Peruvian-Style Fried Rice

Jaden of Steamy Kitchen recently posted Meat Fried Rice - Four Ways which really got me thinking about how versatile fried rice can be. When I saw this recipe for Peruvian-Style Fried Rice in the May, 2008 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine I knew I wanted to give it a try. Anything with shrimp and chorizo sounds good to me. This recipe takes a traditional Chinese dish and gives it a Latin spin.

One warning I have for you if you make this recipe is that a large skillet is simply not large enough. I used a large skillet and it was filled up with the onion, shrimp and chorizo. There was no room for the rice! I ended up using a large dutch oven and that worked out really well.

This recipe yields a HUGE quantity - I have enough for about 6 meals for myself here. The nice thing is that it reheats really well. But one can only eat so much of the same thing! The doggies are loving the fact that I have so much left over because they get it (it's not spicy, just a bit rich, but so far so good).

Peruvian-Style Fried Rice Serves 6 Cooking spray 2 large eggs, beaten 3 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 cups chopped chorizo (about 8 oz.) 1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 4 cups cooked white rice, cooled 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 Tbsp. sherry Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over high heat and coat with cooking spray. Pour half of the eggs into the pan, swirling to coat the bottom, and let cook until set, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat, flip the eggs and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the egg "tortilla" to a cutting board and repeat the process with the cooking spray and the remaining egg. Roll up each egg "tortilla" and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips.

In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over high heat. Add the shrimp, chorizo and onion and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is just opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the rice, soy sauce and sherry. Cook until heated through. Stir in the egg strips and top with cilantro.

Baked Shrimp and Feta

I know I just made something from the October issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, but when I saw this recipe for Baked Shrimp with Feta I just HAD to make it. And I'm so glad I did. I served it tonight to my mother and sister and their guys - all gave it rave reviews. It was even suggested as a dish to prepare for our next dinner party . . .

Baked Shrimp and Feta 6 to 8 servings 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined Juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges for serving 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 cup tomato puree 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped 1 bay leaf Salt and pepper 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the shrimp with the lemon juice and arrange in a single layer. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato puree, oregano, bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and pour the sauce over the shrimp; sprinkle the feta on top. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then place under the broiler until the feta is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Zucchini, Potato and Ham Soup

I'm back! I'm back and in a new place. A new, old place actually. I have moved back to Chicago. I spent the last two weeks driving up here and getting unpacked. Now I have my cookbooks all up on the shelf and all of my cooking utensils unpacked - so I'm ready to go! It's been about 6 months since I've been actively cooking. So much has gone on in my life. But now I am home and I have people to cook for so I am so excited! Tonight was my first night in the kitchen after a long time - and it was a new kitchen to boot. But, I have a Whole Foods right down the street from me and I am in Heaven.

I knew I wanted to cook tonight but I have not gone through my cookbooks to pick out something special yet. I turned to the October issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine and flipped to the "7 days, 7 dinners" section and picked something out. I chose the Zucchini, Potato and Ham Soup because it seemed quick and tasty. And I wanted to make sure I got in an entry for The Doubly Delicious Two Year Celebration of Weekend Herb Blogging. It just cooled off here in Chicago so soup was the perfect thing for me to prepare.

This soup feature fresh dill. I LOVE the smell of Dill. I haven't found it to be an very versatile herb because if something contains dill you usually know it distinctly. However zucchini is one of the most versatile ingredients out there. Use it raw in salads, roast it up, puree it to make bread . . . the possibilities are endless! And according to the entry in Wikipedia, "In 2005, a poll of 2,000 people revealed the Zucchini to be the Britain's 10th favorite culinary vegetable." I'm not surprised at all!

This Zucchini, Potato and Ham Soup is super easy to make. The hardest part was peeling the potatoes - I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes and zucchini and a chopper for the onions. My mom and I had it for dinner tonight with nothing else but the suggested Pumpernickel bread and a glass of Syrah. My mother is a much more cautious cook than I am. She'll try anything at a restaurant but she tends to prepare old standards of meat and potatoes at home. The first thing she told me when she saw me cooking tonight was that she usually doesn't like creamed soups (but she'll try whatever I make). I explained to her that this soup doesn't have any cream in it and that it is very healthy. She watched me break out the immersion blender and was impressed with the results. She commented at least five times how much she liked this soup. I thought it was a tasty and healthy dinner to enjoy on a cool night. Perfect for fall.

Zucchini, Potato and Ham Soup 1 tablespoon butter 2 onions, chopped 2 large yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon gold (about 1 pound total), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick 3 zucchini (about 1 pound total), sliced 1/4 inch thick Salt One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth Two 1/4-inch-thick slices cooked ham (about 8 ounces), finely chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill Pinch nutmeg Pumpernickel bread, for serving

Instructions
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and season with salt. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil; cover, lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a blender, partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks. Stir in the ham, dill and nutmeg and serve with the bread.

