What's for Dinner, Grilled BBQ Shrimp!

I love New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. I have made the real thing many times but it is REALLY fattening! Of all of the seasonings we have tried, LaDon's from Gonzales, Louisiana is our favorite. Part of the reason is cumin. If it's in there, I can't even get near it for I just can't stand the smell.

So moving on...I began to use the seasoning like a dry rub years ago. We can buy Jumbo Shrimp at a pretty reasonable price.

The ones I bought were head on and were $6.99 per lb. In the end, 18 peeled shrimp with just the tail on cost about $10.50. Not bad.

Peel Shrimp and place on skewers. Pat dry of water and add about 1 Tbl olive oil. Season with LaDon's BBQ Shrimp Seasoning.

Heat grill to Medium high. (Have the rest of the dinner ready cause this cooks in a matter of minutes.) Grill about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side. As soon as it turns pink it is done. I like to serve a lemon wedge which goes nicely with the spicy seasoning.

Note: If you frequently find your shrimp is mushy, you are over cooking it.

J.Lohr Seven Oaks 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

J. Lohr, Seven Oaks, Paso Robles, Cabernet Sauvignon. This bottle is very nice, especially with chocolate! I was surprised by how smooth it is since it is so young. Unfortunately, I don't know what we paid but if I find out, I will add the price.

Just In Time for Easter Brunch , Orange Raspberry Scones!

I used to think that scones were buttermilk biscuits in a different shape until this past Thanksgiving. We, 29 family members, shared a house in OBX and my brother, G, and his wife, M, prepared for us 2 batches of scones. Oh my goodness they were so good! Once home, I found a number of recipes and in the end created my own. This is loosely based on a Martha Stewart recipe from her Baking Handbook.
I don't like giant plump watered down pieces of fuit in my food and often times that's what you get when you bake with fresh berries. I found dried raspberries at Christmastime at the Fresh Market and those work perfectly. I have pure citrus oil (Williams-Sonoma or King Arthur) in my pantry and to get a really good flavor you can use either the zest of an orange or 1/2 tsp orange oil.
This is a simple process.

To begin- Preheat oven to 375F.
In large bowl add:

2 1/2 C All Purpose Flour, 2 Tbl Sugar, 1 Tbl Baking Powder, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 3/4 tsp Salt. Stir using a wire whip. Take 1 Stick Unsalted Butter out of frezer and cut into quarters the long way then slice to make about 24 pieces. Using a pastry blend, cut butter into flour mixture until is resembles peas sized pieces. Mix in 1.2 oz. Dried Rapsberries (Trader Joes). Add 1 Egg Yolk and 1/2 tsp Orange Oil to 9 oz Heavy Cream. Stir with a fork. Make a well in the flour and pour liquid into flour mixture and mix with a spoon or sturdy rubber spatula. Before it becomes a solid form, dump onto pastry cloth.

Using cloth, fold edges up to form a disc shape.

Using very sharp knife, cut the disc into 8 or 10 wedges.

Place wedges on parchment lined sheet pan. Brush with heavy cream and dust with Sanding Sugar (Williams-Sonoma).

Bake in hot oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown, do not over cook. For reheating, place in 300F oven for 5-7 minutes. Serve with an herbed omelette and champagne!

A Walk In the Garden Photos, 18 Days Later

We just had 3 nights of horrible weather. Of course the trees liked it and our Kieffer Pear tree is in full bloom! Yesterday was beautiful, breezy, very sunny and cool. I thought we missed spring temperatures but they are here now.

My Roma Tomato is chugging along. I thought I had 3 tomatoes and am happy to discover a few more.

What's amzing is the plant in the fore front is nearest the compost, but all 6 plants pictured are from the same 9 pack.

Banana Pepper Plant.

I have 2 Cucumber plants that look like this.

