Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Grits and Cran-Strawberry Trifle

The Recipe:

Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Grits

1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup instant grits
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 pounds raw peeled and deveined 36-40 shrimp, thawed if necessary
2 large garlic gloves, minced
2 lemons (1 cut in half, or 3 tablespoons juice and 1 cut into wedges)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves 

1. In covered 2- to -3 quart saucepan, heat broth and milk to boiling over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in grits, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon butter. Remove saucepan from heat; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, garlic, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turns opaque and internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Remove skillet from heat; squeeze juice of lemon halves (about 3 tablespoons) over shrimp; sprinkle with parsley and toss to combine. If desired, add additional salt to taste.
3. Divide grits among 4 shallow bowls; top with shrimp and its sauce. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over shrimp.

Active Time: 20 minutes         Total time: 25 minutes        Serves: 4

The Cook's Comments

Simplicity

Another simple recipe that ended up delicious. 2/10 on the simplicity scale

Complications and Suggestions

There was no complications for this recipe. I ended up using bottled lemon juice instead of freshly squeezed, and I felt that the lemon wedges weren't really needed at the end. Be sure to remove the tails before cooking the shrimp. It will make the eating process much simpler and more enjoyable.

Taste

Although this was made when my useless assistant was away (she doesn't like shrimp), the rest of us liked it a lot. I felt that it had the perfect amount of lemon and garlic in it, for both the garlic lover and the typical person. The grits were delicious with the shrimp and created a wonderful texture for the palette as well.

 

The Recipe:

Cran-Strawberry Trifle

2 cans (14 ounces each) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 package (24 ounces_ frozen sliced strawberries with sugar, thawed overnight in refrigerator
1/2 cup berry or orange-flavoured liqueur (optional)
1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream
1 package (8 ounces) Neufchatel cheese, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger (optional)
2 frozen Sara Lee all butter pound cakes (10.75 ounces each), thawed


1. In large bowl, stir cranberry sauce, strawberries with its sugar syrup and liqueur (if using) until combined; set aside.
2. In second large bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add Neufchatel cheese and brown sugar and beat 1 to 2 minutes or until well blended (some lumps will remain). If desired, beat in 1/4 crystallized ginger.
3. Trim bottom (flat) side of pound cakes to remove outer brown layer. Cut each pound cake crosswise into 1 inch thick slices. In bottom of 3- to- 4 quart glass trifle dish or bowl, arrange half of cake slices with trimmed bottom side against bowl and packing slices close together and breaking as needed to fill any gaps to make a single layer. Spread half of cranberry mixture with some juice over pound cake (about 1 1/2 cups). Spread half of cream mixture on top (about 2 1/2 cups). Repeat layering with remaining pound cake, cranberry mixture, and cream mixture. Cover trifle with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to one day ahead. If using, sprinkle 1 tablespoon ginger over trifle just before serving.

Total time: 30 minutes plus chilling         Serves: 12

Where do I find this? Some of you may have never heard of Neufchatel cheese. Don't worry. Your local grocer ought to have right along side the cream cheese.
I can't find it. What do I do? If you can't find it or realised you forgot to pick some up, just use cream cheese. Neufchatel is a little sweeter than cream cheese, but there is definitely no need to fret if you can't find it. 

The Cook's Comments

Simplicity

Easy as pie, well, trifle. 2/10 on the simplicity scale.

Complications and Suggestions

I ended up not having enough pound cake since my shopper picked up on large cake, which was about 16 ounces, instead of two so I had trouble trying to guess how much cake to use per layer and also had a gap in the centre of the second cake layer. I also didn't use the liqueur, but if you have the chance, I would suggest using it. Also, some of you, like me, may not have a trifle dish. Again, don't worry. Try using a flat bottom bowl, or if it's just for home, use a 3 to 4 quart tupper.

Taste

Now, any one that knows my tastes knows I adore trifles so I may not be the best judge of this dessert. However, I thought it was incredibly delicious, even with cranberries (I hate cranberries). Now, I did have a little extra strawberries as well, but I tried this before and thought it was delicious as well. I did prefer it with the liqueur, but it was delectable either way. Definitely a favourite.
       
