1 cup Chinese pea pods, tips removed 1 tbsp sesame or olive oil 1 tsp of Chinese five spice or 1/2 tsp garam masala (spicier) 3 pinches of kosher salt 2 pinches black pepper Optional: 1/2 cup red bell pepper
Heat up a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil. Once heated add the shrimp first and the fruit and vegetables immediately after. Stir occasionally.
Add spices (garam masala or Chinese five spice), salt and pepper
Continue to cook until vegetables are bright green and the shrimp is done (the shrimp should be pink).
Serves 2
ITALIAN SHRIMP
Italian Shrimp with Vegetables
2 cups of medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup of young asparagus
½ cup of green onions, diced
1 zucchini, shredded
2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
4 large basil leaves, chiffonade (rolled and then sliced)
½ cup of baby portabella mushrooms, minced
½ tsp of dried red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Heat up the pan and add the olive oil. Add the shrimp with the garlic, basil, dried red peppers and lemon zest and sauté for 1 minute. Add all of the vegetables and stir lightly.
Continue to cook until vegetables are el dente and the shrimp is thoroughly cooked. Can be served with risotto or some nice crusty bread.
Rice was introduced to the Italians and Spaniards by the Arabs during the Middle Ages. The weather along the Mediterranean Sea was ideal for growing the shorter grained rice, like the Arborio, and the merchants in Genoa, Venice and surrounding towns were able to profit from the rice growing industry that catered to the wealthy.
Citrus Lamb with Risotto
As interest in trade with the Mediterranean increased, others discovered the Italian delicacy and the demand increased for the short-grained rice. The Italian merchants’ profits grew as only the wealthy could afford the rice and other merchants took interest in this profitable product and began providing it as well. The increased availability flooded the market and lowered the price of the rice, making it more affordable.
Southern Italians had used the rice as a staple and slow-cooking (cooking over a low heat source for a long period of time) was predominantly used to prepare the daily meals. When slow-cooking the meals with the short-grained rice, it would combine the rice’s naturally occurring starch with rich stock or broth and create a creamy sauce; this practice would create risotto.
The recipe below utilizes the same principles of items found in southern Italy – lamb, citrus (lemons and oranges), olive oil, Arborio rice, and lemon basil. Although lamb is not commonly combined with citrus, but in this case it complements the risotto. Thus, creating a rich meal that tastes like it would be made for a special occasion, but is relatively easy to make.
Citrus Lamb with Risotto Ingredients
2 lbs of lamb cubed
1 whole lemon (juice and zest)
1 tsp of orange zest
2 cups of lamb stock (veal or beef stock can be used instead)
1 cup Arborio rice (uncooked)
1 tsp of lemon basil, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
Remove the zest (skin) from the entire lemon and cut the lemon in half. You may use a zester (like a smaller cheese grater) or hand-shave the zest with a sharp knife; make sure you do not include the white pith (the area between the zest and the fruit). Once shaved, mince the zest and hold aside; the zest will provide most of the citrus flavor in this dish. You may do the same thing with an orange to get fresh orange zest.
Use a fork to pierce the lemon and squeeze the juice into a cup. The piercing will help remove the juice more efficiently. Make sure there are no seeds in the juice and set aside for later. Dispose of the lemon once the zest and juice have been harvested.
Add medium heat to a large skillet or pot and add the olive oil; add the lamb and a teaspoon of the lemon zest to brown slightly. Remove from the lamb from the pot and put aside, but leave the remaining fat and oil in the pan.
Place the pot back onto the medium heat and add the rice; brown the rice in the lamb fat and olive oil. Once browned, begin slowly adding the stock on medium heat while constantly stirring. Add the juice from the lemon to the rice. Add a lid to the sauce pan and continue to cook until both the rice has puffed up and a most of the stock has evaporated.
Add the lamb and the remaining lemon and a half teaspoon of the orange zest and lemon basil. The remaining orange zest and lemon basil will be used as a garnish prior to serving. Continue to cook the lamb and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve family style on a single plate or bowl and sprinkle the remaining orange zest and lemon basil on top of the dish as a garnish. For the photo, small orange slices were added for additional color.
Those that have been following me on Facebook know that I am watching what I eat and increasing my exercise levels, in hopes to lose some excess weight. I have been rather successful, but the hardest part is to eat in moderation. I love good food and I enjoy it immensely. I know that I don’t have to eat like a rabbit to lose weight. Below is one the recipes I developed this past weekend that was very delicious and I plan on making it again.
