Yea my favorite cooking show Top Chef has started again! I always like to think about what I would do for the challenges. This week they assigned classic dishes and amazingly some of the chefs had no idea what they were let alone how to make them. One of the items was souffle. About 10 years ago I attempted a souffle and couldn't resist peeking in the oven. That was the end of my souffle. Anyway I was thinking maybe that's a dish I should try again. And that got me thinking further about culinary goals. What would I like to learn? So I composed a list. It's a short list but one I'll continue to ponder and add to. So far:
1. Souffle
2. Charcuterie-confit, cassoulet, rillettes...
3. Yeast bread baking
4. Make a decent pie crust. Pastry is not my friend.
5. Peel an apple like Sakai without losing a finger. Just for fun.
Last night I tied up a burner cooking dried hominy for tomorrows Mexican dish and wanted something quick and healthy for dinner. This Eating Well recipe fit the bill perfectly although, you all are probably wondering about my cholesterol with all the shrimp dishes on this blog. Most of the time I stick to vegetarian meals but I do like shrimp!
I also love asparagus and now that it's in season plan on eating as much as possible.
And the weather is beautiful so it was another poolside dinner.
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest½ teaspoon salt, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables Instructions
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables Nutrition Information
Per serving: 226 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 174 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 28 g protein; 4 g fiber; 514 mg sodium; 670 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (210% daily value), Vitamin A (80% dv), Folate (53% dv), Iron (25% dv).1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat
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1 comments:
Mom's never fail pie crust
for each crust: 1 c. all purpose flour, 1/3 c. shortening, 1/2 t. salt, ice water.
Using a pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour and salt until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Using a fork, lightly toss a portion of the flour mixture with 1 T. ice water until all the flour is dampened. With the tips of your fingers, gather the dampened flour into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare your board. Any board is OK, but I like wood and a regular rolling pin that spins on handles. The secret is quick handing, as little flour as possible and have he fillings ready. Lightly dust the board with flour and rub flour on the pin. Place the pastry ball on the board and with the side of your hand make two vertical and two horizontal indentations. This will give you a more even circle. Starting from the center, roll out at 12 o,clock, 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. Repeat at 1,7,11 and 5. Then repeat at 2,8,4 and 10. Repeat until the circle is about 1/4" thick. Lightly dust with flour as need during rolling. Carefully fold pastry in half and then in fourths. Lift into the pie plate and unfold so pastry is evenly distributed across the plate. Let it settle into the sides with as little adjustment as possible. Fill and desired, trim and crimp edge or put another pastry circle on top. Use ice water to stick pastry together or make repairs. For an apple pie bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 45 minutes. Or follow your recipe.
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