Barbecued Chicken

Back in May we had a great stretch of nice weather and that always has us wanting barbecue to enjoy on our deck. I made Tyler Florence's Ultimate Barbecued Chicken and it was easy and delicious. The recipe is rated as having 5 "stars" and I agree. I cut up a whole chicken instead of using just thighs because that is what I had on hand. However, thighs are my favorite grill because they are really hard to dry out. I hope the weather in June turns around so we can enjoy more BBQ on the deck soon.

Ingredients

Brine:

·         2 quarts water

·         2 tablespoons kosher salt

·         1/4 cup brown sugar

·         2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife

·         4 sprigs fresh thyme

·         6 chicken legs and thighs, still connected, bone in, skin on, about 10 ounces each

The Ultimate Barbecue Sauce:

·         1 slice bacon

·         1 bunch fresh thyme

·         Extra-virgin olive oil

·         1/2 onion, chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, chopped

·         2 cups ketchup

·         1/4 cup brown sugar

·         1/4 cup molasses

·         2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

·         1 tablespoon dry mustard

·         1 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if available

·         Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving alongside the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine; pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Krystal's Smokey Red Chili

I have made chili a lot and usually is always has a bunch of chili powder in it and always has ground beef. My church was having a chili cook-off so I decided to come up with something special. I found a few recipes that used rehydrated guajilo chiles instead of the typical chili powder. I knew I wanted to use chipotle chiles in adobo because I LOVE that stuff and I wanted big chunks of meat so I planed on cutting up one of my last chuck roasts. I combined those ideas with the typical chili I usually make and it was a hit. This recipe is a keeper. I love the rich and smokey sauce and the big chucks of tender beef. My pot was one of the first to empty.

Ingredients


1 1/2 ounces dried guajilo chiles
1 or 2 chipotle chiles is adobo sauce, plus a good spoonful of the sauce
3 pound boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 15 ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 ounce cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons cornmeal
4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons white vinegar


Directions


Put the guajillos in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and weight with a small plate or bowl to keep submerged. Let sit until soft, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Drain guajillos; discard stems and seeds. In a blender, blend guajillos, chipotle chili and sauce, and liquid until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Set aside.

Cut the Chuck roast into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the browned meat to a medium bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic and 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cayenne, cumin, oregano and cornmeal and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add meat, broth, chili purée, beans, tomatoes and just enough water to cover meat, if necessary; bring to a boil over high. Partially cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and cook until meat is tender and chili is slightly thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes. Add vinegar to taste.

Recipe by me.

Chicken Enchiladas

When we feel like Mexican food these chicken enchiladas are often the thing I end up making. They are by no means a traditional enchilada. The filling is creamy because of the sour cream, yogurt and the hidden pureed cannellini beans. The beans add some fiber and cut down on the amount of sour cream and yogurt you need. I can’t remember what healthy chef on the Food Network I was watching that taught me the trick of adding the beans but it is a fabulous idea and you really would never know they are in the filling. I prefer these enchiladas to most enchiladas that I have had at Americanized Mexican restaurants. I really like the creamy texture and the smokey heat you get form the chipotle peppers in adobo.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I like to poach mine)

1 medium onion, chopped and sautéed in a little oil

1 15 oz can cannellini Beans, drained, rinsed and pureed

2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo (about 2 peppers)

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup plain yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

8-10 corn tortillas

1 15 oz can green chile enchilada sauce

½ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Recommended garnishes: cilantro, scallions, sour cream and chopped tomatoes.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and have a 13 by 9-inch pan ready.

Cook and shred the chicken and sauté the chopped onion.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the pureed bean, chipotle peppers, sour cream and yogurt and mix until combined. Add the shredded chicken, sautéed onion salt and pepper and mix well. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of the pan with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Spoon about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture in each tortilla and fold over filling. Place 8-10 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Pour desired amount of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas (you may not want to use the whole can). Top with cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese melts. Garnish as desired.

Recipe by me.

Chicken Sauce Piquant

I received Food & Wine Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes 2010 edition as a gift awhile back. The book features the best recipes from 25 of the best cookbooks of the year. I finally got around to taking a good look at the book and there are many recipes that look amazing that I must try but one stood out to me to try first. It was Donald Link's Chicken Sauce Piquant that is from his book Real Cajun. The bold Cajun flavors sounded really good to me and with a little modification I had all the ingredients to make the dish at home. This was particularly important because having a 2 month old makes me think twice about running to the grocery store (she usually does great but it does take more effort than before). I cut out a lot of the oil from the recipe and really don't think it was missed. I substituted chipotle peppers in adobe for a poblano and I think the chipotle pepper adds a nice smoky heat. I loved the flavors in this dish and it reheated well which is nice for another meal latter in the week. I really appreciate meals like this now that I'm a busy mamma.

