This recipe is inspired by the flavors of the Gulf coast of Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi and can be served two ways. It makes a great appetizer for a crowd. Or you can serve it over rice and with a vegetable for a great meal for 6.
As you can tell from the name of the recipe and from the ingredients, Gulf Coast Shrimp packs a bit of a spice wallop. If you are serving this as an appetizer, you may want to serve a cooling sauce on the side. (Look for a suggested recipe in the coming days.)
Note: Be sure not to use fresh herbs; they will burn in the oven.
2 pounds shrimp (26-30 count per pound), shelled, deveined and tails removed.
½ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon Cayenne (red) pepper
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
5-6 drops of hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the shrimp on a large baking sheet. Add the oil, salt, basil, thyme, Cayenne pepper, chopped onion, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce on top of the shrimp. Turn the shrimp to coat thoroughly with the oil and spice mixture. Be sure the shrimp are in a single layer.
Roast for 8-10 minutes until the shrimp are firm, pink and cooked through.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Settling for too little?
A recent article from the Parents magazine website (parents.com) looked promising. I hoped that the article, entitled “Redefining the Family Dinner,” would have some great tips about how families can “celebrate every day,” sharing meals that nourish both body and soul. And some of the tips were good, including the tip: “It doesn't have to be Mom doing it alone” (echoing a tip I posted months ago).
But other tips not only do not seem helpful, they actually seem destructive. The two harmful tips that caught my eye:
“It doesn't have to be every night. Sixty-five percent of families with children under 6 eat dinner together five or more nights a week, but that number drops to 50 percent for families with children 12 to 17. As Dr. Silliman observes, "You get one kid in soccer, another in Scouts, and Mom's in a book club, and that can shoot three or four nights a week right there." The solution? "Eat together as often as you can," says Dr. Silliman, "and make it a pleasant experience." Even one night a week, though not optimal, gives your family an opportunity to connect.”
And:
“It doesn't have to be dinner. Tom Price, coauthor, with his wife, Susan Crites Price, of The Working Parents' Help Book (Peterson's, 1996), suggests variations on the evening meal. "If Dad doesn't get home until 8:00, Mom and the kids can have dessert with him. Or the family meal can be Sunday brunch." Lois Feldman and her husband, Fred Stern, of New York City, often work late, so family dinners are irregular. When their son, Michael, was 8, says Feldman, "we instituted family breakfast. It's amazing how bonding it is, even just 15 minutes a day."
The suggestion that families settle for dinner together one night a week? The statement that “just 15 minutes a day” together is sufficient? These two tips actually contradict earlier statements in the article:
“Experts confirm that sharing regular meals as a family brings a banquet of benefits. Ben Silliman, Ph.D., a family-life specialist at the University of Wyoming's Cooperative Extension Service, says, "Children of all ages need to know that parents are accessible to them. One of the big messages that family dinner sends is 'You're important enough for me to spend this time with you.' "
"Mealtime is often the only time in the whole day when everybody's in the same room having a conversation," says William Doherty, Ph.D., author of The Intentional Family (Addison Wesley Longman, 1997), "so it's where the family's culture gets created." Even more impressive is the research suggesting that regular family meals can sharpen a child's intellect. Diane Beals, Ed.D., of the University of Tulsa, and Patton Tabors, Ed.D., of Harvard, studied 80 preschoolers and found that mealtime conversation built vocabulary even more effectively than listening to stories or reading aloud. And because gathering for a family meal is an inherently communal exercise, it naturally gives rise to basic courtesies, like saying "Please" and "Thank you," and keeping your mouth (mostly) shut when you chew.”
Yes, I know it can be challenging to eat dinner together as a family every night. Our family is in the midst of one of a challenging week: last night, Kathleen had a work commitment, so Peter and I had dinner together without her. Tonight, Kathleen and I have a commitment, so Peter will have dinner with his grandparents. But if everyday celebrations are important, particularly for families with children, then it is important to keep such challenging schedule conflicts to a minimum.
Keep on the look out for more tips about how to make everyday celebrations happen. And if you have a tip, please share it!
