Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp

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This has been our favorite shrimp recipe for so long now; I haven't made a different shrimp dish in years. This is a very simple recipe that packs a lot of awesome flavor. Every time I crave shrimp and save a new recipe to try, I change my mind at the last minute and make this instead. It really is fantastic. My entire family loves this shrimp. My kids have actually been known to jump up and down with excitement when they see this for dinner.

I started to make this the other night and realized that I didn't have the recipe in my index here yet. No clue how that is even possible, but now it is here at last. Truly the best and last shrimp recipe you'll ever need. Served over rice for a main dish, tossed into a salad or as a mouthwatering appetizer, this shrimp is the reason I haven't ordered shrimp from a restaurant in years.

Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp
recipe adapted from Pastor Ryan
Yield: 4 servings

1 lb medium size raw shrimp, 26-30 pieces
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup good quality orange juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (no substitutions here)
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
3 tablespoons butter, divided

Thaw and peel the shrimp. Dry the peeled shrimp with a paper towel and set aside. In a large glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, garlic, cayenne pepper, old bay and arrowroot. Set this aside next to the stove.

In a large skillet, over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Working quickly with a pair of tongs, add the shrimp, one at a time, starting at the handle and working in a spiral pattern around the pan. Once all the shrimp has been added, the first shrimp should be ready to flip. Work back around the pan, turning the shrimp over in the order you first placed them in the pan. Cook for another 30-60 seconds, then remove the shrimp from the pan to a waiting plate. Leave the pan over the heat on high.

When the pan with the drippings starts to just slightly smoke, add the orange juice mixture to the pan. Stir with a spatula, scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce and reduce heat to a low simmer. Stirring occasionally, let it cook for a few minutes. The sauce should thicken just slightly.

Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Let them mingle for just a few seconds and then serve hot. Enjoy!



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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Homemade Peanut Butter

Cornbread Croutons

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Sweetly crisp and slightly chewy croutons made from some of the best cornbread I've ever had. I imagine these croutons would work with almost any leftover cornbread. However, the Homesteader Cornbread is truly the most moist cornbread imaginable. As a result, the croutons remain chewy instead of simply drying out in the oven.

Such a simple idea and yet it added a great element to our meal. The kids went crazy over the croutons on their chili and I really liked the additional texture and sweetness with the beans. I am certain I'll be making croutons again, the next time I make cornbread.

Cornbread Croutons

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the cornbread into small pieces; I tried to get mine about 3/4" in size. Spread across a baking sheet in a single layer and then toast in the oven until the pieces are lightly browned and crisp on the edges. This took almost half an hour for me. I checked after 15 minutes, expecting it to be finished and the bread was still soft. Check every 5 minutes or so after that, to make sure the bread isn't burning or drying out too much.

Let the croutons cool completely before storing in an airtight container until ready to use. Enjoy!



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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Vegetable Pulao

Vegetarian Four Bean and Chipotle Chili

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This meal was inspired by an impromptu trip to our cabin and an unexpected craving for chili. I pulled this together with only ingredients from the cupboards and it turned out deliciously. All of my boys enjoyed this a lot and requested the leftovers for lunch the following day.

I chose to simmer mine all day in the crockpot, but this could easily be made on the stovetop in less than an hour. Just bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer until ready to eat. Serve with Homesteader's Cornbread for a perfect cold weather meal.

Vegetarian Four Bean and Chipotle Chili

1/2 very large onion, 3/4 cup chopped small
(1) 14 ounce can Ranch style pinto beans
(1) 14 ounce can great northern beans
(1) 14 ounce can black beans
(1) 14 ounce can light red kidney beans
29 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons Mexican spice mix or taco seasoning
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced, adjust the amount based on your tolerance for heat
Optional: shredded cheese and sour cream for serving

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and simmer on low all day or on high for a few hours. Top with cheese and/or sour cream just before serving. Enjoy!



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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Cool Rise Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Mushroom Biryani - Fragrant Basmati rice cooked with Indian Biryani spices & Button Mushrooms

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 When my friends visited here recentlywe had endless stories to share. Part of our conversation also involved about ournew foodie experiments. We were together in Sri Lanka and eventually we allmoved into different directions. One girl came from Australia and other from UK. Never in our dreams wethought we would have our re-union here, in the most beautifully landscaped butland locked country.

