Avocado and Shrimp Salad with Mango Dressing

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Lea Ann

This is just flat-out moan and groan, roll your eyes delicious. I found this recipe last summer over at Food and Wine, wrote rave reviews in my database and can’t believe I didn’t blog it back then.

This is a Jamaican roadside stand inspired dish with sweet shrimp simmered in a peppery broth. A great Summer crowd-pleaser that could be served as a first course if placed on a bed of greens. Or as your main course when served with a wedge of watermelon and a side of rosemary flatbread like we did Saturday night. Pair it with your favorite frosty glass of Sauvignon Blanc and you’re in heavenly business. But first let’s take a look at my flatbread.

The Bread: I bought a package of Naan, sprinkled on some fresh chopped rosemary, covered with halved grapes then topped with crumbled blue cheese. A few minutes in the oven until warm and toasty and the cheese just starting to melt, sprinkle on some fresh chopped chives from the garden..it made a great side for the shrimp. Red grapes would have been better, but the market had none.

The Wine: We paired this with a wonderful glass (or two) of Merry Edwards 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. The highest rated wine ever to come out of California, we decided to order a couple of bottles directly from the winery. Here’s their tasting notes: This compelling blend allures the senses with hints of citrus blossoms, lychee fruit and mango. Soft honey weaves its way through the sumptuous palate. Time in the cellar will allow even more richness and complexity to unfold. Pair this delightful wine with elegant raw oysters, a salad of blood oranges with yellow and red baby beets or giant prawns in Thai green curry sauce over rice noodles. I mean c’mon, who can resist that lovely description.

The Salad: Fresh and delicious, I urge you to take the time to give this a try. The Mango dressing is easy to whip up with the hardest part being dragging the food processor out of the cabinet. And shrimp is so easy. I really can think of no excuses not to enjoy this Summery offering.

SHRIMP
1 lemon, halved
6 cups water
1 small onion, sliced
2 Tbs kosher salt
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, halved (I wimped out and used a jalapeno)
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
One 12-ounce bottle of lager
2 lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined
DRESSING
1 mango, peeled and finely diced (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbs chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1/4 tsp minced Scotch bonnet or habanero chile (I wimped out and used a jalapeno)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (Vidalia onions are here, hence a substitution)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Hass avocados, sliced
Lime wedges, for serving

1. Prepare the shrimp: Squeeze the lemon halves into a large saucepan then add them to the pan. Add the water, onion, salt, Scotch bonnet, ginger and beer and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes, just until pink. Drain the shrimp and spread on a platter. Refrigerate until chilled. Halve the shrimp horizontally.

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a food processor, combine 1/3 cup of the diced mango with the vinegar, lime juice and mustard and puree until smooth. With the machine on, add the oil in a thin stream and blend until very smooth. Add the cilantro, lime zest and minced Scotch bonnet and pulse just to combine.

3. Transfer the dressing to a large bowl. Add the shrimp, red onion and the remaining mango and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange the avocado slices around a large platter. Mound the shrimp salad in the center and garnish with lime wedges. Serve right away.

Servings: 6

Avocado and Shrimp Salad With Mango Dressing…

It’s What’s For A Summery Evening Dinner.

1 year ago today Breckenridge Brewery

Roasted Asparagus and Baby Artichokes

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Lea Ann

As you can imagine after my Memorial Day fat-stravaganza I’ve been preparing on the light side this week and spending a lot of time browsing the vegetable isles.

I can’t tell you how many times I passed this beautiful and mysterious display of “baby artichokes” wanting to bring them home and swaddle them in some sort of sauce, but honestly I didn’t have the foggiest idea how to prepare them.

By luck, I ran across an article and recipe for them in Bon Appetit Magazine and b-lined it up to Whole Foods to grab the next to last package of these adorable little veggies.

Bon Appetit tells me that baby artichokes aren’t babies at all but are full-grown veggies that are found on the lower part of the plant. They are more tender and easier to clean than their big brothers.

So let’s get started.

Bring large saucepan of salted water to boil. Fill large bowl with cold water and squeeze juice from one lemon into water.

Working with one artichoke at a time, pull off all dark green outer leaves until only tender inner yellow leaves remain.

