Skinny Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 medium zucchini, cut into noodles (See Kelly’s Notes)
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Place a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and heat it for 1 minute. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook them for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the shrimp to the pan and cook them, stirring as needed, until they are cooked throughout and pink on all sides, about 3 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and then using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl, leaving any liquid in the pan.

Increase the heat to medium. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, cooking the wine and lemon juice for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, garish with parsley and serve immediately.

Kelly’s Notes:
To cut zucchini into noodles, use a mandoline or a spiralizer.

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BAKED AUBERGINE (YOTAM OTTOLENGHI RECIPE)

A perfect starter for a light supper. Yogurt sauce, as you may have noticed by now, is a regular presence in my recipes - that's because it has the ability to round up so many flavours and textures like no other component does. Here, I replace some of the yogurt with buttermilk, which adds an acidity that works wonders with the slightly greasy nature of the aubergine and the sweet pomegranate seeds. Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend of sumac, sesame seeds and herbs. Serves four as a starter.

2 large and long aubergines

75ml olive oil

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pomegranate

1 tsp za'atar

A few sprigs fresh lemon thyme

For the sauce

140ml buttermilk

100g Greek yogurt

1½ tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle to finish off

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Wash the aubergines and cut them in two lengthways through the green stalk (it looks better like this, even though you don't eat the stalk). Make three or four deep parallel incisions in the cut side of the aubergine, taking care not to cut as far as the skin. Then, at a 45-degree angle to these cuts, make four more, to create a diamond pattern.

Put the aubergines, cut side up, on an oven tray lined with baking parchment and brush with the oil. Keep on brushing until all the oil has soaked into the flesh. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35-40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavoursome and well browned. Remove and leave to cool.

While the aubergines are in the oven, cut the pomegranate in two horizontally. Hold one half over a bowl, the cut side facing your palm, and with the back of a wooden spoon gently knock on the skin. Continue beating with increasing power until the seeds start falling into the bowl. Once all are out, sift through the seeds to remove any white skin bits. For the sauce, simply whisk together all the ingredients, taste for seasoning and keep cold until needed.

To serve, put an aubergine half on a plate, flesh side up. Spoon over lots of sauce without covering the stalk, sprinkle on lots of pomegranate seeds and some za'atar, garnish with lemon thyme and finish with a drizzle of oil.

· Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi in London.

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Sate Padang Recipe (Padang Saté)

Ingredients:

908 g (2 lbs) oxtongue (or beef or combination of two)
8 kaffir lime leaves
2 stalks of lemongrass, take only the white part, bruised
1 turmeric leaves, knotted (optional)
2 asam kandis (I substituted for kokam or gorakha, it can be found at Indian/Caribbean markets)
water for boiling ox tongue
bamboo skewers
cooking oil
½ – ¾ cup rice flour, dissolved in a small amount of water

Spices to grind:

7 shallots
3 cloves garlic
red cayenne peppers (I substitute for ground chilies as many as you can handle the hot flavour)
3 cm long galangal
2 cm long ginger
2 cardamoms
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cumin powder
2 tsp curry powder (I prefer the Srilankan curry powder)
ground white pepper and salt as needed

Condiments:
rice cake (ketupat)
fried shallots (bawang goreng)

Directions:
1. In a pot, add water and bring to a boil. Add oxtongue, cook for about next 15 minutes.

2. Remove ox tongue from the pot and save 750 mL of the liquid. Scrape the ox tongue with a knife. Rinse well under running water. Cut into cubes (1x2x1 cm3).

3. In the same pot, combine 750 mL liquid, ox tongue cubes, ground spices, turmeric leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, asam kandis and salt. Bring into a boil then reduce the heat, simmer until the tongue completely cooked.

4. Thread 4-5 pieces of tongue into each skewer. Brush with a small amount of cooking oil and grill couple of minutes until both sides are brown (do not grill too long as ox tongue is already cooked).

Gravy:
1. Simmer the broth.
2. Gradually pour into rice flour mixture while stirring.
3. Keep stirring until the gravy thickens.

Serving Suggestion:
Place Sate Padang and rice cake on the plate. Pour the gravy over and garnish with fried shallots. Serve while it’s still hot.

Note: If you are using beef, you don’t need to boil with water first.  Cut the the beef into cubes, combine with water and spices and boil.

