Two Great Appetizers

I've been meaning to post these recipes for about two weeks but, as I mentioned in my last post, I've been so busy with my summertime roll as the DamFam Taxi Driver and other summer stuff that my poor blog is suffering from lack of attention.

We're settling in to a summer routine; I have all the kid's daily schedules just about memorized, so I'm not as afraid of leaving someone somewhere or forgetting my carpool duties like I was last week! My oldest is away at tennis camp so that's one less kid in the whole driving equation, but the others have swim team, synchro practice, tutoring, and tennis, so we're still hoppin' around here.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the summer hubbub is the lack of cooking that's going on in a corner of my kitchen! Just for an example, yesterday I got so involved in a gardening project that I didn't even realize it had gotten to be 5:00, and had no idea what we were going to have for dinner, so we ended up going out (for about the fifth time in a week, which I'm embarrassed to report!). I have to get better at my mealtime organization, but squeezing trips to the grocery store in between all this taxi driving is proving difficult this summer.

Anyway, here are two great summertime appetizer recipes for you. I took these to a cookout a couple of weeks ago and they were both a huge hit! Serve 'em up with some cold beers or a light summer wine ...... yum!

Confetti Shrimp

Serves: 6-8

Source: I honestly cannot remember. I have this recipe scribbled on a piece of notebook paper so I must have gotten it from a friend at some point!

1 1/2 lbs. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I try to use the biggest ones I can find)

olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. minced ginger

1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. fresh lime juice

1/4 c. chopped chives or scallions, plus additional for garnish

1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped

Lemon and lime wedges for garnish

Place a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan (maybe a tablespoon or so?). Saute the shrimp for two minutes, or until cooked through. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside in a glass bowl.

Add a little bit more oil to the pan and saute the garlic and ginger until golden. Remove from heat. Add in the citrus juices; stir to combine. Pour this mixture over the shrimp, season with salt, and toss to coat. Chill for two to three hours, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and chives, toss to combine. Pour onto a pretty platter, garnish with additional chives and citrus wedges.

Serve with cocktail picks, and don't forget to put out a little bowl for the tails

Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Serves: 6?

Source: Food Network & Giada De Laurentis

1 lb. asparagus (about 19 stalks), trimmed

1 T. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

6-8 paper thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

Grated Parmesan to garnish (if desired)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Wrap each asparagus with one piece of prosciutto, exposing the tips. Arrange on a platter and garnish with grated Parmesan (if desired); and serve at room temperature.

A Summer Bummer

".....And the rain rain rain came down down down
In rushing, rising riv'lets

And the river crept out of it's bed

And rushed right in to Piglet's....."

This is the little tune I'm singing to myself this morning as I depart from the usual food discussion in order to report on what's been happening here in good old Mil-wau-kay. As they say in the Hundred Acre Wood, things are getting floodier and floodier!


Just wanted to show everyone HOW MUCH WATER there is! It's crazy! These are pictures of our summer cottage on Lac La Belle, a (normally!) very pretty lake about 45 minutes from our house in Milwaukee. The picture below shows the view from our street side. Wish I had a shot of the fish swimming in the yard and the minnows around the car!



All winter long we look forward to hot summer weekends spent swimming, boating and hanging out with friends here at the lake. I'm not blogging about this to complain or whine; I know that for our family, this flood is mostly just a very big inconvenience and disappointment. There are many people throughout the midwest (and here in Milwaukee) for whom things are absolutely devastating. We don't have raw sewage in our basement like some folks, and we don't live near a farm like some of those poor people in Iowa who have piggy poop and other nastiness floating about. Yuck.

This is a shot from the edge of our deck. You can tell that tree isn't really supposed to be growing in the middle of the lake! Over yonder is the bench where I like to sit while I have my coffee in the morning (and my margaritas at night!). It's going to be hard to get out there, since the dock is under water!

The sheriff came by yesterday afternoon and said the lake will probably rise an inch or two more before the water starts to recede, which means we will definitely end up having some water in the cottage. After that I have absolutely no idea how long it will take before the yard dries up...we're really going to need about 10 days of 90 degree heat for that to happen. That could be the middle of July for all I know!

Back to food posts shortly. I've been 'swamped' (literally and figuratively) with school getting out last week and all the kid's summer activities that began this past Monday. I've spent a very good deal of time in my car this week, shuttling kids from one place to another, and I'm looking forward to this weekend!

Sear-Roasted Sea Bass with Tomatoes & Shallots

A few weeks ago my husband suggested that we should eat more fish, and I had to agree.

I came across a variation of this recipe in the latest issue of Fine Cooking Magazine, and it jumped out at me because it looked so pretty and fresh. It called for halibut, when I got to the fish counter, they actually had sea bass so I decided to change it up a little bit.

