Dinner Tonight... Celebrate Fat Tuesday with New Orleans Creole Jambalaya

Fat Tuesday is a great day each year to celebrate one of the things I love most--FOOD!  It's the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  From Ash Wednesday to Easter, many people "fast" or abstain from certain foods or physical pleasures, for 40 days. This is done by many Christians to imitate Jesus' 40-day fast in the wilderness.

Regardless of religion, many use Fat Tuesday as an excuse to eat great food and celebrate Mardi Gras.  So in honor of any food-related holiday, I like to celebrate with an appropriate recipe.  New Orleans is the home to one of the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations in the world - so what better to do than to enjoy a New Orleans style Jambalaya??


Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence.  It's like a spicy surf-and-turf if you make it with sausage and shrimp like I do.  And here's a tip -- save time by buying frozen shrimp already peeled, deveined, and tail-off; then thaw it in the refrigerator or under cold, running water when you're ready to cook!


I know the ingredients list is going to look long and intimidating - but the majority are the added spices for the New Orleans kick!  Otherwise, it's simply rice, sausage, shrimp, red bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and chicken broth.  And I put the ingredients in order of which you add them... it's not that hard -- I promise!

New Orleans Jambalaya 

with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

(from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp minced garlic
6 oz andouille sausage (sliced)
1 cup uncooked long-gran wild rice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 bay leaf
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 can (about 15oz) no salt-added diced tomatoes (don't drain!)
1/2 lb shrimp
2 tbsp chopped, fresh parsley


Preparation:
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and sausage; saute 5 minutes (or until veggies are tender).
- Add rice and next 7 ingredients (paprika through bay leaf) and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add next 5 ingredients (chicken broth through the can of tomatoes), and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add shrimp and cook an additional 5 minutes (make sure the shrimp are pink).
- Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaf (it's only added for the flavor) and stir in some parsley.


AND VOILE!

Beads, Creole food, and lot's of fun... 

It will be a party second to none!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

101 Thursday: How to roast a fish

I check The New York Times website every morning (in addition to waking up to The Today Show and listening to NPR on my commute) to have at least some idea as to what's going on in the world.  Every now and then, the NY Times will grab my attention with some photos, giant header text, videos, etc.  This week, they posted a video perfect for a FAFK 101 Thursday

HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE FISH

Twinnies PAR-TAY: Perfect Party Appetizers

The birthday twins plus some other Davidson soccer girls - all reunite to celebrate!

So we had a little party last weekend for my two favorite twinnies, Miss A and Miss L!  It being their 24th birthday, we decided to go all out!  We had every type of liquor needed for any drink we could possibly want (including Woo Woos... which were A-Mazing!), plenty of cheese and appetizers to entertain our 25 guests!

We got three cheeses for a cheese plate, including our favorite English cheese, Sturminster, which is cheddar-like with chive in it---delicious!!  We also got a yummy aged blue cheese from Wisconsin and a goat cheese that we dressed-up with a little cranberry and pomegranate chutney (by Stonewall Kitchen). Everything was wonderful!  We had Carr's cracked black pepper crackers and some whole grain crackers too (I like the Carr's better).  

The best thing we did for this party was make little tiny signs on toothpicks so our guests could know what cheese their trying--plus it was an adorable personal touch!

In addition to our cheese plate, Miss L herself made a baked brie amazingness--and it's just about the easiest thing to make!  It's a wedge of brie cheese, a jar of tomatillo sauce and paprika on top (we did it in a seasonal mitten shape)!  It's simple and somehow irresistible!  One of our friends practically ate the whole thing himself it was so delicious!

To balance out our cheese feast, we made a crudité (which is simply a french appetizer of raw vegetables with a vinaigrette or other dressing to dip into).  We simply got a Hidden Valley Ranch powder mix (in the salad dressing aisle) that's especially for mixing with sour cream for veggie dip.  The veggies are also great with a Greek tzatziki dip (we had both options).  Crudités are also great because they can bring some much needed color to an otherwise bland appetizer display.

And our final appetizer offered for finger food is one of my absolute favorite recipes that I learned while catering with Missy Fink, Inc. throughout high school and into early college.  Missy is just about the coolest boss and friend I could ever have and she's a darn good cook too!  I asked for her famous shrimp and cilantro recipes and recreated it to the best of my ability.  It wasn't as perfect as it would have been if Missy had made it, but they were all eaten by the end of the party! 

