15 Minute Meal - Thai Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp

Life has been super-busy lately (hence the lack of blog posts!) so it has been more of an effort than usual to cook up healthy meals at home vs. taking the easy path of take out or pizza delivery. I am trying really hard to take the high road. Recipes like the one below make it a bit easier.



This recipe (from Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman's Simple to Spectacular) took a total of around 20 minutes. I made the marinade and skewered the shrimp early in the day and that took around 10 minutes, then cooking the shrimp, veggies, and rice took about 10 minutes right before dinner. It was very tasty and easy. Here are my notes:

• The lemongrass is the trickiest part of this recipe. It isn't always that easy to find, and then trying to manipulate it into a skewer took a few minutes for me to figure out. I think it is worth the difficulty though, it imparts a flavor that is impossible to replicate.


• Nam pla (Thai fish sauce) is actually VERY easy to find these days in the Asian section of almost any regular grocery store. Despite the name, it doesn't taste fishy at all...it just adds some depth and savoriness that is hard to describe.


• I used regular canola oil instead of the grapeseed oil.


• I was considering skipping the dipping sauce but was glad I didn't. It was quite good.


• I broiled the shrimp for about 3 minutes a side vs. grilling them because it was raining.


• For the first side dish, I sauteed sugar snap peas and sliced button mushrooms in sesame oil with a splash of soy sauce. I tossed the finished product with toasted sesame seeds. I could have eaten the veggies alone with some brown rice as a meal, they were that yummy. The sesame oil really makes the difference here...it imparts a distinctly Asian flavor. I also served Trader Joe's Thai Style Rice with Coconut Milk. This was delicious, and I love the fact that all you have to do is cut the corner off the plastic bag and microwave it for 3 minutes...couldn't be easier.

Ingredients

24 Medium to large shrimp (peeled and deveined)

5 Stalks lemongrass

2 Teaspoons minced chiles

1 Teaspoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Teaspoons grapeseed oil

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 Teaspoons sugar

• Peel and mince one of the lemongrass stalks then toss it and the shrimp in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of the minced chiles, the garlic, 2 teaspoons of nam pla, a little salt and pepper, and the grapeseed oil.


• Remove the outer sheath from the remaining lemongrass stalks and trim them so they are about 10 inches long and less than 1/4 inch thick at the thin end. Bang each of the stalks several times with a knife. Skewer the shrimp onto them and marinade in the lemongrass mixture.


• Start a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the broiler; the fire should be hot and the rack 2 to 4 inches from the heat source. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon chiles, 2 tablespoons nam pla, the lime juice, and sugar to make a dipping sauce and set aside.


• Grill or broil the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Great Picnic Snack - Macaroni Pizza

This recipe takes me right back to being a kid, and whenever I make this dish it disappears in minutes, especially around my family. I know the concept of macaroni pizza sounds kinda gross, but it is actually a very yummy snack and I've found that kids love it. Plus, it packs and stores well, so it is a great option for picnics and beach days. In fact, every single time my family would and I would set off for the 8 hour trek to take me down to Gettysburg (College), my grandmother would make a batch of macaroni pizza to take on the trip with us. Eating this always reminds me of her.



Ingredients

12 eggs

3/4 cup of grated romano cheese

1 stick of butter or margarine (I usually use only 1/2 stick and it still tastes great)

1 pound of angel hair or vermicelli pasta

Optional: Chopped ham or pepperoni, parsley flakes



Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make pasta according to package directions until al dente. Strain the pasta and put it in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the eggs, butter, cheese, and any optional ingredients until well blended. Pour into a 9x13 greased baking dish, and bake 30-45 minutes until the texture is firm and it starts to look golden in hue.

Take a Trip to the French Riviera...Without Leaving Home!

While yesterday started off horrible weather-wise (completely grey and overcast but ridiculously hot and humid - Have I mentioned how much I am loving New England weather this summer?), it actually turned out to be a sunny afternoon. Still humid, but with the summer we have had so far I don't care if the air was so wet we were swimming in it, so long as we see some sun. Given the weather, it was a perfect day for a nice, light salad supper. I made the Grilled Nicoise Tuna salad from the August 2009 issue of Food and Wine magazine. Here's what I love, love, loved about this dish:

• It's a healthy, balanced meal all in one. I served the sliced grilled tuna steaks on a bed of fresh picked lettuce, topped with 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs, a handful of chopped nicoise olives, sliced new potatoes that had been boiled and tossed with olive oil and chopped fresh tarragon (any herb would work), and the cherry tomato/green bean salad below. Great combination of lots of fresh veggies and lean protein.



• It is a GREAT party/big crowd dish (provided you have people who like tuna...I'd say keep a few burgers and dogs on hand just in case). I made everything well in advance - the hard boiled eggs, tomato/green bean salad, etc., and then just grilled the tuna and assembled the platter at the last minute. I actually think the tomato/green bean salad and the potatoes taste BETTER having sat around for a while because the flavors get a chance to meld a bit more. Think about it - make all the ingredients in the morning, and then spend 10 minutes grilling the tuna and assembling the dish right before dinner...what could be better if you're hosting a party?



• The marinade for the tuna is delish...I would make the tuna on it's own.

For once I think I followed the recipe almost exactly, except I used fennel seeds in the tuna marinade and the only herb I used in the dressing for the cherry tomatoes and green beans was tarragon. I also made extra dressing to drizzle over the dish when served.

Grilled Nicoise Tuna Steaks

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped thyme leaves
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground fennel
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
Ten 1-inch-thick tuna steaks (8 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil with the wine, mustard, thyme, fennel and shallots. Arrange the tuna steaks on a large rimmed baking sheet and pour the marinade over them. Turn the tuna steaks to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, for 4 minutes per side, until medium. Thinly slice the steaks, transfer to plates and serve.

