Shrimp Stacks

When we sat down to begin planning our honeymoon, we had a million ideas of where to go. If you've read my previous posts, you know I have been dying to go to Italy for years now! I'm a bit of a travel nerd, so I am constantly watching travel documentaries on Netflix. One of my favorite people to watch is Anthony Bourdain. He has an amazing series called Parts Unknown, where he travels to countries all over the world and dines out. 

One particular destination he travelled to that caught my eye was Japan. I've heard wonderful things about Japan from friends of mine that have been. I started researching places to go and things to do and fell in love. It is so unique and simply beautiful! The Japanese culture was particularly attractive in the food department to me. Most of their meals are very simple. Pickled vegetables, a bowl of rice and a fish or meat. As I was thinking about their culture and food, I felt my stomach grumble. I was all of the sudden starving and craving something simple like I had just watched.

This simple and delicious meal was born that night. The ingredients you find here are similar to what you'd find in a sushi roll. I've made homemade sushi before, and I can tell you, it's better to go out for sushi than to make it yourself. Trust me... I make my own breads and pastas from scratch! Sushi is very time consuming and doesn't keep for long in the fridge. 

Think of these shrimp stacks as an inside-out sushi roll without the seaweed. 

I decided to use brown rice for this meal, but I think white rice would work better. If you rinse your rice in a colander before you boil it, it will become sticky. I did this and then packed some rice into a ramekin, about halfway full. Turning it over onto the plate, I tapped the bottom of the ramekin until the rice loosened from the sides and stuck to my plate. If you don't have a ramekin, simply shape the rice with a round cookie cutter or your hands. 

Here's how to make this delicious meal:

Shrimp Stacks

Preparation:  10 min

                  Cook Time: 25 min  Total Time: 35 min                       

Ingredients

        

          1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

          1-2 avocados, mashed
          1 tsp lemon juice

          1/2-1 cup rice (depending on portion - we used 1/2 cup for 2 people and 3 stacks each)

           Eel sauce (purchase from the grocery store)
           Salt & pepper

           Japanese cucumber salad*

           Chopped cilantro for garnish (about 2 tbsp)
           1 tsp sesame seeds
           (optional: top with Sriracha for a kick!)

Instructions

        

         *make ahead - Japanese Cucumber Salad

         1. Cook rice according to manufacturer's instructions. Rinse rice before use.

         2. Marinate shrimp in a bowl with 1 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper for 5 min.

         3. While rice is cooking and shrimp is marinating, cut your avocados and mash them in a bowl.

          4. Sautee shrimp over medium heat in a skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil or butter until pink
          (less than 5 minutes).

          5. Take cooked rice and form into discs on a plate. Top with mashed avocado, shrimp, cucumber salad,
           and lemon slice. Garnish with eel sauce, cilantro, and sesame seeds.

Japanese Cucumber Salad (sunomono)

This salad is tangy, crunchy and a little sweet. 

Great as an appetizer, side dish or accoutrement to a meal!

Use this salad with my recipe, Shrimp Stacks:

Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)

Preparation: 10 min

                  Cook Time:  0 min  Total Time: 10 min                       

Ingredients

        

          1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

          2 tbsp rice vinegar

          3 tbsp sesame oil

          1 tsp soy sauce

          1/2 tbsp honey or sugar

          1 tsp sesame seeds

          1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

        

          1. Slice cucumber into discs and then quarter the slices. Toss the cucumber in salt and then drain them 

               using a colander under cold water. 

          2. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl until well blended. I allow my vinegar to break down the  

             sugar/honey before I add the other ingredients (2-3 minutes).

         3.  Add the cucumbers into the mixture and toss until well coated. Serve immediately or make ahead of 

            time and refrigerate.

     

Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

I have been having a huge asian food craving recently. I'm blaming it on my withdrawals from our favorite Chinese/Japanese fusion restaurant. When we moved to the 'burbs, we left behind some fantastic go-to restaurants. This place had it all - ambience, great service, large portions and a low price. 

 I sat down to make a grocery list this week and decided to make every meal some variation of an asian-inspired dish. As a sort of follow up to my Meals Under $10 post, I thought this week's meals wouldn't hurt the bank considering they use several of the same ingredients. Don't you hate it when you buy a special sauce for a meal and then it sits in your pantry until it expires? No, no, not this week...you can keep it on the countertop.

 My favorite asian dressing from the grocery store is usually a ginger salad dressing. Ginger dressing just seemed too heavy for this dish so I decided to make my own. Mu dressing recipe for this salad is light, savory, and really makes all of the ingredients pop. Don't worry - it is super quick and simple to make...and don't forget about bragging rights. 