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon paprika

One 3-to 4-pound chicken, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 3 chicken breasts and 3 thighs)

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup plus ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 small onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

4 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried thyme

4 bay leaves

4 dashes of hot sauce

Steamed rice ( I used brown rice)

Thinly sliced chives for garnish

Directions

Whisk together the salt, peppers, chile powder, and paprika in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and use your hands to toss until evenly coated; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until is begins to smoke slightly. While the oil heats, toss the chicken with 1 cup of flour to coat.

Shaking off the excess flour from the chicken, transfer the pieces to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides. Fry the chicken in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan—the chicken should be in one layer, and not on top of each other. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a deep plate, leaving the oil in the pan (if most of the oil has been absorbed and another one or two tablespoons).

Add the remaining ¼ cup flour to the oil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes to create a medium-brown, peanut butter-colored roux. Add the onion, celery, peppers, and garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Add the chicken, tomatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaves, and hot sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a light gravy and the chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork. If sauce is not thick enough thicken with a little more flour or corn starch mixed with water. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or hot sauce as desired. Serve over rice, garnished with chives.

Recipe slightly modified from Donald Link's book Real Cajun.

Tabasco & Asparagus Quinoa

It had been a long times since I used some of the quinoa that is sitting in my pantry, so I decided to look around for a new recipe. I came across this one and mixed it up a bit. The dish has good flavor and the tabasco is really subtle. I think I prefer the dish warm but enjoyed it for lunch today cold. I have made a few quinoa dishes that I was not really happy with but this one I really do like and will make again. I think the tabasco butter makes a big difference and adds the right flavors and creaminess. Quinoa when not seasoned enough in my opinion can have a slight bitter taste. I will continue to experiment with quinoa because it is such a healthy grain but I'm glad I found this to start off with.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons jalapeño mustard or Dijon mustard
17 drops Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch segments

4 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

10-15 medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on if desired

more Tabasco sauce to taste

Directions

To cook quinoa: Combine 2 cups of well-rinsed dried quinoa with 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes or until quinoa is tender.

In a small bowl whip the butter until it is light and airy. Add the mustard, Tabasco sauce, lemon juice and salt.

When the quinoa is almost ready (about 20 minutes into cooking), put another saucepan on the stove filled with water to blanch the asparagus. When the water has come to a boil, toss the asparagus is a blanch for just a minute or two and drain right away.

While the asparagus is blanching, take of table spoon of the butter mixture put in a skillet of medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque.

In a large serving bowl, take the 4 cups of hot cooked quinoa and toss with the rest of the tabasco butter. Stir in the asparagus, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and shrimp. Serve with more Tabasco sauce on the side.

Serves 4-6 and is good warm or cold.

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Roasted Lemon & Herb Chicken

Roasted chicken is one of my favorite things to do for a simple dinner party. Roasting a whole chicken is really easy but looks impressive. It also looks like you have spent a lot of time when in all actuality the oven is the only one that put in the time.

Ryan often puts the chicken on the rotisserie of the BBQ during the summer and we have that often for dinner. When it is just the two of us we can usually get a few meals out of one bird. After dinner I will strip the rest of the meat off and usually make some sort of chicken salad for lunch. I then take the picked-clean bird, add some vegetables and herbs and boil it to make some good stock for use in a future soup.

Ingredients

1 4-5 pound free-range chicken

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 handful fresh rosemary

1 handful fresh thyme

2 tables spoons butter

olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.

Zest one of the lemons and reserve the zest. Pierce a couple of holes in the zested lemon and then stuff the lemon, garlic, and a half of the herbs inside. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan.

Finely chop the reaming rosemary and thyme (about 2-3 tables spoons each). In a small bowl, add the chopped herbs, reserved lemon zest, butter, salt and pepper. Mix together until well combined.

Gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast and top of drumsticks. Take the herb-butter mixture and smear it in the pocket made between the skin and meat.

Take the remaining lemon and cut 6, 1/4 slices. Place the 4 lemon slices in between the skin and the breast meat and 1 slice in the pocket of each drumstick where the herb-butter mixture was spread.