The Sugar Snap Peas are beginning to grow fine tentacles which will wrap around the trellis for support. The birds ate some of my seeds so a week ago I added new seeds in all of the open spaces. Those seeds are just popping up. This cool weather plant that won't produce once it gets really warm.

I planted eggplant by seed and bought 3 plants, pictured, just to get a jump start. We'll see what does best. The plants are Ichabad and the seeds are Early Long Purple .

I love my roses! Each plant is a different rose of which at this point I don't even know what I have. You'll see in about a month! I fertilized about a month ago. They are all happy except for my Peace Rose which was taken over by blue iris. I have yet to get the large canes of the climbing rose tied to the trellis. Tomorrow I will work on it with my helper. See you in about 10 days for another walk through the garden!

Simi Chardonnay

I have to admit, I drank a lot of this wine in San Francisco and I remember it well. The managers would go out after work on a Friday to a little bar near the hotel where I worked and I think we paid about $11 a bottle. Back then wine was about $2.50 or $3.00 a glass. This wasn't priced too badly here locally, at $13. Sonoma has great Chardonnays and for a table wine, this is a great wine. It has big fruit flavor, is not overly dry. I don't taste all the butter and oak that I grew to love but it is just fine. I did a quick salt and sugar test and took a sip. I think this would pair well with something sweet. Maybe ham with a sweet glaze, sweet potatoes, a sweet tasting salad dressing but not neccessarily dessert.

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

Wow! This was really good and I completely made it up! Here's how to do it. You will need 2 racks of lamb. We share a rack which is 8 ribs. I like to cook two racks and have 1 to reheat another night. Some people can eat an entire rack but you decide. I used to but I see no point now.
S&P and sear racks over medium heat for about 3 minutes, til light brown and easily lifts from the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a bowl mix finely chopped 1 Tbl Fresh Mint and 1/2 Tbl Fresh Parsley. Add 1 Clove of Pressed Garlic, 1 Small Shallot Bulb minced, 2 Tbl Fresh Bread Crumbs, 1 Tbl soften Butter, and S&P.

Top seared racks with all of the bread crumb mixture.
Preheat oven to 375F.

Once ready to cook, using an oven proof skillet, place lamb in hot oven and roast for 20 minutes for medium rare or 25 minutes for medium doneness.

Let rest for 5 minutes, carve, and serve. Melt in your mouth delicious!

My Skinny on Fat

Monitoring fat intake is a personal affair, I liken it to using the restroom and washing your hands. No one really knows what you did in there.

I sat in a meeting about 15 years ago where the speaker spoke on topics of eating and exercise. He discussed fat intake and fat cells. He explained that we form fat cells at 3 times in our life. The 3rd trimester (what the mother eats matters), between the ages 4-7 (what we feed our children at this critical time is highly important) and in times of heavy dieting. We can't control the 1st two but the third is tricky business. If you feel you lose weight and then gain it back and then some, you are probably right. You body forms more fat cells as its supplies are being depleted. If you gain weight, you have more cells to fill and more fat is in fact stored. Constant weight loss and gain is defeating the purpose. Excercise and a healthy diet of all food groups is always the best habit you can have. I have always had a very strong sense of both.

I have never deliberately cut fat out of my diet. I don't eat a lot of fried foods but I sautee with Butter and Olive or Canola Oil, I drink 1/2 & 1/2 in my coffee, and I only buy whole milk for my son and for my cooking needs. If you try to get by on a 1/2 grapefruit and a rice cake for breakfast, I think you will find you can't make it til lunch without a snack. If your snack is a bag of chips or cookies, which most often it is since we have the least access to the right foods, then it is my belief you would be best served having a real breakfast and omitting the snack.

From this long ago meeting the way it was explained was if you can't get from one meal to the next without a snack then you don't have enough fat in your diet. If your job is active that can be particularly true. I don't mean go crazy gourging on fatty foods, but set up a good mix of all foods including the amount of fat your body needs. Once I had a thin sliced low calorie bread with turkey and no fat cheese. What was the point, I was starving, it was as if I had never eaten lunch and guess what I did?

