Grilled Shrimp with Turmeric Ginger Sauce

Mood: Labyrinthine
Listening to: The Police :: Don't Stand So Close To Me

Here's another quick take on a recipe I saw that looked pretty simple and delicious. You'll need a grill and a food processor, but the whole recipe shoul only take you about 30 mins from start to finish. It's always been easier to marinate shrimp pretty quickly compared to other meats. This recipe only requires you to marinate the shrimp for even 10 mins just to get the flavors to be infused.

Ingredients: 8 garlic cloves 1 3" piece of ginger, peeled 1/3 cup of orange juice 1/3 cup of lime juice 1 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp of vinegar 1/3 cup of vegetable oil 1/2 tsp. of turmeric 1.5 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined canola spray (or oil) salt and pepper

Preparation: Serves 4

Prep the grill on medium heat

In a food processor, pulse the garlic,lime and orange juice, sugar, vinegar and turmeric until smooth. then pour in the oil

Pour 1/2 of the sauce in separate bowl and season with salt and pepper and set aside. Remaining sauce should poured into a bowl with the shrimp. Toss to coat.

Spray canola oil or oil the grill grate and arrange the shrimp on the grill until they are bright pink with some grill marks, which should only be 1-2 mins per side.

Serve with rice, place shrimp on top and top with the turmeric sauce

Panko Crusted Salmon w/ Roasted Cauliflower

Mood: Insouciant
Listening to: U2 :: Where the Streets Have No Name

We've improvised off a recipe that we got from Blue Apron a few years back. While most of the recipes were subpar, there were a few standouts, even though I seriously question the audience that they create the recipes for. They claim it takes 15 minutes at times to wash, chop and prepare 5-6 different sets of veggies and that their dishes take less than an hour, which I disagree with for the most part.

But I digress... I took what they had and made it simple so that prep work work should only be 10 mins for both parts of this dish.

For presentation, we have put some of Trader Joe's Zhoug Sauce, which is amazing if you haven't tried.

Ingredients: salmon, any kind (cut into 4 2 in. filets) 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/4 cup dijon mustard head of cauliflowers, cut into florets olive oil 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp cayenne pepper salt and ground black pepper

Preparation: Serves 4

Preheat oven to 450°

Spray a baking sheet with canola oil

In a medium bowl, cut cauliflower into small/medium size florets. Drizzle with olive oil and cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and toss to coat

Spread cauliflower on to baking sheet and put in oven for 20 minutes, until lightly browned; when the cauliflower is almost done, put on broil for 3 minutes

Pat salmon dry with paper towels, place on to baking sheet and season lightly with salt and pepper

Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on to the top of the salmon and top with a light layer of panko breadcrumbs

Once cauliflower is done, put salmon in oven for 8-10 minutes or until panko is lightly browned

Serve with Lemon and enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp Tostadas w/ Red Cabbage Slaw and Guacamole

Mood: Lackadaisical
Listening to: Phil Collins :: I Don't Care Anymore

It's been 6 years since I posted anything on this blog and a lot has changed... marriage, new job, house, dog, kid, global pandemic. So, there's lot of cooking happening in houses everywhere and the fact that everyone is locked down and trying to validate their sanity, it seemed like a good time to attempt a reboot of sorts. Now honestly, who knows if I still have the time or the patience for this, but cooking is still fun, so I thought I would try to lighten the mood and share some riffs of recipes that we've been inspired by in our house. Hope that you'll find something new to try out while we all wait out this madness.

Ingredients: 8 6" corn tortillas canola oil 3 avocados 8 tbsp. lime juice (divided) 3 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro 1 tbsp. cumin powder 1/2 red onion, diced 1 serrano pepper, diced

1 tsp. cayenne 1/4 cup EVOO, divided 18 medium/large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage 1 large carrot, shredded Lime wedges and Cilantro leaves for garnish, taste salt and ground black pepper

Preparation: Serves 8

Preheat oven to 400°

Spray 2 baking sheets with canola oil and place 4 tortillas on each. Spray the top of the tortillas with more canola oil and bake until golden brown and crisp, around 6-8 mins