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ROASTY, TOASTY, SWEET, AND SPICE: GREEN TEA BLACK SESAME SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Matcha (green tea powder)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• Sanding or granulated sugar for garnish
• Black sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter and line the pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper that overhang each side of the pan by 1 inch. Combine flour, tea powder, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Drizzle vanilla and scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, and, using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers, blend until dough just begins to come together.
2. Crumble dough into prepared baking dish and, using the base of a measuring cup or a glass dipped in flour, evenly press into the pan. Place dough in freezer while oven heats up.
3. Heat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Remove shortbread from freezer, sprinkle a few pinches of granulated sugar and sesame seeds (if using) on top of them, using the tip of sharp knife, gently score into serving portions.
4. Bake until shortbread is fully set and just starting to brown on the edges, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, remove from baking dish and cut along score marks into cookies.

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Kielbasa, Pepper, Onion and Potato Hash

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) package turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 small or 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed skillet (I like to use my cast iron), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, around 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even browning.  
2. In a separate skillet, brown the sliced kielbasa for around 5 minutes in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.  Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside.  Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.  
3. Add the cooked potatoes and kielbasa to the skillet with the onions and peppers and mix everything together.  Serve nice and hot!

Notes

• I use two skillets to make this recipe.  I used to make it in one, but something always came out wrong.  I've learned that when I cook my potatoes in a separate skillet they cook more evenly and stay nice any crispy when they're added to the other ingredients right before serving.
• Sometimes I'll add some minced garlic to the peppers and onions, but it tastes just as good without it.
• Source: thetwobiteclub.com

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

A fun easy and adaptable recipe for pan seared steak rolls stuffed with veggies and topped with a delicious balsamic glaze steak sauce.

I came across this gorgeous recipe of Pan Seared Steak Rolls by Jaden of SteamyKitchen.com and really wanted to try it out with my own flavors.  I had skirt steak in my freezer, which I thought would be perfect for this recipe and although I used it and it tasted just great, I probably would have gone and bought thin sliced sirloin steaks instead, cos it was a little tedious trimming up all the fat from my skirt steak.

Instead of Jaden’s Asian flavors, I opted to do a balsamic glaze sauce so I kept the marinade very simple using just salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. I used veggies I had in my crisper and ta da! made my very own adaptation of her beef rolls.  Served up with some mashed potatoes my family loved the dish and devoured it in record time.  So when trying out this recipe,  feel free to make it your own with your favorite seasonings, veggies and sauce!

Here are the step by step pictures of how I made my balsamic glazed steak rolls- Enjoy!

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

Yields 10

A fun easy and adaptable recipe for pan seared steak rolls stuffed with veggies and topped with a delicious balsamic glaze steak sauce.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 – 2 lb skirt steak/ 8-10 thin sliced sirloin
2. Salt & Pepper (according to taste)
3. 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4. Any steak seasoning you like
5. 1 tbsp olive oil

For the Veggie filling

1. 1 carrot
2. 1 bell pepper
3. 1/2 a zucchini (depending on size)
4. 5-6 green onions
5. 2 cloves of garlic
6. 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning

For the Balsamic glaze sauce

1. 2 tsp butter
2. 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
3. 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4. 2 tbsp brown sugar
5. 1/4 cup beef broth

Instructions

1. – Start by prepping the steak. (I used skirt steak cos it’s what I had on hand, but in hind sight, I probably would have gone for a more leaner cut like flank steak or looked for thin sliced sirloin.) I trimmed as much fat as I could and cut the steak into 3 inch wide strips. I managed 8 strips and used the odd shapped ends to taste test my marinade and balsamic glaze. You can then tenderize the meat with a meat hammer (if you’re using sirloin it doesn’t need any tenderizing).
2. – Season the steak pieces generously on both sides with salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. And let them sit in the marinade for atleast 30 mins if not a couple hours.
3. – While the steak is marinating you can prep the filling for them. Chop up the carrot, bell pepper and zucchini into matchstick size pieces, little longer than the width of the steak strips. I used a mandolin slicer to jet thin sliced and hand cut them to make matchsticks. I then cut the green onion in a similar size and sliced them in half length wise. For the garlic, simply peel and crush the cloves with the flat side of your knife, just enough to bruise them.
4. – Now for the sauce, melt the butter in a small sauce pan on medium heat.
5. – Add the finely chopped shallot and sautee it for a minute or 2 until they turn soft and transluscent.
6. – Add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and beef stock and stir to mix everything well.
7. – Allow the sauce to come to a boil and reduce to almost half its volume. You’ll notice it starts becoming thicker and have the consistency of syrup. The butter also starts separating and comes to the top. Turn the heat off and transfer the sauce to a bowl.
8. – In the same pan (no need to wash it) add a touch of olive oil and toss in the garlic cloves to allow them to flavor the oil for a few minutes.
9. – Turn the heat up to high and toss in the carrots, bell pepper and zucchini (there’s no need to cook the green onion) and stir fry the veggies for no longer than 2-3 minutes.
10. – Season them with the the itlalian herb seasoning and salt and transfer the veggies to a bowl.
11. – To assemble the steak rolls, simply take a strip of the marinated steak and lay it with the short side towards you. Place the veggies (dont forget the green onion!) in the middle and oll the beef up over the filling, securing it with toothpick. Repeat the same with the other rolls.
12. – Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a touch of oil swirling to coat bottom. When hot, add beef rolls, seam side down, not touching and pan fry for a couple minutes. Then turn roll and cook it on all sides in the same way. Cook until you’re desired done-ness. I cooked mine medium well and seasoned it with some mesquite seasoning for a touch of a smokey flavor.
13. – Remove the toothpick and serve with the balsamic glaze sauce spooned over the top of each roll.

