Acapulco Shrimp Cocktail

A MEXICAN STYLE SHRIMP COCKTAIL with crisp vegetables and creamy avocado to compliment the savory shrimp, served with tortilla chips or crackers, makes a perfect light supper.

Where the sauce for a traditional shrimp cocktail begins with ketchup, lemon, and horseradish, the Mexican sauce, which also starts with ketchup, uses lime and hot sauce.

Our frigid weather moved out and we are having a bit of a respite. I decided to make something fresh as a break from the stews and soups. Winter is far from over, I know that, but today, I see blue sky and I only had to wear a light jacket to the grocery store.

 


Acapulco Shrimp Cocktail

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup ketchup
1-2 Tablespoons vinegary Mexican bottled hot sauce (or your favorite)
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small white onion, chopped
2-3 scallions, sliced
1/2 English cucumber, diced
5-6 radishes, sliced
1 avocado, sliced

Bring 1 quart heavily salted water to a boil. Add shrimp. When the water comes to a bare simmer, lower heat and poach for a minute or two. Remove shrimp from water onto a platter in a single layer. Refrigerate to 30 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the ketchup, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcester sauce, and olive oil; stir until well combined. Add the onion, scallions, cucumber, and radish slices. Stir in shrimp. Finish with avocado slices.

Smoked Turkey Club Sandwich with Cherry Chutney

CLUB SANDWICHES ALWAYS SEEM so fancy. Maybe it is the way they are cut into triangles and plated pointed side up. Or maybe the extra layer makes them look so pretty. Whatever it is, they really appeal to me--like afternoon tea or lunch at the museum.

Pictured is Pritchard Parker's sandwich. I prefer my sandwiches toasted, which I believe is traditional for a club sandwich, but he likes his untoasted. This is one of the beauties of preparing meals at home--you get to customize according to tastes.

For this sandwich, I used deli-sliced mesquite smoked turkey and provolone cheese. I also used the Fresh Cherry Chutney I recently posted. Recipe here.

We enjoyed our sandwiches at our backyard picnic table while watching hummingbirds zipping from flower to flower. We have a town ordinance prohibiting bird feeders (due to bears) yet we have a very lively bird and butterfly population in our garden.

We felt very fancy.

Smoked Turkey Club Sandwich with Cherry Chutney
For each sandwich:
3 slices bread, toasted if desired
Mayo or butter, to taste, optional
Few slices smoked deli turkey
Thinly sliced red onion
Lettuce
Fresh cherry chutney, or other chutney of choice
2 -3 slices crisp bacon
A slice or two of provolone cheese

On the first piece of bread or toast, apply a thin layer of mayo or butter if desired. Top with a few slices of smoked turkey, then thinly sliced onion, plus crisp lettuce. Spread another slice of bread or toast with a generous amount of cherry chutney. Place on top of the lettuce layer and top the chutney with bacon slices. Add a slice or two of provolone and top with the third piece of bread or toast.

Place a toothpick into all four sides of the sandwich, then slice diagonally to form triangles. Plate with the pointed edge up.

Fresh Cherry Chutney

AS AN ATTEMPT TO FIND MY LOST MOJO and break out of my case of the vapors, I bought a cheerful bag of fresh, ripe, juicy cherries. Due to some recent events in our life, my dear husband was feeling the same way. He came home with a bag of beautiful, velvety South Carolina peaches.

We tackled a dreaded but much needed task, together, over the weekend. Having that behind us and looking forward to gorgeous summer fruit seems to be working its magic.

The first thing I made was a spicy, bracing cherry chutney. Chutney is a condiment or sauce of East Indian origin made with sweet, sour, and spicy ingredients. Think of using chutney in place of cranberry sauce, raisin sauce, even jam or preserves. Top crackers with cream cheese and a dollop of chutney for a fulfilling snack. I especially love chutney with pungent cheese. 

Next up, I will show one of the uses I made of this chutney, but meanwhile, on to the recipe. This is a small and easily manageable batch of chutney.

Fresh Cherry Chutney

1 cup fresh cherries, washed, pitted, and halved

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2/ cup chopped red onion

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 Tbsp. chopped candied ginger

1 tsp. black mustard seeds

2-inch piece of cinnamon 

3 whole cardamom

freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until boiling. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer gently 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened, just a few minutes more. Remove from heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.

Use right away or spoon into a jar to refrigerate. 

Puttanesca Sauce

WE RECEIVED A CATALOG FOR Continuing Education classes for the upcoming Spring/Summer session at our local Community College. These classes are always excellent and I have taken a number of them over the years--some of them career related, but most for personal enrichment. I love the art classes.

As I was browsing this latest catalog, I noticed a class for Basic Keyboarding (which I don't need).
The description states, "Come and learn the ancient art of keyboarding using all ten fingers". Ancient? I might have said, traditional. How established does something need to be, to be considered ancient?  I did once hear someone say, "Back in ancient times--50 years ago.  . ."

