Dinner Tonight

I have to remember to put dinner on plain white plates to take pictures.  The foods get lost on these flowery ones, don't they?

This is my Pork Tenderloin and Creamy Mashed Red Potatoes with Pan Gravy and Sauteed Veggie Mix (fresh, of course).

The Tenderloin is pretty straightforward.  Bake it in the oven until the internal temperature is about 160*F.  Here is my 'secret' tip for roasting--after preparing the meat with whatever rub or marinade, etc. that you want, always sear the meat on the stovetop in a hot, heavy, nonstick pan with a little olive oil before putting it in a baking dish in the oven, so that the outside carmelizes (for intense taste) and browns (for visual appeal).
I can certainly provide my method for the tenderloin, but it is so straightforward, that the only thing you have to do besides searing it is experiment with marinades, dry or wet rubs, herbs and spices to your own taste.

What I would like to talk about is the potatoes.  I used a Red Potato, and left the skin on.  I like doing this because I think it gives a good taste, preserves more of the natural vitamins and minerals (I am told), and adds visual interest (can you tell that I eat with my eyes?--hey, presentation is everything! LOL).
I ask you--do you use whole milk, skim milk, cream, chicken stock/broth, or smething else for mashing your potatoes?  I use heavy whipping cream, sometimes sour cream, and butter for mine.  I realize that I am surely not saving calories, and if I were on a diet I could use something lighter, but the difference in taste can't be compared!

If you had to choose, would you rather substitute an ingredient to have less calories (using skim milk instead of cream, or 'fake' cheese instead of real cheese--don't get me started about butter vs. margarine; there is no calorie savings there!), or would you use the good (read: fattening) stuff and just cut your portions?
I don't like giving up anything (taste or portion), but when watching calories, I give up portion much more happily than giving up taste.  What do you do?

My Ultimate Grilled Turkey Sandwich

Dagwood, move over.  This is not for the faint of heart, or the person on a diet.  It is ideal to make this for dinner tonight or tomorrow night with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
You will need about 30 minutes to prepare this sandwich, including prep and cooking time, assuming you have all the ingredients at hand.
Makes 2 sandwiches.

Ingredients--

-4 thick slices of fresh, homemade (or bakery-bought) Pumpernickle Bread
-6-8 ounces of cooked (leftover) Turkey meat, light and dark meat mixed.
-4 slices regular Bacon or center-cut for more lean
-1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
-8 thin slices of a crisp, tart eating apple-I used Gala Apples from the Atlanta Farmer's Market
-Fresh Spinach Leaves to layer on sandwich like lettuce
-2-4 ounces of ButterKase Cheese (this is a mild, buttery, German, semi-soft cow's milk cheese, or whatever cheese you like, as long as it is melty-gooey)
-Sea Salt and coarsely Cracked Pepper to taste
-2 Tsp. Fresh Chopped Dill
-1-2 Tbsp. Spicy Horseradish Remoulade Sauce (recipe below--make ahead for faster prep of sandwich)

Preparation--

Bring Saute Pan to medium-high heat and fry the bacon.  Reserve some of the grease in the pan, and pour off the rest.
While bacon is frying, thinly slice the turkey meat, and put into to 2 piles, dividing white and dark meat evenly.  Slice the apple as thinly as possible into 8 slices and put 4 with each pile of meat.  Slice the cheese (if needed), and divide in half and add to the prep area.  Chop and divide the Dill in half.
Remove the bacon when done to a couple layers of paper towel.  I like my bacon crispy, but fry however you like it.  Reserve some of the bacon grease and drippings in the pan (guesstimate about 2 tbsp.), and drain the rest.  When pan cools down to "warm", add the Butter--it will melt down in the pan but don't add it when the pan is hot because it will burn.
Slather each slice of Bread on one side with Remoulade Sauce. The Remoulade side will be on the inside of the sandwich with the dry side on the pan (the bacon/butter mixture will provide the needed fat to grill the bread properly).
Place the Cheese on one side of the bread on each sandwich.
Place the Apple slices on top of the Cheese.
Place Turkey on top of the Cheese, and put a touch of Remoulade Sauce and the Chopped Dill in between the layers of Turkey (white and dark).
Place the crispy Bacon on top of the Turkey.
Place the Spinach Leaves on top of the Bacon, and put the other slice of Bread (Remoulade side down) on top of the Spinach Leaves.  Press down gently.
Heat up the Saute Pan again to medium or medium-high heat (depends on your stove--you want it to "grill", not scorch).  When bacon grease/butter gets hot enough, place the sandwiches in the Saute Pan. 
Press Down.
Grill until the Bread is crusty (Pumpernickle is dark to begin with, so you kind of have to tap it to make sure it is grilled enough) on one side, then turn it over GENTLY with a spatula and grill the other side.  You may have to add a bit more butter, or slide the sandwiches around in the pan to get some more bacon drippings on them, but let them grill as undisturbed as possible.
Remove from the saute pan, plate and serve warm.  The cheese should be ooey-gooey, but the crustiness of the bread makes it hold together rather well and it is fairly easy to eat. 
This goes especially well with a frosty mug of Oatmeal Stout.  The Imperial Stout that is pictured is a close second in my book, but this Samuel Adams Imperial Stout is must a bit too "hoppy" for my taste, giving it a slight burnt toast-bitterness taste at the end.  The sandwich certainly stands up to it, and I enjoyed it immensely, but I'm just sayin'....Just my humble opinion.  If you make this, please let us know by commenting, and give us your honest opinion!  Enjoy!

