Day 361: Best Deal of the Blog

As this blog comes to a close, I find myself reminiscing about the great things I cooked, ate, and discovered over the course of the past year.  One of my best discoveries by far, is Costco's $4.99 rotisserie chicken.  This bird is juicy, succulent, savory, and cheap!!  And, perfect for a night when you can't/don't want to cook.

Tonight was one of those nights.  I had planned ahead that I would go to the gym after work, which means that the earliest I would get home is 7 or 7:30.  So, my husband and I agreed that he would stop off at Costco on his way home.

When we take the easy way out on one piece of the meal, I like to cook another.  Tonight, I sauteed up some sugar snap peas that we had purchased at the farmer's market over the weekend.  I used a non-stick pan so that I didn't need much oil.  After heating up some olive oil, I sauteed the peas with S&P and a little bit of cayenne - I love the combination of sweet and spicy.  I let them cook over medium-high heat for a good 10 minutes, stirring them often.  This allowed them to soften up but still maintain a little bit of crunch.  Yum.

I find that this kind of dinner is a terrific compromise of easy, cheap, but with a homemade touch.  And for $4.99, you just cannot go wrong! 

Day 341: Oops, I Did It Again

Dinner was such a rush tonight that I forgot to take a photo of my dish!  When I've made this mistake in the past, I either pulled a photo of the restaurant down from the web or used a photo from my library if we had been to the restaurant before.  Tonight I got nothin'.

We had tickets to a sneak preview of The Taking of Pelham 123 and grabbed a quick dinner beforehand at the food court of the San Francisco Centre mall.  This is no ordinary food court full of fast food joints.  This is San Francisco, so of course the food court is something special with a high end choice to suit every mood:  sushi, Thai, Korean, deli, burgers, soup, Mexican, and the list goes on.

We opted for Thai because we had less than 1/2 hour to eat and get to the theatre and that seemed like the quickest option.  I had a two item combo with steamed rice and chose pineapple chicken curry and sugar snap peas with fried tofu.  Both were yum.

The highlight of the night, however, was the movie.  Humor + suspense + a demented John Travolta = a fun flick.  Check it out at a theatre near you!

Day 338: Big Asian Flavor

This is a recipe I made a couple of weeks after beginning this blog.  I made it with chicken & snowpeas the first time and thought it was amazing.  Tonight I made it with pork tenderloin, red bell pepper, and frozen peas and it was good.  I think you could use any protein and veggies you like - it's the marinade and sauce that makes this dish so tasty.

Marinate your protein of choice in the following mixture.  This is enough for a pound of meat, cut into bite sized pieces:

> 2t cornstarch

> 1T soy sauce

> 1T + 1t rice wine vinegar

> 1t sesame oil

> 2T water

Whisk all of that together and put it with the meat in a Ziploc bag.  Allow to marinate in the fridge for at  least 2 hours.

Brown the meat (without the marinade) in a hot pan with some olive oil.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with a couple of splashes of chicken broth and saute 2 cloves of minced garlic for a couple of minutes.  Add whatever veggies you have selected for the dish and cook until they are at your desired crispness.

Add back your protein and the following sauce mixture:

> 1T cornstarch

> 2T soy sauce

> 2T rice wine vinegar

> 2t sesame oil

> 1/3 cup water

> 1/3 cup chicken broth

> 1.5 tsp sugar

> 1/2 tsp salt

Bring everything to a boil and then simmer until sauce is reduced to the desired consistency.  Scoop mixture (with sauce) over rice and enjoy!

I love this dish and I hope you do, too!

Day 335: A Mix of Old & New

Tonight's dinner was composed of one leftover and two easily prepared "new" elements.  Last night's leftover rice pilaf served as a bed for chipotle pork tenderloin, with roasted vegetables on the side.

I've made this pork several times before.  It's super easy and nice & spicy.  Slice the pork from end to end lengthwise - not all the way through - just enough to fold it back like a book.  Spread 2 finely minced chipotle peppers throughout the inside of the pork and fold it back over.  Tie it off on each end and in the middle with some kitchen twine.  Pat the outside dry and season with S&P.  Brown it on all sides in hot olive oil in a stainless steel pan and then place in a roasting dish.  Roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Our veggie side dish consisted of 1 fennel bulb and 2 shallots (both cut in eighths, keeping the knot in tact), 1 bunch of asparagus (trimmed), and a few handfuls of sugar snap peas.  All of this was tossed in a little olive oil and S&P and laid out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roasted for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

An easy and tasty meal.  Why not cook at home when it's this easy?