But other tips not only do not seem helpful, they actually seem destructive. The two harmful tips that caught my eye:
“It doesn't have to be every night. Sixty-five percent of families with children under 6 eat dinner together five or more nights a week, but that number drops to 50 percent for families with children 12 to 17. As Dr. Silliman observes, "You get one kid in soccer, another in Scouts, and Mom's in a book club, and that can shoot three or four nights a week right there." The solution? "Eat together as often as you can," says Dr. Silliman, "and make it a pleasant experience." Even one night a week, though not optimal, gives your family an opportunity to connect.”
And:
“It doesn't have to be dinner. Tom Price, coauthor, with his wife, Susan Crites Price, of The Working Parents' Help Book (Peterson's, 1996), suggests variations on the evening meal. "If Dad doesn't get home until 8:00, Mom and the kids can have dessert with him. Or the family meal can be Sunday brunch." Lois Feldman and her husband, Fred Stern, of New York City, often work late, so family dinners are irregular. When their son, Michael, was 8, says Feldman, "we instituted family breakfast. It's amazing how bonding it is, even just 15 minutes a day."
The suggestion that families settle for dinner together one night a week? The statement that “just 15 minutes a day” together is sufficient? These two tips actually contradict earlier statements in the article:
“Experts confirm that sharing regular meals as a family brings a banquet of benefits. Ben Silliman, Ph.D., a family-life specialist at the University of Wyoming's Cooperative Extension Service, says, "Children of all ages need to know that parents are accessible to them. One of the big messages that family dinner sends is 'You're important enough for me to spend this time with you.' "
"Mealtime is often the only time in the whole day when everybody's in the same room having a conversation," says William Doherty, Ph.D., author of The Intentional Family (Addison Wesley Longman, 1997), "so it's where the family's culture gets created." Even more impressive is the research suggesting that regular family meals can sharpen a child's intellect. Diane Beals, Ed.D., of the University of Tulsa, and Patton Tabors, Ed.D., of Harvard, studied 80 preschoolers and found that mealtime conversation built vocabulary even more effectively than listening to stories or reading aloud. And because gathering for a family meal is an inherently communal exercise, it naturally gives rise to basic courtesies, like saying "Please" and "Thank you," and keeping your mouth (mostly) shut when you chew.”
Yes, I know it can be challenging to eat dinner together as a family every night. Our family is in the midst of one of a challenging week: last night, Kathleen had a work commitment, so Peter and I had dinner together without her. Tonight, Kathleen and I have a commitment, so Peter will have dinner with his grandparents. But if everyday celebrations are important, particularly for families with children, then it is important to keep such challenging schedule conflicts to a minimum.
Keep on the look out for more tips about how to make everyday celebrations happen. And if you have a tip, please share it!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Verdict on Last Night's Culinary Experiment -- Not So Good
I decided to experiment for dinner last night. Earlier in the week I was going through an accordian file of recipes -- some loose, some booklets that came with small appliances, etc. -- and I discovered a recipe booklet from the early 1990s from Kraft. One recipe in particular caught my eye: Orange-Glazed Chicken.
Much has changed in the nearly 20 years since this booklet was published: tastes, availability of ingredients, cooking styles, etc. I knew that I would have to tweak this recipe, but I thought the taste combination was promising.
The verdict: I still have some more tweaking to do! While it wasn't bad (it was, after all, edible), it wasn't "blog-worthy." I still think the taste combination is promising.
Stay tuned. I have a few ideas to make it better. When it's excellent, I'll post it here.
Much has changed in the nearly 20 years since this booklet was published: tastes, availability of ingredients, cooking styles, etc. I knew that I would have to tweak this recipe, but I thought the taste combination was promising.
The verdict: I still have some more tweaking to do! While it wasn't bad (it was, after all, edible), it wasn't "blog-worthy." I still think the taste combination is promising.
Stay tuned. I have a few ideas to make it better. When it's excellent, I'll post it here.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Is There Hope for People Who Can't Cook?