In a medium bowl, mash avocados and mix in 4 tbsp. of lime juice, red onion, serrano and cilantro to make the guacamole. Season with salt and pepper

In a large bowl, mix cayenne, cumin, 2 tbsp. lime juice and 2 tbsp. EVOO. Add shrimp, salt and pepper and toss to coat

Grill shrimp over medium-high heat for 3 mins per side or until light pink

In a small bowl, mix cabbage, carrot and remaining lime juice/EVOO

Put tortillas on plate, spread guacamole and top with 3 shrimp each, slaw and cilantro leaves with lime wedge

Enjoy!

turkey stuffed manicotti

mood: opprobrious
listening to: lorde :: glory and gore/team

instead of making excuses for not making something for a while, i'm just going to post the recipe. it's a meat-flavoured take on ricotta stuffed pasta shells, except instead of cheese stuffed into the shells, i used turkey meat.

Ingredients: 1 lb. turkey meat 1/2 yellow onion, diced i package of manicotti shells 2 tbsp. dried basil 2 tbsp. dried oregano 1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. ground black peppercorns 1 tsp. chili powder 24 oz. spaghettic sauce 6 garlic cloves, minced 12 oz. shredded mozarella cheese 2 tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
- pour olive oil into sauce pan and add onion. cook until slightly translucent and then remove from pan
- add turkey meat to pan and cook until meat is browned
- drain meat and add onion, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and chili powder
- add 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce to the meat mixture, mix thoroughly and set aside
- boil 4 quarts of water in a separate pot and add manicotti shells
- drain pot and let manicotti noodles cool
- preheat oven to 425
- in a 9x13 dish, coat with olive oil and a light layer of spaghetti sauce
- begin to pack the manicotti with the meat mixture and then place into the dish
- once dish is filled with all the stuffed shells, cover with mozarella
- put foil over dish and place in oven for 20 mins.

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4 people.

boneless tandoori chicken

mood: semiotic
listening to: front line assembly :: ghosts/heartquake

ever since i began this blog, people have been asking me to create indian dishes and there is one in particular that people have asked for. well, thanks in large part to my father-in-law, it's finally here. we started with the base recipe that he provided and amped it up with some zing! this is simple, tasty and just required a little bit of preparation, but it's guaranteed to put a smile on anyone's face... especially those of you who've been asking for something like this.

Ingredients: 2 lbs. chicken breast tenders, in halves 1 lg tub of yogurt 1/2 red onion, minced 1/2 bunch of cilantro, minced 7-8 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp. of salt

4 tbsp. tandoori masala powder 1 tbsp. paprika 1 tbsp. turmeric powder 1 tbsp. ginger root, minced t tbsp. chili powder 2 tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
- slice onion and cilantro and blend into puree
- combine onion/cilantro puree with yogurt, garlic, ginger, tandoor masala, paprika, turmeric, chili, olive oil and salt into large bowl
- place chicken into yogurt marinade and pierce with a fork. let chicken marinate for 5-6 hours, piercing with fork every 2 hours
- after marination, heat up the barbeque and grill chicken pieces
- serve with lemon, juiced over chicken and with rice and yogurt

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4 people.

aloo bhaji (batata bhaji)

mood: vituperative
listening to: blut aus nord :: epitome xvi/epitome xvii

after an eight month lag that is attributed to laziness, i'm posting a recipe from my childhood. this was such a great dish growing up and there were so many different ways to make it and all kinds of vegetables that could be added to it. i made an aloo gobi last year which had cauliflower added and this time i added some peas to add some color. it's very easy to make and to adapt to your own taste and you can eat it with naan, tortillas or just plain rice.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. of olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 tsp. of asafoetida 1 tbsp. of ground cumin 1 tsp. of turmeric 1 tbsp. of salt

1 tbsp. of amchoor (dried mango) powder 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 tbsp. of ground coriander 1 tsp. of mustard seeds 2 cups of frozen peas 1 tbsp. of gochugaru (korean red chili powder)

