Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

I made this. It was pretty easy. It was pretty good. Tame in spice, but I think it is because I used green curry paste because I couldn't find the red in our fridge (we have both). I did add curry seasoning, but obviously not enough. It was pretty creamy althouhg not a lot of sauce. I liked the fact that it was only 2 servings because D and I have problems with left over seafood.

We had with Broccoli and Basmati Rice.

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Red curry paste conveys plenty of spicy heat, so a little goes a long way. Feel free to add a bit more to increase the heat, or omit the paste to tame the dish. The addition of slightly sweet coconut milk smooths out the flavors.
Total time: 19 minutes.

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)--I used 1/2 tsp green curry paste and some curry powder
1 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined--I used 16 oz because what am I going to tdo with 4 oz of left over shrimp
1/3 cup light coconut milk--I used regular coconut milk. The light was $2.00 more.
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and curry paste to pan, and sauté 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar; sauté 15 seconds. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Stir in coconut milk and fish sauce; cook 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and basil.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
CALORIES 255 (26% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.8g,poly 1.9g); IRON 4.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 259mg; CALCIUM 111mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.2g; SODIUM 740mg; PROTEIN 36.1g; FIBER 1.1g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2008

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

D didn't read the directions to this recipe so he didn't use broth. It wasn't very creamy and it needed some salt. I attribute that to the broth. BUT I liked it. D ate it.

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Unlike traditional pasta, this orzo isn't cooked in a pot of boiling water. Instead, it's cooked slowly in a flavorful broth that captures its starch.

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup orzo
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 236 (24% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 3.2g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 82mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.8g; SODIUM 412mg; PROTEIN 9.9g; FIBER 1.7g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar Pan Sauce

So this was really good, and it seemed pretty easy (as in , I didn't hear D cussing in the kitchen).
There was a lot of taste, and the sweetness had a tang at the end with the balsamic.

We had with Parmesan Orzo and a Caesar Salad.

Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar Pan Sauce

To assure the chicken gets done, use breasts on the small side, about 4 to 5 ounces each. Serve with polenta or orzo to absorb the sauce.

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 (5-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (we used thighs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
Chopped parsley (optional)

Combine broth, vinegar, and honey.

Melt butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.

While butter melts, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until the butter turns golden brown. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add shallots, and sauté 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast and 2 tablespoons sauce)

CALORIES 269 (27% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 2g,poly 2.5g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 29mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.1g; SODIUM 331mg; PROTEIN 34g; FIBER 0.2g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

Christmas Dinner

It was very good.
I'll just link what we had...

Grilled Lamb with Ancholaide
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Green Beans with Bacon
(no dessert because we drank our dessert).

Linguine with White Clam and Broccoli Sauce

D made this with 3 cans of chopped clams. It was decent. He added some white wine. We think it needed some butter. We think the garlic should have been minced.
Portion size was a bit on the small size.
Leftovers are very good. Flavors melded well.

Linguine with White Clam and Broccoli Sauce

This is a popular dish at my restaurant Felidia. Sometimes we substitute broccoli rabe for the regular broccoli, which is also delicious. You can chop the garlic if you like, but I prefer slices. They are mellower in flavor and become part of the texture of the dish. Unlike the light amount of sauce served with most pastas, when combining clam sauce and linguine, there should be a little extra broth. I love littleneck clams for this sauce, but other types of hard-shelled clams, such as Manila or butter clams, make a good substitute.

3/4 cup water
36 littleneck clams in shells, scrubbed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
6 quarts water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3 cups broccoli florets
1 pound uncooked linguine
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add clams; cover and cook 4 minutes or until shells open. Remove clams from pan; reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Discard any unopened shells. Cool clams. Remove meat from shells; chop. Discard shells.

Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in stockpot. Add broccoli, and cook 2 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon (do not drain water from stockpot). Place broccoli in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Drain broccoli; coarsely chop.

Return water to a boil in stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 6 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.

While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant and beginning to turn golden, stirring constantly. Add broccoli and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli sizzles. Stir in clams and reserved 1 cup cooking liquid; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Add pasta to skillet, stirring well to coat. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and chopped parsley; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place about 1 cup pasta mixture in each of 6 bowls; drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 420 (19% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 1.2g,mono 5.2g,poly 1.5g); IRON 15.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 30mg; CALCIUM 80mg; CARBOHYDRATE 61.8g; SODIUM 484mg; PROTEIN 22.1g; FIBER 3g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Yum! This was awesome.

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Prep: 20 min., Bake: 30 min.

1 (22-oz.) package frozen mashed potatoes (we used refrigerated Simply Potatoes)
1 (6.5-oz.) container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese
1/2 cup milk
4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
Garnish: chopped fresh chives

1. Prepare potatoes according to package directions.

2. Stir in spreadable cheese and next 4 ingredients; stir until blended. Spread mixture on bottom of a lightly-greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; top with Cheddar cheese.

3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish, if desired.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used frozen Ore-Ida Mashed Potatoes and Alouette Garlic & Herbs Spreadable Cheese.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2007

Dracula's Revenge (Baked Penne with Sausage and Garlic)

I want to say I really liked this... but I can't. First I made it. I started at 3:30. At 5:40 I was finally done. It wasn't hard, just a lot to do. I also added spinach and mushrooms into this.

The garlic... I used 3 heads. I didn't fully understand what I was supposed to do but I roasted it and then squirted all the pulp into a bowl. That was a PITA because even after 20 minutes, the garlic was still hot.
After I made everything and baked it, I ate some. I thought it was bland. 3 HEADS of garlic and I don't taste it. WTH? So if this were easier, I probably would have like it, but all the work for something bland...eh.

Update: It is much better the next day when the ingredients can meld together. I could taste all the flavors and liked them. But definitely a weekend dish due to the time.

Dracula's Revenge (Baked Penne with Sausage and Garlic)

2 whole garlic heads
1 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage (used regular hot Italian Sausage)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups hot cooked penne (about 1 pound uncooked tube-shaped pasta) or rigatoni
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap each head separately in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Set garlic aside.

Increase oven temperature to 400°.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Place sausage in a large bowl; stir in sage and rosemary.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add the flour to melted butter, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the milk; cook until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk (about 10 minutes). Stir in roasted garlic, cheeses, salt, and pepper. Remove mixture from heat. Add 5 1/2 cups cheese sauce and cooked pasta to sausage, stirring to coat. Spoon pasta mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 10 servings

CALORIES 434 (30% from fat); FAT 14.4g (sat 7.2g,mono 4.5g,poly 2g); IRON 3mg; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 425mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.7g; SODIUM 700mg; PROTEIN 26.3g; FIBER 1.4g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2000