Lobster rolls are delicious but take a naturally healthy ingredient (lobster) and make it really unhealthy with lots of butter, mayo and carbs. Some of the finer flavors of lobster are lost in the lobster salad mix that goes into those delicious sandwiches. This healthy version of the lobster roll makes two big slashes against the traditional lobster roll. First, it replaces the lobster with shrimp, which makes the recipe much cheaper. Yeah, it's no longer a lobster roll anymore -- hence the name shrimp roll -- but it's also a lot cheaper and you're not paying for an expensive ingredient prepared in a way usually reserved for cheaper ingredients. Second, it cuts down on the overall calories while maintaining good flavor.
Servings: 4, 400 calories per serving
Ingredients:
1 lb. uncooked, deveined shrimp (shell on or off, your choice)
2 stalks of celery
1/4 red onion
2 tbsp dried or fresh chopped chives
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp Low fat mayo
1 tsp hot sauce (can use either Franks/Louisiana hot sauce or sriracha)
Juice of 1 lemon (can use bottled lemon juice)
4 hot dog buns
Equipment:
Knife and cutting board
Stove
Pot with lid
Bowl
Step 1: Cook shrimp in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Cool and remove tails and shells. Cut into small pieces, at least cutting into half horizontally (not lengthwise).
Step 2: Dice red onion and celery -- can do this while shrimp are cooking.
Step 3: Mix all ingredients except the buns. Salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4: Add 1/4 of mixture to a hot dog bun. Can toast the bun in a toaster or under a broiler if you prefer.
That's it. Very simple recipe and the shrimp salad will last in the fridge for about a week.
You can also keep the water you boiled the shrimp in and add the shells and tails back in and simmer it with some seasoning to create a nice seafood stock. I do this as a base for chowders and other seafood-based soups. Some bay seasoning (not to be confused with bay leaves) is enough seasoning to make a slightly spicy but flavorful stock. Discard the shells and tails once you are happy with the flavor. Stock will freeze well. You can always boil it down to a stronger flavor than you prefer for more efficient storage and dilute with water before use.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Not Healthy: Pizza/Calzone Dough Recipe 1
This recipe is off the beaten path but creates a really delicious dough that works well for pizzas and calzones. The crust is light and the recipe is very forgiving. It was originally a recipe I nicked off a calzone recipe somewhere but have used for pizza. It will make enough dough for 1-2 pizzas, depending on how thick and wide you prefer your pizzas. If you end up with more dough than you need for a pizza you can always roll out the remaining dough thin and bake it separate to create a nice flat bread you can use for sandwiches, breakfasts, etc.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine or white wine (your preference)
3/4 cup warm water
1 package bread yeast (approximately one tablespoon bread yeast)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups all purpose or bread flour (I prefer bread flour)
Equipment:
Measuring cups
Oven
Mixing bowl (preferably large)
Pizza pan or cookie sheet (can also use dutch oven or pizza stone)
Large kitchen spoon
Optional: stand mixer
Step 1: Combine wine, water, yeast and honey in a mixing bowl or stand mixer and stir until mixed. Add the salt and olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Add one cup flour and mix well until it starts to form a batter.
Step 2: Add remaining bread flour half a cup at a time and mix. You should have a solid dough ball. Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or with a stand mixer. The dough should be moist and tacky but not stick or ooze. If so, add a small amount of flour and continue to knead. Repeat as necessary until you have a firm but moist ball.
Step 3: Return to your mixing bowl and put in an unheated oven with the oven light on for 45 minutes. Alternatively, if your kitchen is warm you can place it in a warm place for 45 minutes. The dough should have doubled in size. You may only need half the dough for a pizza. If so, cut the dough ball in half (or whatever amount you need) and let rise for an additional 15 minutes.
Step 4: Shape the dough by rolling it out gently to the size of pizza you prefer. Add your pizza toppings as you prefer. While doing so, preheat your oven to 400. Once the oven is ready, heat for 12-15 minutes.
If you end up with extra dough, the best thing to do is roll it out like a thin crust pizza and bake for 10-12 minutes (or longer if it is still doughy) and then cut it up to make flat bread. You could toss out the remainder but in my opinion no need to waste perfectly good dough.