Preparation:
- heat oil in large skillet
- on medium heat, add mustard seeds and asafoetida and let simmer for 1 minute
- add in onion and stir until the onion becomes translucent
- add in turmeric, cumin, coriander, amchoor and mix for another minute
- add in potatoes and salt and stir then cover for 5-10 minutes
- add in gochugaru and peas and stir, then cover again for 5 minutes
- keep stirring until potatoes become slightly soft

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4 people.

channa masala

mood: heterodoxic
listening to: the naked and famous :: punching in a dream/young blood

a few people have been asking me to make add some indian dishes to the blog and while i have 1 or 2 up, i have been slacking for sure. i have been recently experimenting with a few new dishes and so there are more to come in the near future. for now, this dish is a staple and usually a go to every time i eat out at an indian restaurant. it's always been delicious and i always wondering what it would be like to try making it myself. it's a fairly simple recipe that requires a lot of different spices, so you will most likely have to get to an indian market before trying it out.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. of canola oil 1 large onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp. of ground coriander 1 tbsp. of ground cumin 2 tsp. of cayenne powder 1 tsp. of turmeric 5 roma tomatoes, diced 1 cup of water 2 15 oz. cans of garbanzo beans, drained

1 tbsp. cumin seeds 1 tbsp. of amchoor (dried mango) powder 2 tsp. of paprika 1 tsp. of garam masala 1 tbsp. of salt 1/2 lemon, juiced 2 green chili peppers, minced 2 tsp. of ginger, minced 2 tbsp. of chili powder

Preparation:
- heat oil in large skillet
- on medium heat, add garlic and onion and sauté until slightly brown
- on medium-low heat, add coriander, ground cumin, cayenne powder and turmeric
- after stirring for a minute, add in tomatoes and cook until slightly brown
- add in garbanzo beans and water and cook covered for 5 minutes
- add in cumin seeds, amchoor powder, paprika, garam masala, salt and lemon juice then stir and cover for another 10 minutes
- add in chili powder, chili peppers and ginger and stir and cover for 5 more minutes

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4-6 people.

slow cooked beef chili

mood: punctilious
listening to: jk flesh :: devoured/earthmover

so, if you look back over the course of this blog, the first recipe i ever did was chili, but i admit to myself now that i cheated when i made it that time. i used a chili seasoning packet, which i'm extremely mad that i did now, so i decided to retry this dish without any mix packets and use a slow cooker that i was given as a gift. this slow cooker made this one of the easiest things that i've ever made and allows for a lot of creativity.

Ingredients: 2 15 oz. cans of red beans, drained 2 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce 6 oz. can of tomato paste yellow bell pepper, diced red bell pepper, diced 4 roma tomatoes, diced 2 jalapeno peppers, diced 2 lbs. ground beef, cooked and drained medium onion, diced 1/4 cup of cilantro, diced

6 large garlic cloves, sliced 1 tsp. of cumin 1 tsp. of coriander 2 tsp. of chili powder 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup of white vinegar 3 tsp. salt

Preparation:
- slice and dice all vegetables and place into a slow cooker
- pour beans, tomato sauce and paste as well as spices into slow cooker
- brown meat, drain and put into slow cooker
- cook on low heat for 6 hours, mixing every once in a while.

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 6-8 people.

kung pao tofu and shrimp

mood: contumelious
listening to: animals as leaders :: tempting time/the price of everything and the value of nothing

i've always loved kung pao chicken... i mean who doesn't. i've tried kung pao beef and pork before, but it just didn't compare. pf changs introduced me to kung pao scallops which are amazing, but i wanted to see if there was a way to infuse something different that i hadn't seen before. i decided to try working with tofu as i've done some stuff with it before, but it's never quite come out the way that i've wanted. the same can be said for shrimp, but one thing that i saw in the store that i've never used before was bok choy. i have to say that i'm a fan and going to finding some more uses for it in the future.

