Classic Chinese Fried Rice

 

Fried rice is one of my absolute favorite Chinese dishes. Personally, shrimp fried rice is my go to, but there are so many variations. It's also super easy and affordable to make, once you know a few tricks!

 
Ingredients:

4 whole large eggs, whisked until smooth

1/4 cup soy sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 large bag frozen peas with diced carrots
4 cups cooked rice

8 green onions, chopped, including white parts

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Protein (if desired)

1 lb raw, peeled, deveined shrimp  (sauteed until pink and firm, but not overcooked)

OR - you can add diced chicken, Chinese BBQ Pork (click link for recipe) mixed vegetables, steak... this is an easy recipe to modify!

Directions:

Heat the sesame oil on medium high heat in a large non-stick pan and add the rice. The true secret for fried rice is that leftover, cold or room temperature rice is far easier to crisp than hot rice you've just steamed. If you know you're making this dish in advance, you can make the rice the day before OR what I usually do is if I make some sort of dinner with rice, I set some aside and make fried rice sometime later that week.

The first time I learned this trick, someone suggested saving plain takeout rice and using it to make fried rice... a funny idea, ordering Chinese delivery one day and then making Chinese food from scratch a few days later!  But... I've used this trick multiple times, ha ha... I do really like fried rice!

Cook the rice, stirring as necessary, for about 10 minutes or until it gets brown and crispy.  Add the egg to the edge of the pan and mix it around until scrambled, then integrate into the rice.  Add the veggies, soy sauce and white pepper, then cook until desired texture is achieved.  Taste and add additional soy, if needed.

If adding protein or veggies, you would cook those separately and then stir in once the rice is done.  Enjoy!

Beer-Battered Buffalo Fried Shrimp

Buffalo sauce!  This is a perfect appetizer or you could make it and serve it over pasta.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dark beer
1 1/2 pounds large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 celery stalks, sliced diagonally
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup prepared buffalo sauce
3 tablespoons melted butter

Optional:  Ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping 

Directions:
Heat several inches of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until a deep fry thermometer reaches 375 degrees.

Whisk the flour, beer, and 4 tablespoons of the buffalo sauce in a large bowl.  Add the shrimp to the bowl and toss to coat.  Cook the shrimp in batches, frying until fully cooked and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per batch.  Do not overcook or your shrimp will be tough.  Drain on paper towels.

Add the sliced celery to the remaining batter and toss to coat with the sauce, then fry the celery until crisp, about 2-3 minutes.  When ready to serve, whisk the buffalo sauce and butter together, and serve on the side with the warm buffalo shrimp, celery, and ranch or blue cheese dressing, if desired.  Enjoy!

Smoky Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder

Okay, just make this.  Make it right away!  This is probably my favorite thing I've made in a long time.. I ate it all.  I ate it for dinner.  I ate it for lunch.  I ate it as a snack.  It's gone!!!!!

Yield:  4-6 servings 

Ingredients:

• 4 large ears fresh corn (sub frozen corn if you can't get fresh due to the season)
• 3/4 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
• 4 cups chicken broth or stock (or shrimp stock, if you can get it)
• 8 slices smoked bacon, diced into 1 inch pieces
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 pound peeled potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes
• 1 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 
  

 

Directions: 

Bring the chicken broth and shrimp shells to a boil in a large pot.  Simmer for about 20 minutes to bring out the shrimp flavor in the broth.  Strain and discard the shrimp shells, turn heat to low. 

While the broth is cooking, cook the bacon until crisp, the remove to drain on paper towels.  Using the bacon grease, heat the pan to medium-high and add the corn (removed from the cobs).  Roast the corn in the pan until most of the kernels have charred a bit, about 10 minutes, then add the corn to the reserved broth.  Next, gently saute the shrimp in the remaining bacon grease until they begin to turn pink - this will take just about 5 minutes, be careful not to overcook or your shrimp will be tough!  They will be going into the hot soup and cooking a bit more, so it is better to slightly undercook them.  Remove and set aside.

Next, add the remaining vegetables to the same pan and cook until softened.  Add the flour last, mixing it into the vegetables.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then add the vegetable flour mixture to the broth and stir to combine.

Add potatoes, paprika, thyme, and cayenne pepper to the pot and cook on medium about 20 more minutes, or until potatoes are soft.  Add the cream, lemon juice, and sugar (I found it balanced the heat of the paprika well).  Season to taste.

Serve the soup warm, with the crisp bacon lardons as a garnish, and don't forget toasted crusty bread for dipping.  Yum!  Enjoy!

 

Cajun Shrimp Po' Boy Sliders

Fried shrimp, spicy sauce, crisp coleslaw.  It's Louisiana voodoo! 

