Meatless Monday: Peanut-Sauced-Veggie Lettuce Wraps

Today was marked by a severe hangover. A mac 'n' cheese hangover.


One of my dearest friends requested that I cook "mac 'n' cheese two ways" for her boyfriend's birthday, and, as that meant I myself would be invited to enjoy the feast, I was only too happy to oblige. But after a couple hours of sauce-tasting and cheese-nibbling, followed by the meal itself (followed by - brace yourself - cheesecake), I was feeling...less than svelte.


Enter Meatless Monday. I was thrilled that after I tallied up the ingredients for this dish, it turned out to be vegan! I figure that after the dairy damage I did last night, a purely plant-based meal was called for. Nonetheless, what a voluptuous tasting meal it was!


The peanut sauce and tofu give it a lush richness, while the crispness of the lettuce and serving the rice cold make it totally summer-worthy. This would be dynamite with chicken instead of tofu, and if you wanted to skip the zillion-ingredient peanut sauce, a nice bottled Asian stir-fry sauce would be a dandy switch as well.


My continued apologies, dear readers, for my sporadic posts! I have vowed to cook up a storm from now till I head to Mexico in two weeks - it's simply the only way I won't sink my surfboard! To your health!

INGREDIENTS

Peanut Sauce:

2 T. sesame oil
several big spoonfuls natural peanut butter
big squeeze of honey
squeeze of Sriracha
a few vigorous shakes tamari or soy sauce
juice of one lime
several vigorous dashes rice wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
cilantro, chopped

Veggies/Filling:

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
shelled edamame
broccolini, chopped
2 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias
1/3 block tofu, in small chunks

Lettuce leaves from one head of iceberg
cooked white or brown rice, cold or warm

STEP 1:

Make the sauce: whisk together all ingredients and set aside.

STEP 2:

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Squeeze excess moisture out of the tofu with paper towels, and cook the chunks in a dry pan until golden brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

STEP 3:

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots to pan. Cook until onions get lightly brown at the edges. Add the broccolini, tofu pieces, and peanut sauce.

STEP 4:

Serve the rice and lettuce leaves alongside the veggie mixture. Place a little rice and veggies in each lettuce leaf, roll up like a burrito, and enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Peanut Sauce & Veggies

Yet another reason to keep a well-stocked pantry: the ability to make peanut sauce at a moment's notice.


This sauce has a similar flavor profile to Pad Thai: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. All its components are long-keeping, so once you buy them, you'll have them until you run out, and can make this easy peanut sauce again and again. I pour it over soba noodles, tofu, use it as a base for stir-frying veggies - it's really versatile.


It tastes just right on shrimp, and it's rich enough that a light meal of just shrimp and an Asian-inspired veggie mix is completely satisfying - especially on a sweltering summer night.


INGREDIENTS

about 1 lb. raw peeled and deveined shrimp
1 red onion, in large chunks
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1 bunch fresh bok choy, cut into pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, in chunks
big handful sugar snap peas
handful fresh cilantro, chopped
sesame oil
salt and pepper

FOR PEANUT SAUCE:
big scoop natural peanut butter
about 1/3 cup tamari or regular soy sauce
squeeze of Sriracha
a few tablespoons brown sugar
several dashes rice wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of one lime
1-2 T. sesame oil


DIRECTIONS

STEP 1:

Whisk together all the peanut sauce ingredients and set aside. Create the skewers: if you're cooking them on an outdoor gas or charcoal grill, soak the skewers first for about 30 minutes. If you're cooking them on a grill pan, no need to pre-soak. Place shrimp, some onion, and grape tomatoes on the skewers, alternating each ingredient.

STEP 2:

Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat. Also preheat a pan for the veggie saute. When the pan for the veggies saute is hot, add some sesame oil, then add the veggies, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until veggies are crisp-tender.

STEP 3:

Cook the skewers on the grill pan, spooning or brushing the peanut sauce onto them. Flip each skewer and cook on the other side until the shrimp are cooked through. Serve and enjoy!


Hope you're having a delicious, relaxing summer! More soon...

