Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Living with my parents has really limited my desire to cook. It's not my kitchen, it's not my equipment (well I guess some of it is mine), it's not all mine. However, it has also really made me miss cooking. Jerome and I cooked a lot, hence most of the posts on this blog. This past week, my parents went on a trip and I really wanted to cook. I even went grocery shopping to cook for Jerome and I. Of course, after a long day of teaching and grading, I just want to come home and veg out. I bought a new cookbook a week ago and it has renewed my desire to cook. It's the Food Network Magazine Cookbook. It's 250 easy recipes that all look amazing. There is a picture for every recipe and even the table of contents is the pictures!

We took the time to cook this great meal on Friday. Do not plan on having leftovers!!!! Holy cow this was amazing. We changed the recipe slightly by using shrimp without tails for easier eating. We also used Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning instead of cajun seasoning. It had nice heat without making it too spicy where we couldn't eat however much we wanted. There were no leftovers, and this recipe was meant for 4 people. =)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 bunches scallions, chopped
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat the butter, olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Cajun seasoningand shrimp and cook, stirring, until the shrimp begin to curl, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and scallions to the skillet and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the rice and 1/4 cup water and continue to cook until the rice is warmed through and the shrimp are opaque, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve with lemon, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 357; Fat 11 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 176 mg; Sodium 537 mg; Carbohydrate 40 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 23 g

Spaghetti Carbonara

Growing up, my mom always ended up making spaghetti every Monday night. She said it was simple and really easy recipe/idea to fall back on after a long day. Well, this is her new spaghetti and I'm stealing the idea when we move out and start our own family. This spaghetti carbonara is the BEST spaghetti that you will ever be able to make at home. Hands down, this is a family favorite now and we really do eat it once a week. If you are hesitant to use the alcohol, I would recommend making it once with the cognac. After you make the recipe without it, you will say that it is not as good and will want to use the cognac. Crazy, I know, but Mom uses the cognac and if you know my parents, they stay away normally too. The other thing we change is leaving out the red jalapeno peppers. However, without a picky eater when we move out, Jerome & I may try the spicy, original recipe. I beg of you, try this the next time you want to just make spaghetti.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 red jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup cognac or brandy (optional)
• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the bacon, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, jalapenos and 1/4 cup water in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the bacon crisps, about 12 minutes. Discard the garlic. Add the cognac, if desired, and cook until it evaporates. Remove from the heat and set aside 1/4 cup bacon mixture forgarnish.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water as the label directs. Mix the eggs, cheeses, parsley and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the pasta and toss until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk the reserved pasta water into the egg mixture, then quickly pour over the pasta and toss to gently cook the eggs and make a creamysauce. Garnish with the reserved bacon mixture and more parmesan.

Per serving: Calories 888; Fat 50 g (Saturated 18 g); Cholesterol 219 mg; Sodium 1,223 mg; Carbohydrate 65 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 35 g

Pan-Seared Scallops with Pesto and Tomato

This can either be an appetizer or main meal. I cooked it as the appetizer for my Valentine! =)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons finely shredded basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 plum tomato, finely diced
4 large scallops

Directions:
1.In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil leaves until finely chopped. Add the pine nuts, cheese, garlic and lemon juice. Turn the machine back on and add 3/4 cup of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. Place the pesto in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
2.In a small bowl, combine the tomato and shredded basil and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the scallops and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops to a plate. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the pesto on each scallop and arrange the tomato and basil around the scallops. Serve immediately.

Carbonara with Saffron

What the main course for Valentine's Dinner was.

Ingredients:

Salt and pepper
1 pound linguine, tagliatelle or egg tagliatelle pasta
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon saffron (2 pinches)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/3 pound thick-cut pancetta (from the deli counter), chopped into 1/4-inch dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons ground turmeric (2/3 palmful)
3 egg yolks
1/2 to 2/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more to pass around the table
A generous handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

2.In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock and saffron to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced.
3.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until just crisp, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 or 2 minutes, then stir in the wine and turmeric.
4.Beat the egg yolks with the reserved pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet. Pour in the saffron stock and toss; season with pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the egg yolks, cheese and parsley. Pass extra cheese at the table.1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of pasta cooking water.

Peanut-Butterscotch Fondue

This is the dessert I made for Jerome on Valentine's Day. =)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole milk
Two 11-ounce bags butterscotch morsels
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons boiling water
Thick-cut bacon, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces, for dipping
Gala apples, cored and sliced, for dipping
Pretzel rods, for dipping
Marshmallows, for dipping

Directions:
1.In a medium saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat. Add the butterscotch morsels and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 10 minutes; remove from heat. Whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. Stir in the boiling water.
2.Serve the fondue warm with the bacon, apples, pretzel rods and marshmallows for dipping.

