Not too long ago I decided I needed to change things up and order something different. I settled on the Shrimp En Fuego. It’s a lovely combination of Shrimp, Mushrooms and Tomatoes in a spicy cream sauce served over an open baked potato. Yum, huh? It seems that when we eat out, I almost always get something heavy in mushrooms since Matt refuses to eat them.

(Photo by Sarah Caron)

Since we don’t often eat out, I decided I’d try and wing it at home after finding a great sale on shrimp. The Internets weren’t so helpful for a recipe, so I gathered all the tips I could find about it and dived in. I can’t tell you how alike it is compared to Outback’s because I don’t have the option to try them next to eat other, but it turned out really good. Spicy.

Shrimp En Fuego

Serves 4, doubles perfectly

Ingredients:

• 4 Baked potatoes, preferably with the skin salted and oiled
• 1  jar Cheesy Ragu Classic Alfredo Sauce (I was lazy and didn’t make my own)
• 1 Tablespoon Chipotle Chili Powder
• 3 tablespoon Chili Garlic Sauce (Commonly called Rooster Sauce, and found in the ethnic food section of most markets)
• 1 pound fresh shrimp (frozen may be substituted, if thawed), deveined and tails removed.
• 1 pound mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 package cherry tomatoes, halved.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Scrub potatoes and poke with a fork a couple times. Rub the outsides with olive oil then roll or rub with medium grind sea salt. Place in oven and cook until desired doneness.
3. When potatoes are almost done, combine alfredo sauce, chipotle powder, and chili garlic sauce in a medium sauce pan. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. If you wish, the amount of chipotle and chili sauce can be adjusted now. I had to keep the spices low or The Hubs and The Boys wouldn’t eat it.
   

   My food photography isn't very good, but you get the idea.

5. While sauce is warming, sauté shrimp, mushrooms and minced garlic over medium high heat until shrimp is pink and mushrooms are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. If you wish, you can add the sauce to the pan of shrimp and mushrooms, mixing everything together, or keep them separate. Place open potato on a plate, layer with shrimp and mushrooms, then sauce with halved tomatoes on top. (It looks better that way. For the ease of feeding my horde I mix everything together.)
7. Don’t forget to turn off the oven.
8. Enjoy!

You might also like these related posts:

• Pasta in Garlic Sauce with Shrimp and Broccoli
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches

© Katie for Runaway October, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us, StumbleUpon

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Our theme for this month was Alliums, courtesy of Small Measure. Leeks, Onions, Shallots, Garlic, Ramps, Rakkyo, Scallions, Chives, etc. My first thought was ‘What the heck can I can that will actually get eaten?’ I remembered trying an onion jelly a few years back, warmed and poured over melted Brie cheese, which was delicious. I had thought at the time that it would be yummy over porkchops. So, I settled on an old standby – Jam.

I found the recipe on Michelle’s blog, Big Black Dog, and followed it to a “T”, no adaptations. Well, I did add one kitchen helper, since he was very sad that Big Brudder got to go to Grandma’s house without him today.

Ignore the Oreo schmutz on his face. He's having a rough day.

Zesty Red Onion Jelly*

Generously shared by Michelle of Big Black Dog.

Makes 3 half-pint jars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup diced red onion
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 pouch (85 ml [3 fl oz]) liquid pectin

Preparation:

1. Cut red onion into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch dice.
2. Measure 1 cup into a large, deep stainless steel saucepan.
3. Zest lemon and measure 2 tsp into saucepan.
4. Stir in vinegar and sugar.
5. Over high heat, bring mixture to a full, roiling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat.
6. Immediately stir in one pouch Liquid Pectin, mixing well.
7. Pour jelly into a hot jar, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim (head space). Wipe jar rims. Center lids on jars & screw on bands till fingertight.
8. Process in Hot Water Bath for 10 minutes.
9. Cool for about 30 minutes, then, when lids are concave but jelly is still hot, carefully invert & twist jars to distribute solids throughout jelly. (Do not let them remain upside down for long periods. It is said that doing so can cause food particles to creep into the threads and cause spoilage.) Repeat as needed during the cooling/setting time, until solids are nicely suspended.

