Friday, May 28, 2010

Frittata Nests

Rachel Ray inspired me to make these cute things. They would make a wonderful brunch item or, in my case, an anytime item. This was my first experience handling leeks. The first and last time I ate leeks...well, let's just say I've tried desperately to avoid them all together. But this recipe helped me to appreciate these veggies. I would change NOTHING. These were splendid. Yum. Perfect.

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Thanks Rach

Shrimp Ceviche (Pickled shrimp with lime)

Went bike riding today. I wanted to make something fresh and different. This surely was! I wish I got some more appetizing photos, but it was a process! A lot more ingredients went into this than you see in my photos, but the recipe below will explain that. I got this from The Homesick Texan's site. I wouldn't change anything about it. I didn't allow it to set for a full-day, next time I will -to ensure maximum shrimp soak-age. Thank you, it was quite refreshing!

Recipe to follow...








Pickled shrimp, inspired by the restaurant Cabrito

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of uncooked medium-sized shrimp, peeled and de-veined
4 limes juiced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup of pineapple juice

1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1-2 Serrano chiles, sliced
1/2 medium red onion, cut into slivers
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons of salt, plus more to taste

Method:
Add the cayenne, bay leaf and 2 tablespoons of salt to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and then add the shrimp. Cook shrimp for one minute, drain and run cold water over shrimp.

In a large jar or plastic food-storage bag, add shrimp and rest of ingredients. Add 1 cup of water (or enough to cover the shrimp), sprinkle in a bit of salt, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, shaking or turning occasionally.

Can serve in bowls, on tortilla chips or with tortillas. Serves four.

Note: You can doll it up by adding cubed avocado, pineapple or mango when serving, if you wish (not while pickling otherwise the fruit will get mushy). The restaurant where we ate added pepitas on top, which was a great contrast in texture and flavor.


Sunday, May 23, 2010

Butterscotch Sticky Buns

I found this recipe in Food and Wine magazine a long time ago. No real occasion, just wanted to make something sweet for my sweets :) The dough was definitely not fluffy, I wasn't entirely happy with the dough, and if I knew more about food chemistry I would be able to fix it, but the rest was wonderful. Yay carbs!

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Enjoy the sticky-ness!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Zucchini Latkes

I loved these! I got a little discouraged because they don't stay together well, but I love the fresh taste of these. I added lime juice instead of lemon juice to the veggie mixture. I would make these again definitely. I used the same toppings as potato pancakes (applesauce and sour cream). Warming them in the oven helped to crisp them up. I made a spinach/grated carrot side dish with a little garlic and lime juice to match the taste of the latkes. Thanks Smitten!

Recipe to follow...










Zucchini Latkes

Makes about 4 dozen 1 1/2-inch latkes

1 pound medium zucchini
1 large baking potato (3/4 pound), peeled
1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

1. Halve the zucchini crosswise. Cut the zucchini flesh off the seedy center and coarsely grate it in a food processor. Or grate it on a box grater until you reach the seedy center. Discard the center. In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely grate the potato and onion. Transfer the grated zucchini, potato and onion to a colander and squeeze dry. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze again. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add the matzo meal, egg, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

2. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the zucchini mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

Do ahead: The fried latkes can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Reheat them on a dark baking sheet in a 375°F oven for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through and crisp.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Breakfast Pizza

Just winged this, no real recipe. I had always wanted to make a breakfast pizza. All it takes is dough, ricotta layer, bell pepper slices, asiago/parm mix. Bake some before putting the eggs on top and baking - - - I began at 500 degrees, but that was too hot, so I turned it down to 450.



Potstickers!

Nom nom nom, I love these. Not much to say other than I found this (again) from good ole Smitten Kitchen. First time I worked with won ton wrappers. I think it's evident when you see the wrapping job done here, haha. The only change I would make would be to the dipping sauce. HOLY SALTY almost knocked me over. I was wishing for a little sweet in there.

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