As a caution, if you choose to use red wine in the dough, as I like to, the dough will be a pink-purple color. It might alarm some people to see a funky colored dough but it will taste delicious in spite of the color. I prefer to use a Shiraz, Burgundy or Merlot. However, you could use a Chianti, Chardonnay, or really any other grape-based wine. I would probably stay away from anything with too strong of a fruity flavor or anything too chocolaty just because it might add some undesired flavors.
I'm also not a believer that you need to use high end wine in your food. When you cook wine you drive off a lot of the aromatics and delicate flavors that make quality wine taste better than a cheap bottle so you're paying to create a nice aroma while you cook but you're not going to taste a lot of it. I use jug wine for a lot of my cooking but I wouldn't reach for a bottle of Boone's Farm for cooking. If you're opposed to the jug wine for cooking, a $5 bottle is perfectly fine.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine or white wine (your preference)
3/4 cup warm water
1 package bread yeast (approximately one tablespoon bread yeast)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups all purpose or bread flour (I prefer bread flour)
Equipment:
Measuring cups
Oven
Mixing bowl (preferably large)
Pizza pan or cookie sheet (can also use dutch oven or pizza stone)
Large kitchen spoon
Optional: stand mixer
Step 1: Combine wine, water, yeast and honey in a mixing bowl or stand mixer and stir until mixed. Add the salt and olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Add one cup flour and mix well until it starts to form a batter.
Step 2: Add remaining bread flour half a cup at a time and mix. You should have a solid dough ball. Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or with a stand mixer. The dough should be moist and tacky but not stick or ooze. If so, add a small amount of flour and continue to knead. Repeat as necessary until you have a firm but moist ball.
Step 3: Return to your mixing bowl and put in an unheated oven with the oven light on for 45 minutes. Alternatively, if your kitchen is warm you can place it in a warm place for 45 minutes. The dough should have doubled in size. You may only need half the dough for a pizza. If so, cut the dough ball in half (or whatever amount you need) and let rise for an additional 15 minutes.
Step 4: Shape the dough by rolling it out gently to the size of pizza you prefer. Add your pizza toppings as you prefer. While doing so, preheat your oven to 400. Once the oven is ready, heat for 12-15 minutes.
If you end up with extra dough, the best thing to do is roll it out like a thin crust pizza and bake for 10-12 minutes (or longer if it is still doughy) and then cut it up to make flat bread. You could toss out the remainder but in my opinion no need to waste perfectly good dough.
As a caution, if you choose to use red wine in the dough, as I like to, the dough will be a pink-purple color. It might alarm some people to see a funky colored dough but it will taste delicious in spite of the color. I prefer to use a Shiraz, Burgundy or Merlot. However, you could use a Chianti, Chardonnay, or really any other grape-based wine. I would probably stay away from anything with too strong of a fruity flavor or anything too chocolaty just because it might add some undesired flavors.
I'm also not a believer that you need to use high end wine in your food. When you cook wine you drive off a lot of the aromatics and delicate flavors that make quality wine taste better than a cheap bottle so you're paying to create a nice aroma while you cook but you're not going to taste a lot of it. I use jug wine for a lot of my cooking but I wouldn't reach for a bottle of Boone's Farm for cooking. If you're opposed to the jug wine for cooking, a $5 bottle is perfectly fine.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Not Healthy: Goat Cheese smashed Potatoes
I first tried goat cheese mashed potatoes at a local restaurant that unfortunately didn't make it through the bad economy in the late 2000s that closed down a number of restaurants. Fortunately I was able to find a good recipe to replicate that delicious take on mashed potatoes. The goat cheese adds a creaminess and tang often supplied by sour cream but with a more complex flavor. Even people who tend not to like more rustic cheeses, like feta, enjoy this recipe.
The original recipe came from Epicurious with some minor tweaks. It yield six servings.
Ingredients:
3 pounds russet or new potatoes cut into 1-2 inch cubes, peel or leave the skin on peel for traditional mashed potatoes
1 cup milk (I use skim milk but you can use a fattier milk)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons butter (you can use more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
4-6 ounces chevre goat cheese
Equipment:
One large stock pot to boil potatoes
Small saucepan
Potato masher
Measuring cup
Knife and cutting board or plate
Stove
Basic kitchen utensils
Step 1: Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water for 30-40 minutes until soft. The smaller you cube the potato the quicker it will soften. You don't want the potatoes to dissolve into the water, just soften so it easily mashes.
Step 2: When the potatoes are tender, remove from heat and drain water.