* I think this is considered a jam because the onions have not been strained out, but I could be wrong!

It was a simple quick recipe, the longest part was the 10 minute Hot Water Bath.

The color is gorgeous. I used Michelle’s trick of heating the onion skins in the required vinegar to get the dye out of them. Onions are rare at Farmer’s Markets here and I had no clue how old the ones I bought were, but I’d imagine the color from fresh onions would be more vibrant.

She also specified that short inversion times or twisting were necessary to distribute the solids, but mine seemed to have no troubles at all. I just made sure to listen for the “schick” of the lids sealing (onions have low ph so good canning practices are vital) and called it done!

Lessons learned:

• Don’t try to smell onions cooking in vinegar. Burns the sinuses. LOL
• I’ve had a few people frown when I invert my jars while they cool. It was just what I’ve been told and have seen done. Apparently this is a no-no because food particles can work their way into the threads and possibly cause spoilage. Thankfully I’ve never had issues before, but now I know.

What did you make for the Can Jam? Or what have you canned lately?

————————

You might also like these related posts:

• Can Jam January: Citrus – Marmalade Recipes Galore
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Irish Stew and Oat Bread

© Katie for Runaway October, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us, StumbleUpon

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It’s time for my participation blog post for Tigress’ Can Jam. I actually have two recipes to share with you.

Our theme for January was Citrus, which is awesome because Citrus is so abundant here in Arizona this time of year.

Arizona Citrus

This first recipe was just a standby while I waited for my vanilla beans to arrive for my REAL recipe for the can jam.

Citrus Marmalade

Makes 6 half-pint jars

Ingredients:

• 4 meduim oranges
• 2 medium lemons
• 2 1⁄2 cups water
• 1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda
• 61⁄2 cups sugar
• 1 package powered pectin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon butter

Preparation:

1. Wash your hands, utensils, and work surfaces, and then prepare the ingredients.
2. Sterilize empty canning jars by placing them upright on rack in water bath canner and covering them with hot water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil 10 minutes. At altitudes higher than 1000 ft, boil the jars an additional 1 minute for each additional 1000 ft elevation. Keep the jars hot and drain just prior to filling.
3. Wash the oranges and lemons throughly, I use a scrub brush. Remove the rind in quarters from oranges and lemons. Trim and discard half of the albedo (white flesh attached to the rind). Or all of it if you don’t want all the bitterness associated with it.
4. Thinly slice the rinds and place in a 4-quart (4 L) saucepan.
5. Mix the rinds with water and baking soda. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   

   Citrus segments

6. While the rinds are cooking, remove seeds from the peeled oranges and lemons, and finely chop the fruit, saving the juice. Set aside.
7. Add reserved fruit and juice to the cooked rind mixture. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
8. Measure exactly 4 cups of cooked fruit and rind mixture (a box of pectin is sufficient to gel this much liquid). Use a slotted spoon to make sure you get all of the fruit and rind, and then use the juice to bring the total volume up to 4 cups. Discard any leftover juice or use it in another recipe that calls for orange juice.
9. Add pectin and butter or margarine to the measured fruit. The butter or margarine reduces foaming during the cooking process.
10. Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.
11. Add sugar to the mixture. Return to a boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.
12. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
13. Prepare two-piece canning lids according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
14. Ladle hot marmalade into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1⁄4 inch of headspace.
15. Wipe the jars and the rim with a clean cloth or towel, place a clean prepared lid on the rim, and screw the ring band on finger-tight.
16. Process in a boiling waterbath canner for 5 minutes (altitudes of up to 1000 ft). (Increase processing time by 1 minute for every additional 1000 ft in altitude.)
17. Let jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals by pressing the middle of the lid with your finger. If the lid springs back, then the jar is not sealed and must be refrigerated. Properly sealed jars can be stored in a dark, cool place.

—

Now on to my official Citrus Can Jam entry.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found on Epicurious.com. It’s one of my very favorite marmalades to date. It starts as a sweet lemonade taste , ending as a warm backnote of vanilla.

Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Marmalade
Makes 6 half-pint jars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 pounds Meyer lemons
• 5 cups water
• 5 1/2 cups (about) sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Wash your hands, utensils, and work surfaces, and then prepare the ingredients.
2. Sterilize empty canning jars by placing them upright on rack in water bath canner and covering them with hot water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil 10 minutes. At altitudes higher than 1000 ft, boil the jars an additional 1 minute for each additional 1000 ft elevation. Keep the jars hot and drain just prior to filling.
3. Wash the lemons throughly, I use a scrub brush.
4. Zest lemons. The more pith you zest, the more bitter your marmalade will be.
5. Peel and discard unwanted pith. While working on a plate to catch juices, chop lemons finely. Discard seeds.
6. Pack enough lemons, zest and any juice to measure 2 1/2 cups. Transfer to large nonreactive pot.
7. Add 5 cups water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand uncovered overnight.
8. Measure lemon mixture (there should be about 5 1/2 cups). Return to same pot.
9. Add equal amount of sugar (about 5 1/2 cups).
10. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add pinch of salt.
11. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Attach clip-on candy thermometer.
12. Maintaining active boil and adjusting heat to prevent boiling over, cook until temperature reaches 230°F, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
14. Prepare two-piece canning lids according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
15. Ladle hot marmalade into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1⁄4 inch of headspace.
16. Wipe the jars and the rim with a clean cloth or towel, place a clean prepared lid on the rim, and screw the ring band on finger-tight.
17. Process in a boiling waterbath canner for 5 minutes (altitudes of up to 1000 ft). (Increase processing time by 1 minute for every additional 1000 ft in altitude.)
18. Let jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals by pressing the middle of the lid with your finger. If the lid springs back, then the jar is not sealed and must be refrigerated. Properly sealed jars can be stored in a dark, cool place.

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Now… Who’s bring the fresh homemade bread so we can eat up all this marmalade?

You might also like these related posts:

• Can Jam March: Alliums – Red Onion Jam
• Irish Stew and Oat Bread
• Stuffed Bell Peppers

© Katie for Runaway October, 2010. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us, StumbleUpon

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I was recently reacquainted with a local source of produce, by my friend Niki. Lemme back up, actually. My boys – Matt included – can go through fruit like it’s going out of  style. (As a matter of fact, my 2 year old just snuck out of bed, came down stairs, snatched a tangerine and asked me to peel it. At 10:30pm.) On just about any given day, I have to start telling them no or I have to face the, uh, biological aftermath. Not fun. So one of my common quests is to find the best deal for us on produce. We’ve tried local co-ops, we’ve begrudgingly paid super high prices at health food stores, we’ve gone for the cheapest possible ala WalFart. But it seems you always end up where you started.

Mango Jalapeno and Mango Habanero Jam

The Superstition Ranch Market on Apache Trail always has one good deal or another. Some of you non-Arizonians have to realize that not much grows here, so 4 pounds of pears for $1 is a smoking deal. Or Honey Crisp apples at $1/pound. Or a quart of blackberries for $.69. We’re pretty much in heaven every time we go in. Sometimes we go a little too crazy and we can’t eat our spoils fast enough. So Niki and I have turned to jam. But I’m not gonna lie. We’re kinda testing the waters to see if we’d make it with our own Farmer’s Market booth.

Mango Habanero Jam

We came across this recipe at 28 cooks and knew we had to try it. It was simple, took only a few ingredients and sounded positively delicious. The prep was simple and there was hardly any work involved. Just blend it up, boil it and pour it into jars. It set up beautifully. 28 Cooks says it’s not as hot as you may think, but don’t be fooled. It has a kick, albeit a very delicious one. I’ve tried it on sharp cheddar (yum), cottage cheese (yum), bread (yum) and a soft goat cheese spread (yum). It’ll make a delicious glaze for roasts. I’ve heard it’s delicious on grilled cheese sandwiches? I’ll  have to try that too.

It very much reminds me of the spicysweet tamarind mexican candy as well, and I can see myself eating this straight out of the jar… Wait, Niki, my mom and I have all already done that…

Niki opted to use half jalapeños and half habaneros in her batch, hence the very green jam instead of orange like mine. It’s definitely more kid friendly that way, but still has a nice bit of spice and an amazing taste.

