Salmon Soft Tacos

I've read as many books as possible, I've researched all of the Internet, and I've watched countless episodes of Bobby Flay...but I haven't ever actually used our little Weber grill.  I'm as intimidated by that black, domed grill that sits on the back deck as I am by that big blower thing that my husband wears on his back to clean the leaves around it.  But I do enjoy the taste of food enhanced by the charcoal - induced flames and mesquite chips.  When Jereme was in Alaska, I had to figure out how to cook salmon to achieve the crisped, outer layer while keeping the flaky and juicy inside texture of this Omega - rich and lean protein (as long as it's not the farm - rasised variety.)  Without having to learn how to grill.

• At lunch time, run home and marinate your salmon in McCormicks Mojito Lime marinade.
• By 5:15 when you get off work, it's so flavorful and ready!!
• Lightly coat a cast iron skillet with canola oil spray.  Place the skillet into the oven and pre - heat to 500 degrees.
• Once pre - heated, pull skillet.  Reduce heat to 275 degrees.  Place the salmon skin side down.
• Place back in the oven.  Remove in about 15 minutes when the salmon looks similar to above.

Red Kitchen Pico & Guacamole

You may as well make these at the same time because the ingredients that I use are so similar.

• 1 Red onion
• 2 Jalapeno peppers
• Handful of cilantro
• 4 Large cloves of garlic
• 1 Lime
• 3 Medium Tomatoes on the Vine
• 2 Ripe Avocados

Directions:

1. Finely dice half of the red onion.  Distribute half of the diced onions into a glass bowl for the pico and the other half into a plastic bowl for the guacamole.
2. Seed and dice the jalapenos.  One goes into each bowl.
3. Use a garlic press or finely chop the garlic cloves, and divide evenly among both bowls.
4. Seed and dice the tomatoes.  2 of them go into the pico mixture in the glass bowl.  One goes into the plastic bowl for the guacamole.
5. Core and dice each avacado.  They both go into the guacamole plastic bowl.
6. Cut lime in half, and squeeze juice of each into each bowl.
7. Finely chop celantro and divide evenly into each bowl.
8. In the pico glass bowl, add a few dashes of hot sauce (I use Louisiana brand.)
9. Salt both bowls to your taste and mix gently.

Shrimp & Lobster Stir Fry

We went home to see my parents last weekend, ready to be waited on hand and foot.  I had the latest Lauren Weisberger book in hand, and I fully intended to start and finish it distraction - free.  With Mom there to handle every bit of the girls' needs, I was able to get lost in tales of celebrities, gossip, and the paparazzi.  I only had to take one break - after showing Mom my new blog - when she asked what I was cooking them.

I knew we had shrimp and lobster left over from lunch, so I searched the fridge for something green.  We usually like to start our meals with whatever lean protein we're in the mood to have, then add a complex carb or something green.  The Vietnamese word for "greens" is similar to the English term in that it can encompass many different types of this category of food.  Mom says these are mustard greens.

Start with:

• About 8 oz. Shrimp
• 1 Lobster tail, shell discarded and cut into bite - sized pieces
• 1 Bunch of any kind of greens
• Half of a medium onion
• Oyster sauce
• Wok oil or canola is fine

Directions:

1. Shred the greens into small bite - sized pieces.
2. Cut a half of a medium onion into slices.
3. Saute with oil in a hot pan for about 5 minutes or until wilted.
4. Add the shrimp and lobster until opaque.
5. Add greens and oyster sauce, as thick or thin as you like it, to coat.
6. Saute until greens are tender.  Be careful not to overcook the seafood. 

Grilled Ribeye

Dad sent us a couple of steaks home to grill for ourselves.  He marinated them in soy sauce with shallots and garlic.  I don't have any instructions because I don't grill.  When I asked Jereme if he used direct heat or indirect heat, he said he usually did all direct heat for my medium rare taste.  Due to the size of these steaks, he decided to do a little bit of indirect heat.  Outcome:  delicious!

Medium rare grilled ribeye with sauteed abalone mushrooms

Papperdelle with Meat Sauce

I have watched some of the Food Network hosts make this, even from scratch.  Would I like my own pasta maker?  Perhaps.  Yesterday I got a text:  Could we have some pasta with meat sauce and bread and salad please.  So I set out to Whole Foods, the store I love the most, and picked up some papperdelle for the first time ever. 