Some ideas might be to reduce the serving size and if you don't already, eat proper meals, begin to eat all 3 of them, and cut out all snacking in between. Another way to keep eating they way you like is to add excercise. Did you know you burn the same number of calories whether you run or walk a mile? I find if I excercise before I eat, it actually curbs my appetite. Grab someone you like to talk to and begin walking daily. It'll be good for eveyone!

Cinnamon Swirls

I love traditions! I grew up with plenty of them and still follow many of them now that I have my own family. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! I make Cinnamon Swirls throughout the year when I find a 3 hour block of time in the morning. A few years ago they became a tradition in my house on Mardi Gras Day. I will admit though, my son and I end up eating all of them within a matter of days. I reheat them in the oven and glaze to order.


In a Kitchen Aid Mixing Bowl, combine 1/2 C Warm Water (approx. 105F), 1 Tbl Rapid Rise (or any other) Yeast, and a sprinkle of Sugar. Dissolve yeast by stirring with a wooden spoon and let sit for 5 minutes. Once mixture bubbles, place on mixing stand. Add 2 Egg Yolks to a measuring cup. Fill to 1 Cup with warm water. Place mixer on the #2 setting. Add egg yolk mixture. Add 1 tsp Cinnamon, 2 Tbl Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla, 1/4 tsp Cardamom. Begin adding All Purpose Flour, 1/2 C at a time. After about 2 cups, Add 1 tsp Salt. Keep adding flour til soft pliable ball forms. If it sticks to the bowl, continue adding flour til a ball forms. The ball should be slightly sticky. Remove dough from bowl as 1 piece. Begin folding down and under exposing some stretch marks. Oil clean bowl lightly and a place dough in top side down and getting oil on dough ball. Turn top back upward. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm spot. I place in on the back of my stove top with the heat lamp on.

After an hour it will double in size. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle. In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbl Sugar, 1 Tbl Light Brown Sugar and 1 tsp Cinnamon. Spread 2 Tbl Soft Butter over dough. Sprinkle evenly with sugar mixture. If you are adding raisins, do it now.





Roll along the long side into a log. Let rest while you butter the bottom and sides of a 12X15 glass baking dish. Cut dough log in half. Cut each half in half. Cut each piece into 3 equal pieces.






This makes 12 cinnamon swirls. Place in baking dish spiral side up. Mix around large and small cuts so the dish isn't crowed. Place damp towel over the dish and set on the back of the stove. After 15 minutes, heat oven to 450F. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Once it comes out of the oven, brush with melted butter.  Make a glaze mixing 1/2 & 1/2 and powdered sugar. Do this after they come out of the oven as it allows for a 5 minute rest. Let each person top his or her own. Brew coffee or freshly squeeze juice. No need for lunch on this day.

What's for Dinner, Herbed Stuffed Cornish Hen?

Roasted Cornish Game Hen with lemon and fresh herbs! This is a simple dish that cooks quickly if you use cornish game hens. You can buy the twin pack in your frozen section for around $6. I like Tyson because they don't have all the gizzards in the cavity therefore they thaw evenly and quickly. The key is to use a roasting pan large enough so the meat doesn't touch.
Preheat oven to 375F. Rinse 2 Hens under cool water and place in roasting pan. Wash hands. Cut 1 lemon into quarters the long way. Pick or buy the herbs you want to use. I just bought a few new ones so I picked mine. Pictured is parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. You can use 1 or combine several.

Holding each hen open on end, sprinkle in salt, I like kosher salt. Stuff lemon into cavity along with herbs. Butter the outside and S&P to taste. Place in oven and rotate every 20 minutes or so. They will be done in 1 hour.
Let rest for 10 minutes. Remove lemon and herbs and cut in half. I serve 1 half per person.