Green Bean-Tomato Salad with Herbs

Ingredients
2 pounds green beans
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until they are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the green beans under cold water until they are chilled; pat the green beans dry.
In a large bowl, whisk the mustard with the vinegar. Gradually whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the green beans, tarragon, chives and thyme and toss to coat. Add the tomatoes, toss gently and serve.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers

So, in my humble opinion, this is a case of a good recipe gone bad. As many of you know, I read cookbooks and cooking magazines cover to cover, but rarely follow the recipe exactly. I use the recipes as inspirations to find new flavor combinations and ideas I haven't tried before. It really, really bugs me when cook books and cooking magazines take something very simple and make it overly complex. I think this alone intimidates a lot of people from trying new recipes because you think you have to make them to the letter in order for them to taste good.

This week we picked up our first farm share from the CSA program at Arrowhead farm. This week's lot included two types of lettuce, green onions, beets, peas (Rob actually had to climb down the hill and pick the peas himself, the visual alone is very funny to me), broccoli, cauliflower, golden cherry tomatoes and radishes. I cannot recall the last time I ate a radish. Quite honestly, my last memory of radishes was when my mother was making little rosettes out of radishes as a garnish for some type of dish at a holiday meal...I think I was about 8. So, I was at a loss for what to do with said radishes. I went to www.epicurious.com, which is an awesome recipe site that pulls recipes from magazines like Bon Appetit and Gourmet that my friend Julie turned me on to. I searched for recipes with radishes, and the salad below caught my eye. I was very interested in the unique flavor combinations....but it all seemed a bit over the top for a simple salad! So, I've included the full recipe here, but I made the following changes and it was still a very tasty, light summer salad:

• Rather than make the tarragon pesto, I made a vinaigrette with olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced shallot and minced tarragon, seasoned with salt and pepper. I skipped the whole pesto step.



• I used leftover grilled chicken from a previous meal.



• I used romaine lettuce because that is what I had on hand.



• I added a tomato because I just happen to love them.



• I used a regular cuke...not the fancy Japanese kind.



• I sprinkled fresh shelled peas on the salad for some sweetness. Fresh peas are great...my new favorite...you don't even need to cook them!

All in all it was a nice combination of flavors that I enjoyed, but I can't say I would have like it so much had I gone to the trouble of making the recipe to the letter.

1/4 cup (packed) fresh tarragon leaves plus 2 teaspoons chopped
1/4 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons pine nuts, divided
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons chopped shallot
6 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing
4 boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style French or sourdough bread
1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens
1 cup thinly sliced radishes (from 1 large bunch)
1 cup thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers (about 1 1/2)

Place 1/4 cup tarragon leaves, parsley, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and shallot in mini processor; chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil by teaspoonfuls to thin, if necessary.
Whisk 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon, remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush chicken breasts on both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until grill marks form, skin is crisp, and chicken is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface; let rest 5 minutes. Using clean brush, brush both sides of bread with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until dark-brown grill marks appear on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place greens, radishes, and cucumbers in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 4 plates.
Cut grilled chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 sliced chicken breast atop salad on each plate. Spoon tarragon pesto over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts over salads. Serve with grilled bread slices.

Super-easy Potato Salad

This could not be simpler and was quite tasty! I don't care for a very mayonnaisey-taste in my cold salad....never been a big fan of mayo. But I also don't like potato salad that is too dry. I thought this combination had just the right amount of creamy-ness plus a lot of flavor and a little crunch.

• Peel 6 large Yukon gold potatoes, place in a pot of cold water (enough to cover the potatoes) and bring to a boil.



• Boil the potatoes until they are soft and can easily be pierced with a fork.



• Drain the potatoes and allow to cool a bit.



• Mash them up a bit - basically to the consistency of very lumpy mashed potatoes - with a folk or other mashing device.



• Add 3-4 tablespoons of light mayo...you want to add enough to bind it together but not so that the mayo flavor is overwhelming.



• Add 6 finely chopped scallions, both green and white parts.



• Add 6 finely minced celery ribs.



• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Goes great with slight spicy ribs or other BBQ!

The Fishbowl 4

The patio project is complete! Well, complete enough for now. As mentioned in a previous post, I would eventually like to put gardens in around the fence, but for this summer the hanging potted plants provide just the right amount of foliage and color to the space. The finishing touches were:

• Two chaise lounges & cushions I bought from Pottery Barn two years ago and have never used. The cushion color is cherry red and matches the umbrella on my outdoor dining set.



• A large, grass-green colored market umbrella on sales at JC Penny for $39 bucks.
  


• A small side table purchased a target.



• Two outdoor throw pillows that bring together the color of the chairs, umbrella and house, also courtesy of JC Penny's memorial day sale.

A huge thank you to Rob who's manual labor turned my little vision into reality :-)

All in, between the fence, the patio supplies, and patio labor, we literally saved over $7K by hunting for the best bargains, doing parts of the project ourselves, and negotiating hard with vendors who are eager to secure business in this tough market. It really does pay to shop around. I highly recommend Reliable Fence in Woburn - they were SUPER-speedy (I think the whole fence took less than 4 hours) and gave us the best price out of 5 or 6 vendors. And I also recommend Landscaper's Depot in Kingston, NH. They really worked with us to help us get the look we wanted, and the materials were much cheaper here than at other local places.

Please stop by to enjoy a mojito on my new patio this summer!!!