I grabbed a 99 cent baguette, some Newmans Own tomato sauce, and headed home.  I considered some ground bison, but it's around $8 per pound.  Out of my budget at the moment!  I also considered ground turkey, but I decided to go with a little iron.   I knew we had some ground beef at home, and hey I was keeping the meal at around $12!  For a family of 4, that's an averagre of $3 per person.

See, you can eat a quick, easy, cheap meal without driving through Burger King.  Following package directions of this deliciously thin pasta, it's done in 7 minutes.

So Jereme browned the ground beef, drained it, and added the sauce.  Sasha just wanted noodles with butter and cheese.  The rest of us had this: (I garnished with a little parsley that's growing in our planters outside.  Neighbors, help yourselves.  There's also rosemary in the back!)

Zucchini Fries

My friend Courtney says that the potato caught a bad rap back when everyone was caught up in the don't - eat - carbs craze.  Even today, look at me, making zucchini fries!  Are these any healthier, do they have more nutrition, are they less fattening?  If anybody knows, please enlighten us!  Maybe it has to do with a high carb count or a low carb count, a high glycemic index, or a low GI, I forget which is better....I started to make these because I saw Giada De Laurentiis do it one day on Food Network.  That same day, Jereme said the chefs served them in Alaska!  Sounded like a hot new trend, so I was on it.  Court, I know you wanna see the comeback of the potato - send some recipes my way girl!

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchinis (feeds my family of 4 minus Sasha the picky eater)
• Panko breadcrumbs (parmesan herb flavor optional)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• flour

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the zucchinis into french fry like shapes. 
3. Set up your breading station.
4. Dip each stick into flour, egg, panko, to pan.
5. Spray with canola or olive oil spray.
6. Bake on a foil - lined pan in the oven about 20 minutes.
7. Flip or toss fries, then bake another 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Collard Green Soup

This is my rendition of Grandma Nguyen's "greens" that she would prepare on a regular basis.  Girls, when I was growing up, my mother worked everyday, got home around four o'clock, and had dinner for the seven of us by around 6:00 or so.  Following Vietnamese tradition, dinners were served family style with a pot of rice (everyday), a main dish like this, and a bunch of other small sides.  Almost every day was a sit down meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of reduced sodium chicken broth (8 cups total)
• 1 Bunch or bag of collard greens
• 1 thiny sliced white onion
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1 lb. cooked chicken thighs or chicken breast diced
• 4 oz. shrimp peeled, cut crosswize

Directions:

1. A great way to cook without oil!  Bring the 8 cups of chicken broth to a boil.  Add onions and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add collard greens.  Bring to a boil and add chicken.  Add more salt.  Cover, simmer about 20 minutes.
3. Uncover, bring back up to a boil, add shrimp until pink.  Stir, and take off heat.

In our household, we often use fish sauce in place of salt in this recipe.  If you don't have it or can't get it, you can finish it with peppers in vinegar sauce for added flavor.  You can also top it off with chili garlic sauce if you like a little kick.  Serve over rice if you'd like...

Prosciutto de Parma

I gave it up for Lent, but they say that you can have what you gave up on Sundays, so I picked some up.  Prosciutto de Parma is available, and sliced to your preference at places like Boulevard Bread Company, The Fresh Market, and Terry's Finer Foods.  Ideally, they trim off the fat around the outside, ask how thin you like it, then they show you the first slice for approval.  You can also buy it pre-packaged at Whole Foods, Sam's Club, Kroger Marketplace, & Terry's Finer Foods.

Arugula pairs really well with prosciutto.  Gianna likes to combine them on a warm & toasty baguette.  I like prosciutto salads with arugula and a balsamic vinegar dressing.  I love the silky texture of the salty, dry cured Italian style ham! I have to stop now.  Sunday is 6 more days away, and I feel the same about this stuff as some women feel about sweets! 

Vietnamese Beef & Rice Noodles

This is a very traditional Vietnamese dish.  It's usually offered in restaurants with your choice of char grilled beef, pork, shrimp, egg roll, or some combo of those.  This is a pretty low key version of it compared to what my mother would prepare with it.  For this busy, working, soccer mom, the basic recipe will have to do for today.  It's very refreshing with the herbs mixed in. 

