SHRIMP AND CUCUMBER STIR-FRY

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

If you have only enjoyed cucumber in salads and cold preparations, don’t twist your nose and click away from this post. Give the poor cucumber a chance to shine in a slightly different way. This version was inspired by a recipe from Irene Kuo in “The Key to Chinese Cooking”, published in 1977. It is a huge compilation of recipes, but there are no photos. Back in those days, cookbooks for the most part had very few if any pictures. If that does not bother you, I highly recommend you buy it (click here for ordering info).

SHRIMP AND CUCUMBER STIR-FRY
(inspired by The Key to Chinese Cooking)

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 quarts water + 1/4 cup salt + 1/4 cup sugar, fully dissolved
1 large or 2 small cucumbers
shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil
drizzle of sesame oil
fresh cilantro

Brine the shrimp by covering it with the salt-sugar water for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse briefly, set on paper towels to dry.

Cut the ends of the cucumber, peel it leaving some peel to form a stripped pattern. Slice in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and slice each half in pieces, not too thin, around 1/4 inch thick. Reserve.

Make the sauce combining soy, sherry, salt, and sugar. Reserve.

Heat the oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt, sauce for a couple of minutes, then add the cucumbers and saute everything together for a couple of minutes more. Transfer to a bowl. If needed, add a little more oil to the pan, when very hot add the brined shrimp, cook until they turn pink. Add the prepared sauce, coat well the pieces of shrimp with it, add the reserved mushroom-cucumber mixture. The shrimp should be fully cooked by now, pour the 1/4 cup water in, then the dissolved cornstarch, and cook on high heat until the sauce thickens. Add a drizzle of sesame oil, the fresh cilantro, and serve over white rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We will definitely be adding cucumber to stir-fries with other proteins, like chicken and beef. It adds a refreshing note, and the texture is perfect. I see chicken, cucumber and mint in our future. If you need a quick and flavorful option for a weeknight dinner, try this stir-fry and you won’t be disappointed!

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8May2023

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS

Posted in Air-Frying, Poultry by sallybr

The air-fryer does it, friends! If you don’t have one you can still adapt to a regular oven, but I tell you, the texture and how easy it all happens is hard to beat. Ever since we invested in a model with a bigger basket, I’ve been using it all the time.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
juice of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
slices of prosciutto
spray of olive oil

Squirt a very small amount of lemon juice over the chicken breasts, season lightly with salt and pepper, rubbing the mixture all over.

Lay 2 slices of prosciutto overlapping slightly over a board, place one chicken breast over it and wrap the prosciutto around. Carefully place the meat in the air-fryer basket, with the seam side down. Repeat with all other pieces. Spray them with a little olive oil and air-fry at 400F (or as high as your machine goes) for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the meat midway through. You can check the temperature with a probe thermometer if you prefer a little more precision, going for 160F.

Allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I made this twice already and will be repeating it soon, because we really liked it a lot. Prosciutto tends to be expensive, that is the only drawback and you do need two slices per breast. We enjoyed it with green beans with almonds and plain rice, it was a quick and very delicious dinner.

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1Dec2022

COD COCONUT CURRY

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

You can use any mild fish for this, or even go with shrimp, but in that case make sure they are as large as you can find. I started from the Brazilian moqueca concept but used Red Curry paste as the main spice. Delicious, and super simple to prepare. I highly recommend you give it a try.

COD COCONUT CURRY
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

3 large filets of cod
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 shallot, minced
2 celery ribs, finely diced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red curry paste (I used this one)
1 can coconut milk
plenty of fresh cilantro, minced
juice of half a lemon
1/3 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

Start by toasting the coconut, placing the flakes on a non-stick skillet and toasting over medium-heat, watching the pan very very closely, it goes from toasted to burned in a second. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.

Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the shallots and celery until soft and fragrant. Add the ginger, the red curry paste, season with salt and pepper, and sautéed briefly, then add the coconut milk. Gently simmer for 5 minutes in very low heat. Add the pieces of fish, season again with salt, cover the pan and simmer super gently until the fish is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes more. Add the cilantro and lemon juice right before serving, and sprinkle with toasted coconut, adding more on your plate if you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: From start to finish, this will take less than 30 minutes, but it tastes so complex, it is hard to believe it is ready so fast. The best way to enjoy it is over rice (I made brown rice this time), but I had some spaghetti squash in the fridge and that’s the way I had mine. Totally non-traditional, I admit. But it worked great.

As to the red curry paste, you could add more if you like it really spicy, but for us one tablespoon was plenty. I suppose it will also vary with the brand you use, the one I listed is very potent.

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29Jan2022

TIGER SHRIMP IN CHILI SAUCE

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Tiger Cookies, Tiger Shrimp. Both very appropriate for this time of the year, don’t you agree? This is a super simple and quick recipe, with intense flavors. Contrary to most Chinese-inspired stir-fries, this one does not take any thickening agent like cornstarch, so don’t expect that kind of a sauce with some texture and body. We loved it this way, it felt lighter and without any compromise in flavor, quite the contrary. It seems that without any cloying sauce, the spices spoke louder.

TIGER SHRIMP IN CHILI SAUCE
(adapted from The Woks of Life)

1 pound jumbo tiger shrimp (or another type of jumbo size shrimp, peeled and de-veined)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, smashed
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ginger (minced)
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry Sherry)
1/3 cup water (you may not use it all)
cilantro leaves

Rinse the shrimp under running water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Make the sauce by mixing the tomato paste, ketchup, chili garlic sauce, salt, pepper and sesame oil in a medium bowl.

Heat the oil in your wok until smoking hot. Fry the shrimp on both sides for 30 seconds each side. Remove the shrimp from the wok and set aside on a plate. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the ginger and shallots. Sautee for a couple of minutes, add the sauce, Shaoxing wine, cook stirring for a minute. Add half the water, let everything simmer together for another minute, add the shrimp and cook gently in the sauce until just cooked through. If needed, add the rest of the water. Add the fresh cilantro and serve over white rice with a favorite side dish.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was a super vibrant dish, and it is hard to find a simpler and faster way to have dinner at the table. Cooking the rice to go along took a lot longer… We enjoyed it with broccoli, prepared in one of my favorite ways (check it out here) because it is also super quick and very tasty. This one goes into our rotation, for sure! I hope you’ll give it a try…

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13Jan2021

FENNEL-RUBBED SHRIMP IN LIGHT COCONUT SAUCE

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Nothing comes together faster than a meal involving shrimp. Or sea scallops, for that matter. But in this neck of the woods it is a rare, very rare event to find dry scallops, whereas good quality shrimp is always available. For this preparation, instead of using a full can of coconut milk (so common in recipes everywhere), I opted for full-fat yogurt with a touch of light coconut milk. Worked wonderfully well. Tasty but considerably lighter.

FENNEL-RUBBED SHRIMP IN LIGHT COCONUT SAUCE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 + 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground Kashmiri chiles
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/3 cup cashews, toasted
1/2 cup full-fat yogurt
1/4 cup light coconut milk
drizzle of honey
dried mint, to taste (optional)

Combine the ground spices and salt in a bowl, add the shrimp and mix to cover it with spices. Refrigerate for 30 min to 1 hour, if possible, but you can start cooking right away. Mix the yogurt with coconut milk and honey, reserve.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, cook, stirring them for a couple of minutes. Add the yogurt-coconut mixture, and cook in low-heat until shrimp is fully cooked and the sauce reduces a bit. Add the cashew nuts, dried mint (if using), and serve..

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I am calling this dish “Fennel” shrimp because it was the flavor that came through more obviously, at least for me. If you like more heat, add more pepper, or add a touch of cayenne. I love the flavor of Kashmiri pepper, so that’s what I used. If you are like me, and twist the nose at dried mint, I suggest you give it a try. I lost my dried mint snobbism after reading about it in Middle Eastern cookbooks. It has a permanent spot in my pantry now.