         

Rainbow Fudge

The Recipe:

Rainbow Fudge

2 cans (14 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
5 boxes (6 ounces each) white chocolate baking squares, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Liquid food colouring (red, green, yellow, blue)

1. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with foil
2. Divide sweetened condensed milk between 5 microwave safe bowls (about 1/2 cup each)
3. To make the bottom PURPLE layer,  add 6 ounces of chopped white chocolate to one bowl of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minutes; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Tint purple by adding 9 drops red food colour and 6 drops of blue food colour; stir well. Immediately pour fudge mixture into bottom of foil lined pan, spreading to the edges. Firmly tap pan on counter to even out layer. Place in freezer for at least 15 minutes or until top appears set.
4. To make the BLUE layer,  add 6 ounces of chopped white chocolate to one bowl of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minutes; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Tint purple by adding 18 drops blue colour; stir well. Gently pour and spread mixture over PURPLE layer in pan. Firmly tap pan on counter to even out layer. Place in freezer at least 15 minutes or until top appears set.
5. To make the GREEN layer,  add 6 ounces of chopped white chocolate to one bowl of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minutes; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Tint purple by adding 18 drops green colour; stir well. Gently pour and spread mixture over BLUE layer in pan. Firmly tap pan on counter to even out layer. Place in freezer at least 15 minutes or until top appears set.
6. To make the YELLOW layer,  add 6 ounces of chopped white chocolate to one bowl of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minutes; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Tint purple by adding 12 drops yellow colour; stir well. Gently pour and spread mixture over GREEN layer in pan. Firmly tap pan on counter to even out layer. Place in freezer at least 15 minutes or until top appears set. 
7. To make the RED layer,  add 6 ounces of chopped white chocolate to one bowl of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minutes; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Tint purple by adding 18 drops red colour; stir well. Gently pour and spread mixture over YELLOW layer in pan. Firmly tap pan on counter to even out layer.
8. Refrigerate at least 12 hours or until cold and firm. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows, trimming edges as desired. If fudge becomes soft during slicing, return to fridge to firm up. Store covered in fridge. 

Active time: 1 hour 30 minutes         Total time: 13 hours 30 minutes      Serves: 32 pieces

The Cook's Comments

Simplicity

Like the other fudge recipe on here, I'd have to give this a 1 on the simplicity scale. It was incredibly simple.

Complications and Suggestions

I can't say I had any complications perse. The foil stuck slightly so that it peeled off in small strips at times, but that is about it. I do have suggestions, however. First off, if you rather save on the dishes, do what I do and use one dish and rinse it thoroughly in between layers. I even used the same spoon. I would also suggest placing the firm fudge on a cutting board before cutting it into pieces. It was much easier to slice through.

Taste

This seemed to be a treat around my work. It is definitely a softer fudge and may melt in your mouth a bit so it may not be to your liking if you are a firm fudge lover. It does have a richness to it, but that it easily remedied with a cold glass of milk. :)
         

Vanilla Peppermint Fudge

The Recipe:

Vanilla Peppermint Fudge

1 (12 ounce) package of white chocolate chips
1 (16 ounce) container vanilla frosting
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
8 drops red food colouring
2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies

1. Line an 8x8 pan with wax paper
2. Melt white chocolate chips in a double broiler or melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval.
3. Stir the frosting into the white chocolate chips
4. Stir in peppermint extract. 
5. Spread into pan evenly.
6. Add 8 drops of food colouring on top of fudge and using a knife, swirl the food colouring.
7. Sprinkle top of fudge with peppermint candies and press down slightly.
8. Cool fudge for about an hour in the fridge
9. Once firm, turn fudge onto cutting board and cut into squares.

Active time: 5 minutes         Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes        Serves:  25 pieces

The Cook's Comments

Simplicty

INCREDIBLY easy. This is a perfect dish for a young kid. 1/10 on the simplicity scale. Honestly, the only problem I had was spreading it so I actually had the useless assistant do something (thank you).

Complications and Suggestions
There was really no complications. I did end up making two batches. One is the recipe shown above, but I also made a batch using chocolate frosting and dark chocolate chips. Obviously, food colouring was outed for the chocolate fudge. I would suggest letting the fudge sit longer before eating. Although it was still good after only an hour, it tasted better when it had been it the fridge longer.

Taste 
A delicious snack perfect for the holidays. Both the chocolate and vanilla were tasty, and I found myself having trouble choosing which one I liked better. As stated earlier, the fudge did seem to taste better  after being chilled several hours rather than one so if you have the time (and patience), I would suggest waiting. This is also a thicker type fudge so it makes it less sticky. The crunchiness of the peppermint candies gave it a pleasurable added texture as well.

