Shrimp and Asparagus Fried Rice

When rice is on the menu I always steam enough for leftovers so I can make Fried Rice.  (Leftover, cold rice makes the best quality fried rice.)
It's one of my favorite dishes and I usually load it up with healthy things so it is a one bowl meal. Another reason I love it is because it is the perfect opportunity to use up leftovers.
This time I didn't really use leftovers (except the cold rice), as our dear neighbors generously share fresh asparagus from their garden . . . (Thank you P & J!) So I wanted that to be the star of the dish, and I added a few medium size shrimp along with the things I always include in Fried Rice. 
If you've made Fried Rice you know the steps and this never really needs a recipe, but generally I follow this method:
Heat about a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok Yellow or white onion - diced, saute until translucent  Garlic (optional sliced) add when the onions are almost done
Carrots - diced or sliced Celery - diced or sliced (I like lots)
I allow those veggies to saute for just a minute or two  (to retain some crispness)
Next add the remaining ingredients:
Asparagus - or other vegetable (as much or as little as you like), sliced on an angle in small pieces so it cooks quickly Cold rice (may need to add a little more oil to the pan before adding rice) a little salt
Stir the rice until the vegetables are distributed evenly through the rice and all ingredients are hot. 
At this point I push the rice to the side and add a teaspoon or  so of vegetable oil, then add one or two (or more) beaten eggs  to the cleared area of the pan ~ cooking and stirring until the eggs are lightly scrambled,  then stir them into the rice mixture.
Usually if I'm adding shrimp I cook them separately,  (I poach the shrimp in lightly salted water for just one or two minutes until they just turn pink.)
Add the shrimp and fresh or frozen peas, snow peas, or edamame to the rice mixture,  and allow to heat through (usually takes less than a minute.)  If using frozen peas I don't bother cooking or thawing them as the residual heat will do the job.
For best flavor serve the delicious rice up right away  and sprinkle with thinly sliced scallions/green onions-- both white and green parts. 
If desired garnish with cilantro, toasted sliced almond and/or toasted sesame seeds.
Something that you may find surprising?
My Fried Rice is not the usual kind you'll find in most Chinese-American restaurants  - because it isn't cooked with soy sauce.
I learned many years ago from a cooking lesson conducted by a native Chinese woman that authentic Fried Rice is not cooked with soy sauce so I do not add it, but instead pass it at the table for anyone who would like it.  (I usually add some to my bowl at the table because that's the way I grew up eating it.)  ;o)
This is just an outline of how I make  Asparagus- Shrimp Fried Rice,  truly the variety of vegetables and/or protein you can use is enormous.
I usually make some form of Fried Rice about twice a month, many times with brown rice rather than white and we always look forward it. 
Bonus! When you make it yourself, you can be extra generous with the add ins!
If  you give it a try, I hope you love it too.

Do you have favorite version of Fried Rice? I would love to hear about it-- whether you make your own or order it -- I'm always up for new ideas.


Please come visit Foodie Friday over at Rattlebridge Farm blog for more great recipes!

  
Thank you for stopping by today!
Blessings,  ~Mari

Eggs Jeannette ~ Jacques Pepin's Mom's Recipe

"Les Oeufs Jeannette" Jacques Pepin shared this recipe devised by his mother many, many years ago and it remains a favorite at my house as well.
It's very tasty, budget friendly and easy to put together.
If you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably know we raise chickens for their eggs. You can read more about our family of feathered friends here (scroll down once you click the link.)
Our current flock includes Ameraucanas, Buff Orpingtons, Gold Lace, Rhode Island Reds, and Silver Lace.
All of them except the Ameraucanas lay various shades of brown and pinkish eggs. The Ameraucanas lay various shades of blue, as you can see below.


