Fabulous Recipe: Lime Shrimp with Coconut Rice! Quick, easy and delicious!

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Williams-Sonoma has a fabulous recipe. It’s quick, easy and comforting. The way the flavor of the coconut milk gives the rice just a faint taste and makes it nice and creamy is just so comforting! The shrimp cooked in a little butter with lime zest, juice and green onions is perfection. Click HERE for the link to the original Williams-Sonoma recipe that you can print.

Below is my version. I cooked the full amount of rice, and made half the shrimp portion, since there are only two of us. The first time I made it there wasn’t much of a lime taste. The second time I upped the zest and lime juice and it was perfect! If I was making this for four people I would double the lime zest and juice and serve with a big tossed salad, some nice hot bread and olive oil!

MY VERSION OF LIME SHRIMP WITH COCONUT RICE – Serves 2 (Click HERE to print my version):

The ingredients… butter, white rice, water, coconut milk, lime, garlic, shrimp, green onions

(Note: I did not use cilantro… you either like it or it tastes like dish soap. I taste JOY dish soap. Pthewy!)

THE RICE

Start by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of rice and cook, stirring constantly, until well coated with butter (about 1 minute).

Then stir in 1 1/2 cups coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (about 20 minutes).

THE SHRIMP

I get the ingredients ready to use. Grate or mince the ginger, chop the green onions, zest and juice the lime, rinse and dry the shrimp and then proceed as follows:

While the rice cooks, grate the zest of one small lime and squeeze the juice from that same lime. About 5 minutes before the rice is ready, in a large fry pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Add the garlic, lime zest and lime juice and stir until the mixture is bubbly.

Add the shrimp and green onions. Saute until the shrimp are just opaque and cooked through, about 3 minutes (do not overcook). Stir in half of the cilantro if using.

FINISH THE RICE

Fluff the rice and gently stir in the remaining cilantro (if using). There are four servings of rice, which you can use to heat up for a quick side dish. Spoon some rice onto a pretty plate and top with shrimp mixture.

Serves 2.

Wait. Until. You. Taste. It! See how quick and easy it is? The main portion is cooked in 5 minutes, right before the rice is ready! Woohoo, love that!

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Weeknight, by Melanie Barnard (Oxmoor House, 2006).

Catch you back here tomorrow!

What’s for dinner? Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken – quick and delicious!

Just seeing this salad makes my mouth water… It. Was. That. Good. Super healthy with a high tasty factor built in. Did I mention how quick it is to whip together? An added bonus for sure. Like all salads you can add whatever toppings you like. I kept mine simple. Tomato, Cucumber, Olives, Grilled Chicken and Feta. Period. OHMYGOSH. That hot grilled chicken makes the feta a little soft and to-die-for… There really isn’t a recipe per say, just tossing ingredients together… this is what I did:

Coat the skinless boneless chicken breasts (or whatever parts appeal to you) with olive oil. Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Once the grill is hot, toss it on and cook like you normally would. Make sure it’s completely cooked.

Meanwhile, assemble the salads, if you finish before the chicken is done, place them in the fridge and keep them cold…

Place the salad in bowls, this time I used FRESH EXPRESS TRIPLE HEARTS which was really nice, it’s a combination of Romaine, Green Leaf and Butter lettuce.

Cut up a Tomato and a Cucumber and add to the salad. Toss on some Olives and sprinkle (I like copious amounts) of Feta, this is what makes it special!

Drizzle a little olive oil and a little rice wine vinegar (very mild, or another vinegar if you prefer)… add a light sprinkle of Salt and Pepper. You can add a small sprig of fresh Thyme if you like, I didn’t… it truly doesn’t need it!

Once the chicken is done, cut it into bite size pieces and place on top of the salad… you can serve with a baggette if you like. We didn’t and it was plenty of food for dinner!

This salad is so refreshing on a hot day! I hope you enjoy!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A quick and tasty dessert for a hot blistery day!

How is this for a nice tasty dessert on a day that is so hot and steamy? The temperatures are brutal throughout the country… so once in a while you need a little treat… something quick and easy, and SOOO good!

I bought some fabulous ice cream cones at EarthFare, they’re organic, I bought these because I didn’t want all the other unpronounceable ingredients… these had REAL ingredients, and they are C H E A P, no sugar and barely a calorie!

