Shrimp Tostadas

This is a great recipe when you need to feed a crowd. A pound of shrimp goes a long way when topping the tostadas. If you're pressed for time, you can certainly use packaged tostadas.  Shop wisely when purchasing your shrimp.  If at all possible, always buy U.S. wild-caught shrimp!

¼ cup vegetable oil

8 corn tortillas (6-inch)

Kosher salt

1 bag angel hair coleslaw (4 cups)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 T. distilled white vinegar

3 T. olive oil, divided
2 t. taco seasoning

12 oz. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped, and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 t. minced garlic

2 T. fresh lime juice

Tabasco sauce to taste
½ cup minced white onion, rinsed and patted dry

1 avocado, diced

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees F.  Fry tortillas, one at a time, until crisp, flipping halfway through, about 1 minute; drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt.

Toss together coleslaw, cilantro, vinegar, and 1 T. olive oil; season with salt.

Toss shrimp in taco seasoning. Cook shrimp in remaining 2 T. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, 2 – 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in lime juice until absorbed, then season with Tabasco.

Top prepared tostadas with coleslaw, onion, avocado, and shrimp.

Adapted from Cuisine at Home Issue No. 128 March/April 2019

Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Parsley Salad

This recipe caught my eye and I knew I wanted to try it this week. I had sockeye salmon in the freezer which I let thaw in the fridge today.  We all appreciate those meals which come together quickly. The salmon roasted in the oven while I mixed up the salad. This is definitely a 30-minute meal. The asparagus salad is amazing and remember to get a bite of salad with every bite of salmon!  So healthy and fresh tasting.  Yum!

For the salad dressing:

2 T. EACH white wine vinegar and olive oil

1 T. EACH minced shallots and fresh tarragon

1 t. EACH Dijon mustard and raw honey

For the salad:

1 bunch asparagus (1 lb.), trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

For the salmon:

4 skinned wild salmon fillets (4 - 6 oz. each)

1 T. olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil.

Whisk together, the vinegar, oil, shallots, tarragon, Dijon, and honey for the vinaigrette.  Season with salt and pepper.

Blanch asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 30 – 60 seconds; transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry.

Toss asparagus and parsley with vinaigrette just before serving.

For the salmon, pat fillets dry; rub both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange fillets on prepared baking sheet.  Roast fillets until the thickest part are still translucent and a thermometer inserted into center registers 125 degrees for medium-rare; about 8 minutes.

Top fillets with salad.

From Cuisine at Home Issue No. 134 March/April 2019

Three Cheese Italian Sausage Pizza

Yes, I could eat pizza every day. I love pizza! This version is unique in that ricotta and mozzarella are mixed together are the base for all the delicious toppings. The pizza sauce goes on TOP of the cheese. Find your favorite chicken Italian seasoned sausage and don't forget to add those dollops of pesto right before serving!

1 purchased thin pizza crust (12 inch)

1 T. olive oil

1/3 cup part-skim ricotta

1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

Salt and black pepper to taste

½ cup purchased pizza sauce

12 cup shredded fontina

½ cup seeded and thinly sliced mini sweet pepper

1 link Italian-style chicken sausage (2 oz.) sliced

6 slices fresh tomato

1 – 2 T. purchased refrigerated basil pesto

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. with a baking stone on bottom rack.

Place crust on a baking stone and brush with oil.

Combine ricotta and mozzarella, season with salt and pepper and spread on the crust, leaving a 1-inch border.  Spread pizza sauce on top of ricotta mixture, then top with fontina, peppers, sausage, and tomatoes.

Bake pizza on stone until cheese is bubbling and crust is brown, 15 – 20 minutes. Dollop pesto over hot pizza.

From Cuisine at Home Issue No. 134 March/April 2019

Pork Chop Suey

Pork Chop Suey is generally considered to have been invented by Chinese Americans.  It's another time-saving meal because this was ready in about 25 minutes.  That even beats "carry out" ordering time!

You'll want to cook the onions just enough to soften them and remove the raw taste, but not too long or they'll be mushy!  Shitake mushroom stems can sometimes be tough. Cut them off and discard or you can save them for stock.

It's essential to prepare the pork and vegetables before you begin cooking.  Once you start cooking, things go quickly!

2 T. peanut oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 cups stemmed and sliced shitake mushrooms
1 cup bias cut celery
1 cup sliced white onions
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. minced fresh garlic
1 T. cornstarch
Cilantro for garnishing

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add pork and stir-fry until browned, 3 - 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add shitakes, celery, and onions stir-fry until onions soften, about 4 minutes.

Whisk together broth, soy sauce, garlic, and cornstarch. Stir into work and boil until thickened, 1 - 2 minutes.

Stir in pork and any residual juices into wok until heated through. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

From Cuisine at Home Issue 128 March/April 2018

Bean Sprout Salad with chow mein noodles

Bean sprouts and chow mein noodles are both common ingredients in chop suey and this salad makes an excellent, crunchy side dish to serve alongside the chop suey.  Remember that bean sprouts are susceptible to spoilage, so keep them refrigerated and rinse them thoroughly before using. 

Let's make the vinaigrette first:

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. toasted sesame oil

2 t. sugar

1 t.chili garlic sauce

Whisk together all ingredients.  Set aside.

