Shrimp 101

Frozen Shrimp from Stephen's Butcher Shop in Port Carling.
Product of Argentina. Already deveined and split for easy peeling.
This 2-lb bag will contain 26-30 shrimp. 

Shrimp can be purchase with the shells on or off, cleaned (de-veined), raw or cooked. They are normally sized using the number of shrimp in one pound. For example, shrimp sized 16-20, means one pound will contain 16-20 shrimp. So, the smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp. I liked the 10-12 size.  Try to get the shrimp the same size as then they will cook uniformly. In the first photo you can see how these two varied.

Shrimp with the peel on will have more taste when cooked with the peel on. You can barbecue shrimp with the peel on and then peel them after they're cooked. The photos above show the shrimp with the shell on, boiled for 3-5 minutes on a simmer, depending on the size of them. Then they are added to a bowl of ice water, which stops the cooking, and make them easier to handle. Peel the shrimp and then using a knife, slice them down the back and remove any grit, black row, with a paper towel.

Serve as a shrimp cocktail with sauces, on a salad, or as an appetizer.

If possible buy the shrimp fresh. If you find them 'previously frozen' - use them all and do not re-freeze them. Sometimes the packaged frozen ones will have added salt so make sure you taste them before seasoning.

Barbecued Pearl Onions with Garlic butter

Serves 4

Ingredients 

1 packet of pearl onions
1 TBS of garlic butter
or
1 TBS vegan butter
or
1 TBS butter and 1 clove of minced garlic

1 tsp thyme or oregano
salt & pepper

Method 

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Reduce to simmering. Add the onions from the packet.
Gently stir and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove the onions with a strainer or spoon and place them in a bowl of ice water.
Take an onion out and slice off the root end. Then squeeze the onion from the pointed side, and it should pop out - peeled. If it doesn't, make a thin slice on the side and peel off the outer skin.

Place the peeled onion on a piece of tinfoil, and add the butter, salt & pepper, and herbs. Close up the tinfoil into a packet. Place the packet on the barbecue and cook on medium for about 20 minutes.
You can also place them in the oven, covered at 350F in a tinfoil container, or a glass dish. Stir occasionally.

Pearl onions are sweet depending on how you like them, they can be soft, or a little firm.
Use leftovers chopped in eggs, or on a salad.

Perfect Poached Eggs

Here are a few tips for poaching eggs that will give you perfectly cooked eggs just the way you like them, without having to try to peel a soft-boiled egg. Many restaurants put vinegar in the water which holds the egg white together - but I find you can really taste the sour vinegar in the eggs and it's not really necessary.

So here's the way to do it.

Bring a small pot of water to the boil (for 2 eggs).  Use a larger pot for 4 eggs.
Then turn it down to a simmer.
Break one egg at a time into a small bowl. This way, you won't have any shells in your eggs. With a spoon, stir the water in the pot in a circular counter-clockwise direction, creating a little whirlpool, and gently slide the egg into the pot. This keeps the egg white together and stops the egg from spreading.  Then gently do the next egg.

Keep the water simmering on low.
Set the timer for 3-4 minutes for a soft egg, 4-5 for a medium egg, and 6 - 7 for a well-done egg.

Lift the eggs out of then water using a slotted spoon or strainer. Rest them on a paper towel, to soak up the excess water.  This ensures no watery eggs are sliding around your plate. Then serve them with your favorite accompaniments.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Sami's Hangover Cure

Sami Bloom is a Sydney, Australia based Vegan Nutritionist. She posted this recipe on Instagram and I thought it was a good one to have on hand for those nights where you party too hard and need a boost in the morning. Tried it and loved it!
Check out her website: samibloom.com

Ingredients

1 cup of coconut water
1 banana
A huge handful of spinach
1/2 cup of frozen mango chopped
1 fresh pitted date
1 tsp of spirulina powder *

Directions

Add the ingredients in this order to a Vitamix or blender.
Blend till smooth.

Feel better.

* Spirulina powder is available at health food stores or Whole Foods.
It's nature's green superfood and a rich source of vitamins and minerals.

Roasted Duck Breast

This is a Muscovy Duck breast and was quite large at .86 lb (14 ounces) .4 KG
You can have duck breast rare, medium or well-done. So for this size, cook it in the oven for about 8-9 minutes for rare, 10-12 minutes for medium and 13-15 for well-done.

Ingredients:

1 cast iron or heavy-bottom, oven proof saute pan
1 - 2 duck breasts
salt & pepper
Chinese Five Spice seasoning or one of your choice

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 375F.
Rinse and pat-dry the duck. Score the fatty side of the duck breast by making a criss-cross pattern with a knife, just deep enough to cut the fat, and not the meat. Salt and pepper and use your favorite seasoning.

Heat the pan to medium-low. Add the duck breast fat side down, and cook for 6 minutes to melt the fat and get a brown crispy outside. Turn and cook one minute on the other side.

Drain the fat from the pan.

Put the pan in the oven and cook till done to your liking.
Remove the duck and let it sit for about 10 minutes before thinly slicing it.
If you cool the duck, cool it whole. Then slice it for a salad topping.

Serve with a chutney, cranberry, or blueberry sauce.

Turmeric and Cinnamon Tea

This is a wonderful tea to have hot or cold. Make a large batch, let it cool and then put it in a glass container in the fridge. Drink each day to feel great!

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients 

4 cups of pure water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp organic turmeric powder
1-2 cinnamon sticks

Directions

Pour the water into a pot. Add the cinnamon, sticks, and turmeric.
Gently heat for about 5 minutes.

Mix thoroughly before drinking as the spices will sink to the bottom.

Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory.

Polenta with Parmesan, Rosemary & Thyme

Serves 4 

Ingredients 

32 oz of water
1 cup of polenta (corn meal)
sea salt
pepper
2 tbs butter
4 oz freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese *
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp thyme leaves (no stems)
rosemary sprig for garnish
extra grated cheese to serve on top or at the table

Directions

To cook the polenta (corn meal), place the water in a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Bring the water to a slow simmer. Slowly pour the polenta into the water while whisking to combine.
Reduce the heat to low. Stir the polenta occasionally with a wooden spoon for 40-45 minutes.

Polenta is cooked when it comes away from the sides of the pot. Add the herbs about 10 minutes before it is done.  Stir salt, pepper, butter and cheese through the polenta when it is done. Pour/spoon it into a flat dish like a pie plate, or quiche dish.

Keep it warm till ready to serve. Garnish with a sprig or rosemary, fresh pepper and grated cheese.
Polenta is great as a side-dish for company. You can make it the day before, let it cool, cover and refrigerate.  Re-heat it when needed and serve in slices.

You can buy coarse grind, or regular fine grind polenta by Bob's Red Mill. I prefer the coarse grind.

Polenta can be served with steak, chicken. Italian sausages or with the Chicken Stew recipe on the blog.

* You can omit the cheese for a vegan variation. Or, sprinkle with nutritional yeast.