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.

Fresh Lumpia (Lumpiang Sariwa)

There are so many versions of egg rolls.  Different parts of Asia have different versions.  The Philippines is no different.  Depending what province you are in, they have their own version.  Most egg rolls are fried, but there are some that are considered fresh.  This is most popular during special events, holidays and fiestas in the Philippines. Depending where you are at, the ingredients could change accordingly.  This one is my grandmother's recipe with a slight variation; she likes to add garbanzo beans to hers.  Fresh lumpia wrapper can be found in the freezer section of most Asian grocery stores. 

Ingredients:
1/2 lbs raw shrimp (shelled, deveined and chopped)
1/2 lbs ground pork
1 jicama (sliced into match sticks)
1 cup bean sprouts
2 cups napa cabbage (cut into strips)
2 cups green beans (roughly chopped)
12 red or green leaf lettuce leaves
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (minced)
Slat and pepper
Fresh lumpia wrappers
2 tblsp canola or olive oil

In a large fry pan or saute pan, heat the oil.  Add onions and garlic.  Saute for approximately 3 minutes.  Add the ground pork.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until pork is done.  Add the shrimp and continue to saute for another 4 minutes or until shrimp is pink and opaque.  Add green beans, jicama,  and napa cabbage.  Saute for another 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and drain well using a colander. 

Set a small bowl of water next to a plate, lay a wrapper and place a lettuce leave on with the stem to the center of the wrapper and the leafy part extending slightly over the edge of the wrapper.  Put 2 tablespoon of the mixture onto the leave within the wrapper. Lay one side of the wrapper over the filling and gently roll tightly without tearing.  Before reaching the end, pull the bottom to the center and continue rolling until you create a tight cone with the leafy end open. Serve with lumpia sauce. Recipe below:

Lumpia sauce:

4 tblsp cornstarch
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
10 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tblsp canola or olive oil

In a sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic for approximately 1 minute.  Add sugar and broth.  In a small bowl combine soy sauce and cornstarch until cornstarch is disolved.  Add this to the sauce pan.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes until sauce comes to a low boil and starts to thicken.  Spoon over fresh lumpia.

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!

Filipino Sour Shrimp Soup (Sinigang na Hipon)

In the Philippines, like many in the Pacific Islands, soups play a main role in their food culture.  These soups are poured over rice, making a substantial meal.  This is a very versatile soup.  The broth, tomatoes and shrimp are the base.  There is no limit to the vegetables.  Use whatever you have on hand (brocolli, carrots, cabbage, okra, etc.)  You can also make it spicy by adding green chillies. Different regions and families have numerous versions.  Try it out using the basics and then play around with what suits you. 

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp in shells
8 cups water
2 fish or shrimp bouillion cubes
2 tblsp tamarind paste
2 tomatoes (quartered)
1 small bunch fresh spinach leaves (trimmed)
1 cup green string beans (trimmed)
1 medium onion (quartered)
1 cup dikon radish (cut in chunks)
2-3 green chillies (optional)
Salt or Patis (fish sauce)
Steamed jasmine or basmati rice

In a deep pot, add water, bouillion, tamarind paste, onion, tomatoes and dikon radish.  If using the green chillies, add those at this time.  Bring to a boil for 15-20 minutes until daikon becomes translucent, stirring occasionally.  Add the green beans and continue to cook for another 10 minutes at a low boil.  Add the shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes.  When the shrimp becomes a dark pink and opaque, season with salt or patis and the fresh spinach.  Turn off the heat and allow the spinach leaves to wilt approximately 3 minutes.  Scoop rice into a deep bowl.  Add shrimp and vegetables with plenty of broth for a soupy consistency.  Season with additional salt or patis if needed. Enjoy!

Note:  For additional variety, you can add fresh fish (i.e. trout, sea bass, cod, etc.)  Change out the vegetables if you like. This is great with eggplant and okra.

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.)

Paella Valenciana

There are so many paella recipes out there it just boggles the mind.  I tried several that I found in cookbooks and have watched several chefs on the FoodNetwork take a stab at it. I find the short cut versions just does not have the flavors that you get when you fix the true version.  Even in Spain, depending on the regions, the paella can vary as well.  Paella Valenciana is from the Valencia region.  The ingredients are extensive and it can get expensive, but worth it for those special occassions.  Even if you do not have the paella pan, you can make this fabulous dish. Don't skimp on the ingredients, it's what make this dish fabulous. Eaten al fresco with chilled Sangria, what more can you ask for?