Day 334: Fab Fruit Salsa

Dinner tonight was grilled chicken breast with pear & jalapeno salsa with rice.  The rice was a Near East mix - the toasted almond rice pilaf to which I added a cup of defrosted peas for color and added nutrition.  I prepared the mix as suggested on the box, substituting chicken broth for the water, and the stirred the peas in after it was finished cooking.

The chicken was prepared simply.  I hammered it relatively thin and seasoned it on both sides with S&P.  After drizzled olive oil over it, my husband grilled it.

The chicken wasn't marinated because I wanted to serve it with some pear salsa on top.  I love making fruit salsas - the possibilities and combinations are endless.  The recipe for tonight's was:

1/2 bosc pear, finely diced

1/2 anjou pear, finely diced

1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (kept 1/2 the seeds to maintain some heat)

1/4 large shallot, minced

Juice from one lime

S&P to taste

It's great if you can allow the salsa to sit and come together for at least an hour before eating.

This whole meal took only about 1/2 hour to pull together and it was healthy and delicious!

Day 327: Tastes Like Play Doh!

You know how you don't fully appreciate something until it's gone? Well, that's kind of how this week has been for me since lopping off a good chunk of my thumb on Monday. I just never realized how critical that digit is, especially when it comes to doing things in the kitchen and around the house! Certainly, it affected our dinner tonight.

I decided to make something easy and that didn't require any chopping. I sauteed up some shrimp in olive oil and then removed them from the pan and set them aside while I cooked the veggies. Normally, I would have chopped the garlic, but instead I pushed it through a press. I added some white wine, a bag of snowpeas from Trader Joe's, and S&P and sauteed everything for about 8 minutes on medium-high heat. Then I returned the shrimp to the pan and mixed everything together .

Because it was late and I was looking for the easiest possible solution, I made Casbah couscous rather than brown rice or quinoa. Unfortunately, it tasted like Play Doh and really ruined my already uninspired dish. Even all the Sriracha in the world couldn't help this dinner. I won't be buying that product again!!

This thumb is going to need some time to heal so I'm going to have to figure out how to feed my husband tasty meals despite my handicap. Any ideas for a thumb-free dinner are much appreciated!

Day 319: A Slaw Free Dinner

I couldn't bare to serve my husband slaw again, for the third day in a row.  So instead, I repurposed last night's leftover guacamole, using it as a bed for some spicy pork tenderloin.

I sliced the pork lengthwise, being careful not to cut it all the way through.  I then folded it back and coated the inside with a finely chopped canned chipotle pepper and sprinkled it with S&P.  I closed the pork back up, tied it up on the end and in the middle with cooking twine, and sprinkled more S&P on the outside.

After browning it on all sides in a pan pre-heated with a thin coating of olive oil, I placed it in a roasting pan and finished it off in the oven at 375 degrees.  It took about 15 minutes, but that timing could obviously differ, depending on the size of the meat.  Ours was just under a pound.

The pork was definitely spicy, but the cool guacamole was a nice compliment.

Alongside, I served sauteed asparagus and sugar snap peas.  I cooked them in the same pan as I had browned the pork, after pouring out the excess fat and liquid.  As usual, I used white wine to deglaze the pan and then cooked the veggies over medium-low heat for about 10-12 minutes.  After plating them, I sprinkled some toasted sliced almonds over the top for crunch and flavor.

So...there's still slaw left in the fridge and I'm kind of out of ideas for how to use it up.  I may have to toss it tomorrow.  Leave a comment if you have any ideas!

Day 310: Asparagus & Peas Part 1

It's asparagus season and I just can't get enough of it this year!  I grill it, I roast it, I throw it into pasta.  There are a million great ways to eat asparagus.  Tonight I made it into soup!