Check out the round-up for the The Doubly Delicious Two Year Celebration of Weekend Herb Blogging by the gal who started it all at Kalyn's Kitchen.

Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies. But I'm not a big baker so I have not made them in years. For a while I got into those cookie dough packs that have the cookie all prepared and all you have to do is heat it up. But they are just not the same. And I usually end up eating more of the dough than making cookies.

The April 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine has a recipe for Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies that I just had to try. Mostly because they looked good in the picture, but also because I bought a pack of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips! Those made the cookies even extra special.

I found it funny to back up a batch of cookies and there being only 12 cookies total. When my mom makes them it seems like she gets 50 cookies or something like that. But I find a big cookie satisfying - it's like Mrs. Fields. But I was nice and didn't hoard them all. I kept 4 for myself and brought the rest to work. Everyone raved about them.

Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes one dozen cookies) Ingredients: 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1 1/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the granulated and brown sugars until just combines and sandy (do not cream). Mix in the egg until just combined, about 3 seconds. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.

On a large ungreased cookie sheet, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough a few inches apart. Bake until just golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool completely.

Tandoori Chicken with Date-Nut Couscous

I haven't made anything from Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine in a while. I found this recipe for Tandoori Chicken with Date-Nut Couscous in the April, 2007 issue. This recipe was part of a feature in an article about buying in bulk - like at Costco or Sam's Club. I'm a big fan of roasted chicken legs and also couscous so I knew I needed to try this out.

I chose to marinade the chicken over night because that is just easier since I have a full time job and hectic work weeks. So it ended up being pretty quick to throw everything together. I love when quick and easy dinners during the week end up having so much flavor - and this definitely did. Using yogurt as a marinade is new to me, so that was fun to experiment with something new. I ended up halving the recipe and I had enough food for dinner, leftover lunch and a bit for the dogs.

You can find the recipe for Tandoori Chicken with Date-Nut Couscous on the Every Day with Rachael Ray website.

Sliced Tuna Soft Tacos

When preparing the Seared Tuna Steak with Daikon this weekend I decided not to cook all the tuna at once. I have a bad habit of that. I know I can never eat all the food in the recipe and I want to half it, but I forget that at shopping time! So I ended up with way more tuna than I would eat at one setting. Perfect for Leftover Tuesdays which I am hosting this month.

At first I planned to make another Japanese dish with the leftover tuna. I had my eye on another recipe in the Japanese Light cookbook. But I changed my mind and decided to make the Sliced Tuna Soft Tacos which I found in the March, 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.

Of course I could have thrown together my own version of tacos, but I was intrigued by the one featured in this issue. It is made with cabbage! I like cabbage every now and then. But I've never had it in tacos before. Also, the spice blend used as a rub on the tuna is very different from what I prepared the other night. The tacos were very flavorful. I really enjoyed the combination of cabbage and tuna together with the spices.

There is an avocado, cream and lime sauce which is part of the recipe which I am on the fence about. The lime and creamy factor was really nice and added a bit of zip. But I didn't really taste the avocado. Maybe mine weren't ripe enough. I'm also not a big fan of making a fuss with a sauce in a food processor and all that. It was an impressive addition, but I probably would not make it again.

Find the recipe for Sliced Tuna Soft Tacos on the Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine website.

Red Rice with Chorizo

I didn't mean to make so many Rachael Ray recipes this weekend. Yet here is another one from the February, 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. I originally planned to make this Red Rice with Chorizo around Valentine's Day -- because it's "Red". But my Superbowl plans fell through tonight and I wanted something quick.

I was excited to try out this recipe because I ordered some chorizo from La Tienda. It's the real thing - imported from Spain. Actually, the chroizo I ordered is dry-cured and I'm not quite sure if I was supposed to use it or not. But i was dying to make something with it and this recipe seemed simple.


Using the dry-cured chorizo added a tougher texture to the dish. It was less sausage-like and more pepperoni-like. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It is a quick and easy recipe that yields a very tasty meal.

This recipe makes alot of food. I think it can feed six instead of just four. Also, I think there is a typo. The recipe calls for a 15-ounce can of sliced black olives. I could not find one. The regular size can, which is a 15-ounce of something like soup, only contains 6.5 ounces. I used that one and it was the perfect amount.

Red Rice with Chorizo (4 servings) Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 8 ounces chorizo, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice 1 1/2 cups red salsa 2 cups thawed frozen corn One 15-ounce can sliced large black olives 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:
In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to coat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water and the salsa and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Fluff the rice and stir in the corn. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the olives and cilantro.