Ingredients: 2 bok choy, stem cut off and rinsed 1 red bell pepper, long slices 1 orange bell pepper, long slices 1/2 medium onion, long slices 4 green onions, sliced 1 tbsp of fresh ginger, minced 4 large garlic cloves, sliced 1 small can of water chestnuts 4 tbsp of cilantro, diced pinch of fennel handful of peanuts 3 tbsp of canola oil sriracha sauce salt

Marinade: 2 tbsp white cooking wine 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with water extra firm tofu, 1 in. cubes cooked/peeled shrimp, tails removed Kung Pao Sauce: 3 tbsp white cooking wine 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp sesame oil 3 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with water 3 tbsp distilled white vinegar 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp of garlic chili paste

Marinade Preparation:
- mix cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch/water mixture together
- put tofu and shrimp in a medium size bowl and coat with marinade
- mix all items, cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes

Kung Pao Sauce Preparation:
- mix cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, brown sugar, chili paste and cornstarch/water mixture together and set aside.

Main Dish Preparation:
- preheat oven to 350°
- cut bottom stem off bok choy and rinse under water
- remove tofu from bowl with slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet
- place tofu into oven for 10-12 minutes
- remove shrimp and put into a pan and cook on medium-low heat
- in a large wok, heat canola oil and fennel seed on medium
- add in garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds
- add in peppers, onions, bok choy, water chestnuts and cilantro and cook for a few minutes
- pour in kung pao sauce and peanuts and then add in baked tofu (which should be slightly browned) and shrimp and mix together
- cook and mix for another 5 minutes
- add salt for taste and serve with brown rice

black bean and guacamole sandwich

mood: redolent
listening to: orbital :: never/wonky

this is a really simple and healthy dish to make. i was looking around for something different and found this recipe online, but they referred to this as 'torta' which doesn't really make sense as this preparation uses a baguette and the majority of places say that a torta is a circular bread that is not similar to bread. anyhoo, enough of this breadology 101. this recipe takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish and can be used as a simple snack or as part of a meal. this dish can be served warm or cold and i, of course, added in some of my own ingredients to jazz it up.

Ingredients: 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1/8 cup of salsa 1 serrano pepper, diced i tsp of ground cumin 1/4 cup of minced cilantro 3 gloves of garlic, minced

1/4 small onion, diced 1 avocado, pitted 1 lime, cut in half and juiced 1 baguette, cut in quarters 2 cups of shredded cabbage

Preparation:
- first, canned black beans contain a lot of sodium, so to reduce this, run the beans under water.
- in a medium size bowl, mash the black beans, salsa, pepper, cumin and garlic together.
- in a separate bowl, mash the avocado, lime juice, cilantro and onion together.
- remove the soft bread from the bread pieces.
- if you choose, you can warm up the black bean mixture or you can spread it directly on one side of the bread. spread the guacamole mixture on the other side.
- lay some of the shredded cabbage on top and put the sandwich together and enjoy.

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4 sandwiches.

aloo gobi

mood: chimerical
listening to: high on fire :: serums of liao/fertile green

happy 2012! i just noticed that that's what i lead off my last posting with, so i guess i'm doing better than last year! i finally feel comfortable posting this dish which i've been working on in some form or another for the past few months. for all of you who keep asking for some indian recipes, i'm obliging once again and i'll say that this is the first of many that will be appearing here, cause i finally feel comfortable cooking my heritage food. this is a simple healthy dish and is full on vegetarian, which is pretty standard for the majority of dishes from my parent's home state.

Ingredients: 3 tbsp canola oil 2 pinches of asafoetida 1 pinch of mustard seeds 1 pinch of cumin seeds 1 small onion, diced 2 thai chilis, sliced 1/2 tsp of ginger paste 2 tsps of ground coriander 1/2 tsp of chili powder

2 pinches of paprika 1/2 tsp of turmeric 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp of garam masala 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets 1/2 tsp of garlic paste salt (seasoned to taste)

Preparation:
- in large pot, heat 3 tbsp of canola oil on medium-high. add in mustard and cumin seed and asafoetida and heat until seeds begin to pop.
- stir in onion and heat until slightly brown.
- reduce heat to medium and add in thai chilis and ginger paste and fry for 1 minute.
- add in paprika, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne pepper and ground coriander and stir till you can smell the aroma.
- add in potatoes, stir and then cover for 5-10 minutes.
- add in cauliflower and salt and cover for another 15 minutes.
- continue to stir until slightly brown and potatoes and cauliflower is tender.

serve with rice and naan or tortilla.

arroz con pollo

mood: phlegmatic
listening to: sleigh bells :: tell 'em/infinity guitars

happy 2011! ha ha, it's been a long time. while it's september and this is the first time i'm posting anything, i've been making some new dishes. for whatever reason, i haven't been taking pictures and i'm been hella lazy. in any case, this is a dish that i got to try while in costa rica and it's got some crazy flavor. you can adjust the measurements as you like as it is a pretty simple recipe to make. i even made the dish into a formation of a volcano with lava coming out of it... just like they did it in CR.

