striving for perfection.

So, ever since we got to Georgia, I've been adapting a more Southern-style of cooking. I think it's because I'm surrounded by that kind of food environment and it just seems to make sense to cook that way. Even my eating habits are turning Southern: The polenta that I used to cook all the time turned to grits, hummus makes a rare appearance in my fridge, and I seem to be buying a whole lot more butter. Because of this, I've switched to light butter to make myself feel better.

Speaking of grits . . . I was surprisingly having a hard time trying to make a decent pot of grits. I just assumed that using my favorite polenta recipe would be fine but it's surprisingly NOT. The texture is off, especially for shrimp and grits, and it's much stiffer than I wanted it to be. I've tried several different recipes, and each time I get closer and closer to my ideal pot of grits.

Today yielded success.

My perfect grits? Always savory that that specific mouth texture. These grits are exactly how I want them: soft and fluffy with just a bit of tightness and texture. While they aren't flavored with anything specific, per se, they're still flavorful and taste like grits. The best part? Even if you put it in the fridge, they stay the same consistency even when you reheat it the next day! Yay!!

For the shrimp, I decided to make it more in the Françias-style of cooking. So fancy, I know . . . but not really! Thanks to my recent binge-fest of an old series of Jacques Pépin: Fast Food, My Way, I've been taking some notes and renewing my love of French cooking. It's kind of like Southern cooking but with a more funny accent, lol.

I like how in one episode, Monsieur Pépin added some chopped mushrooms to his shrimp casserole so that it'll soak up the shrimp flavor. He also did a ragù with tomatoes and onions similar to this recipe, but much more reduced. And man, does that man use a lot of olive oil!!

So, taking ideas here and there, voilà ! Shrimp and grits, my way. :D I did forget to add some peas to the shrimp, though. I think that would've made it über-françias, along with some oil-cured olives as a garnish. Eh, c´est la vie ! No? :) Bon appétit!

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Creamy Garlic-Tomato Shrimp
(makes 4 servings)

24 pcs jumbo shrimp (peeled, deveined, and butterflied)
2 tbsp bottled garlic
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch (about 8 sprigs) fresh thyme
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup finely chopped white button mushrooms
1 to 2 pcs thick sliced deli ham, finely chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1/4 cup low fat half and half
1/2 cup chopped parsley
low sodium chicken stock, as needed
salt and pepper, to taste

 
Marinate the shrimp:
Combine shrimp, garlic, Old Bay seasoning, onion powder, and paprika. Add olive oil to moisten the shrimp then season with ground pepper. Chill for a minimum of 2 hours up to overnight.

Make the shrimp:
In a large pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil with the bunch of thyme. When the oil is fragrant and hot, add shrimp (reserve any leftover marinade) and cook until lightly browned on both sides (about 6 minutes). Remove shrimp from pan and set aside; discard the thyme.

In the same pan, add shallots, mushrooms, and ham. Season with salt and pepper. When vegetables start to brown and the ham becomes slightly crisp, add the tomatoes and any leftover marinade from the shrimp. Reduce heat and cook until tomatoes break down to a paste (about 10 minutes).

Return shrimp to the pan and toss to incorporate. Stir in half and half and parsley. Cook until thickened, about 2 minutes, then add chicken stock to thin as needed.

To serve, portion out 6 shrimps per person and top over grits or pasta with additional parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for garnish.

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My Perfect Grits
(makes 4 to 6 servings)

1 cup coarse ground grits or polenta (white or yellow)
2 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup fat free half and half
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 to 2 tbsp light butter
1/4 tsp dried parsley
ground pepper, to taste

 
Bring water, half and half, and salt to boil. Slowly stir in grits/polenta, reduce heat to low, then cover. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and parsley, then season with pepper to taste.

For Savory Cheese Grits: Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1/4 tsp onion powder, a dash garlic powder, and a dash smoked paprika to cooked grits.

at-home take-out.

yesterday was a stay-at-home kind of day. after spending the weekend with the parents, i just wanted to relax and do nothing. unfortunately, we didn't have any ready-made food at the house so i decided to delve into my cook books and see if i could make anything tasty.

this recipe caught my eye.

it looked quick and easy and i had mostly all the ingredients. some substitutions had to be made as i didn't have the chili paste but surprisingly the ketchup, chili flake, and garlic paste method didn't turn out too bad. i had to fiddle with the recipe a little, though, because it was initially kind of bland when i finished making it. after tinkering around with it for a minute, i ended up with something that's a little bit more flavorful with the added chinese five-spice blend and help from boosting the spices and seasonings. also, since i didn't have any rice, i decided to use the rest of my squid ink pasta to make it a noodle stir-fry. yay for add-ins! :D

 

Stir-Fried Ginger Shrimp Noodles
(barely adapted from Cooking Light)

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta
Dash of white pepper
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek or make a substitute)
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided plus more for pasta
1 cup thinly vertically sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diagonally cut celery
1/4 tsp chinese five-spice blend (or make your own)
4 portions squid ink spaghetti
sliced green onions for garnish

1. In a large pot, heat salted water to boiling (water should taste like the sea). Add canola oil to the water to prevent pasta from sticking then add the pasta. Let cook until al dente, drain, then set aside.

2. Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with ginger, salt, and pepper; toss well. Let stand 5 minutes.

3. Combine 1/2 cup water and next 6 ingredients (through chile paste) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp mixture to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove shrimp mixture from pan; set aside. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add celery; stir-fry 1 minute. Return shrimp mixture to pan; stir-fry 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

5. Add water mixture to pan along with chinese five spice. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Add the pasta to the pan and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and top with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Makes four servings.

moroccan heat.

in the past few weeks, my sister has been moving in with me and the best friend. and just like our previous sixteen years of life together, we were once again sharing a room. it's crazy how much one person accumulates things that make up their surroundings. a candle dish here, a couple chairs there...pretty soon we realized that with already two people's worth of stuff in the apartment, her things was *not* going to fit.

the solution?

well, we had to get rid of a lot of things. it was a very hard lesson of letting go and deciding which was garbage and which ones were definite keepers. and coincidentally, this exercise of "letting go" was also an existential metaphor for dealing with her recent break-up. and with that meant time in the kitchen to push back some memories and make some new ones that were just a tad less painful.

my sister can sometimes be very delicate when it comes to matters of the heart. but food, especially ethnic food, could always bring up her spirits when she's in a slump. since we had an excess of shrimp from both of our houses combined, we scoured the internet for something "exotic" to make that didn't stray from our existing pantry items. we found two winners...a recipe for shrimp and something to make with barley. the result? sweet and spicy moroccan shrimp with savoury spiced barley and brussels sprouts salad.

Tip: Make the salad first then shrimp to prevent the seafood from overcooking.

 

Sweet and Spicy Moroccan Shrimp
(from A Teaspoon of Happiness)

1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1 1/2 lbs of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp oil

1. Mix seasonings and flour together in a small bowl.

2. Toss the mixture with the shrimp until evenly coated. (i added a little bit more olive oil here to thin out the paste the spices made with the shrimp)

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Add the shrimp to the pan and fry until thoroughly cooked - turning occasionally (shrimp should be completely pink).

 

Savoury Spiced Barley and Brussels Sprouts Salad
(adapted from MiNDFOOD)

1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch saffron threads
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/4 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups barley
3 cups chicken stock

1 lbs Brussels sprouts, halved

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thickly sliced
1/2 cup oil cured olives

1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
2 spring onions, sliced

Combine spices and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of stock to the side then cook barley according to package directions using the rest of chicken stock. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, steam Brussels sprouts in the reserved stock in medium heat until the pot is almost dry. Add the olive oil and onion and cook until the onion is slightly translucent. Add the spice mix and the olives and sauté until fragrant. Add the cooked barley and cook additional 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and spring onions, tossing to mix. Serve warm or hot topped with the sweet and spicy morocco shrimp and a small drizzle of olive oil.

hailing britain.

had a recent conversation with someone about travelling overseas. reminisced about london and it brought back some wonderful memories of my trip from a couple of years ago. i really loved it there and it's on my to-do list to come visit again. in honor of the great london trip, i made mushrooms on toast for dinner. :)

 

Madiera Mushroom and Shrimp on Corn Rye Toast
(serves one)

for the shrimp and mushrooms:
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (i used a 10 oz. bottled mushrooms since i had that handy)
5-6 medium frozen uncooked shrimp, cut in half and tail trimmed
1/4 cup or so roughly chopped white onion
2 large cloves garlic, roughly minced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon thyme (i used dried)
1 sprig italian parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup or so chicken stock
1/4 cup or so madiera wine
salt and pepper
olive oil
constarch with water to thicken

for the toast:
1 thick slice artisan corn rye bread (or whatever bread you have on hand)
butter to toast bread

Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and let heat on medium high. Once hot, cook onion and garlic in oil until slightly golden. Add mushrooms and cook until the edges of the mushrooms are browned then add the shrimp. Season with the papriika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring the pan, until the shrimp are almost done. Add just enough chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Reduce slightly then add about the same amount of wine. Let wine cook for about 2-3 minutes then add cornstarch to thicken to desired consistency. Add the chopped parsley then keep warm.

In a seperate pan, melt enough butter to cover a side of bread. Once foamy, lay the bread down to toast. Add some more butter to the pan and repeat process until bread is nice and golden brown on each side. When done, plate the bread and top with mushroom and shrimp mixture. Garnish with additional parsley and serve.