You need 1lb. Top Sirloin Beef sliced thinly by your butcher or meat department.  Marinate for 2 hours prior to cooking in fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and pepper.  Soak skewers in hot water for 30 minutes.

Prep the mint, cilantro, and cucumbers for garnish.  Prepare the rice noodles per packaged instructions.

Thread beef onto skewers and broil about 5 minutes per side.  Serve with nuoc cham!

You'll need:  1/4 cup Fish Sauce

1/2 cup warm water

1 Thai Chili Pepper

2 Tablespoons Sugar

3 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Lime

Mince the garlic and chili pepper together, scrape into a bowl, and add the fish sauce.  Add the water next, then stir the sugar in until it dissolves.  Squeeze in half a lime, and mix slowly.  If you like extra spice, add some chili garlic sauce. 

Scallops

I learned how to make scallops from Donnie Ferneau in a cooking class at Kitchen Co.  I've attended a few classes with my husband.  (It makes a great date night!)  Another time we doubled with the neighbors.  And, I've also been with my book club girls.  Yes, I love cooking class.  What I took away from this class was that the scallops need to start off dry, and the pan needs to be really hot.

 I dry mine on a paper towel.  Then I heat my Lodge Logic cast iron skillet until it's really hot (I do use canola spray on everything) and I hope that nothing sticks!  Feel free to season them.  I just enjoy the taste of them with lemon squeezed over them. 

I usually cook them 5 minutes over medium high heat, flip them one time, then another 5.  I'm trying to redeem my picture - taking ability after my friend Bob Steel at work agreed with me that the seafood crepe picture didn't look good.  Thanks Bob!  So I'm posting another scallop picture here.  I think it turned out better than my last post.

Seafood Crepes

Last night I celebrated my 14 year anniversary with my husband - for the day we met.  I usually try to cook low fat, expecially since he ate so well when he worked in Alaska.  The chefs kept him so lean with fresh Alaskan Salmon, Halibut, and Dover Sole.  Every time he mentioned Dover Sole, it took me back to my days at Alouettes.  I had a bit of a difficult time trying to serve that table side.  I may have successfully pulled the skeleton out once!  What a task!  Anyway....

I was excited to try a new seafood dish.  I usually use the nonfat variety when I cook with cream cheese, but I couldn't resist trying the new Philadelphia Cooking Creme.  After last night's tasting, I'm sure I will use it again.    

Start with these ingredients:

• 8 oz. peeled shrimp cut in half crosswize
• 1 package prepared crepes (found in produce)
• Philadelphia Cooking Creme (Italian Cheese & Herb)
• Small can of crab meat (Millers Select from Target is good)
• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. I started with the scampi butter that I had left over from Whole Foods.  You can use regular butter, though.  I used 2 tablespoons to melt over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet. 
3. My stovetop is usually ready in 5 minutes.  I tossed in the onions and let those cook over low heat while I peeled the shrimp.  Occasionally I gave them a stir with the wooden spoon. 
4. Next, I threw the shrimp in and stirred those until they were slightly underdone.  I then added the crab meat with its liquid, then the cooking creme.  It doesn't take long for it to reach a spreadable consistency.
5. I used a slightly slotted spoon to scoop the mixture onto each crepe.  I rolled them up, and added them very carefully to a foil lined pan.  I poured the remaining mixture on top, added a cup of mozzarella, added some chives, and put it in the oven 15 minutes uncovered.

Here's Jereme's plate:

Flat Iron Steak

To me, it looks like beef tenderloin.  It tastes like beef tenderloin.  It's not as expensive as beef tenderloin.  My good friend Joe wanted a low - fat, healthy recipe.  Joe, I'm also taking into account that you once went to the store looking for "guacamoles" to make guacamole.  So I'm keeping it simple.  I once went to 3 different Krogers looking for this. Whole Foods & Fresh Market don't have it.  It's a lean cut of beef with the same amount of saturated fat (4.5 g. per 4 ounce serving) as the 85/15 ground turkey.  It's not really common.  I get it at Kroger Marketplace.  (It looks a little like flank steak, but is so much more tender!)

The April 2011 Cooking Light called this "specialty cut very tender" and "the darling of savvy butchers."

