Shrimp and Chorizo Paella

 

As I said in my last post, I am slightly obsessed with saffron right now. Which is great for my mouth, not so great for my wallet. Saffron is a spice found in the spice aisle of most markets, costs about $16 for a teaspoon, and I can't get enough of it. When I came across this new recipe from Rocco DiSpirito's new book, Now Eat This, I had to try it out. This book is full of recipes that are all under 350 calories. Comfort food favorites like mac 'n cheese, spaghetti carbonara, and chocolate chip cookies. The tricks that he teaches in the book to cut calories and fat are similar to what I try to do on this blog and the best part is he uses real, wholesome ingredients to do it. This paella does not deviate too far from the original and uses quite a bit of ingredients that you already have in your home. I used defrosted frozen shrimp, added a few extra ingredients, and settled into this super flavorful dish feeling great about the 350 calorie count.

Shrimp & Chorizo Paella
Adapted From: Now Eat This, Rocco DiSpirito 2010
serves 4

2 oz. chorizo, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 in. thick half-moons (look for this near the Italian sausage and bratwurst in your market, you could also sub any sausage that you like)
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves
splash of vinegar or dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup long grain brown rice
1 3/4 cups low fat, low sodium chicken stock
optional: crushed red pepper to taste
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup frozen peas
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for serving

1. Heat a dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the chorizo and cook until the fat begins to render, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and coat with the chorizo, cook until onions just begin to become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring often, until it is fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add in the rice, stir and toast, coating with the ingredients for about 1 minute. Then add the saffron, stock, and red pepper if using. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat  and cook at a very gentle simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices. Cover the pot, and continue to cook for another 25 minutes.

3. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste, and stir the shrimp and frozen peas into the mixture. Cover, and continue cook until the shrimp are cooked through and the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Allow the paella to rest about 5 minutes, covered. Then fluff the rice with a fork, and serve sprinkled with the parsley.

Note: Taste the mixture as it may need more salt and pepper depending on the saltiness of your stock.

Enjoy!
xoxo
Erin

Asparagus Risotto

I make risotto a lot. It is comfort food for me, but without all the guilt. In many restaurant risottos there is a ton of hidden butter, oil and cheese. I try to keep mine light so that seconds and thirds are absolutely acceptable. I have posted about risotto before, but I made this asparagus version the other night and it was "blog-worthy" (A word being used in my kitchen often these days). Asparagus is still in season and quite fresh. You could also substitute any veggie would like. So jump into a creamy, hot, steamy bowl of this after a long day and feel good about your comfort food.

Asparagus Risotto

Forks & Amusement 2010

serves 2 really hungry people or 4 good sides

6 cups of chicken stock

1 bunch of asparagus

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 chopped shallots

1 cup arborio rice

3/4 cup dry white wine

pinch of saffron

salt and pepper

grated Parmesan cheese

Bring the stock to a boil in a large sauce pan. Blanch the asparagus for 4 minutes or until just tender and still bright green. Remove asparagus from stock and throw into a big bowl filled with water and ice to stop the cooking process. Remove asparagus from bowl and set aside.

Add lemon juice to the stock and warm until just about to boil. Keep warm and have a ladle handy.

In a large skillet or pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat until melted and heated through. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, but not browned. Turn heat down if cooking too fast. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter, oil and shallot. Allow to heat through and toast for a few minutes. Add the wine, saffron and salt and pepper, continue to stir until the wine is fully absorbed into the rice.

Using the ladle, add about 1 cup of stock to the pan at a time. Stirring often and allowing rice to absorb all the liquid. When it starts to look dry, add another ladle and repeat. continue this process until the rice is tender, but not mushy, and there is a yummy creamy sauce all around it(about 35 minutes). Stir in the asparagus until heated through. Remove from the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in heaping mounds with lots of Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin

A Tale of Two Salads

I feel like it is hard to find really interesting salads that double as sides, not to mention filling and healthy. I came across two this month in two of my regular food magazine reads. One is made with quinoa, which is a grain dubbed the "super food" because it not only has fiber but is full of protein. It is a great alternative to pasta for those that can not eat gluten and perfect for vegans. I had never tried it before and I was impressed, my expectation of something so healthy was low. The other salad is made with honest to goodness rice and both salads have tons of fresh healthy ingredients mixed in. So I guess the point of this post is flavor and healthy ingredients combine to make two delicious salads that can be a staple in your kitchens this summer. And bonus is that you can make them in advance and they are great as leftovers (maybe even better the next day).

