Crisco: Easy Baked Shrimp or Fish

I've noticed that the older I get, the more seafood I eat.  Especially shrimp.  Especially good, large shrimp.  There's really not much else that lends itself to a fast, fabulous meal.  And when my mom whipped up this super fast recipe, I knew it was going into the permanent rotation.  Almost like a scampi (with all the fabulous garlic), but will some breadcrumbs to soak up some of the juices, it's way more than you would expect from the short ingredient list.  This is a pretty perfect summer dinner.

Easy Baked Shrimp or Fish
Adapted from Crisco

1½ pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
3 to 4 tablespoons jarred minced garlic (or 6 to 8 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced)
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup Progresso Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges (optional)

Heat oven to 475ºF.

Pat shrimp dry. Pour oil into a 13x9x2-inch ovenproof baking dish. Add shrimp. Toss with garlic, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parsley; toss to mix.

Bake for 5 minutes. Turn gently and bake 3 to 5 minutes more, or until pink and breadcrumbs are brown and crisp. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges, if desired.

Note: 1½ pounds of fish fillets cut into 1½-inch pieces can be substituted for the shrimp.  For a light, tasty entree, serve shrimp or fish over your favorite pasta. Toss with fresh tomatoes, garlic and a dash of oil. Shrimp that is already peeled and deveined can be found at many counters or frozen. If using shell-on shrimp, add 15 to 20 minutes to the preparation time. The dish can be prepared up to the cooking a few hours in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered.

Makes 4 servings

Scrambled Eggs with Black Truffle

Every once in a long while, I'll notice a little basket in the mushroom section of my favorite store that is holding the platinum of the mushroom world: truffles.  And despite the obscene price tag on the front (a pound will really set you back), I find a likely specimen and drag it home.  And then I spend more time than necessary looking for the perfect recipe for my treasure.  But really, grating a truffle into scrambled eggs is one of the best ways to take advantage of this fungus.  It seems too simple to be worth it, but something about the eggs just lets the truffle shine, and it turns breakfast into a little more of a special occasion.

Scrambled Eggs with Black Truffle

3 large eggs
2 tablespoons half and half
1 small black truffle, grated
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Chopped parsley or chervil, for serving

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and half and half.  Add black truffle and salt and pepper to taste and mix until incorporated.

Heat a small frying pan over medium low heat and add butter.  Once butter is melted, pour the egg mixture into the pan.  Using a wooden spoon, gently stir and fold the eggs, allowing the uncooked portion of the eggs to run under the cooked portions.  Continue to stir until the eggs are a soft custard texture, but no liquid eggs remain.

Serve immediately topped with chopped parsley or chervil.

Makes 1 to 2 servings

Spend with Pennies and Food Renegade: Chicken Doritos Casserole

When I first heard about this casserole, my thought was that it sounded like something from one of those trailer park cookbooks.  I mean, who puts Doritos in their casseroles?  But the more I thought about it, the more it actually made sense.  If you don't have tortillas handy, Doritos are a great substitution.  PLUS they have delicious cheesy seasoning, which just makes the whole thing taste better.  And sure enough, this is actually a good weeknight meal.  It's like a King Ranch Chicken, but with chips for a faster shortcut.

Note: I used Creamy Poblano and Queso soup because more cheese is always better.  I also used Beanitos Nacho Cheese chips instead of Doritos because they're healthier, but still delicious enough to be suspect.

Chicken Doritos Casserole
Adapted from Spend with Pennies blog and Food Renegade blog

1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 (10¾-ounce) can cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, or other creamy condensed soup
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
White meat from one rotisserie chicken, chopped
6 ounces Doritos
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of Cheddar and Monterey Jack
Sliced black olives and chopped green onions, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sauté onion in melted butter until translucent and starting to brown.  Set aside.