Meatless Mondays: Three-Pepper Thai Pesto Noodles

One sad, lonely photo. That is all.


That's simply all I could muster. In an apartment with no less than four digital cameras, two photo-enabled cell phones, one small video camera, and two laptops with built-in camera lenses, I could only manage one photo of this delicious, spectacularly indulgent vegan dinner.

I searched high and low for batteries, memory cards, matching computer-connection cords, and all the digital accoutrements needed to take and upload photos, but everything was scattered, missing, misplaced, or broken (all within 400 measly square feet, lest we forget). *Le sigh.* At least my old, decrepit batteries in one camera held out for this photo - the AA's swan song.

If I had a few more lovely photos to break up my commentary, I'd share with you all about how traditional pesto gave way to an Asian pesto inspiration, but you can Google pesto and see for yourself. Sparse though the evidence may be, this was a craveable meatless Monday creation. And I realized, mid-bite, that it was not only vegetarian, it was vegan as well (bonus for me and my planet!).

If you've never made pesto, or are trying to eat more conscientiously, or if you simply delight in an overabundance of cilantro, I urge you to make this pesto* posthaste. And then try not to have seconds.

NOTE: If you are sensitive to spicy foods, as mentioned, watch your serranos, and if you're a total wuss, substitute green bell peppers for the Cubanelles. Trust me.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 5-6 servings

PESTO (makes about 2 cups - you'll have some leftover):
1 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed off
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed off
1/4 c. toasted sesame oil
1/3 c. olive oil (you could use less - I just eyeballed it)
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
big handful roasted salted peanuts (about 1/2 cup?)
1/3 cup (about) roasted unsalted cashews
several vigorous dashes soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon
a few vigorous dashes rice vinegar
2 T. honey
~1/3 c. water (more or less as needed)

PEPPERS/TOFU
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1-2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 block extra firm tofu, cut into chunks, moisture squeezed out
1 red bell pepper, in big chunks
1 medium sweet onion, in chunks
2 cubanelle peppers, halved and sliced
2 serrano chilies, halved and sliced, with seeds (if you're sensitive to spice, remove all seeds, or leave out serranos altogether)

1 package rice noodles (or, if you're dumb like me ran out of rice noodles, use 1/3 rice noodles and 2/3 whole wheat spaghetti - cook them according to package directions and in two separate pots).
small handful peanuts and cashews for garnish (optional)

STEP 1:

Combine all ingredients under "PESTO" in a blender. Blend on high until mixture forms a smooth, creamy pesto sauce. My blender is a 7-year-old, $8 blender from Wal-Mart, so it took a little prodding till it would really get going, but just push stuff around in there until it all gets mixed. Set aside.

STEP 2:

Heat the sesame oil in a pan. Fry the tofu on all sides until golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add a little olive oil to the pan (and the remaining sesame oil) and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook until lightly browned at the edges.

STEP 3:

Add the Cubanelle and serrano peppers to the peppers/onions. Add a little salt and pepper. Cook until the cubanelles and serranos are softened and beginning to brown lightly in places. Meanwhile, boil the noodles, drain, and set aside (try to time it so that you're ready to toss everything together as soon as the noodles are done).

STEP 4:

In the pot you cooked the noodles in (off the heat), toss the noodles with 1 to 1.5 cups of the pesto and the peppers mixture. Transfer to plates or a serving dish. Top with the fried tofu and some extra nuts for garnish. Enjoy!

Cauliflower & Potato Curry

Aaah, living with a boy. It's like one neverending Wendy's commercial: "Where's the beef?" My good friend and informed vegetarian Kara took note of the fact that, ever since Ross moved back from DC, all my blog posts have featured meat.


It's true; in an ongoing effort to help Ross meet (ahem, exceed) his protein needs, I include meat in most dinners, and in a sheer effort on my part to use as few dishes as possible while cooking, I end up just submitting to the meat as well. Not that I don't enjoy it - I do. But while I was not so long ago eating meat more conscientiously, I have of late been eating meat, well, Tyrannosaurus-Rexily.