By Noreen Hiskey

Adapted from PictureTheRecipe.com

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Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Shells

YIELD: Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 onion, diced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cups crushed crackers or breadcrumbs
1 (15 ounce) container Sargento® Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons grated Sargento® Parmesan Cheese
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup Sargento® Fancy Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Cook shells and spinach according to package directions. Drain and squeeze out excess moisture from the spinach. Meanwhile, brown ground turkey and onions in 2 tbsp. olive oil, over medium-high heat.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease or line a large baking dish with aluminum foil. Spread 1 cup sauce on bottom of baking dish.

Combine spinach, parsley, crumbs, ricotta cheese, eggs, garlic, and cheese in a large bowl; mix well. Add turkey and onions, and mix well. Fill shells with this mixture.

Add shells and cover with remaining sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil. Bake 35-40 minutes until warmed through and bubbly.

Enjoy!

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Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips with Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce

YIELD: Makes about 25 chips and 1/4 cup dipping sauce

INGREDIENTS:

For Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips:

1 large russet potato, scrubbed and sliced into 1/8" rounds*

Nonstick cooking spray

8 oz. (2 cups) shredded Colby jack, cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend

6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into bits

1/4 cup chopped parsley, chives or scallions, optional

Salt, to taste

For Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce:

1 Tablespoon Ranch dressing

3 Tablespoons sour cream

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

For Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange oven rack to middle of oven.

Lay out individual potato slices on a paper-towel lined surface. Pat slices dry with another layer of paper towels (The drier the potato slices, the crispier chips they’ll make!). Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Lay out potato slices about 1/2 inch from each other (not overlapping) and lightly coat with additional cooking spray. Sprinkle each slice with pinches of shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with parsley and salt. Transfer chips to a cooling rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

Serve with Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce (recipe below).

For Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce:

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

TIPS

You can also use 1 medium russet potato in place of 1/2 large potato.

I like to leave the skins on the potatoes, but you can peel if you prefer.

You can adjust spices for the dipping sauce as you prefer, according to how much spice you like.

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Mexican White Cheese Dip (Queso)

1/2 pound white American cheese, cubed

1/2 – 1 cup milk

1 small onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced (leave the ribs and seeds in for more heat)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 garlic clove, minced or chopped

1 tablespoon oil

snipped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Place a medium size saucepan over medium-high heat; add oil. Add onions and peppers, and saute until the onions are translucent and peppers are softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add cubed cheese and milk (start with 1/2 cup and add additional milk to desired thin-ness), stirring often, until completely melted. Serve hot with freshly snipped cilantro for garnish, if desired.

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ROUGETTE Bavarian Red and Ham Croissants

4 oz. ROUGETTE Bavarian Red
6 slices of smoked ham, thinly sliced
1 package of 6 crescent rolls or 6 homemade croissants (recipe follows)
1 egg white

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2 .Cut Rougette into ¼” slices; trim rind (optional)
3. On each triangle of dough, place a slice of ham so there is about a half an inch of overhang over the shortest base of the triangle.
4. Next place a slice of Rougette on the ham. Roll the edge of ham over the top of the cheese, then starting from that shortest base of the triangle, roll the dough over the ham and cheese, and toward the opposite point of the triangle, until the entire triangle is rolled up.
5. Pinch the edges slightly inward and place on cookie sheet.
6. Brush with egg white.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.

Croissant Dough

(Adapted from Julia Child’s Croissant recipe)

Yeast mixture:

1 T dry yeast
¼ tsp salt
½ T sugar
¼ cup warm water

Dough:

¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup unbleached pastry flour flour mix
1 T sugar
¾ tsp salt
½ cup room temperature milk
2 T oil
1 stick (½ cup) good quality butter, chilled.