Last night I saw the premiere of a new cooking show Worst Cooks in America (10 p.m. Sunday on the Food Network). The premise of the show is simple: round up some really bad cooks (24 total) and the worst of the worst will then be part of a ten-day culinary boot camp lead by two chefs.
The first thing the 24 contestants did was prepare their signature dishes. What the contestants made was, well, horrible. Of course I couldn't smell or taste them (thank goodness!), but seeing them was less than appealing. As I was watching, I kept wondering, "Oh come on, no one can be that bad a cook!" Apparently, I was wrong.
I was struck with the motivation of the contestants to be on this reality show. After all, they will be exposed as inept in the kitchen. But several of the cooks talked about a desire to learn how to cook for their families, or their friends, or even themselves. Most see this experience as an opportunity to become good cooks.
The show is an inspiration to me to continue with the Celebrate Every Day project. The 24 people who agreed to be on are not the only people who doubt their culinary ability. If even one person overcomes their uncertainty and starts to prepare meals to nourish both body and soul through this blog, it will be worth it!
Some tips to help get started:
Taste what you're cooking -- the chefs on the premiere episode echoed this tip I shared in an earlier blog post.
Don't be a afraid; you can do this -- Really, you can. I will do what I can to help. Browse through past posts for recipes and tips. And keep coming back for more. I promise to post at least twice a week.
The first thing the 24 contestants did was prepare their signature dishes. What the contestants made was, well, horrible. Of course I couldn't smell or taste them (thank goodness!), but seeing them was less than appealing. As I was watching, I kept wondering, "Oh come on, no one can be that bad a cook!" Apparently, I was wrong.
I was struck with the motivation of the contestants to be on this reality show. After all, they will be exposed as inept in the kitchen. But several of the cooks talked about a desire to learn how to cook for their families, or their friends, or even themselves. Most see this experience as an opportunity to become good cooks.
The show is an inspiration to me to continue with the Celebrate Every Day project. The 24 people who agreed to be on are not the only people who doubt their culinary ability. If even one person overcomes their uncertainty and starts to prepare meals to nourish both body and soul through this blog, it will be worth it!
Some tips to help get started:
Taste what you're cooking -- the chefs on the premiere episode echoed this tip I shared in an earlier blog post.
Don't be a afraid; you can do this -- Really, you can. I will do what I can to help. Browse through past posts for recipes and tips. And keep coming back for more. I promise to post at least twice a week.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year!
It's a new year, a year in which I resolve to:
+ Celebrate every day
+ Prepare and enjoy meals can be spiritual, social, succulent, simple and special
and
+ Post tips, hints and recipes to help you do the same!
May this be a blessed New Year, a year to savor God's blessings and to be a blessing for others!
+ Celebrate every day
+ Prepare and enjoy meals can be spiritual, social, succulent, simple and special
and
+ Post tips, hints and recipes to help you do the same!
May this be a blessed New Year, a year to savor God's blessings and to be a blessing for others!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Baked Pork Chops & Apples
Not only was our local supermarket having a special on boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see the previous post), but also on boneless pork chops. Like a chicken breast, a boneless pork chop is a versatile centerpiece for a meal. I have a favorite recipe for pork chops from The Joy of Cooking, but as wonderful as it is, making it every time we have pork gets monotonous. I wondered: how could I make something new?
I looked through an old cookbook for inspiration. One of the pork recipes I came across contained what seemed like it would be an interesting taste combination, but I thought I could do better. So I tweaked it, switching out ingredients, modifying the cooking method, and in the process I created a new recipe.
This new, improved recipe is simple and quick to prepare. It also tastes delicious, with a delightfully unexpected sweet-and-sour flavor.
Serves 4
4 boneless pork chops, ¾ inch thick (about 1 to 1 ¼ pounds total)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 medium apples (Gala or Golden Delicious are good varieties)
¼ cup maple syrup (real maple syrup, not pancake syrup)
¼ cup apple juice
¼ cup soy sauce (preferably reduced sodium)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon corn starch
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place pork chops in a baking dish. Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. Peel, core and chop the apples into bite size pieces. Place the chopped apple on top of the pork.
