Grilled Shrimp and Mushroom Quinoa

 

I have been a shrimp lover for as long as I can remember.  I used to order shrimp cocktail off the appetizer menu when I was only six years old, and have never looked back.  Today's meal is a take on the classic southern dish, shrimp and grits.  This version is just a healthier and faster version.  Shrimp is delicious, however, it takes ALOT of the little guys to fill someone up.  Which is why they get paired with some sort of starchy side, like grits, risotto, potatoes, etc.  I am trying to cut gluten out of my diet these days, to see if I can get my waist line to move in a negative direction for once in my life :).  Therefore, I have gone with quinoa, which is actually a seed.  Quinoa is a great carrier of flavors, however, I am not a fan of eating it by itself...

Grilled Shrimp

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sriracha, more if you like it hot!!!
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Medium shrimp (U20-30) deveined, tail on

Add all the ingredients in a zip locked bag and refridgerate for up to two hours, turning over half way through.  Grill on medium heat for four minutes, flip and grill for two more minutes.  there should be grill marks and the tails should be charred.


Mushroom Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 yellow onion, diced
8 baby 'bella mushrooms, sliced thin
olive oil, enough to cover bottom of saute pan
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup shredded sharp chedder cheese

Place quinoa and water in a small pot, bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for ten minutes.  In a saute pan on medium heat add oil and garlic. cook for ten seconds, then add onions.  Cook onions for two minutes, then add mushrooms.  Add your herbs/spices and stir to evenly distribute.  When onions are cooked, about ten minutes, add the butter to the pan and stir to melt.  Once the butter has melted mix in the quinoa.  Add in your shredded cheese and mix until cheese is thoroughly melted and mixed in.   Top quinoa with grilled shrimp and Eat UP!!!  (don't eat the tails...they are not delicious.)

Blueberry Cheesecake Bread Pudding

I will not be posting a bunch of desserts here, because I honestly don't make desserts that often.  However, I do make one dessert very well, bread pudding.  I have made bread puddings for weddings, formal dinners, cocktail parties, high school reunions and many more.  Bread pudding is a lot like a blank canvas, the artist can take the final product in any direction he wants, choose the medium, colors, etc.  Which is why you can serve it in so many different situations.  I post this recipe with the knowledge that thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I for one, do not enjoy pumpkin pie or pecan pie.  Lets discuss pumpkin pie for a second...boiled pumpkin flesh that has been mashed into a homogeneous goo, corn syrup, and sugar...why is this so popular??? If you break it down into individual parts, nothing sounds good about this...So no thanks, I'll stay away. 

Bread Pudding

8 plain cake donuts
8 blueberry cake donuts
1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups heavy cream
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Beat the butter and eggs until combined.  Add your eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Beat until blended. 

Butter your baking dish.  Break doughnuts into bite size pieces and layer into the baking dish.  Top donuts with blueberries in an even layer.  Pour egg mixture over top of the doughnuts. Push down on top of donuts to ensure full coverage. Let sit for 10-15 minutes for the egg mixture to soak into the donuts.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for ten more minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing

16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar (also called confectioners sugar)

In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.  Add the sugar on low speed in small amounts, increase the speed of the beaters until light and fluffy.

Spread icing on the bread pudding.  I recommend serving with a big glass of cold milk.

The most difficult part of baking this dessert is having to smell it while its cooking!  The best part of this dessert is that its great after the meal all hot and melt-tastic.  But just like thanksgiving dinner, the leftovers are out of this world!  I love a piece, cold, in the morning for breakfast.  Eat up!!!

Be sure to follow me on twitter for updates on my blog chefdenman1. 

Chipotle Tomato Soup & Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Growing up I always loved a hot bowl of soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.  I would dunk the sandwich in the soup and love every single bite.  As I got older I would make this same meal for myself but always felt like something was missing, mostly flavor.  I think the issue is that I am no longer 12 and want my soup taste fresh and delicious, and more importantly not come from a can!  This recipe is a smoky, spicy version of tomato soup, which is delicious by itself but goes great with a grilled cheese sandwich!

