Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

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Shrimp with Spicy Garlic SauceIf I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times – we eat our fair share of shrimp in this house. In season, they’re cheaper than chicken – so how can you argue with that? I saw this recipe on Pinterest a few months ago, but always passed over it when making my menu plan for the week. Then Tracey posted it, bringing it to my fore thoughts, and I immediately added it to our menu.

I figured it would be super spicy – but it wasn’t, it was just right. We loved it, and so did the boys. I wasn’t sure they’d be able to eat it, but they eat what we eat, and it wasn’t their first time being introduced to something with a little bit of heat. The original recipe calls for chili sauce, which is like Sriracha. But, I used chili paste in a jar – which is like a chunky version of the infamous rooster bottle. I liked the little pieces of chili in the sauce, but Sriracha would work just fine as well.

We will definitely be making this one again, and again. Might throw some veggies in with the shrimp next time around – maybe some snow peas, perhaps? The sauce was so good, I’m looking forward to trying it with other proteins in the future as well. Take heed, and don’t pass this one over for months like I did!

Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili paste
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch freshly-ground black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact. Devein the shrimp if you choose.

In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, and sugar and set aside.

In a wok or large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated. Season with black pepper.

Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.

Source: adapted from Appetite for China

Ginger Pork Stir-Fry

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Ginger Pork Stir Fry

Stir-fries are one of my favorite options for a weeknight meals. Healthy, quick, and flavorful – I usually find myself adding one to our menu weekly. They’re also great for a “clean out the fridge” kind of night. I had close to a whole pork tenderloin leftover that I used for this dish. I was worried that the pork would be overcooked after stir-frying. But, it was just as tender and juicy as it was the first night we enjoyed it.

But, if you didn’t have a cooked pork tenderloin hanging around (which, you totally should make that recipe. It’s pretty much amazing) – you could of course slice it thin, and then cook in the wok before the veggies. I added broccoli, red pepper, and water chestnuts for a crunchy kick. But mushrooms, carrots, or snow peas would be other great additions. That’s why I love stir-fries – they are pretty much good with anything you throw at it!

Ginger Pork Stir-Fry

3/4 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 red pepper, diced
1 can water chestnuts, drained
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 scallions, chopped

For the sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp hoison sauce
2 Tbsp Mirin (or dry sherry)

Combine soy sauce, veggie oil, garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, and scallions in a Ziploc bag. Add pork to bag and toss to coat. Let marinade 30 minutes while you prep the rest of the veggies and sauce.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of ice and 2 cups of water. Toss broccoli florets into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove, and place in the ice bath to set the color and stop the cooking process. Drain, and place florets on a clean kitchen towel to dry.

Drain the excess marinade from the pork. Place your sauce, vegetables and pork near the stove.

Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced pork; stir slowly until almost opaque; about 1 minute. Transfer to plate; discard the oil and wipe out the pan.

Heat the pan over high heat; 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil and add the vegetables, starting with the red peppers – then the broccoli and water chestnuts. Stir-fry until crisp-tender.

Add the pork and sauce and stir until the sauce is thickens, about 3 minutes. Thin with chicken broth, if needed. Serve over rice and garnish with sliced scallions.

Source: adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2010

Lumpia

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LumpiaI have many good memories associated with lumpia and football. A family friend always made them for the Super Bowl party we went to, year after year, and everyone always loved them. They were out of the kitchen as soon as they came out of the fryer!

Most of the ingredients are fairly easy to come by, even for a country mouse like myself. You may have a hard time finding spring roll wrappers. I know I did, for years. Until finally I realized that we have an Asian market here in Salisbury. Subconciously, I knew it was there. But, I’d always avoided it because the mini-strip mall that they call home looks kind of skeezy. A month or so ago, I finally ventured in, and am kicking myself for not going in sooner. Everything was clean, and well organized – and ingredients that I’d been searching years to find (black vinegar! good fish sauce!) were on the shelves in abundance. Was so happy to see that they had spring roll wrappers, so I purchased a couple packages to stick in the freezer. Then came home and set out to try making my own lumpia!

They come together fairly quickly, as you don’t pre-cook the filling. Just make sure to chop the carrots and cabbage very finely – as this helps to lighten the texture of the ground pork. Also, keep in mind that lumpia should be a good deal smaller than an egg roll – because they’re almost exclusively meat, as opposed to shredded vegetables. It’s easy to find yourself wanting to put more filling in before you roll them up – but, resist that urge. About one fingers width and length is the amount of filling you want in each roll.

If you’re still looking for Super Bowl munchie ideas, definitely consider this one. They can be fried in advance, then kept warm in the oven for an hour or so – without having the crispiness of the roll suffer.  Which leaves you plenty of time to mix up some Hurricanes before your guests arrive! Also, GO NINERS!

Lumpia

1 lb ground pork
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup carrots, finely minced
1 cup cabbage, finely minced
1/2 cup green onions, finely minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
30 spring roll (or lumpia) wrappers

In a large bowl combine ground pork, garlic, carrots, cabbage, green onions, and ginger. Using clean hands, mix to combine.

To wrap the lumpia, place 3 teaspoons of the filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2 inch space at both ends. Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly. Keep the roll tight as you assemble. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to retain moisture.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven to 350 degrees. Place 3 or 4 lumpia into the oil. Fry the rolls for about 5 minutes, turning often, until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels that are placed on top on a cooling rack. Serve immediately with sweet chili or soy sauce.

Source: inspired by our family friend, CJ

Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

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Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

Last week it was in the 60’s here, all week long (albeit raining). Then, on Thursday it got cold enough to get a little bit of snow. Enough for Andrew to have a little bit of fun in at least! And now, it’s REALLY cold. So, when I came across a recipe for this pork tenderloin I thought it looked great, something to transport me to a warm tropical beach – and away from the freezing tundras of coastal Maryland.

Super duper easy too. I just threw together a marinade, let the pork do it’s thing – and then used the method that I’ve used for pork tenderloins in the past; seared it off on the stove first, then finished cooking in the oven. Since I didn’t want to let all that delicious flavor in the marinade go to waste, I went ahead and brought it to a boil on the stove then served it as a sauce alongside the sliced tenderloin.

I love the flavor that the peanut butter and soy sauce lend, as well as the little kick of heat from the crushed red pepper. The original recipe called for mango chutney, which I didn’t have, so I just used some peach-hot pepper jelly that I’d gotten from TS Smith & Sons last year – and it turned out beautifully. But, orange marmalade or apricot preserves would be good too; just something that’s sweet, with a little bit of chunkiness to it.

I served it with garlic rice pilaf (recipe coming tomorrow) and sauteed snow peas – and everyone cleaned their plates. If you’re looking for a change of pace, or to bring some exotic new flavors to the dinner table – definitely mark this one down on your menu soon!

Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine preserves, garlic, coriander, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, peanut butter, lime juice, orange juice, crushed red pepper and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine, paying attention to break up the peanut butter.  Place pork tenderloin in gallon sized Ziploc bag and pour the marinade on top. Squeeze out the air, and seal, using your hands to squish bag and distribute marinade evenly. Place in refrigerator and let marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 425. Heat  the vegetable oil in large oven-proof skillet (I like cast iron) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork tenderloin, and sear on all sides, until it’s nicely browned – about 7 minutes or so. Place the entire skillet into the preheated oven, and cook until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees – about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

While the pork is in the oven, pour the marinade into a small saucepan. If it seems too thick, add a splash or orange juice or water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, then turn off heat. Pour sauce over the sliced tenderloin and sprinkle with chopped cilantro for garnish.

Source: adapted from Kitchen Confidante