**Remoulade Sauce--

1/2 cup Mayonaise
2 Tbsp. Prepared Horseradish (more or less to adjust to your taste--I like a kick!)
Several Drops of Tabasco Sauce (again, more or less to taste)
Zest and juice of 1 Lemon
1 tsp. Fresh, Chopped Garlic
Sea Salt and Pepper
1 tsp. Honey (I used pepper tree flower honey--it has a little zip to it and is very hearty)

Mix all ingredients together, and you can play around with how much of each you want to use.  There is no strict adherence to the mix--it is all about what you like!  That is the fun of it!
The longer you let this sit in the refrigerator (I like at least 24 hours) the better.  From there, you can treat it just exactly like you would plain mayo. (please keep refrigerated!)  The remoulade that I used on the dish above was sauce I made over two weeks ago.  This sauce also goes extremely well with seafood!

Holiday Eating

Momma T, that was a great dessert post! I tried the Chocolate Mug Cake, and oh, boy...I am going to have to lose that recipe. LOL

Now that Thanksgiving is (almost) over, we have precious little time before we kick it into high gear for Christmas.

How do you celebrate the season? Do you give parties, or go to them? If you give them, how culinarily sophisticated are they? (do you cook/bake everything, or do people bring offerings for the table, or do you pick ready-made things up at the store?) If you find yourself on the guest-list-end of most of the soirees you attend, what are the standard protocols that you find?

I find myself on the guest-list end of most of the parties, and in years past, my offerings have been either a nice bottle of wine (generally at the higher end of the pricing than I would buy for myself), or a gourmet host-gift or a store-bought offering of gourmet food for the table--all depending on what kind of a party it is.

Every year I envision planning and hosting a nice party around the holidays. And every year the holidays sneak up on me in two ways...first, I would have to reserve specific dates and notify all potential guests (which would have to be done in August or September to not conflict with other holiday party dates) and fat chance of that happening, and second is that my business always expands at the end of summer or the beginning of fall, since all my winter clients come back around this time so even if I did manage to remember to reserve a date, I get so busy that I fear that the party would be rushed and not so much fun. So hosting a party gets crossed out of the list of to-do's every year, much to my regret.

I do love and appreciate being invited to certain parties year after year, even though I don't "take my turn" hosting one. I do try to mitigate my lack of party-hosting responsibility by helping other hosts as much as I can, and also being available for last minute enhancements. Sometimes, appetizers which can be made in a jiffy from things that you have in your pantry on a regular basis are much appreciated by harried hosts. Here is one that is always a hit--you can bring the ingredients with you to the party, and it just takes a sharp knife, a cookie sheet and a 400 degree oven....

Herbed Goat Cheese and Chorizo Crostini

1 long thin crusty Baguette (I love sourdough)

1 link (about 8-in. long, 2-in. dia) Spanish Chorizo Sausage

1 pkg. crumbled Goat Cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Basil Leaves

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I like Vigo brand)

Preheat oven to 400* Farenheit.

Slice Baguette on the diagonal into 1/4 to 3/8th inch thick slices, and arrange on a cookie sheet.

Drizzle a little EVOO over the pieces, sprinkle half of the chopped Basil over them evenly, and put in the preheated oven for about 3 minutes--keep an eye on them; you just want them to ever-so-slightly toast, but not get much color on them.