Shrimp can be understandably daunting, but this recipe is really easy (notice a theme for our appetizer selections?).  I bought 2 bags of frozen shrimp, but I chose the pre-cooked, tail-off, and de-veined kind to simplify the process even more.  These puppies were simply skewered with short wooden skewers and placed on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil.  Drizzle them (fairly generously) with a good olive oil, and add freshly ground salt and pepper.  Put them in the oven (pre-heated to 350 degrees) for 6 minutes (or until pink) and voile!  Done and done!  There's a great cilantro salad dressing dip you can get at Trader Joe's that I simply spruced up with some extra sour cream (on Missy's recommendation of course) and a simple, yet ready-to-impress appetizer was ready!

Our final display was festive with a Christmas tree on the table and Christmas lights wrapped around the base of it.  Nearly all of the food was eaten (thankfully), so I guess we did something right!

Parties are my favorite excuse to find new recipes and foods to share with friends and this party was no different.  Don't get overwhelmed with thinking anything impressive will be hard to prepare -- I did all of this (with a little help from my girls) in just over 1 hour!

Happy Sunday!  I'm flying to NYC for work on Tuesday, so I have a feeling my week's schedule is going to be quite disrupted.  I do get to see my mom on her birthday though (yay), so no matter how much I'm slacking with posts, I'll still be a happy camper this week!

Excited for Mac Monday tomorrow...

Hooray for Mac Monday: New England Clam Chowdah

The states of New England

It is finally getting into the colder months of the year, so I figured it was time to share a dish that will warm everyone up.  NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER is easily a favorite of the McCormick family not only out of the soup category, but overall too.  I was browsing around on the internet for some interesting takes on a traditional chowder and I found one particularly intriguing recipe from Sam Adams (yes the beer company has recipes on their website)!  

Most recipes include a salt pork, chorizo (spicy pork sausage), or some other meat to add to the salty flavor of the chowder.  This Sam Adams recipe omits the additional meat altogether and added many more vegetables to make the chowder hearty and filling.  A bottle of Sam Adams light is also included in the recipe, much like many chili recipes do; and just like in a chili or a stew that requires beer, you don't have to worry about everyone at the table getting drunk from the chowder because the alcohol will cook off, leaving a delicious flavor behind.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 bottle Sam Adams Light
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup fresh clam juice (or canned if you can't get fresh)
2-3 cups heavy cream
2-3 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp. freshly minced garlic
1 cup diced russet potatoes
1/2 cup fresh chopped clams
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup melted butter
Fresh parsley for garnish

PREPARATION:

Combine the carrots, green pepper, onion, Italian seasoning, garlic, and melted butter in a pot over medium-high heat.  Cook until the vegetables are crisp and tender.

Stir in the flour and reduce the heat to low; make sure to continue mixing until the the mixture is well-blended and begins to form a roux (a cooked mixture of wheat flour and fat; see wikipedia.com).

Continue to cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes until the flour taste is fully cooked out.

Add the Sam Adams Light, clam juice, potatoes and the heavy cream to the pot. 

Return the heat to medium-high and simmer for about 10 minutes (or until the potatoes are cooked and the soup is becoming thick).  

Stir in the chopped clams and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes until the clams are fully cooked.  Be careful not to overcook the clams because they will become rubbery and lose their flavor.

Serve in soup bowls and sprinkle some fresh parsley on top.  You can also add fresh croutons or traditional chowder crackers.  

Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to make this recipe yet, but it will be one of the first things I cook when I have time and I'm cold enough.  My sister loves clam chowder, so I may just have to throw something together in the form of clam chowder when I see her over Thanksgiving break!  

I'd love to hear what you think of it.  If you have the chance to try it, let me know how it turns out!!

It does look especially delicious, so I hope it lives up to the reputation.  

Remember, cook what you love, love what you eat. 

Click here to view the recipe on the Sam Adams website.

Pantry + Fridge + Freezer Leftovers + a Sprinkle of Creativity = Pistachio-Crusted Flounder & Veggies in 20 minutes!