Praxis Merlot

I drank a fair bit of Merlot when I lived in SF. It was very reasonably priced and I drank it when everyone raved about Cabernet, so it wasn't popular at the time. This bottle reminds me of those days. This is a lovely bottle of wine, smooth and not heavy, good with anything and nice in hot weather or cool. I am not completely sure how large this winery is or how readily available it is. This bottle of wines sells for $16.

Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc

This is a light dry wine that I feel is better with food than by itself. I was actually surprised to read that some of the grapes are aged in oak for a short time. I like oak so it really is very light. I think I paid about $22 for this bottle of wine.

What to do with all of those Easter Eggs?

Jacques Pepin's Eggs Jeannette. I am trying to get ahead of the Easter curve with a few posts. This is one of my favorites because I like to dye eggs and am always looking for something to do with them. My friend J and I made these a long time ago when we had no kids. First we dyed eggs, then we chose the worst ones to make these with. We began to drink and laughed the entire time. The husbands were out grilling steaks. We liked them so much we began to think we should eat them all before they got inside and we decided we would say, "Eggs Jeannette, what Eggs Jeannette?" In the end we saved some for them.
I like to chiffonade spinach and serve the eggs on top, 2 halves per person. We had these last night and my 7 year old ate 6 of them so it's safe to say kids like them, too.
First step, hard cook the eggs. Put 6 Eggs in sauce pan, cover with cold water. Set on stove over medium heat. Just as they come to a boil, turn down the heat so they simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Run cold water over them dumping the hot water as you go to cool the eggs down. Peel eggs. Note to self, 1 egg takes just as long to cook as 6 eggs. The only change I have made to this recipe is I cut the eggs lengthwise.
Cut all the eggs and place yolk in a bowl and whites on a plate. To the bowl add 2 Tbl milk, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 2 Tbl Parsley, S&P. Restuff eggs filling just the cavity.
Heat 14 " skillet empty over medium heat. Add 1 Tbl Olive Oil and 1 Tbl Butter. Place eggs in pan yolk side down and cook til brown. Flip over, cook for another minute and once done and remove from pan. Place on plate.
With remaining 2 Tbl Egg Yolk Mixture, make dressing. Add 2 tsp Mustard either Stone Ground or Dijon, 2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar, 1 Tbl Water, Pinch of S&P. Mix together and drizzle in 1/4 C Olive Oil while stirring with a wire whip.

Place Spinach on individual plates and chill. Add dressing to platter and add eggs, serve warm or at room temperature. Place platter on table and let everyone serve themselves.

Fresh Salsa

Salsa is a must have in our house, especially in warm pool weather. My sister D got me going on this and although ours differ, they are both excellent. Thanks D!! I have to have the ability to whip something up if we have anyone over for a swim day. It holds up in the hot weather, won't spoil in a matter of hours and tastes great! Need I say it goes with a Mojito! It's a really healthy snack especially if you forgo the sour cream. I need to let you know though, I have never counted calories.
Preheat grill to medium high. Rinse 1 Pablano Pepper and 1 Jalapeno Pepper under water and roast till skin is black. Add to paper bag and let cool.
In food processor (get a Cuisinart if you are shopping for one) add: 1/2 28 oz Can Hunts Diced Tomato drained well (have a 14.5 oz can on hand in case you ever have to reduce the heat as peppers vary in size and heat), 3 Garlic Cloves, juice of either a Lemon or a Lime, 1 Slice Red Onion, 1/2 tsp Salt, Freshly Ground Pepper, 1 Tbl Cilantro leaves. Peel Pablano, remove stem and seeds and add just the flesh. Peel Jalapeno, remove stem and seeds and add 1/2 of the flesh. Pulse processor 6-8 times. Taste. Add remaining 1/2 can tomatoes and if needed, 1/2 jalapeno. Adjust any seasoning. While pulsing, drizzle in 1-2 Tbl Olive Oil. Salsa should be slightly chunky and flavorful. Taste for any other adjustments (and write down what you did/would change), and pulse once you have added anything. Serve with good quality chips and sour cream! Enjoy!