Take the paper casing off the outside of the Chorizo, and cut it thinly into rounds (or you can cut it on the bias for a little fancier presentation).

Remove the Baguette slices (now called Crostini because they have been toasted) from the oven, and sprinkle about 1 heaping tsp. of Goat Cheese on each slice, top with 1-2 slices of Chorizo depending on how big the rounds are, sprinkle the other half of the basil on top, drizzle with EVOO, and pop them back in the oven under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Don't take your eyes off them at this point, as they will burn (read: incinerate) in seconds. They will get very fragrant very fast. Remove from the oven and plate. They are ready to serve. A glass of Pinot Noir, or a Spanish Rioja go very nicely with these delicious little appetizers. Just make sure you bring plenty! They do keep nicely on the table for about 30 minutes, but this is not a make-ahead-and-bring-to-the-party-dish. Make sure the host has an available oven and bring the ingredients with you. Enjoy!

Dessert

So who doesn't like dessert? ok ok, so I realize there may be a few who don't, but come on... how can you resist chocolate? hmmm?  Here are two recipes to check out. The first one is one of my absolute favorites. The reason is because it is so very simple and quick to make. This is a dangerous recipe to have around. Go ahead....be brave.

THE 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR ONE PERSON.......HOW COOL IS THAT?!


5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Icing

3 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp. cream (can be heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2,)
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

You mix the cocoa, cream, & sugar together and add in the butter (not melted, you're going to heat the whole thing). Heat it on low for about 5-10 mins. & add the vanilla at the last minute!

*you can also just melt some choc chips in microwave for a few seconds and drizzle it over the top.

Pineapple Upside down cake from scratch

Ingredients

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter 2 tsp baking powder

1 cup dark brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar

½ fresh pineapple cut crosswise – peeled, quartered lengthwise, ½ tsp salt

cored and cut into ½ inch thick slices 1 large egg

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with unflavored cooking spray. Melt 1 stick of the butter and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter with the brown sugar over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Spread the butter-and-sugar mixture in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Distribute the pineapple slices evenly over the mixture and set the pan aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a medium bowl, beat together the egg, milk and the reserved melted butter. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined; the batter will be thick. Using a rubber spatula, scoop the batter into the cake pan, spreading it until it reaches the sides of the pan.
4. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.
5. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Place a serving plate over the cake pan and invert. Slowly lift off the pan and serve.

Local Clams in White Wine Sauce w/ Linguine

2 dozen Fresh Littleneck Clams (we harvest them from local waters)
1 pound Linguine or similar pasta (fresh-made is great, but dried certainly works, as well)
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (get really good quality EVOO; it makes a difference in taste)
1/4 medium Sweet Onion, diced
2 cloves fresh Garlic
1/2 cup good quality dry white wine (I use a good Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris)
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
10-12 ounces Fresh Spinach Leaves
1-3 tbsps. Salted Butter
1/4-1/2 tsp. Red Chili Flakes (depending on how much of a kick you like)
Zest and Juice of 1/2 Fresh Lemon
1/4 cup fresh, finely chopped herb mix--Tarragon, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme and Sweet Basil
Fresh Chopped Cilantro or Flat Leaf Parsly for garnish
Sea Salt and coarsely cracked Black Pepper to taste

Prep:

Vigorously clean the clams under cold water, using a stiff brush to get all the dirt off. Discard any dead clams (ones that are open and don't shut even when you handle them)
Put enough water in a large pot to cover the pasta by 2 inches. Bring to a rolling boil and prepare pasta al dente (cooked through, but not mushy). Dried pasta takes a lot longer to cook than fresh pasta. Strain and set aside when cooked.
In a large skillet, pre-heat the olive oil to medium-low
add chili flakes and garlic, and let these slow cook for several minutes to infuse the flavor in the oil. Add the onions and cook until transluscent.
Turn up the heat to medium high, and saute slightly--just until it reduces in volume
Add the white wine
Add the chicken stock
Turn the heat down to simmer
Let this reduce down for about 5 minutes
Add the cream, mix well
Add the chopped herbs (except for the parsley)
Add the butter
Add the zest and juice of the lemon, stir
Turn the heat up to medium high, and stir constantly until the heat simmers through the stirring (a light boil), then turn heat down slightly to maintain a hard simmer, but not quite a boil
Add salt and pepper to taste
Add the clams, cover the pan and let them hard-simmer until the clams pop open--about 5-7 minutes (baste with the cream sauce a couple times to infuse the flavors over the clams)--the sauce will reduce a bit further

Plate the pasta on a deep-lipped plate or shallow, open bowl

When the clams are all open, spoon the clams and sauce over the pasta, garnish with the fresh cilantro/parsley, and swerve with crusty Italian or French bread and pair with a nice dry white wine (the wine you used to cook the dish is perfect--remember, you used a wine that you would drink, not those awful "cooking wines", right?).

