Color me.....shrimp!

I love cooking shrimp. It's easy, cooks in minutes, is always delicious and can withstand a wide variety of cooking techniques--grilling, baking, sauteing etc. I use it often in pasta, gratins and various curries. The one thing I have not done nor will ever do is make shrimp ice cream (umm....iron chef, anyone??)

I've made the below recipe a hundred times for my husband who devours it in record time. You can change it up in various ways by adding different seafood items. This dish is particularly great with scallops and/or mussels. I left them out in this version because I only had shrimp on hand. If you do decide to add other seafood items, be sure to increase the number of tomatoes so that you get a good amount of sauce.

Shrimp with mushroom and cilantro couscous

Some things I've learned along the way:
1. Shrimp cooks really, really fast. That's a good and a bad thing.  Here's how to cook it: Put the shrimp on an oiled grill, in a sautee pan etc., on medium flame and leave it alone for 3-5 minutes. Then, turn it over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. That's it, it's done. Overcooking the shrimp makes it really tough and rubbery. But, if you're like my husband, and you like your shrimp a little tough and chewy, then by all means cook it longer. :)
2. Sautee garlic and onions on low flame. Cooking on low flame releases their aroma gently. This way, you prevent either from getting burnt and the result is delicious.

Ingredients:
10-15 shrimp, peeled and deveined (de-pooped, perhaps?)
20-30 cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, julienned
1 filet of oil packed anchovie
Capers (add quantity according to taste)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper; canned version is fine too if you prefer a milder kick
1/4 vegetable broth, if needed
2 cups of couscous
2 cups of baby portabella mushroom, sliced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Directions:
Shrimp
On low to medium flame, heat up 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a big, open mouthed skillet. Grate the garlic cloves and add to the olive oil and let the garlic cook on low, even flame for 3 to 5 minutes. Add onions and cook for another few minutes. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, drizzle some olive oil and add an anchovie filet and cook till the fish melts. If there isn't enough oil to melt the fish, add another tablespoon. Don't be alarmed by the strong fishy flavor it gives off initially as the smell will dissipate in a few minutes and it gives the dish a wonderful depth of flavor. But if you are not a fan of fish, by all means omit it.

<<side note: the best grater that I've ever come across is the Microplane Grater-Zester. I received one a few months ago and it’s been my constant cooking companion. It grates the garlic into a fine paste so that you don't end up with chunks of garlic in your food. It’s a great stocking stuffer for a cook. You can purchase one at http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/prep-utensils/microplane-grater-zester/s360417. >>

Add the cherry tomatoes and coat evenly with the melted fish and cook on low to medium heat for a few minutes. Then, crank up the heat to high. Yes, high. After a few minutes, you'll get gorgeous char marks on the tomatoes and they'll start to burst. Be sure to stir the tomatoes to get an even char.

Once all the tomatoes have burst, lower the heat to low.  Add the jalapeno pepper, and add back the onions and the garlic mixture you set aside earlier. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes minutes, stirring occasionally. If there isn't enough sauce, add a 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Don't have any broth? Just substitute with water.

It's time to cook the shrimp. First, you need to prepare the shrimp. Once the shrimp is peeled and deveined, wash it under cold water. Add some salt and pepper and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil.

Turn the stove top grill (or a regular pan) on medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and let the oil heat up. Add the shrimp. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn it over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. When it turns pink and feels springy to the touch, it is done.

Add the shrimp to the tomato sauce. Stir to coat the shrimp, add the remaining chopped cilantro and a handful of capers. Keep in mind that the capers are salty, so if you’re watching your salt intake, just give them a good rinse to remove excess salt. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Set aside while we cook the couscous.

Couscous
Cook couscous according to directions on the packet.

<<side note: I prefer buying the plain couscous. It's not only cheaper but I can control the ingredients that go into it>>

While the couscous is cooking, slice the mushrooms and cook them in an oiled skillet under medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes until they are tender. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Add mushrooms and the remaining roughly chopped cilantro into the couscous. Fluff the couscous with a fork to mix all the ingredients.

Ladle a generous portion of the shrimp on a bed of couscous and enjoy!

Till next time, To Life!

Oh Coconut, How I Love Thee...

In the Malayalee (see here) kitchen, the coconut is the undisputed king. This delicious fruit is infused into a wide variety of dishes, from breakfast chutneys to forming the base of spicy fish curries to decadent rice pudding. It even serves as an offering to the gods.

So, it is only fitting that my culinary journey begin at home, with an ode to the coconut. Of course, since I am also nursing a sweet tooth, the coconut offering will be in the form of a cupcake.

I hope you enjoy it!

 Coconut cupcakes












A few things I've learned along the way:
1. Always bring the butter, eggs and other ingredients to room temperature before working with them.
2. Always add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Do it the other way and you end up with dough and not really batter.
3. Be sure to sift. I know, I'm not a huge fan of this either but the lumpless cakes are reinforcement enough to keep on sifting.
4. Sample your delicious food along the way. It's the cook's prerogative!

Ingredients
-3 cups of flour, sifted
-2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
-2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
-2 eggs
-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-1 1/4 cup milk (I prefer to use whole milk, but 1 or 2% works fine too. Try to avoid the non-fat version)
-4 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut flakes; 1/2 cup for toasting
-4 packets of cream cheese, at room temperature
-1 cup of confectioner's sugar or to your preference
-1/2 cup of heavy cream

Directions
The cupcake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Start by combining the flour, baking powder and salt and sifting it. Set aside.

Meanwhile, using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. In small batches, add the sugar into the creamed butter. Allow the ingredients to combine well before continuing. Be sure to scrape down the sides...you don't want to miss any of the delicious goodness! Once the ingredients are well combined, add the eggs one at a time and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.

<<side note: For special occasions, you might want to use pretty cupcake wrappers. Click here for choices of elegant to whimsical cupcake wrappers. Yup, they're expensive..which is why I only use it on really special occasions>>


Allow the cupcakes to rest while you prepare the frosting.

The Frosting:
Before you start, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature.

Using a mixer, mix the cream cheese until its soft and pillowy. Slowly add in the cream until it is well incorporated into the cream cheese. Add the remaining vanilla extract and mix well. Finally, slowly add in the powdered sugar to your desired level of sweetness. I prefer very sweet frosting, so I usually add a 1 1

<<side note: At this point, you can also divide the frosting up into smaller batches and add different food coloring to them. It makes for a festive presentation>>

Take 1/2 cup of sweetened coconut flakes and, on low heat, toast them on the stove until they begin to turn a light brown. Remove from heat.

Take a generous spoonful of the cream cheese frosting and liberally slather each cupcake. Top each cupcake with a couple of pinches of the toasted coconut.

You're all done and ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Till next time, To life!