Pre Colonoscopy White Dinner

It was Cathy's turn for a colonoscopy (spoiler: It all turned out fine, thank god). Our doctor puts us on a white diet for a few days (apparently it makes her job easier). We made one of our favorite pastas: Macaroni and Cheese. It was a pleasure to make it because we love it. In fact, who doesn’t love Mac ‘n Cheese? I love the crispy topping! You can find the recipe on our blog of: February 2, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. We started with Cauliflower Soup. You can find the recipe in our blog of: January 26, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. 

Shrimp Salad

We simply made a Shrimp Salad from the left over Shrimp from the previous night. It was a delicious salad on a spring night.

Shrimp in Spicy Lime Sauce

We saw this recipe for Shrimp in Spicy Lime Sauce, in the New York Times. It was relatively easy to make and we liked it. We served a salad of Motzeralla Cheese and Tomatoes to start. We served it with Steamed Rice. We had lots of extra Shrimp left over and made a Shrimp Salad the next night.

Shrimp in Spicy Lime Sauce

New York Times

Few people I know have gone food hunting in Cambodia, so I was curious when Deb Winson, a New York-based food stylist, came back with an ecstatic report. ''Everything was so fresh and beautiful, and everything was so simple,'' she said. When I asked her to describe her favorite dish, she told me about a great preparation for shrimp cooked in lime. The ingredients were much as I expected: limes, sugar, salt, chilies and garlic, all common in Southeast Asian cooking. But the technique sounded unusual. The shrimp were not stir-fried, as you might expect, but instead were simmered in a very pungent sauce so that they took on strong flavor and still stayed juicy. This is my version.

Shrimp In Spicy Lime Sauce

Time: 20 to 30 minutes

About 1/2 cup lime juice (3 or 4 limes)

¼        cup sugar

1         tablespoon salt, or to taste

2         tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or grape seed

1         teaspoon minced garlic

½        teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste

1-1/2  pounds peeled shrimp, or 3 pounds head-on shrimp, left unpeeled

Minced cilantro for garnish.

1.   In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, sugar and salt. Place oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet, and turn the heat to high. A minute later, add the garlic and chili flakes and cook the garlic until it just begins to brown. Immediately add the lime juice mixture all at once, and cook until it reduces by half, or even more, 3 to 5 minutes. There should be only about 1/4 cup of liquid in the skillet, and it should be syrupy.

2.   Add the shrimp, and cook over high heat. The shrimp will give off liquid of their own and begin to turn pink almost immediately. After about 2 minutes, stir contents of pan. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until all the shrimp are pink, about 4 minutes total. Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Yield: 4 servings.

Pork Roast

Shumon came over for dinner. We made was: Herb-Crusted Pork Loin Roast from License to Grill by Chris Schlesinger. We purchased the pork loin at McCall's Meat and Fish. This is a very easy and good recipe. I used maple wood for the smoke flavoring. It only takes about an hour and a half on the rotisserie to have a great smoky taste. You can get the recipe in our blog of: July 2, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe. We started with a Simple Salad. We Roasted Potatoes in the grill underneath the pork, to capture the Pork Drippings. 

Fish Poached in Soy Sauce

This dish did not thrill us, but here it is if you would like to try it.

Striped Bass Poached In Spicy Soy Sauce

New York Times

Poaching fish in a mixture of soy sauce and water is a simple, fast method that adds gorgeous flavor to fillets, which emerge moist and succulent. It is also flexible and forgiving, with a cooking liquid that can accommodate a host of seasonings. Here those seasonings are sugar (to cut the saltiness of the soy sauce), scallions and an optional fresh or dried chile pepper (either minced or put in whole), but you could experiment with ginger, garlic, lime juice or other flavors. Combine all the ingredients, except the bass, in a skillet. Bring to a boil, add the fish flesh-side-down, and adjust the heat so that the mixture does not bubble too aggressively. The fish cooks in 8 to 10 minutes, until its flesh is mahogany-colored and doesn’t resist when you slice in with a thin-bladed knife. Serve on top of rice, garnished with the cooking liquid and the scallions, which are now limp and tender. Other fish, like cod, halibut, monkfish and salmon, also work, but keep an eye on it as it poaches — you will likely need to adjust the cooking time slightly.

Striped Bass Poached In Spicy Soy Sauce

Time: 20 minutes

1/3 to 1/2 cup good soy sauce

1/2 to 2/3 cup water

2 teaspoons sugar

About 15 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths, or 2 or 3 spring onions or 1 large onion, peeled and sliced

1 dried or fresh chili, optional

About 1 1/2 pounds striped bass fillet, about 1 inch thick.

1.   Combine the soy sauce, water, sugar, scallions and chili in a skillet just large enough to hold the fish. Turn the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.

2.   Add the fish, and adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles but not furiously. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice, until the fish is coated with a brown glaze and cooked through. Serve with white rice, spooning the sauce over all and garnishing with the scallions.

Yield: 4 servings.