Combine soup, chilies, sour cream, and spices.  Mix well to combine.  Fold in chicken.  Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with oil spray.  Spoon half of the chicken mixture into the dish.  Crush half of the Doritos and sprinkle over the chicken mixture.  Sprinkle half of the cheese over the chips.  Spread the remaining chicken mixture over the cheese, then top with remaining crushed chips and cheese.  Sprinkle with sliced black olives, if desired.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for another 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.  Sprinkle with green onions, if desired, and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Tasty Japan: White Coffee Pudding

I'm not normally a big fan of puddings made with gelatin.  I'm more of a egg- or cornstarch-thickened girl.  I'm not sure there's a good reason other than the fact that sometimes gelatin items can set pretty stiffly, and I like my puddings with a little more movement.  However, I do allow for some flexibility when something looks particularly inviting, and this pudding looked so pristine on Facebook, I couldn't resist.  However, my pudding turned out more of a very light brown than white (I'm not sure if it was my coffee beans that caused the coloration or I'm just a victim of some choice photo-shopping).  Despite the color difference, the pudding was delicious, very delicately flavored and light.  Perfect for a summer dessert!
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Note: I used Mexican chocolate flavored coffee beans, and they worked really well in this pudding flavor-wise.  For color, not so much.

White Coffee Pudding
Adapted from Tasty Japan

1 envelope gelatin powder
3 tablespoons water
1½ cups whole milk
6 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup coffee beans (preferably flavored)
Whipped cream, to taste

In a small bowl, combine gelatin powder and water, and microwave it for 10 seconds.  Stir and set aside.

Put milk, heavy cream, sugar, and coffee beans into the pan. Heat over a medium heat. Once brought to a boil, stop the heat and cover with a lid. Soak for 30 minutes. Remove coffee beans from the pan, then pass the milk through a sieve. Add the bloomed gelatin, then mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture equally into four glass dishes, then chill for at least 2 hours or until set.

Add whipped cream and coffee bean for topping, enjoy!

Makes 2 cups

Veg Recipes of India: Paneer Makhanwala (Paneer Butter Masala)

I love paneer butter masala.  LOVE. IT.  This is pretty much all I order at Indian restaurants.  Well, this and saag paneer.  See a theme?  But I've never actually made it at home, which is a bit of a shame.  So I turned to my trusty favorite Indian food blogger because she never lets me down.  And this recipe was no exception.  A little spicy, incredibly flavorful, and perfectly comforting.  I may not have grown up eating Indian food, but this makes me as happy as chicken and dumplings.

Note: Try to find Kashmiri red chili powder, because that's what gives the red coloring to this dish.  If you can't find it, you can use a mixture of paprika and cayenne.  An Indian bay leaf is different than the bay laurel leaves used in western cooking, but if you can't find the Indian version, the regular one works just fine (as an aside, they only had bay laurel leaves at the Indian grocery I visited, which I found slightly baffling).

Paneer Makhanwala (Paneer Butter Masala)
Adapted from Veg Recipes of India blog

For ground makhani paste:
¾ cup roughly chopped onions
1½ cups roughly chopped tomatoes
½ inch ginger, peeled and chopped
3 to 4 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2 single strands mace
2 to 3 green cardamom pods
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
2 to 3 cloves
10 to 12 whole unsalted cashews

For finished dish:
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Indian bay leaf
1 to 1½ teaspoons kashmiri red chili powder
1 green chili, slit (such as serrano or Thai)
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed
1½ cups water, or as needed
1 teaspoon honey, or add as required as per your taste
1 pound paneer, at room temperature, cut into cubes
¼ cup heavy cream
¾ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
¼ teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon cream, for garnishing
Chopped coriander leaves, for garnish

Making makhani paste: Mix onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, mace, cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, and cashews with 1 cup water in a medium pot. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until the tomatoes and onions soften, about 14 to 15 minutes.  Allow the mixture to cool, then pour it into a good blender and grind to a smooth paste.  There should be no small pieces of cashews or spices; everything should be ground very well until smooth.

Making paneer makhanwala:  Melt the butter in a large pan.  Add the Indian bay leaf and sauté for a few seconds, then add the ground makhani paste. Stir well.  Sprinkle the chili powder over the mixture; stir well and sauté the mixture over medium heat.  Keep stirring often, as you will sauté the mixture until most of the water has evaporated, the mixture darkens, and you see the butter leaving the sides. This takes about 20 to 22 minutes over medium to high heat.

Add slit green chili, salt, and water.  Stir well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add honey or sugar and stir again.  Add the paneer cubes and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add the cream, fenugreek leaves, and garam masala.  Stir and turn off the burner.  Check the taste and add more salt, honey, or red chili powder as required.  Serve paneer makhanwala garnished with cream and coriander leaves, hot with naan or rotis.

Makes 4 servings