1. Mix yeast, salt, and sugar into the measuring cup of warm water until dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes, until a foamy surface forms. (If the foamy surface doesn’t form, this is a clue that you’re water was too warm and killed the yeast.)
2. In a medium bowl (or a stand mixer if you have one), make your dough. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, milk, oil, and yeast mixture.
3. Once it comes together (it will be a rough, slightly sticky mass), put it on a lightly floured surface and knead it. To do this, fold the dough in half towards you, then using the base of your palm, push the dough away from you firmly, in a light rolling motion. Rotate the dough a half quarter turn and repeat the same. Add a bit of flour if the dough gets sticky. Keep kneading in this manner until the dough is smooth. (Another good test is to gently press your finger into the dough. If it springs back, you’re ready to take a rest.)
4. Put the dough in a bowl, cover it, and let it rise at room temperature until double in size about 1–1 ½ hours.
5. Punch down the dough and form it into a ½” patty. Wrap it in plastic or wax paper and chill for 30 minutes.
6. About half way through your dough’s chilling time, take out the butter. Between two sticks of waxed paper, flatten the stick using the rolling pin, until it is about a ¼” thick than roll it even flatter into a 5″circle. This will take some elbow grease. By the time you’re done, your butter will likely be softened, so firm up again by putting it in the fridge for 5–10 minutes before proceeding.
7. Take out the dough and roll it into a 9″ circle. Place the chilled butter in the middle of the dough and fold the dough over the butter like you are making an envelope.
8. Lightly flour the dough and begin to roll the envelope out into a 5″ x 15″ rectangle. The butter may ooze out as you do this, so just pinch the dough around it to keep it in.
9. Once you have the rectangle rolled out, start from the short side, closest to you and fold one-third of the rectangle up. Then fold the top one-third over the bottom third (like you’re folding a letter). Turn this rectangle so that the short side is now closest to you and roll it out into a 5″ x 15″ rectangle again. Fold as you did before. 10. Wrap it in plastic wrap or wax paper and chill it for 2 hours.
11. After the dough is chilled, take it out and repeat steps 8 through and 10 twice.
12. Finally take the dough out, roll it into a 5″ x 20″ rectangle. Cut it in half. Chill one half. Then roll out the remaining half so you get a 5″ x 12″ rectangle.
13. Cut the remaining half into thirds. Chill two of the thirds while you work with one. Roll the third into about a 5½” square. Cut the square in half diagonally to form two triangles.
14. Roll each triangle out so that the length of the shortest base to the opposite tip is about 7″. Proceed with ROUGETTE and Ham croissant recipe above.

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Easy Beef Steak Recipe, Black Pepper Sauce

Beef Steak Ingredients:

• 500 gram ground beef 
• 1 tablespoon flour 
• 1 Tablespoon Margarine 
• Mustard to taste 
• Black pepper to taste

Sauce Ingredients:

• 5 cloves of garlic 
• 1/2 clove onion, cut into pieces  
• 1 Tablespoon flour 
• 1 Tablespoon english soy sauce  
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 200 cc of water 
• Black pepper to taste (optional) 

How to Make black pepper sauce:

1. First Sauté garlic, onions until softened 
2. Then enter the mix the flour and mix well
3. Then pour a little water
4. Mix the english soy sauce, salt, sugar and black pepper, to taste
5. Last stir stir until cooked. finished, lift 

Complementary Food Beef Steak:

French fries
boiled beans
carrots boiled

How to Cook Beef Steak with Black Pepper Sauce:

1. First Combine ground beef with the flour, then the batter is made roundly then flatten.
2. Further Marinate meat batter was with mustard and black pepper, rest 15 minutes for the flavors to infuse.
3. Now you are ready to bake until done (or undercooked). Finish. Enjoy :)

Tip: Actually you could use instead of minced meat, flour means can be eliminated, and enough meatin thin slices and then went straight to the number 2 position.

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Lentil Taco Recipe, Plant Based and Delicious

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2½ cups cooked brown lentils
• Water, oil or veggie broth to add to lentils
• 1 packet taco seasoning (or you can make your own)
• Taco shells, corn tortilla or flour tortillas
• salsa
• taco sauce
• chopped tomato
• chopped lettuce
• avocado
• Sour Cream (I used a vegan brand)
• Cheese (I used a vegan brand of this also)

Instructions

1. Heat a bit of oil, water or veggie broth in a skillet.
2. Add the cooked lentils to the pan.
3. Mix taco seasoning with ½ cup water until dissolved.
4. Add the seasoning mixture and heat on medium until the mixture boils.
5. Add more water or broth if needed.
6. As the mixture cooks, mash the lentils with a fork or potato masher.
7. I like mine mashed but with some whole lentils left.
8. While the lentils are cooking, prepare your taco toppings.

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