Pistachio-Crusted Flounder with Sautéed Zucchini, Corn, & Scallions in Fresh Lemon Juice

So I'm loving my new job and there are quite a few perks to the wonderful new working-woman life I'm living.  Sadly, I now work in Raleigh and the commute + busier work day = getting home almost 3 hours later than I did when I was working at Duke... certainly NOT one of them.   (At least I'm a nerd and get to listen to NPR and have learned some good food-related stories and tips from All Things Considered!)  And thankfully I still love food and still come home starving enough to want to cook something delicious.  So today, for instance, I got home at just before 6:40pm and was STARVING. By 6:42pm, I was rummaging through the kitchen looking for dinner... either a quick fix or a snack to munch on while I cooked the real deal.  

I looked in the pantry--little to nothing; the fridge and freezer presented the same dilemma.  I scrounged and found a random assortment of foods: frozen pistachio-crusted flounder from The Fresh Market (like Trader Joe's, but around the corner from me) and corn in the freezer; zucchini and scallions in the veggie drawer in the fridge, plus a tupperware with fresh-squeezed lemon juice from making dressing for steamed artichokes from Sunday night; and olive oil and seasonings in the pantry.  BINGO!  It seemed quite random, but what the heck?  The worst that could happen is that I was forced to eat food that wasn't spectacular... but lucky for me it was delicious!!

Ingredients:

No exact measurements here!

Frozen fillet of pistachio-crusted flounder from The Fresh Market

1 zucchini

1/4 bag frozen corn

1 bunch of scallions

Coarsely-ground salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (to bake the fish after you've sautéed it).

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan until gently bubbling.

Defrost the flounder and add to pan; cook on each side for 3-4 minutes (until the crunchies turn golden brown).

Remove from the sauté pan and transfer to a baking pan (I used a 9" x 9" pan) and bake in the oven for 7 minutes (until it's evenly browned and cooked thoroughly).

While the flounder is baking, slice the zucchini and scallions.  

Using the same sauté pan (and leaving any left over crunchies for the fish still in the pan), add more olive oil and diced garlic.

Cook the garlic for 1.5 minutes and add the zucchini.

  

Cook the zucchini until it begins to soften and turn golden.

Add the frozen corn straight to the pan and cook, with the zucchini, for about 4 minutes.

Add coarsely-ground salt and coarsely-ground pepper (generously is best in my opinion).

Add fresh-squeezed lemon juice and the scallions; cook until gently sizzling, the zucchini is soft, and the corn is thoroughly warmed through.

Remove the baking pan from the heat and place a sheet of tinfoil to keep warm while the fish finishes baking.

When the fish is complete, remove and let cool for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  

Serve the fish alongside the zucchini, corn, scallion combination. 

Add a little more pepper, salt, and fresh scallions on top before serving.

Since I was working on just about anything I could find in our pantry, I didn't have any directions or recipes to follow.  I didn't have my partner in crime to help out either.  Sometimes winging it in the kitchen can be the most rewarding.  You don't need to be a great cook or really know much of anything... all I did was choose foods and flavors I like and throw a few of them together.  Granted, it wasn't anything too adventurous or extravagant, but you never know how it could turn out.  A little salt, pepper, and a prayer or two can get your food to be at least edible.  Thankfully, this turned out pretty delicious and even lived up to Miss A's standards!

I love following recipes and find that I've become a much better cook that way, but sometimes it's good to roll up your sleeves and just try something new!  

And the best part of all, was I was able to throw all of this together in 20 minutes--EXACTLY!  7:04pm -- pretty darn good if I do say so myself!  If you have the right foundation of ingredients in your kitchen (salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil, a protein of some sort, and a few veggies), you can make almost anything -- YUMMY!

...Like the pre-seasoned fish idea?  See if you have a Fresh Market in your area!  Click here to search their locations!

Hooray for Mac Monday: Seared Scallop served over a Parmesan Wafer

Sea scallops still in their shells

My Senior year of High School I discovered that I was not the only one in my group of friends who loved the show Iron Chef. Once we realized we decided to have an Iron Chef style cook
off. We had to make 3 dishes that all contained the secret ingredient basil. I ended up winning the battle and solidified my “reputation” as the chef my family now sees me as. I talked to the judges after the battle and it turns out that the last two courses were almost dead even, however it was my appetizer that put me above the competition and gave me a handy victory. The appetizer consisted of two components, a pan seared scallop and a Parmesan basil wafer.

Kate's favorite baking necessity:
her Silpat (buy it at Bed, Bath & Beyond or Macy's

Parmesan, Basil and Lemon Wafers
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded Parmesan* 
2 tablespoons shredded basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest
     *In this case Pecorino is not an adequate substitute--it does    
       not melt the same as Parmesan.