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh asparagus, ends removed and stems cut into 2-inch pieces

1 shallot bulb, cut into large pieces

6 spring of fresh thyme

Small box or bag of frozen peas, defrosted

2 14-ounce cans of chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version)

High quality olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss asparagus, shallot, and thyme with 1T olive oil and a generous dose of S&P.  Lay veggies out in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet (coated with non-stick spray) and roast for 15 minutes.  

Allow the veggies to cool for a couple of minutes and then place the asparagus and shallot pieces in a food processor (do not include the thyme).  Add defrosted peas and puree everything together.  Stop occasionally and scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula.  

Once you have a consistent puree, transfer vegetable mixture to a medium sized pot.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  

Run soup through a very fine strainer, pressing gently to separate the liquid from the solid.  Return the liquid to a pot and simmer for a few minutes.  Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle some high quality olive oil over the top.

I paired a bowl of soup with a spicy tuna roll (store bought) and a glass (or two) of sauvignon blanc.  What a great, fresh and refreshing meal!

I refrigerated the soup solids and plan to use them later this week, either as a ravioli stuffing or mixed with some pasta.  It could also be used as a brushetta topping or if mixed with some sour cream, as a dip for fresh veggies.  These fresh flavors are just too good to throw away, so I'll find something tasty to do with them!

Day 299: Kitchen Sweet Kitchen

I love eating and I dislike doing dishes, but tonight, after a week on vacation, I was excited to be home where I'd have to cook and clean.

I decided to make up for my insanely unhealthy diet of the past week with a meal packed with lean protein, whole grains, and lots and lots of veggies.  That manifested itself in brown rice with shrimp and sauteed vegetables.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1/2 cup brown rice, prepared as suggested on the package

2 T olive oil

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined and cut into three pieces each

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1.5 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

1 shallot bulb, minced

White wine or chicken broth

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup sugar snap peas, halved crosswise

2 stalks of celery, chopped

Zest from 1 large lemon

Pre-heat olive oil & red pepper flakes in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add shrimp, season with S&P, and saute for a minute or two until pink.  Remove, set aside, and cover.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook garlic, ginger, and shallot until soft.  Turn up the heat to medium-high, add a few splashes of white wine or chicken broth, add all veggies, and saute for 8-10 minutes until all veggies are crunchy tender.  If the pan dries out during cooking, add another splash of liquid.

When veggies are cooked to desired consistency, add shrimp and cooked rice to the pan and mix all ingredients together until it's all heated through.  Turn off the heat, mix in the lemon zest, and serve!

I adore vacation, but I also like getting back to "normal life", especially when it includes homemade, nutritious, tasty dinners like this one!

Day 290: Recession Deals & Steals

Lots of restaurants are employing new strategies to bring customers in during the recession.  In our neighborhood alone, Three Seasons offers happy hour specials, Isa has half priced wine, Mezes has introduced appetizers with wine pairing, and Izzy's is now open for Sunday brunch.

We noticed that Jardiniere, a normally pricey restaurant in Hayes Valley, recently began serving a three course prix fixe menu with wine pairing for only $45 on Monday nights.  Each week, the meal has a different theme, this week being "Celebration of Spring".

This was my third time dining at Jardiniere.  I've found their food to be a little inconsistent.  Some dishes are wonderful.  Others, not so much.  But a great deal like three courses with wine pairings was intriguing enough to get me there for another try and I am so glad because the meal was wonderful.

We started with chilled pea soup, which was perfect given the steamy hot weather we've been experiencing here these past few days.  I literally felt my entire body cool off as I ate it.  Next, we had house made pasta with asparagus, morel mushrooms, ramp greens, and parmesan cheese.  Dessert was vanilla angel's food cake with whipped cream and macerated strawberries.

To see the wine pairings, click here.

If you live in SF and know of other great restaurant deals, please leave a comment and give the what, where, and when.  I'm happy to eat and drink my way to a stronger economy!

Day 289: Spring is Here and It's Delicious

So much good produce is in season now:  asparagus, artichokes, and peas.  So, for our salad tonight, I decided to forgo lettuce and spinach and those usual leafy greens and instead, used pea shoots.  If you haven't eaten pea shoots before, they are light, crisp, and taste just like sweet peas.

