Gettin' Fresh n' Frugle n' Spicy...

If you have a good collection of spices, sauces, vinegars and canned broths, chances are you are able to make just about anything when paired with frozen meats and fresh produce. I remember someone looking in my refrigerator and pantry and saying, "Why on Earth do you have so many bottles of random stuff?" Because this random stuff makes kick-ass meals from scratch, which saves money and oh yeah, tastes better. Plus, stuff like that really takes a long time to expire.

When the economy went down the drain, Eric and I made sure to stock up on items that we found on sale. We also started becoming a little more inventive with our ingredients. In a way, it forced us to be more creative. (Turkey chile with green lentils, anyone?? And guess what? IT WORKED!)

This week I had a craving for stir fry. I had not referenced a recipe before I went to the store, so I made sure to pick up two main ingredients I knew I wanted; frozen shrimp and an assortment of colorful peppers, knowing I could fall back on my collection of condiments at home. We also had an array of spicy peppers in our garden to use, so the plan of making Kung Pao shrimp came to mind.

We referenced a couple recipes online to create this final dish, but here it is. Eric rated it a 10!

PS: Don't be afraid to try store brands! Most of our vinegars, oils, spices etc., are store brand. In addition, our frozen shrimp is from Aldi. Same quality as Pick-n-Save, WAAAAAY better price.


Stir Fried Shrimp Kung Pao

• 1 pound shrimp
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup oil, or as needed
• 2 Serrano peppers minced and 2 cayenne peppers minced (seeds removed)
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/2 cup cashews
• ½ yellow bell pepper chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• ½ large onion
• ½ cup chopped carrots
• 5-6 oz Soba Noodles or whole wheat spaghetti
  

Shell and devein the fresh shrimp. Lightly beat the egg white and mix in the salt and egg white. Marinate the shrimp in the egg mixture for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, red wine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.

Heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp. Cook briefly until the shrimp turns pink. Remove from the skillet.

Tip: Shrimp should always remain in a “C” shape. If they curl to form a tight “O” shape, they are overcooked.

In a separate skillet, stir fry the vegetables including the yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion and carrots in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, until tender.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from the shrimp skillet. Add the peppers. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the minced ginger and stir-fry until it is aromatic (about 15 seconds). Stir in the cashews. Stir-fry for about 1 minute.

While vegetables are cooking, boil Soba noodles for 4 minutes. Remove and drain. Set aside.

Add the sauce and stir fried peppers, onion and carrots to Serrano and cayenne pepper mixture. Heat briefly, and then add the shrimp back into the pan. Cook for 1 more minute and serve hot.

If Mom was a dessert...

My mom makes desserts. And when I say desserts I mean really freaking good desserts. Because of my mom, I now have a crazy incurable sweets addiction.

Tangent: My Grandma Bray had a wacky wardrobe. Wigs, bright lipstick, high heels and "slacks" in every color. She stored her wigs on Styrofoam heads in her bathroom. I remember using her bathroom and staring at them as I wiggled my toes in her bright pink toilet rug. I wondered if she was bald but never had the guts to ask. Fast forward a couple decades. Grandma Bray now rests in peace, but every time my mom and I go shopping together and I see some blouse with a plethora of tropical flowers, gaudy colors, beads and/or sequins, I say "hey, that thing is like Grandma Bray reincarnated". We usually have a good chuckle about it and know she smiles down on us (or rolls over in her grave when she sees all of my black, brown and grey clothing).

So, I know this sounds bad, but if my mom was a dessert she would be Oatmeal Carmelitas. She may disagree with me though as she has a pretty strong affection for strawberries. :)

I remember her making this dessert and just being absolutely thrilled. It's simple, and probably the most delicious bars ever.


Oatmeal Carmelitas

Crust:
1c flour
1c whole oats
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c butter, melted

Filling:
1 c milk chocolate pieces
3/4 c caramel ice cream topping
3 tb flour

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for crust. Blend well with mixer to form crumbs. Press have of crubs into bottom of a 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 mintes. Remmove from oven. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Blend caramel topping and flour, spread over chocolate. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes longer until golden brown. Chill 1-2 hours, serve.

No more ding-dong ditching your tomatoes

I love vine-ripened tomatoes. In my opinion, they are the most versatile of fruits that God gave us. In celebration of the tomato harvest, here are two fun and easy tomato based recipes that showcase that beautiful bright red fruit (or veggie, whatever it "technically" is).