Cut off top tip of artichoke.

Cut off stem and trim around stem base of artichoke.

Cut artichoke lengthwise in half and immediately drop into lemon water to prevent discoloration. Repeat with remaining artichokes.

In the meantime, cut the tough ends off a one pound bunch of asparagus.

Drain artichokes then add to saucepan of boiling water. Blanch 3 minutes. Drain again. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil. Place artichokes on one and asparagus on the other. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast asparagus for about 8 minutes and artichokes for about 15.

Aioli For Dipping Sauce

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Whisk mayonnaise, oil, oregano, garlic, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Season aioli to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

With the aioli in the middle I arranged the artichokes, asparagus some sliced yellow bell pepper and some cold boiled shrimp. This is a great aioli recipe and a fresh and delicious start to the week.

Roasted and Fresh Vegetables, Cold Boiled Shrimp with Aioli Sauce…

It’s Just What The Doctor Ordered After Memorial Day.

1 year ago: Flank Steak with Onion Marmalade

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/06/roasted_asparagus_and_baby_artichokes_with_lemon_oregano_aioli#ixzz0q0oN7tcV

Fired Up

Posted on May 31, 2010 by Lea Ann

My two Webers are definitely front and center stage this weekend. I plan to grill, then I’m going to grill and then I think I’ll grill some more. Let’s take a look.

First out of the chutes is Glazed Shrimp. I wanted to keep it light on Friday evening, as lunch that day was a big old heavy ham and pumpernickel sandwich. So serving up a side of my leftover Pasta Salad and skewers of Glazed Shrimp sounded PERfect.

I found a beautiful package of jumbo shrimp which were labeled “Gulf Shrimp”. I was surprised to see these available with this oil tragedy, but the seafood counter was just too busy to inquire about their origin. Perhaps from Texas?

Simple please! I find that when grilling shrimp, size and simplicity matter. We love the delicate and sweet flavor of shrimp and don’t like to overwhelm them with complicated sauces. Sometimes just a slather of melted butter lightly flavored with garlic is nice. Or a quick baste with some olive oil in which some of fresh herbs have been added. We also like a light brush of Caesar salad dressing adding a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese at the end. Always love a squeeze of fresh lemon. Obviously the larger shrimp are more practical. The recipe below is about as complicated as I get.

This is a quick and easy recipe, had it for years, it’s my go to “dinner in 10 minutes” entrée. Sweet and tangy and I love the shiny finish that seals in the tender texture of the meat.

Shrimp Glaze

3 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic — minced
1 1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned and de-veined

1. Skewered, brush one side of shrimp with mixture, grill two minutes. Turn and brush, cook 2 more min.

I mean really, can anything be simpler and did I mention tasty?

Simple Glazed Shrimp…

It’s What’s For Dinner.

1 year ago Sauteed Scallops in Orange Cream Sauce

Weekend Grits

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Lea Ann

Saturday night was BBQ Shrimp, grits and a fresh green salad for a side. Great little meal. This is a recipe that I found in Food and Wine Magazine. The first time that I made this was also the first time I’ve ever eaten grits. And as you can imagine I found myself wondering “why“. Delicious.

I love the quote from the creator of this recipe: “I seriously have received three marriage proposals over a bowl of my cheese grits,” says Huffman. “I’ve accepted none so far.”

Here’s what Food and Wine has to say about the recipe: By happy accident, Amber Huffman combined leftovers of two low-country staples—barbecue and cheddar cheese grits—for a quick Southern fusion meal. It became a Jesse Jackson favorite. Here, Huffman tops her grits with grilled shrimp slicked with a tangy, bourbon-based barbecue sauce.

My quote in my recipe data base simply reads “This is crazy good“. You’ve got to love those cheesy grits, but oh-my that barbeque sauce is divine. I’ve used it in other recipes. It’s a keeper. You’ll find the complete recipe below.

For breakfast Sunday morning those cheesy grits became the perfect vessel for poached eggs. With a couple of shakes of Tapatio Hot Sauce and a side of link sausage, it made a wonderful and hearty breakfast.