That along with some good ice cream and WELLA! A treat that can’t be beat! Sometimes a little cone just makes the day even better! This is a fast and fun dessert that will make your tastebuds smile!

Enjoy!  Catch you back here tomorrow!

Recipe for fabulous Mediterranean Pasta Salad – Perfect for hot weather!

Ahhh, another cold salad that is to-die-for-good and is perfect for this oh-so-hot-weather we’re all having! (What’s with me and all the hyphens I wonder?) This is something you can whip up in the morning and have in the fridge for dinner later in the day. You can customize it to what you’ve got or what sounds good to you. Same with the quantities. Since there are just two of us I only used a half of a box of pasta, but if you have a gaggle at home for dinner, then by all means, double the recipe, no worries!

This is what I had in my pasta salad, remember, there are no rules! I only used a little red onion because I didn’t want it to be too strong. I happened to have 3/4 of a banana pepper left and let me tell you it was tasty in this pasta salad!

This is what I had in the dressing… I’ve also made it with just olive oil, and with olive oil/balsamic vinegar… I have to say I like today’s recipe the best!

This is what the tomatoes should like like when you’re done roasting. Just until one starts to burst or get wrinkly. At this point they’ve achieved the sweetness that you oh so desire (trust me, you do!).

MEDITERRANEAN PASTA SALAD

Pasta of your choice, I used the mini bow tie pasta. I used 1/2 box. If you use a full box, double the recipe for the olive oil/balsamic vinegar/dijon mustard.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

S & P (kosher and fresh ground)

Vegetables to add to salad – anything goes! Whatever quantity you like.

I used 3/4 of a banana pepper and about 1/4 cup (or less) minced red onion, OH! and the container of grape tomatoes from the Farmers Market!

Feta cheese 2-4 oz.

Basil (fresh), washed, chopped, I used a few sprigs (maybe 15 leaves).

Thyme (fresh), washed, stripped from stalk – I only used a little about a teaspoon.

Olives! (Forgot those in the photos) – I used Kalamata, the big dark black olives, you can use a teaspoon or two of juice as well.

Preheat oven to 400 F

Boil water for the pasta. While the water is boiling wash and dry the grape tomatoes. (Yep, dry em… wash them well, then gently place on a clean towel, roll them around and they will be dry!)

Toss the grape tomatoes into a bowl with about a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Using your hands stir them around so that they’re all coated with the olive oil. Now using your olive oil hand, grease the cookie sheet (I use one with a lip so that they don’t go rolling off into your oven!), if you need a wee bit more olive oil go ahead and get some, but you only want to LIGHTLY oil the cookie sheet, otherwise you will have stinky deep fried smelling tomatoes and who wants that?

Once tomatoes are coated slide them onto the cookie sheet.

By now your pasta water should be boiling, toss in the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain in a colander once pasta is cooked.

Check your tomatoes, you just want them to start to get crinkly. It’s not horrible if they totally fall apart, but then you’ll have little tomato pieces instead of more sturdy pieces. Roasting the tomato gives it sweetness you cannot begin to fathom. Seriously! When they’re done, cut them in half. You don’t have to but sometimes they can be kind of big in a salad.

Mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk and then pour over cooked pasta that you have placed in a large bowl. Stir it until pasta is coated well.

Now for the fun part… I added banana pepper and red onion. Add what you like, as much or as little as you like! Add it to the pasta, stir it in.

Add 2-4 oz. of feta and mix it in. Remember you can always add it on top, so don’t add too much. Been there. Done that.

Add fresh chopped (or in my case snipped with scissors) basil and thyme (again, stripped from the stalk).

Chill (but go ahead and try some now… try to leave some for everyone else. It’s that good, yep! – Yield approximately 4 servings.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Microplane, the wood working tool that crossed over to the kitchen!

