Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos

There is something you should know about me. I really like clean teeth. I definitely brush at least twice a day (more if I'm at home after lunch) and I floss and I use fluoride mouth rise. I like the feeling after swishing around the mouthwash because it burns and I know it is clean. I just can't imagine going to bed without brushing my teeth. Gross.

However, I do not love the dentist. I never have. I used to get sick at the dentist when they would shove those plastic mold things of fluoride in my mouth. And I had a lot of visits to the dentist and orthodontist growing up. Now I have straight, pretty, healthy teeth so I guess it is something that I have to endure. But for some reason  that gritty toothpaste they use makes my mouth feel unclean. Plus who in the world would want strawberry or bubblegum toothpaste? Mint is what makes your mouth taste clean, right?

Well today I went to the dentist and left feeling even grosser than ever! The hygienist put this fluoride paste on my teeth after she was done with the cleaning. It literally felt like I had gum stuck everywhere on my teeth. And she told me not to brush it off until after 4 hours. Since I'm a rule-follower, I suffered through the day with gunk on my teeth worrying that someone could tell and would think I had not brushed for days. Eww. Eww. Eww.

Anyway, on a happier note, make these shrimp stuffed poblano peppers. They are delicious and will definitely perk up any bad start to a day. Promise.

Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos (adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010)
Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
8 poblano peppers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into bite-sized pieces
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
juice of one lime

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

Cut the bells pepper in half lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Place the poblano peppers on the baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes or until blackened, turning poblanos halfway through to blacken all sides. Place the peppers in a paper bag and fold to seal. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Peel. Chop the bell pepper. Cut the tops off of the poblanos and remove seeds.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the oil. Add the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes until cook through. Remove from the pan.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with flour and CRP and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the half-and-half and 1/2 cup milk; cook 1 minute while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheese and stir until melted. Place 1/3 cup cheese mixture in a bowl, add the bell pepper, shrimp, parsley and lime juice, and stir to combine. Stir the 1/4 cup milk into the remaining cheese mixture. Stuff the poblanos with the shrimp mixture. Serve the poblanos with the additional cheese mixture.

Serves 4.

Shrimp Fried Barley

I'm nothing if I'm not a weirdo. I like peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. I dance like a crazy person around my apartment all by myself because sometimes music makes me hyper. I spend a few hours cleaning my desk at work and then the following day cannot figure out for the life of me where I put a specific piece of paper that I need. Let's not even talk about the assortment of music I have on my iPod.

So here I am, weirding up (or it is out?) your life with fried barley instead of rice. It is a nice change that I fully support.

Get down with your strange self. :)

Shrimp Fried Barley
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp peanut oil
2 green onions, diced, white and green parts separated
4 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chopped green beans
1 cup cooked barley
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce

Directions:
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the white parts of the onions and saute for about 1 minute until softened. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1-2 minutes until no longer completely pink. Add the green beans and saute for another minute. Add the barley and toss to mix everything, cooking for about 2-3 minutes. Push the barley mixture to the side and slide the beaten egg into the pan. Scramble. Mix the cooked egg into the barley. Sprinkle in the soy sauce, sriracha and fish sauce and toss to combine.

Serve topped with the green parts of the onion.

Serves 2.

Spanish Shrimp and Rice

You know you are old when...

...every week after playing softball, a different part of your body falls apart.

After the first game, my shoulder was sore from throwing the ball for the first time in almost 2 years. After the second game, my shin splints were acting up after running. Of course, I compensated the next week and totally pulled a quad. And then I twisted my ankle when getting to third base and had to walk funny for a few days. This past week I slid into second base (and was safe) just to rip up my knee. Yeah, no joking here. Completely true stories. Apparently my body hates softball. My mind, on the other hand, is really enjoying being out in the fresh air and playing on a team.

Our softball team is actually pretty good. We're 8 for 9 on wins this season. Not bad, right?

You know what also makes a good team? Shrimp and rice. Especially when they are backed by a variety of vegetables and seasoned with tumeric and a drizzle or two of hot sauce. Pull some spinach, strawberries and freshly grated parmesan off the bench to make a nice rounded dinner. It'll be Spanish fried rice for the win!!

