Friday, April 24, 2009

Shrimp Scampi

Recipe From: Kitchen Cafe Blog
Ingredients:
Canola/vegetable oil
Salt
6 tbsp butter
5 tbsp olive oil
9 cloves garlic (minced)
1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup parsley (chopped)
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 lemon (thinly sliced into rounds)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
12 ounces linguine

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the linguine and cook until al dente, 7-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in another large heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minutes. Don't burn the garlic. Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon salt and pepper and saute just until shrimp turns pink, five minutes. Remove from heat. Add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices and red pepper. Toss to combine. Drain pasta and toss with sauce and serve.

Steamed Asparagus with Butter and Lemon
1/2 pound fresh asparagus
Salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon (approx.) lemon zest
1 tablespoon (approx.) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Trim washed asparagus by snapping off approximately the bottom two inches of stem. Steam the asparagus for five minutes (I used my simple steamer set in a pan of 2-3 inches of boiling water). Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet. When asparagus is finished steaming, transfer to skillet and add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Heat through and serve.

Pineapple Meatballs

Recipe from: Blog Chef
Meatball Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef or turkey
2 large eggs
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp garlic powder

Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 ¾ cups pineapple juice
¼ cup white vinegar
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Make the meatballs by combining all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into about 1” meatballs. Brown Meatballs in a non-stick frying pan and drain on paper towels (or if you want to save time brown in the oven on a cookie sheet while you’re making the sauce). Make the sauce by combining cornstarch and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Then add 1 ¾ cup pineapple juice and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and stir. Simmer uncovered on medium low until thickened (about 8 minutes - mine only took about 4 minutes to thicken). In a casserole dish pour sauce over meatballs and add pineapple tidbits. Lightly mix meatballs until they are coated with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked.

Corn Chowder

Recipe From: The Sister's Cafe Blog
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks of celery (finely chopped)
1 medium bell pepper (finely chopped)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 jalapeno (finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed)
1/4 Cup ham or Canadian bacon (
thinly sliced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 14 oz cans chicken broth
3 Tablespoons flour
3 ears of fresh corn kernels (or frozen corn)
2 large chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
4 oz softened cream cheese
1 Cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until softened. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a large bowl then stir into soup. Stir in corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Stir into soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer until ready to serve.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Asian Grilled Salmon

Recipe From: My Kitchen Cafe Blog
We love eating grilled anything with fresh veggies and rice/potatoes. This was really easy and tasty. We made it with cheesy orzo.Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Cheesy Orzo

Recipe From: Rachel Ray
This was really good. I got to use fresh parsley from my garden!
Ingredients:
2 tbl olive oil
1/2 small onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
2 (14 oz.) cans of chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups orzo pasta
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
parsley (chopped)

Preheat 8 inch pot with a tight fitting lid to moderate heat. Add oil, onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and return to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pasta is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove lid and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Your favorite herbs may be stirred in as well to strengthen the flavor to your liking. I added fresh parsley.