Shrimp Fried Rice ( Secret Ingredient)

Shrimp Fried Rice ( Shh with the Secret Ingredient) 

People who have had my shrimp fried rice comment that it is some of the best they have had outside of a Chinese restaurant, which thrills me to no end to hear. I am one of those people that  if I like something or if I enjoy eating it I will try to recreate and eventually prefect that dish at home. I have scoured the internet and peeked into various kitchens to get the secrets (yes with a “s”) that I’m going to share here with you today only because I am in a generous mood. My family doesn't even know these tips so I am showing yall major love by telling you out there in internet land. But you didn't come here to hear me talk about the secrets I keep from my family so let’s get to the food.

Ingredients

3 cups of cold cooked rice (Secret number one: use cold rice. If you try to fry hot rice it will get sticky, gummy and gross overall. Use cool to cool rice. It works every time)

1-1/2 pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp

1 whole yellow onion diced

2 Eggs

4- 5 Stalks of Green/ Spring Onion chopped  (I like a lot of green onion but feel free to use your discretion, cooking is an art not a science)

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Soy Sauce (to taste) 

1 Tablespoon Sesame oil (Secret number 2, sesame oil give my fried rice the authentic flavor that people comment on. The stuff is pretty strong so I recommend adding a little to start off with then adding more if you like)

Directions

1.     Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add yellow onions, stir and cook until onions are translucent, take about 3 to 4 minutes.

2.      Stir in rice and fry, if rice starts to stick add a bit more oil and stir continuously cooking for 3-4 minutes.

3.     Add your shrimp they should be peeled and deveined to your pan/ wok continue to stir and fry.

4.     Prepare your eggs the same way you would if you were going to scramble an egg then you have cooks choice, you can either scramble the egg in a separate pan then add it to you frying rice or if you are lazy daring and don’t want to use multiple pan- then push your still frying rice to the side and scramble your egg in the same pan. Once your egg is scrambled mix it thoroughly into your rice

5.     Add in your green onions and soy sauce cook while constantly stirring for two minutes or until heated thoroughly.

6.     Garnish with green onion and serve immediately.

* This recipe is really a stripped down version of fried rice. One you master the basic recipe feel free to add things such as different meats of veggies. 

What are some of your favorite takeout dishes to make at home? Do you have any tips or tricks you have picked up that make your take on the dish more authentic? Comment below.

Virtually Home Made Apple Galette ( Crazy Easy)

Virtually Homemade Apple Galette

I call this a "virtually" homemade Apple Galette because I think that it’s important to have complete transparency. I don't want anyone reading this blog to look at my pictures and think "wow, I wish I could make that." Nope, the recipes I make here are for the most part simple, I use everyday ingredients and I make food that I actually enjoy eating. I call this recipe “virtually" homemade because I used store brought dough for the crust. I was going to say semi homemade but I wasn't sure if that term was copy righted if you watch the Food Network then you know what I’m referring to. I call it a "galette" because I like the way it sounds, doesn't the word being to mind French pastries? Let’s be honest we could all use more thoughts about French pastries. I'll stop waxing poetic about pastries and get to what you came for... food

Virtually Home Made Galette

The very best picture I could get before I dived in head first I  sliced a piece and ate it in a dignified manner.

Ingredients

3 Medium- Large Apples (I used two Gala and one Granny Smith)

1 Store Brought Pie Crust (I used the Pillsbury version that comes from the refrigerated section the store, same area you get biscuits in. Two come in the box you only need one for this recipe)

1/3 Cup of sugar (I used cane sugar, but white or brown would work as well

½ of the juice of lemon

½ Teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/8 Teaspoon of ground nutmeg

½ Teaspoon of vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon of cornstarch (I didn't have on hand so I substituted with all-purpose flour)

Melted Butter (to brush on pie shell)

1 egg (for egg wash)

*Take your pie crust out of the freezer about a hour before you are actually ready to bake, it takes a while to defrost enough for you to unroll it.

Utensils

Baking sheet

Parchment Paper

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.     Wash, peel, and thinly slice your apples.

3.     In a bowl combine apples, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt, then gently stir to mix thoroughly. Set aside. 