Yield:  Serves approx 8 as an appetizer, 4 as a meal 

Ingredients: 
Slider or sandwich rolls
Vegetable oil (for frying shrimp)
1 1/2 pounds breaded shrimp (I got frozen popcorn shrimp and it worked beautifully) 
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less for desired heat level)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup coleslaw or shredded cabbage, for topping, if desired

Remoulade Sauce: 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sweet relish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon horseradish sauce
4 dashes hot sauce (more or less for desired heat level)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 
Mix all ingredients for the remoulade in a small bowl and season to taste.  Set aside.  Toast slider buns, if desired, and reserve

Heat oil for about 10 minutes at medium high heat.  Mix seasoning ingredients in a large bowl and add the shrimp, toss to coat (you could also do this in a ziplock bag).

Fry the shrimp in the hot oil in batches until golden brown, stirring constantly.  This will take 2-5 minutes per batch.  Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.

Coat each side of the slider buns with remoulade sauce.  Add the shrimp evenly between the sandwiches.  Top with coleslaw and additional hot sauce, if desired.  You can also add dill pickles, for more authenticity.  Spicy, crispy, delicious!  Enjoy!

Grilled Beer and Butter Shrimp with Fingerling Potatoes

This is extremely easy to make and very delicious... I mean, who doesn't like garlic buttered shrimp?

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs potatoes (small, or cut into wedges - I used half fingerling & half red potatoes)
1 large red onion (cut into wedges)
6 tbsp butter, melted

1 12 ounce beer, preferably dark

1 1/2 lbs shrimp (peeled and deveined, tail on)
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

6 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lemon, cut into wedges and seeded

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium high.  Lay several sheets of aluminum foil out and spread potatoes, onions and 1/2 of the minced garlic in the center.   Drizzle with about half of the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Fold the edges of the foil up to resemble a bowl shape and add about 1/2 the beer.  Cover with another sheet of foil and fold edges together to seal. 

Place this magical foil bowl on the grill.  Close lid and cook until the potatoes are soft, 20-30 minutes.

While the veggies are grilling, create another foil bowl and place the shrimp in it.  Add the remaining garlic, beer and butter, and sprinkle with the Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper.  Add another sheet of foil to the top and seal.  When the vegetables are almost done, place the shrimp packet on the grill.  Cook until the shrimp are pink, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Remove both packets from grill, being careful not to spill any remaining liquid.

Place the potatoes, onion and shrimp on a platter and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.  Add any remaining cooking liquid from the packets and season to taste, if necessary.  Squeeze lemon juices over platter.  Get a pile of napkins and enjoy!

Summery Shrimp Salad

This can be served as a salad or a sandwich.  I made this for a catering event and served it in halved pitas, and then served the leftovers the following day as a salad.  It was yummy either way!

Yield: 6-10 servings as a salad, or 4 full pita sandwiches

Ingredients: 
3 green onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup baby carrots, sliced into rounds
1 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 pounds small or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice 
1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste

If making sandwiches, you'll need pita bread (4 whole or 8 halved)

Directions:
Chop vegetables and set aside.  Toss shrimp with olive oil, paprika, and salt and pepper.  Spread on a baking sheet.  Broil until the shrimp are opaque, about 4 minutes.  Drain and cool.

Mix vegetables, shrimp and spices in a large bowl.  Add sour cream, sugar and lemon juice.  Season to taste.

If serving in pita bread, wait until just before eating to stuff the bread so it doesn't get soggy.

Tips:
This needs a lot of seasoning so be sure to salt liberally and taste to make sure it isn't bland.  I used baby carrots and sliced them into rounds, which I thought looked cute, but you could also use shredded or matchstick carrots.  Perfect for summer!

BBQ Bourbon Bacon Shrimp and Sharp Cheddar Grits

I had never made grits before and needed to make them for an event, so I scoured the web for the best sounding recipe I could find!  The only major change I made to this recipe was the addition of a little crumbled bacon (how could I help myself?).  The barbecue sauce is so good that you could easily omit the bacon and still have a lovely dish.

The best part about this recipe is that the woman who posted it claims to have gotten 3 marriage proposals and rave reviews from Jesse Jackson, so you can see this comes highly recommended!

Yield: 4-6 servings

Sharp Cheddar Grits:
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup quick or old fashioned grits
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce:
4 bacon slices
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Shrimp:
1 1/2 deveined raw shell-on shrimp
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper

Optional Garnish:  Parsley or chives, for color 

Directions: Begin by making the barbecue sauce (this can be done up to a week in advance, simply store in an airtight container and stir thoroughly before using).  Cook bacon in a frying pan until crisp.  Remove and reserve, setting on paper towels to drain grease.  Once the bacon has cooled, crumble and reserve for garnish.