Step 3: Add the milk, butter and onions to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. You don't want to boil the milk, just melt the butter and simmer out some onion flavor. Heat until the butter is completely dissolved. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Once the butter is completely melted and the ingredients are mixed remove from heat and add to the potatoes.You can do the step in the last few minutes while the potatoes are boiling.
Step 4: Add goat cheese and mash with potato masher. Start out adding two ounces of the cheese if you have never made the recipe. Mash until the potatoes are smooth and there are no lumps. Taste and see if you want more goat cheese flavor. Add another two ounces, mix well and taste again. Repeat if necessary.
Step 5: Add salt and pepper to taste. The goat cheese can add some saltiness so start small, mix well and add more if needed. You can also add more butter if you want. Once you are happy with the flavor, you can return to the stove if the potatoes have cooled and reheat on low.
Step 6: Last, you need to use a fork and vigorously stir the potatoes up to whip some air in and give them a lighter body. This step is not essential but I think it gives smashed/mashed potatoes a smoother mouthfeel and look like you made a lot more than you did.
This is a basic recipe for smashed/mashed potatoes. You can take out the goat cheese for regular potatoes or substitute different cheeses. Sometimes I add garlic to this recipe for more flavor. That's something you can decide when you add salt and pepper.
If you don't have a potato masher you can still make mashed potatoes but it is far more challenging, especially if you are trying to make a large batch. You can use a large spoon to try to mash the potatoes until they are mostly broken down and then use a fork to stir vigorously to smooth them out. You probably want to use a large plastic bowl or tupperware container so you don't scratch up the bottom of your pot. I used this method quite a bit when I was single because it doesn't take too much work to mash one or two potatoes but if you're feeding two or more and/or hoping for leftovers it's a lot of work and takes much longer. Potato mashers aren't very expensive and will cut the time it takes to create smooth smashed/mashed potatoes significantly.
The original recipe came from Epicurious with some minor tweaks. It yield six servings.
Ingredients:
3 pounds russet or new potatoes cut into 1-2 inch cubes, peel or leave the skin on peel for traditional mashed potatoes
1 cup milk (I use skim milk but you can use a fattier milk)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons butter (you can use more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
4-6 ounces chevre goat cheese
Equipment:
One large stock pot to boil potatoes
Small saucepan
Potato masher
Measuring cup
Knife and cutting board or plate
Stove
Basic kitchen utensils
Step 1: Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water for 30-40 minutes until soft. The smaller you cube the potato the quicker it will soften. You don't want the potatoes to dissolve into the water, just soften so it easily mashes.
Step 2: When the potatoes are tender, remove from heat and drain water.
Step 3: Add the milk, butter and onions to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. You don't want to boil the milk, just melt the butter and simmer out some onion flavor. Heat until the butter is completely dissolved. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Once the butter is completely melted and the ingredients are mixed remove from heat and add to the potatoes.You can do the step in the last few minutes while the potatoes are boiling.
Step 4: Add goat cheese and mash with potato masher. Start out adding two ounces of the cheese if you have never made the recipe. Mash until the potatoes are smooth and there are no lumps. Taste and see if you want more goat cheese flavor. Add another two ounces, mix well and taste again. Repeat if necessary.
Step 5: Add salt and pepper to taste. The goat cheese can add some saltiness so start small, mix well and add more if needed. You can also add more butter if you want. Once you are happy with the flavor, you can return to the stove if the potatoes have cooled and reheat on low.
Step 6: Last, you need to use a fork and vigorously stir the potatoes up to whip some air in and give them a lighter body. This step is not essential but I think it gives smashed/mashed potatoes a smoother mouthfeel and look like you made a lot more than you did.
This is a basic recipe for smashed/mashed potatoes. You can take out the goat cheese for regular potatoes or substitute different cheeses. Sometimes I add garlic to this recipe for more flavor. That's something you can decide when you add salt and pepper.
If you don't have a potato masher you can still make mashed potatoes but it is far more challenging, especially if you are trying to make a large batch. You can use a large spoon to try to mash the potatoes until they are mostly broken down and then use a fork to stir vigorously to smooth them out. You probably want to use a large plastic bowl or tupperware container so you don't scratch up the bottom of your pot. I used this method quite a bit when I was single because it doesn't take too much work to mash one or two potatoes but if you're feeding two or more and/or hoping for leftovers it's a lot of work and takes much longer. Potato mashers aren't very expensive and will cut the time it takes to create smooth smashed/mashed potatoes significantly.
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