However, of these particular hens, one or two of them lay eggs which are more greenish than blue, so I suspect we have a few "Easter Eggers" (a breed which is not recognized by the US Poultry breeders association) but they are reliable layers and produce some of my favorite eggs.
Until the young Ameraucana  or Easter Egger hens begin laying you never know what color eggs they will produce. Contrary to some beliefs, a hen will lay only one color egg her entire laying life. (In other words, she will not lay a blue egg one day, and a green egg the next.)  Also, hens do not need a rooster to lay eggs. Egg laying is simply part of her reproductive cycle. However she does need a rooster if you want fertilized eggs, or chicks! ;)

Anyway, back to the recipe!

This clever method simply consists of hard cooked eggs, halved.  Yolks removed and mashed with a fork (or put through a sieve ~ my preferred way), seasoned with minced parsley and garlic, salt & pepper, then smoothed out with a little milk. The yolk mixture is then returned to the egg white, then the eggs are warmed, cut side down, in a little oil  (I like grape seed oil here) until they are golden brown.
A little of the egg yolk mixture from above is reserved and blended into a tasty Dijon mustard vinaigrette then drizzled over the warm eggs.  I placed them on some baby arugula and accompanied them with a few Kalamata olives. (The eggs are just as delicious served at room temperature.)
These can be served as a light lunch or dinner, or as an appetizer or first course.
If you would like a copy of the recipe, and a little background info about it, you can find it here.
And here is a link to a very short video clip showing Jacques and his daughter Claudine making the recipe at the 2011 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
If you try these, I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do. With grateful thanks to Mme. Jeannette Pepin and Jacques for sharing this wonderful little recipe.
Have a wonderful day everyone. Blessings!
~Mari  xo 

POSTCARD from the Garden ~ Gathering.

Our Chickens ~  we feed them, they feed us. :)
Blessings on this beautiful Sunday, friends.
xoxo ~m.


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Angel Eggs with Crème Fraîche

If you make Deviled Eggs you probably have a favorite recipe as I do, but this time I wanted to try them prepared just a little differently. I was intrigued when I saw the recipe from Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern incorporating Creme Fraiche into the whipped egg yolks. I had to leave out some of the stronger flavors from the recipe to make these more 'kid friendly', but never the less they were still fabulous.

So here is my take on deviled eggs as served in Tyler Forence's Wayfare Tavern located in San Francisco's financial district.

Photo Credit: House Beautiful

At the Wayfare Tavern they are called Jidori Eggs (Jidori is the breed of Japanese hens which provide the eggs.) I simply use eggs from our chickens ~ and since I've never tasted a Jidori hen egg, I cannot tell you if there is any difference in flavor ~ but I rather doubt it. ;-)

At another of his restaurants, "Rotisserie & Wine" located in Napa, California a different version of deviled Jidori eggs are offered, but with maple, sherry, candied bacon and celery.

At the tavern the egg yolks are whipped and seasoned with mustard and crème fraîche then garnished with radish, celery and bottarga* crumbled over to finish. Evidently the Wayfare Tavern deviled eggs have had a bit of an evolution since the opening (or perhaps change according to the season) as I've seen different versions served. Sometimes garnished with fried capers instead of the bottarga.

I happen to like anchovies, however they are not popular with everyone at my house (I can imagine bottarga would not be appreciated either), so this time I omitted both the capers and the anchovies, as well as the bacon. And since bottarga isn't readily available to me, I omitted that as well.

You can see, I took some liberties when I made them this time. I left out the stronger flavors so everyone could enjoy them. (Naturally, if you omit one or all of the salty ingredients, you'll need to salt the yolk mixture to taste to compensate.) I grow sprouts so I garnished with little alfalfa sprouts ~more information below. I just love the little touch of freshness they add.

However, what puts these over-the-top is the addition of the Crème Fraîche; it makes the yolk filling taste lighter on the tongue (though not lighter in calories by any means!) 

If it sounds good to you, I hope you'll give it a try the next time you make Deviled eggs.