Ingredients:
1 lb of chicken (cut into pieces)
1 Spanish chorizo (sliced) - Chorizo de Balbao
1 medium onion (minced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
3 tomatoes (chopped) or 1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 large red bell pepper (chopped)
1 lb shrimp in shell or use 1/2 peeled/ 1/2 in shell
1 lb mussels or clams (bearded and clean or frozen in shell)
1 tblsp paprika
2 cups of long grain rice (soaked in cold water for 1 hour)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp saffron threads soaked in 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/3 cup shelled peas (fresh or frozen)
Salt and pepper
2 tblsp olive oil

3 cups of chicken broth
1 tblsp parsley (chopped) for garnish

Optional:
1 lb cooked lobster meat (reduce shrimp to 1/2; reduce shellfish in 1/2)
1/2 lb of pork shoulder (cut in pieces) can replace 1/2 of the chicken

In a large pan, heat oil.  Lightly fry chorizo until edges are a light brown. Remove from pan and set aside.  Fry chicken pieces in batches until evenly browned. Do not crowd. (If using pork, fry pork pieces until evenly browned and transfer with chicken).  Remove chicken pieces and transfer to the same plate as the chorizo. Add onions and stir constantly until translucent (2-3 minutes), then add the garlic.  Continue to fry for another minute, stirring constantly.  Add paprika and stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and bell peppers.  Cook for 6-8 minutes.  Mixture should start to thicken.  Drain rice and add to the pan. Stir until rice is coated with the spices and tomato mixture for approximately 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and the saffron thread soaked in warm water.   Bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce the heat to low/simmer.  Add the chicken, chorizo and peas to the pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.  Add the shell fish and shrimp (I usually arrange it to make it look like the picture), continue to cook for another 10 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed.  If using lobster, add them to the last 5 minutes of the cooking process. Remove cover, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve in the pan. 

Note: If rice is not tender, add a 1/4 cup of chicken broth or water, stir and continue to cook covered in low heat for another 10 minutes. If using fresh mussels or clams, discard any unopen shells.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Everyone has a version of fried rice. I found several during my reseach and taste testing. It is absolutely amazing, but you will find everyone uses the same basic ingredients, the  seasoning may change which creates the uniqueness. This one is super easy and is great when using yesterday's leftover rice.   I prefer spring onions to regular onions and I like garlic in mine.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked long grain rice (jasmine or basmati)
2 eggs
2 tblsp oil (canola, peanut or olive)
1 tsp ginger (grated)
1 1/2 cup shelled and deveined shrimp (roughly chopped)
2 stalks of green onions (finely chopped)
2-3 tblsp soy sauce
3 tblsp butter
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 cup carrots (finely chopped)
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Salt and pepper

Beat eggs separately and season with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tblsp of oil in a pan.  pour one of the beaten egg into a large frying pan and fry on one side until firm and and sides begin to brown (approximately 2 minutes). Flip egg and continue to cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes until edges begin to brown and egg is cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Heat 1 tblsp oil with 1 tblsp butter in the large frying pan.  Add green onions and carrots. Stir for approximately 1 minute and add garlic, ginger and shrimp.

Continue to stir for another minute until garlic and ginger is well incorporated with the green onions and carrots and shrimp is slightly pink.  Add another tablespoon of the butter into the pan.  When butter is melted and heated, add rice. Continue stirring. Do not allow rice to stick to the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring, add the beans sprouts, until everything is mixed thoroughly.  Lower heat to medium-low.  Create a well in the middle of the rice mixture where the bottom of the pan appears.  Add the last table spoon of butter.  Pour  the last beaten egg into the center.  Allow egg to cook gently constantly stirring.  When egg is still soft but not runny, stir the rice mixture into the egg and continue stirring until egg is incorporated into the rice mixture. Slowly add soy sauce and continue stirring until soy sauce is evently distributed.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon into small bowls. Turn bowls over onto separate plates creating a small mound.  Slice the previously cooked egg into thin strips. Garnish rice with strips of the cooked egg.  Serve with your favorite Chinese dish and/or egg rolls.  Or enjoy alone as a light meal for lunch or dinner.