So, in the name of the planet, my heart, and my personal nutrition goals, I enjoyed this meat-free meal this evening. And Ross? Far be it from me to deny his carnivorous demands - he got a (free-range, organic) chicken breast simply pan-cooked in lime juice, honey, and a pre-bought Moroccan spice blend. And I took a big spoon to my potato curry - the potatoes were so rich that it didn't even need rice.


So, Kara, all my veggie peeps, and anyone who enjoys the occasional animal-free meal, enjoy! Oh, and check out my "vegetarian"-labeled posts to the right.

INGREDIENTS

2 T. oil (I used grapeseed oil, you could use any neutral oil)
1 white onion, chunked
2 red bell peppers, chunked
salt and pepper
1 can light coconut milk
2 heaping tablespoons natural (unsweetened) peanut butter
juice of one lime
big squeeze Sriracha hot sauce
several spoonfuls brown sugar
1 cup chicken broth (obviously true vegetarians would use vegetable broth)
1 head cauliflower, in florets
3 smallish russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
fresh cilantro leaves, torn or chopped
more salt if needed

STEP 1:

Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Heat the oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, until browned at the edges and beginning to soften.

STEP 2:

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, Sriracha, brown sugar, and lime juice. Pour into the pot. Add the chicken broth, cauliflower, and potatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the cilantro leaves. Cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender. Serve in a bowl with more fresh cilantro on top. Enjoy!

Braised Thai Drumsticks

Chicken Drumsticks: A Haiku

Tender and juicy
So very affordable
Always overlooked


People turn up their noses at dark meat - especially when it's still on the bone. But most of what you're paying for when you shell out $9 for three boneless, skinless, chicken breasts is the labor of the bone and skin removal. And I think dark meat is just so much more flavorful! To be sure, not everyone agrees, but for those of you who appreciate dark meat in all its succulent glory, cooking with chicken drumsticks is a great way to stretch your dinner dollar at the, ahem, end of the month.


I got 6 organic, free range chicken drumsticks for about $2.75 at Trader Joe's, and this meal all in all (counting the meatless leftovers I packed for my lunch tomorrow) made about 4 servings. Drumsticks, besides being an economical choice, are also perfect for a quick braise. When you braise them (as opposed to, say, frying them), you can always be sure they'll be fully cooked - if you've ever bitten into a drumstick that's been fried golden brown on the outside but is raw on the inside, you can understand my paranoia.


The easy, yet exotic, flavors of this easy intro-to-Thai braise might just make you white-meat-only people out there reconsider your poultry preferences. And if you just can't walk away from your precious breast meat, be my guest - chicken breasts would work great in this dish too. So screw takeout! Make a fantastic Thai-inspired dish at home. You can do it :-)

INGREDIENTS

6 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
2-3 T. grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, in chunks
1/2 large white onion, in chunks
2 large Roma tomatoes, in chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 serrano pepper with all seeds (optional)
1/2 c. chicken broth
pinch of salt
1 head broccoli, in florets
2 T. Sriracha hot sauce (or less, to taste)
2 heaping T. natural (unsweetened) peanut butter
1 T. honey
2 heaping T. brown sugar
juice of one lime
big pinch of salt
1 can light coconut milk
brown rice for serving
fresh chopped cilantro for serving


STEP ONE:

In a large pot with tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on all sides. Remove from pan and reduce heat to medium. Set chicken aside. Preheat oven to 375.

STEP TWO:

In a large bowl, whisk together the Sriracha, peanut butter, lime juice, salt, honey, and brown sugar. Whisk in the coconut milk.

STEP THREE:

Add the bell peppers, onions, serrano pepper and tomatoes to the oil still in the pan from the chicken - be careful, it will splatter something fierce. Throw in a little salt and stir around, scraping any chicken bits from the bottom of the pan. After a few minutes, add the chicken broth and garlic. Bring to a boil and cook for a couple minutes.