I also quartered a couple of handfuls of heirloom cherry tomatoes.  There were red, yellow, and dark green ones - each with its own flavor.  I also added a cucumber, a red bell pepper, an avocado, some celery, and a couple of baby beets.  Instead of using a bottled dressing, I made my own using the juice of a lemon, about 1.5 T olive oil, about 1 tsp sugar, and S&P to taste.  

For our protein, we took the easy way out.  Our local grocery store sells marinated pork tenderloin that had been pounded flat and it is delicious, especially when cooked on the grill.  So...that's what we did.

This was an easy, fresh, flavorful, and healthy dinner.  A great start to the week!

Day 286: Buh-Bye, Passover!!

For me, the worst part of Passover is not that I can't eat bread or cereal or pasta.  I don't eat much of any of that stuff.  But no legumes?  No rice?  That was tough.  So, to celebrate the first night in a week without such restrictions, I made an Indian dish tonight.

This was an easy dinner because I used some jarred sauce and only had to saute my chicken and veggies and make some rice.  I cubed two chicken breasts, browned the pieces in olive oil, and set them aside.

I deglazed the pan with some white wine and then tossed in a head of broccoli, a yellow bell pepper, and a couple of handfuls of sugar snap peas.  After a few minutes, I added a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed).  

After a few more minutes, I added the sauce.  The one I chose tonight was a korma sauce, tomato based and spicy.  There are others I like as well - a spinach one and a tangy lemony cilantro one.  

A few minutes before serving, I added the chicken back into the pan and cooked until it was heated through.  Covering the pan speeds that process.  I served the mixture over brown rice and gobbled it up.  Oh, rice and beans, how I have missed you!

Day 280: Just the Facts

There is no long, drawn out story to accompany tonight's meal.  I was in the mood for chicken and we had some sugar snap peas that I had purchased at the farmer's market earlier in the week...so sauteed chicken and sugar snap peas it was.

I cut 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, seasoned them with S&P, and browned them in a stainless steel pan pre-heated with olive oil.  I removed them from the pan (leaving the oil behind) and tossed them in a bowl with about 1.5 T of peanut oil.  I covered the bowl with foil and set it aside.

I turned the burner down to medium low and deglazed the pan with about 1/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth.  I added four cloves of minced garlic and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and allowed them to soften up in the broth for a couple of minutes.

After removing the tough "string" from the peas, I threw them into the pan and cranked the heat up to medium high.  Whenever the broth had nearly cooked away, I added a few more splashes to keep the garlic from burning.  Once the peas were cooked through (cook them as much or as little as you'd like), I tossed the chicken back into the pan and mixed everything together and cooked until the chicken was heated through again.

I served the mixture over steamed quinoa tossed with lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, toasted sliced almonds, and S&P.  Yum yum good!  

Day 270: Don't Read a Book by Its Cover

If you look at my last several blog entries, it seems like I'm on a health kick or that I've gone all pescatarian on you.  Fish for dinner four nights in a row!!  

But if you knew what else went into my pie hole these past few days, you would be horrified!!  Mac & cheese!  BBQ!  Salami!  

It should have come as no surprise tonight when I could barely muster up an appetite, even after a visit to the gym.  Never one to skip a meal, I decided to saute a bunch of veggies from my fridge:  a bunch of asparagus, a handful of snowpeas, and half a red bell pepper.  For flavor, I added a few cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 of an onion, a couple of shakes of red pepper flakes, and S&P.  After the veggies were cooked (I like mine rather al dente), I added about a tablespoon of minced fresh parsley, a few sprinkled of toasted sesame seeds, and a couple of sprinkles of balsamic vinegar.

Veggie mania will need to continue throughout the rest of this week to help me out of this "I'm such a whale syndrome".  If you have a favorite healthy veggie recipe, please share it!

Day 250: This Dish Has it All

I had a craving for swordfish tonight, but there was none to be had at the store, so I bought ahi tuna instead.  I was also craving carbs, so I decided to cook up some whole grain pasta and mix in the fish and some veggies.

I boiled the pasta in salted, oiled water until it was al dente and then drained it, keeping about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid aside.

While the pasta was cooking, I roasted a yellow bell pepper.  Of course, you can buy a jar of roasted peppers, but it's so easy to do it yourself.  Just cut a pepper into quarters, removing the seeds and white tissue, and place skin side up under your broiler.  Once the skins are black, toss the pepper into a paper bag  or a covered bowl and set aside for a few minutes.  Then you can easily peel the skin off and slice up the peppers.

While waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, I slowly sauteed 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 large sliced shallot bulb, and a tsp of red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium low flame.  I also defrosted about a cup of sweet baby peas.  You can do this quickly by placing them in a bowl of cool water.

All of these ingredients, including the pasta water you set aside, back into the pot in which you boiled the pasta.  Add some olive oil and fresh thyme leaves and gently mix everything together.

Begin to sear your tuna steak(s) in hot olive oil and slowly reheat the stuff in the pot, stirring occasionally.  When the tuna is cooked to taste, cut it up into bite sized pieces and add it to the pot.

This dish has it all:  lean protein (tuna), good fat (olive oil), fiber (whole wheat pasta), and veggies.  It takes a little time to put together, but it's worth it.  Enjoy!

Day 240: Don't Always Do As You Are Told

If you follow the cooking instructions on the quinoa box, you are going to be disappointed.  At least the Trader Joe's quinoa.  Follow this steaming method, from Epicurious.com, and you'll have light, fluffy quinoa that's similar in consistency to couscous and you will be happy!

Place 1 cup of quinoa in a metal strainer in very small holes and rinse thoroughly under cold water.  Boil a medium sized pot of water, add quinoa, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Strain the quinoa.  Place some water back in the pot, bring to a simmer, and lay the metal strainer with the quinoa over the top.  Cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel and then cover that with the pot lid.  Steam the quinoa like that for another 10 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat, remove the lid, and leave the quinoa covered with the towel for 5 minutes.  Comb with a fork and you'll have light and fluffy quinoa!

Meanwhile...place the zest and juice of one lemon, 1 tsp of sugar, and 2 T of olive oil in a bowl.  Whisk together and when quinoa is done, mix it in.  Season to taste with S&P.

We had sauteed shrimp and sugar snap peas over our quinoa.  This is also very easy:

Coat a large pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Lay down 24 large shelled shrimp in a single layer (do this in shifts if they don't all fit).  The first ones you put down will be ready to turn by the time you lay down the last one, so flip them all over.  Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside, covered with foil.

If you're lucky, you'll have some shrimp fat stuck to the bottom off the pan.  Deglaze that with white wine, reduce the heat to medium low, and add 3 cloves of minced garlic.  Cook the garlic for 2-3 minutes until soft - stir frequently to ensure it doesn't burn.  Add 1/2 pound of sugar snap peas and crank the heat up to medium high.  Cook the peas and garlic for about 10 minutes until they start to blister.  Watch the pan carefully.  If it seems to be too dry, putting the garlic at risk for burning, add another splash or two of white wine.  I added a splash about three times tonight, which tells you how important it is to watch it.

Once the peas are cooked to the desired doneness, add the shrimp and any juiced that collected and mix.  Cook for just another minute or two until the shrimp is heated through.  Spoon shrimp and peas over quinoa.

This was a light, fresh, healthy, easy dinner.  And, my husband asked me right away to make it again soon!  Let me know what you think when you try it!

Day 204: All Hail California Wine Country!

After a full afternoon of wine tasting, I needed a hearty dinner tonight.  I thought about ordering a pizza but after just a couple of seconds, I was able to convince myself to find a healthier option.  We went with a grilled steak and roasted veggies.

I took a head of fennel, chopped off the top, and cut the bulb into wedges.  I did the same with a couple of bulbs of shallot, threw it all into a bowl, and tossed it with enough olive oil to coat and some S&P.  All of this was laid in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and placed in the oven for 10 minutes.  

At that point, I turned the fennel wedges over, added about a pound of haricot vert, mixed everything up, and placed the baking sheet back in the oven for another 10 minutes.  Then, I added about 1.5 cups of defrosted frozen peas and baked everything for another 10 minutes.

The steak was prepared simply - S&P and grilled just long enough for beautiful medium rare meat.

Of course, we had some wine.  I mean, why slow down the momentum of the day?  My husband pulled a bottle of Joseph Phelps 2005 Cabernet out from our wine fridge.  It was a great pairing and a lovely way to top off our day of wine consumption.  All hail California wine country!!

Day 195: What the...?

