Firecracker Shrimp with Chili Garlic Sauce

 

I love spicy food.  LOVE!  LOVE!!  LOVE!!!  Get the picture?  OK, I'll stop.

 

These shrimp are to die for.  Spicy, salty, slightly sweet, crunchy delicious little bites of heaven.  Add in the sweet and spicy chili garlic sauce and nirvana ensues. 

 

Do your mouth a favor and make some soon! 

 

 

Defrost and peel your jumbo or extra jumbo shrimp being careful to leave the tail on.  Built in handles! 

 

 

For the marinade, finely mince a couple cloves of garlic.

 

In a bowl, mix together the garlic, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. 

 

 

Toss in the shrimp and stir it all around to coat.  Let them marinate in the fridge for a half hour or so.

 

 

In the meantime, let's make some chili garlic sauce! 

 

In a small sauce pan, combine vinegar, water, and sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Add in the red pepper flakes, sriracha, and minced garlic.  Reduce heat and let it simmer for a bit.

 

 

In a small bowl, combine a tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of cornstarch.  Stir this into the sauce.  Let it simmer for a few minutes until it visibly thickens and turns glossy.

 

 

Remove from heat and stir in the fish sauce.  Let it cool then pour into a jar and store it in the fridge.

 

 

Back to the shrimp!  First things first, start preheating the oil to fry these babies. 

 

Lay out a wonton wrapper.  Fold up the bottom corner a little bit.  Shake off excess marinade from shrimp.  Lay it down on the wrapper with tail at the bottom.

 

 

Roll over once and fold down the top edge.  Keep rolling...

 

 

And seal.

 

 

Voila!  Keep going until you get them all wrapped.  They fry quickly so you want to have them all ready to go beforehand.

 

 

Fry in batches of 5-6 for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

 

 

Aren't they beautiful??!!  Notice the light colored ones at the bottom left.  These were just plain shrimp for my little guy. 

 

Serve with the chili garlic sauce to dip them in.  Sweet and sour sauce would be good as well. 

 

Hope you'll give them a try!

 

Firecracker Shrimp

• 1/2-1 lb jumbo or extra jumbo shrimp, defrosted and peeled leaving tail on
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tbs teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tbs sriracha sauce (this stuff) 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Wonton wrappers (one for each shrimp, depending on how many you have)
• Oil for frying

In a bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, teriyaki sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, and garlic.  Add in shrimp and stir to coat.  Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

 

Heat  about an inch of vegetable oil in a large pan.  Shake off excess marinade and wrap each shrimp in wonton wrapper (see pics above). 

 

Fry in batches for about 2 per side, or until golden brown.  Serve with chili garlic sauce.

 

Chili Garlic Sauce

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbs red pepper flakes
• 1 tbs sriracha
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tbs cornstarch + 1 tbs water

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, vinegar, and water.  Bring to a boil.

 

Add in garlic, sriracha, and chili flakes.  Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until it begins to thicken.

 

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with water.  Pour into sauce and stir.

 

Simmer for a couple minutes until sauce visibly thickens.  Remove from heat and stir in the fish sauce.

 

Store in fridge in an airtight container.

 

Enjoy!!!

Cuban Picadillo

 

Picadillo is a traditional dish in Spain and many Latin American countries.  Several variations exist, but this recipe is based on the Cuban style picadillo.

 

Served over saffron rice with a side of black beans, this is serious comfort food in our house.  My husband LOVES this dish.  As well as my not-quite-2 year old!

 

This is an easy and cost efficient meal to make for a crowd.  The leftovers reheat well and can be used as filling for empanadas, tacos, or as sloppy joes.  All around comforting and versatile dish!  Here's how I make it.

 

 

Feel free to substitute ground turkey if you want.  I sometimes do and it turns out great!

 

 

Start by browning the meat.  While that is working, chop the bell peppers, onion, and garlic.

 

Drain the meat if necessary and add in the onions and peppers.  Cook for a few minutes then add in the garlic.  Continue to cook for another minute or two.

 

Next add in the remaining ingredients.

 



 

Bring it up to a good simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.  The raisins need time to plump up and all the flavors to combine.

 

Serve over saffron rice with a side of black beans and you have a (semi) authentic Cuban meal!  Fried plantains go amazing with this as well. 

 

 

Hope you'll give it a try!

 

Cuban Picadillo

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 packet Goya Sazon with Coriander and Annatto (this stuff)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbs paprika
• 2 tbs Badia Complete Seasoning (this stuff)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup stuffed olives
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, brown the ground beef.  Drain if necessary. 

Add diced onions and bell peppers.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add in minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute.

Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a good simmer.  Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer with lid slightly ajar for 45 minutes.

Serve over rice with a side of beans.

Enjoy!!!

 

 

Cranberry Apple Bread

 

I have a confession to make...

 

I hate baking. 

 

All the measuring, powder, soda, salt, altitude, humidity, etc.  I just can't handle the exactness.  I like to add a pinch of this, a little bit of that, and a touch more of this until it tastes how I want it to taste.  None of that measuring mess.

 

That being said, quick breads are the exception.  I live for banana bread and all variations!  Not too sweet and not too time consuming, it is the perfect dessert for me. 

 

Here is how I make a quick bread with cranberries which have just now made a showing in the produce department of my local grocery store.

 

 

Assemble the ingredients.

 

Note I am using self rising flour.  By all means, if you feel like using all purpose and adding powders and sodas, go for it.  But I like to keep it as simple as possible, and it rises just fine for me.

 

 

In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.  Use a fork to mash and break up the brown sugar clumps of you have any.

 

In another bowl, combine your wet ingredients as well as the lemon zest.

 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to just combine. 

 

 

Fold in your rinsed cranberries.

 

 

Pour into a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool completely before cutting.

 

This is a basic recipe that you can adjust to your taste.  Replace the apple juice with orange juice and add orange zest for a cranberry orange bread.  Nuts make a great addition as well.  You could also substitute the butter for apple sauce for a lighter version. 

 

Cranberry Apple Bread

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (about half a bag)
• Zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour and sugars.  In a separate bowl, combine egg, butter, apple juice, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. 

 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Fold in cranberries.

 

Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray.  Pour in batter.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Cool completely before cutting.

 

Enjoy!!!

Taco Seasoning Mix

 

I love giving and receiving homemade gifts for Christmas!  The time and thought that goes into a homemade gift makes it worth more than anything that could be bought in a store in my opinion.  Well except diamonds.  Diamonds win hands down.

 

I like to make my own taco seasoning.  It's so convenient to always have a big jar in the pantry at all times.

 

Here is a combined recipe and gift idea!  I ran across these little glass jars with clamp lids at the grocery store for $1.  I found the jars with shaker tops at the local dollar store.

 

 

Measure all the spices in large bowl and stir to combine.  One recipe below will make about 15 tablespoons and season 5 pounds of meat.  Double or quadruple the recipe to suit your needs.  Each of my little clamp jars held about 9 tablespoons of seasoning mix and the shaker top jars held about 12 tablespoons. 

 

Add some curling ribbon and a little label and voila!  Cute and useful gift.  I don't know any family that doesn't like tacos!

 

The boxes, ribbon, and little bows all came from the dollar store.  I found the mini cards at CVS.  I used a hole punch in the corner and threaded the ribbon through.
 

 

Hope you'll give it a try!

 

(Friends and family, act surprised when you open your gift this year!)

 

Taco Seasoning Mix

• 5 tbs chili powder
• 2.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1.25 tsp onion powder
• 1.25 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 2.5 tsp oregano
• 2.5 tsp paprika
• 7.5 tsp cumin
• 5 tsp Badia Complete Seasoning (or Goya)
• 3 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt

In a large bowl, stir to combine.  Store in airtight container(s).

 

To use for tacos:
 

Brown meat and drain.  Return to pan.  Add 3 tbs and 1/4 cup of water per pound of meat.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

 

Enjoy!!!

Hot Pickled Sausages

 

I love hot sausages.  Fire crackers, Tijuana Mama's, etc.  But what in the world is "mechanically separated chicken"???! 

 

Scary stuff.

 

One day, while perusing Pinterest, I thought to myself "There must be a recipe for these sausages somewhere!"  I sampled a few and added a little of this, took away a little of that, and this is what I came up with! 

 

These are perfect football food.  Or poker night food.  Or just eat-the-whole-jar-when-the-kid-goes-to-bed-and-wash-them-down-with-a-beer food. 

 

 

Assemble the ingredients. 

 

 

In a small pan, bring the liquid, spices, and sugar to a boil.

 

Meanwhile, thin slice half an onion.  Peel and thin slice the garlic cloves.  In a quart jar, layer the sausages, onion, garlic, and jalapeno slices. 

 

 

When the liquid has come to a boil, remove from the heat and pour into the jar.  Screw on the top and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.  The longer, the better!

 

You can absolutely adjust the spice to your taste.  I like them hot!  Feel free to omit the cayenne and cut back on the crushed pepper. 

 

Hot Pickled Sausages

• 1 lb package of cocktail smokies
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 10 pickled jalapeno rings
• 1 tbs pickling spice

In a small pan, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, red pepper flakes, and cayenne to a boil.