Here's a great way to prepare it:

• Marinate overnight with marinade such as Napa Valley's Shanghai or make your own:  reduced sodium soy sauce, fresh ginger, sesame oil, and garlic powder, in a large ziploc bag.
• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a grill pan with canola oil spray.  Heat over medium high heat.

• When hot, (about 4 minutes) add the flat iron steak to the pan.  Turn heat up to high.  Flip over about 4 minutes later.
• Once browned on both sides, place onto an oven safe pan and roast for 10 more minutes.
• After 10 minutes, pull out of the oven and let sit, or "rest" 10 minutes.

• Cut across the grain as seen here.

Serve with oven - roasted, husk on corn:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Once pre-heated, place corn cobs with husk on right onto the racks.
• Cook 30 minutes.
• Peel husk back and rub scampi or garlic butter on.

Meat and Cheese Stuffed Shells

 Last night I had a great time in the red kitchen with my friends Courtney, Frankie, and Pam.  Something funny happened while we were cooking.  After Courtney laid all the shells out on the wax paper, I told her that I couldn't find the ground turkey that was supposed to go into the shells.  Her suggestion was to use something else that I had on hand.  I looked over at the Swedish meatballs that had been slow cooking in the crockpot for the last 4 hours.  I'm not quite sure which recipe to share now.

Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs

1 Bag of 2 lb. Meatballs
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic soup
1 Cup of water or chicken broth or beef broth
(Mix all together on low for 4 hours.)

Sorry kids, I had to use your meatballs for the shells.  It's a good thing Frankie brought them over a large pizza from Pizza Cafe!  No, Jereme, you weren't supposed to scarf 2 slices down while the kids were playing Guitar Hero.

Other Ingredients for Shells:

• 1 Package Jumbo Pasta Shells - prepare as directed
• 8 oz. Mozzarella cheese 
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Herb Panko Bread Crumbs
• Handful of chopped Parsley
• 1 Beaten Egg

(All ingredients can be found at Kroger Market Place)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. After preparing shells, mix remaining ingredients with the meatballs in a bowl.  Mash with a potato or avocado masher.  (Another great Courtney idea.)
3. Stuff the shells with the mixture.
4. Spread half a jar of tomato sauce onto bottom of a large rectangle baking dish.  Place shells on top.
5. Spread remaining tomato sauce on top.  Sprinkle with shredded parmesan or asiago.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.

Original Stuffed Shells

In place of the meatballs, brown some ground turkey with finely diced onions and garlic.  Drain.  Use in recipe in place of meatballs.

Lobster Pot Pie

Having this blog really keeps me on my toes when it comes to planning each meal.  When I planned this dish, I wasn't sure if my husband would have any.  In the past, Jereme has passed on my chicken pot pie.  But today as I was extracting meat from lobster, he watched with excitement.  The end result:  he loved it.

I got this lobster already cooked at Kroger.  I had just enough meat with just one, but I would have preferred to use two.  I guess how much you use depends on how much you want to spend.

Ingredients:

• Cooked lobster meat, about 3/4 pound
• 2 Cans Cream of Mushroom with roasted garlic soup
• Half a bag of petite carrots - the smallest you can find
• Half a bunch of asparagus
• 1 Sheet of Puff Pastry
• Egg wash:  1 beaten egg with 1 tsp of water

Directions:

1. Place puff pastry sheet on counter lightly dusted with flour to thaw. 
2. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Cut up lobster meat into bite size pieces.
4. Bend asparagus ends until you find the breaking point and snap off.  Slice into small sections, a little smaller than the carrots. 
5. Pour the cans of soup into a large bowl.  Add carrots, asparagus, and lobster.  Mix well.
6. Unfold puff pastry sheet.  I use 4 round mini cocottes, so I cut out 4 circles just a little bigger than the tops so that the pastry will fold over.  You can also use a square oven dish.
7. Prepare egg wash. 
8. Pour mixture in, top with puff pastry, adhering it to the dish.  Brush with egg wash.  Pierce the top with a knife in a couple of places.
9. Cook in the oven 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Red Kitchen Taco Scoops

Taco night is new around here.  In the past I wasn't a big fan of Mexican food.  But our neighbor Stacy brought something similar over once during our Halloween cul - de - sac get together, and I found it to be pretty tasty.  Now that I see how easy Taco Night is, I incorporate it often in The Red Ktichen!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 Can of Lime & Cilantro Rotel
1 Bag of Tostitos Scoops
1 Bag of shredded cheddar
Chopped green onions

Taco Seasoning

1 Can Black Beans No Salt Added

Directions:

1. Brown the ground turkey - no oil needed.  Follow taco seasoning instructions.
2. Spoon meat into Tostitos Scoops.
3. Top with cheddar or green onions, then optional Rotel, black beans, and lime zest.