I love sea bass - it's so mild and it has a great, almost buttery texture, but don't buy it that often because it's over fished and expensive to boot -- my favorite grocery store doesn't even have it all the time. But yesterday they had it, so I thought, what the hay, once a year for sea bass should be all right.

This completely bombed with the kids, by the way. After making a total stink, multiple gagging noises and their best "I'm about to barf" faces, they all split a Stouffers lasagna. I guess I don't expect them to like fish; I didn't like it until I was a grown up, and personally, I don't really want them starting anymore pricey habits anyhow! Pick your battles, right?!

Sear Roasted Sea Bass with Tomatoes & Shallots

Serves: 4

Source: Adapted/inspired by Fine Cooking Magazine, June/July 2008

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

3 scallions, thinly sliced

small handfull cilantro or Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. skinless sea bass fillet (or any other mild white fish, such as halibut or cod) cut into 4 even pieces

1/2 c. flour

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, sliced thin

Preheat the oven to 450.

In a medium bowl, mix the tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Season the fish with salt and pepper and dredge it in the flour. Heat the oil in a 12-inch (preferably non-stick) ovenproof skillet over medium high heat until shimmering hot. Add the fish, evenly spaced, and cook without touching until it browns and releases easlity from the pan, about 3 minutes. Flip the fish, sprinkle the shallot around it, and cook an additional 3o seconds. Pour the tomato mixture around the fish and transfer it to the oven. Roast until the fish is just firm to the touch and opaque when you pry open a thicker piece with a paring knife, about another 5 minutes.

Let the fish rest for a couple of minutes and then serve with the tomato mixture spooned over it.

I'll see you guys next week; I'm off to Raleigh tomorrow morning for a family wedding and to visit with my folks!

Red Curry Chicken Kebabs and Jamaican Rice with "Peas"

Happy Memorial Day, all!

What a fun family weekend, filled with great friends, food, and lots of laughs. I have to say (and I never say this), I am tired of eating! Seriously! We had three nights in a row of cooking out (and cocktailing) with friends ... brats, burgers, hotdogs, tenderloin -- all delicious! Even though today is Memorial Day, I just couldn't stomach another food served in anything resembling a bun!

Yes, I am tired of stuffing my face, but we still had to have dinner tonight. So, I took a culinary departure from the usual all American cookout -- and since I was bemoaning the fact that my jeans were (uhm, ARE) feeling tight, I decided to make an exotic but lighter grilled menu for this evening.

The main course was delicious curry marinated chicken kebabs, and they turned out great! I used a new jar of red curry paste, and it wasn't spicy at all. My kids gobbled it up; my youngest especially liked the sweet yogurt sauce that was on the side.

For a side we had Jamaican Rice and Peas -- did you know that 'peas' in Jamaica actually means beans? (This is not knowledge that I just had in my head, I actually learned this from the June issue of Food & Wine!) This dish was supposed to have a seeded Scotch bonnet chile in it, but I left that out, thinking it would be entirely too spicy for my kids. It was good, but I would definitely use the chile next time; I thought it could use a little kick.

There are so many great looking recipes in June's Food & Wine -- I'm going to do my best to demo a bunch of them! Here are the recipes from today!

Red Curry Chicken Kebabs with Minty Yogurt Sauce

8-10 Servings

Source: Food & Wine Magazine, June '08

2 T. Thai red curry paste

1/2 c. vegetable oil

Kosher Salt

2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 1" cubes

3/4 c. plain, low-fat yogurt

1/4 c. low-fat mayonnaise

1 T. honey

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. finely chopped mint

In a large bowl, mix the curry paste with the oil and 2 t. of salt. Add the chicken cubes and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or cover and refrigerate overnight (this is what I did).

Light a grill. In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt with the mayonnaise, honey, lime juice, and mint and season with salt. Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving 1/4 inch between the cubes. Grill over moderately high heat, turning frequently, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve the kebabs with the minty yogurt sauce on the side.

Jamaican Rice & Peas

Serves 6

2 T. canola oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 T. minced ginger

2 c. jasmine rice

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, seeded

1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 c. water (I used chicken broth)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until coated with the oil. Stir in the kidney beans and Scotch bonnet, then stir in the coconut milk and water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 18 minutes.

Remove the rice from the theat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in the scallions and season with salt and pepper. Discard the Scotch bonnet and serve.

Who Shrunk My Jeans?

It's a sad, sad day this morning. I could just sit down and cry in my coffee. Actually, I can't sit down, and here's why.

I took out my favorite white jeans this morning (yeah, with Memorial Day weekend coming up and all), slid them on....tugged them on....a few deep knee bends....check the rear view in the mirror......it's not lookin' good. Yes, they're 'on', and yes, they do still button, but seriously, is this someone's idea of a joke? I love these jeans and was sooooo looking forward to wearing them and they look like total CRAP! I'm so bummed....(big frown, sniff sniff).