Chipotle Tomato Soup (serves 4-6)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups yellow onion small dice
1 cup carrots small dice
1 cup celery small dice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes with juice
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes without juice
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups half and half cream

Dice your onion, carrots, celery, and set aside.  Place a large pot on medium heat, once its hot add your oil.  Add your garlic to the oil, stir for five seconds then add the vegetables and stir until it stops smoking.  Add salt and pepper to season, then add in your thyme, oregano, basil.  Cook for ten to fifteen minutes until vegetables have softened and onions are translucent.  Finely chop the chipotle peppers and add to pot, stir.  Let peppers cook in for five minutes, then add your tomatoes, all four cans.  Add two cups vegetable broth, simmer for twenty minutes.  At this point I add a slurry of flour and vegetable stock (1 tablespoon flour and just enought liquid to make it watery not powerdery) to thicken the soup, this is not necessary but I like my tomato soup thick as opposed to watery.  If you add the slurry stir in slowly, then bring soup to a boil for three minutes to remove the flour taste.  Let simmer on low heat until your almost ready to serve, then add your cream.  Enjoy!!!


Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Sourdough bread cut into 3/4 inch slices
Onion and chive cream cheese
1 slice medium chedder
1 slice horseradish chedder
1 slice smoked gouda
room temperature butter

Other ingredients to add to the base of the sandwich: bacon, tomato slices, beef brisket, or whatever sounds good to you.

Explaining the steps to making a grilled cheese sandwich is more difficult than it seems, but here we go anyway...The cream cheese is spread thinly on the inside of both slices of bread, the slices of cheese also go inside the sandwich.  Close the sandwich and butter the top of the sandwich. Place buttered side down in a hot pan (medium heat, any hotter and the bread will burn not toast).  Butter the top part of the sandwich while it's in the pan, so you don't make a mess of your counters.  Once the bread is toasted on both sides (time differs so you have to watch it closely or it will burn) open the sandwich back up and place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is melted.  Carefully close the sandwich, it is VERY hot and will burn your hands.  Now sit down on the couch, put on a good movie and enjoy a piece of childhood!  Eat up!!!

A not so healthy, healthy sandwich

I have always loved sandwiches, there are so many options to choose from, the Philly Cheesesteak, the Reuben, the BLT and my new sandwich....the BAGO. Thats right BAGO. The delicious, sweet and spicy, cold, refreshing, and surprisingly light BAGO. The name might need some work...but the sandwich is PERFECT!!! The best thing about this sandwich is that it works in so many different situations. It is perfect for brunches, as an appetizer at dinner/cocktail parties, or for a great light lunch before a big dinner. The sandwich contains Bacon, Apple, Goat cheese, and Onion...hence the lame name. My favorite part, besides the taste, is that you can do all the prep and cooking for the sandwiches hours in advance, because this is a cold sandwich.



BAGO Sandwich

2 Sweet yellow onions
3 Fuji Apples (I like Fuji, but really any apple would do)
12 pieces of thick cut applewood smoked bacon
6 ounces of fresh goat cheese, crumbled (I crumble my own, the pre-crumbled has a different texture)
Croissants (I prefer the mini-croissants, it makes for a smaller easier to eat sandwich, hawaiian sweet rolls would work also)
Mayonnaise
Sriracha (chili sauce)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil

Slice your onions in half, after removing the top and bottom, remove skin.  Cut 1/8 inch strips from the top down to the bottom.  Make sure you break apart the pieces so you have individual strips.   Place a large saute pan on the stove top on medium heat, allow the pan to become hot.  Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, then add your onions.  If all your onions don't fit, that is ok!  You can just do it in two batches, just don't overcrowd your pan.  Season the onions with salt and pepper, toss in pan.  Cook for 20-30 minutes until brown and soft, you are looking for an almost jelly-like consistency.  If this hasn't happened yet, cook longer.  Remove carmalized onions from pan and put in a bowl, refridgerate.

