This one time, when I made dinner

After starting this blog a few months ago a friend of mine asked me if I take the pictures myself, I of course said yes and added that addendum to the bottom of the page claiming my content. Not long after that he asked me too cook for him and a few friends. I made them this dish, which I have made before but not in a few years. When I previously made this I had a real grill and a larger audience to feed; this time there were only 5 people and a grill pan, not as good of a situation. Upside, I didn’t have to peel and devein all the shrimp this time.

If you find the shrimp in your grocery stores like it did – peeled, deveined, and skewered – it saves boatloads of time and a lot of hassle. Serve these shrimps over some pasta alfredo with some grilled pineapple and roasted asparagus for pure deliciosity.

Grilled Herb Shrimp – From Barefoot Contessa Parties!

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, small diced
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ cup minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

Combine all the ingredients and allow them to marinate for up to one hour, or cover and refrigerate for up to two days.

Skewer the shrimp, 5 to 6 shrimp on a skewer. Heat the grill pan and brush it with some olive oil. Grill the shrimp 1-2 minutes per side.

Afternoon Quickie

New dishes are overrated. Sometimes you just need to take what you’ve already made and make it over, better. No wondrous insight today, just some age old Chinese inspiration that makes something that was delicious yesterday better than any microwave can ever claim.

Enjoy.

Leftover Fried Rice

About a cup of cooked rice
About a cup of cooked vegetables
1 egg, beaten
Sesame Oil
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 to 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
Wasabi Paste
Ginger Powder

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a pan with about half a teaspoon wasabi paste, a teaspoon of ginger powder and a pinch of red pepper flakes. After about 30 seconds, add the garlic, and about a minute after that, add the vegetables. Cook for 2-4 minutes, or until heated through, and add the rice. Cook until warm, and pour the sauce all over the rice, there should be a noticeable sizzle and smoke. After about a minute, form a well in the middle of the pan, and pour in the beaten egg. Wait about a minute and stir the egg into the rest of the rice/veggie mixture. Continue stirring constantly until the egg is completely cooked, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Feel free to add cooked meat along with the vegetables, but it is not necessary.

Let's make this fast, I've got a lab to write

I know some hardcore foodies out there may claim this to be an inferior dish because it isn’t made from the freshest or best cuts of meat, however when in college you sometimes have to just bite the bullet and cook a chicken cutlet. I’ve heard these chunks of meat called names from ‘kinda dry’ to ‘really tiny’ to ‘pressed sawdust’. Let me just say that they come in 10 pound bags in the freezer section, last for quite a bit. Being stuck in class all day everyday doesn’t leave much time for heading to the store to buy things fresh, so frozen (as you shall soon see) has become somewhat of a staple in the 210.

This recipe was somewhat of an experiment I performed a little over a year ago. I’ve never really been a fan of overly herbaceous dishes where chefs leave chunks of foliage on my plate that are rarely edible. Hell, I poke fun at my Mom for putting parsley in the annual shrimp tray (post coming later :oD). But when only one herb is used and is carried throughout the majority of the meal, I find it soothing and somewhat satisfying, to know that everything is meant to go together, even if there is a small leaf connecting the parts. Sure, Basil chicken is not the most innovative thing to come to mind, especially when served with brown rice and frozen vegetables, but it makes a hearty meal, and now that it’s getting colder out, we could all use a little home lovin’.

So here it is, a simple homemade meal that might leave you wanting more, or may twinge at your heartstrings just enough to remind you of something Mom might have made on a busy weekday night. Feel free to tweak this recipe as you please, after all, change is what makes life interesting, right?

Basil Chicken with Winter Vegetables and Rice

**All measurements here are approximate because I’m too lazy to actually measure things while cooking**

CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts, thawed if necessary – about ¼ pound each
A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
1 tablespoon of dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1-2 tablespoons of garlic powder
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Combine everything in a large zip-top bag and rub the spices into the meat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes. Serve with rice and vegetables.

RICE AND VEGETABLES.

Brown rice, cooked according to package instructions

A bag of frozen mixed vegetables, reheated in a saucepan

For the rice and vegetables, add about a tablespoon of basil leaves to both and generously salt and pepper both. Stir to combine and enjoy! (Seriously, this is simple)

Let the NaBloPoMo Begin

It’s a wonderfully welcome feeling; the crisp air outside, the warm aromas inside – Autumn. It’s my favorite season, especially around this time of year when it begins to transition to winter. Not only are you left with the feelings from Thanksgiving and all that comes with it, but expectant of what’s to come in the next month. All leading up to that one day – Christmas – when everything culminates making it necessary to have a 6 day cool down period to the next hoorah, or year as some might call it.

It’s with these ideas in mind, that I bring this first recipe to my NaBloPoMo challenge arena – Pumpkin Bread. It seems simple enough, and it is, really. Just throw a few things into a bowl, including hearty *canned* pumpkin, and bake for an hour. I mass produced this recipe easily and made a loaf for every group in my family for Thanksgiving. I didn’t want them to have to hold out until Christmas to get some sort of baked goods. :o)

Pumpkin Bread – Makes 2 loaves
(Adapted from epicurious.com)

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 15oz can solid pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. (I used PAM for baking; it works just as well and is a LOT easier and less messy)

Mix sugar and oil in a large bowl with a wire whisk until combined. Add the eggs and pumpkin and whisk until smooth and no lumps are present. Combine the rest of the ingredients in another large bowl. Add this dry mixture in 3-4 additions whisking each time to avoid lumps forming. Split batter equally between the two pans and bake for 60-70 minutes. Let cool in the pans at least 30 minutes before removing. You can freeze the extra loaf or give it as a gift!

NaBloPoMo

Oh, Hello. It's been awhile, no? I have to admit, I'm haven't been the best at keeping up with this the past few months. That's difficult to type -- months. Let's catch you up, shall we??

- I've been super busy with rehearsals, and performances more than ever
- My family has been down to visit a lot this semester
- My brother recently got engaged to his WONDERFUL girlfriend, I'm so happy!!
- Oh and I'm still taking 17 hours worth of class

To add to this, my roommates and I decided this semester we would no longer be sharing food, as it becomes difficult to distiguish who ate what when and how to charge appropriately, so the money situation has been tight as well.

No worries though -- to bolster your food blogging experience here, I've decided over the month of December I'm going to participate in what's called NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Posting Month. Pretty much, all that's required is a post a day everyday for that month. There's a whole site dedicated to this movement where you can see other blog(ger)s -- foodie or otherwise -- and get support for when you just can't find it in you to describe that fateful bite, or breathtaking view any longer::NaBloPoMo.com. I've been testing recipes this past month so I can bring the best to you all during that month, and hopefully you can use some for your holiday gatherings!!

I'm looking forward to it, and I hope you are too. I didn't forget about this site, or any of your readers, I swear!!

See you soon, and happy Monday! (Ugh.)