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet and Sour Guava Sauce

This is really wonderful. I think it is better than what you get at the restaurants.  It is not as sweet which I prefer.  It is another easy recipe to fix and so very impressive when done. People will think you have gone "gourmet" on them. The recipe calls for "Panko" which is Japanese bread crumbs. This is what make this really great. You can find panko at any Asian grocery store. I am also starting to see it at some high end American grocery stores as well (Central Market, etc.) You need to measure it out and not go by weight, if you don't, you will end up wasting a lot. So make sure you measure.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs shrimp (16/20 count)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup toasted cashew nuts (crushed or finely chopped)
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
4 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying

Sweet and Sour Guava Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup guava juice
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water, for thickening

For the sauce:
In a medium saucepan, heat the garlic stirring constantly.  Add ketchup and all the ingredients, except cornstarch mixture. Stir sauce until well blended, bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly to make sure no lumps develop. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently until thickened.

For shrimp:
Shell and devein the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in separate bowl. Third bowl, mix the coconut flakes, cashew nuts and panko together.


Dust the shrimp with flour, shaking off excess, then dip them in beaten egg. Roll them in the coconut breading, making sure it is totally covered. Bread all the shrimp at the same time. Heat oil in a deep pot or wok over medium heat. Check to make sure it is hot before adding shrimp by dropping a little of the breading. If it sizzles, you are ready. Fry the shrimp, 4 or 5 at a time, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Do not over crowd in the pan or they will stick together; drain on paper towels. You can serve it with the sweet and sour guava sauce on the side for dipping or you can toss in the sauce.  It is great with fried rice or steamed white rice.  You can also serve this with the sauce on the side as an appetizer. Enjoy!

Egg Fu Yung (Shrimp Omelet)

I love egg fu yung, but not a lot of Chinese restaurants prepare this dish. When I order it, the owner always tells me that this dish takes a while to prepare. One day, I asked the owner of my favorite Chinese restaurant why not many restaurants have this on the menu. She told me that this can only be prepared by a true Chinese Chef. That egg fu yung is time consuming and not easy to prepare. During one of my forages through a second hand book store, I found a Chinese cookbook that had the recipe with 1 problem.......part of it was written in Chinese....I don't read Chinese. I bought the book and kept it on my book shelf for almost 4 years. I kept wanting to try to make this dish, but kept remembering the Chinese proprietress' comment about the difficulty. One day, I stopped at the restaurant and found it closed for remodeling. No egg fu yung!!!! So, I went home, took the cookbook out, squared my shoulders and started to make it. After several attempts (remember, I don't read Chinese) I found it....and it was no where near as difficult as she said it would be. It is as simple as fixing an omelet. So, below is "my translation".

Ingredients:

8 eggs

2 tbsp water

8 fresh mushroom (chopped)

1 1/2 cups bean sprouts

1 1/2 cup cooked shrimp (chopped)

4 green onions (finely chopped)

1 celery stalk (finely chopped)

salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying

Sauce:

2 cups water

6 tsp cornstarch

3 tsp sugar

5 tsp soy sauce

2 chicken boullion cubes

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the sauce by disolving the 2 cubes of chicken boullion in 2 cups of water. In a sauce pan, combine the chicken boullion in water, sugar and soy sauce. Heat thoroughly. In a small bowl, pour a small portion of the heated liquid, add the cornstarch and stir until completely disolved and there are no lumps. Slowly stir it back into the pot, continually stirring so as not to create lumps (stirring with a whisk reduces the chances of lumps). Gently boil until sauce thickens; reduce heat to keep warm. Season with salt and pepper.

Beat eggs and 2 tbsp water in a bowl and season with salt and pepper until it froths; set aside. In a bowl combine mushrooms, shrimp, onion, celery and sprout. Stir until well combined; add beaten eggs and stir until well mixed.

In a skillet heat oil (approx. 1 tablespoon at a time) for frying. Using a ladle, pour a portion of the mixture in the pan. Cook until it starts firming up and edges are light brown (2-3 min). Flip the egg omelet and cook other side. When light brown, remove and place into a warm plate. Continue cooking each omelet and stack on top of each other when done. Pour warm sauce over stack. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve while hot with your favorite rice - long grain, jasmine or basmati.

Note: the filling is flexible in this dish. I've used peas and carrots. You can also use ground pork instead of shrimp. Be sure to season the pork with salt and pepper and brown first before adding to the omelet.