Take your bacon out of the package and cut all strips in half.  Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat, once it's hot add the bacon strips a few at a time.  Watch your bacon closely, remove before it is completely cook because it will continue cooking once you remove it from the pan.  Do not throw out the bacon grease in between cooking the bacon, just put the new pieces in the grease.  I know this doesn't seem very healthy, and it shouldn't, because it is NOT.  However, it is the best way to cook bacon!!! Place the bacon in a paper towel lined bowl, allow to cool on the counter, once its completely cooled down, you may refridgerate it.

 



(Yes, this is a picture of pan fried bacon.  Enjoy it.) 

Core your apples, cut in half vertically.  Cut apples into 1/8 inch slices.  If your cutting your apples in advance place them in a bowl of water with lemon/lime juice.  This should stop them from browning, refridgerate them.

Just before service take a little mayo and mix it into cold onions, this will allow the onions to stay in place on the sandwich.  Take a cup of mayo in a bowl and add your salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your taste.  Do the same with the Sriracha, if you add too much of anything its ok...just add more mayo. As always you should be checking the tastes of your food every chance you get.  You are now ready to eat!  To assemble shmear the onions on the bottom bread, top with the apple slices, put the mayo on the top bun, sprinkle the goat cheese on the mayo, and top with bacon.  I had these sandwiches last night with my wife, but sitting here writing this recipe out it looks like I better run to the store again...Eat Up!!!

Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Today we are going to discuss the greatness that is a lettuce wrap!  The thing I love about lettuce wraps is you feel like your eating a guilty pleasure, but if your prepare it correctly it can be a healthy treat!  I'm not saying that adding pork belly or braised spare ribs wouldn't be delicious, and if you have an extra eight hours in your day then maybe you want to go that route.  However, I'm looking for a much quicker prep time :).  Today I am making the recipe that I have always loved, but that's the great thing about lettuce wraps, they are a vessel to carry the ingredients you love the most so don't be afraid to get creative.  Think of them as the Asian Taco, anything goes (except sauerkraut, I promise)!!

Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

1. 2 cups defrosted pre-cooked shrimp, chopped
2. 1 head of iceburg lettuce, cut in half, then pull leaves apart to make cups.
3. 1 carrot, peeled.  After removing outer skin of carrot, continue peeling the carrot to make thin strips.
4. 1/2 cup of shredded purple cabbage
5. 1/3 cup of diced yellow onions
6. 1/4 teaspoon diced garlic
7. 2 tablespoons peanut oil
8. 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
9. 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
10. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11. 1/2 cup veggie broth
12. 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
13. 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
14. 1/4 teaspoon thyme

(Other great toppers could include peanuts, beets, radish slices, or crispy wonton strips)

Sauce
Put the oils in a large bowl, add mustard and mix together.  Whisk in slowly your soy sauce and veggie broth. Add onions, garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Mix well, then add the honey.  At this point you should taste the sauce, if its too spicy, add honey.  Not spicy enough, add more red pepper flakes.  If it tastes salty, spicy and delicious...and it should, then put sauce in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 min.  the mixture will reduce by about a 1/3.  Remove sauce from pot and set aside.  Take a 1/3 of a cup of the hot sauce and return to pan.  Add shrimp and cook until heated through.  The shrimp will absorb some of the sauce, this is a very good thing!!! The remaining sauce can be used for dipping or saved for a salad dressing later in the week.  You can also use sriracha as a SPICY sauce, or teriyaki sauce for a sweeter dipper. 

You are ready to assemble your own wrap at this point.  I recommend setting the table with all your toppings separate and letting you and your friends, family, moderate acquaintances, or mail man create their own. Hey, I don't know how many friends you have...

This is a great meal to make for movie night or during a football game.  The prep is super easy and the cook time is less then 7 minutes!!! Eat Up!!!

Hey Everybody!!!  Matthew Denman here, giving a blog a shot to spread some knowledge about my first love, Food!!!  I have a degree in culinary arts from le Cordon Bleu and have worked in restaurants for what feels like my whole life.  I have found that most people work all day and come home to eat a crappy, tastleless, health-less "meal".  It is my goal to share recipes that don't take all day and don't require a degree to make.  The Quick Gourmet will provide a way to cook delicious healthy meals for you and your family.  Eat Up!!!