Shrimp and Chicken Rice Soup (Khao Tom Kung Lae Kai)

This is a wonderful Thai rice soup!  So yummy and filling; it could easily be your next comfort food.  It is not spicy like other Thai foods. People from Thailand eat this for breakfast with steamed buns or as a late night snack. 

Ingredients:

1/4 lb of raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/4 lb of ground chicken
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
1 coriander root (chopped)
Pepper and salt to taste
1 spring onion (minced)
3 3/4 cups chicken stock
2 tblsp light soy sauce
2 tsp preserved radish (minced) - optional
1 3/4 cup cooked jasmine or basmati rice
1/2 inch ginger root (sliced)
1 Small Chinese cabbage (roughly chopped)

Garnish:
2 Spring onions (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves

Using a blender of food processor, blend coriander root, chopped garlic, salt and pepper.  Blend until it makes a paste.  In a bowl, mix the paste with the ground chicken and minced green onion until well incorporated.  Using wet hands, pinch a small piece of the ground chicken mixture and shaped into a ball.  Do this until all the ground chicken mixture is shaped into small balls.

In a stock pot, heat the chicken broth to boiling.  Add the soy sauce and ginger. Reduce heat to medium and bring to a low boil or simmer.  Add the chicken balls.   Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Add the cooked rice, Chinese cabbage and shrimp.  Cook for another 2 minutes until shrimp is pink and opaque.  Season with salt to taste if necessary.

Serve hot in bowls. Garnish with the spring onions and coriander leaves. These go great with pot stickers.

Piri Piri Shrimp

This is a South African recipe that I have seen on FoodNetwork and several cookbooks.  It looked really good and so I thought I would try it.  There were several variations, so I took bits and pieces of each recipe to come up with this one.  It has a majority of my favorite ingredients (shrimp, garlic, lime and cilantro). Adjust the "heat" with the number of serrano chillies.  One makes it pretty mild.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  It is simple to fix, just a little planning required to allow the shrimp to marinade.

Ingredients:

1 1/2lbs Raw shrimp (remove shells)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tblsp Paprika
Juice of 2 medium size limes
1 tblsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tblsp flour
1-3 serrano chillies
1/3 cup olive oil plus 1 tblsp
1 handful of cilantro (roughly chopped)
Salt to taste

Remove shells from shrimp, pat dry and place shrimp in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Cut serrano chillies in half and with a small spoon remove the seeds and membrane (white stuff that keeps seeds intact.) Do not use your fingers to remove the seeds and membrane.  In a food processor, add the serrano chillies, garlic, paprika, lime juice, sugar and red wine vinegar.  Process until it creates a paste, add the olive oil minus the 1 tablespoon.  Continue to process for another minute.  Pour the marinade over the shrimp and let marinade for 1-2 hours or longer. 

In a skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Remove the shrimp from the marinade and toss with 1 tablespoon of flour.  Mix well.  When oil is heated, cook shrimp in batches until opaque and pink.  Transfer to a clean plate.  Continue cooking all the shrimp.  Sprinkle cooked shrimp with salt and toss with cilantro until mixed. Serve with white rice and enjoy!

Quick Fried Shrimp with Garlic

This is so good. Even my picky hockey player had two helpings.  If you love garlic this is the dish for you.  The spices really compliments the shrimp and you can make it spicy or mild.  Just play around with the amount of chili powder and cayenne.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped garlic (about 2 large heads)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt (more to taste)
Juice of 1 lime
2 tblsp chili powder
1 tblsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne (more to taste)
2lbs medium-large shrimp (shelled and deveined)
3 tblsp cilantro (roughly chopped)
Slices of lime
Salt and pepper

In a small sauce pan add olive oil and garlic.  Using medium heat, cook until garlic is lightly brown.  Add chili powder, paprika and cayenne.  Continue stirring for another minute.  Add the lime juice and continue cooking for another 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl, season the shrimp with salt and pepper.  In a deep frying pan, add 3 tablespoon of the oil (make sure you do not include the garlic) from the sauce pan. Make sure pan is hot, add 4-5 pieces of shrimp.  Quick fry the shrimp in batches for about 3-4 minutes.  When shrimp is pink and opaque, transfer to a bowl.  Continue to add the oil from the sauce pan without the garlic while cooking the shrimp in batches until all the shrimp is done.  Strain the garlic from the sauce pan and add to the cooked shrimp.  Add the chopped cilantro to the shrimp. Toss shrimp, garlic and cilantro until it well mixed.  Season with salt and pepper if needed.  Serve with slices of lime and your favorite rice (i.e. Spanish, Cilantro lime etc.)