Incidentally, if Crème Fraîche isn't readily available where you live (or it is outrageously expensive), I've included the simple (2 ingredient) recipe for making your own, over on my recipe blog.




~*~*~*~*~

*Bottarga (Italian), also called Botargo (Spanish), Boutargue or Poutargue (Fr.), Avgotaraho (Greek) is the roe pouch of mullet, tuna, or swordfish which is dried and cured in sea salt for a few weeks, during which time it turns into a solid, hard lump, and is encased in melted wax.

About the sprouts . . .








Sprouts:  I use this (click)  Easy Sprout Sprouter ~ it's so simple to use and if you buy two you get free shipping. I have many kinds of sprouters ~ by far this style is the one I reach for time after time. Just follow the directions and in a couple of days you'll have beautiful, healthful and flavorful sprouts like these alfalfa babies. Sprouts for health!

~*~*~*~*~

If you would like a printable copy of Tyler's recipe (and my changes), along with the easy recipe for making your own

Crème Fraîche, please click HERE to go to my recipe blog.

Thank you for stopping by today, and for any comments you'd like to share.

I hope you're having a great day! ~m.

Potato Frittata with Italian Herb Blend (... a rant and a product review)

Hi friends, I have two things to share with you today:

(An admission, and a product review.)

First, the admission ~

I have a love/hate relationship with grocery shopping!

How about you?

photo credit: google images

I absolutely LOVE having fridge (and pantry) filled with good food, but I HATE the actual process of dealing with the grocery store experience, not to mention having to lug everything into the house and put it all away afterwards. 

To compound the matter, the nearest full-scale grocery store is about 13 miles from home, so there is no such thing as a "quick-run" to the store for me.

  

When I shop for food I SHOP. (I readily admit, sometimes I put off the dreaded task as long as practical.)

And second, the product review:

(and how the two dovetail together)

Recently I was offered the opportunity to sample and review a variety of AriostoHerb Seasonings.

I happily agreed!  Imagine my surprise when, just a short while later, a substantial package arrived from Northern Italy!  From Milan/Milano to be precise. 

Upon opening the package, I thought it was a book (how clever is the packaging?!) 

I can read guess a few words of Italian . . .

"The Book of Herbs"  "contains 3 shaker-jars, and 4 packets/bags"

and "Recipes"

But when I opened the package contained six generously sized containers of a variety of herb blends each for either meats/chicken, vegetables,

fish/seafood, and garlic-chili seasoning for pasta, vegetables or fish.

The specific combinations of each blend is what sets them apart, in my opinion. 

So far we have tried the meat seasoning on roasted chicken thighs ~ and it was a big hit at my house (it was late, and too dark for pictures.)

The seasonings already contain sea salt along with the herbs so all you do is sprinkle it on the chicken (or other meat), and roast or grill, and the food comes out perfectly seasoned.  The other one I have tried is the seasoning for potatoes ~ and I used it in the following recipe as described below.

I've got to tell you, I've been making roasted and sauteed potatoes for years, but yesterday was the first time Mr. OUaP  ever commented on the wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen as I cooked the potatoes. Score! (And they tasted fabulous, too.)

Photo credit:  Ariosto website

So, getting back to the fact that I dislike grocery shopping ~ sometimes I find myself in a pinch as far as what to serve up from what is on hand... 

One of the meals I make when it appears as if there is little to eat in the house is an egg based frittata (essentially a flat, baked omelet.) It's a great way to use up bits of vegetables, some cheese and/or meat (either are optional.) 

 Add a green salad and perhaps serve with toast, garlic bread, or warm rolls and you have a satisfying meal in minutes. It's budget friendly and perfect for times when the pantry and cupboards seem bare. I like the fact that they can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature ~ and a slice is a great snack any time of day or night. 

Frittatas are perfectly portable as well,  sometimes I'll make one to take along on a picnic, when it has cooled I cut and wrap individual portions ~ add some fruit, a baguette, your beverage of choice and you're all set for a nice al fresco treat.