4.     In a cup squeeze ½ of lemon, dissolve your tablespoon of cornstarch/flour into the lemon juice and stir to remove lumps. Pour and stir this mixture in with apples. Set aside 

5.     Tear a piece of parchment paper large enough to hold your galette, unroll your pie crust on to the parchment paper, once you get the pie crust completely unrolled unto the parchment paper place it unto a baking sheet.

6.     Here you can take creative license; you can either gently arrange the apples slices in a circular pattern to achieve a more refined look or dump the apples into the middle of the crust for a more rustic look. Either way leave about a inch of dough free from apples to have room to form your crust.

7.     Hold the dough between your index and   thumb on one hand and fold it over the index finger of your other hand. The idea is to create a twisted pattern.

8.     Prepare your egg wash. Take one egg and combine it with a 1 tablespoon of cold water, mix thoroughly.

9.     Brush you’re the crust of your uncooked galette dough with the egg wash, then sprinkle crust with sugar.

10. Place into preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes, turn hallway through.  ( I started to check for doneness at 40 minutes in the oven)

11.  Pull your galette from the oven and immediately brush with melted butter.

Feel free serve your galette with ice cream, and a bit of caramel sauce for a sundae like experience. I made this dessert during a week night. I went to the store earlier in the day and there was a sale on apples and since it is Fall/ Autumn I figured they would be at the peak of freshness and perfect for baking. What are some of your favorite fall desserts?  Do you find yourself wishing baking was easier? Are there any dishes that you prepare that are “virtually” homemade? Comment below. I would love to hear from you.

Taco Tuesdays!!! But not really...

There something about the mere mention of "Taco Tuesdays" that makes everyone smile. Tuesday as a day of the week is pretty humdrum; it doesn't have the polarizing powers of Monday, nor does it offer the assurance that Wednesday aka Humpday provides that the week is almost over. What Tuesday does have however is tacos. Which is an extremely redeeming quality in my book. This particular Tuesday I offer you a recipe that's not quite a taco. What I have instead is a quesadilla recipe that was inspired by a Chipotle burrito. Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unhealthy obsession  really enjoy Chipotle Mexican Grill's burritos. Their burritos are fresh, delicious, inexpensive, and relatively  healthy when compared to other fast food options. The idea came for this dish when I decided that I would make my own version of a Chipotle burrito. I went to the store gathered my provisions, got home, then  realized forgot the lettuce and tomato. I decided that I could not make a suitable copycat recipe without all of the ingredients so I decided to do a quesadilla instead. Well enough yammering about my epic voyage to feed my stomach, i'll get to what you came here for...the food.   

Taco Tuesdays!!! But not really...

Ingredients

1 Pound of chicken

1  and ½ Yellow onions (Diced)

1 Green bell pepper (Seeded and sliced into strips)

1 Red bell pepper (Seeded and diced)

1 Yellow bell pepper (Seeded and slice into strips)

4 Flour Tortillas

2 Cups of shredded cheese (I usually use the Mexican Mix by Kraft or Monterey Jack cheese)

Olive Oil

4 Cups of water

2 Cups of brown rice

1 lime (zested and juiced)

½ Cup of chopped fresh cilantro

2 Cloves of garlic

Can of black beans

Can of whole kernel corn

Sour Cream (for serving)

Salsa ( for serving)

Directions:

1.     Season your chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Set aside  to marinate for 30 minutes.

2.     Heat table spoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast and sauté until done. Once chicken is done remove from heat and dice into cubes.

3.     Add tablespoon of olive oil in skillet warm until heated. Once oil is heated add 1 whole diced onion. Cook until tender, and then add the green, yellow peppers. Cook until vegetables have some color on them about 3-4 minutes. Remove from skillet, place them in a bowl and set aside. ( I like to make this a one pan meal, so I rinse skillet and reuse)

4.     Drizzle oil in skillet heat pan over medium heat. Once the pan is warm lay a flour tortilla in the skillet. Then add a layer cheese, peppers, chicken, cheese and top with another tortilla.

