Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Chiles

I'm a huge fan of stuffed poblano chiles, but only if they are not deep-fried like they traditionally are. So, I've collected a few recipes that usually just involves just broiling or baking. Here's one of the newer ones I found from Cooking Light. Yum-o. It may look like a cheese/cream sauce, but it's really light with the suggestions they make. Plus, I just loved the combination of fresh seafood, creamy avocados, and the smokiness of the poblano chile. I'll definitely make it again, but perhaps not for Raquel because she can be occasionally lactose-intolerant. Here were my modifications:

Modifications

-use garlic, cilantro, and chopped serrano chiles as the base for the sauce

-add chopped avocado for texture

-don't broil the red bell pepper, chop it up and use it in the sauce fresh. it adds crisp texture.

Eggs Benedict with Chipotle Hollaindaise Sauce

Last night's dinner was dedicated to Mayumi, whom I consider an expert in eggs benedict. Originally, her blog began as the eggs benedict chronicles, where she traveled all over San Francisco and New York City cataloging and rating every eggs benedict she came across. I was lucky enough to accompany her in some of those tasty adventures, and in turn introduced this dish to Raquel for the first time a year ago. Since then, Raquel has hopped on to the eggs benedict train.

So, I decided to have a breakfast for dinner night. Last Saturday, Raquel and I saw the premier of a new food network show, Mexican Made Easy, starring a new chef, Marcela Valladolid. Raquel and I think this show has a lot of potential, because we really liked some of her tips, the balanced nutrition in her food, and most of all her food itself. It doesn't hurt that she's cute too... Anyway, I gave her Eggs Benedicto a try. Wow...I loved it. And so did Raquel. If you know Raquel, you know that it's a huge deal if she actually went for seconds. The sauce was so light and flavorful, and the use of prosciutto and croissants is really a good idea. I did lighten it up a little with a few minor changes, and a side salad. But, it's good enough that Raquel has been nagging me to cook this for Mayumi the next time she stops by. I just might take her up on that.

Modifications:

-I'm lucky enough to live by a bakery that makes 100% whole wheat croissants.

-I only need 1 slice of prosciutto per croissant half. And while you're at it, throw the prosciutto on the croissant while you toast it, it's nice to have crispy prosciutto.

-I only needed 1/2 a stick of butter (1/4 of what is suggested).

-I used 2 yolks instead of 3.

-I prefer to drizzle the sauce instead of smothering it, like most eggs benedict. So, I probably added more hot water at the end than most to gain that consistency.

Seafood Saffron Soup

I kinda have been on the lookout for a good seafood soup recipe, because I'm freezing right now. So, I adapted this wonderful Creamy Garlic Soup from Cooking Light. Holy Moley, this one is definitely a keeper. It's just the right amount of heat, flavor, and nutritional balance that I usually go for. And I can't say enough how great it is to make your own soup stock, so I love that they incorporated that into this dish. Making your own stock really isn't as hard as it sounds, you can always just leave it on the stove to simmer down while you're watching TV, which is what I did. Although, I must say that I was surprised that the Cooking Light recipe lacked vegetables. So I added my own at the last minute, to keep the freshness and crunch. And since Raquel wasn't feeling very well before I made this, then felt better after she had this, I can honestly say it's good for what ails you.

Modifications:

-add sugar snap peas

-add baby carrots

-add minced garlic to soup in addition to the soup stock

-add minced serrano chile

-add basil

Kabocha Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Salad

This dish was inspired by a recent trip home to Hawaii, specifically one of my lunches at Shirokiya. I had a salad that was very similar to it, so I tried to re-invent it. I used it as a side dish for this dinner: Misoyaki Butterfish. But, judging from Raquel's reaction, this was more like the star of the meal. That's saying a lot, because she's not big on potato salad in general because of the mayo. But, I used Japanese mayo (Kewpie) instead of regular mayo. It tastes a little different because they use rice vinegar instead of white vinegar, and soy oil instead of regular oil. Also, you just can't beat at how pretty this dish is. It's so colorful!

Japanese Kabocha Pumpkin/Potato Salad

(all ingredients can be found at any Japanese Supermarket, like...Marukai or Nijiya)

-1 Kabocha Squash/Pumpkin (seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks, keep the skin. you're going to need a sharp knife and be careful, because this sucker is hard to cut)

-1 Medium Japanese Purple Sweet Potato (Cut into 1-inch chunks w/ skin on)

-1.5 cup Sugar Snap Peas (raw and chopped)

-1.5 cup Carrots (raw and chopped)

-2 Tb Cilantro (chopped)

-1 cup Corn (optional)

-1 cup Peas (optional

-approximately 3-4 Tb Japanese Mayo

-Hawaiian Sea Salt (can substitute kosher salt)

-Pepper

Boil Kabocha Pumpkin and Sweet Potato in water salted with sea salt for around 10 minutes till tender. Drain and Cool. Mix all vegetables together with Japanese mayo. Add sea salt and pepper to taste, and more mayo if desired. Chill.

Kabocha Pumpkin and Shrimp Stir-fry

I think I'm starting to become obsessed with Kabocha Pumpkin. But, I can't help it because it's the perfect nutritional seasonal (winter) ingredient right now. Not to mention, it's so versatile. Anyway, I can't take credit for this dish because it was Raquel's idea. She loves Thai Red Curry, but sometimes she's not in the mood for the coconut milk. So she posed the idea of using the red curry paste in a stir-fry. Lo and behold, this is what I came up with. Serve it with brown rice, and it becomes a delightful healthy alternative to an otherwise heavy dish. Don't forget to leave the skin on, because that's where all the major nutrition is. The orange flesh may add a slight sweetness and smooth texture to the dish, but I'm not sure if it has a lot of health benefit.

Kabocha Pumpkin and Shrimp Stir-fry

-1 kabocha pumpkin, seeded and diced with skin on

-1 red bell pepper, sliced

-2-3 stalks green onion, minced

-4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 bunch of cilantro, minced

-1 cup of green beans, halved

-2 jalapenos, minced

-1 pound of shrimp, shelled

-sesame oil

-thai red curry paste, 2-3 Tb

-fish sauce (nuoc mam or patis), 1/4 cup

-1 lime

-1 cup water or chicken broth

-hawaiian sea salt and pepper

Season shrimp with salt and pepper, set aside. Heat wok to high with sesame oil. Saute green onion, garlic, jalapenos, and 1/2 the cilantro for a minute. Add thai red curry paste and kabocha pumpkin, saute for a minute. Add chicken broth or water, then cover for about 3 minutes. When pumpkin is tender, add shrimp, bell pepper, beans, lime juice, and fish sauce. Stir-fry until shrimps are cooked through. Garnish with other half of cilantro. Serve.