       

Ginger Chicken Soup and Baked Spiced Asian Pears

The Recipe:

Ginger Chicken Soup

48 oz chicken broth
1 package (about 1 1/4 pounds) thin sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breast fillets
2 large carrots, coarsely shredded
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger (about 1 ginger root)

Optional Add-Ins:
8 ounces cubed super firm tofu, drained well
2 slivered green onions
2 cups thinly sliced, then coarsely chopped, Napa cabbage
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 ounces fresh snow peas, each cut diagonally in half
2 teaspoons sriracha hot chili sauce
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1. In large saucepan, combine all ingredients except optional add-ins; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. With tongs, transfer chicken to cutting board. With two forks, shred chicken.
 2. If desired, stir in any optional add-ins into hot broth; cook up to 5 minutes over medium heat until add-ins are heated through and/or vegetables are tender. To serve, divide chicken between each of the four soup bowls. Ladle soup over chicken.

Active time: 15 minutes          Total time: 20 minutes      Serves: 4

The Cook's Comments

For this recipe, I ended up using the following optional add-ins: tofu and green onions. I also ended up grilling the chicken first instead of boiling only.

Simplicity

Like the other recipes I have posted on here so far, this dish is also very simple. Although you may not want a young kid making it all by himself, he could easily help out

Complications and Suggestions

For those using tofu: not everyone may know how to prepare tofu. Before cooking with it, you will need to drain it. To do this, wrap the tofu block in two layers of paper towels and set on a plate. Place another plate on top of the wrapped tofu and set a 20 oz can on top. Leave for twenty minutes.

I would highly suggest doubling the ginger for this recipe. Although 4/4 thought the soup was good, we all agreed that it needed more ginger. Two of us also thought it would have been better to add the chili sauce. I also ended up chopping the green onions instead of slivering them, but that is a personal preference.

Taste

As stated above, all agreed it tasted good, but needed more of the ginger spice since it was barely noticeable. Both the useless assistant (who has done little but eat so far) and I think a little heat from the chili sauce would have made it perfect as well. Please note, the useless assistant does not tend to like spicy food so this suggestion does not come from someone with a hot palette. 

 

The Recipe:

Baked Spiced Asian Pears

2 Asian pears (apple pears), cored, cut in half, then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices (about 3 cups)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Nonstick cooking spray

4 ginger snap cookies, finely crushed

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In large bowl, gently toss apples with sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add juice over apple mixture and toss until well combined.

2. Spray 9 to 10 inch cake pan or glass pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange pear slices in rows, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until pears are tender but firm. Serve pears over a scoop of ice cream.

Active time: 10 minutes        Cooking time: 25 minutes     Serves: 4

The Cook's Comments

Simplicty

Again, this dish is incredibly easy. The hardest part was slicing the pears. This would be a great dish for a kid to make with a little help with the chopping the the oven use.

Complications and Suggestions

Although the original recipe has the ginger snaps optional, I cannot imagine the dish being as good as it was without it. Also, some may be tempted to leave out the ice cream. Do not do this! The pears are pretty dry by themselves and the ice cream balances it out to perfection.

Taste

This wasn't a favourite dish, but it was still pretty tasty, especially considering how easy it was to make so I could see this being made again.

           

     
       

Sausage Chile Cheese Quiche

The Recipe:

Sausage Chile Cheese Quiche

1 refrigerated pie crust, at room temperature
3 large eggs
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar Jack cheese, divided
1 can (10 ounces) mild or original diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 package (9.6 ounces) Jimmy Dean heart sausage crumbles
1 firm-ripe avocado, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place cookie sheet in oven while oven preheats. Place pie crust in glass or ceramic 9 1/2 inch deep pie plate; crimp dough to make the decorative edge. With fork, prick the bottom and side of crust at 1 inch intervals. Place pie crust on preheated cookie sheet and baked 10 to 12 minutes or until crust puffs slightly. Cool pie crust on wire rack 10 minutes. Leave cookie sheet in hot oven.
2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, with whisk, lightly beat eggs; stir in cream. Spread 1 cup cheese on bottom of cooled pie crust; top with canned diced tomatoes and sausage. Pour egg mixture over sausage. Place pie plate on same cookie sheet and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean and centre is set. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top of quiche; bake 2 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes; sprinkle with avocado and fresh tomato. Cut into wedges to serve. 

Prep time: 10 minutes            Cook time: 42 minutes            Serves: 6

 

The Cook's Comments:

Simplicity

Again, this recipe was incredibly simple to make. 3/10 on the simplicity scale.

Complications and Suggestions

The only complication I had was my quiche was slightly runny due to the fact that my pie plate wasn't deep enough. However, we didn't think it made it any less delicious; it just made it less pretty to serve.