Spanish Shrimp and Rice (adapted significantly from Food Network Magazine May 2013)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
2 green onion, diced, white and green parts divided
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 medium yellow tomato, chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tbsp vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
hot sauce, for serving

Directions:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and turmeric and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato, carrot and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the shrimp and cook until they begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and broth and cook until hot through about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the peas.

Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Top with green parts of onion and hot sauce.

Serves 2-3.

Mexican Shrimp Bisque

I love a soup. Or a stew. Or a chili.

Maybe it is the fact that you get to eat it with a spoon so you have an excuse to literally shovel into your mouth. Maybe it is because they make me feel so warm inside. There's just something so comforting about a pipin' hot bowl of soup, am I right?

The crockpot is a great place to make soups and stews, but when it comes to a creamy bisque, you've got to make it on the stovetop. You want to avoid any milk or cream curdling because nothing says "let's call for pizza" like curdled soup. Eww... why are we talking about this? Bad thoughts to put into your mind when you are getting ready to make this incredibly flavorful Mexican shrimp bisque that is simple enough to put together any day of the week.

The cumin and chili powder give it loads of flavor and the shrimp are cooked to perfection. Top it off with a cooling dollop of sour cream and some avocado and you are set to go. The recipe makes two main dish portions but I'm certain it would work just as well if you increased all the quantities.

Mexican Shrimp Bisque (adapted from Taste of Home: The Ultimate Soup Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour
1 cup vegetable broth (homemade or store bought)
1/2 cup half and half
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
additional sour cream and diced avocado, for garnish

Directions:
Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle the flour on top of the vegetables and stir to coat. Whisk in the vegetable stock and half and half. Add the chili powder, cumin and coriander and mix to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp to the soup and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked completely.

Put the sour cream in a heat proof bowl. Ladle approximately 1/2 cup hot soup into the sour cream and mix thoroughly. Slowly pour the sour cream mixture back into the pan while whisking constantly. Heat through, without boiling.

Serve topped with additional sour cream and diced avocado.

Serves 2.

Seafood Risotto

I think that risotto is becoming one of my most favorite meals ever! I am just impressed about how it goes from crunchy mealy rice to silky creamy smooth deliciousness; plus it is so adaptable depending on your pantry and fridge ingredients, mood, and desires. Was it really only a few months ago when I was intimidated by this dish? Although it does take a little bit of effort, you can put a restaurant quality dish on the table in less than a hour. Plus, it gives you an excuse to stand over the stove sipping wine (because of course you are going to drink the rest of the bottle of wine you opened for the recipe).

As I mentioned earlier this week, I made this seafood risotto for my parents while they were visiting. I think my dad enjoyed learning how to make it (you can tell he was excited enough to snap some photos). My kitchen is pretty small so my mom was tasked with peeling and deveining the shrimp then she retired to the living room to play on her iPad. :) 

Seafood risotto had been on my mind for awhile. Ideally, I would have sauteed up some scallops to set atop the rice, but since scallops do not play nice with my mom, we went with crab and shrimp. To tell you the truth, we didn't miss the scallops at all. I'm sure they would have been good, but the flavor of the crab really stole the show (and it was from a can!). We added some mushrooms to deepen the flavors and they complimented the seafood perfectly. I debated throwing in peas for a burst color, but my dad does not play nice with green vegetables so we skipped them. Didn't miss those either. I'd make this again in a heartbeat; you should too!

Seafood Risotto 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

6-7 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or seafood broth)

1 cup white wine

2 cups sliced mushrooms

6 oz can lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shells

1/2 lb shrimp, peel and deveined

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

salt and pepper

1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium high heat. Cover and reduce to low to simmer.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook, stirring quickly until the rice in well coated, about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently until the liquid is almost gone, about 5-7 minutes. Add the broth, about 1 cup at a time, and stir the rice constantly until almost all the liquid is absorbed, about 5-7 minutes. Continue to add broth until the rice has been cooking for 15-20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and add more broth continuing to stir completely absorbed. It will take around 35-45 minutes for the rice to cook completely. Taste periodically to see if the rice is tender and not mushy. Continue to cook, adding more liquid to keep moist until you reach the desired consistency.

When the rice is almost done, heat the 1 tsp olive oil in a small pan. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with Old Bay and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 1 minute on each side until pink and cooked through.

When the rice is completely cooked, stir in the crabmeat and cooked shrimp. Mix completely and remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese. 

Garnish with additional cheese as desired.

Serves 4.