Add the chopper onion and garlic to the bacon grease and cook until soft.  Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, bourbon, vinegar and honey.  Simmer for 15 minutes, then add spices and season to taste.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Next, make the grits.  In the bottom of a pot, cook minced garlic in a bit of butter until soft.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Slowly stir in the grits.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender, or for about 30 minutes.  There truly is a lot of stirring involved as you don't want these to get clumpy!

While the grits are cooking, grill the shrimp.  I used a grill pan for mine, but these could also be thrown onto the grill.  To grill them on a grill pan, heat the pan to high.  Melt butter in the microwave and toss the shrimp in the butter with a bit of salt and pepper.  Grill on each side for about 2 minutes or until opaque.  Remove from heat, toss shrimp in barbecue sauce, and set aside.

When the grits are creamy and to the desired consistency, remove from heat and stir in the cheese, butter and cream.  Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon grits into a bowl and top with shrimp, crumbled bacon, and chopped parsley or chives.  Yum!  Enjoy! 

Tips: I was paranoid about the grits, as it was my first time making them, so I looked up a bunch of tips online before I started.  One thing everyone warned against was using "instant" grits" which are apparently different than the quick grits I used (Quaker Quick Grits).

Also, on the package of the quick grits it says 5 minute cooking time, but I read all over that isn't true, so I cooked mine as people suggested (about 30-45 mins) and they turned out great.  I don't think there is any end to the amount of butter and cream these grits could soak up, or salt and pepper, so use your own judgement as to how buttery, salty or creamy you want them!  Good luck!

Honeyed Ginger Salmon

Yes, I know, I made something healthy. Don't be disappointed, it still has honey and brown sugar and oil and... it's healthy but not THAT healthy!  Phew!

Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 pounds raw salmon fillets
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

Optional Garnishes:
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 green onion, sliced

 
Directions:
Whisk oils, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and brown sugar together. Pour over salmon and marinate, refrigerated, for about 45 minutes or up to overnight.  Try not to skimp on the marinating!  It really locks in the moisture and flavor.

Preheat the broiler and place salmon on a sheet tray or cookie sheet.  Place pan directly under the broiler.  Drizzle some of the remaining marinade over the top of the salmon and cook for 8-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.  I left mine in there probably a little longer than I should have, hoping for a more toasty glaze on the outside.  Be careful not to overcook it, as that would make it dry.

Remove the fish from the oven and drizzle with honeyed ginger glaze.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired, and serve.

Honeyed Ginger Glaze
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Simply mix above ingredients together and pour over warm salmon as soon as it is removed from oven.  Yum!

Spring Tasting Dinner

I had this party quite some time ago and never got around to posting it.  This was a twelve course tasting menu with paired cocktails.  It makes me tired even typing that out...  gosh, I used to have a lot of time on my hands before I decided to start my own business!

This was all small plates, each one paired with a drink.  It took about 5 hours to serve all of these courses!  It was a lot of fun to create an experience like this for my guests.

Goat Cheese Truffles with Toasted Brown Sugar Pecans

paired with

Drunken Carbonated Grapes

I thought this pairing was particularly inventive; a drink that is edible!  The sourness of the pinot noir, nuttines of the pecans, and creaminess of the goat cheese went very well together.  Carbonating the grapes was especially fun, you can read all about it should you dare in the post for the recipe!

Mesquite Smoked Pork Carnitas Tostada

paired with

White Peach Sangria

This appetizer is one of my favorites to make; the flavors are intense and you can customize it endlessly (mini tostadas, tacos, crostini, etc).  And you can say the same for sangria; a couple of bottles of wine, some fruit and/or exotic juice, and voila, a sparkling and delicious drink!

Another thing that I really enjoy about making small plates or a pairing party like this one is the ability to showcase different global cuisines.  I love cooking (and therefore eating!) many different types of food: Asian, Mexican, Italian, etc, and it's fun to be able to pull those flavors together to create a really interesting and complex meal.

Shanghai Chicken Drummettes

paired with

Cucumber Saketini

Come on... how cute are those cucumber saketinis????

Mexican Street Corn Bruschetta

paired with

Jalapeño Margarita

This is another go to recipe (hey, when you're planning 12 courses, you have to stick to some of what you know!). Not only is it a great vegetarian option, which is key when entertaining a large group, but the flavors are intense and it is easy to prepare. This is especially yummy in the summer, when the corn is so sweet it seems to melt in your mouth.

The jalapeño margarita might sound strange, but the spiciness really adds something, and it's particularly good when paired with other spicy flavors.