Fold the wings under and tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Season the whole thing with a fair amount of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast the chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer says 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving. You can deglaze the pan and make a sauce if you like but I usually just remove the lemon and squeeze it over the meat.

Recipe by me.

Paella

A few weeks ago we had another get together of some of my landscape architecture college friends. It looks like this is going to be a annual event and it is so much fun. We all gather at my friend's parents' house that is in Gig Harbor right on the water. We always go clamming and get so many clams. We really have a blast and our group are quite the foodies. We were all joking about when we are all going to quite the landscape architecture thing and open a restaurant.

With all those clams, I made a really good clam chowder for dinner with the help of a few sous chefs. It was so fresh and creamy. We all really enjoyed it. Even though that chowder used up a cooler of clams, we still had a lot left over so we were able to bring a lot of clams home with us. I steamed and froze most of the clams I brought home for use in future chowders but I saved a few so that I could try making a Paella. Paella is a Spanish rice dish that often has seafood, chicken, sausage and various vegetables. I had the clams, some shrimp in the freezer and some spicy sausage so that is what I used. People can make Paella out to be a big deal but they really can be simple and very delicious. You don't really need a special Paella pan and you can really add what you wish.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

3 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferable homemade

Pinch of saffron threads, optional

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 yellow pepper, cut into strips

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 cups short or medium-grain rice, preferably Arborio

2 cups peeled shrimp

about 15 butter clams

2 cooked spicy sausages, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the over to 500*F. Warm the stock in a saucepan with the saffron if you're using it. Place an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. A minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the pepper and cook another 3 minutes.

2. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy, just a minute or two. Season liberally with salt and pepper and add the warm stock, taking care to avoid the rising steam. Stir in the shrimp, clams, sausage, and peas and transfer the skillet to the oven.

3. Bake for about 25 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is dry on top (it's nice if it browns a little on the bottom, too. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman.

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

We just got back from Alaska, and even though we had some great food on our trip, like the “Elks Crossing” specialty wood stone brick oven pizza made with homemade elk meatballs from Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse in Denali, I was ready to come home and make some healthy dinners. This dish highlights Italian flavors like oregano, balsamic and fennel. The recipe does not call for a lot of balsamic so I highly suggest using a high quality one. My in-laws brought us back some amazing balsamics from Napa valley. I used an 18 year old pomegranate-balsamic for this recipe and the peppers were amazing. Anything with this balsamic is amazing. It is so good I can just sip on it.

I served the roasted chicken and balsamic peppers over mashed Yukon Gold potatoes. I made the potatoes with plain yogurt and a little bit of horseradish. The potatoes had a slight tang which was perfect to cut the sweetness of the balsamic.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used two whole, on the bone chicken breasts with skin)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper (I had to use green)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large) (I used half of a sweet onion)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done.

3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Ginger Pineapple Rice with Peanuts and Tofu

I threw this together tonight and it turned out pretty well. I got home late and was really hungry so I wanted something quick. I knew I had tofu and then saw a can of pineapple in the pantry and decide to just come up with something. If my stomach could have waited I would have used brown rice but the white probably works better for this recipe anyway. I just feel a little guilty eating white rice but it will not hurt every once in awhile when I am pinched for time. Next time I think I will try this with Mandarin oranges and maybe a different nut.

Ingredients

1 cup white rice

1 ½ cups water

1 can pineapple chunks

1 Tbsp agave syrup

1 ½ tsp garlic salt

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 pkg firm tofu, cubed

1 cup sugar snap peas

¼ cup lightly salted peanuts

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

Black pepper

Directions

In a sauce pan, add the rice, 1 tsp of the garlic salt and the water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Add in ½ cup of the pineapple juice, the chopped ginger, agave syrup, a few chunks of pineapple and a fresh grind of black pepper. Mix rice well and cover pan and continue to heat on low until the liquid is absorbed.

For the peanut tofu, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on high. Add chopped tofu, remaining garlic salt, 3 Tbsp pineapple juice, peas, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until the pineapple juice has been evaporated and the tofu gets slightly browned. Add the peanuts and pineapple and cook until the pineapple is warmed.

Spoon tofu mix of rice and serve hot.