Stir-fried Dungeness Crab with Sweet Chili Sauce and Bok Choy

Sorry, no picture again. I should have taken a picture after I plated the food. It looked so cool!! I was a proud mamma. =) One thing this recipe calls for is live crab. I got scared and then excited about this. I've never cooked with live seafood. Well, H.E.B. didn't have live Dungeness crab. It ended up working out. I would really recommend the change I made to the recipe. I bought 1 section of Dungeness crab legs for each person that look like the following picture:

It ended up being the perfect amount of crab for 1 person. There is a ton of meat in the section connecting all the legs together, and the legs themselves. Plus, the meat is so rich that it tends to fill you up. Another plus to making this change, no dealing with cleaning a crab after it's boiled. So I still have to find a recipe that I can use live seafood, weird I know. So I'm going to paste the original recipe in its entirety, including using live crab. However, I will add in bold font what I did with my alteration when it occurs. Please feel free to ask any questions or voice any concerns. It really is a very, very simple dish that tastes great!

Ingredients

• 2 live Dungeness crabs, 1 1/2 pounds each
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 fresh red chiles, sliced
• 4 heads baby bok choy, halved
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• Butter lettuce Intended for garnish under the crab but it tastes great with the sauce. Eat it too!! =)
• 2 chopped green onions, white and green part
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
• White rice, for serving

Directions

First thing to do is "dismantle" the crabs before you wok-fry them. Toss the live crabs into salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Next, place the crabs top-side up, and stick your thumb under the edge of the top shell, pull forward and lift the shell up and off, and reserve. Scrape out the gills that are found on top of the body. Now, turn the crabs over and on the underbelly you will find the "apron," a slightly-lifted triangular flap, pull this off too. Finally, rinse the crabs of all the grey or green spongy stuff (the soft yellow matter is fat or crab butter and considered desirable by many, keep it if you wish.) Divide the crabs into quarters with a big knife, leaving the legs attached to the 4 sections. I ignored this entire section.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic, ginger, chiles, and bok choy. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then remove to a side platter. Toss in the crab pieces, including the top shells. Take the top shells out after 1 minute, continue to stir-fry the crab for 3 minutes. I didn't have top shells so I just stir-fried the leg sections for 3 minutes. With a big spoon or spatula, remove the crab pieces to the side platter. Now on to the sauce, pour 1 cup of water into the wok, along with the brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and sake. Stir for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook another minute until the sauce thickens. Return the crabs and bok choy to the pan, toss everything together to coat. Cover, and cook for 3 minutes.

To serve, line a large platter with butter lettuce leaves, and arrange the crabs with the top shell back on top so it looks roughly like a whole crab again - cool right?! Again, no shells. I just placed the crab leg sections on the butter lettuce. Put the bok choy around the crab and pour the sauce all over the top. Garnish with the green onions and peanuts. You'll need crab crackers, mini forks, a side bowl for the shells, a stack of napkins, and bowls of warm lemon water to clean your hands. Serve with steamed white rice. Our white rice was on the side due to lack of space on the plate. We poured some of the extra sauce on the rice, fantastic. 

Balsamic Chicken with White Beans and Wilted Spinach

Sorry, I don't have a picture of this recipe. I found it many moons ago in the first Rachael Ray cookbook I ever bought. Well, Mom bought it and I took it from her. =) This is a great recipe for chicken. Forget the delicious side of veggies. If you have picky eaters in your family, like I do (*cough* dad *cough*) the chicken can be the only thing you make and make your own sides that will be approved. However, if you have people willing to try new combinations, try this!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (she recommends McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning, I do too)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 (14-oz) can cannellini beans, drained
1 (12-oz) sack baby spinach or 3/4 pound from bulk bins, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions
1. In a shallow dish, combine the balsamic vinegar, about 2 tablespoons of EVOO, and the grill seasoning. Coat the chicken breasts in the mixture and set aside to marinate while you start the white beans and wilted spinach.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a little brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and chicken stock, bring up to a bubble, and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Heat another large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest a few minutes. (Cooking time may vary based on how thick the pieces of chicken are.)
4. Add the cannellini beans to the skillet with the onions and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the beans are heated through. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the spinach, parsley, and lemon juice. Toss and stir until the spinach wilts.
5. To serve, place a portion of the white beans and wilted spinach on each serving plate. Thickly slice each chicken breast on an angle and arrange over the beans and spinach. and onions =)