STEP FOUR:

Stir the peanut butter-coconut milk mixture into the veggies in the pan. Add the broccoli. Bring to a simmer, then nestle the chicken down into the sauce and veggie mixture. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and transfer the whole thing to the oven. Meanwhile, cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stove.

STEP FIVE:

Remove the chicken from the oven and serve with the sauce and veggies over rice. Top with cilantro and a few lime wedges, if desired. Enjoy!

A.U.R.A. - Red Lentil Coconut Curry

I know what you're thinking: "A.U.R.A.? What the heck is that?"

Well, on the heels of Recession: Party of One came another flash of inspiration for the blog, this one borne of hours spent perusing and collecting recipe upon recipe that have always been relegated to the dark annals of an overflowing notebook. Until now!


Introducing A.U.R.A.: Actual Use of a Recipe's Awesomeness (have I ever mentioned how obsessed I am with acronyms? And don't even get me started on alliterations).

That's right, the Fearless Cook, she who wouldn't dream of reading from a book - a BOOK! - while in the kitchen, has broken down. I just decided that it would be wrong to deprive you (not to mention myself) of so many delicious concoctions - regardless of whose concoctions they may be.

And I don't think that this idea conflicts with my Fearless philosophy: I'll still be making the recipes with the AURA label for the first time (since I seem to be allergic to making a recipe more than once), and of course, I'll be tweaking the hell out of them, and it should go without saying that I'll still give my honest and witty (?) commentary on the whole process.

May I present the first installation of AURA: RED LENTIL COCONUT CURRY.

(I guess we can add curry to the list of obsessions.)

I can't remember exactly where this recipe came from, but I had seen a recipe awhile back that incorporated red lentils - which are just so darn cute I had to pick some up from the Whole Foods grain bins - and coconut milk. I thought it sounded delish, so I Googled "red lentil and coconut recipe" and found this one, reprinted here exactly as I found it, asterisk bullets and all.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
* 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 (2 1/2-inch) fresh jalapeño or serrano chile, finely chopped, including seeds
* 2 cups water
* 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils (10 oz)
* 1 (13- to 14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
* 1 lb zucchini (2 medium), cut into 1/4-inch dice
* 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs

* Accompaniment: white rice

PREPARATION

Cook onion in oil in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden, about 6 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, and chile and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Stir in water, lentils, and coconut milk, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini and simmer, covered, until lentils and zucchini are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and serve with cilantro sprigs scattered on top.


Now for my tweaks and thoughts:

1. I added the last of my butternut squash, just so I could stop looking at it every time I opened the fridge. It was a yummy addition.

2. I made less than the recipe calls for - I'd say I cut it down by about 1/3, although since I'm not a dedicated measurer, who knows.

3. I used a greater ratio of coconut milk to other liquid - I did about half and half. On that note, I used chicken broth instead of water to add more flavor.

4. Rather than use all those different spices, I used about 2 - 3 T. of my leftover Thai Red Curry powder from the Spice House.

5. I used some fresh chopped cilantro IN the sauce, not just on top.

6. I used much less than a whole onion - only about 1/4 of an onion.

7. I didn't dice the zucchini; I halved it then cut it into thick half-moons.

8. I only used about a cup of lentils.

As an elementary school student, I was bright in most subjects, but I always failed miserably at tasks that required following strict directions, and at - oh yeah - math. (Some things never change.)

I think this is a great example of what I'm always trying to tell my friends who meticulously measure each ingredient: eyeballing it usually works, and most things are OK to substitute for similar other things (not that I'd criticize how anyone else cooks - everyone has their own style and comfort level).

This curry came out great, but with one caveat: it was really, really spicy. And that's coming from someone who looooves spicy food. I have a pretty high spice tolerance, so I'd advise anyone who wants to whip this up at home to at the very least remove the seeds from the serrano pepper (that's the hot part), and maybe even use only half of the pepper flesh. It was far from inedible, but let's just say my sinuses are crystal clear.

I hope you've enjoyed the first AURA installment, and I really can't wait to get back in the kitchen and try out some of those horribly neglected recipes I've been hoarding over the years.