Here’s your recipe for Barbeque Shrimp with Cheese Grits.

BBQ Sauce

2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 1/4 cups ketchup
1/4 cup bourbon
3 Tbs cider vinegar
2 Tbs molasses
2 Tbs honey
2 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 Tbs vegetable oil
Cheese Grits, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the ketchup, bourbon, cider vinegar, molasses, honey, Tabasco, thyme and cayenne. Simmer over low heat, until thickened, about 40 minutes.

2. Transfer the barbecue sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour 1/3 cup of the sauce into a small bowl and reserve the rest.

3. Preheat a grill pan. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and brush on both sides with the 1/3 cup of barbecue sauce. Grease the grill pan with the oil. Grill the shrimp over moderate heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve with cheese grits and the remaining barbecue sauce.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Cheese Grits

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup old-fashioned grits
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the garlic and slowly stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender, 20 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheese, butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Cheesy Grits.

It’s What’s For Any Weekend

Tuna Salad

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Lea Ann

Here’s another dish that Mark In Tucson has sent over. As you may remember, Mark is our chef-trained son who attended Culinary School in Portland and now lives in Tucson with his lovely wife Dora. About a month ago, I featured Mark’s Beef Barbacoa. If you missed it, take a look by clicking HERE.

I’m always nagging asking him to send me some of the wonderful creations that come out of his home kitchen, so I was pleased to receive his email containing Tuna Salad. Especially pleased because every time I’ve tried to prepare tuna, it’s over-cooked, gray, flavorless and just flat-out odd.

Let’s welcome Mark In Tucson, my guest blogger today and take a look at his “Just in Time for Spring Tuna Salad”.

Continue reading →

Lemon-Lime Salmon

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Lea Ann

You want to know how easy this recipe is? It’s such an easy fix that you can prepare this at an altitude of 10,000 feet at a rustic Colorado campsite, after having three glasses of high alcohol content red wine, on an empty stomach…nuff said.

Of course I must admit I did some pre-prep at a home altitude of 5,280 feet, with no wine, before traveling to said 10,000 foot camping site. I mean you have to know the ins and outs of this high altitude, no oxygen camping business folks. (wink)

I really have no problem with recipes or meals that take a couple of hours of tinkering, fussing, adjusting, tasting, more fussing and tinkering…but you can’t beat a “quick middle of the week, I’m tired from working all day” easy meal. This is one of those.

I’ve had this recipe for too many years to count. I was watching a salmon demonstration one Saturday afternoon at a local supermarket. The fish counter guy was searing a chunk of salmon filet that had been topped with a sprinkle of cumin, some lemon zest, a slice of lemon and topped with a pat of butter. So over the years it’s evolved into this. Somehow I feel it’s not done evolving, but for now, here’s what we have.

I happened to use a salmon steak this go around

Lea Ann’s Lemon-Lime Salmon

1 lemon
1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic — minced
1 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs butter — softened
2 salmon filets, total about 3/4 pound

Grate lemon and lime peel, thinly slice 1/2 of each. Juice the other halves. Combine 2 Tablespoons of the lemon/lime juice, cumin, garlic and olive oil. Place salmon on a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle with some of the lime and lemon zest, and pour the lemon-lime juice mixture over top. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper then arrange lemon and lime slices uniformly over the filet. Wrap up with the parchment paper. Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 8 – 15 minutes depending on the filet.

Mix butter, remaining juice and peel in a bowl. Microwave for a few seconds to melt.

Serve with lemon-lime butter for dipping.

Servings: 2

This recipe is so easy that you have time to take photos of your goofy cat, who thinks she’s hidden and in a green plastic box that’s on the kitchen table and trying to figure out how to lunge for my throat checking my every move as I prepared the fish.

It’s What’s For Dinner.

Enjoy.

Potatoes in Banana Leaves and Shrimp with Lime Zest

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Lea Ann

Steaming Potatoes Cooked In Banana Leaves

I absolutely love this method of cooking potatoes. I learned this trick a few years ago from a Whole Foods grilling demonstration. After a sample of the finished product, I couldn’t get to the produce department fast enough to purchase banana leaves and potatoes. The only place I can find banana leaves right now is at H-Mart in the freezer department.