Cuban Chicken with Chorizo and Rice

Don't let the long ingredients list scare you. Remember, you are making an entire meal in one dish.  The dish will be prepared in stages which makes it more manageable, marinading the chicken first, then preparing the rice. I tried it with andouille sausage for some interest and WOW! It was great. The andouille sausage gave the rice a nice bite. Do not use Mexican chorizo. The spices will overpower and not mix well with the other seasonings.  We had leftovers, and this was even better the next day. 

Ingredients for the chicken:

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (or key lime juice)

1/3 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

3 tblsp olive oil

1 tsp thyme

2 tblsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp allspice

Salt and pepper

4lbs chicken pieces

Combine all the ingredients above except for the chicken. Whisk until thoroughly mixed. place chicken pieces in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade. Seal the bag and rub marinade around chicken. Place in refrigerator and allow to marinade for at least 4 hours turning bag occasionally.

Ingredients for rice:
1/4 lbs fully cooked Spanish chorizo or Portuguese linguica (chopped) (for spicier version, try andouille sausage)
2 cups onions (minced)
1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
5 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 cups arborio rice or short grain white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 medium tomato (chopped)
1 1/2 tblsp paprika
4-5 saffron threads
1 whole pimiento or roasted red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
1 tblsp olive oil
Lime wedges

Take chicken out of bag and save the marinade.  In a large deep frying pan heat 1 tblsp of olive oil. Gently fry the linguica/chorizo/sausage until lightly brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.  Fry chicken pieces skin side down about 2-3 pieces at a time.  Do not crowd. Brown each side approximately 4 minutes. Remove from pan and continue to cook the rest of the chicken pieces.  Transfer chicken pieces to a plate.  Pour off about half of the oil from the pan, leaving the othe half and return to the stove top.  Add onions and bell peppers.  Saute for approximately 4 minutes scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the browned pieces.  Add garlic and paprika, continue to stir for another 2 minutes.  Add the rice and continue to saute for another minute.  Add the chicken broth and tomatoes with their juice, saffron thread and the reserved marinade. Continue stirring and bring to a boil. Return the chorizo and stir, press the chicken pieces lightly into the rice mixture.  Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes checking frequently to ensure bottom does not burn.  Add more broth or water (about 1/4 cup) if rice appears dry and stir to mix the liquid. Season with salt and pepper, stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Serve rice and chicken in a bowl with sliced limes.

Asian Steak with Spicy Mushrooms

This dish is beyond incredible!  It can be served with flour tortillas or over rice. Either way, you cannot go wrong.  If you do not have chipotle chile peppers, regular chilli powder will work as well.  Adjust the spicyness to your taste.

Asian Steak Ingredients:
2lbs steak skirt (trimmed)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tblsp honey
Juice of 1 small lime
6 cloves of garlic (minced or paste)
1 tsp ginger (paste)
8 flour tortillas (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Mushroom Ingredients:
1/2lb of sliced mushrooms (shitake or crimini - button will do in a pinch)
1 onion (sliced into rings)
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp of garlic (paste or powder)
2 tblsp rice vinegar
1 tblsp sugar
1 tblsp sesame oil
1 tsp of chipotle chili (paste or powder)
2 green onion stalks (chopped)
1 handful cilantro (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tblsp toasted sesame seeds

For Marinade: mix oil, soy sauce, honey, lime, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper in a bowl until well blended. Place steak in a glass dish or zip lock bag, pour marinade, seal and refrigerate over night.

Grill steaks on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes per side or until medium rare doneness.  If cooking indoors, add a little olive oil to a pan and heat until very hot (oil is smoking) and fry each side for 3-4 minutes per side or until medium rare doneness.  Remove steak and let it rest on a cutting board for approximately 5-8 minutes.  Slice thinly on a diagonal.

For the spicy mushrooms, heat the oil on high. Add mushrooms and saute for 1 minute.  Add the onion rings and continue to cook until mushrooms and onions begin to brown; add the chipotle pepper and garlic.  Continue stirring for approximately 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.  Add green onions, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and cilantro. Mix well.