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Fearless Thai Shrimp Peanut Curry

I'd like to share with you all something very exciting: this weekend, I completed a marathon.

A food marathon.


With my better half in town for his birthday, a buck-wild caloric rodeo was inevitable; we kicked things off at our favorite neighborhood Mexican place, Tarascas, and a mere 12 hours later indulged in a great breakfast at Deleece, in our old 'hood, Uptown. After snacking on some sharp cheddar in the afternoon, we headed north once again for dinner at one of our favorite Italian haunts, Fornello Trattoria (where we got complimentary tiramisu and topped everything off with house-made limoncello shots). On Sunday, we had a great lunch at the new pizzeria La Madia, then stimulated the economy for a bit on Michigan Avenue.

I decided that after a weekend of eating out every meal, a nice home-cooked dinner in would be the perfect way to end the fantastic weekend and linger over goodbyes, which brings me to the Thai Shrimp Peanut Curry.

Oh, and...did I forget to mention the birthday cake? (This is one you won't want to miss.)

Read on to see how to make one tasty, simple Thai dish (it's almost as easy as speed-dialing your local noodle place - promise).

THAI SHRIMP PEANUT CURRY

INGREDIENTS

(makes about 4 servings)

about 14-15 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (mine were frozen)
1 can light coconut milk
4 T. natural-style peanut butter (no sugar or salt added)
1 T. vegetable oil
2 T. Thai curry seasoning blend (available at the Spice House and specialty stores like World Market)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
juice of one lime
2-3 T. brown sugar
squeeze of Sriracha (to taste)
handful cilantro leaves, chopped
more cilantro leaves for garnish
salt

1 c. dry basmati rice
water and a little salt

STEP ONE:

Cook the rice according to directions on package until done. Keep warm.

STEP TWO:

Heat the oil in a large pan with semi-high sides. Saute the onions and peppers until beginning to soften, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from pan, but keep the heat on about medium.



STEP THREE:

In the same pan, mix the peanut butter, coconut milk, Thai seasoning, Sriracha, brown sugar, and lime juice. Whisk together until smooth.



STEP FOUR:

Bring the heat up to medium-high and stir in the cooked onion and peppers, and stir in the shrimp. Cover and cook until the shrimp are pink, about 4-6 minutes, stirring/flipping the shrimp as neccessary. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Taste and season with salt accordingly.





STEP FIVE:

Serve the shrimp curry over rice in shallow bowls. Garnish with more cilantro. Enjoy!



JUDGES' VERDICTS

ROSS: Thai Shrimp is about two things: sauce and not overcooking the shrimp. The shrimp was crisp and not chewy. And the sauce had a little kick, which I like. It feeds my fantasy that spicy foods increase your metabolism.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: I give this 8 stars. The shrimp was well-cooked, and the Thai flavors really came through. I have made a version of this before using Jif peanut butter (for PBJ's, I'm a total Jif loyalist), and the natural peanut butter really enhanced the texture - not to mention, it's nice to be able to control the salt and sugar in the dish. This would be great of course with chicken, and especially tofu. Next time, I'd probably throw in some broccoli florets just to pump up the health factor, but overall it was really delicious, and it came together really quickly, which I love.

I'm sure you're all dying to know about the birthday cake! After the German Chocolate Cake Disaster of 2008, I was really nervous to attempt a chocolate-based birthday cake this year, but when I found this recipe on Closet Cooking, I was confident that I could pull it off - and the best part is, the recipe involves beer! Cake + chocolate + beer = the perfect birthday treat.


I used Kevin's suggestion about using chocolate stout, and made the cake with Rogue Chocolate Stout (and there was a whole pint leftover to enjoy while the cake baked - a definite plus in my book).

Instead of a cream cheese icing, I decided to take the chocolate level waaaaay over the top and "ice" it with a dark chocolate ganache. I used Dagoba super-dark chocolate (something like 65% cacao), and it came out really delicious. I poured it over the cake right when it came out of the oven, and it sort of soaked in, making it that much more rich and chocolately.