I have heard various stories about Puttanesca sauce. Sauce of the harlot was invented as a quick to prepare sauce made from pantry staples, at night, when the markets are closed?  And from my understanding, it was invented in the mid-twentieth century. Between the fact that markets are now open 24-hours-a-day and this dish's creation in, like, 1960, make it ancient?

Puttanesca Sauce
(Grace Parisi/Food and Wine, 9/2007)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
6 anchovy fillets
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (35 ounce) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
Pinch of sugar
2 basil sprigs
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 Tbsp. capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic, anchovies and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, Stir in the sugar, basil, olives, and capers. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper. Discard the basil springs and garlic.

Braised & Steamed Vegetable Rice Bowl with Miso Tahini Sauce

IT'S OFFICIAL. I am tired of hearty soups and stews.

Though padding around the kitchen in my sock feet and sweat pants yoga pants, stirring a fragrant pot of soup,while outdoor temperatures plummet, is a favorite pleasure, enough is enough.

I love the winter with its beautiful snow, icicles, wind, cold, cold, cold, bare trees. I love the peace and quiet of it. The coziness. The closing in, bundling up, warm blankets, fuzzy sweaters. And yes, stirring great pots of steaming soups and stews. Having the oven on for hours on end while baking breads, cakes, and cookies.

We have plenty of cold days and nights before the weather turns. But I am seeing and hearing birds sing and I am beginning to transition my cooking. I need green and crisp and color.

For this rice bowl, I used a wok with a steamer atop. This method began by washing and trimming/slicing all the vegetables.  I set aside the carrots, onions, and mushrooms to cook in the wok, both for tenderizing and for adding flavor to the steamer. In the steamer, I arranged broccoli florets, baby bok choy, sugar snap peas and covered them with a layer of fresh spinach leaves.

Heat a small amount of oil, including a dab of toasted sesame oil if desired, until hot. Toss in the onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Stir and fry for about 1 minute. Add about 1/2 cup water. Stand back--the pan is going to starting hissing and steaming. Quickly place the covered steamer on the wok; you don't want to lose the fragrant steam. Lower heat to medium and let the vegetables braise (in the wok) and steam (in the steamer) for about 5 minutes or until your desired tenderness.

Serve with brown rice and drizzle with Miso Tahini Sauce.

Miso Tahini Sauce
1 Tbsp.freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Miso
1 Tbsp. Tahini
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp. olive

Combine all ingredients in blender until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.  

The next day, I chopped the leftover vegetables and along with bits of blue cheese, Swiss, and extra sharp cheddar, I made a quiche. Another transitional food.

Sesame Tofu

 

 

 

This tofu was exemplary! I could have sat down with the whole bowlful and happily eaten every morsel. As it  I stood, it was very difficult to walk away without taking another bite. After all, this recipe makes plenty of tofu for four servings.

I have cooked and eaten a lot of tofu--it is so versatile; this is officially my new favorite way to prepare it. And I will be experimenting with different sauces. I can't wait to try it with barbecue sauce.

I fried the tofu in peanut oil which imparts a very flavorful crunch all its own. If seasoned well before coating, these cubes would be lovely to add protein to a green salad.

 

 

 

Sesame Tofu

1 (one pound) package extra firm tofu

1/4 cup cornstarch

Oil for frying

1/3 cup honey

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. (or more) red pepper flakes

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

4 scallions, finely sliced

 

Wrap the block of tofu in paper towels. Place on a cutting board and top with another board or a plate. Top with a can or something rather heavy, to press much of the water out of the tofu. Let sit for about 30 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, stir together in a small saucepan, the honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper, sesame oil, and vinegar. Simmer gently until ready to use. 

 

Unwrap the tofu, dry off, cut into bite sized cubes, and toss with the cornstarch to coat. Fry in about 1-inch of oil, which has been heated to 350 degrees, stirring and flipping until it is golden brown all over. Drain on paper towels.

 

Place the golden tofu cubes in a serving bowl. Pour over the sauce and add in the scallions and sesame seeds. Toss well but gently until all the tofu pieces are coated. Serve right away.

 

 



Catalina Carrots

 There is a very old recipe which has cycled in and out of popularity over the years called Copper Pennies. It is a salad made with thinly sliced carrots (pennies) along with onion and bell pepper and dressed with a sweet and tangy tomatoey dressing.

Most recipes I have seen for Copper Pennies use canned tomato soup along with a LOT of sugar and the carrots are literally swimming in dressing.

This recipe is reminiscent of that but I have taken a slight curve from the original. I used carrots only and dressed them lightly in a homemade Catalina dressing. I loved Catalina dressing as a kid and recently discovered after not eating it for years that I still love it.

Pritchard Parker came home from one of his thrift shop adventures with a small crinkle cutter so I decided to try it out. I cut a few slices before I thought to myself, "Since you are going to steam these carrots anyway, wouldn't be easier to cut them afterwards?" 

