Shrimp For Lunch. With A Barbecue Sauce.

 

I love shrimp.

And I always have frozen shrimp on hand.

So today, I'm grabbing a pound of that shrimp,

lightly breading and frying it,

then serving it on a bed of rice 

with a nice homemade barbecue sauce.

Frying shrimp, if it's done correctly,

really brings out the shrimp flavor.

And my barbecue sauce

is light enough to perfectly complement the shrimp.

For the breading:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup cornstarch

1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp cayenne powder

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients.

Add shrimp and toss to coat evenly and lightly.

For the BBQ sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

2 TB brown sugar

2 TB cider vinegar

2 TB Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Mr. Stubbs hickory smoke

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat to simmer.

In a large skillet, add a film of peanut oil

and heat to 350°-375°.

Add shrimp and cook about 1 minute.

Shrimp should be a light golden color.

Drain on paper towels.

In a medium skillet, pour in a tablespoon or so of peanut oil 

and heat over medium high.

Add in a handful each of chopped celery and onion.

Cook for one minute, then add in shrimp.

Serve on a bed of rice. 

Pour a little barbecue sauce over shrimp.

Sprinkle on some fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

Rosie Puts A Spin On Her Pizza.

The Hawthornes love their pizzas.  And we make at least one pizza a week.

Depending on our moods, our pizzas are different each time.  

We've got that crust down, so only the toppings change.

Let's take a look at some of our pizzas.

 Here's a white sauce on the left side and traditional on the right.  The best of both worlds.

See HERE for the recipes.

I've also been known, when my figs are in season, to showcase them on my figcaccia.

Here's the recipe for my fig pizza.

Some time ago, I wrote about pizzas for a tail-gating article.   

I showcased traditional pepperoni pizza, Greek pizza with spinach and feta, and Hawaiian pizza with ham, pineapple, and cherries.

 

Traditional pizza.
 
 

Greek pizza.

Hawaiian pizza.

    

 So, what else is there, you ask?
 

Well, there's a fusion pizza.
Today, I'm combining Hawaiian and BBQ.
Don't knock it until you've tried it.

I guess pineapple makes a pizza Hawaiian. Then there are some maraschino cherries thrown in.
And don't forget the Canadian bacon/ham slices which fuses our northern neighbor in there.  And also I doctored up my basic tomato sauce with a hint of southern smoky barbecue for more fusion.

And it was good.  Just the right amount of sweet and savory.

Let's start with the crust.
If you make pizza on a regular basis, get yourself a pizza stone.  That's the secret to a super crust.  The stone conducts and holds heat evenly, keeping your temperature at an even keel despite hot spots and fluctuations in the oven itself, and the stone helps to bake the pizza evenly.  In addition, the porous stone surface draws water out of your dough, dispersing this moisture as steam, puffing up the dough.  Preheating the stone gives you a surge of initial heat when you place the pizza on it, which also serves to puff up the dough.  Using a stone will give you a definitive, golden, and crisp bottom which is what we all want.

Besides using a stone, you need a hot, hot oven.  500°.  And ideally, you need to let that stone heat up for an hour to get best results.

Now, back to the crust.

Pizza Crust
3/4 cup warm water
1 package yeast
1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup warm water
 1 tsp kosher salt
 2 cups bread flour, thereabouts

Pour 3/4 cup warm water in a medium bowl.  Add in the yeast and sprinkle the sugar over top. I don't even bother to stir.   Let it proof.  This means the yeast "proves" it's alive by eating the sugar and producing carbon dioxide and other by-products.  In other words, it gets bubbly and foamy.

When the yeast has proofed, add in the rest of the water,  then gradually fork in the bread flour and salt until it all comes together in a sticky mess.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it becomes a soft, pliable ball.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning to lightly coat, then cover and let rise.

Now, you can let it rise, doubling, and then start on the crust immediately, OR you can let the dough wait it out in the fridge for a day or two.  This overnight wait gives the dough deeper, better flavor.  A long fermentation also allows the gluten to develop, producing a strong, elastic network. 

Before working with refrigerated dough, let it come to room temperature.  Liberally oil a pizza pan, place the ball of dough in the center, and, working from the center of the ball, press the dough out.  Let it relax a bit, then press out some more.  Take your time doing this.  Keep pressing outwards until your dough is evenly stretched but has a thicker lip around the edges.

Rosie Note:  This dough is enough to cover a 15-inch diameter pan.  If you want to make more dough, a general rule of thumb is 1 part liquid to 2 parts flour. Adjust salt accordingly.  Don't worry about adding more yeast or sugar. 

This is what "proofed" yeast looks like.
Now it's ready for you to mix in the flour.



Simply fork in the flour.
Then turn the shaggy mess out onto a lightly floured board.

Work it.
Knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise.

Let it rise until doubled.  You can start on the pizza now or you can cover and refrigerate overnight.  I've left mine in the fridge for up to 3 days.  You don't need to be pressured to make the pizza immediately.  You can take your time.

