Spicy California Shrimp Stack

 

This is a great little recipe from Skinny Taste, who always serves up delicious recipes. This is company worthy. It comes out looking like something you'd be served at a restaurant. A few tips from the cook:

Apparently, Trader Joe’s carries frozen brown rice, which is a great short-cut for busy weeknights and the texture is perfect. Using their rice, this came together in less than 15 minutes. If you make the rice yourself, use short grain sushi rice, the sticky texture is perfect for this.

• This would also be great with crab meat to make a more traditional California roll, or even raw sushi grade salmon or tuna.
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• If your shrimp is raw, you can poach them quickly in a pot of salted, boiling water, for 2-3 minutes, until they are just pink. Then, rinse them under cold water to stop them from cooking.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/3 cups cooked short-grain brown rice, from 1/2 cup uncooked
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 8 ounces cooked shrimp, peeled and tails removed
• 1 cup diced cucumber, about 1 small
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup mashed avocado, about 1 medium
• 4 teaspoons Furikake, such as Eden Shake or use sesame seeds
• 4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, or gluten-free
• 4 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and oil. When rice is done, add rice vinegar and stir. Evenly spread rice on a sheet to cool.

Cut shrimp into one-inch cubes. In a small bowl combine cucumber and chives. In another small bowl combine mayonnaise and sriracha.

Using a one cup dry measure cup, layer 1/4 cup cucumber, 2 tablespoons avocado, then 1/4 of the shrimp and 1/3 cup of rice.

Carefully flip over measuring cup onto a plate, tapping the bottom if necessary. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, 1 tsp. soy sauce and 1 tsp. sriracha mayonnaise. Be prepared to dazzle.

Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff

 

Norma didn't have great successes in the kitchen, but beef stroganoff is one that I remember really liking. I like this mushroom stroganoff even better. I think it would be fine to use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. Perhaps add a little Worcestershire sauce to enrich the taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces medium pasta shells
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 large shallots, diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup sour cream (I usually use Greek yogurt)
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5-7 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about one minute.
4. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about one minute
5. Gradually whisk in beef stock and Dijon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced slightly, about 4-5 minutes.
6. Stir in pasta and sour cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan until melted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve immediately.

From Damn Delicious

Chickpea Shakshuka

 
After several attempts at putting a picture in here, I'll just have to go ahead with the recipe. Note: This can be made in one pot. I love that!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 1/2 cup diced white onion or shallot
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (3 cloves yield ~1 1/2 Tbsp)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1-3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2-3 tsp coconut sugar or maple syrup (or omit if avoiding sugar)
• Sea salt to taste
• 2 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 pinch each cardamom and coriander (optional)
• 1 ½ 15-ounce cans cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• 4-5 whole kalamata or green olives (optional // pitted and halved)

Instructions

• Heat a large rimmed metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant.
• Add tomato puree or diced tomatoes, tomato paste, coconut sugar, sea salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper (optional), cardamom, and coriander (optional). Stir to combine.
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add chickpeas and olives (optional). Stir to combine. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and marry with the beans.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more cumin or paprika for smokiness, cayenne for heat, coconut sugar for sweetness, cardamom and coriander for earthiness (or slight curry flavor), chili powder for smoke/heat, or olives for saltiness and to balance the tomato flavor. Cook longer, as needed, to develop flavors.
• Serve as is or with bread, pasta, or rice. Garnish with fresh lemon juice, additional olives, and cilantro or parsley for extra flavor (optional).

From The Minimalist Baker

One Pan Caprese Pesto Orzo Bake

 

It takes longer to say the name of this recipe than it does to make it. I'm always going for easy. Nothing complicated gets made in my kitchen. Talk about delicious? This stuff is amazing. I wouldn't worry if you don't have fresh basil. 

Ingredients

• ▢2-3 cups cherry tomatoes
• ▢3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ▢1 shallot, chopped
• ▢1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• ▢chili flakes
• ▢kosher salt and black pepper
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• ▢1 pound dry orzo pasta
• ▢1 (8 ounce) jar basil pesto
• 2-3 tablespoons sliced peperoncinis (left these out as they weren't in my refrigerator)
• 1 1/2 cups mozarella cheese

• Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.

    2. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, shallots, basil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Roast 10 minutes. Pull the tomatoes out of the oven. To the same pan, add the orzo, pesto, and peperoncinis. Pour over 2 1/2 cups of water and stir to combine. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until most of the water has cooked into the pasta, but not all of it.

    3. Stir the pasta around, then sprinkle over the cheese. Bake another 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce bubbling. If there's a lot of oil from the pesto on top, drain off the excess. Top with fresh basil!

  
  
• From Half-Baked Harvest 

Juicy Pork Tenderloin

 

I will never cook pork tenderloin any way but this. It is just so damn delicious. And very easy. Trust me.

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb each
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons EACH: onion powder and garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon EACH: oregano, salt, and pepper
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• ½ cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon butter
•  Minced parsley, to serve
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1.    Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Dry the pork tenderloins well with paper towels.

2.    Mix the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Rub this spice mix over all sides of the pork.

3.    Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork, working in 2 batches if your pan is not big enough to fit both tenderloins without them touching. Sear the pork on all sides until it is brown, about 6 minutes total. Take the pan off the heat.

4.    Move the pork to a baking dish. If the spices left in the pan are black, wipe them away with a paper towel. Return the pan to the heat and add the beef broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck-on bits then boil for 1 minute until it reduces to about ¼ cup. Pour this sauce over the pork.

5.    Pour the apple cider vinegar over the pork then dot the top with the butter. Cover the baking dish with foil.

6.    Bake the pork for 20-25 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Serve with a little minced parsley, for color.