Recipe by me

Black Bean Burgers

I actually call these “Friday Night Black Bean Burgers” because I seem to always make these on Friday nights. By the end of the week, many times my supply of fresh produce has dwindled so I look for something easy I can whip together from my pantry. These burgers are very easy to make but taste very good. I usually always have some leftover brown rice in the fridge so I get to use that up as well. The patties can be even jazzed up a bit if you do happen to have some fresh cilantro on hand.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup canned corn

1 cup cooked brown rice

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

About ½ cup whole wheat flour

1-2 tablespoons oil

Directions

Add the black beans and corn to the bowl of a food processer and pulse a few times until about half the beans are no longer whole. Scrape the bean and corn mixture into a bowl and add the rice, spices and half the flour. Mix well and then sprinkle a little of the flour over the mixture and form a patty (coating your hands with flour will help the patties not stick). Repeat this until 4 to 6 patties are made. Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the patties and cook until they are deep brown and slightly crispy. Serve with hamburger buns and all the fixings.

Recipe by me

Pineapple Glazed Ham

This is a great ham recipe. I found the recipe on Epicurious and it has a rating of 4 out of 4 'forks' and I have to agree. I have made it a few time now and just made it for Easter again this year. I love the pineapple on it. I could do without the cherries but they do make the pineapple rings stay on easier. This one is a must try.

Ingredients

1 smoked bone-in Virginia ham (14 to 16 pounds)

4 cups pineapple juice

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

12 to 16 whole cloves

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 cup light-brown sugar

About 10 pineapple rings

About 10 maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Combine the pineapple juice, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 25 minutes, reducing the liquid by half (to 2 cups). Strain and reserve.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Carefully trim the thick rind and all but 1/4 inch of fat from the surface of the ham. With a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern and insert the cloves at the crossed points of the diamonds.

4. Set the ham in a shallow baking pan. Brush the mustard all over the top. Pat the sugar atop the mustard.

5. Starting at the butt end, decoratively arrange the pineapple rings, securing with cherries and toothpicks in the centers, working toward the bone. Pour the reserved pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan and place in the oven.

6. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 15 minutes.

7. When the ham is done, place it on a serving platter and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices, beginning at the butt end. Serve warm with pan sauce alongside. Remove the pineapple slices and cherries as you carve and serve them with the ham.

Recipe from Epicurious.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

This is a pretty healthy pasta dish I tossed together. I had some left over coconut milk so I decided to try and make a pasta sauce with it much like you would with cream. I think it turned out really well and will make again.

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp
• 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
• 1 pound whole wheat Fettuccine
• 1 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, sliced
• ½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups Vegetable Broth
• ½ cups White Wine
• 1 cup Coconut Milk
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Sea Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente. Make sure not to overcook whole wheat pasta.

Toss the shrimp with 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice mix and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and vegetable broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in coconut milk, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until sauce starts to thicken (if the sauce needs help thickening just add a little corn starch mixed with water. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste.

Add the vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Then finally, add the shrimp. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine. Top with fresh parsley.

Recipe by me.

Asparagus, Pepper and Peanut Buckwheat Soba

I love buckwheat soba. They have such a rich nutty taste. Buckwheat actually has nothing to do with wheat at all; buckwheat is actually a fruit. It is a dicot in polygonacea family, which includes rhubarb and sorrel (the Landscape Architect comes out!!!). I can find both fresh and dried buckwheat noodles which are very good but I am really tempted to make homemade noodles soon which I hear are even better tasting. Buckwheat noodles sometimes will contain whole wheat flour because the addition of the whole wheat flour creates a sturdier noodle. If you can't find buckwheat noodles whole wheat spaghetti noodles are a good alternative and they are much less expensive.

The sauce in this dish is very tasty and simple. I like the recipe as is but you can for sure add different vegetables and shrimp or tofu. I did not have a red bell pepper so I had to use a green one which makes the dish not quite as pretty but still good. I also intended to add shrimp but totally forgot which probably shows that they were not really needed.

Ingredients

Serves 2 (can easily be doubled)

For the sauce (quantities approximate):

• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1-1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp sriracha or other hot chili sauce (more or less, to taste)
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 2 bundles (approximately 6 ounces) soba noodles, prepared according to package directions, rinsed under cold water and drained

• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 lb fresh asparagus, woody parts of stems removed, tender part cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1/2 cup peanuts, dry-roasted and unsalted, roughly chopped

In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients; adjust to taste with more agave or lime, and set aside (can be made days ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid).

Place the soba in a mixing bowl.

In a wok or skillet, heat the oil. Stir-fry asparagus, scallions, and bell pepper until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetables to the soba. Pour in the sauce, and stir well to combine. Transfer to individual serving bowls, and top with chopped peanuts. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Recipe courtesy The Perfect Pantry