  

You're probably familiar with how to make a frittata ~ but if not, or if you would like to learn how I make mine, you can find a printable version over on my recipe blog

'Once Upon a Plate ~ The Recipes' (click)

This time I had left over (cooked), whole potatoes and my new herb seasoning collection ~ so a Potato Frittata with Italian Herb Blend it was.

 I peeled the potatoes (optional) and sliced them about 1/4-inch thick. For extra flavor and texture I lightly browned them in a skillet with a combination of half olive oil and half butter.  As they were browning, I sprinkled them generously with

 Ariosto Seasoning for Potatoes*.

Alternately you could roast the potatoes; generously drizzle a shallow rimmed baking pan with olive oil and toss the potato slices in the pan to coat, then dot liberally with butter and place in hot oven until as crisp and brown as you like ~ turning once or twice so they brown evenly.  Sprinkle with  the herb blend when they are almost finished roasting. Then I continued on with the usual method for making the frittata. (see link above)

The verdict? We really like the combination of herbs in these products and I look forward to using them frequently, particularly during winter when the herb garden is resting.

* Ariosto seasonings contain:

Herbs, not spices, No preservatives.

Sea Salt, garlic, rosemary, sage, juniper, basil, marjoram, oregano, laurel (bay), coriander and parsley. 

Ariosto is the top herb seasoning in Italy, and has been in existence for over 47 years.


Products are currently available to the following countries:


Austria
Australia
Belgium
Canada
Germany
Guatemala
Holland
Japan
Luxembourg
Portugal
Spain
United Kingdom
USA


  Please go visit the colorful Ariosto website to learn more about the company and their great products, get recipes, etc.


You can also find out how order these products by e-mailing
Ariosto's Sales Manager, Saverio Lo Presti -- a very friendly and personable man.


Mr. Lo Presti's email address can be found by clicking here.

Thank you for stopping by today friends, and thank you for any comments you would like to leave.

Have a great week!

Full disclosure as required by the FCC: As mentioned in the body of this post, I was given the herb set to review. I received no other compensation.

Broccoli-Mushroom Quiche and a Tip

One of the things I like about quiche is that it is a great way to use up bits of vegetables or meats that may be hanging around in the fridge. I had a little broccoli and mushrooms on hand so I quickly blanched then chopped the broccoli, and sauteed the sliced mushrooms in a little butter.


I used a traditional recipe for quiche; eggs, cream or half & half, cheese and the cooked veggies.





To assure a thoroughly baked bottom crust I usually partially bake the pastry crust, then add the filling and finish baking.

I also want to share another tip I learned years ago that you may find useful. Maybe you already know about this technique, but at the time I did not.

It believe it was almost 30 years ago... I had purchased a quiche pan from Williams-Sonoma, and included was a W-S recipe for broccoli quiche. The directions instructed to brush the inside of the pastry with Dijon mustard before adding the filling.

I tried it, and found that I loved the subtle flavor this added so I've been using this method with many quiches ever since. It works particularly well with most any kind of ham or bacon quiche.

I usually reserve a little of the quiche ingredient(s) for garnishing the baked quiche; it serves a dual purpose!

It lets everyone know what kind of quiche it is, and ...

in the event your quiche doesn't slice perfectly you can use the garnish as camouflage. :)

Quiches are perfect for brunch, lunch, dinner or snacks. Served warm from the oven or at room temperature ~ and fun for a picnic, too.

With fruit or greens salad it makes one of my favorite meals.

Refrigerate leftovers, and they can be microwaved, or heated in a 350*(F) oven until heated through. I like the radiant or convection oven best for reheating, the crust tastes better to me than when it is microwaved... but I wouldn't turn down a slice warm from the microwave.

Use your favorite recipe for the quiche, but if you don't have one there are plenty available by doing an internet search.

Thanks for stopping by today, and for any comment you might like to leave. I always LOVE to hear from my readers! xo