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts 1/2 red onion, sliced 1 green pepper, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups brown rice 1 lime, squeezed 14 oz can chicken broth	1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin 3 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup white wine 1 ham steak, cubed

Preparation:
- slice chicken breasts into 1 in. cubes and the sprinkle pepper, salt, cumin and paprika over top
- heat oil at medium heat and then put chicken into saucepan. cook until chicken is light brown
- add in sliced green pepper, onion, ham steak and garlic into saucepan
- cook for a few minutes and then add brown rice, chicken broth and wine and stir
- cover the saucepan for about 20 mins on medium heat, stirring occasionally

cilantro and garlic infused salsa

mood: catalytical
listening to: meat beat manifesto :: luminol/mnemonic

the slacker in me has come out again, but this time it was due to a lack of creativity. i couldn't think of anything to make and nothing sounded inspiring. there are a ton of recipes that i've wanted to try out that my father is quite the proficient master at, but i needed to know a little more about the creation process. finally, i have some insight into a fantastic one and i'm re-purposing it, courtesy of pops.

this salsa is not for the meek... it's easy to make, inspires creativity and is fully customizable to your tastes!

Ingredients: 2 cans, tomatoes 2 bunches of green onion, sliced 1.5 bunches of cilantro, sliced 8 large garlic cloves, sliced	8 thai chilis, sliced lemon juice chili powder salt

Preparation:
- after all vegetables are sliced, begin to mince tomatoes by hand in a large bowl, leave juice in can.
- add in cilantro, green onions, garlic and chilis, mix ingredients together by hand.
- add lemon juice, salt and chili powder to taste

costa rican gallo pinto (rice and beans)

mood: galvanized
listening to: front line assembly :: angriff/release/pressure wave

so it's been a long while since i've posted anything and since i'd even cooked anything. bit of lost inspiration, coupled with summertime activities and some travel and accounted for the massive timesuck. it's like a vortex where time just spirals away... but none the less, on a recent trip to costa rica, i was introduced to a new and beautful treat by the name of lizano. if you've heard of this stuff, you know what i'm talking about it. it's got a nice tangy zesty flavor that's not spicy and it just gives everything a little added kick. i've officially dubbed this as the national condiment of costa rica.

and with this loveliness comes a new and extremely easy dish to make. the costa rican's call this "gallo pinto," but we know it better as rice and beans. they literally eat it for all meals of the day and i totally understand why. it's delicious... even when i make it. it doesn't take a lot and it's a real easy dish to make.

Ingredients: 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 6 green onion stalks, sliced 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 can, black beans 2 cups, cooked brown rice cilantro

1 tsp, ground fennel 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp, cumin dashes of worcestershire sauce 2 tsps, hot sauce 6 tbsp, lizano sauce canola oil

Preparation:
- cook 2 cups of brown rice and set aside.
- heat canola oil in a skillet on medium heat and adding peppers and onions. stir until soft then add the fennel, cumin and garlic.
- add in beans, undrained, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and 2 tbsps of lizano sauce and stir on medium.
- transfer bean/pepper mixture into a large pot and add in rice and mix. add 4 tbsp of lizano and salt, as desired.
- sprinkle cilantro leaves on top and serve.

mexi-turkey pasta salad

mood: asphyxiated
listening to: the blood of heroes :: chains/salute to the jugger

as i've been working on different culinary masterpieces and some not-so-masterpieces, i realized that almost everything if not all of the things that i've posted here have been warm recipes. well, i decided to change things up with a recipe that could be either warm or cold, but personally... it takes a lot better cold. this is meant to be an appetizer and something to be shared by many people. it's easy, rather quick and can be adjusted to your particular fancy.

