I love recipes that expand my horizons. This Spicy Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup from Jackie Dodd, for example, is not something that I would normally make on my own. But her recipe looked to enticing that I had to give it a try. Plus there’s a grocery store near me that offers up things like lemongrass and Thai chili, and that sealed the deal.

You’ll need: shrimp, chicken stock, basil, Thai chili, coconut milk, lemon, lemongrass, butter, ginger, garlic, and fish sauce.

Start by removing the outer layers of the lemon grass and slicing it.

Melt some butter or oil or margarine in a pot until it bubbles.

Next slice your chiles. These are green chiles because that is what I could find but Jackie suggests red chiles which are equally wonderful, I’m sure. Depending on your tolerance for heat, you’ll probably want to remove the seeds from these before chopping and adding them to the pot. And be sure not to touch your eyes for a long while afterward and give your hands a good wash. Since I love things super spicy, I left the seeds in. I was testing fate.

Saute it all together in the butter.

Then mince your garlic and ginger. You could leave the garlic a little chunky if you want as well, it adds some texture.

Saute that for a few minutes as well.

Next pour in the stock and simmer for a few minutes.

Then add the coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes more.

Then squeeze a bit of lemon juice for some tang. You can also add some fish sauce here if you’d like. I skipped that step but it would add another dimension of flavor.

Toward the end you’ll add the basil. Tear it up into various sized pieces.

Toss it in and let it stew for a few minutes.

Then toss in the peeled rinsed shrimp.

They will only need a few minutes to cook. In fact, you can turn off the heat shortly after you put them in and let the flavors meld as the shrimp finishes cooking.

This is a magical soup. It is so quick to make and it is refreshing to work with these light and tangy flavors. Thanks so much to Jackie for this recipe! Be sure to check out her website, Domestic Fits, for other delicious concoctions.

Recipe

Spicy Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

by Jackie Dodd on January 11, 2012 in Brothy Soups, Soups
See this recipe post on Jackie Dodd’s site! January 11, 2012

Brothy SoupsSoups

4.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time 10 Minutes

Cook Time 15 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 4

4

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Recipe Description

A warm and delicious soup that is full of immune boosters to help you get through the winter.

Preparation Instructions

In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the margarine. Add the chili and the lemongrass and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the ginger. Stir frequently until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the shrimp is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to your personal preference.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Smart Balance Light Margarine
• 2 teaspoons Chopped Thai Red Chili, Seeds Removed
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemongrass, Chopped
• 6 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger, Peeled And Minced
• 5 cups Fat Free, Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 cans (13.5 Oz. Size) Light Coconut Milk
• 3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 8 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped Into Ribbons
• 16 whole Large Shrimp, Raw, Peeled And Deveined, Tails Off (can Substitute 1 Cup, Chopped Raw Chicken)

 
 
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful books Girl Hunter and Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.

 
Trying to manage a balanced diet is difficult for me. One of the hardest things is to make sure I’m getting enough healthy protein. During a busy day, carbs are usually the quick go-to meal for me, but I’ve found when I focus on getting more good protein during the day I function much better, physically and mentally. I feel more even keel, if you know what I mean.

Enter the frittata. A frittata is a great meal option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s quick like an omelet, and much lighter than its cousin the quiche. And like an omelet or quiche, the frittata flavor combinations are endless. It’s the perfect “clean out the fridge” meal.

For this version I had cheeseburger on the brain, so a Cheeseburger Frittata it was. I added browned ground beef, cheddar, and sautéed onions, but like any burger, build it like you want. Add some bacon, substitute a different cheese, or maybe mushrooms? Yum, mushrooms would be mighty nice.

Also, while a frittata is usually made stovetop in a skillet then finished under the broiler, I baked this one in a pie pan for the whole cook time. I found it gave a lighter texture, and it was easier, no fuss.

Take a second to assess your fridge, see what you have on hand and let’s make a frittata. Let me show you how I made this one.

You’ll need eggs, a little milk, cheese (I used cheddar), browned ground beef, sautéed onions, and seasonings. I used salt, pepper and garlic powder (our favorite hamburger addition). Pretty simple stuff.

Begin by cracking the eggs into a large bowl.

Next add the milk, half of the cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon of each of the seasonings. Beat all together until combined well.

In a pie pan coated well with butter or cooking spray, layer the browned ground beef and sautéed onions. Note: I used a 10″ pie pan, but a 9″ deep dish pie pan would work nicely here and give you a thicker frittata, too. Remember to adjust cook time for different sized dishes.

Pour the egg mixture over the ground beef and onions.

Spread the remaining cheese evenly over the top.

Bake in a 400°F oven for about 15-20 minutes until center is set. Oven temperatures vary so be careful and watch for overcooking.

Slice a piece and serve with a side of fruit for breakfast, or with a salad and/or soup for lunch or dinner. Frittata is flexible like that. Enjoy!

If you have any other frittata combos, please share below in the comments. I’m in a frittata-making mode right now.

Recipe

Cheeseburger Frittata

by missamy on January 10, 2012 in Main Courses
See this recipe post on missamy’s site! January 10, 2012

Main Courses

4.25 Mitt(s) 4 Rating(s)

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Cook Time 30 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 8

8

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Recipe Description

A simple Cheeseburger Frittata for a quick, low-carb cheeseburger meal.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

I used a 10″ pie pan for this recipe, but a 9″ deep dish should work as well. Grease it with some butter or spray it with cooking spray.

Brown the beef in a skillet over medium heat with a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder.

In another skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion with a dash of salt and pepper. Saute until onions are translucent.

Beat together eggs, milk, 1/2 of the shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 teaspoon of salt pepper and garlic powder.