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Crispy Parmesan, Basil, & Lemon Wafers

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer a heaping tablespoon of Parmesan mixture onto a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly pat down. A silicone baking sheet, like Kate's favorite Silpat (click here), is highly recommended for this recipe. Repeat with the remaining cheese mixture, spacing the spoonfuls about 1/2-inch apart. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool and use a flat spatula to transfer from lined baking sheet.


Seared Scallops
Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/4 pounds dry jumbo sea scallops (approximately 12-16)

Searing the scallops

2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Preparation:
Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.


Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops.
Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other.Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.


Serving Directions:
Place the wafer on the plate. Then place 3 scallops in a triangular formation on top of the wafer.
Garnish with some freshly cut basil and a basil stem for presentation.

Scallop fishing zones off the Canadian coast

Scallop fishermen in Rhode Island
(my favorite fishing state)

I hope you enjoy this dish. The wafer and scallop really complement each other well. The salty nature of the Parmesan cheese complements the scallop well, yet the basil and lemon zest provide a nice fresh balance to the hearty nature of the scallop. It is an easy way to add a quality appetizer to any meal. It can be served before almost any Italian style dish, but it works especially well before a steak dish. Remember cook what you love, love what you eat.

Click here for the original seared scallop recipe from The Food Network and 

here for Giada de Laurentiis' Parmesan-Basil Wafer.

Terrific Tilapia Tuesday Kicked-Up a Few Notches (Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce & Rice)

I never knew what a Tilapia fish
looked like... so thank you
Wikipedia!

I bought some frozen tilapia a few weeks ago at the grocery store when it was on sale.  I love tilapia as an easy white fish to enjoy with just about anything.  Tilapia is a white fish with a firm texture and a mild flavor, making it ideal for many cooking methods.  Tilapia is an incredibly healthy fish – a 6-oz fillet of tilapia has about 125 calories and about 1 gram of fat!!!  Tilapia can be pan-fried, broiled, baked, or braised… just to name a few.  It also is an easy-to-marinate fish; it readily absorbs flavors from marinades (great with spicy marinades), creamy sauces (i.e. a curry sauce), and even subtle seasonings (i.e. salt, pepper, and lemon).  So I decided to tear through my recipes and cookbooks to find a delicious recipe to finally cook the tilapia that has been tempting me from the freezer for weeks!

And low and behold, I found 2 delicious recipes!  I'm only going to share the first one today because I'm going to cook it for dinner tonight.  I'll save the other recipe (Skillet Tilapia Fillets with Cilantro Butter) for an upcoming post.  Dinner tonight is broiled tilapia with Thai coconut-curry sauce.  The mild flavor of the tilapia perfectly compliments the bold flavors of the coconut and curry, plus the sweetness of the red bell pepper and cilantro manage the spices.  I would choose to serve this with a quick-cooking jasmine or basmati rice to absorb all the juices and make the rice heavenly!  

BROILED TILAPIA WITH THAI COCONUT-CURRY SAUCE

Makes approx. 4 servings (1 fillet of tilapia, ½ cup sauce, and rice per serving)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp dark sesame oil, divided

2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger (I get it jarred because fresh is harder to find)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped scallions

1 tsp curry powder

2 tsp red curry paste

½ tsp ground cumin

4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp salt, divided

1 can light coconut milk (14-oz)

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

4 tilapia filets (each approx. 6-oz)

Cooking spray

Basmati or Jasmine rice (3 cup is the suggested amount, A & I typically do about 4 cups)

1 juicy lime

Preparation:

The curry sauce can look pretty awful
(or inedible) initially, but it's the
taste that matters!  Plus your kitchen
will smell like curry heaven!

THAI COCONUT-CURRY SAUCE

Heat ½ tsp oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Add ginger, garlic, cook for 1 minute.

Add peppers and scallions, cook for 1 minute.

Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin, cook for 1 minute.

Add soy sauce, sugar, ¼ tsp salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil).

Remove from heat; stir in cilantro before serving.

TILAPIA FILLETS

Brush fish with ½ tsp oil; sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt.

Cover a baking sheet with cooking spray; place fish on the cooking sheet.

Broil 7 minutes (there’s a broil setting on your oven) or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Serve fish with sauce over rice; garnish with lime wedge and cilantro.

