Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Winter is still in full blast here in Beijing. It's dry, cold, windy, and all I want to do is stay indoors until winter goes away. I even went to weather.com and looked at the temperature averages for March. It will most likely be ten degrees warmer by the end of the month, in case you're wondering...yay. For now, I'll continue to hibernate in our warm apartment, on the couch, under a blanket, with a nice bowl of steamy hot soup in my lap. 

This soup was "souper" (heh..had to do it). Seriously though, it was delicious. Before making it, I was a little worried about the addition of coconut milk. I adore coconut, but I much prefer it in sweets then in savory dishes. Nevertheless, I gave this a go, and thought the addition of coconut was wonderful. It was very subtle, and worked great with the other flavors. 

The picture at the top of this post is some of the leftovers the next day. When we ate it for dinner the night before, it was much more soupy (pictured below), and honestly, a whole lot better. Sadly, I wasn't slurping my bowl clean as I did the night before. Soup usually tastes better the next day, but this was just a little off. If you plan on making this, try and make just enough (this recipe yielded about 6-8 servings).

The original recipe page says that in Brazil, they would add okra to this soup, but because this recipe is already so satisfyingly thick, there's no need. I was very tempted to add the okra, but during the last second, decided not to. Fresh from the pot, it really is the perfect consistency. If you don't have shrimp, you could also add a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts (about three), cut crosswise into quarter-inch strips. The cooking time is the same. Bottom line: this soup was outstanding, and I'll definitely be making it again, though only enough for one meal. 

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Seen on several cooking blogs, all adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 onion, chopped (I used red)

1 green bell pepper (I used yellow)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup long grain rice

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (I used one whole 15 ounce can diced tomatoes)

5 cups water

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

Directions

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the rice, red-pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir the coconut milk into the soup. Bring back to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just done, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley or cilantro.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Low Fat Yogurt Pancakes

In a couple of days we're heading out of town to play a few concerts. We're off to Chang Chun which is north of Beijing (there are cities north of Beijing? You lie.) Needless to say, it's going to be freakin cold...ugh. Since we'll be gone about five days, there are some things in the fridge that need to get used before we leave. One such thing is a tub of plain yogurt. I often use yogurt in baked goods in place of oil, so I almost always have some on hand. Having a hankering for pancakes, I Google searched 'yogurt pancakes' and this recipe was one of the first I found. After reading through over 60 comments, where many of which referred to these as "pancracks" (because they're so addicting), I decided I had to try them.

I was not at all disappointed, as these pancakes were seriously SERIOUSLY delicious. The only change I made to the original recipe was the amount of salt. There were several comments stating that the original teaspoon of salt made them incredibly salty. I reduced the amount to 1/4 teaspoon. They were light and delicate, and not anywhere near as heavy as your typical pancake. It took me all of 60 seconds (okay...maaaybe 90) to devour my plate of three. I felt perfectly satisfied with my breakfast, and not at all weighed down. 

I must say though, cooking these pancakes wasn't as enjoyable. The pancakes didn't stick to the pan at all, but they did however, stick to the spatula, making it difficult to flip them. Reading through the comments from the original post, no one else seemed to have had this problem, so it may just be me. If you experience this, I found that lightly greasing the spatula helped. Weird problem to have right? This minor setback will not keep me from making them again. They were just too scrumptious! 

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Low Fat Yogurt Pancakes 

Adapted from One Green Generation

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (slightly more if you like thicker pancakes)

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2-1 cup fresh or frozen fruit (I used frozen blueberries, but the fruit is optional)

Butter or cooking spray for the pan

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Make a hole in the middle. Add wet ingredients into the hole, and whisk until just barely combined, leaving it lumpy.

Allow mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes, more it you can. It will almost double in size, and bubbles will form from the baking soda reacting with the yogurt. 

Heat skillet or electric griddle to medium low. Coat the pan with a thin layer of butter or cooking spray. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour the batter. Dot the top of the pancakes with fruit (I used about 6 blueberries per pancake). Pancakes are ready to be flipped when little bubbles form on top. The other side will take less then half the cooking time as the first. Serve with warm syrup, jam, fruit compote..whatever you want! Devour.

FYI: The original recipe said this yields 8 pancakes using 1/3 cup measuring cup. I used 1/4 cup measuring cup and ended up with 7. 

Mujaddara-Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions

I love a recipe where three simple ingredients can turn into something special and delicious. In Mujaddara, caramelized onions give life to the rice and lentils. Up until this dish, I think I've only had lentils in soups, so I'm slowly learning how to incorporate this ultra healthy legume into my diet. The original recipe called for brown rice, which would be a little healthier, but I only had white rice, so I adjusted the recipe accordingly. If you would prefer brown rice, add it to the pan with the lentils. I found this recipe at one of my new favorite blogs: Elly Says Opa. Elly says that you could serve this as a vegetarian main dish, or as a side. We at it for lunch one day, but I think I would prefer it as a side to perhaps chicken or pork, with some veggies or a salad.