The Microplane Classic Series Zester/Grater

This is one awesome tool. Made by Microplane, this is the Classic Series Zester/Grater. It makes a molehill out of a mountain, so to speak… It takes the toughest job and makes it a snap. Did you know that the smaller garlic is chopped the higher the health benefits? I use my Microplane zester mainly to make a wonderful paste out of garlic and/or ginger. Therefore no big hunks of garlic, just nice and flavorful, AND it only takes a few minutes! I originally bought it years ago to use with Parmesan cheese, but these days it’s all about the ginger and garlic… if you don’t have one, give it a whirl, I’m sure you’ll wonder how you did without it for so long! As they say at Microplane, it’s the woodworking tool that crossed over to the kitchen, and boy am I ever glad someone thought of it!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How to make hot chocolate from scratch… Quick and easy!

Have you ever wondered how to make hot chocolate from scratch? Well wonder no longer… here’s the scoop, and you will flip when you see how quick and easy it is! I have fond memories of hot chocolate! Growing up in Michigan as a young kid my mom told us we had to drink something warm before we walked to school (you heard me… back in those days we walked… miles i think it was, over mountains, through streams, in extremely cold temperatures. Ok, so I exaggerate a little but not a lot!) – so it was usually hot chocolate. I didn’t grow up drinking a latte for breakfast while in kindergarten, darn… that would have been nice, ha ha… Anyway, a tasty treat indeed… 

Ingredients include… UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER (like Ghirardelli or Hershey), Sugar and Milk

Fill your liquid measuring cup with 1 cup of milk (I use organic 1%, but any milk will work). Place it in the microwave until it’s hot (every microwave is different, mine takes 1 minute 30 seconds). (If you prefer not to use a microwave you may certainly use your stove! Heat the milk on low until hot.)

Add 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of sugar (I use unbleached cane sugar, but any will do). [A note on the quantities here... this recipe is from Ghirardelli, from the actual container of unsweetened cocoa, if it's too chocolately for your taste, cut the amount the next time, same with the sugar...] 

Stir the cocoa powder and sugar together until it’s all mixed up…

Now add the hot milk to the cocoa powder/sugar mixture… 

Stir it well. Get all those hunks of chocolate sweetness mixed in. Give it a taste… if it’s not hot, toss place it back in the microwave for a few seconds till it’s warm again!

Ahhhh, now the best part (and it’s totally optional), give it a good swirl of whipped cream (REAL whipped cream or Redi-Whip, but not that chemical laden “non-dairy” whip stuff that comes in a tub in the freezer section… *GASP!* Just say NO! Friends don’t let friends eat Cool W… oops, sorry, got carried away…

Enjoy, you will be surprised how quick and easy… and remember… cocoa… GOOD FOR YOU!!! Not so much the sugar… if you can wean that down, pat yourself on the back!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A nice warm bowl of comfort food… Cooking Light’s highly rated BAKED POTATO SOUP

Cooking Light's Baked Potato Soup

Sometimes I just want a nice hot bowl of comfort food. This is the ticket. It’s one of the best soup recipes from Cooking Light magazine. The taste is out of this world. It’s not terribly time consuming to make. The last time I made this soup I baked the potatoes while I had the oven on for a meal the day before, so it was quite fast to throw together. This is one of those recipes that makes your eyes roll back in your head, ha ha… too tasty! Trust me, you will love it. The only the I did differently is add more milk and a wee bit less flour so it would be quite so thick. I think the essential part of the soup is adding cheese (I used 2% Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp), crumbled CRISPY bacon and green onions (or chives). Let me know how you like it! Trust me, it’s a winner… Copied from MyRecipes.com…

Print

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
• 6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
• 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
• Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
• Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2007

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 329
• Calories from fat: 30%
• Fat: 10.8g
• Saturated fat: 5.9g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.5g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g
• Protein: 13.6g
• Carbohydrate: 44.5g
• Fiber: 2.8g
• Cholesterol: 38mg
• Iron: 1.1mg
• Sodium: 587mg
• Calcium: 407mg

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Meatless Monday: Martha’s Tomato, Basil and White Bean Salad

Image: MarthaStewart.com

Let me start by saying. This. Is. Awesome. AND more importantly, I’m not really a bean eater. Some beans are OK, black beans, chili beans, but I don’t seek them out… this recipe changed my outlook on beans. This is one quick dish that is out of this world good. This tastes like it came straight from Italy. The only thing you heat is the oil and mainly to infuse the garlic into it. Trust me, this recipe will quickly become a family favorite!