5.     Cook the first side until golden, then add a little more oil and flip the quesadilla and cook the other side cook until golden, remove from pan. Set aside cover in foil to keep warm  Repeat this process until you have four quesadillas.

*Cooking note* Cut quesadillas into quarters to serve.

Santa Fe Style Black Beans

1.     Into a pot add a can of black beans, small can of whole kernel corn, diced red peppers, ½ teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of paprika, and 1 clove of chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste.  

2.     Heat ingredients over medium high heat to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. (I usually cook the beans for about 30 minutes, sometimes I add a  stock cube to enhance a flavor)

Close up of the beans

Cilantro & Lime Brown Rice

1.     Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan, add brown rice. Reduce heat to a medium-low and cook until rice is tender about 40-45 minutes.

2.     Drain rice, transfer rice into a bowl, and allow to cool slightly.

3.     In a separate bowl mix together lime juice, lime zest, and oil. Pour this mixture over rice, add cilantro, and then stir. add salt and pepper to taste.

Close up of the cilantro-lime rice

Final plating, garnished with lime, I added sour cream, and salsa.

Another plating shot.

This dish is a nice way to mix up weeknight boredom. It takes about 45 minutes total to prepare and the leftovers make the perfect lunch the next day.  The cilantro and lime made the rice really fresh. The quesadillas were awesome, I like to think of them as Mexican grilled cheese. Have you ever tried to make a dish from your favorite restaurant at home? What are some of your favorite weeknight meals? Comment below, subscribe to get post directly to your inbox, show me some blog love on Bloglovin, or follow me on Instagram, basically stay in touch.  

Sauteed Pineapple Shrimp with Mango Salsa

Sauteed Pineapple Shrimp with Mango Salsa 

Much like the famed "Mary" there is just something about shrimp. Growing up in the Gulf region (Gulf of Mexico)  I have been privy to having access to some of the most delicious seafood you would ever want to try, the bounty of options that come from local waters here is enough to make a grown chef cry. My favorite by far are the Gulf shrimp, they are tender, flavorful, with a very slight natural sweetness that under the right circumstances could reduce you to tears at their perfection. With that being said it is easy to see why sometimes I simply just crave shrimp; and any ole shrimp won't do, it must be fresh caught Gulf shrimp. The day I prepared this meal was a day where I woke up with shrimp on the brain and I wouldn't be happy until I had the. I'm sure you didn't click the like to hear me wax poetic about shrimp, so I'll stop my yammering and get to the food.

Sauteed Pineapple Shrimp with Mango Salsa 

 Ingredients:

1 Pound of shrimp (peeled, deveined, tail on)

2 Cloves of garlic

¼ of a cup of pineapple juice  

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 Mango (peeled and diced)

1 Half of a red onion (diced)

1 Jalapeño pepper (diced and deseeded)

3 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro

1 Plantain 

Salt

Pepper

Crushed red pepper flake (for spice)

Directions:

1.     In a bowl combine the diced red onion, diced mango, diced jalapeno, 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, and two tablespoons of lime juice. Cover and put into fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Close -up of the mango salsa on my plate

2.     In a bowl combine shrimp, pineapple juice, and season with salt, pepper, and dash of red pepper flake. Let marinate for 15 minutes

3.     Add two table spoons of olive oil to pan warm over medium heat.

4.      Add garlic to oil, cooking until garlic is softened

5.     Add shrimp to pan, place them one at a time, be sure to reserve the liquid that the shrimp marinated in. (you will use it later to make sauce) cook shrimp for about one minute on each side.

6.      Pour the remaining liquid from the marinade into the pan with shrimp, continue to cook until flavors combine, the liquid reduces into a slightly thicker sauce, and the shrimp are completely cooked. Garnish with cilantro, give it twist of fresh lime juice. Serve immediately.

 

Shrimp in pan after sauce reduced

Here is a close up of the entire plated meal, I served the shrimp and salsa with wild rice and plantains. 

Another angle of the plate.

Here is a picture of the plantains, it was my first time frying them, they came out surprisingly well and really simple to prepare. Sliced them and fry the. I just googled frying plantains.