So if it sounds like something you’d like to try, drop on by and see Niki or myself, or just make it yourself! It’s easy! Head over to 28 Cooks. The recipe is right here.

Mango Jalapeno Jam

You might also like these related posts:

• Can Jam March: Alliums – Red Onion Jam
• 2008, here I come!
• Can Jam January: Citrus – Marmalade Recipes Galore

© Katie for Runaway October, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us, StumbleUpon

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I have a hard time cooking for my brood some most days. Some don’t like mushrooms, some don’t like anything spicy, some don’t like food that requires work (such as chicken wings), some just don’t like anything like little Rowan. It can get frustrating when you’re flipping through a cookbook listing off delicious recipes and everything gets vetoed by one person or another. It’s also frustrating when you give up and choose something and it doesn’t getting eaten quickly enough to not grow slimy in the fridge. I know. It’s hard to believe that happens in this house.

Matt, the boys and I stopped by a Half-Price Book store the other night, and I rescued a couple beat up lowfat cook books for a dollar a piece. Can you imagine the groans that caused? “Lowfat? You mean ‘Flavor Free’ right?” Etc etc. But there are actually quite a few recipes that I think will end up being keepers. This recipe is one of them.

Seafood is not something we normally eat. I’ve never been huge fan, Matt doesn’t see what the hype is about, and kids will be kids, right? My brother on the other hand… We made a double batch and picked up a pound of shrimp on sale for less than 5 dollars. Everything else I pretty much had on hand.

Even a large serving of the dish comes in under 350 calories. The pasta makes it very filling, and the broccoli gives you lots of good vitamins. Am I the only mama blessed with kids that generally love vegetables?

Pardon my bad pictures. The sun had gone down before I started dinner. Oops!

Pasta in Garlic Sauce with Shrimp and Broccoli

Adapted from The 99% Fat-Free Cookbook

This clear, thin garlic sauce is a noteworthy change from the heavy mound under which pasta typically is buried. It lends both a permeating flavor and a gloss to the pasta, set off by flecks of seafood and vegetables.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 10 gloves garlic
• 1 cup 99% fat free, reduced sodium Chicken Stock
• 8 ounces uncooked thin-strand spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 pound broccoli florets (About 1 large head)
• 1/2 cup sliced white onion (About 1 small onion)
• 1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp (About 24) peeled, deveined, and halved
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Put the garlic and stock in a small nonreactive sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the garlic is soft and easily smashed with a fork. Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, stirring to make sure the strands don’t stick together, and cook over high heat to desired tenderness. (3 to 4 minutes for homemade or other fresh pasta, 8 to 10 minutes for dry pasta.)
• Meanwhile, put 1 tablespoon of water in a nonstick frying pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Add the broccoli and onion and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp, dill and the remaining tablespoon of water. Stir, recover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
• When the pasta in done, drain it in a colander and return it to the pot over very low heat. Add the garlic puree then mix well to coat the pasta. Add the broccoli-shrimp mixture and the seasonings. Toss together until well blended and serve immediately.

Nutrition info:

• Calories      316.1
• Total Fat     2.5 g
  • Saturated Fat     0.2 g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat     0.9 g
• Monounsaturated Fat     0.2 g
• Cholesterol     110.5 mg
• Sodium     613.3 mg
• Potassium     416.4 mg
• Total Carbohydrate     49.7 g
  • Dietary Fiber     4.8 g
  • Sugars     2.1 g
• Protein     22.2 g
• Vitamin A     30.0 %
• Vitamin B-12     14.1 %
• Vitamin B-6     15.8 %
• Vitamin C     115.2 %
• Vitamin D     0.0 %
• Vitamin E     7.2 %
• Calcium     7.8 %
• Copper     9.1 %
• Folate     39.6 %
• Iron     25.0 %
• Magnesium     10.6 %
• Manganese     18.5 %
• Niacin     30.3 %
• Pantothenic Acid         6.3 %
• Phosphorus         14.5 %
• Riboflavin     22.1 %
• Selenium     36.7 %
• Thiamin     36.0 %
• Zinc     8.8 %

You might also like these related posts:

• Meatball Soup
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Irish Stew and Oat Bread

© Katie for Runaway October, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us, StumbleUpon

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