Ingredients: 16 oz. of fusilli pasta 1 tbsp, olive oil 1.25 lbs, ground turkey taco seasoning mix 24 oz. jar of salsa 8 oz. bottle of ranch dressing

1 green pepper, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 8 green onions, chopped 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced sm. can of black olives, sliced 8 oz. of cheddar cheese

Preparation:
- in large pot, add 12 cups of water, olive oil and bring to a bowl on med-high heat; when boiling, add in fusilli and cook pasta till malleable
- in a separate pan, brown turkey meat and drain; add in taco seasoning mix; set aside and let cool
- in a large bowl, mix together salsa, ranch dressing, green onions, green/red/jalapeno peppers, cheddar cheese and olives
- when pasta is ready, drain and put pasta under cold water
- stuff cheese mixture into shells and set aside
- in large bowl or pan, mix together salsa mixture, turkey meat and pasta
- cover and place in refrigerator for an hour before serving

stuffed pasta shells with ricotta cheese

mood: perspicacious
listening to: high on fire :: snakes for the divine/frost hammer

i have to admit that i've lost some motivation to cook lately, mostly due to the fact that nothing i've seen or thought of has been intriguing enough for me to try my hand at and therefore, the long delay. a friend made this dish a while back and it was so good, i decided that i would try my hand at it. this might be the first time where i didn't go overboard with injecting all kinds of spices and extra ingredients into something that doesn't need a whole lot to give it some flair.

Ingredients: 16 oz., jumbo pasta shells 32 oz., ricotta cheese 2 eggs, beaten 2 garlic cloves, minced 12 oz., shredded mozzarella cheese

dried basil dried oregano dried parsley 8 oz., shredded parmesan cheese 26 oz., spaghetti sauce

Preparation:
- in large pot, add 12 cups of water, olive oil and bring to a bowl on med-high heat
- in a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, eggs, garlic, 1 tbsp of parsley, basil and oregano and stir evenly
- add shells to large pot and cook till shells become malleable
- remove shells, drain and place shells in cold water
- stuff cheese mixture into shells and set aside
- in separate pot, combine spaghetti sauce and 3 tbsps of parsley, oregano and basil on medium-heat
- preheat oven to 350°
- grease a casserole pan and put light layer of spaghetti sauce on bottom
- spread shells close together and facing up
- sprinkle parmesan cheese and remaining sauce on top
- place in oven for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly
- serve with garlic bread, a nice pinot noir and a salad for a full meal

garlic shrimp pasta

mood: vitiated
listening to: health :: in heat/die slow

my slacking this time is completely warranted as i have moved now for the 3rd time in 3 years. hopefully, i like this place enough this time to not move next year around this time. anyways, with that said, get read to see a new background in the dish pictures. my means are a little bit antiquated, but i think that it actually makes for a home-ier feel to everything. while i've been unpacking, i've been trying to find some decent with a garlic tinge to it. as always, i've altered something that i found with my own bit of culinary flair.

Ingredients: angel hair pasta 1 sm can, sliced olives red bell pepper, sliced orange bell pepper, sliced 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 in. ginger, minced 2 tbsp, margarine 2 tsp, ground fennel 2 tsp, ground coriander

salt, pinches 2 tsp, olive oil 1 lb cooked med. shrimp, peeled 2.5 tbsp corn starch 4 tbsp, cold water 1/2 can chicken broth 1 cup, fresh parsley, chopped 1 cup, fresh basil, chopped 3 tsp, lemon juice chili powder, pinch