Ingredients for Mushroom Biryani

Today's recipe is what I got from thisfriend D and it was an instant hit with my resident food critic (the Tallfoodie). Button Mushrooms when stir fried along with fragrant Biryani spicescreates a meaty texture to this Biryani. Food critic felt that it tasted like Beefbiryani. Flavors were strong, with key note of Biryani spices nicely coated inBasmati rice. This Biryani is very flavorful so you just have to serve it withRaita (yoghurt based salad made with onion, green chili or carrot or cucumber,tomato) and a pickle.
I'm not a big fan of mushrooms, itsone of the vegetable I consume due to its health benefits. It has lean proteinwith zero fats, so it's one the vegetable that burns fat during digestion.(other vegetable that burns fat is celery) Mushrooms also improves ourimmunity. It is a vegetable with protein, so its good for those following low GIdiet. It's best to combine mushrooms with red or wild rice or legumes.
I add stir fried mushrooms tonoodles, soups, make a stir fry curry and this Biryani is a another way to servemushrooms. In fact this is an ideal rich meal to serve your guests who are notvery fond of eating vegetables or vegetarian meal.



Print recipe hereIngredients1 large tomato1 onion4 garlic cloves1 inch piece of ginger4 green chilies (optional)handful of coriander leaveshandful of curry leavespiece of lemon rind (optional)Salt to taste(coarsely grind above ingredient in afood processor)
4 tbsp canola oil2 tbsp biryani spice mix (I used Shan Biryani spice powder)200g Brown button mushrooms thinlysliced200g Basmati Rice
MethodHeat oil in a non-stick wok, addground wet mixture and salt. Cover the lid cook till you see reduction in sauce, itsalmost dry, and oil starts to separate. Add sliced mushrooms and biryanispices, saute till mushrooms are well coated with spices. Cook for 5 minutes onhigh heat. Stir occasionally.
Once mushrooms are cooked and startingto brown, add rice stir well with a wooden spoon till rice is coated withspices.
Pour 400ml water, cover the lid, bringto a boil. When water starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium level, closethe lid and cook till rice is cooked and water is fully absorbed.
Turn off heat, open the lid and leaveit to dry. Serve with Raita and Indian pickle.
Note : While rice is cooking do not stirfrequently, use a wooden or plastic spoon. Otherwise rice grains may break.
and some photos taken during our local trips with friends.


Visit my facebook page to see more landscapes in Switzerland.

Pomegranate and Walnuts Salad

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Back then we would eagerly wait to goto our grandma's house, so that we could meet all our cousins and playendlessly. There was a big garden in front of the house with lots of flowersand fruit trees. I fondly remember eating these red pearls (pomegranate) withmy cousins.
Now our grandma's  house is runned down, ruined by war andcovered with shrubs and overgrown trees. All our cousins have moved to differentparts of the world. Now only way to re-create those golden memories are throughfood.
Recently I started having salads forlunch and was experimenting with different veggies, legumes and nuts.Combination of these red pearl fruit that is high in anti oxidant and brainnutswalnuts a good source of Omega 3, along with lettuce and feta worked out good.These ingredients dressed up with balsamic olive oil dressing transforms abasic boring salad into an attractive and delicious salad.
Print recipe hereIngredients
Serves 1 person

1 bowl full of roughly chopped lettuce
handful of pomegranade
handful of walnuts
50g Feta cheese crumbled (or Soy cheese)
¼ onion wedge, thinly sliced

Dressing
1 garlic clove minced (optional)
Crushed pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1tbsp lemon juice
chili sauce to taste

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together, keep it separate.

Sprinkle dressing all over the salad ingredients and gently mix with a wooden/plastic spoon. Serve immediately.

Apart from cooking one of my other hobby is to go hiking. I can hike all day long and indeed being a 'nature lover' I love enjoying nature by getting close to it. Excellent transport system be it trains or cable cars, helps us to get to any point in Switzerland to do our hikes. Sharing with you some photos clicked during our recent hike in Valais region in its sunny valleys.