I tried to alternate the courses between flavor profiles to really keep this interesting, and made sure to have basically at least one dish from every food group; chicken, beef, seafood, pork, veggie, bacon (yes, that's a food group!) 

I made the crust for these mini pizzas square purposely so that they would fit on this platter.  Talk about detail oriented, ha ha.  Or do they cal that OCD?

Mini Chorizo and Roasted Red Pepper Pizzas

paired with

Mango Mojitos

Another important thing to keep in mind when planning a meal like this is color.  I like to use vibrantly colored foods that are as attractive to the eye as to the tummy; and if the food itself is not particularly aesthetically pleasing, you can always add a colorful garnish or sauce!

Butternut Squash & White Cheddar Mac n Cheese "Sushi rolls"

paired with

Cherry Infused Bourbon with Chocolate Covered Drunken Cherries

This link will take you to my original recipe for these rolls, but I did make some small changes to it.  As you can see from the photos, I used penne pasta instead of regular elbow macaroni, to give the rolls a floral appearance.  To continue that theme (and the theme of spring), I rolled strips of bacon into "roses" and pressed them into the center of the mac n cheese rolls.

As far as the changes to the recipe, I added 2 cups of cooked butternut squash and swapped out the regular cheddar for white cheddar, giving it a smokier and richer flavor.  Yum!  Toasted garlic bread crumbs on top!

Bourbon!  I think cherry and bourbon go really well together, it's one of my favorite flavor pairings.  For this recipe, I infused the bourbon a couple of days in advance, then drained the cherries and coated them in chocolate.

Smoked Gouda & Caramelized Onion Potatoes Au Gratin

paired with

Sparkling Manhattan

I love these mini ramekin dishes.  They look adorable for savory or dessert dishes, and how nice is it to be able to serve something in the dish it was cooked in?!

The day after this party, I had about one of each drink left over in the fridge, just waiting in their pretty little serving glasses.  I had a lovely time finishing them off while cleaning up, ha ha.  It's always smart to allay the pain of doing housework by getting a little buzzed!

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce and Fried Basil

paired with

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

 

This picture doesn't show the proportions very well, but this is a bite sized piece of tenderloin that I cut to make look like a tiny filet.  The original recipe was for a meal sized portion and I pared it down to make appetizers.

The fried basil on top was a nice addition and is very simple to do; simply slice the basil leaves into long strips and fry in hot oil for just a few seconds, then place on paper towels to remove excess oil.  The basil adds a fresh, earthy flavor to the dish, and the fried texture is a pleasant surprise.

These drinks came out looking so icy cold!  For this effect, I dipped the wet rim of each glass into water, and then into powdered sugar, and repeated.  Brrrr!

I think this was about the point that the party started to get a bit rowdy, which will explain why the quality, and quantity, of photographs declines after this point!  A crowded kitchen and hungry, drunken people can really get in the way of good food photography!

 

Butter Poached Lobster Medallions with Champagne Garlic Sauce

paired with

Citrus White Wine Spritzer

What can I say about champagne and butter poached lobster? I think anyone with taste buds would agree that it's a great combination.

And then there were desserts!  Three courses of them, naturally.  Wouldn't you be disappointed if there were any less?!

Mixed Berry Tiramisu

paired with

Blueberry Ginger Bellini

Blueberry and ginger go amazingly well together!

Serving this many drinks (12 courses x 20 people = approx 240 glasses!) was sure to exhaust even my prodigious tiny glass collection so in advance of the party, I went miniature glass hunting and came upon these adorable mason jars.  I thought they would be perfect to serve a drink or dessert in and I've even used a few to give gifts of homemade jam.  Home Goods is the ultimate resource for affordable little finds like this.

Gooey Chocolate and Caramel Cakes

paired with

S'mores Shooters

  

I love these tasty little shooters!

Bittersweet Chocolate Glazed Espresso Brownie Bites

paired with

Strawberry Daiquiri Jello Shots

This is similar to a normal brownie, a bit less sweet with darker chocolate and a hint of coffee flavor.  What really makes this dessert special is the tiny chocolate covered coffee bean on top.  Plus, bonus, it looks cute!

And finally, the most adorable jello shot cocktail ever!

One of the best compliments I've ever gotten on a recipe was on this one. One of my guests said, "think about the incredible effort, detail and time Leah put into making this tiny dessert, just so we could all enjoy 30 seconds of exquisite flavor that we'll never forget." It was a very sweet comment!

I knew the night was a success when each and every guest was able to stick it out until the final course, which I served around 1 am. Definitely my most ambitious and challenging event to date, but lots of fun to create and plan (yes, I'm crazy!).

Here are some random pics from the party.  Cheers!