Even better, it will keep for about 2-3 weeks in your fridge. { happy dance! }

For a satisfying crunch I decided to add some cashews and crushed ramen noodles. A little bit of butter and a toss in the skillet makes these two the stars of the salad. 

I tailored this salad to keep it healthy and satisfying with a little bit of everything. Crunchy, soft, sweet, salty - this bad boy packs it all. 

I think this dish is a great start to our asian-fusion recipe week. Hopefully you won't be tired of asian food by mid-week. I think I have enough ideas up my sleeve to keep you coming back for more. Enjoy!

Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

Preparation: 10 min

                  Cook Time: 15 min  Total Time: 25 min                       

Ingredients

        

          Dressing:

          2 tbsp white vinegar

          5 tbsp sugar

          4 tsp soy sauce

          1 tsp garlic powder

          1 ramen seasoning packet (chicken flavored)

           2/3 cup vegetable oil

           1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

           Salt & pepper to taste

          

          Salad:

          1 bag of garden mix salad (or iceberg lettuce)

          1/4 bag of coleslaw (the stringy kind)

          1/4 cup chopped green onion

          1/8 cup chopped cashews

           1-2 tbsp butter

           1/2 block of ramen (I use the chicken flavored)

            Cooked chicken breast

            Edamame (optional)

Instructions

        

          Dressing:

           In a bowl or glass measuring cup, add sugar and vinegar. Allow the vinegar to break down the sugar     

           until it is dissolved, stirring occasionally (about 2-3 minutes). Once the sugar is dissolved, add the 

           rest of the ingredients and whisk with a fork. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

          Salad:

          (I cooked my chicken ahead of time with a small amount of soy sauce and some olive oil in the skillet and 

           cut them into strips. Then set aside to allow to cool.)

           

           Blend the salad mix with the coleslaw in a large bowl. Set aside. With the ramen still in it's 

           packaging, break up the noodles by hitting it with a rolling pin or large spoon. In a large skillet, melt the 

           butter  over medium heat and add half of your container of ramen and chopped cashews. Bring the 

           temperature down to medium-low heat and stir occasionally, making sure that no pieces of the ramen 

           burn. Once they are golden brown remove from heat and place in a bowl to allow them to cool.

           Add your chicken, crunchy mixture, chopped green onion, and edamame to your salad mixture. 

           Top the salad with the homemade dressing and toss.

Apple Picking - Our New Tradition

Fall is here! 

What is it about this season that makes me swoon? Pumpkin spice lattes? Cozy sweaters? Doing away with bikini body worry? I'd say D, all of the above. 

As soon as Labor Day passed, I threw on a flannel and begged my husband to go apple picking with me. About an hour north of our home is a small town, Ellijay, that has tons of farmland. It's a cute town with a downtown area that has a few delicious local restaurants. People visit this humble town not only because it is home to Georgia's Apple Capital, but also because of the scenic views, log cabins for rent and Carter's Lake.

We picked one of the more active apple farms to visit, B.J. Reece Orchards. For a small price, you can pick apples, milk a cow, watch pigs race and so much more. It's the kind of thing you'd expect to see in a small agricultural town. People from the community and surrounding areas flood the rows of the orchards and pick apples for their family recipes or to enjoy alone.  

 We took our dog, Laila, with us to roam through the trees. Needless to say, she had a pretty good time. 

The trip up to Ellijay was fun, but short lived. There are only so many apples a person can realistically eat. We left with a half bushel and I'm still working on an idea of a recipe to make with them. Perhaps apple fritters? Homemade apple cider? 

Going to the apple farm will definitely be part of our new family tradition as husband and wife moving forward. Even though I didn't milk a cow {totally bummed}, we still had a great time. 

What fall traditions do you and your family have? Let me know in the comments!

Bee's Knees Cocktail

Bee's Knees

With our outdoor space taking shape, I've been spending a lot of my time outside. If you live in the south, you know that must mean I really like my new table because being outside in the summer feels like sitting in an oven. 

We went to dinner with my husband's godparents the other night to catch up with them. I love his godmother. She is stylish, smart, fun-loving and sassy. You better believe if you serve her a cocktail she doesn't like, she's sending it back...as many times as it takes to get it right (one of the attributes that makes me love her). She's as southern as they come. You won't catch her outside of the house without her face fixed. She once told a waiter to wash off some of his cologne because it was so strong she couldn't enjoy her meal. Ha! She is a woman who knows exactly what she wants and gets it. 

I admire that. 