Southwest Rice and Corn Salad with Lime Dressing

Adapted from bon appetit May 2010

makes 8 side servings

Ingredients:

1 cup long-grain white rice (you could also use brown)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (It was published using lemon juice, but I used lime because I prefer it, use what you love!)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (about 2 ears)

1 cup chopped fresh poblano chile's or green pepper (about 1 pepper)

1 cup diced seeded yellow bell pepper (about 1 pepper)

1 cup 1/2 inch cubes yellow zucchini (about 1 zucchini)

1 avocado, halved, peeled and diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 5)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Optional:

1 jalapeno, seeded, cored and finely diced (add if you like a little more heat)

1 tablespoon green Tabasco (It is my secret ingredient and makes everything taste a little bit better :)

Cook rice according to package instructions until just tender. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again. Or if you have some time, spread on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk lime juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil, and Tabasco (if using) in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add avocado, green onion, cilantro, and jalapeno (if using) to dressing. Toss so avocado is covered with dressing and does not brown.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add corn, poblanos, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are just tender, 6 to 7 minutes; scrape into the large bowl. Add rice to the bowl and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper.

Sante Fe Quinoa Salad

Adapted from Food & Wine May 2010

serves 4

Ingredients:

3/4 cup quinoa (can be found in same aisle as the rice and grains)

1 1/2 cups water

Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

6 tablespoons olive oil (I did not end up using this much oil, 4 would do it)

freshly ground pepper

One 15oz can of black beans, rinsed

1 small red bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

One 3 oz jar of cocktail onions, drained, finely chopped (I know it seems strange, but it is amazing)

In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Spread quinoa on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the lime juice, cumin, oil,and a good pinch of both salt and pepper. Pour the dressing into a large bowl, add the black beans, bell pepper, cilantro and cocktail onions. Scrape the quinoa into the bowl and toss everything to coat, seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.

I added a little more lime to taste and green Tabasco to give it a little kick.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin

It's time to break out the grill!

Spring has officially arrived and I love seeing some of the new produce at the market and throwing everything possible on the grill. I also am a recipient of a new rice cooker, which I splurged on during my latest trip to Williams-Sonoma. This dinner includes the grill, my rice cooker and every one's spring fave, asparagus. You certainly do not need to use a rice cooker to cook your rice, but if you are looking for a fool proof one, I got the Panasonic model that they sell at WS. It took a long time to cook brown rice, but it was perfect when it was done. Best of all, you can make it during the day and it will keep it warm for you. Genius!

Grilled Cod with Soy, with Grilled Asparagus and Fried Rice

Forks & Amusement 2010

serves 2 very hungry people

Ingredients for the Fish:

1 lb fresh Cod or any firm white fish

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

salt & pepper

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

For the Asparagus:

1 bunch of fresh asparagus, chop off the woody ends

olive oil

salt and pepper

For the Fried Rice:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

4 oz shitake mushrooms (you can use whatever mushroom you prefer), roughly chopped

3 cups, cooked rice (you can cook on the stove, in rice cooker or even use leftover rice from take out!)

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic chili paste (can be found in Asian food section, a great condiment for any Asian dish)

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 scallion, finely diced

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl except for the fish. Place fish in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the fish. Allow to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Place asparagus in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss until coated.

Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once pan is hot, add the onion and stir to coat with the oil. Cook 2 minutes until starting to become translucent, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cooked rice, continue to stir and cook until rice is coated with vegetables and heated through. Add the soy and chili sauce, stir to combine. Remove rice from heat. Top with the drizzle of sesame oil and scallions. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Heat your grill to medium heat. Place the asparagus next to the heat source piled on top of each other. Place the fish on the heat source, skin side down for 5 minutes. Continue to mix the asparagus around every 1 or so to allow it to steam a bit, close lid in between turns. Flip fish and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Meanwhile spread asparagus out on grill and "char" for 5 minutes until slightly browned. Remove fish and asparagus from grill. Serve immediately with fried rice.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin

Vegetable Fried Rice with Eggs

I was recently in Hawaii and was so delighted every morning to have rice with my eggs in the morning. Not a totally unusual combination, but I was obsessed. So I tried to replicate a version of what I ate at home. What came out is a delicious, veggie-laden, fried rice made with bacon. This is just a new spin on your average bacon and eggs. I served it for dinner and I will absolutely be making this again and again.

Bacon Fried Rice with Fried Eggs

serves 4

1 cup long grain white rice

6 slices of good quality bacon diced (If on the thin side, use a couple extra)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 large onion, diced

2 large leeks, cleaned well and diced ( just use the light green of the leek)

3/4 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

3/4 cup roughly chopped mushrooms (I used baby bellas, but any would work)

1/2 cup bamboo shoots roughly chopped

1/2 cup of water chestnuts roughly chopped

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar unseasoned

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

8 eggs

Cook rice according to package.

Meanwhile, in a wok or large pan cook the bacon over medium heat until just browned and crispy. Turn off the heat and remove bacon quickly to a paper toweled lined plate. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Once pan is very hot, carefully add the ginger, onion, leek, carrot, celery and mushrooms. Stir to coat vegetables in fat and combine. Allow to cook until vegetables are tender, but not burnt, about 10 minutes. (If you feel like your pan is way too hot, turn it down and continue to cook) Add the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, stir to combine and allow to heat through, about 1 minute.

