Guacamole

Joe and I both love guacamole.  I found a wonderful and simple recipe from Ina Garten.  I'm hooked!  It's so good that no other recipe will do.

Tomato and Basil

Tomato and Basil at Central Market

It is such a great combination and while you can have it all year long, it is most refreshing to have in the summer.  I love that the tomato and basil combination can be get along with cheese, shrimp, bread, etc.

Caprese salad

Tomato Basil Shrimp

Bruschetta

Tator Tots with Bacon and Cheese

Bake tater tots according to package directions.  Shred cheddar cheese and slice up fried bacon.  Sprinkle generously on top of tators.  Enjoy every crunchy and savory bite!!

Roasted Mushrooms

I love this recipe for the deliciousness and simplicity.  It requires only a handful of ingredients - mushrooms, butter, capers, garlic, and a little parsley.  The idea is to roast these mushrooms in the style that you would normally roast escargo - the buttery sauce on the bottom is the best part of the dish!

Here's the recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  It's one of my favorite food blogs - she makes the most delicious dishes.

Spinach Chickpea Curry

File this one under the healthy section, but still something that satisfies the tastebuds because of the curry flavors.  The chickpeas and tomatoes meld happily together with the curry flavor and the spinach helps the overall texture.  It's also very freezable, which is a big bonus!  Here's the recipe.

Spinach Dip

I've been addicted to this dip ever since a friend of mine had made it for me, and I'm happy to report that I've since created more addicts as well.  It's fairly simple and always a great crowd pleaser at parties!  Here's the recipe.

Roasted Veggies

I'm a huge fan of anything you can throw in the oven and forget about.  This turned out yummier than I had thought it would as I observed it cooking in the oven.  I set it for 30 minutes at 375 degrees and tossed the veggies in olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary, and loved how the eggplant and zucchini picked up flavors.

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted carrot and butternut squash

Whipped and Mashed...

...potatoes that is!  I have been avoiding homemade mashed potatoes for a while for fear of lumps. I'm a texture girl and I want my mashed potatoes to be silky smooth.  I've found the solution - first mash the potatoes and then whip it with your mixer.  All lumps be gone!  I really like making mashed potatoes now and will not be making it from the box anymore.. I know, I've had a few raised eyebrows from admitting to this, but it was a family tradition from thanksgivings when we were younger and wanted to experience some American traditions..

Here's the recipe that I used.. I think adding roasted garlic would make it even yummier.

• 5 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/8 cup milk

Directions

1. Fill a medium size saucepan half full of water, and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes to pot; the water should cover the potatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced by a fork. Drain.
2. Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add butter or margarine and milk, and mash with a potato masher. When well mashed, whip for a minute or two with an electric mixer set on medium speed.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/whipped-mashed-potatoes/Detail.aspx

Shrimp Toast

My friend got me addicted to shrimp toast, many years ago, when she served this at a party.  We loved the rich shrimp flavor and the crunchy toast.  I finally found a simple recipe that doesn't involve a food processor (I refuse to clean one), and if you are lazy like me, even roughly chopped shrimp works, because it adds to the texture.  Also, I randomly came across french bread that was cut up into slices and it made the toasts super crunchy and soft - definitely worth the upgrade from Wonder bread.  I found this brand at a QFC.

I would add a little white pepper and even more green scallions to this recipe.  I fried the toast in a deep skillet and it worked great.  (You don't need a ton of oil, just enough to cover about half the height of the toast.)  Also, I only used about 6 slices of bread because I like to slather on the paste generously and there wasn't enough for 10 slices.

1 lb. shrimp, fresh, minced
1 egg
1 tsp. scallions, chopped
1 tsp. ginger, fresh, chopped
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white wine
10 slices day-old white bread
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Clean and peel the shrimp. Mix together the shrimp, egg, scallions, ginger, baking powder, flour and oil. Add salt and wine. Then make into a paste.

Cut bread into 4 sections each slice and spread on the shrimp paste. Heat oil to 300 degrees in a deep pan. Fry toast with shrimp side down, for 2 minutes. Turn over and fry other side for 30 seconds more. Remove, drain and serve hot or cold.

Fried Calamari

I love cleaning squid.. not sure why, but I have been doing it since I was kid when I would help my mom with dinner. Yes, it's weird, but I just love ripping the guts out and cutting the tentacle (the best part!) off the head.  So yesterday, when I was at Ranch 99, it hit me - fried calamari!  And it turned out great, although it could have used more salt and pepper.  This was gone in seconds between Joe and I.

Here's the recipe I used - just simple flour and spices. 
http://bellaonline.com/articles/art1499.asp

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 1 pound calamari sliced into rings
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Enough vegetable oil to fill bottom of heavy skillet to 1/2"

Directions

1. Clean calamari and keep chilled.
2. Mix flour, paprika and cayenne in shallow bowl.
3. Heat oil to 375 degrees.
4. Toss a handful of calamari with flour, shake off excess.
5. Fry for 3 or 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and salt to taste.

Here's how to clean the squid:
http://greekfood.about.com/od/greekcookingtips/ht/cleansquid.htm

taking stock

Making stock is such a relaxing activity for me.  I love cutting up the aromatic vegetables and throwing them together for a colorful mix.  I love adding peppercorn and cilantro and the whole house is filled with a wonderful smell.  Chicken stock with rotisseri chicken bones were super sweet, and I am excited to try shrimp stock next.

http://www.whats4eats.com/soups/chicken-stock-recipe

Chicken stock, or chicken broth, is a basic of the kitchen in many cuisines. Homemade is always best, but stock from scratch can be reasonably substituted with low-sodium canned broth. Avoid bouillon cubes or granules if at all possible. They are very high in sodium and have only a whisper of the flavor of homemade. The recipe here is for a basic European-style chicken stock. See the variations for different versions from around the world.
Makes about 2 quarts

• Chicken bones -- 3-4 pounds
• Water, cold or room temperature -- 3 quarts
• Onions, peeled and chopped -- 2
• Carrots, peeled and chopped -- 2
• Celery, chopped -- 2 stalks
• Parsley -- 1/2 bunch
• Fresh or dried thyme -- 2 tablespoons or 2 teaspoons
• Bay leaf -- 1 or 2
• Peppercorns -- 8 to 10
• Salt -- to taste

Method

1. Place bones in a deep stockpot and add cold water to cover. Place the pot over medium flame and bring to a boil. As soon as water begins to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer slowly for 2 to 5 hours. Do not stir, and skim the scum and excess fat from top of the simmering stock periodically.
2. After 2 to 5 hours, add the vegetables, herbs, peppercorns and salt, pressing the vegetables down into the pot. Do not stir them in. Simmer for 1 more hour.
3. Remove the stock from the stovetop and strain through a fine-meshed strainer or several layers of moistened cheesecloth into another large pot or container. Set in the refrigerator and chill completely.
4. Scrape the chilled fat off the top of the stock and discard. Use the chicken stock in recipes or transfer into storage containers and freeze for later use.