Evenly distribute the browned hamburger on the bottom of the pie pan then top it with the sautéed onions.

Pour the egg mixture over the top of the hamburger and onion. Top that with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes until set. (I used a 10″ pie pan, so adjust cooking time accordingly for a different size of pan.)

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Beef
• ¼ teaspoons Plus Two Dashes Of Salt, Divided
• ¼ teaspoons Plus Two Dashes Of Pepper, Divided
• ¼ teaspoons Plus Two Dashes Of Garlic Powder, Divided
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium-large Onion, Chopped
• 10 whole Large Eggs
• 3 Tablespoons Milk
• 4 ounces, weight Cheddar Cheese, Shredded, Divided
• Optional Additions: Bacon, Sautéed Mushroom, Sliced/diced Tomatoes

 
 
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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.

 
Have you ever had a hushpuppy? A true hushpuppy is a cornmeal-based dough that’s fried into little balls. Sometimes onions and peppers are added, but that’s basically it. Hushpuppies have very strong ties to the American South, like fried dill pickles and fried okra (two more of my favorite fried goodies) and are commonly served as a side dish at seafood restaurants.

Oh, and they’re deliciously addictive. I head straight for these when the competitive BBQ tents go up here in Reno, Nevada. Sorry ribs, I’ll catch you later.

Tasty Kitchen member beachbumwannabe (aren’t we all??) submitted this grease-free version, and I was dying to try it. Baked Hushpuppies are pretty good. They’re not identical to the fried version, but they’re a great, lighter alternative. Plus, they’re a great little dipper for soups and chilis. Or a finger food at a party buffet.

If you happen to be a hushpuppy purist and red flags are going off all over the place, just think of these as mini corn muffins. Ah, better?

First, gather your ingredients. You’ll need cornmeal, flour, an egg, baking powder, salt, cooking oil, milk, an egg, green onions, peppers, and honey.

Grab a medium-sized mixing bowl and toss in the cornmeal and flour. For mine, I used whole wheat pastry flour to add some whole grains. It’s a great replacement for all-purpose flour in things like this because you can’t tell the difference.

Add the baking powder.

And the salt.

Give it a good whisk.

Grab another smaller bowl. Crack the egg into it and shake it up a bit with a fork.

 
 
 

Photo 8

To this, add the oil. I used grapeseed.

And add the milk.

Next, chop the green onion and peppers. The recipe suggested a combination of red bell pepper and jalapeno. I used them, too. I also de-flamed my jalapenos because I have small children, but if you want more heat in these, leave a few seeds in the mix.

Add the green onion to the egg mixture.

You’ll only need about 1/3 cup of chopped peppers, so combine them how you like into a measuring cup. Save the rest for an omelet. Or a frittata.

Add those to the wet mixture, and stir it well.

Add the entire egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture. Give it a whisk, but just until it’s moistened.

Know what? A whisk wasn’t such a great idea. Use a rubber spatula instead.

If you’ve got a mini muffin pan, good for you! Add a tablespoon of dough to each cup. If you’re using a regular muffin pan, add 2-3 tablespoons per cup.

My pan has 24 cups, but I only had enough dough for 21. If you have extra cups, fill them halfway with water. It helps to distribute the heat more evenly on that end of the pan. You wouldn’t want any scorched hushpuppies now.

Bake them for about 8-10 minutes (longer for a regular muffin tin) or until they’re firm and a little golden brown on the sides. Pretty, aren’t they? They’re about to get better, though …

Oh yes. Drizzle honey over the warm hushpuppies. Then pop one in your mouth. (Or five. Don’t judge, I’m pregnant.)

Thank you so much, beachbumwannabe!

Notes:
1. I omitted the sugar in the recipe because I like my cornbread on the savory side, but for these, I think I would add a tablespoon next time.
2. I live in Nevada, and I think because of the dry air, my dough turned out drier than it should have. Add a little more milk if you think your dough may be too dry as well.

Recipe

Baked Hushpuppies

by beachbumwannabe on October 3, 2009 in Appetizers, Snacks October 3, 2009

AppetizersSnacks

4.50 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s)

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Cook Time 15 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 24

24

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Recipe Description

Another great recipe from Grandma Blacknall’s recipe box: baked hushpuppies!

Making a pot of chili for game day? These baked hushpuppies are a great addition to your menu! You can also just add these to a finger food buffet. Everyone will love them!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F.

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl.

Beat egg in a separate bowl.

Finely chop red pepper, jalapeno, and green onions.

Combine all ingredients and stir until moistened.

Spoon about 1 tablespoonful into greased muffin pans. I used a mini muffin pan to make them more finger friendly. Plus, I just love mini anything!

Bake at 425F for 15 to 20 minutes for regular muffin pans and about 8 to 12 minutes for mini muffin pans.

Although I added more sugar than Grandma Blacknall’s recipe called for, I still thought they needed something sweet. So I after I pulled them out of the oven, I spooned a little bit of honey over the top of each hushpuppy while they were cooling in the muffin pans. This was the perfect touch in my opinion, but experiment and find what’s perfect for your family! I also added in the jalapenos to give it a touch of spiciness. I didn’t really notice it too much, but you could leave it out if needed!

Ingredients

• ½ cups Cornmeal
• ½ cups Flour
• 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 6 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Red Pepper & Jalapeno
• ¼ cups Chopped Green Onion
• ⅓ cups Skim Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 24 teaspoons Honey

 
 
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Be sure to check out Natalie’s own beautiful food blog, Perrys’ Plate, where you can see her growing collection of lovely recipes. There’s always something new to see there. Go visit now!

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