Quinoa with Grilled Shrimp & Roasted Asparagus

Tonight is Ash Wednesday, and you can't eat meat.  So I made quinoa for the first time.  I hope it looks alright.  My friends Courtney & Rhiannon eat this stuff lots, and they are quite fit and trim.  In all the "get slender" books I've read, quinoa is always mentioned as a healthy option - a high protein, complex carb - the ultimate combination.

Here's what I gathered up: 

Red Kitchen Quinoa Ingredients:

Packaged Quinoa
Shrimp
1 Bunch Asparagus
Sun - dried Tomatoes
Chopped Green Onions
Diced White Onion
Olive Oil

Directions:

1.  Prepare quinoa per package instructions.
2. In a separate skillet, saute 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.  When hot, add diced white onions.  I also added some left over mushrooms that were in my fridge (so add optional left over veggies you may need to cook).  Then add green onions and parsley or cilantro or whatever your favorite herb may be.  Chopped garlic also works well here.
3. Once the quinoa is ready, combine the skillet ingredients with it.
4. I also added the chopped sun-dried tomatoes at this point.

Following: a perfect accompaniment!

Red Kitchen Asparagus:

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees or 400 degrees convection roast.
• Rinse, then trim ends.  Dry and spread on a foil-lined pan.  Season with salt & garlic powder.  Drizzle with olive oil and roll the asparagus to coat evenly.
• Roast 20 minutes.
• Top with reggianno parmesan or asiago.

Grilled Shrimp:

• I always have a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer.  I run them under cold water until I can peel them, then pat them dry on a paper towel.
• Spray a grill pan with canola oil.  My stove is perfect at about 5 minutes on medium high.  They're all different, I've learned.  When hot, put the shrimp on about 3-5 minutes per side.
• Sprinkle with a little seasoning: sometimes I use lemon pepper.

Crawfish Etouffee

It's Fat Tuesday, so I had a Mardi Gras theme in mind tonight.  One of my best friends, Ginger, grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana.  Her family owned a company called Savoie's which makes a lot of delicious Cajun food.  While she was in college at Loyola in New Orleans, we visited her often and fell in love with the food.  When we were roommates, I developed even more love for her Cajun cooking.  Now that we're in different households, I've found ways to reinvent the Cajun food that I love through countless experiments.

Ingredients:

Crawfish Tails (pictured above)
Half red onion or any onion really
Green bell pepper
Green onions
1//2 Stick Butter
1 Bag frozen cut okra
1 Can no salt added tomatoes
Tony Chachere's Seasoning

Directions:

1. Heat butter in a small dutch oven over medim high heat until melted. 
2. Add diced onions & diced green bell pepper.  Season as you go along with Tony Chachere's Seasoning.  Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
3. Add crawfish tails.  FIll crawfish bag with water and add.  Season with more TC.
4. Add tomatoes, and bring to a boil.  Add okra and simmer, stirring often.  Add more TC.

Top with diced green onions & Louisiana Hot Sauce.  Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata

We have always enjoyed this dish in restaurants, and when our neighbor Jason came over with his Chicken Piccata, and shared his recipe with us, we began to make our own at home. We hope this is right!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Chicken Breast Tenderloins
Capellini or Angel Hair Pasta
3 Tablespoons Butter
Capers
Flour
1/2 Lime or Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock or White Wine
Fresh Chopped Parsley

Directions:

1. Cut or slice the tenderloins into smaller bite size pieces.  Coat in flour in a ziploc bag.
2. Cook the capellini per packaged directions.
3. Heat butter in pan until hot, then add chicken tenderloins.  Turn after 3 minutes and continue to cook.  Remove from pan when finished. 
4. Add lemon juice, stock, and parsley.  Use a whisk to remove the bits from the bottom of the pan.  Return chicken to pan.

Combine chicken, pasta, sauce, and capers.  Top with my favorite cheese - shredded Asiago!!!