Enjoy!

Pork chops

Here is one that I created not long ago.

Take me to Pork Chop heaven

6 Boneless pork chops                               

1 pkg stuffing mix (or make your own) 

¼ cup mixed cranberries & raisins             

5 – 6 tbsp orange marmalade

1 cup pineapple juice, reduced

2-3 tsp. sage

Salt & pepper to taste                       

Place stuffing in bottom of oven proof dish. Mix reduced pineapple juice and orange marmalade together, add in cranberries & raisins, and pour over stuffing mix. Place pork chops on top. Sprinkle with sage, salt, & pepper.

Bake at 375° covered for approx 45 min to 1 hour. Remove cover and bake additional 10 – 15 min. Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Simple stuffing:

crumbled cornbread - 2 cups

1 - 2 celery stalks - diced

1 sm onion - diced

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 tsp. sage

1tbsp butter

1 egg - beaten

Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in butter until soft. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put in oven safe dish and bake at 350 for approx. 30 min.

Simple. 

A Little about Mary

Oooo...good questions, Momma T! Here goes nothing.....

1. My favorite gadget--hmm....assuming we are not counting things like my knives and cookware, I would have to say, my microplaner. I love zesting citrus, and it is great for nutmeg, since graters are too big. It is also good for a fine grating of Aged Parmesan, or ginger or horseradish. (I do collect gadgets, though, and I am pretty fickle--next week I may love my stand mixer, or hand blender, or potato ricer better. LOL)

2. I love to experiment with spices, and I can't really think of any of them that I don't like; the same goes for herbs. As far as what I use most often, it has to be kosher or sea salt and black pepper. Salt and pepper aren't the world's most compatible pair for nothing! LOL That is not to say that I don't use lots of more exotic herbs and spices from every culture and cuisine, but plain ol' black pepper is the basic ingredient spice (fresh-cracked, whether fine, coarse or anything in between, always!). They are also the most misused spices, in my opinion. It seems that people are afraid to use them in many cases, due to health misunderstandings. I think health issues are about more than "too much salt" in the diet.

3. I also experiement with many different types of cuisines, but no matter what type of cuisine I am trying today, I always try to incorporate fresh, seasonal, locally grown and organic vegetables, and fresh, locally produced (when possible), sustainable, pasture-fed, humanely-raised proteins (meat, cheese, eggs, dairy) of all kinds. I never want to compromise those practices, no matter what the cuisine. I do love Spanish and Mediteranean style cooking the most, I think. Or New American. Or New Appalachian. Sushi, definitely. Well, I can't really decide. I love it all. :-)

Here are some pictures of dishes I have made lately...

Pictured (left to right,top to bottom) are:

a. Baked Prawns, fresh sauteed spinach, saffron rice w/glazed baby carrots

b. Homemade Thin-Crust Pizza w/seared crimini mushrooms, pepperoni, fresh spinach, locally produced mozzerella, black olives, red jalapeno, and fresh Tennessee Tomato slices.

c. Baked Paprika Chicken Drumsticks with sauteed spinach, crimini mushroom gravy, over short-grain boiled (in chicken stock and white wine) rice.

d. Classic Grilled Ribeye Steak w/homemade horseradish sauce, Baked Potato with Sour Cream, steamed Broccoli w/Xsharp cheddar cheese.

e. Panko/Asiago Crusted Mahi Mahi with Crimini and Summer Squash Risotto and sourdough baguette (that garnish is deep-fried Basil leaves from my herb-garden. I saw the technique on Iron Chef America! LOL). It is an impressive garnish, and SO easy!

f. Eggplant "Parmesan" (although that is local mozzerella, not parmesan), whole grain spaghetti w/farmer's market veggies, and sourdough baguette

g. Sauteed Beef Heart with fresh corn on the cob, and okra and tomatoes-all from my neighbor's garden.

h My favorite easy appetizer (or lunch in a hurry)--Chorizo, Goat Cheese and fresh Herbs on a sourdough baguette.

i. My Traditional Spanish Paella

4. I guess the ingredient(s) I use most are fresh herbs. I do cook with lots of different fresh herbs. I am lucky that in Florida, the weather is mild enough that you can grow a large variety of them pretty much all year long. Rich soil is a challenge here so I do grow most of my herbs in pots. So if "herbs" isn't too general an answer, that is what I cook with in all my dishes.