In a small bowl whisk together the maple syrup, apple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, corn starch and ginger. Pour the sauce over the pork and apples.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Turn the chops over and bake for another 15 minutes.
Two possible accompaniments to this dish are couscous or rice. Both taste great with the baked apples and sauce spooned over them.
I looked through an old cookbook for inspiration. One of the pork recipes I came across contained what seemed like it would be an interesting taste combination, but I thought I could do better. So I tweaked it, switching out ingredients, modifying the cooking method, and in the process I created a new recipe.
This new, improved recipe is simple and quick to prepare. It also tastes delicious, with a delightfully unexpected sweet-and-sour flavor.
Serves 4
4 boneless pork chops, ¾ inch thick (about 1 to 1 ¼ pounds total)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 medium apples (Gala or Golden Delicious are good varieties)
¼ cup maple syrup (real maple syrup, not pancake syrup)
¼ cup apple juice
¼ cup soy sauce (preferably reduced sodium)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon corn starch
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place pork chops in a baking dish. Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. Peel, core and chop the apples into bite size pieces. Place the chopped apple on top of the pork.
In a small bowl whisk together the maple syrup, apple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, corn starch and ginger. Pour the sauce over the pork and apples.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Turn the chops over and bake for another 15 minutes.
Two possible accompaniments to this dish are couscous or rice. Both taste great with the baked apples and sauce spooned over them.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Chicken Stuffed with Ricotta & Roasted Red Pepper
Once again, our local supermarket was having a special on boneless, skinless chicken breast. Chicken breast is a versatile centerpiece for a meal. Yet it can also be boring to prepare it the same way time after time. It can also be boring to have only four or five different ways to prepare it.
So I looked on this chicken breast special as an opportunity to experiment. I scanned the refrigerator for some inspiration. We had some ricotta cheese leftover from a previous dinner. And there was a jar of roasted red peppers. What if I combined these three ingredients to create a brand new recipe?
It turned out to be delicious!
Serves 4
½ cup ricotta cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup roasted red pepper (from a jar, preferably with the pepper packed in olive oil)
½ cup Italian-style bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place the ricotta cheese in a mesh strainer and drain.
Meanwhile, trim the fat from the chicken. Put a 1 ½ foot-long piece of plastic wrap on the counter and place one chicken breast on the plastic wrap, four to five inches from the edge. Fold the remaining plastic wrap over the chicken. Using a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, pound out the chicken till it is about 1/4 -inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
In a small bowl, combine the drained ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.
Top each chicken breast half with approximately ¼ of the cheese mixture and spread evenly. Place approximately ¼ of the red peppers on one end of each chicken breast half. Then, starting at the end with the pepper, roll the chicken. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Sprinkle each chicken roll with breadcrumbs to lightly coat. Place each roll seam side down in a baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
So I looked on this chicken breast special as an opportunity to experiment. I scanned the refrigerator for some inspiration. We had some ricotta cheese leftover from a previous dinner. And there was a jar of roasted red peppers. What if I combined these three ingredients to create a brand new recipe?
It turned out to be delicious!
Serves 4
½ cup ricotta cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup roasted red pepper (from a jar, preferably with the pepper packed in olive oil)
½ cup Italian-style bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place the ricotta cheese in a mesh strainer and drain.
Meanwhile, trim the fat from the chicken. Put a 1 ½ foot-long piece of plastic wrap on the counter and place one chicken breast on the plastic wrap, four to five inches from the edge. Fold the remaining plastic wrap over the chicken. Using a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, pound out the chicken till it is about 1/4 -inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
In a small bowl, combine the drained ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.
Top each chicken breast half with approximately ¼ of the cheese mixture and spread evenly. Place approximately ¼ of the red peppers on one end of each chicken breast half. Then, starting at the end with the pepper, roll the chicken. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Sprinkle each chicken roll with breadcrumbs to lightly coat. Place each roll seam side down in a baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
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