Visit my facebook page to see more photos from our hikes.

need to find a local farmers' market?

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our local farmers' market opens the first week of may.  i cannot wait...visiting the market on a weekly basis is one of my favorite things to do.  carrying an overflowing basket of impossibly fresh, beautiful and delicious fruit and vegetables, creating recipes on-the-spot based on what is available, talking with the farmers who actually grow our food, visiting with friends....a perfect, perfect day.  i wish more people would/could support their local farmers' markets.

to do this, you have to know where the markets are located.  last winter i received the following email:

"Hi Diane,

My name is Evan and I'm a senior at UCSB in California who is dedicated to eating organic, locally-grown food. I stumbled across Napa farmhouse when I was researching data for a farmers' market comparison table that I'm compiling. This database of farmers markets can be narrowed down by location, the type of produce sold, forms of acceptable payment etc. I hope my tool will help shoppers access locally-grown or organic foods they are looking for. Please check it out and let me know what you think.


I would really appreciate your feedback!"

how cool is this?  i so love the fact that this is a school project.  it is always such a joy to hear of young adults committed to eating local, organic/sustainably grown food.  check out evan's search tool and please let us know what you think in the comments section of this post.  i will ensure evan receives your feedback.

support your local farmers!
best,
diane

Find a Farmers' Market Near You!

FindTheData: Farmers Markets

FindTheData

mashed turnips with caramelized onions and balsamic

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i really appreciate food network's fall fest this week as we focus on turnips!  i confess that i do not prepare turnips, parsnips or rutabagas very often and when i do i usually roast or mash them.  i like them...i just forget about them most of the time.  so i can't wait to read all the creative recipes from my wonderful and talented fellow bloggers.



i used purple topped turnips for this dish  (photo courtesy raw diet.com)

i am sharing a different take on mashed turnips for my contribution.  i wanted to sweeten them up and add a bit more complexity to the dish so i experimented by caramelizing onions in a balsamic vinegar reduction sauce and then added the combination to the mashed turnips.  a tiny bit of maple syrup and extra virgin olive oil added more sweetness and body.  i then finished it off with a drizzle of method tradizionale aged balsamic...(the good stuff!)  you know what?  i really, really like the finished result. perfect with roasted meats or poultry and a wonderful salad.  i made roasted chicken, stir-fried broccolini, the turnips and a green salad with pear, cranberries and toasted walnuts for dinner. perfect for fall or winter.   give the turnips a try and please let me know what you think. 
happy turnips week everyone!

mashed turnips with caramelized onions and balsamic
2 lbs turnips
1/2 white onion, diced
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp italian parsley, chopped
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
aged balsamic vinegar (method tradizionale...the good stuff!) for drizzling (optional)

peel the turnips and cut into 1-inch pieces. place them in a large saucepan with water to cover and a large pinch of salt. bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until easily pierced by a knife, about 35 minutes. drain.

while turnips are cooking, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil until deep golden brown. (about 15 minutes).  add 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until vinegar begins to thicken.  add the maple syrup and a pinch each salt and pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes.  remove from heat.

add the drained turnips to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until smooth. (alternatively, you could use the pulse motion on a food processor).  add the onion mixture and half the parsley.  stir to combine.  add additional olive oil (up to 1/4 cup) if the mixture appears dry.  taste and add additional salt and/or pepper if desired.  mound on a serving platter and drizzle extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar over top.  sprinkle remaining parsley over turnips and serve immediately.

other turnips recipes you may enjoy:
pan fried turnips in extra virgin olive oil
roasted root vegetable casserole
southern greens, napa farmhouse style

check out the delicious sounding turnips recipes from the all of the other participating bloggers:

Jeanette's Healthy Living: Chinese Turnip Cake
Cooking With Elise: Balsamic Roasted Turnips and Thyme
Virtually Homemade: Roasted Vegetable Soup With Chimichurri

Feed Me Phoebe: Turnip Hash With Basil Vinaigrette
Thursday Night Dinner: Honey Glazed Roasted Root Vegetables
Made By Michelle: Roasted Turnips and Carrots
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Turnips
FN Dish: Fall Into Turnips

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