szechwan shrimp stir-fry

It's been awhile since I'd made a stir-fry (see here and here), but they're so delicious and almost impossible to screw up, I figured why not try another? It's all in the sauce. You'll have to trust me on this one. The ingredients sound a little gross together, and they don't even smell that great when you mix them (I'm really selling this one, huh?), but something happens when you put it all together and it comes out great. You can throw in whatever vegetables you want. I had red and white onions, broccoli and mushrooms laying around. Snow peas and baby corn or carrots would work great as well. Here's what you'll need:

• 8 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sliced onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 12 ounces cooked shrimp, tails removed

shrimp & avocado ceviche

So ceviche. I've heard a lot about. Never tried it...until now. It's good! It's also more of an appetizer, which Dan and I learned the hard way. Still, yummy. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 pound shrimp - peeled, deveined and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

Place the shrimp and lime juice into a large bowl, and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque (they seriously change color). The lime juice will "cook" them. Mix in the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro until coated with lime juice as well, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove from the refrigerator, and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper.

That's it. So friggin' simple. Really delicious though. Went great with Saltines. Also note: this probably made enough for 4-8 people.

Bon chappétit!

turkey meatloaf

The other night it looked like it was getting ready to pour, so I decided to settle in with a meal that takes a little longer than most of mine to prepare. Believe it or not, all of the recipes on this site clock it at or under 30 minutes. I've been eyeing up a couple turkey meatloaf recipes for awhile, and decided to combine a few. Here's what I came up with:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (Italian, as always)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Begin by sautéing the chopped onion with the oil, salt, pepper and thyme over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until they soften and begin to brown.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and chicken stock.  Cook for another few minutes until everything blends and reduces nicely.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs and egg.  Once the onion mixture is done and cooled a bit, add and mix well.  Roll into a nice little loaf shape, and top with a nice layer of ketchup.

Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour (depending on the thickness) and you're done.  Not crazy-longer than my typical meal, but definitely one worth waiting for.

Bon chappétit!