Banana leaves are used as a kind of wrap in Thai cooking. Banana leaves not only look beautiful, but also lend a subtle aroma and taste when foods are cooked inside them. They can be used for grilling, baking, or steaming foods. While functioning as a wrapping material, they also lend a hint of flavor to your food that is very pleasant.

With our mountains as a backdrop, it gets dark in Denver around 4:30 p.m. these days. I usually use the grill for this recipe, but with our dark days, baking works just fine.

Potatoes in Banana Leaves:

1 medium onion, sliced
6 medium potatoes peeled and thinly sliced, preferably with a mandolin
Salt and pepper
Ementhaler Cheese
olive oil
1 banana leaf (thawed if not fresh)

Lay the banana leaf on a buttered baking sheet. I also sprayed the top of the banana leaf with Pam. Scatter potatoes and onion on the leaf. Toss with a bit of olive oil. Generously add salt and pepper and grated Ementhaler Cheese.

Fold and make a packet with the leaf and secure with toothpicks. Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes. (Depending on the thickness of the potatoes, you may need to bake up to 40 minutes.)

This photo is steamy rather than blurry. When you first open up the packet, the steam and flavor pleasantly hit you right in the face.

I served the potatoes with an easy and delicious shrimp dish that I prepared in advance. I love this recipe.

Shrimp Salad with Lime Zest:

1 cup kosher salt
6 cups cold water
2 1/2 lbs medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 Tbs heavy cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1/4 cup finely diced celery
2 Tbs finely chopped dill
1 Tbs thinly sliced garlic chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.

2. In a large bowl, dissolve the kosher salt in the water. Add the shrimp and let stand for 30 seconds, then rinse well. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook until firm and pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the shrimp and transfer to the ice water to cool. Drain again and pat dry.

3. In a bowl, beat the cream until stiff. Whisk in the mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, and stir in the celery, dill and chives. Add the shrimp and toss well. Season with table salt and pepper and serve.

Make Ahead. The shrimp salad can be refrigerated for up to 5 hours. Serves 4.

For dessert tapioca pudding topped with a sprinkle of fresh grated nutmeg.

How bout them bananas – This meal really is so delicious. The texture and sweet flavor of the potatoes, the fresh creamy flavor of the chilled lime/dill shrimp, and then there’s that tapioca pudding. Who needs summer.

Orange Day, Chapter 2

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Lea Ann

I’ve been meaning to post this for days now, but it appears I’ve become slammed! Not sure how it happened so quickly; slammed with work, slammed with entertaining my mom while she’s here; slammed with preparing for the holidays; throw in a few parties and my poor little blog has been swept into the corner. :-/ I think there’s a lot of you out there that must be a lot more organized than me. Everyone is baking truck loads of cookies, gallons of Holiday beverages, already testing recipes for Christmas Day, taking pictures of beautifully decorated homes, leisurely photographing pets…I mean c’mon people!

This is a continuation of a post from last Monday. It seems that everything from my kitchen that day had an orange theme.

If I were to answer my own “Just Grilled” questionnaire I would answer the question “Favorite Local Product” with Pappardelle’s Pasta. Pappardelle’s is a pasta company started right here in Denver specializing in flavored pastas. I love, love, love their products and their website full of delicious and unique recipes. Take a look at www.pappardellespasta.com. So many interesting ideas for sauces for each of their pasta creations.

There is a store front location near the Cherry Creek shopping area where you can purchase Pappardelle’s year-round. But, since I seem to be perfectly happy in my little burbs bubble, (I mean we have a Target, a Whole Foods, a liquor store, a pizza place AND NORDSTROM within just a few miles – what else does one need???) I don’t drive into the city as much as I should. Instead, I wait until the very last day of our Highlands Ranch farmers market, and buy a trunk full of their pastas to have over the winter. It’s so much fun to pull out a package and go to their website for the recipe. Always delicious and pretty easy.