Mujaddara

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and then into slices

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over

1/2 cup white rice

2 1/2 cups stock (I used veggie) or water or a combo*

Directions

Heat a deep saute pan or medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the onions. Cook for two or three minutes over medium heat and then reduce to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a dark golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Stir in the lentils and bay leaf and saute for a minute before adding the liquid. Increase heat to bring to a boil, and then cover for 30 minutes. Add rice and 1/3 cup broth and simmer an additional 15-20 minutes or until rice and lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Add more liquid as you are cooking the mujaddara, if necessary. I ended up adding about 1/3 of a cup more stock when I added the rice, but this amount may vary depending on your stove.

Recipe Source: adapted from Elly Says Opa

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Happy (almost) Fat Tuesday! I always miss Louisiana around this time of year. I wasn’t born and raised there, but I did live there for four years, so it is (and always will be!) a place that is near and dear to my heart. 

Gumbo is one of my favorite comfort foods. It's warm, filling, has tons of flavor, and every time I make it, I feel like I'm back in the south with a glass of sweet tea. I have my own recipe I follow, but thought I'd try a different way this time.

The first gumbo recipe I found on Google was of course Emeril Lagasse's, who else? His recipe is pretty close to how I've made mine in the past, except in mine I use butter for the roux instead of oil, I add okra, and I also use chicken that is already cooked to save time. Today I gave oil a try, though I think I prefer butter, as I believe it's easier to make the roux and adds more flavor to the dish. I of course still love my way, but this gumbo was pretty darn good. It was rich, hearty, full of flavor...everything a gumbo should be. 

Unlike Emeril, I didn't have four whole hours to make a gumbo. Instead, I made mine in a way that reduced the cooking time significantly, and I don't think it sacrificed flavor in any way. The only real tip I have is be sure you have EVERYTHING prepped before you start. You're life will be a whole lot easier...I promise. I hope if you make this gumbo, you enjoy it as much as we did today, and I hope ya'll (yes..I just did that) have a happy Mardi Gras! Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup vegetable oil

½ pound andouille sausage, cut crosswise in ½ inch thick pieces

½ cup flour

1 cup diced onion, about 1 medium

½ cup celery, chopped

½ cup green bell peppers, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or cayenne

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups cooked chicken (I shredded the chicken meat I used to make stock. A rotisserie chicken would also work well).

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon parsley

Cooked white rice

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside.

To make the roux, combine the remaining ¼ cup oil and ½ cup flour in the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes or until dark brown.

Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers, and cook about 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt, spices, and bay leaves, and cook for another minute or two. Slowly add the chicken stock, and stir until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat; remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in the green onions, and garnish with parsley. Serve over rice.

Recipe Source: inspired by Emeril Lagasse

Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before coming to China, I was a total bagged Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix fan. It was a regular thing (along with s'mores!) with me and my best friend to make these when we were both in Cincinnati. Stressed out? Grab the cookie mix. Movie? Betty..where are you? Hungry? Betty...done.

I had of course made chocolate chip cookies from scratch before, but they were always too crunchy! I wanted a crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside chocolate chip cookie, and Betty was always there. Not to sound unappreciative, but sorry Betty, your services are no longer needed, for I have found the Holy Grail of chocolate chip cookies. 

It wasn't until after my trial with the orchestra, when I knew I was staying in Beijing, that I bought my current "oven". The first thing I wanted to make was chocolate chip cookies. I suffered three long months in China without them, and had to have them immediately. Being that boxed mixes are super expensive here in Beijing, I decided making them from scratch was the way to go. So began my quest for chocolate chip cookie perfection. I tried theknead4speed's recipe, but found it a little too sweet (could have been my super dark brown sugar..recently found the lighter stuff..yay!) and they didn't really sink much either. Then I tried some from Apple a Day. They were excellent, but still not exactly what I was searching for (though I would totally recommend making those as well).  Then I stumbled across these bad boys on Smitten Kitchen, and honestly, I've been "smitten" with this recipe ever since.

When a chocolate chip cookie recipe has the same amount of chocolate chips as it does flour, you know you have a winner. Fresh from the oven, they're absolutely perfect. They're crispy, chewy, soft, buttery, chocolaty...just...amazing. Through this search, I have learned that the key to a crispy on the outside chewy on the inside cookie is to not over bake! When they're barely golden around the edges they're finished, as the cookies will continue to cook when they rest on the baking sheet.

Wow. Have I really blabbed this long about a chocolate chip cookie? Looks like it! I'm done, I swear. Just promise me one thing, okay? Make these cookies. You seriously won't regret it!

Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper (this was the first time I ever used parchment paper..I think I'm in love!).

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in flour mixture until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1 tablespoon at a time onto prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. If the dough is too soft to spoon into balls, put it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly toasted. Be sure to check your cookies before they're done; depending on your scoop size, your baking time will vary. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely (yeah right..who can wait that long before eating one? Not me). They will seem underdone, but will continue to cook as they rest on the cookie sheet and rack.