NOTE: Making chocolate ganache is really easy. Just heat a pot over low heat, and break a bar of good-quality dark chocolate into pieces. As it begins to melt, stir in some heavy cream - I usually just eyeball it, but it should be roughly the same amount of cream as chocolate. Whisk together, never bringing the heat above low, and pour over whatever you want! Or just eat it with a spoon, whichever.

THE VERDICTS:

ROSS: Mmmmmm…chocolate, need I say more? Okay, I will. This cake tasted like a brownie right out of the oven. The ganache? Ohmygosh. Even the next day, it was still soft and delicious. It’s got stamina, like Lance-Armstrong-stamina.

ME: Wow. Eating a piece of this cake is as close to freebasing chocolate as it gets. Chocolate lovers: stop what you're doing and make this immediately.

My favorite thing about the cake was its dense, moist texture - it was sort of like the best things about a brownie and the best things about a cake in one incredible creation. And the ganache just took the whole thing to the next level. It was definitely super-rich - the kind of cake where you MUST have a glass of cold milk within close reach. Super-rich can be a good thing: rather than gorge myself on half the cake at once, the richness makes one small piece superbly satisfying (although it's worth mentioning that I snuck a little piece for breakfast this morning - I'm only human).

The only downside was that the cake didn't exactly turn out aesthetically perfect - hence the super-close photo. There are two levels of baking: the first level involves making things taste good, and the next level involves making them look just as amazing (something to work toward).

And the BEST PART: Ross loved it! He didn't eat as much of it as I did (story of my life), but it was so great to feel redeemed in the baking department after last year's travesty. And next year will be the BIG 3-0...I might just have to step it up and make a layer cake!

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Fearless Asian Shrimp and Wine-Steamed Bok Choy

I think my favorite Fearless blogs are the ones that happen spontaneously. Like when my friend Andrea and I decided around lunchtime today that we should get together for dinner (probably motivated by the caloric disaster that was our free agency lunch of greasy deep-dish pizza).

Andrea is by and large a vegetarian, but she eats seafood, and I was eager to cook some of my CostCo shrimp. I wanted it to be a really healthy meal, since we had both ingested a cheese brick at noon. This Fearless meal is: Asian-Spiced Shrimp with Wine-Steamed Bok Choy and Cilantro-Lime Rice.


FEARLESS FACTOR: 5. Andrea is a good friend, so I knew it would be low-stress evening. However, she is a vegetarian, and I didn't want to offend her palate! In fact, I wanted to show off my cooking skills on more than just typical carnivorous fare.

The best part about the dinner was finding out that Andrea has an amazing knowledge of wine, which of course I pressed her to share. I, on the other hand, know which wines I like, but I don't really know why. After the basic knowledge of white-wine-with-fish, red-wine-with-beef, I'm hard-pressed to name anything useful about specific varietals. I served Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc with meal, which was nice, but Andrea pointed out that crisper wine (maybe a Pinot Grigio) could also be a nice complement to the spicy and citrus elements.

Read on to see how it came together.

INGREDIENTS

About 14 frozen (or fresh) peeled, deveined shrimp, tails on
3/4 c. sweet Asian chile sauce
1 T. Sriracha (or to taste)
1 c. dry white rice
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
handful of whole cashews
salt and pepper
splash of white wine
1 T. olive oil
2 c. chopped fresh bok choy
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
nonstick spray

STEP ONE:

Cook rice according to package directions. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in the lime juice, chopped cilantro, and cashews. Cover, set aside, and keep warm.



STEP TWO:

Thaw shrimp (if frozen) by running them under warm water. Drain. In a deep bowl, toss them in the Asian sauce to marinate. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan (or skillet) over medium heat, coating with a little Pam spray. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, spooning extra sauce over each one as they cook, until pink and cooked through.




STEP THREE:

While the shrimp are cooking, heat olive oil in a medium pot with a lid. Add peppers and bok choy. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of white wine, stir, and cover, cooking over medium-high heat. The bok choy should be tender within a few minutes of steaming (5-6 minutes).




STEP FOUR:

Place 6-7 shrimp over rice, serve with steamed veggies, and enjoy!