I had grand plans for cooking up some fish tonight, but when I got to the store, the butcher area had closed early.  I was so surprised and with no back-up plan, I left empty handed wondering, "What the...?"

By the time I got home I had gathered my thoughts and decided to cook one dish and order in the rest.  Over the weekend, I had purchased a bag of snowpeas at Trader Joe's.  I sauteed them with some other simple ingredients I had in the fridge and the outcome was yummy:

Ingredients:

1 lb snowpeas

1 T olive oil

1 heaping T of minced ginger

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 T white wine

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Add oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat up on medium-low heat.  Once hot, add ginger and garlic and saute, stirring frequently for a couple of minutes.

Add snowpeas and wine and mix everything up.  Turn heat to medium-high and cook for about 10 minutes, mixing from time to time to ensure all peas get cooked and none of them burn.  

Once the liquid has evaporated and the peas are cooked to your liking, add lemon juice and stir.  Turn the heat off, add the scallion, toss, and serve.

I supplemented my snowpeas with a take-out order of prawns and mango from the awesome and amazing Country Sky around the corner.  

Turns out, it wasn't such a bad thing that the butcher called it a day early today.  Why cook when someone can cook for you?

Day 191: Fennel Killer

I adore fennel - cooked, in salads - doesn't matter.  I always love it.  Tonight I cooked it myself for the first time and I nearly totally killed it - not in good, stand-up routine kind of a way.

I used an Epicurious.com recipe as a starting point but made a couple of changes.  I reduced the oil content dramatically, using only about 2 T to coat the fennel and shallots prior to roasting.  I also left out the haricot verts and added frozen peas instead.  I defrosted them and added them to the baking pan in the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Their sweetness was a perfect compliment to the fennel - but I missed the part of the recipe where it said to mix the veggies every 10 minutes.  I let them cook for a good 20 minutes before I even checked on them and so parts of the fennel were charred, as were most of the shallots.  I picked off the burnt bits and what was left was delicious. 

Our main course was also from Epicurious.com - grilled chipotle stuffed pork tenderloin.  It was fabulous.  The recipe had recommended eating the pork with store bought guacamole, but of course I made it from scratch.

Guacamole:

1 avocado

Juice of 1/2 a lime (or more if required)

1 headping tsp of lowfat sour cream

Normally, I would include a healthy dose of hot sauce as well - but since this was to be eaten with pork that had been liberally rubbed with chipotle peppers, but skipped this step tonight.

I want to give my husband credit for pairing tonight's dinner with the perfect wine:  Heitz 2005 Zinfandel.  It married wonderfully with all of the flavors of the meal.

Tonight is all about healthy cooking and we were off to an excellent start tonight.  Stay tuned for other tasty meals as the week goes on!

PS - Note my brand new food processor - purchased this weekend to replace the one that blew up while I prepared our New Years Eve dessert.  I can't wait to use it!!

Day 115: Cupboard Scavenger Hunt

Every so often, it's a good idea to rummage through your pantry or cabinets.  Chances are, there are some items in there that you bought on a whim and then never used.  If you're in a bit of a rut as far as cooking dinner goes, go on a little cupboard scavenger hunt sometime soon.  You just may be inspired to make something new that requires minimal additional grocery shopping.

I rummaged through my own cabinets this weekend and stumbled upon a jar of red curry paste.  No idea when or where I purchased it - for all I know, this little jar has moved with me to my past 3 or 4 apartments - so tonight I decided to follow the recipe on the label and wound up with a new and very easy mid-week dinner idea.

Thai Red Curry Shrimp (serves 2):

14 oz can coconut milk (we used light)

1 T red curry paste

1 T fish sauce

2 T brown sugar

1 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup water

1/2 lb shrimp (shelled)

Place the coconut milk and curry paste in a large saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add fish sauce, sugar, peas, and water and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in shrimp and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through.

Garnish with fresh basil or cilantro, if you desire.  Serve over rice (I used brown rice).

The dish was okay.  I would like to try it again, but substituting chicken for shrimp and adding some thinly sliced red bell pepper.   If you like things extra spicy, add a bit more curry paste - but remember, you can always add more, but you can't take it away!

Rummage through your cabinets soon - let me know if you find anything interesting and what you do with it!