This is my attempt at the recipe... cilantro garnish and
everything!  Good thing it tasted better than I made it look!

Yum!  I tried serving this with steamed broccoli on the side; it was perfect.  I poured a little of the coconut-curry sauce on top of the broccoli (which had only been lightly salted and peppered) and it was great.  And here's your Thai lesson for the day: how to say "Enjoy Your Meal" in Thai.

"Koh Hai Cha-roen 

Ar-harn"

(Try saying that 3x fast)

Get Your Protein Fix: Bulgur Risotto with Corn & Shrimp

Bulgur Risotto with Corn & Shrimp (plus asparagus)

Unfortunately, Mac Monday is going to be on a brief hiatus this week.  I know any recipe I share won't be as creative or adventurous as a Mac recipe, so I'm not even going to try.Instead, at the request of a best friend, former soccer teammate at Davidson, and most recently a triathlete, I wanted to share a protein-rich and healthy carb-loaded meal, perfect for the pre-race day dinner!

          I first found this recipe when I was holed up in my apartment for 2 weeks in early February: partly because of the absurd amount of snow North Carolina got, but mostly because crutches and snow don't mix.  I'd had knee surgery #4 at the end of January and was desperately seeking ANYTHING to keep me entertained and not stir crazy. My mom was amazing and was helping me for those weeks and even more amazing, was cooking dinner for A and I almost every night!  I found this recipe and fell in love for a few reasons: 1) risotto is delicious and I became slightly obsessed in Florence, 2) corn is always a sweet addition to any meal, salad, appetizer, really to anything, and 3) shrimp is a nice, and seemingly fancy, treat plus it is super easy to cook!  

Bulgar wheat from
Fresh Market

          Bulgur wheat is a strange-little seed-like food that's in the wheat family.  It's incredibly rich with fiber and is a healthy source of carbohydrates.  It can be a little hard to find sometimes... your best bet is a fresh/health food store like Fresh Market, Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods.  Many popular grocer stores do (or did) have it; I had previously gotten it at the Harris Teeter across the street, but they recently did inventory and decided to not carry it anymore since they didn't sell very much of it (argh).  Luckily, there's a Fresh Market down the street and they had it - really fresh and inexpensive.  The shrimp in this recipe gives it an extra boost of protein to make it a yummy, well-rounded meal (and the whole recipe only takes about 15 minutes!).

This meal is great for anyone who's active and might need an extra boost the day before an event (ahemm.... A & M).  It tastes amazing for being so health... One serving of this delicious and healthy creation will provide you with:

347 Calories

45g Carbohydrates

8g Fiber 

AND 24g of PROTEIN!!!

Enjoy and Good Luck M on Sunday!!!

BULGAR RISOTTO WITH CORN & SHRIMP

makes about 4 servings (I like to double it for leftovers)

Ingredients:

Detail of Bulgur Wheat

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic (of course, I add a little extra garlic, an additional 1-2 cloves), finely chopped

1 cup bulgur wheat 

1/2 tsp salt

12 oz fresh or frozen (thawed) raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined 

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 limes -- 1 juiced, and 1 for wedges (I squeeze 2 limes into it, so 3 in total)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (you can be generous with the cilantro, I certainly am)

Finished dish, with asparagus & cilantro added on top

Preparation:

- In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

- Add bulgur wheat and salt; stir 1 minute more.

- GRADUALLY stir in 2 cups boiling water (you can do this in the microwave for simplicity), 1/2 cup at a time.  With each pour, wait until the bulgur absorbs the water before adding more; by the end you want the bulgur to be slightly soupy (which takes about 8-10 minutes of cooking time) and fyi -- you might not use all of the water or you might need a little extra.  Go by texture, not specifics from the recipe.

- Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp turn pink (about 2-3 minutes).  

- Add corn, bell pepper, lime juice, and red pepper flakes; stir & add water as necessary to keep bulgur creamy.

- Continue cooking and stirring until corn and pepper are warmed through (about 1-2 minutes).

- Add cilantro & serve with lime wedges.

          A & I served it with asparagus on top, because we like asparagus, but mainly because we had to use it up before it went bad!  It was great; we steamed the asparagus and didn't add anything to it.  We cut it into thirds and served on top.  I mixed all of mine together and it was great!

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm... delish!!

...Thanks M for the request and good luck on Sunday!