JUDGES' VERDICTS:

ANDREA: The shrimp has some kick! My sinuses were stuffed up before...but not anymore! I love the sauce, I want to lick it up. It's spicy, but the cilantro in the rice cools it down. The lime flavor is a nice complement to the shrimp. I think it might be a little heavy on the black pepper, but the shrimp are cooked perfectly, and the bok choy is crispy but tender in all the right places. It came together nice and quick, too, which is good since I was really hungry.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: 7 stars. I agree with Andrea that the black pepper was a little heavy. I liked the spice level, but then again I really like spicy things. The shrimp were nicely cooked. I think the veggies could ahve used maybe a tad more seasoning, but I agree that they were cooked well. Not the most adventurous dish I've ever made, but considering that I only like shrimp about 50% of the time that I eat it, I consider this a success.

Andrea also had some amazing "builds" (as we say in agency lingo) on the meal:

"Next time, I might serve a coconut sorbet for dessert...with lavender shortbread. And for an appetizer, some dried figs and some really good cheese."

I am definitely making Andrea a part of my future party planning! I think the next step is to combine forces and get BOTH of us in the kitchen.

Thanks for reading! More soon...

From Justin to Belly

Or...

Thai Me Up

Or...

Enough to Thai'd You Over

OK, I'll stop.

The inspiration for this week's blog was meeting new people. A few friends from my work and few friends from my roommate's work got together for some wine and some autumnal riffs on Thai cuisine. These are my awesome friends Justin and Kelly:



This was a particularly challenging episode because of the number of guests - I had to find a way to feed a lot of (6) people on not a lot of moolah. It dawned on me that soup would be the perfect way to fill everyone up, and as the leaves are turning here in Chicago, soup just seemed perfect. I had been thinking about a Thai-inspired soup for some time, so I got some coconut milk and went with it.

I have to preface this with a confession:

For this dinner, I got really stressed out! I may be fearless, but I'm still human. I worked later than I intended, and in my haste once I began cooking, I kept forgetting to take pictures (duh!). There are still plenty of pics to guide you through, and the preparation for these dishes is simple anyway. Thanks for hanging in there with me.


Ingredients for Soup:

2 fresh large chicken breasts
4 48-ounce cartons chicken stock
3 cans light coconut milk
2 red bell peppers
1 head broccoli
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
Juice of 3 limes
1 T. minced ginger (from a jar)
A few pinches turmeric
A few pinches hot curry powder
Some salt and pepper
A handful chopped fresh cilantro

Ingredients for Salad:

A mix of chopped romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and spring mix
Shredded carrots
Tomato wedges
Cucumber slices
1 1/2 lbs. Shrimp
A few pinches hot curry powder
2 T. olive oil
Roasted, unsalted peanuts

Ingredients for Salad Dressing:

Juice of 5 limes
3/4 c. olive oil
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 T. honey
pinch hot curry powder

NOTE: I was cooking for 6 people, so I made a lot of food. We only ate about half the soup, but most of the salad got eaten. But I definitely made too much soup. Not a problem since soup universally freezes well, but something to keep in mind.


STEP 1:

Halve and thinly slice leeks. In a large soup pot, melt 1 T. butter. Sautee the leeks until they soften a bit, about 2-3 minutes. Add a couple pinches turmeric and a couple pinches hot curry powder. Add the ginger and sautee for another minute.


STEP 2:

Pour all chicken broth and coconut milk into the pot. Crank up the heat to begin to bring it to a boil while you chop the rest of the ingredients. Slice the red peppers and then cut the slices into 1-inch pieces and add to pot. Rinse broccoli, and chop the fluffy green tops off, discarding the tough stems. Chop it into pretty small pieces, tearing it into smaller pieces if neccessary while adding it to pot. Throw it in the soup.






