month. 

Keeping It Fresh Friday: Shrimp and Vegetable Orzo

Oh my goodness, is it already Friday afternoon? Good thing I had this one in my back pocket from earlier this week!

The original recipe called for grilling everything.  However, the day I went to make it, we ran out of propane.  I discovered its actually easier to multitask this great, filling summer pasta salad when its broiled.  You can boil the pasta while the veggies and shrimp cook.  Plus, you wouldn't be distracted by little ones pressing their faces against the screen door while you try to grill before Daddy gets home. Another instance of a recipe we've been meaning to make for years really paying off!

How to Make Orzo with Shrimp, Summer Vegetables and Pesto Vinagrette:
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
8 oz. orzo (about 1 1/3 c.)
6 1/2 T. olive oil, divided
4 T. red wine vinegar, divided
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
1 medium yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise
1 red, yellow or orange pepper, cut in half lengthwise
3 T. prepared pesto (either purchased or homemade)
2 T. lime juice
1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 heirloom or hothouse tomato, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 c. thinly sliced fresh basil (I used our purple basil for color)
1 8 oz. ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes


1.  Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.  Drain.  Rinse with cold water; drain well.  Transfer to large bowl and toss with 1 T. oil.


2.  Meanwhile, preheat broiler (or grill to medium-high heat).  Whisk 2. T. oil and 2 T. red wine vinegar in small bowl.  Brush both sides of zucchini, squash and pepper with vinegar mixture.

3.  Whisk pesto, lime juice, 3 1/2 T. oil, and 2 T. vinegar in small bowl for pesto vinaigrette.  Place shrimp in medium bowl.  Add 2 T. pesto vinaigrette; toss to coat.

4.  Broil (or grill) zucchini, squash and pepper until crisp-tender, about 3-5 min. per side.  Transfer to work surface.  Broil shrimp (or grill) shrimp until charred and cooked through, about 2-3 min. per side.  Add to bowl with orzo.  Chop vegetables; add to bowl with orzo.  Add remaining vinaigrette, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella.  Toss to combine  Season with salt and pepper.

5.  Serve at room temp or chilled. 

Recipe curtsey Bon Appetit Magazine, June 2008.