5. I started cooking basic things like eggs for breakfast, pancakes, cookies, french toast, etc. when I was a young kid. I also "helped" cook, with my mom, and also many moms in Spain. I was an adventurous kid in general, and when we lived in Spain I would walk through the woods, and come up on Haciendas or Fincas (farms), and just walk up to the door, knock, and say "Hola! Como esta?" which means "Hi! How are you?" (I was six). More often than not, they would invite me in for lunch and then figure out who I belonged to afterwards. LOL And lunch was always sumptuous. For Spaniards, lunch is the main meal of the day, and on the haciendas and fincas' most of the meals are produced right on-property. I ate everything from snails, to chickens from the yard, to wild asparagus and mushrooms, and probably many things I can't even remember. I never remember eating anything I didn't like!

6. What do I like most about cooking? Wow--that is a difficult question, but above all, I like to see other people enjoying what I have cooked.

7. I love sharing recipes, and have never kept anything (about cooking and eating) to myself. Momma T, surely you remember how much I loved to talk in school!? LOL

8. I am pretty sure I will never try Baloot (I am not sure if that is the right way to spell it). My husband was stationed in the Phillipines when he was in the Navy, and he told me about it (he never tried it either, and he is almost as adventurous as I am). It was described as an embryonic egg that is buried in the earth for an unspecified amount of time, and then dug up and eaten as a filipino delicacy. I think that is the one thing that I would not try even if I was starving! If faced with an option of that and anything else on earth that I can think of, the other would be the preferred option.

9. What do I think about when I go out to eat or to a friend's house? Not sure what you mean, but I am usually looking forward to spending great time with friends and food and drink (alcoholic, or non-alcoholic is fine with me. I enjoy a good diet pepsi as much as a beer or glass of wine--not much for mixed drinks). I do love to discuss food and drink, and pairing food with drink, and my friends and I spend a good deal of time doing just that!

10. My super tip would be to encourage everyone to experiment! You may or may not like something, but you will never know if you don't give it a chance. And there is very, very little in this world that will actually kill you if it is prepared properly. And most won't kill you even if it is prepared IMproperly--so eat, drink, and be merry!!

Great questions, Momma T! Now, since you have made me fry my brains answering these questions, it is time for you to jump in, too! The water is fine! (and I want a recipe! LOL)

Tell me

Ok Mary, We don't have a lot on here yet so how about we find out a little more of each other's cooking likes/dislikes, styles, flavors, etc.?

1.  What is your favorite "gadget" to use in cooking?
2. How many spices do you like to use and what is the one used most often?
3.  Do you have a particular favorite style of cooking? (Italian, Mexican, Asian...)
4.  What is an item/s that you put into most of your dishes when cooking?
5.  When did you start cooking?
6.  What is it about cooking that you like the most?
7.  Have you passed on any family recipes or do you keep the secret?
8.  Is there anything you have cooked and eaten that you said never again, or maybe some food item that you just said there is no way I will eat that?
9.  What do you think about when you go out to a restaurant to eat or at someone's house?
10. Do you have any super tips on cooking to share with readers, family, friends?

That's my 10 questions for you to start with. Too bad we don't live closer and could have a kitchen to kitchen weekly visit. Who knows, maybe one of these days we will.
I am anxiously waiting for your answers.  ~ T

Baked Prawns with Panko/Asiago Topping

Momma T, that was a great introductory post! Now let's jump right in.

I love food. All kinds. My motto is that I will try (almost) anything at least once, and have been an adventurous eater my entire life.

One of my recent favorite finds has been Panko Japanese Breadcrumbs, and you can find them in most grocery stores. I use them in pan-frying, deep-frying and baking, and I will post a few recipes that I have come up with where they add a certain depth to the dish. The first is pictured at the top right.

There is also a special ingredient in the topping that really takes it up a notch--grated Asiago cheese, which is a hard cheese (like parmesan) from Spain.