Bob's Pico de Gallo

4 medium – large tomatoes diced
1t salt
1t minced garlic
1t pepper
1/3 cup vinegar
1 medium – large onion
1 Serrano pepper (half the seeds removed)
5 cilantro stems with leaves

Dice tomatoes. Process all remaining ingredients in a food processor. Serve with tortilla chips.



Caprese Salad
1 fresh mozzarella ball
12 fresh basil leaves
2 fresh large tomatoes
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil (a quality brand for best flavor)
1/4 c Balsamic vinegar
tsp sea salt

Slice the fresh mozzarella and tomatoes into 1/3" thick slices and arrange on plate. Chop fresh basil and sprinkle over cheese and tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil evenly over dish, followed by balsamic. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Serve chilled.

...and we're back.....

Okay. I know it's been awhile since I have posted. And really, I have reasons. I think they are good excuses but I'll let you be the judge. We had a lot on our plates over the summer months, literally and figuratively. Let me tell you why...

1. We put in a hardwood maple floor in the kitchen, installed homemade (by Eric) glass front cabinets, and a brand-spankin' new Kohler cast-iron sink. Yeah, I'm pumped.

2. My womb mate got married. (aka my twin Dan). I put my spatula away and traded it in for a sewing machine and hot glue gun for wedding necessities. Then I took my spatula back out and cooked for the shower and gift opening. Let me tell you, even though it's only been 5 years, I have forgotten how much work (and how expensive) getting hitched is.

3. The weather. Need I say more? In the summer I try to spend every waking moment outside. I'm serious. I store up all the good vitamin D to try and make it through the brutal Wisco winters. OTHERWISE I GO INSANE.

Anyway, thanks for coming back. Here are a few pictures of the new and improved Olive Juice test kitchen. Next time you see Eric, give him a nice pat on the back and ask him how he liked varnishing. *winks

Alligator Pie

Music and food. Food and music. Yup, it goes together alright.
In honor of June 2nd, here is a recipe for Alligator Pie. We thank the good Lord Dave Matthews Band has released an album after years of anticipation. So let's climb onto the rooftop, enjoy a slice of pie, and raise our glasses to the late LeRoi Moore.


Ingredients:

1 unbaked Graham Cracker pie crust
8 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
8 ounces Sour Cream
8 ounces cool whip
2 drops of green food coloring
Maraschino Cherries (optional)

Directions:

Mix Philadelphia Cream Cheese and sour cream well.
Add 2 drops of green food coloring. Fold in Cool Whip.
Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Extra Cool Whip can be added on top and cherries added on top.

Beef Kabobs with Grilled Vegetables

Despite the fact that it feels as though summer will never come this year, it doesn’t stop most of us from dragging out the grill. And when I say “us” I mean my husband who’s the only one that grills in my household. I might like to cook but I hate smelling like the grill. And smelling like I just cut the lawn. And snow blower exhaust. And bills. You get the point I am sure, and that is that men are so handy to have around and sometimes are stinky.

Ingredients:

1 lb beef tenderloin (or your choice of cut)
½ c soy sauce
1/2c sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1 large zucchini, sliced
1/3 red onion, cut into 1” x 1” slices
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
12 oz mushrooms
¼ c olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix together soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic powder. Set aside. Slice beef into 1”x1” cubes. Marinade beef in soy sauce mixture for 6-8 hours.

Cut vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in bowl and toss with olive oil. Remove beef from marinate. Using metal skewers*, skewer all the beef leaving enough room between each piece to allow for thorough cooking. Place vegetables onto skewers. It is important to keep beef and vegetables separate as the beef will take longer to cook.

Over medium-high heat, grill the kabobs. Grill meat until desired doneness and vegetables until tender.

*If you don't have metal skewers, try using bamboo ones from the grocery store. Just make sure you soak them in water for a couple hours before use.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

These crispy onion rings are the perfect addition to Usinger's brats on the grill. We chose Lienenkugels Sunset Wheat for the beer as it gives a sweeter flavor to the batter, plus we love to go balls-to-the-wall when making Wisco style dinners. Don't like the smell of fried foods in your kitchen? Try using a deep fryer outside or on a grill side burner.

Ingredients:

1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup beer (We prefer Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
4 onions, peeled and sliced into rings
Sea salt

Directions:

In a large, deep skillet, heat oil to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, combine flour, beer, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth. Dredge onion slices in the batter, until evenly coated. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle with sea salt.