This meal was easy to prepare and most importantly it satisfied my shrimp craving. I was also able to try something new by adding the plantains to the mix which is always fun to do in the kitchen. Are there any foods that you crave? When you crave food do you usually go out to get it or try to prepare it at home? Comment below. Don't forget to subscribe to get all new post sent directly to your email. 

xx. Toya 

Perfect Sunday Roast Chicken Dinner ( Watch & Try YouTube Edition)

Perfect Sunday Roast Dinner (Watch & Try YouTube Edition)

Something about a Sunday demands a good, wholesome, filling meal; at least to me it does any way. Sunday’s are the beginning of the week, the start of a series of days which are actually an opportunity to do what it is that you want to do and make the most of the possibilities.  To me in order to start the week off right, and as a way to send the past week off with a bang. I say have a good meal. If you have a family living in the home with you it’s the perfect time to sit around and have a conversation over a meal where you aren't pressed for time, or exhausted from the day’s activities, you can sit, enjoy a meal and luxuriate in each other’s company. Even if you are a single person, or you don’t have a large family at home make a good Sunday dinner, most of the meals I prepare are usually just for me or for me and one other person.  Not having a big family to cook for is no excuse for me not to take the time to prepare a delicious meal.  Sunday’s for me are all about refreshment and rejuvenation in preparation for the week, and having a good meal is a part of that process for me. Well that’s enough of me yammering on I’ll get on with the food. 

Perfect Sunday Roast Dinner 

The "Watch & Try" aspect of this post is inspired by the fact that this recipe comes from a YouTube video a featuring Kerryanna Dunlap where she prepared a traditional English Sunday Roast Dinner. The meal she prepared looks so delicious and she did it so seamlessly that I have to try the recipe out for myself to see if I would get similar results. I will attach the link to the videos of Kerryanna making her dinner below. (*Disclaimer these videos and any links contained in this post are the property of the lawful owners, and are only presented here for informational purposes.) 

Total Cooking Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes

Cooking Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

Prep Time: 20 Minutes 

Yields: Servings 

Ingredients

1 Whole Roasting Chicken

2 Medium Onions

2 Whole Carrots

2 Celery Sticks

1 Whole Garlic Bulb

1 Lemon

1 Tablespoons Olive Oil (Use butter if you don’t mind the added fat)

Honey

Cumin

Salt

Pepper

A bunch of fresh herbs; Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Bay, or a mixture ( if you don’t have fresh and you have dry use the dry , but if you absolutely don’t want to or can’t go out to the store.

*Cooking Tip*  This is link for the actual that the video is following: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/perfect-roast-chicken/

1.     Take your chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven. Preheat your oven 350 degrees.  Peel the vegetables, wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, removes the peels and leave them whole.

2.     Pile all the veggies and garlic into the middle of your large roasting tray or pan and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil (or rub with butter and season well with salt and pepper ( I like to add a little Cajun seasoning at this point because I like a little spice), rubbing it all over the bird. Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife. Put the lemon inside the chicken's cavity, with the bunch of herbs.

3.     Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray and put it into the preheated oven.  Cook the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

4.     Baste the chicken halfway through cooking and if the veggies look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them from burning. When the chicken is done, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to tray or dish to rest for 15 minutes or so.  If you care the chicken to too it will dry out. Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a towel and put on the side aside.

*Note* If you're doing roasted potatoes and veggies with your chicken, this would be the time to start them. Once you prepare them place them into the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking the chicken.

I served my chicken with homemade mashed potatoes, fresh peas & onions, and honey roasted carrots just like the ones in the video. They were surprisingly delicious I’m not a very big cooked carrot eater in fact I usually prefer my carrots raw but these were very good. The video also included instructions for how to prepare those as well.

Here is another shot of my actual plated dinner: 

The meal was really filling, it was the type of thing you eat and you feel cozy after ward. You feel warm inside and its not just the gravy. Your family or whomever you choose to share the meal with will see this and think a lot of effort went into it, but its actually really easy to prepare. Are there any special meals you like to prepare on Sunday? Do you have a day set aside to cook something special or to share a meal with loved ones. Comment below. Please don't forget to subscribe. 

xx. Toya