Click HERE to go directly to Martha Stewart’s site to easily print the recipe, or see below… either way… ENJOY!

MARTHA’S TOMATO, BASIL and WHITE BEAN SALAD

Prep/10 min.  Total Time/35 min.  Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cans (19 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 pound small roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 small garlic cloves, minced

Directions

1. Combine beans, tomatoes, basil, and salt in a bowl, and season with pepper.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Pour over bean mixture, and gently toss. Let stand 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Salad can be covered and kept at room temperature up to 4 hours.

Steak fajitas… quick and easy! Delish!

Quick and easy fajitas

You know when you need to get out of a rut and try something different? Summertime is the hardest time for me, in the winter I can think up all kinds of things that bake, stew, roast, all with the oven on slowly making a meal into a masterpiece while heating the kitchen all at the same time. Then it’s summer. It’s hot and the last thing you want to do is spend too much time with the stove/oven on… enter FAJITAS. I usually make them with chicken, but on this day we needed a break from chicken. So I ran to the store and got 1/2# of flank steak. I whipped together a marinade in a ziplock with a clove or two of garlic (use the microplane!), some olive oil, and some lime juice (one nice big wedge squeezed into the bag). I then mixed the ingredients in the bag by mushing around with my hot little hands, then tossed in the hunk o’beef and let it sit and fester for a while (in the fridge of course!). Actually that night dinner plans changed so it sat in the bag for about 12 hours which was perfect! Fred threw the hunk o’meat on the grill, then right before it was ready he took it off, wrapped it in foil and allowed it to rest. Then we sliced it at an angle against the grain. We heated up some tortilla’s that we had, cut up some tomato, green onion, grated some cheddar and threw on a nice plop of greek yogurt! (We use it instead of sour cream). Oh, and we had some of that tasty salsa from Trader Joe’s… nice touch. It’s quick, you can put what you like on it, you can spice it up more (or less), add avocado, onions, etc. Use chicken, tofu, steak, fish or whatever else you may have. As they say… No rules, it’s just right.

Enjoy a fajita tonight! Catch you back here tomorrow!

What to do with your garden’s bounty? VEGGIE PASTA! Dinner this eve…

The stars of the show...

Are you wondering what to do with a garden full of fresh veggies? Here is one quick and easy idea. What’s better is that this can be made with whatever you have on hand each day, so it’s completely different! Mushrooms, celery, walnuts, chicken, shrimp, hey… whatever you have will work! For this evenings meal, I have a zucchini, part of an orange pepper, some cremini mushrooms and some onion. Like I said, use what you’ve got…

Throw on a pot of water while you cut up the veggies. I like them cut small, my mom cuts big, it really doesn’t matter, do what you like (isn’t that liberating??)… Heat a skillet (you can use non-stick, I prefer a regular skillet or a cast iron skillet) with some olive oil, enough to lightly cover the bottom (don’t be too chintzy, you’ll need it to coat the pasta), toss in the cut up veggies (once you hear a SIZZLE when you slide a piece into the pan, cook it on medium high until it starts to get lightly brown… owwwwieee. you’re getting close to heaven now… won’t be much longer. Go ahead and toss the pasta into the boiling water. I usually use angel hair (capellini) because it cooks so quickly! Once the pasta is done, drain it well then toss it into the pasta and stir around. Turn the skillet off. I use tongs to coat the pasta with the oil and veggies. I realize I’m not giving amounts here, use what you like and whatever amount you like. You see what I used and that was for two people. I probably use about 1/3+ of a package of capellini… then sprinkle with PARMESAN… woohoo… you can also add fresh basil or any other herbs along the way. It’s hard to mess this up. It will become a go to meal when you can’t think of anything else to make (or don’t have time).

Tada... Dinner is served!

And there you have it… dinner is READY! As you can see in this picture I added a fresh cut up tomato.

Another option to change things up a bit… once the veggies are done, add the cooked/drained pasta, then add a few spoonfuls of PLAIN REGULAR yogurt (flavored is weird and Greek yogurt is too thick), stir it in with the veggies and pasta, then (hold on to your hat, this is the best part…) grate some pepper jack cheese over the top… throw a lid on top of the skillet just until the cheese melts… oh heavens. Tasty!

Catch you back here tomorrow!!