A Simple Tofu Snack

Last week my local grocery store had a "buy one get one free" special on some very high quality organic tofu. I had one recipe calling for firm tofu anyways, so I took the extra free one. While flipping through the February, 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, I noticed a recipe for Salt and Pepper Tofu. While the name may not be too appealing, it is included as part of the Lucky Day feature about two sisters celebrating Chinese New Year with dumplings and dips. The tofu is cut into cubs and served with a variety of dips. I thought I'd try it and use up that extra tofu.

Unfortunately I did not have much success with this dish. I think the idea for this recipe is a good one and the problem was in my execution. I rarely fry things and I think I used way to much oil and also did not let the oil get hot enough. Since tofu absorbs what it is cooked with, it ended up being too greasy for me. I did try some raw and was surprised at how some simple salt and pepper can really transform the tofu. But to me, frying something healthy like tofu kind of defeats the purpose.

Three dipping sauces are suggested to go with the Salt and Pepper Tofu cubes. I made the Chili-Soy Sauce and felt it had too much oil in it as well.

Salt and Pepper Tofu (Makes 32 pieces) Ingredients: 1 pound firm tofu, drained Salt and pepper Vegetable oil, for frying Instructions: Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add half the tofu (don't overcrowd the pan) and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with more oil and remaining tofu. Serve with dipping sauces

Chili-Soy Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon red chili sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Doggie Burgers (and birdie burgers too)

My guys got a treat yesterday. I made them Isaboo's Bacon-Cheese-Barley Burgers from the December/January issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.

These are pretty easy to make. And what I like about them is that even though they take about 30 minutes to complete, you can do other things most of the time. It takes about 20 minutes for the barley to cook. The ingredients are really healthy: barley, chicken stock, cheese, and a little bit of bacon. The only problem I had was that they fell apart a bit while I was cooking them.

I kept telling my dogs that they were getting special treats and Charlie Bird got jealous. He wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It's so healthy so I gave him some too. Cheese is one of his favorites but he really liked the barley too.


This recipe make four patties. I gave my two dogs one each and brought the other two over to my friend's house for her two dogs. All four of them snarfed it down and were very happy.

Isaboo's Bacon-Cheese-Barley Burgers 1/2 cup pearl barley 2 cups fat-free chicken broth 2 slices lean bacon 1 large egg 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions
In a medium saucepan, bring the barley and chicken broth to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool.

While the barley is cooking, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Reserve the fat from the bacon for cooking the burgers. Finely chop the bacon and add to the cooled barley. Mix in the egg, bread crumbs and cheese. Combine thoroughly and score into 4 equal pieces. Wet your hands and form the pieces into patties.

Reheat the bacon fat and cook the burgers over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side.


Check out the round-up of Weekend Dog Blogging hosted each week by Sweetnicks.

Rachael Ray's Tuscan Cacciatore Risotto

I love risotto. I sometimes order it at restaurants, but I don't make it. It just takes too much time. So I don't get to enjoy the delights of risotto that often. But when I saw Rachael Ray's recipe for Tuscan Cacciatore Risotto featured in the December/January 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray, I knew I wanted to make it. This past long weekend was the perfect time.

And I am glad I did! This is definately a restaurant-quality recipe. The end result is rich, creamy and filled with delicious cold-weather flavors. While I was making the risotto, I nibbled on melon wrapped in prosciutto. It was the perfect fresh start before indulging in the rich risotto.

Quite a bit of rosemary is called for in this recipe. I am not a rosemary fan and I was hesitant. But I made the recipe according to Rachael's instructions and added 2 full Tbsp. And I'm glad I did because I think this is the first time I truly ENJOYED rosemary. You could definately taste it, but it blended perfectly with the red-wine, bits of chicken and rice. The balance was perfect.

Will I make it again? For myself, probably not. I had to stand over a steaming pot of aborio rice for about 45 minutes constantly stirring. And there are many other risotto recipes I would like to try if I am going to go through all of that work. However, I would definately make this for a special dinner for a small group. It sucks to be in the kitchen like that for entertaining, but if I ever do a risotto, I would choose this one. It is very impressive.

Rachael Ray's kick start kiwi smoothie

This morning I made a Kick Start Kiwi Smoothie. I found the recipe in the December/January 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.

What a exhilarating drink! The little bit of lime juice and the tart sweetness of the kiwi fruit yields a very refreshing taste. It is quite light but also fulfilling. Drinking this is a great way to start the day.

note* each serving is only 2 Weight Watchers points.

Kick Start Kiwi Smoothie 4 kiwi, peeled and thinly sliced 1 tsp fresh lime juice 1 banana 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt 2 Tbsp honey 10 cubes ice cube(s)

Instructions
In a blender, combine all ingredients except for 2 kiwi slices. Server in tall glasses and garnish each with a kiwi slice.