Taste and Create #4: One little Corner of the World.

I was paired with Katie of One Little Corner of the World. Katie has a very nice blog where she seems to focus on making awesome family meals for her kiddos. I have no kiddos, and I cook for myself... but luckily her blog is chock full of things I can use! Heck yes! I was debating on making wings because she has a "quest for the perfect wing" going. Actually, I am going to try her marinate and grill method this weekend! I ordered my organic chicken wings today! I have a mini-quest going on right now regarding primal cooking. I am trying to get into cheaper and more creative cuts/parts of meat. She has a tongue post that got me thinking "I should really try to make some tongue". I mean if her kids liked it, I should too right? I'm no stranger to strange foods (need I remind you about eating ants and guinea pigs?) but I think the tongue shall wait for another day.

What I decided on was the Montauk Seafood Salad she featured by Ina Garten. She made some tasty additions and changes that I followed and was very happy with! The seafood salad is simply cooked seafood (shrimp, mussels and scallops) in a sauce, zested up with some celery and parsley.

Here is the recipe, with my changes:

Montauk Seafood Salad

Ingredients

1 16-oz bag mixed seafood (from Trader Joes) featuring calamari, shrimp and scallops.
1 shallot, minced

2 T olive oil

2 T avocado oil
1/2 t thyme leaves
1 t minced garlic
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 T white wine vinegar

6 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup medium-diced celery

handful chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat oils over medium heat and add shallot. Saute for about 2 min. Add garlic and thyme. Saute for 1 min.

2. Add lemon zest and juice, mustard and vinegar. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add seafood mix and mushrooms, cover. Cook for about 3 mins. Stir and cook for about 3 more mins or until seafood is cooked through.

4. remove the seafood and mushrooms to a dish. Add celery and parsley.

5. The seafood and mushrooms will have released a bit of liquid. Turn heat up to med-high and reduce sauce for a few mins, until about half its original volume. This took about 5 mins for me b/c I used a good, heavy, wide pan.

6. Add sauce over salad, mix and eat!

The salad all finished. Yum yum. All mine.

Look at all that yummy seafood. Just look at it!
Wait... whats this? Mr. Octo-souvenir-magnet man is coming to claim vengeance for his cousins.. the squid who became the calamari. He really is just a power hungry little guy, he wasted to be king of the seafood trifecta. Made a crown out of his cousins. Hmpf. You win this time, sir.

The salad was so light and refreshing... I will definitely be making it again. I could simply add some more veggies and this would become the ultimate primal meal!

Thank you Katie!

Taste & Create #3: Ruths Kitchen Experiments.

Well its time for another Taste and Create! Its something I have done a couple times and I plan to keep it up. Its a really fun and a very cool way to see what people in other parts of the country/world are cooking! This month I was paired with Ruth from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments. The girl has some cool recipes and it was very difficult trying to force myself away from making the Lemon and Blackcurrant Cake or the Victoria Sandwich Cake (with LOTS of IMBC) or these Mince Pies (I know its not Christmas time anymore but they look sooo good)! I decided to make something meat based because, unfortunately, the cakes and pastry don't really match with my primal diet. I chose Aloha Chicken. It looked interesting and used some flavors I would never put together so I tried it.

I am happy I got to this because I had the FLU!!! Listen, I always say I never get sick and then BAM... the flu. Started feeling bad Friday (Mar 20) then was pasted in bed Sat, Sun, Mon and Tue with a 103F fever and sleeping 20 hours a day. Wed it was 102F. Thu, Fri and Sat I was super tired but no fever. By Monday (9 days later) I was back to normal. I dont think I have ever had the flu. It was horrible. I thought my head was going to explode and went to the doc to make sure I didnt have meningitis... or mono. All better now though, just in time for my Bday!

Aloha Chicken
650g Chicken breast (or 3 chicken breasts)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice (I used pineapple tidbits)
2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar

Recipe
1. Mix all ingredients. Place chicken in bag and pour mixture over.
2. Marinade in fridge overnight.
3. Place in a 9x13 baking dish and place into a 400F oven.
4. Bake for about 40 mins.
5. Enjoy! I served it wih some pineapple, onion, pepper and tomato kebobs.