I put 4 large carrots in the microwave for 4 minutes only and they were as tender as I wanted them. And yes indeed, they were much easier to slice with the rather dull cutter. After they are steamed and sliced, dress them lightly in Catalina dressing.  If you have time, chill before serving.

Catalina Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
1 small onion, grated

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Shake until well blended.

This dressing is good on all lettuce salads and also delicious on a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich.

Barbecue Chicken

This is another recipe I tried from the Alabama Professional Women's Club 1989 fund-raising cookbook Pritchard Parker found during one of his thrift shop adventures.  This one was submitted by Dean Sellers of Bessemer, Alabama. 

I really enjoyed this recipe and thought it was such a "man recipe" while I was cooking it. I made it a second time and altered the cooking time. The recipe calls for "6 to 8 chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces".  I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and they turned out overcooked and dry, even though the flavor was delicious.

As I thought about it, I realized that in 1989 people did not buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts at the mega-grocery. People bought whole chickens and cut them up (who even knows how to cut up a chicken anymore)? If people did buy breasts, they were bone in and skin on, and probably not split.

The second time I made this, I adjusted the cooking time. I am giving the recipe, as written, but please do keep in mind that boneless and skinless chicken will take much less time to cook. I cooked the second batch of chicken, uncovered, for a total of 25 minutes, after browning.

Barbecue Chicken
6 to 8 chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken, cut up
2 medium onions
1 (6 oz.) bottle cola
1 small bottle catsup
1/2 c. vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. prepared mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 c. margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry chicken pieces. Salt and pepper well. Brown chicken in margarine. Put chicken in large baking dish or pan, single layered. Saute two medium onions sliced in thin rings in drippings until transparent. Place over chicken. Mix and simmer barbecue sauce for five minutes or until boiling slow. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake in preheated oven at 275 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Crock Pot Gumbo

The best Southern Gumbo I've ever eaten comes from my own Mother's Alabama kitchen. After we visited several years ago and she had cooked it, I asked for her recipe, which she happily provided.

It was some time later, when I made it at home myself, that I realized what a true labor of love went into Mama's huge pot of gumbo.  I was over that stove for hours! I thought I would never be done. Every step seemed to take forever. 

I was quite happy the day I made a truly tasty gumbo in the crock pot and have made it several times since. It may not be as excellent as Mama's, but it is still very delicious.

The secret to an authentically flavored gumbo lies in a deep, dark, rich, mahogany colored roux, which is an art in itself.  Mary, of Deep South Dish gives an excellent tutorial explaining roux, and a method for making it in the oven.

Another essential in gumbo is what Cajun cooks refer to as their trinity--onions, celery, and green bell pepper. And thirdly, okra. Any combination of meats and seafood can be used. I use chicken, sausage, and shrimp. Lucky you, if you have access to fresh seafood--load it up, oysters, crab, you name it. 


Crock Pot Gumbo
1 lb. kielbasa sausage, sliced
1 lb. boneless chicken
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 plump cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. sliced okra (frozen is fine)
1/2 cup roux
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 quart tomatoes, undrained

Layer ingredients, in order given, into the crock pot but don't stir. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Lower heat to low and continue cooking for 7 hours.

About 10 to 15 minutes before serving, add:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

Cook until shrimp are done but not overcooked. Adjust seasonings, including the addition of salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into soup bowls, top with a scoop of hot rice, and pass the hot sauce.

Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce

Several years ago, I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine. I made it then and have made it several times since. Everyone always loves it and compliments it. I have used it on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, even tofu and it is always delicious.

Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce
(adapted from Bon Appetit)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (12 oz.) bottles chili sauce
8 oz. cherry preserves
1 cup Dr. Pepper
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. or more Tabasco sauce (I like much more)

Saute onions in olive oil until golden. Stir in garlic. Add chili sauce, cherry preserves, Dr. Pepper, brown sugar, and vinegar. Simmer for 1 hour.

Remove from heat; stir in Tabasco sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let cool completely.

Cherry Barbeque Sauce

This is a delicious barbeque sauce I made several times last summer, for grilling. I made a batch a couple days ago with barbeque chicken in mind. I had planned to be lazy and buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts. At the store, I saw that a package of 3 (three!) breasts was over $9.00. Egads. I then spotted a large package containing, six plump, bone in, skin on breasts, on sale for $4.35. I made the obvious economic decision to buy twice as much food for half the price. I easily removed the skin, and we managed the bones perfectly fine as we ate.

Cherry Barbeque Sauce

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Vidalia onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
One 12 oz. bottle chili sauce
One 12 oz. jar cherry preserves
1 cup Dr. Pepper
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. (or more to taste) Tabasco sauce


Saute onions until golden, add garlic. Stir for about one minute, then add the next 5 ingredients. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring ocassionally. Remove from heat and stir in the Tabasco sauce. Let cool completely.