Preparation:
- in large pot, add 12 cups of water and olive oil and bring to a bowl on med-high heat
- add noodles and reduce heat to medium
- in medium pan, heat margarine and add ginger, garlic, coriander and fennel on medium heat; stir for 2-3 mins
- add in peppers, olives, broth and half the amounts of parsley and basil; continue stirring
- in small bowl, mix up corn starch and water until smooth and add in to pan
- reduce heat to medium-low and add in shrimp, salt, chili powder and lemon juice; stir
- remove heat and add rest of parsley and basil
- drain pasta, serve portion and add shrimp mixture over top

low-carb turkey tacos

mood: dissectional
listening to: russian circles :: enter/new macabre

the slacker in me took over again, although this time, it wasn't completely my fault! this work thing keeps getting in the way and it removes every ounce of motivation or energy that i normally have and pushes me in the direction of the kitchen. also, i hadn't found anything that sounded the least bit exciting and i couldn't come up with any alterations of old favorites and so the blog went unattended.

but... i had a stroke of genius this weekend with the extra time off. initially, this was to be a low-carb version of tacos, but as the recipe began to take shape, it began to resemble more of a mexican version of chinese lettuce wraps. either way, they are good and this is a meal that could be a dinner or a tangy appetizer.

Ingredients: canola oil ginger, minced lg garlic clove, diced cracked peppercorns 4 green onions, chopped 2 jalapenos, chopped red pepper, chopped turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp 1 lb ground turkey

taco seasoning ground coriander, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp 1 cup water 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp white vinegar splashes of hot sauce lettuce guacamole salsa

Preparation:
- in large pan, add canola oil and sauteé ginger, garlic, onions, both peppers, turmeric and paprika for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat
- remove and set aside
- cook ground turkey till meat is whitish color
- add seasoning, coriander, garam masala, worcestershire sauce and vinegar
- add water and hot sauce to desired preference, so that all seasoning is mixed thoroughly
- peel layers off lettuce head and cut to desired size
- add meat, guacamole and salsa

i don't know which one sounds more appealing, but if you have a thought... let me know, i'm open to changing up titles

"balls to the walls" pesto chicken pasta

mood: mystified
listening to: flying lotus :: beginners falafel/melt!/gng bng

first off... i cannot take credit for the name of this recipe. i was experimenting in the kitchen, throwing some ingredients together, and when it was finished, i had a hard time coming up with a name. one person suggested 'balsamic pesto chicken pasta', which is great, but someone else blurted out this name which was too good to be true and there is the etymology of the dish name.

this is relatively easy dish to make, which came out very tangy and the marinade held quite well in the chicken. you may want to use more pesto than i did. i purposely used less, because it can get overwhelming and the amount i used was perfect for me.

one note: because it's warm out here, i was able to use the grill. if you live in a cold weather climate, the possibility of this may be less likely.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
balsamic vinegar
garlic powder, sprinkle
worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
green onions, sliced
1 small jar of pesto
artichoke hearts
whole grain rotini pasta

Preparation:
- in a bowl, marinate chicken in worcesteshire and balsamic mixture with garlic powder sprinkled over top, overnight
- once marination is complete, cook on grill till you have some good grill lines on chicken
- in a large pot, bring water to a boil and add in pasta on medium heat
- in a saucepan, add garlic cloves and green onions and cook till slightly brown
- add in pesto sauce and artichoke hearts
- when chicken is done, cut into pieces and add to pesto mixture
- serve mixture over top of pasta

you could just as easily marinate it in italian dressing as well.

breakfast burrito

mood: dauntless
listening to: mudvayne :: closer/heard it all before

happy new year to all! one of my resolutions was to attempt some more easy and difficult recipes, so we'll see how close i come to carrying that out.

not sure what your situations were on new year's day, but this guy was quite hungover and in need of something delicious to put me back to sleep/remove the hangover. i decided to make a simple, yet tasty little morning treat to get my 2010 off to the right start. this is a healthier, non-mcdonalds based dish that anyone can make!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
splash of milk
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 ham steak
pinch, paprika
pinch, cumin
pinch, garlic powder
shredded cheddar cheese
hot sauce
tortilla
light sour cream

Preparation:
- crack eggs, add milk, onion, ham, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and mix
- grease a nonstick pan and pour mixture in over medium-high heat
- cook eggs until slightly brown
- on a tortilla, add small layer of sour cream and cover with eggs
- add cheese and hot sauce on top, roll closed... and enjoy!

there are a lot of things that could've been added to make this even more of a masterpiece, but as i said... i was looking for something quick and delicious to douse my hungover a final blow.