We introduced them to a new restaurant down the road from our home. They had just returned from a trip to NYC to visit their daughter. The waiter came to take our order. "I'll have the bee's knees" she said. I had never heard of it. "I tried it at a restaurant in New York. It was their specialty. I just like something refreshing with my meal."

I tasted a sip of it and loved it, which was surprising because I'm not much for gin. 

Being out in the heat, I got a craving for that refreshing sipper I had with my godmother-in-law. 

I drove to our local package store and picked up what they called a 'sweeter gin' to make my drink. The first one didn't come out too well and I'll tell you why. This recipe calls for honey. The problem with honey in a cold drink is that it doesn't melt. For the second batch I poured my honey into a small pot on the stove with a little water and made it into a simple syrup. Voila! This little trick made all the difference. 

I added a few chamomile flowers for garnish because honey and chamomile go together so naturally. It also looks like a little cup of sunshine. :)

Bee's Knees

Preparation: 5 min

                  Cook Time: 0 min  Total Time: 10 min                       

Ingredients

        

          2 oz gin

          3/4 oz lemon juice

          1 oz honey simple syrup (2 tbsp honey + 2 tbsp water)

Instructions

        

          Boil honey with water until honey disintegrates (about 1-2 min). This recipe makes one drink so portion 

          accordingly. Allow the simple syrup to cool. I stick mine in the fridge. In a shaker combine all ingredients 

          with ice until well blended. This drink is usually served in a martini glass, but I serve mine in a low ball 

          glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon twist or a few chamomile flowers.

Outdoor Space Refresh

One of the most attractive features of where we live is our backyard. There are trees scattered throughout that provide great shade and pretty songs from what I believe to be dozens of different types of birds. I love spending time out in our yard and our friends love it too. Up until a week ago, our outdoor space consisted of iron chairs that I spray painted black, given to us by old neighbors. Now that we have such a beautiful spot to host friends and family, we decided an upgrade was in order. 

If you follow my Instagram, you know that I have been dying to share our new outdoor dining space.     

I found this outdoor table from Ballard Designs and instantly fell in love. It is so unique and classically built. The teak is perfect for an outdoor table built to last. We considered buying an iron set, but it didn't have the warmth I desired. When I pictured myself entertaining outside, I saw myself with a weathered wood table and tartan blankets draping over the arms of the end chairs. Can you tell I'm ready for fall?

To break in our new table, I decided to host a wine and cheese party. I recently discovered a local cheese shop that makes all of their own cheeses in house. They specialize in goat cheese and blue cheese so I picked up a few of each along with some other favorites like brie and havarti.

{  Tip  }

I love serving fig cake with my cheese boards for added sweetness without a big mess. Another yummy addition are cold grapes for a perfect palate refresher in between bites.

I came up with this salad recipe as a pairing for wine and cheese. Using the crumbled blue cheese I purchased and some fresh boiled eggs, this salad has it all - salty, sweet, crunchy, tangy.

I love a good flatbread pizza. To save time, I picked this one up from a restaurant nearby. By alternating the slices on a long platter, we saved space on the table and created a sophisticated look for an old classic.

Honey may be messy to pass around the table but boy is it worth it. I love drizzling a small amount of elderflower honey on blue cheese and brie. I recently purchased this olive wood honey drizzler and it does a great job of controlling the amount of honey you'd like to use. 

See something you like? 

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Honey drizzler / Decanter / Cutting board / Wine bottle coaster / Placemats / Pots / Glassware / Cheese knives / Fig cake / Long platter / Salad servers

Cool Ranch Dip

Cool Ranch Dip

Is there anything better than a cold snack in the summer? We recently got a new grill for our backyard, and I have been spending most of my time outside. Burgers are one of our quick go-to meals when we can't think of anything else we want. 

 His father brought us a bag of plain potato chips the other day to go with our burgers, and that's how I came up with this simple and satisfying recipe. 

This dip is what all tailgate parties need. It's easy to make, extremely tasty, and goes with tons of food other than chips! It would be great on hot dogs, burgers, wings...the possibilities are endless with this crazy addictive snack.

Cool Ranch Dip

Preparation: 5 min

                  Cook Time: 0 min  Total Time: 10 min                       

Ingredients

        

          2 tsp onion powder

          2 tsp garlic powder

          1/8 tsp salt (or a pinch)

          1 1/2 tsp fresh chopped dill

          1 tsp chopped scallions

          1 cup sour cream

Instructions

        

          Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix until well blended. Serve chilled with ruffle potato chips, 

          fresh cut veggies, or chicken wings.