Shrimp in Coconut Curry {Annah}

First you have to know by now that I did not add shrimp to my recipe. Instead I had some sugar snap peas that I threw in to replace the shrimp. I really liked that this recipe was easy to make. The hardest part was washing the food processor and two pots when I was done making the meal. I added a photo to the bottom of how I cut my chiles. I have on multiple occasions had the oil from chiles stay on my fingers for days, and it burns every time I take out my contacts. I know wrap Syrian wrap around my thumb and index finger to keep the oil from touching my skin.

I was disappointed in the lack of flavor for this dish. I thought with 2 Serrano chiles that there would have been a lot of heat. As I have come to find out from using coconut milk twice in the last month it really dulls the flavor. I had to add a decent amount of salt to make this interesting, and Tyler added Tabasco sauce. He did not enjoy the recipe, and will probably not be helping me eat the left overs. I enjoy medium heat Indian dishes, but I have yet to make one that I love. If I make this again I might add some garlic and garbanzo beans. It might help to cut back on the amount of coconut milk so it doesn't wash out the flavors.

If you have some beginner Indian curry dishes please leave me the recipe. I would love to try them and find an Indian dish that I can add to my monthly fall back dinners. 

Ingredients

• 2 Serrano chiles, halved and seeded
• 1 carrot, peeled and quartered
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3/4 ounce fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 13 1/2 ounce can  coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
• Salt

Directions 

Pulse Serranos, carrot, onion and ginger in food processor. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat; add vegetables and cook to soften, 3 minutes. Add coconut milk and curry powder and bring to simmer; add shrimp and simmer until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and serve over rice.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes, my turn!

Colleen: "Earlier this month my friend Chandra guest posted for us cooking Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes, after she told me about it I couldn't wait to try it for myself! Taking her advice I didn't make the cheese sauce opting for provolone cheese as well as using ground turkey instead of ground beef. It was a complete success that I will be making again. Not to mention I only used 5 ingredients!! Thanks again for this gem Chandra."

 For ingredient list & directions please reference Chandra's guest post here

Blueberry Pancakes {Annah}

I Love breakfast for dinner. I got two pounds of blueberries for free Woo Hoo, and I knew exactly what I was going to make with them, blueberry pancakes. I will admit I usually use a Bisquick mix or pancake mix when I make regular pancakes. There is no better time then today to make from scratch blueberry pancakes! 

We both really enjoyed these pancakes, the flavor was delicious. As you know from past post I am particular about textures of food. The flavor of these pancakes were spot on, but the texture was a little off. I enjoy soft fluffy cakes and these were a little more chewy/dense. Tyler thought I was crazy and thought that they were great the way they were. I guess I am a little bit of a pancake snob because I grew up with my dad making pancakes that were always delicious and fluffy.

If you have a large amount of blueberries I highly recommend making these.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed

Preparation:

In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; set aside.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Beat egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl; add milk and melted butter. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients; mix until batter is smooth and stir in blueberries. Fold in beaten egg whites. Bake on hot greased griddle.
Makes 12 pancakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes and Product Review {Annah}

This was the first time I made cupcakes from scratch. It went ok, but I was not excited about the texture of the cupcake. I went to the store just to get the cake flour that this recipe recommends to give the cupcakes a lighter fluffier texture. Don't get me wrong they were not dense, but they did not come out light and fluffy like the box cake mix. The flavor of the cupcake was good though. I will use the cake flour again, but probably try another recipe for vanilla cupcakes. If you do make these cupcakes do not be shocked when the cupcake mixture is really liquidy compared to box mixes. I like a fuller cupcake so even though it says the recipe will make 15-16 cupcakes it only made 11-12 for me.

Now for the product review of Duncan Hines frosting creations. I had a coupon for them and saw on another blog someone who tried the mix-ins and enjoyed it. Darn coupons always getting you to buy things you wouldn't usually! The frosting can is bigger then the others, but don't be fooled there is not more frosting just more"room" to mix in the flavor packet. I choose to mix in the cotton candy flavor, and I was very happy with the final product. It truly tasted like cotton candy and was a fun change to the usual chocolate or vanilla. All in all I would buy the flavor packets if you want a funky flavor, but I would say skip on buying the special can. Just make your own frosting or buy a vanilla frosting that is on sale.

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola or extra light olive oil)

1/2 cup buttermilk

(or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice- add acid to the milk then set aside for 5 minutes before using)

Duncan Hines frosting creations cotton candy

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together with whisk, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.  Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil, beat.

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.  Add half of the milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk.  Beat until just combined.  Scrap down the side of the bowl.

The batter will be thin. Pour batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners.  Fill liners about 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes.

Cool in pan 1-2 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan (carefully) and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Frost when cupcakes have completely cooled 

This was supposed to yield 15-16 cupcakes. I only got 11-12 out of the above recipe.

Amalfi-Style Risotto {Annah}

I think this is the worse fail of all time! I was able to eat a very small portion of it the first night. I thought that it had a really bad after taste, but I continued to eat it. I tried the wine and it tasted good on its own. I did accidentally add the lemon juice when I added the wine. I am not sure if that could have changed the taste that much. It was so bad that Tyler who will eat just about anything took one bite and threw it away. Needless to say the rest of it went into the garbage.


I was really excited about making another risotto, and now I am not so sure I will ever try one again.

 Ingredients

• 1 container  (32 oz.) chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 large shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano (a couple of scant handfuls)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

Directions 

In a small saucepan, combine the chicken stock and 1 cup water and keep warm over low heat. 