Clearly, Leah has been spending a little bit tooooo much time in a corner of her kitchen and too little time in a corner of the GYM! Boo hoo, what an awful feeling.

This is the absolute wrong weekend to start counting Weight Watchers points. I've made plans with friends for margaritas tomorrow night, we have plans on Saturday for a cookout at the lake with some other pals -- ribs, cheesy potatoes, and beers, beers, and more beers. I know the kids will be hitting us up to stop at our favorite custard stand out by our cottage. It's a recipe for disaster!

So, I've never blogged about breakfast but after the jeans incident in my closet just now, I decided to whip up something healthy and low in Weight Watchers points. Of course, I could not just eat a waffle out of the toaster or yogurt out of the plastic cup. For me, half the fun of eating is having pretty food. It does look pretty, don't you think? And only 3 Weight Watchers points.

I'm hittin' the streets for a four mile run.....but before I go, does anyone know how many points are in Baby Backs?

Wow, an award...for ME?!?! And, Corona Chicken...

The Arte Y Pico Award

Thank you Prudy for the first award of recognition my meager little blog has had the pleasure of receiving! I'm over the moon, and I appreciate you thinking of me! Let's hope my butt (I mean, my head) doesn't get too big thanks to this fun foodie award! I will be passing it on in the next day or so. Thanks again, Prudy - you are a sweetheart. ;-)


Now, for this evening's dinner.....a bit of a bummer with regard to the post. The dinner itself was delicious, and a real hit with the family. However.....the photo......ugh, the photo. My husband drove off with our good camera today, so I had to shoot dinner with my daughter's little camera and the pictures didn't come out all that great. I feel sad that I wasn't able to do justice to the dinner that Evil Chef Mom inspired, so, Sorry Krysta! We all loved it and it will definitely be repeated at our house again in the future.


"Corona Chicken" is the dish ECM blogged about last week (no beer involved, unless you count the one I sipped while prepping!) and I've been trying to make this meal ever since I read about it. Too bad life kept getting in the way and I wasn't able to get to it until this evening. Worth the wait, I must say! So kid friendly, my oldest didn't even realize he was injesting minced white onion.....I love it!

Two minor changes: I poured the teriyaki sauce over the bundles and let them marinade for a couple of hours, then baked them (the original recipe calls for grilling); it was raining tonight and I just didn't feel like standing outside. Roasting then broiling worked out great as an alternative to grilling.

Corona Chicken (aka, Hannah's Chicken)
Serves: 5-6
Source: http://evilchefmom.blogspot.com/

1 small white onion, minced
1 large handful cilantro, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
5-6 slices bacon
1 c. prepared teriyaki marinade/baste (I used the thin Kikkoman type)
10 or so small wooden skewers, soaked in water for a couple of hours prior to assembly

Combine the onion, cilantro, and jalapeno in a small mixing bowl. Place flattened chicken breasts on a work surface. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the onion mixture in the middle of each chicken breast. Top with a tablespoon or so of the shredded cheddar. Roll up the chicken breast to enclose the filling. Wrap each bundle with a piece of bacon; fasten with a wooden skewer. Place bundles in a 9x13 pyrex pan. Pour teriyaki marinade over the bundles, cover in plastic wrap, and marinade for a couple of hours, turning and spooning marinade over now and then.

Preheat oven to 425. Place a rack on top of a cookie sheet. Place chicken bundles on the rack and bake for 25 minutes. Turn; continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes. Turn broiler to high and broil bundles until bacon begins to crisp, watch carefully (mine took 2-3 minutes per side).

Remove to serving platter, garnish with cilantro sprigs if desired.

Recycled Dinner Tonight....or, Making Prudy Proud!

The husband called yesterday morning to let me know he had a late afternoon meeting and wouldn't be home for dinner. "Off the hook", thought I! I've been to the grocery store every day for the past five days, and really didn't want to go again - mainly because I looked like a total skank from running outside, and it's always on those days that I run into 15 people I know! So I went to my freezer to see what I could rustle up for myself and the kiddos.

A few weeks back I made spaghetti and meatballs (awesome recipe, from Barefoot Contessa Family Style, pp. 103-104). I had frozen about a dozen leftover meatballs and some sauce, which I turned in to Meatball Subs last evening. This was a major hit with my kids. MAJOR! Such a hit in fact, that next time I make these meatballs I'll do extras specifically so that we can have these subs again! They never even knew they were eating leftovers. If you don't have the cookbook, here's a link to the original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34023,00.html

By the way, the reference in my title line is to one of my favorite blogs, Prudence Pennywise. Stop by if you've never visited, it is darling! She has great recipes, a fun soundtrack, and nifty money saving tips for frugal homemakers. ;-) Here's a link to her blog:

http://prudencepennywise.blogspot.com/