Verdict: I really liked it, but I would leave the cinnamon out next time! I decreased it a little, but it still gave a flavor that wasnt super compatible with the Hawaiian flavor.



Thanks Ruth!!!

Taste & Create #2: Passion + Love + Patience = Good Food.

Well, here I am continuing the T&C trades! I really enjoy doing it. I missed the Dec/Jan one because I was in Ecuador, not gonna lie... I'm not too sad about the trade! But here I am stateside again and its time to get back to all my stateside things. Sooo, here for the 2nd T&C I was paired with Shilpa of Passion + Love + Patience = Good Food. I was originally going to do the Cauliflower Curry recipe, but I logged on again to get the recipe and saw a green curry recipe. It seemed so fresh and vibrant with herbs and it featured one of my fave things: coconut milk. So my mind changed , fast. Dory Green Fish Curry. I did everything the same except I substituted in zucchini for the fish. Why? I don't know, it sounded good and I like zucchini. A mild veg to really let the curry shine through.

Zucchini Green Curry
1 big yellow onion, chopped
2 zucchini, sliced
8-10 sprigs of parsley leaves
8-10 sprigs of basil leaves
3 sprigs of mint leaves
3 green chillies (I left this out because I am wimpy with de spice)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
coconut milk
salt to taste

Method:
1. In a blender, blend coriander, basil and mint. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Fry onions till it starts turning light brown.
3. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry for 1 or 2 mins.
4. Add the zucchini and fry for 1 or 2 mins.
5. Add the blended mixture and cook for 1 or 2 mins on low-medium flame.
6. Add the coconut milk for the consistency you desire. Cook on low-medium flame for about 4 mins.

Curry, done. The daffodils were blooming so I had to include them!

Close up, with a little extra coconut milk.

Mmmmmm...

I really liked this. It was super simple and very tasty. I love that. Minimal effort for max flavor. I suspect you could add anything to it, while keeping the sauce the same. Yum.

Thanks Shilpa!

Taste and Create #1: Adventures in Shaw!

I think you should know how I was feeling about this taste and create... Excited? Yes. A little nervous? Yes. Like I am stuck in one of those dreams where I don't have any clothes on and everyone is staring and mumbling? YES!

This blog just got started, and Ill move to wordpress someday. It stared as "just for fun" but I dig the support and friendliness I get from passer-bys (mostly DB challenges) and being able to showcase my skills in the kitchen area. When life is all about trying to finish your masters, a little creativity is required so one does not go insane. Lets just say my friends and family don't have the address to my blog yet... I am THAT nervous about it.

Naked dream in real life blogland.

This brings me to my next point... Stephanie has seen me! Aahhhhh! I decided to participate in the Taste & Create challenge here to try to get out there and get okay with people actually looking at (and judging) it. Lets just say I am happy I did! I was paired up with Steph from Adventures in Shaw and I was super excited to try a recipe. Her blog is really nicely put together and was fun too look through for ideas! Go check it out. I was going to do the Artisan Boule bread (bread is yummy and useful) or the Chicken Piccata (lemon + capers... sign me up) or the Strawberry & Cardamom Pancakes (lets face it, Cardamom is my favorite sweet spice!) but I was drawn to the appley goodness of the eternally autumnal Walnut & Apple Dutch Boy. It is autumn after all. And the name is just fun.

Recipe: adapted from Adventures in Shaw.

Ingredients:

3/4 c AP flour

1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 T brown sugar

2 T grade B maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c milk
2 t vanilla
1 whole egg

3 egg whites
1 c dried apple, chopped
handful chopped walnuts, toasted
1 T butter, melted

To bake:

1 T butter for the pan (x2)

10 to 12 inch oven proof skillet
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix everything.

3. Put 1 T of your butter in the pan and put in oven to melt.

4. Pour half of your batter into the pan.

5. Bake for 15-18 min.

6. Pull out, slide dutch boy off pan and consume! Don't forget to make the other one too...

Walnut choppage.

Dutch boy w/o walnuts for my friend.

Dutch boy w/ walnuts for me! Reminds me of the surface of mars...

Verdict: Yummy! This was nice and less time consuming alternative to pancakes! Make batter, pour, bake, eat. Niiice. I think I will try to make it with coconut flour next time for a carb-friendly version. That and I reallyreally like coconut flour... Thanks Steph!!!

<3