STEP 3:

Cut the chicken breasts into small (bite-sized) pieces. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a skillet, and add chicken. Add salt and pepper. Sautee until chicken turns white, but do not overcook. When done, add it to the soup. Halve 3 limes, and squeeze the juice into the soup. At this point, taste the soup. If it needs more seasoning (i.e., more curry powder, salt, or pepper), add more until you think it tastes good. It's hard to overseason this much soup, so don't be scared. Curry powder is a mild seasoning, it won't ruin it.







STEP 4:

Chop the romaine lettuce, and otherwise prepare the rest of the salad (which in my case means opening various bags). I just piled all the lettuce on a large serving platter (that my roommate got at Jewel for $1 - best dollar we ever spent), sort of tossing it around as I went. Sprinkle some carrots on top. Slice the cucumbers and tomatoes and put those on top too.




STEP 5:

For the dressing, pour the olive oil into a medium mixing bowl. Halve the limes and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Chop the cilantro and add it in, then put in the honey, and add a pinch of curry powder. Whisk it all together.




STEP 6:

In a skillet, heat about 1 T. olive oil in a skillet. Place the raw shrimp in the pan, and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and a few pinches curry powder. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip them and cook them about 2 minutes on the other side (you don't really need to season this side, since they'll just soak up what fell off in the olive oil). I had to do two batches of shrimp since I had so many, so cook more if you need to. Place the shrimp on top of the salad. Drizzle the salad dressing over the top of everything.






STEP 7:

Since I had a small crowd, I just set the salad out and let everyone serve themselves, while I put the soup in bowls. It seemed to work.






My judges for this dinner were my lovely guests Justin, Kelly, Sarah, Taylor, and Ross. Here's what they all had to say:

TAYLOR: I really liked the soup. It reminded me of Panang Chicken Curry, which I like. But it also wasn't too heavy, like Panang tends to be.

SARAH: Yeah, it was light. It seemed really healthy. I love Thai food, so I really liked it.

JUSTIN: I really liked the soup, but the chicken in the soup seemed like it could've used a little more seasoning. The shrimp in the salad were seasoned perfectly, though. But I think the salad could've used more dressing. Overall, I really liked it.

KELLY: Me too, BUT...I think it was too hot out for soup! This would be great if it were a little more like Fall outside.

ROSS [the next morning]: I think that soup gave me a stomachache.






Thanks so much to my guests for coming by on a Monday night! I had a great time, and I hope you really did enjoy yourselves. Great feedback!

TOTAL TIME TO MAKE: About an hour.

Level of difficulty: 1 out of 5. If you can open cans and chop vegetables, you can make this. But give yourself more time than I did. Stress adds nothing to the dish.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH:

I'd give it a 6 out of 10. I really liked the salad, but I agree with Justin that for the amount of salad, the dressing may have been sparse. Or rather, it just sunk to the bottom - next time I might toss the salad leaves in the dressing first. The soup didn't turn out exactly as I had envisioned. In order to achieve the consistency I was looking for, I would've had to drastically reduce the amount of chicken stock and increase the amount of coconut milk, although my guests seemed to appreciate that it wasn't too creamy or heavy. I think the best part was the shrimp - they were fresh, well-seasoned, and for once I didn't overcook them. Although next time I might remove the tails - I really like how shrimp look with the tails on, but in salad, it would just be easier to spear a bite without having to deal with getting the tail out of the way first. Overall, the dinner was certainly far from a disaster, but stressful enough to keep my culinary ego in check!

WINE NOTES:

We drank some Yellow Tail Shiraz, and Justin even brought some Carmenere, found only in Chile! A special wine for sure. Although after 3 glasses, who can tell, right? Thanks for the wine, guys!



Kelly also brought over some awesome brownies - she replaced the oil with applesauce to make them lower fat, and they were great. We ate the entire pan.


THE AFTERMATH:




A FEARLESS COOK LESSON LEARNED:

It's a lot easier to be "fearless" when your group is small - cooking for one or two people is no sweat. Six is another story. That's when planning comes in handy. You can still go recipe-free, but it definitely helps to at least have an idea what you're going to feed your friendly little army. I actually can't believe I pulled it off! Whew, another meal conquered.



I'll be back next week with another fearless kitchen expedition. Thanks for reading, everyone!