For the salad, you'll need:

2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts

1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper

1/2 cup bias-sliced scallions

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup chow mein noodles

Combine all ingredients (except chow mein noodles) in a large bowl. Toss with vinaigrette just before serving and mix in chow mein noodles.

From Cuisine at Home Issue 128 March/April 2018

One Pot Ragu with Italian Sausage

We all love one pot meals. When that one pot meal is a pot of comfort food that's a great bonus!  This dish will take about 30 minutes to prepare.  Remember this recipe for those hurried weeknights when you need dinner on the table in a hurry.  

1/2 cup EACH chopped carrot, celery, and onion 

2 T. olive oil

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage

1 (28 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, seasoned with basil and oregano

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 T. Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz. spaghetti (noodles broken in half)
2 T. tomato paste

salt and black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Mince the vegetables in a food processor.

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Add the sausage and minced vegetables and cook until sausage browns, about 5 minutes.

Stir in diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and the spaghetti noodles.  Make sure the noodles are submerged in the broth.  Bring liquid to a boil. Add tomato paste.  Cover pot, reduce heat to medium/low and cook ragu until pasta is al dente, and sauce thickens, 8 - 10 minutes. Season ragu with salt and pepper.  Stir in chopped basil.

Adapted from Cuisine at Home Issue No. 133 September/October 2018

Frontier Soups: White Bean Chili with Pork

Sweet Harold received a gift basket which included a white bean chili mix from Frontier Soup Mixes.  The packaging suggested that ground turkey and artichoke hearts be added to the mix when preparing.  We discussed it and decided to use ground pork instead and omit the artichoke hearts.  Here is the result!

Our thoughts?  Ease of preparation was a 10/10.  I especially enjoyed the seasoning blend. Not too much of any one flavor, but every spice had a great balance with the others.

I might add a can of Rotel tomatoes next time, but this was a great pot of chili!  I'm anxious to try some of their other soups.

The cornbread was entirely different than what I usually make, but we enjoyed it.  It was baked in an 8 x 8-inch baking pan.  The cornbread had a sweet taste, but it paired nicely with the chili.

Instant Pot Cooking: Great Northern Beans

With my Instant Pot, I didn't need to babysit a pot of Great Northern Beans on the stove top all day. A quick rinse and sort, a 7-hour soak, and 10 minutes of cooking in the Instant Pot and the beans were tender and flavorful.  You can certainly add smoked sausage or a ham hock to the beans while they cook. For this batch, I added about a T. of ham base.

1 lb. Great Northern Beans, rinsed and picked over to remove any debris

water to cover

1 T. ham base (Better than Bouillon brand)

Place beans in a large glass bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or several hours. Drain water.

Place beans in Instant Pot. Cover with water by about 2 inches. Add 1 T. ham base. 

Place the Instant Pot cover on, lock the lid, and set the pressure valve to steam. Set the cooking time for 10 minutes on high pressure.

When time is up, press "cancel" and let the steam naturally release. When the pressure has been fully released, carefully remove the lid with it facing away from you.  Serve these delicious beans over your favorite cornbread.

 

The Little Ones' Snowmen Table

I always enjoy setting the grandchildren a snowmen and snowwomen table during January each year.  

A white tablecloth with a snowflake motif is the perfect snowy backdrop for the table. Rattan chargers and wood handled silverware bring a touch of the outdoors to the table. The dark navy blue napkins are a perfect match for the Cobalt blue Fiestaware plates with the snow "people" salad plates.

I love this pitcher with the coordinating salt and pepper shakers and the larger snowman and woman.

How about a fun miniature wooden sled for the centerpiece?

And I dearly love these Beanie Babies!

Dining Out Southeast: Hector's Kitchen, Attalla, AL

After our first visit, we decided we were going to "eat our way through the menu."  We're making progress! 

For the last visit, we chose the Jalapeno Cheese Sticks with Hogoa Sauce $7.99  These are NOT your typical run of the mill, served with mild marinara sauce cheese sticks. These are battered with a jalapeno spicy breading and served with a Hogoa Sauce. What is Hogoa Sauce? It's made with fresh tomatoes, sofrita, Columbian seasoning and lots of patience. This is another example of the time and attention to detail that Hector puts into his food. When a restauranteur slow simmers an accompanying sauce for 2 hours, you know that every food item on the menu is made in the same way.

Our next new item to try was the Hot Honey Habanero Wings $9.99 for a full appetizer sized order. These were served complimentary by ordering mojitos! These wings were full of flavor, but not overly spicy. They were sticky from the honey and absolutely delicious!

I ordered one of the numerous daily specials: Nacho Bowl with Shredded Chicken $6.99 First things first. Look at the attention to detail in this presentation. This is not your Taco Bell nachos. This bowl is layered with chips, queso, black beans, a ton of shredded chicken, shredded cheese, pico, and sour cream. If this item is on the specials menu when you visit, give it a try!

Sweet Harold new menu item to try was the Chorizo Burger $8.99.  The burger is made with a spicy Spanish style chorizo on a lightly toasted Kaiser roll topped with a spring mix of greens, fresh tomatoes (he chose to omit, so it's not on the picture), onion, and pickles, pepper jack cheese and served with (my favorite) Chimichurri Mayo on the side.  You also have a serving of tortilla chips and choice of salsa or queso.  He really enjoyed the spicy heat of this burger and said he would definitely order again.

If you haven't been to Hector's, you seriously need to check them out.  There's something for everyone on the menu!