In a large saucepan, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the shallots (or onion) and garlic and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the rice for 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the wine and lemon zest until it has absorbed into the rice. Begin adding the warm stock a few ladlefuls at a time, stirring vigorously with each addition, until the risotto is al dente, 18 minutes. 

Stir the butter into the risotto to combine, then stir in the lemon juice. Stir in the cheese, basil and tarragon; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad

Colleen: "There are several things about this dish that I enjoyed. First off no cooking required therefore I didn't dirty a single pot! Second it was incredibly delicious especially the avocado on top, charred corn, & cheese hidden inside. Third I don't normally eat radishes and alone I wasn't to crazy about them, but in this salad they were excellent. I will be making this again, maybe during football season as a side dish, it was fun and easy not to mention SUPER cheap." 

Ingredients

TipAN EXTRA BUCK WILL BUY YOU corn chips. Instead of croutons, use crushed blue or white corn chips for crunch.

• 4 ears fresh corn, shucked
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• salt
• 2 15 ounce can  black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch  radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat a grill to medium. Add the corn and grill until charred in spots, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the EVOO, lime juice, chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a large, sharp knife, carefully cut the corn kernels from the cobs and transfer to the bowl. Add the beans, radishes, scallions and cilantro; toss well. Divide the salad among 4 plates; top with the queso and avocado.

 Recipe sourced from Rachael Ray Magazine June 2012

Quinoa and Black Beans {Annah}

 I have been on a search for a delicious Mexican rice/quinoa for many years now. I enjoy the pre-made Mexican rice sold at grocery stores, but I hate that they have MSG in them. Sadly this is still not it. This dish was pretty bland, even with the cilantro and the spices just added heat.

I wish I would have had black beans I think that would have made it a little better. Pinto beans to me have a more subtle flavor and are more mushy. So I continue to search for the delicious side dish to my burritos and enchiladas. If you have a favorite please share it, I would love to try it!

Ingredients 

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)

3/4 cup quinoa (uncooked)

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt

pepper

1 cup corn kernels (frozen) (I used a can of corn)

30 ozs black beans (rinsed and drained) (I used pinto beans)

12 cup fresh cilantro (chopped) 

Directions

	Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
	Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
	Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Pasta with Spicy Fresh Tomato Sauce & Ricotta

Colleen's Take: "Welllll, I liked this one, not loved this one. It could be that I took too much time cutting my tomatoes and by then I think I burned the fennel seeds, it was okay. I will keep the recipe around but I might not use it again until next year when i am overcome with tomatoes. I also just ground up the fennel seeds that I had on hand instead of buying powder. I didn't use the fresno chili because despite what Rachael Ray says, "you can't find it in every supermarket in America", I ended up using the crushed red pepper and only half of it since I was serving it to the kiddos, I think that was plenty spicy enough too!"

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate or other short-cut pasta
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 fresno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped, or 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 5 - 6 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel or fennel pollen
• 1 cup fresh sheep's- or cow's-milk ricotta
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water.
2. While the pasta is working, in a deep skillet or large saucepan, heat 3 tbsp. EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Stir in the fennel seeds for 30 seconds. Stir in the chile and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and season with salt, pepper and the ground fennel (or fennel pollen). Cook, stirring, for 20 minutes. Stir in the reserved pasta cooking water.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, cream, thyme and remaiing 1 tbsp. EVOO. Season with salt.
4. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls with large dollops of the ricotta mixture for stirring in as you eat. Pass the remaining ricotta mixture at the table.

 Recipe sourced from Rachael Ray Magazine June 2012 Issue

Corn & Tomato Pasta Salad; my turn!

"When I saw the ingredient list for this recipe that Annah did, I knew it was right up our alley. It seemed perfect for my exploding tomato garden and my kids who are in love with pasta, corn, chicken & tomatoes. It's also a perfect make ahead meal since our schedule is so busy durning dinner time, I just cooked it up 3 hours before dinner while the kids were napping & by the time I got home at 6 dinner was ready to go! Something that I might change in the future is the amount of oil, I thought it was super healthy until I kept adding olive oil!" 

Reference Annah's post here for all the information. 

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes; guest post

Chandra's take: "I loved this recipe! Super flavorful, ridiculously easy and my favorite.... not to mention CHEAP! This will definitely get brought into the regular rotation. Next time I might just use provolone slices instead of making a cheese sauce. I think it will taste just as good, cut down time even more, and dirty one less dish."

Ingredients

picture sourced from Chandra

• 1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 softball-sized onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup steak sauce
• 1 cup beef stock
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 dinner rolls
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup provolone, shredded
• For the salad:
• 1/2 pound salami, chopped
• 1/4 pound provolone cheese, chopped
• 1 small jar pepperoncini
• 1 head Bibb lettuce
• 1 bunch arugula
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Preheat broiler.
  

  In large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, brown the ground sirloin, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.
  Split open rolls and toast under broiler, keep your eye on them so they don't burn!
  

  While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated.
  

  In a salad bowl, toss the salami, cheese, pepperoncini, Bibb lettuce and arugula with the EVOO and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll. Serve the salad alongside.

  Recipe source Rachael Ray Show

  
  

  Today's guest post is by my good friend Chandra who is a Northerner that's been transplanted into the deep South for 2 years now. She has two active busy little boys & a hungry husband. Favorite southern discovery: Sweet Tea! Thanks Chandra!