Place steak on warm tortillas or over jasmine rice.  Top with the spicy mushrooms and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  Yummmmmmm!

Sweet-Spicy Mexican Meatballs

This is a great recipe! I've made this for special ocassions and those potluck lunches at the office.  This is really a very easy dish, but it does take some time since you make your own meatballs.  I have made it with pre-made meatballs and it does work if you want to do that.  The homemade meatballs have more flavor since you add some wonderful spices and raisins.

This is not your everyday Tex-Mex dish. This gives you a glimpse of another part of the Mexican culture.  Serve it with the Cilantro Lime Rice and fried plantains and you have an authentic south of the border menu. 

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of ground beef
1/2 lb of ground pork
1/4 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 onion (minced)
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 14oz can of tomatoes  (drained and finely chopped)
1 1/4 cup beef bouillon
1-2 tbsp chili powder (if you use 1tbsp, increase paprika by 1 tbsp)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cilantro (chopped)
1 tbsp mint (chopped)
2 tbsp of olive or canola oil (plus additional for frying meatballs)
2 sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped in bite-size pieces)
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl mix the pork, beef, tortilla chips, egg, half the onion, half the garlic, cumin, cinnamon and raisins. Mix ingredients well. Using a spoon, separate even amounts of the meat mixture and create into meatballs. In a pan, add enough oil to fry the meatballs.  When the oil is heated, fry the meatballs. Avoid overcrowding as you cook.  Once the meatballs are brown, set them aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine brown sugar, vinegar, tomatoes, bouillon, chilli powder, paprika, and the rest of the onions and garlic. Process until well blended. then add the cilantro and mint.

You can use the same skillet that you fried the meatballs. Use 2 tbsp of oil (remove excess) from the pan. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped sweet potatoes and cook until tender and light golden brown. Add the sauce from the food processor and meatballs.  Cook for approximately 10 minutes until the sauce is hot and the meatballs are heated  through. This gives the flavors a chance to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cilantro Lime Rice

This goes great with any latin dishes. With a rice cooker, it practically cooks itself. I've made this without the wild rice and found it does not change the flavor. The wild rice adds a great texture. If you do not have a rice cooker, you can still make this on top of the stove.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetables oil
1 small onion (minced)
5 garlic cloves (minced)
3/4 long grain rice and wild rice mix
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 lime (juiced)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan, add onion and garlic, stir constantly until translucent.  Add the rice and continue to stir (approximately 2 minutes). With a rice cooker: move the content of the pan to the rice cooker and add the broth. Turn the rice cooker on and and allow the rice to cook.

On the stove: add the broth and allow to boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Simmer on low for approximately 15 minutes.

When rice is done, add the lime juice and cilantro; mix and fluff up the rice.  Add salt to taste. Serve with your favorite latin entrees.

Brazillian Fish Stew

This is incredibly easy and delicious. If you love foods cooked in coconut milk, cilantro and lime juice, then this is it! It combines different national influences into one incredible dish. My husband and I love this dish. Though the original recipe called for the basic - cod and haddock, I actually tried it with Mahi-mahi and it was great!!! I have also tried it with tilapia and it works as well. Since tilapia is not as firm as the other fishes, you will need to handle gently when preparing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2lbs cod, haddock, mahi-mahi or tilapia

5 tbsp fresh squeeze lime juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion (minced)

1 green bell pepper (seeded and chopped)

4 garlic cloves (minced)

1 lb ripe tomates (chopped) or 1 (16oz) can of chopped tomatoes (drained)

1 cup fish stock (homemade or boullion) or bottled clam juice

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup cilantro (chopped)

salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl toss fish and lime juice together; set aside to marinate. In a skillet, on medium heat, add the oil until heated. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Stir often until onion has softened (approx. 5 minutes). Add the tomatoes, continue stirring until heated, then add stock and coconut milk. Simmer, then reduce the heat to med-low. Cover and allow to cook for another 10 minutes. Add the fish and the marinating lime juice and cilantro. Cook for another 5 minutes or until fish is opaque and firm. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice in a bowl to ensure you get the wonderful broth.

Note: you can change it up a bit and add shrimp to give it some variety. If you want to do a reduced fat version - reduce the coconut milk to 2/3 cup. You can add red pepper flakes to give it some "heat" as well.