Shrimp Scampi

I combined a couple recipes and modified slightly (the substitutions worked wonderfully). 

 Serves: 4

1 1lb shrimp approximately

3 T butter

1-2 T olive oil

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup dry white wine (substituted with 1/8c chicken bullion/broth & 1/8 c apple juice (could use real grape)

1/2 t fresh ground black pepper   

2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh or otherwise

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or dried)

1/4 t Red pepper flakes

1/4 t Oregano

1 Heat a sauté pan on medium-high and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts, foams up and subsides, add the garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes. If using unsalted butter, sprinkle with salt. Sauté for a minute, or until you see the edges of some of the garlic just beginning to brown.

2 As soon as the garlic begins to brown, add the shrimp to the pan. Then add the white wine (broth and apple juice) and stir to combine and coat the shrimp with the butter, oil, and liquid. Spread the shrimp out in an even layer in the pan. Increase the heat to the highest setting and let the wine boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes.

3 Turn the shrimp over, or toss them so the cooked sides are mostly facing up, and boil for another minute. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, parsley/black pepper/oregano and toss to combine.

Serve alone, with crusty bread, over pasta, or over rice (for gluten-free version).

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/linguine-with-shrimp-scampi-recipe3/index.html

http://southernfood.about.com/od/shrimprecipes/r/bln81.htm

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/shrimp_scampi/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/shrimp-scampi-recipe/index.html?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=buffer9b97f

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/shrimp-scampi-recipe/index.html

substitution chart:

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol6.htm

http://www.thekitchn.com/non-alcoholic-cooking-wine-substitutes-184394

Hummus-Sesame Noodles

I can't take credit for this recipe. It tasted surprisingly good, with subtle and nutty flavors.

Thin 1/4 cup hummus into a sauce using 1/4 cup chicken broth, 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar, and 2 Tbsp. soy sauce. Toss with 6 cups cooked spaghetti (8 oz. dry) and 1 Tbsp. sesame oil. Top with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

* I used 1T white vinegar and a different pasta. The green onions and toasted sesame seeds would have added to the dish.

[ http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/article/10-things-to-do-with-hummus ]

Feta Cheese

Feta

1gallon milk
Rennet
6.4T buttermilk (cultured buttermilk) (just under a half cup)



Heat to 90 degrees for 1 hr

Add 1/5t liquid rennet and stir for one full minute (we used crushed rennet tablet)

Let sit for 40 min or until coagulated

Cut into cubes to break up   

Stir 20 min

Let drain overnight

Salt the exterior periodically throughout the next day to draw out moisture. After salting for a day, cube, and store in olive oil. We didn't have much luck storing in a salt brine...the cheese fell apart on us and became gooey.



(We had success with our feta and our ricotta cheeses.)



Other cheese web pages:




http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Feta-Cheese

http://hoeggerfarmyard.com/the-farmyard/cheese-making/make-feta/
(preservation and flavor the feta)

http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/feta.html
http://www.cheesemaking.com/Feta.html

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/cheese/Feta.htm


http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Ricotta-Cheese

http://simpledailyrecipes.com/7349/how-to-make-ricotta-cheese-using-only-whey/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Great-Ricotta-Cheese-From-Whey/

salts brined
http://bbq.about.com/od/spicesseasonings/a/aa102007a.htm

http://www.homemadecheese.co.nz/making-a-7--low-salt-brine-with-added-calcium-chloride.html

mozerella
1 gal milk
3.5T buttermilk
3 T yogurt

rennet to coagulate 2 gallons milk (1/2 Hansens tablet) dissolved in about 1/2 cup Cold water.

Spinach Pasta Sauce...pesto-like

I was craving spinach and wanted to make some kind of sauce for pasta...but not putting it in a cream sauce, like I have been the last few times. That is delicious too by the way!

I put all the ingredients in the blender... presto! It tasted like pesto!

 

 

 

SPINACH SAUCE:

1 lb. fresh spinach
8 sprigs fresh flatleaf parsley (I used 1-2 tbsp of dried parsley)
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. pine nuts (sunflower seeds were good)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and pour into serving bowl. Wash spinach and place in container of food processor. Add parsley, garlic, pine nuts, oil, salt and pepper and puree for 2 minutes. To serve, toss pasta with sauce and pass Parmesan cheese for garnish. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

 

 

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1915,158164-240199,00.html

Snicker desert salad

http://www.ericasbloggityblog.com/2011/10/delicious-revision.html

I have yet to try this. Someone made this, and my inlaws said it was good. We may try it sometime

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

The other day I made some blueberry scones with lemon frosting.  I used my roommate Jayne's recipe, which she got from food network.  I love them, and so did Hollis.  So this time around I made a double batch.  And we didn't have blueberries, so I used frozen wild berries.  And we didn't have a lemon, so I used an orange instead.  It was delicious with my substitutions.  Also, the recipe says to roll out the dough and cut it, but I just scooped it like I would cookies.

This is the recipe:

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence foodnetwork.com

Recipe Summary 
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 scones
User Rating: 5 Stars

Blueberry Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough. 

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze. 

Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler (i.e. over a pot of simmering water with a heatproof bowl set on top) but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Perfect Pesto

1.5-2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (or double the cheese)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese (or parm or other hard cheeses)

Blend ingredients all together and presto, you have the perfect pesto.