Add the rice wine vinegar slowly all over the pan to deglaze. With a wooden spoon, scrap the bottom of the pan to incorporate all of the browned bits into the vegetable mixture. Add the soy and stir to combine. Add the cooked rice and bacon. Continue to stir and cook the rice with the vegetables for 2 minutes until combined and delicious. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and cover.

Over a very low flame, using a large pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, crack the eggs carefully into the pan allowing enough room to flip over. Once the egg whites are opaque and almost cooked through, carefully flip them making sure not to break the yolk (although that happens all the time!). Cook on the other side for just a few minutes until egg whites have set. Immediately spoon a heaping portion of rice on a warmed plate and serve with two eggs on top. Top with some fresh ground pepper and serve immediately.

Yum, I want this again right now! You can add whatever vegetables you would like to this recipe. I also did not add any heat, but you could do so when you add the soy. This would also be a great side for any Asian inspired dinner. Forget the eggs and serve with a soy and ginger marinated steak or chicken breast!

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin

Delicioso Comida

I, like Jenna, have a love of cilantro. I love it almost as much as I love lime juice on anything and everything Mexican. I developed this easy dinner combining all my favorite Mexican ingredients for several components of the meal, so to cut down on the groceries. The sauce is delicious! It is a chimichurri variation that has so much flavor, but could also be a great substitute for guacamole (it cuts out a lot of the calories). I use it to top the meat and I also stirred it in to prepared rice. I served this dinner with some simply grilled yellow squash that I brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and cumin. This meal is smoky, tart, bright and spicy. Seriously, I could eat the sauce every day and be happy. 

For the Meat: 

1 LB Chicken Breasts or Skirt Steak (serves 3-4)

Marinade Meat for 30 min and up to 3 hours in: 1/2 Tablespoon of Salt, 1/4 Tablespoon of Pepper, 1/2 Tablespoon of Cumin, 1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne, 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil, 2 cloves of chopped Garlic. Whisk together, place meat in large freezer bag, pour marinade in the bag, massage into meat and chill in the refrigerator. 

Grill Meat over a high heat until cooked. Slice against the grain of the meat. Serve with the Chimichurri. 

For the Cilantro and Lime Chimichurri:

Combine in a mini-chopper, blender or food processor until finely chopped and well mixed: 2 cloves of Garlic, 4 husked Tomatillos, 4 trimmed Green Onions, 2 cups roughly chopped Cilantro, juice of 2 Limes, 1 deveined and seeded Jalapeno, 1 Tablespoon of Green Tabasco, 2 Tablespoon of White Wine Vinegar, 1 large Avocado, 2 teaspoons of Salt, 1/2 teaspoon of Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin. (makes 1 1/2 cups)

For the Rice:

Prepare as much rice as instructed on package for the amount of people you are serving. Stir in a healthy portion of the chimichurri once prepared. Eat. 

To make your life as easy as possible, you could make the chimichurri a day in advance or early in the day, as well as marinate your meat. That way all you have to do is make your rice and grill your meat and veggie. 

Last step: DEVOUR. :) 

Enjoy! 

xoxo

Erin 

Lemon Risotto with Spring Peas

The warm weather brings out so many fantastic options for fresh produce and light flavors. This lemon risotto is easy and very flavorful. It tastes like Capri to me with its rich texture and tangy lemon background. Risotto gets kind of a bad rap because of the work it takes, but I tend not to overwork the dish and cook the rest of my meal while the risotto does its thing. Risotto is delicious, creamy and feels very indulgent. My version cuts out a lot of the butter and oil so that you can feel like you are indulging, but the ingredients are figure friendly. 

Heat 3 cups of chicken stock or broth in a large saucepan with 1 cup of lemon juice until just about to boil. On a different burner, sweat one large or two small shallots (they are by the onions in the produce section) over medium heat in 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. Add 1 cup of arborio rice (can be found in the rice section) and cook together until all of the grains have absorbed some of the oil, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup of dry white wine and stir in until absorbed by the rice. Add a ladle full of the broth and lemon mixture at a time and let simmer in the rice mixture. You want to keep stirring as much as possible during this process, but don't be afraid to leave it alone for small amounts of time. Continue to add the broth and stir until the grains are soft, but still have a bit of a bite to them (this can take 20-30 minutes). The dish should be creamy (that is from the starches coming out of the rice) and not mushy. Turn off heat and add salt, pepper (to taste), 1 cup of defrosted frozen peas (you can use fresh if available), the zest of 1 lemon and as much Parmesan cheese as you desire (I like a lot!). 

Risotto takes some time to get used to cooking, but can really be a great basic dish that you can switch up for every season. Instead of the lemon and peas you could try wild mushrooms in the fall, prosciutto and four cheeses in the winter, asparagus and mint in the spring, etc. One tip is to take your time and continue to taste the grains, this will help you understand how the cooking process works and how the grains look when ready. 

Enjoy! 

xoxo

Erin