In a quart mason jar, layer sausages, onion, garlic, and jalapeno slices.  Pour liquid into jar and screw on top.  Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

 

Enjoy!!!

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

My kid will eat just about anything if you put it inside a meatball or meatloaf.  No joke.  Once a week, we have one of the two so I can sneak in some extra vegetables! 

The real star of this meatball is the mozzarella.  When you cut into one and discover it is stuffed with cheese, the world suddenly feels like a better place.  Trust me.

Start by chopping the veggies.  These have spinach, minced carrot, and minced onion.  Oh and garlic.  I'm pretty sure it is sacrilegious to make a meatball without garlic. 

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, minced vegetables, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, basil, eggs, and S&P.  Mix just enough to combine. 

Grab enough meat to form a 2 inch ball.  With your thumb, make an indent in the center of the ball and add in a piece of mozzarella. 

I used pearl mozzarella, but you can use whatever cheese you want.  Just cut it into 1/2 chunks.  Press the meat upwards around the cheese to cover it then shape into a ball.  Voila!

Continue stuffing and forming meatballs.  Two pounds of meat made roughly 20 meatballs for me. 

 







Into a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.   

Look at that cheese!  Isn't it beautiful???



I like to sink mine into a pot of sauce and simmer them for a few minutes.  Serve them over spaghetti or in a hoagie roll.  Or just eat them plain!  

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
• 1/2 a medium onion, minced
• 1/4 cup minced carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
• 4 ozs of fresh mozzarella pearls
• S&P to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Spoon out enough meat to form a 2 inch ball.  With thumb, press an indent into the center of the meatball.  Add in a pearl mozzarella.  Press the meat upwards to cover the cheese and seal.  Roll into a ball. 

Place meatballs on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.

Enjoy!!!



Creole Beef Tips

I was stumbling around the kitchen earlier, trying to decide what I could make for dinner.  The little guy decided it was time to party at 5:20 am this morning.  I could hear his little voice through the monitor, chanting "Elmo?  1 2 3.  Elmooooo.  Momma?"  Early start to the day and I was not looking forward to a grocery store run.

Cooking for two is HARD.  Especially when one of us is under 2 and becoming increasingly "pickier" every day. Two serving meals are almost impossible.  I needed a meal that freezes well so I can save myself time (and stress) in the future.

There was a roast in the fridge that either needed to be cooked or frozen.  Then I spotted the celery, onions, and bell pepper.  Holy Trinity!  Creole beef tips!  Inspiration hit and a plan was formulated.

 

 



You could totally buy beef stew meat already cut up and save time.  It'll be cheaper if you buy the roast and cube it yourself though.  Just stick it in the freezer for about 20 mins to firm up before you slice it.  Makes life much easier.

 

Season your beef cubes with S&P.  In a large pan, brown the meat in a little olive oil.  This is 3 lbs of meat, so you will want to work in at least two batches.  Remove and repeat.

 

 

 

When all the beef is browned, return to the pan and add water, beef granules, and garlic.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 1.5 hours, or until your beef is fork tender.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.  Or freeze it for a gravy later.  That's what I did!

 

 

 

Add a touch of olive oil to the pan the beef was cooked in.  Add in the trinity.  Let this cook for a few minutes.  Then add in the minced garlic, thyme, basil, and creole seasoning.  Stir and cook another minute or two. 

 

 

 

Next, add in a can of stewed tomatoes, the reserved cooking liquid, and a packet of brown gravy mix.  Stir to combine.  Add in the cooked beef and stir.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

I served this over cheese grits.  My favorite brand is House Autry.  They have a recipe on their website for Garlic Cheese grits.  Go forth and check it out.  They are the best grits in the universe.  Trust me.

Creole Beef Tips

• 3 pound beef roast, cut into 1 inch cubes (or 3 lbs of beef stew meat)
• 3 tsp of beef granules
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 4 cups of water
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp creole seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix
• S&P
• Olive oil for browning

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the cubed beef with s&p.  Add beef in batches, turning to brown each side.  When all is browned, return to the pan and add water, beef granules, and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer with the lid ajar for 1.5 hours, or until meat is fork tender. Remove beef and set aside.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid and discard the rest.  Or freeze for a later use.

In the same pan, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Sauté the onions, bell pepper, and celery for a few minutes.  Add in the minced garlic, creole seasoning, thyme, basil, and parsley.  Stir and let cook for another minute or two.

Add in stewed tomatoes, reserved cooking liquid, and brown gravy mix.  Stir to combine.  Add in the cooked beef.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Serve over garlic cheese grits, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!!!