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 green onions, diced
1/2 lb ground lamb
1 cup of chopped Chinese pea pods
4 Brussels sprouts with the core removed and quartered
4 red potatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp of dried rosemary
1/8 tsp of fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp of granulated garlic
1/4 tsp Mrs. Dash Onion and Garlic
Makes 2 servings. Each serving has a protein, a starch, and two vegetables. Enjoy
Add one tsp of olive oil to a sauté pan. Mince one shallot and 2 green onions and begin to saute together.
After 2 minutes, crumble the 1/2 lb ground lamb into the pan and cook for two minutes. Add 1 cup of chopped Chinese pea pods, 4 Brussels sprouts and 4 thinly sliced red potatoes.
Continue to sauté for four more minutes. Add 1/4 tsp of dried rosemary, 1/8 tsp of fresh ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp of granulated garlic. Continue to sauté until the lamb is fully cooked and potatoes are tender. Makes 2 servings.
Each serving has a protein, a starch, and two vegetables. Enjoy!
Vegetable Pie, photograph taken by Alice the Cook on June 24, 2012
When the crops were ready for harvesting, communities would come together as a community to help reap the crops and celebrate their bounty. Vegetables were plentiful and they readily became part of the feast. Similar to the American Thanksgiving, these feasts celebrated the family, the community, and the harvest.
Feasts were different for economic classes: noble’s feasts included venison, pheasant, and other wild game while the other classes enjoyed wild hare, fresh fish, and forged items like wild mushrooms, berries, and other scavenged delicacies. Recipes were created that used the harvested items and often included items that weren’t normally available, but were saved for special occasions.
The recipe below is one such recipe – vegetable pie. The filling used items that were readily found during harvest time. This particular dish may be served as a main course, an alternative to a meat option, or served as a side dish. The provided pastry crust recipe is a standard and has been used by my family for generations. Although people will often create shortcuts to any recipe and store bought pie crust and heat-and-serve soups can be used. However, the recipe I am providing has no shortcuts.
Pie Crust 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, semi soft and cut into cubes
1 tsp salt
6 to 8 tbsp ice water
Combine flour, salt, and sugar together and mix thoroughly. Add butter and crush into the flour mixture with a fork until it resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, blending until mixture just begins to clump together. Don’t add too much water as it will make the crust tough.
Vegetable Pie that is ready to eat.
Place the dough on a clean surface such as a cutting board. Press down on the dough a few times to help flatten the dough between the layers of flour which will help make the crust flaky. Shape the dough mixture into two parts. Sprinkle a little flour around the mounds of dough and wrap each disk in wax paper and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days to cure the dough.
Remove the crust from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften enough to roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle and about 1/8 of an inch thick. Carefully place each dough segment into two 9-inch pie plates (one in each). Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Pre-bake the dough at 375 degree until it is half baked.
Vegetable Pie 2 cups vegetable stock
3 large carrots, julienned
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and julienned
1 leek, diced
4 medium red potatoes, thinly cut and then julienned
2 eggs, scrambled (for vegans use 2 tbsp of corn starch or powdered arrowroot instead)
1 can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp fresh ginger, minced (optional)
1/8 tsp powdered clove
Sauté the vegetables (carrots, garlic, leeks, sweet potatoes, and potatoes) in olive oil. When leeks are transparent, add chickpeas and 2 cups of soup or broth and continue to simmer. When carrots and potatoes are tender, slowly add eggs to thicken pie filling. If eggs are not desired, gradually add corn starch or arrowroot to thicken.
Add pie mixture to crust and continue to bake for 10 minutes until pie crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
This was a surprisingly tasty complement to the Chicken with Whiskey Cream Sauce recipe. The most difficult part of the recipe is the caramel sauce.
To begin, start with 1 lb. of carrots and cut them into 1″ cubes and boil them until tender. Remove from the water and put aside.
Whiskey Caramel Sauce 1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup whiskey
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp of powdered cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg
Heat sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork. Until sugar is belted into a deep golden caramel.
Remove from heat and carefully add Scotch, butter and salt. It will begin to harden and continue to cook over moderately low heat until everything is blended together.
Add the cooked carrots to the warm caramel sauce a stir lightly. Spoon the sweetened carrots onto the plate and serve.