Baked Prawns with Panko/Asiago Topping, served over Garden-Fresh Sauteed Spinach and Saffroned Rice and Carrots

For the Saffroned Rice and Carrots you will need:

--one saute pan (6-8")

--one sauce pan (3-4 quart) with cover

--1 cup short grain rice (you may use medium or long grain, but I like the starchy, creamy texture of the short grain)

--1 tsp. salt

--1/2 tsp. black pepper

--4-5 leaves of fresh sweet basil-chopped

--a few strands of saffron (use more or less depending on how yellow and saffron-y you want it)

--1 cup stock or broth (you may use vegetable, fish, or chicken which you can make yourself or buy at the grocery store; Swanson's makes good broth and stock without too much sodium)

--1 cup white wine; preferably the same wine you will pair with the finished dish. Cooking wine adds too much sodium, and a flat flavor in my opinion. Cook with the wine you want to drink.

--3/4 cup of baby carrots cut into chunks

--1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

--1 tbsp brown sugar

Combine the water, wine and stock and add the saffron strands, salt and pepper to the cold liquid in a covered 4 quart saucepan. Let it come to a boil. Add the rice and stir so it doesn't stick together. Turn the heat down, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally until the liquid is absorbed, but the rice is still creamy. This will take about 20 minutes, give or take a couple.

While the rice is cooking, you will saute the carrots. Put a saute pan on medium high, add oil and let heat until fragrant. Add carrots and brown sugar, and let this mixture cook, stirring/flipping the carrots frequently to coat and cook evenly, being careful not to let the glaze burn.

Add the basil and finished carrots to the rice and fold in when the rice is about 3/4 through cooking. Remove from heat and let stand while preparing the rest of the meal.

For the Prawns:

--Large Saute Pan

--Baking dish (1 large, or 2-3 individual) Shrimp should be crowded, but single layer when placed in the dish

--1 pound of jumbo Atlantic Shrimp (11-16)

--2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

--2 tbsp. salted Butter

--1 clove finely minced garlic

--1/4cup extra virgin olive oil

--1/4 cup salted Butter

--Salt and Pepper to taste

--4-5 fresh Tarragon Leaves, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon-careful-it's potent)

--4-5 fresh Sweet Basil Leaves, finely chopped

--1 clove finely minced garlic

Topping:

--1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

--1/2 cup Asiago cheese, finely grated

--1 tbsp. butter

In a small bowl, combine panko and grated asiago.

Melt 1 tbsp. butter on stove, add to panko/asiago and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure the shelf is in the middle position.

Put 1/4 cup oil, 1 clove minced garlic and 1/4 cup butter in the baking dish, and put dish in the oven until butter is melted and oil is fragrant (very warm, not too hot)

Heat 2 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp. butter in the large saute pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot, but before the butter burns, add the shrimp and 1 clove garlic and sear quickly, about 1 minute per side, but don't cook all the way through. Take the shrimp off the stove and place in the baking dish with the warm oil and butter. Top with the panko mixture, place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked. Be careful of overcooking--shrimp should be just curling and opaque, not solid-looking or tightly curled. If the shrimp look like they are cooking but the topping is still not golden, you may finish under the broiler, but watch it carefully! It can burn in an instant.

Sauteed Spinach (kale would work really well, here, too):

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. kosher or sea salt

1 clove finely minced garlic

1 tsp. dried red chili flakes (optional, if you like some heat)

10-12 ounces of fresh spinach leaves

4 lemon wedges to garnish

Heat 1 tbsp. EVOO, the salt and the chili flakes in the same saucepan you cooked the shrimp in on medium high until very fragrant. Add all the spinach--it will look like too much, but it cooks down more than you can imagine. Cook just until the spinach is wilted. If you overcook, it gets a fuzzy aftertaste.

Plate the rice/carrots first, then top that with the spinach, and then place the shrimp on top of the spinach, and drizzle the oil/butter/garlic from the bottom of the baking dish over and squeeze the lemon on top.

I usually bake a crusty sourdough french bread to go with this, and pair it with a good Pinot Grigio or a Riesling if you like a more fruity wine.

Enjoy!

questions & answers

Do you like to cook? Do you like to eat? Do you like to eat what you cook? Follow along with us as we load you down with recipes from our stash. Send us questions, give us answers, share some food.

Happy cooking and good eating!