Grilled/Smoked Shrimp & Corn Chowder

This soup came to me from a dinner pairing at the Lexington Restaurant here in St. Paul, MN.

It is not their recipe just something I have been fiddling with for a while.

Plan to make this one while you have your grill/smoker all ready cooking with other items.

What you need.

2 TBS butter

2 TBS flour

1 medium red onion

1/2 pound of peeled & diced potatoes

1 tps smoked paprika

1 TBS black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 box of chicken broth

1 bag of frozen corn

1 can of creamed corn

2 cups milk

1 1/2 pounds of shrimp-peeled & tail off

**you will see i do not call for salt. slowly add this into your dish as you cook. too much salt ruins your dish. Also, do this for all herbs and spices.**

Make a Roux with your butter and flour. After three minutes, add your onions cook for a minute or two. Slowly, add 1Cup of broth until it thickens. Continue adding your broth a little at a time until it is all gone.

Add your potatoes. Stir your pot. Do not let the bottom get scorched. When potatoes are half way cooked, puree them with whatever tool you use. I use an immersion blender.

Next add your corn and milk. Are you stirring your mixture? Do not let the bottom get scorched.

Taste your soup continually, add more or less paprika, salt, and pepper as you go along. When you have the chowder tasting as you like, add your cooked shrimp into the mix.

Happy Eating!!

Let me know what you changed or added to make it your own. :)

Grilled Veggies & Freekeh

Meatless Monday-

Roasted/Grilled vegetables is quick, easy, and fun. Plus, it is an excellent way to keep the heat out of the kitchen during the summer. Pick your favorites chop, dice, or leave whole, entirely up to you!

What you need is heavy duty tin foil, or double layer your foil if you do not have heavy duty.

Butter & oil, pinch of salt to release the water in the veggies. Think of this as another way to 'sweat' them.

Grill, Charcoal whatever method you use to start yours. I use the chimney tower.

Washed Golden Beets. Pretty colour.

Pink Banana Squash I picked this beauty up at the Farmer's Market on Thursday. I fell in love with the orange colour of it. Had just a hint of pink.

Everyone's favorite, potato, onion, and carrot.

Served on a bed of Freekeh.

This is something the entire family can make & do if your children are old enough to cut up veggies or they can pick out veggies.

Happy Eating!!

Carrot & Coriander Soup-Lunch

Here is the beginning of you soup. This was sent to me by my In-Laws. Wonderful people who enjoy cooking as much as I do.

What you need are carrots, potatoes, celery, an onion, milk or heavy cream, chicken broth, coriander, black pepper, salt, and butter.

With this soup, I only used three exact measured items.

2 Cups of Whole Milk/Cream

1 32oz Box of Chicken Broth.

2TBS butter

Dice your onion.

Place your butter into your stockpot. Then add your onions 'sweat' until they release their sugars. You will be able to smell this happening and the onions become translucent.

While this is happening chop up your carrots, potatoes, and celery. I used about 5 carrots from the pile in the first photo, about 8 potatoes and cut the celery until I had about 1 Cup.

Put this into the stockpot, add a pinch of Salt, black pepper and Coriander.

Now, you are going to 'sweat' your vegetables. This means, cook them until they release their water. The photo below, shows what it looks like after 15 minutes on a low heat. The potatoes mix the 'sweat' a bit thick.

When you have a nice 'sweat', add your broth and turn the heat up to let it simmer and get your veggies soft and tender, about an hour. Taste while you are cooking and add Coriander as you go along to get the flavor you like.

When your veggies are tender, grab your immersion blender and puree your soup. Or use a food processor or blender. Whatever tool you have. ;)

Add your milk/cream.

Serve and enjoy.

Napa Cabbage Salad

This salad came about due to the fact, I was going to make Napa Cabbage Rolls but that never came to fruition. Instead, I made a tasty salad with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans and a pinch of black pepper and dried basil.

Napa Cabbage comes in large heads so I have made this salad twice this week so nothing gets wilted and slimey.

For the dressing, I made this.

Dressing:

1/3 c. lime juice Rose's or fresh squeezed

3 Tbs. fish sauce

1 Tbs. siracha (to taste)

2 Tbs. Tamarind paste

2 Tbs. Soy sauce

3 Tbs. toasted sesame oil

Make dressing. Place everything in a medium bowl then whisk in sesame oil until well blended.

Simple easy and tasty.

Let me know what you changed to make it your own.

Venison (Beef), Mascarpone, Sundried Tomatoes, and Penne Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

1 8oz cont. Mascarpone cheese

1tps, Lemon Zest

1 Medium Lemon juice or bottled juice is fine also

1/3 cup Sundried Tomatoes

1 Medium Venison Roast or Beef Roast cubed

1 Medium Red Onion-Diced

2 garlic bulbs or 1TBS jar garlic

2 TBS of Olive Oil and 2 TBS butter

1 16oz, 454 gram box of Penne pasta or pasta you prefer.

Have an assortment of herbs to use in this dish. I used red pepper flakes (seeds), basil fresh &dried, oregano, dried mint and coarse black pepper.

Have everything in front of you and Do your prep work in advance.

Heat your pan and put in your olive oil & butter. Why both, because of the high temperature of the pan, they both will burn and leave your dish on the sour side. They work in tandem with each other to prevent that from happening. Turn heat on medium/low or #2 on your electric stove top.

Dice your Red onion and put into pan. While the onions are slowly breaking down. Cube your meat. When done place into the pan along with the garlic. By adding the garlic as one of the last ingredients, there is less chance of it burning. Cook your meat to your desire doneness.

Mix the first four ingredients together in a medium bowl.

While your meat is cooking, get your water boiling and when at a boil add your pasta, cook & drain.

Put your pasta back into the kettle, add your meat and then fold in your cheese and add your herbs. I sometimes put in more sundried tomatoes for more colour.

Dish up & eat.

Let me know what you changed to make it your own!

Happy Cooking.