Roasted Shrimp Enchiladas with Jalapeno Cream

Another lazy day after work I was tired an laid down for a minute and then work up hours later. Had a headache and generally didn't feel all that well but a man's gotta eat.

Before I passed out I had taken a pound of shrimp from the freezer so they were well thawed when I finally awoke. Brenda had pinned a recipe for Roasted Shrimps Enchiladas with Jalapeno Cream Sauce and looked it for me. I didn't have half the stuff but the inspiration was there so I gathered what I could and started. Here goes:

1 pound of shrimp peeled and cleaned
S and P, olive oil.

Toss and roast at 350 till just done then rough chop and set aside.

Monterrey Jack cheese shredded
tortillas ( I had low carb on hand)


The Cream Sauce

2 tbl butter
2 T flour
2 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
1/4 c half and half or cream
2 chopped Jalapenos
1 tbl garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Make the roux and add the broth. Allow to thicken then add the cream, Jalapeno and spices. (I added 2 slices of processed Swiss. I love the flavor richness it provides in the background). Set aside.

Filling:

I only had a few things on hand. The recipe called for fresh spinach and cilantro. I had neither.

3 carrots shredded
red pepper julienned
2 banana peppers julienned ( I have a peppers in the freezer)
2 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1 med onion sliced thin
2 t Oregano

Saute in olive oil beginning with the onion, then carrots, peppers and finally garlic. Add the spices and Salt and Pepper to taste. Add the shrimps and mix.

Assembly:

On a tortilla, spoon the filling with a 1/4 cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in greased pan. Ladle sauce over the top of finished enchiladas. Bake at 350 till bubbly hot. Serve with chopped tomato, sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese.

Original recipe is here:
http://damndelicious.tumblr.com/post/25144591731/roasted-shrimp-enchiladas-with-jalapeno-cream-sauce

Steak Pasta with Mushrooms and Bleu Cheese

Brenda happened to mention Saturday night at dinner that she had a hankering (not her word) for steak Pasta after the delicious Fillet Mignon that Mat had brought by New Year's Eve. So, after work I stopped quickly to pick up a few key ingredients but the steak was out of the question at $18 a pound so I picked up a Tri Tip Roast and cut it into thick steaks and treated them similarly to the New Year Eve preparation (pan seared and oven finished). The result was a delicious meal with over ripe grape tomatoes and the last of our hunk of Bleu Cheese.  The recipe is here:

http://icxcpainter.blogspot.com/2011/06/steak-pasta-with-blue-cheese-and.html

So tasty and when my wife wants pasta, well that's a rare occasion and pasta she will get. Yum.

Eating Omaha...The French Bulldog

Our monthly regime of visiting locally owned and operated Omaha eateries began tonight at The French Bulldog. Kind of an upscale Deli, the owner cures his own meats and makes sausage and the like. We started the evening with a Charcuterie plates of butcher selected meats and cheeses. A nice Cote du Rhone to balance the dishes was chosen.

A large platter arrived with 3 samples of meat and 2 cheeses, honey and mustard. The selected meats included pork belly, a Soprasata and a Salami as well as a local Goat Cheese and a Camembert.





The main entree menu offered some interesting selections from sandwiches to Pork Pie (house favorite) to banger and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes. The prices were reasonable and the portions were plenty. Mat had the Pork Pie, Lori and Brenda had the Garlic Sausage and Mashed Potatoes and I had the Bulldog Deli sandwich.  The service was prompt and friendly. The place was very small and packed. Reservations are a must as many folks came and went without a table. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the appetizers. All in all a great evening with a French bistro atmosphere. Check please? About $90 for the four of us and a bottle of wine.

Taxi's Cabbage and Blue Cheese Soup

Aww...c'mon keep an open mind.  It sounds weird but this is some soup. Velvety with tender-crisp cabbage and the added twang of Bleu Cheese. So easy to make and filling as well as satisfying. I paired it with toast points of marbled rye to compliment the flavors. I used the basic recipe from Taxi's but you knew I couldn't stop there so I added a few touches to make sure this was the real deal. The soup at the restaurant was delicious but loaded with fat from all the cream. I love thick and creamy soups so I use a little flour to thicken the base and then add a touch of cream to add the richness but not all the fat. I think it worked well here. This stuff was excellent.  I figured about 6 servings here at 275 calories per serving. Not bad for a low carb, very high flavor meal.

Ingredients

1/4 butter
1 onion chopped
bay leaf
1 head of shredded cabbage
1/2 tbl caraway seed  (I left this out, not a fan)
3 1/2 c broth ( I used Vegetable, the recipe called for chicken)
4 ounces bleu cheese
2 cups heavy cream ( I used about a 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup of half and half)
white pepper
1/2 tbl dry sherry

Personal additions

2 slices of processed Swiss, 1/4 c flour, 1/4 c bleu cheese dressing. The dressing really upped the flavor.