Now it's time for the sauces.  
I'm making two sauces - a basic tomato sauce and a barbecue sauce -  and blending them.

Basic Pizza Sauce (Above left)

1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sugar
pinch salt
Scrape out the tomato paste into a small saucepan.  Add a little water to the can, swirling, and wash out any remaining paste into the pan.  Fill can twice with water and pour into pan.  Stir in seasonings and heat over low heat until simmering.  Reduce heat and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Rosie's BBQ Sauce (Above right)
1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 TB Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Stubb's hickory liquid smoke
Combine all ingredients and heat through over low.

For my Fusion Sauce:
I used two parts pizza sauce to one part BBQ sauce.
Taste test, and if you'd like a stronger barbecue flavor, add more sauce.
You be the judge.

You'll have leftovers for both sauces.  Just refrigerate or freeze until later.

Now, build the pizza!

Press the dough out onto a well-oiled pizza pan, then ladle on the sauce, smoothing it out.
I like a light hand with the sauce, but you might like more.

Next, I added slices of Canadian bacon/ham and topped them with a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry.  Then I added some onion slices and chopped bell peppers, along with some jarred peperoncini slices.

Top the pizza with as much cheese as you like. Can you have too much cheese?  I think not.
 I used a combination of whole milk mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Oven should be at 500° with a pizza stone heating up for at least an hour.

Place pizza (on pan) in oven for 3 minutes, then rotate and cook for another 3 minutes.
Slide pizza off pan and onto stone and cook for 7 more minutes.
Place pizza on rack to cool slightly, then place on cutting board to slice.

Ta daaaaa!

Enjoy!

Comfort Foods. Rosie Makes Rice Pudding.

  I've been craving comfort foods lately.  

Usually this comes in the form of meatloaf 

and creamy mashed potatoes with a ridiculous amount of butter.

Since I make the meatloaf,

I lay claim to both end pieces.
Same house rule with bread.
I get the heels.
It's only fair.

I eat the first meatloaf end piece while still hot right out of the oven

with a side of wicked mashed potatoes.

 And that's the only hot meatloaf I eat.

 The rest I eat cold on white bread slathered with butter

then squished hard together and flattened like a panini.

And then I dipped it in my homemade barbecue sauce. 

To me, this is divine.

Now, if you actually want a meatloaf recipe,
here's what I do:

Rosie's Meatloaf

1 lb. meatloaf mixture
1 TB minced onion
1 TB minced bell pepper
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
handful of crumbled Ritz crackers or torn up bread pieces
1 beaten egg
1/2 can Hunt's Meatloaf Sauce

Mix all ingredients by hand.
Your hands are your best kitchen tools.

Press tightly and evenly into loaf pan.

Bake at 350° for about 35-40 minutes,
pouring off grease throughout,
or until internal temperature of 165°.

The last few minutes,
pour a little more of the meatloaf sauce over top.

Rosie's Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup (or any leftover meatloaf sauce you might have)
1 TB yellow mustard
1 TB Lea & Perrins
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Mix together.
And if you'd like to put a drop or two
of Mr. Stubb's Hickory Smoke in there,
feel free to.

Now, on to more comfort food.

Youngest Hawthorne has been visiting Middle Hawthorne for a couple of weeks.  He returned home yesterday, and because of his growing dietary restrictions, I was trying to get an idea of what he'd like to eat.  He mentioned the Indian restaurants he'd been to and brought up rice pudding with raisins, nuts, and cinnamon.  I googled a few recipes, picked a few from Column A and a few from Column B and went to work putting together something that might be worthy of his precious palate.

I'm making my version of a rice pudding dish from India called Kheer. 
And I thought it interesting that rice made its way to Europe by way of India.

Rosie's Rice Pudding 
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cups cream

1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped into mixture and pod thrown in for more vanilla flavor  (Remove pods before serving.)
1/4 cup raisins
3 cardamon pods, seeds crushed
1/2 cup basmati rice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup toasted pistachios

To toast nuts, toss them around in a dry skillet until they become fragrant.  Set aside and let cool.  You could put them under a broiler, but I usually burn them whenever I do that.  I prefer a controlled toast.

Mix all ingredients in medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

My vanilla pods were a bit dried out and ended up cracking.  I tied 'em up in little bundles and fished them out later before serving.

Yes.  The cardamon is essential.  It's not an overwhelming flavor, but it's something you pick up on and wonder, "Hmmm...  What is that?"
Crack the pods and crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle.

Whisk away.

Nuts in.
And a damn spot on my lens!

Keep cooking and stirring and it gets ricier and puddingier.

Oh my, but this is extraordinary.

It's mushy.  It's squishy. It's warm and steamy.  It's soft.  It makes my tummy happy.

And it was divine the next day at cool to room-temperature.
I scooped little melon balls of the pudding.

I sprinkled more toasted pistachios and almonds on top, gave it a drizzle of pure maple syrup, and sprinkled turbinado sugar for good measure.