My last adventure with Pappardelle’s was Orange Shrimp with Basil Tangerine Pasta. ohmygosh YUM! This dish is straight from their website. I made no changes, I can’t take credit for any tweaking or ruining improving the recipe at all. With all that said, I don’t want to be in trouble with my favorite Denver food vendor, so will just direct you to the website to take a look at the recipe. Enjoy and while you’re there take a look around. http://www.pappardellespasta.com/recipes/recipe_basil_tangerine.php

Crab, Avocado and Asparagus Salad

Posted on November 8, 2009 by Lea Ann

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Look at all of these beautiful, fresh and healthy ingredients. I’m trying to eat as healthy as I can before the month-long food gorge begins in a couple of weeks. And believe you me, I plan to whole heartedly participate in the Holiday food festivities.

Whole Foods has been having what they call a “One Day Sale”. Each Wednesday they offer a very good “deal” and alert you to what is on sale by email the day before. I don’t know if they are doing this at all locations, but if you have a Whole Foods near you, you might want to sign up for their newsletter and receive these notifications. I’ve been loving the sales. This week, Crab legs for $9.99/lb.

Beautiful Pea Shoots

This is a new recipe for us, and we loved it. Also, easy as can be.

1 lb thick asparagus
7 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
6 medium basil leaves
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 1/2 oz pea shoots, trimmed
1/4 cup salted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
2 Hass avocados, each cut into 8 wedges

1. Cut tough ends off asparagus and throw away. Slice asparagus tops into 1 inch chunks. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water until just heated through, 10 seconds. Drain and transfer to the ice water to chill; drain well. Pat dry and transfer to a bowl.

2. In a blender, blend the oil, lemon juice, basil, shallot and 1/4 cup of the parsley. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

3. Add the pea shoots, pistachios and the remaining 1/4 cup of parsley leaves to the asparagus. Toss with half of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with crab meat. Serves 4

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And enjoy! Not a great photo, but this is a beautiful salad. We served this with Rosemary Sourdough bread from Whole Foods. DEE-licious little meal. This meal was adapted from Food and Wine.

Eggs with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Lea Ann

The very generous and food blogger friendly folks over at Marx Foods sent me samples of dried mushrooms. The shipment included several exotic types that I’ve never heard of and some that I have. I can’t wait to try them all. Just click on their logo below to visit their web site.

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Marxfoods.com

Let’s start out with a variety that I’m familiar with, Chanterelles. The idea for this recipe started by reading a post from Elizabeth over at Cook Appeal. Click HERE to visit her site. Never a dull moment at Cook Appeal. When I saw her post of an English muffin, topped with spinach and melted cheddar cheese, I left a comment saying ”I’m going to throw an egg on top”… So let’s get started.

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Place a few of the chanterelles in a shallow bowl. Pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms and place a plate on top for weight to submerge mushrooms in the water. Let them soak and soften for 1 hour.

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Once the mushrooms are ready, we’ll start the preparation of our breakfast. I poach eggs using these little silicone pods that I purchased at Sur La Table. Just spray them with Pam and they poach eggs beautifully. Place the pods in gently boiling water. You don’t want a rolling boil or water will jump into the pods.

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My favorite English muffin is Bays brand. When toasted the texture stays crunchy on the top while maintaining that chewy softness inside.

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Once the eggs are close to done, working quickly place fresh spinach leaves onto warm toasted muffins. When you top with poached egg, the heat from the muffin and the egg will wilt the spinach leaves.

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Slide poached egg from pod and place on top of the spinach.

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Spoon the Mushroom Cream Sauce on top. (recipe below)

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And enjoy. Look at that perfectly poached egg! The creamy egg when combined with the delicious earthy mushroom sauce is just plain elegant and delicious. My husband took one bite and said “this is the best breakfast I’ve ever had”.

Lea Ann’s Eggs with Mushroom Cream Sauce (inspired by Elizabeth and Marx Foods):

2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 whole Marx dried chanterelle mushrooms, soaked, cleaned and chopped
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 – 2 cups milk
Salt and pepper

I had some left over Mushroom Cream Sauce so for dinner I sauteed two cod filets in olive oil until browned on each side and flaky inside. I drizzled the mushroom cream sauce over the filets and we enjoyed a delicious dinner. The mushroom cream sauce worked very well with the fish.

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Thanks again to Marx Foods.