Saute the onion and bay leaf in the butter till the onion is translucent. Add the cabbage , caraway.  Add a bit of salt here. Cook till the cabbage wilts. (At this point I would add about a 1/4 c of flour and mix it in and mix it in well to the cabbage) Add the broth and simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors and allow the broth to thicken. Add the Swiss cheese, blue cheese and the blue cheese dressing. Stir well till melted. Stir in cream (do not boil at this point). Season with sherry and white pepper.

Top with bleu cheese crumbles and toast points.

Recipe Redux...Balsamic Glazed Pulled Pork

Cold and bitter here in the Midwest, Mackenzie is coming for dinner after church and made a request....Balsamic Glazed Pulled Pork. I had forgotten that I even made this a while back so I had to look u the recipe to refresh my fading mind.

It's here: http://icxcpainter.blogspot.com/2011/08/brown-sugar-and-balsamic-glazed-pulled.html

I popped the roast in the crock pot about 6:45 this a.m. and will patiently wait the day for that to finish before we complete the dish later this evening.

Pan Seared Albacore Tuna with Citrus glaze

I took out 2 tuna steaks last night, one for lunch today as tuna salad and one for tonight's dinner. I was lloking for something different that I could make with what I have around the kitchen. An orange and some orange juice, limes and other staples.

Firstly the glaze from the Food Network:

Triple Citrus glaze

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter

Pinch kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

 

I didn't have any marmalade so I subbed a tablespoon of mango chutney which worked well.

Basically I combined everything and boiled it down to about 1/2 cup. It was very good, sweet and piquant and the perfect compliment to the fish.

 

The Tuna is easy, a hot iron skillet, a bit of olive oil and a sear of 2-3 minutes on each side. The tuna was a nice medium rare.

 

I plated it all with a nice saute of zucchini and onions with a bit of Parmesan. Just hit the spot for a Wednesday evening.

Pan Sear redux

On the way home from work I stopped for some quick shopping and boneless back ribs caught my eye (cheap). They were in 2 slabs about 3/4 pound each.

I heated a cast iron skillet with a touch of bacon fat and seasoned the meat with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of sugar. I layed them in the skillet and hoped for the best. Too hot with pork and it will cook the juices right out, too little heat and no browning will occur. When sufficiently caramelized, I flipped each rib for a few minutes and then a coating of BBQ sauce and into a 400 degree oven for about 17 minutes. They actually came out spot on. No brining (my usual treatment) no fussing but juicy and a nice brown crust. Served with a nice romaine salad, it was a tasty dinner for 2 with plenty of lunch leftovers.

Love these. Inexpensive and tasty. I look for packs with lots of dark red as I like the taste and find it more tender.

Leftovers...what to do, what to do?

A sprinkle of Parmesan completes the dish.

Sprouts, shrimp and crab (large King Crab chunks)

I had about 3/4 pounds of picked crab and a few jumbo shrimp, some Brussels Sprouts and a package of Chipotle sauce mix and pasta. A very picky wife regarding carb intake, the pasta is low calorie, high fiber and a win in all directions.

I shredded the Brussels Sprouts with a small mandolin and sauteed them in a small amount of oil with a bit of garlic. I mixed the Chipotle sauce with a cup of skim milk (calorie conscious) and added it to the sprouts. I gave the shrimp and crab a rough chop and heated them with the sprouts. I added a 1/4 c of cream (not so calorie conscious) for a bit of richness and a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.

I cooked the pasta and added it to the pan, tossing and coating everything. Plated in a bowl with a sprinkling of Parmesan it turned into a pretty good meal with leftovers for Friday lunch.

I love this sauce mix but this is the last package in Omaha I can find.

Shredded sprouts in the cream sauce

New Year's Celebration

We spent the evening with the Fangman's, Mackenzie, Steve and Ben. A combined supper theme, the Fangman's brought some beautiful tenderloins and entrusted them to my care. Matt is a great griller and has made us some dandy steaks in the past but the temp was so cold I just couldn't stand out side in the dark so I opted for a pan sear with an oven finish. (I read the new issue of Bon Appetit)  We brought some King Crab, twice baked potatoes and a Caesar Salad. I also made a little dish of Au Gratin Brussels Sprouts for Lori.

On the way home from work I knew I did not have a pan big enough for a pan sear of 6 or seven steaks so I stopped and purchased a 14" cast iron skillet to do the job.

When I got home, I started the twice baked potatoes and made the Caesar Dressing (under Salads) and the Bearnaise (Mackenzie's favorite) for the steaks. I pre split all the crab to make it a little easier for the guests and I made Killer bread for Mackenzie.

When the steaks arrived at room temp and about 2 inches thick, I heated 2 T oil in the cast iron till smoking then salt and peppered the steaks and placed them in the pan. About 1-2 minutes per side gave a beautiful sear then turn them and sear again. You may even want to clean the pan at that point, reheat and sear the second side. Into a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes for a perfect medium, medium rare. And I mean perfect. Everything to the table, a little grace and Yum!

We had a lot of wine, our new favorite Cote du Rhone and other tasty treats like Gelato, spinach dip and shrimp cocktail. All in all it was a memorable evening of food and drink and conversation.