Estancia

Over the years I have gone back to this wine as an everyday table wine. The characteristics of this wine have stayed consistant year after year. Often, table wines differ from 1 vintage to another. This can be found from around $10 on sale to $12.

Edna Valley

This a terrific everyday wine. It's light and crisp. It costs anywhere from $10.99 on sale to $14.50 a bottle. You can serve this wine with the Chicken Picatta.

Chicken Picatta

My Picatta has a very light lemon caper sauce and garnished with lemon zest and parsley. I served with Basmati Rice. I use to cook with a friend K, and her family really likes this dish, so this is a shout out to K. She will probably tell you this will get better and better with practice.

The chicken really needs to be cooked just right for this dish to turn out. Repeat after me, I will only turn the chicken 1 time. If you like your plate swimming in sauce you will need to double this recipe.

 
Rinse 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts and place in heavy zip lock bag or between saran sealing losely all the the way around each piece of chicken. Pound til more consistant in thickness and to tenderize.

Prep all other ingredients. Zest 1 Lemon and juice the same Lemon. Get Capers open and place spoon that fits into the jar. Chop 1 Tbl Flat Leaf Parsley. Open 1 Can Chicken Broth.

Preheat 14" pan, empty, over medium heat. In a flat dish (I use pasta plates) add 1 C. Flour and S&P to taste. In a flat dish add 2 Eggs and a splash of water. Beat for 20 seconds til light .

Add Olive Oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Pick up chicken breast and flour, then egg, then flour again. Add to hot pan, you'll hear a slight sizzle. Repeat with each breast. If they won't all fit, cook 3 and cook the 4th separately. Another option is to get 2 pans going and make sauce in the larger of the 2.
Moving on, since the pan is hot, if you shake the pan the chicken will not stick. After about 4 minutes, you will begin to see moisture on the uncooked side. Check to see that you have a golden brown color. When ready, using tongs, flip over carefully. Next side will only take about 3 minutes. Remove and place chicken on a plate, shingling meat so it won't steam and ruin your beautiful coating.
In pan, add lemon juice scraping the pan. Add 8-10 oz Broth and let reduce slightly, that means steaming off some of the water. If you would like it thicker, in a small dish add flour and broth and stir to a thin paste. Add hot broth from the pan and stir, then begin to add that to the pan stirring all the while. Cook for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat. Add capers. Add 2 Tbl Butter to stiffen sauce. You can add chicken back to pan for a few minutes til warm OR plate chicken top with sauce. Garnish with lemon zest and parsley. Serve at once!

Mojito, Cha-Ching

Ok, here's my shout out to M, just like I promised!

Last summer my family went to Destin and we ate dinner at Hemmingways. Delicious! I had my first mojito and loved it. At $9 I tried to resist a 2nd but my darling husband said, go ahead, it's vacation.

After returning home, I searched how to make these and I can assure you I was thinking poolside, right?

We already own pilsner glasses so I needed to find a muddler and some superfine (caster) sugar. Everything else is easily accessible, Bacardi Rum, fresh limes, fresh mint, and club soda. I began making them and I need to let you know they are a little messy and a little time consuming but they are sure good. The first time I made one I was so proud because it looked (and tasted) like the one I drank in Destin so I said, "Look! I made a real mojito and it didn't cost $9, cha-ching!"

Here's how to do it. If you have a pilsner glass it works best.

Wash Lime and cut in half. Cut 1 half into quarters and add to glass. Add 2 tsp Superfine Sugar. Add a few clean Mints Leaves. Muddle this together rendering the lime juice and breaking up the mint leaves. Add 1 1/2 oz. Rum and muddle a bit longer. Add ice and top with Club Soda. Give a swirl with a straw and serve, cha-ching! Best served with friends!