Taste

This has definitely become a favourite, and my useless assistant has requested it several times since its initial cooking. We even liked the avocado on top, which is odd since neither of us care for avocados.

       

  

Miso Soup

The Recipe:

Miso Soup

12 ounce block firm silken tofu
2 quarts dashi
6 tablespoons dark or red miso
2 tablespoons light or white miso
4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Wrap the tofu in two layers of paper towels and lay on a plate. Invert a second plate on top of the tofu and weigh down with a 28 ounce can. Leave for 20 minutes then cut the tofu into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Heat the dashi in a 4 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When the dashi reaches 100 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, ladle 1 cup into a small bowl. Add the miso and whisk until smooth.
3. Bring the remaining dashi to a bare simmer, approximately 10 minutes. Add the miso mixture and whisk to combine. Return to a light simmer, being careful not to boil the mixture. Add the tofu and scallions and cook for another minute or until heated through. Remove from heat, ladle into soup bowls and serve immediately.

Prep time: 30 minutes          Cook time: 10 minutes         Serves: 8

 

Where do I find this? Many of you may be wondering where to find such things such as miso and dashi. Unfortunately, your local grocery store is probably unable to find it. However, Asian and world food markets will have what you are looking for. Both the miso and the dashi ought to be found in the Japanese isle.  The miso will be refrigerated.

I can't find it. What do I do? If you can't find the miso paste, you are out of luck. Sorry, you cannot make miso soup without miso. Dashi is supposed to be liquid here. However, I was only able to find dry dashi. If you can only find the latter, for every quart of water, add 1 teaspoon of dry dashi. If you cannot find dashi of any kind, do not worry. The miso soup still can be made without the dashi.

The Cook's Comments:

Simplicity

It's so easy that I have made this several times within minutes. I was even sick during one of these times. If a miserable and sick person can make it, it must be easy.

Complications and Suggestions

The only complications that arose was finding some of the ingredients. As stated earlier, I was only able to find dry dashi, but that was easy enough to fix (1 teaspoon dashi for every quart of water). I also ended up just chopping the scallions instead and thought it was just as good. 

Taste

Personally, I love the red/white miso blend with the dashi and found it to be the perfect miso soup mix. However, the dashi might not be to everyone's taste

Other Comments

Again, I, personally, find simple miso soup to be the best. I have found adding seaweed or leeks to the soup to be just as delicious, but feel free to try other ingredients as well.
             

Rosemary Beef Skewers

The Recipe:

Rosemary Beef Skewers

8 (6 inch) bamboo skewers
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, drained
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 (1 inch thick) boneless beef loin sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)


1. Preheat broiler or prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Line broiler pan with aluminum foil. Meanwhile, soak skewers in water. In small serving bowl, combine sour cream and horseradish; set aside.
2. On cutting board, coarsely chop garlic and rosemary, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. With your chef's knife at an angle, run blade across garlic mixture several times to form a paste. Transfer garlic mixture to medium bowl; stir in oil.
3. Cut steak into twenty-four 1-inch chunks; add to garlic mixture and stir to coat. Remove skewers from water. Thread 3 beef chunks on each skewer and transfer to prepared broiler pan. Broil or grill skewers 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F for medium-rare. Serve beef with horseradish sauce for dipping.

Prep: 15 minutes             Broil/Grill: 10 minutes        Serves: 4

The Cook's Comments:

Simplicity

Again, I found this meal to be pretty simple. I only had one or two issues, and they were easy enough to fix. I'd give this a 3 out of ten for simplicity.

Complications and Suggestions     
 The main issue I had was getting the garlic mixture to become a paste. In fact, I wasn't able to, but found the meat still tasted smashing. Maybe try using a mortar and pestle. If you don't have one (like me), just smash up the garlic as much as possible. Another issue I had was I ran out of my rosemary oil mixture. I still ended up having plenty of rosemary but had to add more oil and garlic in between. My chunks also did not turn out to be 48 pieces (I doubled the recipe). If this happens, don't worry about it. Just try to have an even amount of meat on each skewer. 

Taste

It seemed a lot of people enjoyed the meat (made it for Thanksgiving), but it generally seemed that it was better with the horseradish sauce. I'd have to agree. The other thing I found that the beef was still good cold so if you have leftovers, you don't have to worry about reheating.

Other Comments

For the horseradish sauce, I ended up just picking up some bottled stuff. I don't think this was exactly what the recipe wanted, but I found it was the perfect spiciness with the sour cream blend. I also ended up cooking this meal on an indoor grill so pick your preference. 

 

Beef taken off the skewers in the picture with the dipping sauce in front.