Spicy Sriracha Shrimp

Like spicy? If you do and haven't discovered the greatness of Sriracha, this recipe is for you.  For the unfamiliar, Sriracha is like a spicy hot wing sauce with extra garlic.  It's pretty spicy, so if you aren't a fan of of that, rachet down the quantity of the sauce and substitute chicken broth or something not spicy. A couple of years ago, I saw a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine by a chef named Sean Baker from the restaurant Gather.  It was called "Buttered Shrimp" and involved the greatness of Sriracha with butter, mint, and basil.  I liked the idea of Sriracha and butter, but not necessarily the rest of the ingredients.

After two years of saving the recipe, I finally got around to experimenting this week.  Out was the lemon and mint.  In was green onion and lime zest.  I also lowered the amount of spice to our taste.  I cannot say this is a recipe for young families, but it would be great for a quick adults-only dinner or could easily be modified to turn this into an appetizer for a party.  I've given two variations as well.  One incorporates vegetables for a curry-style supper and the other modifies the recipe for serving as an appetizer. Happy eating!

A great balance of spicy, herbaceous, and tangy flavors

Spicy Sriracha Shrimp

Serves 3 - 4 (Main dish)
2 Tbsp butter
5 Tbsp Sriracha
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 31-40 count)
1 Tbsp lime zest
2 Tbsp basil, minced
2 Tbsp heavy cream

Melt butter in non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add Sriracha and stir to combine.  Add in garlic and green onions and saute 1 - 2 minutes.  Add in the shrimp and saute until cooked through, 5 - 8 minutes.  When nearly cooked, add in the lime zest, basil, and heavy cream.  Serve with rice and vegetables.

*To make this a heartier Thai curry-style dish, on medium heat, add 2 tsp. oil to a skillet and saute some chopped bell peppers (of various colors) - about 1 - 2 cups, 8 oz quartered baby bella mushrooms, and a can (about 15 oz) of quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained.  Once heated through and cooked to your liking, remove from heat and place in a bowl.  In the same skillet, prepare the shrimp, substituting coconut milk for heavy cream.  The sauce should be slightly looser, so add a couple extra tablespoons of the coconut milk and more Sriracha to your taste as needed.  Also increase lime zest to 2 Tbsp.  Combine with the vegetables.  Serve with jasmine rice.

* To make this into an appetizer, slice a long, thin baguette and toast slices in the oven at 350 degrees until crispy.  Prepare shrimp as directed, but zest 1 additional Tablespoon of lime zest and 1 Tablespoon of basil for garnish.  Once bread is toasted, place 1 - 2 of the prepared shrimp on each toast (whatever fits), then sprinkle with zest and basil.  Serve immediately.  If you want, mini frozen shrimp (thawed) may be used instead of large shrimp (they will cook in 1 - 2 minutes) to serve shrimp toast style.

Breakfast for Dinner - Quick and Easy Hash

Having breakfast for dinner seems almost naughty, like I'm breaking a rule I was brought up to obey.  I made a really delicious beef roast this weekend, but with only two eaters (ok - 2 1/3 since one of the cats loves beef), I had a ridiculous amount of leftovers.  One of our favorite meals is a steak with baked potato and a side dish of sauteed mushrooms and onions.  Why not put those same flavors in a one-dish meal of hash?

Foods cook faster if they're cut in small pieces, so to get dinner on the table fast, chopping up all of the ingredients cooks everything faster.  The beauty of this dish is the use of leftovers.  Anything can go in a hash - vegetables (yes, even broccoli or zucchini), potatoes, meat, etc. 

My kitchen staples include potatoes, onions, and mushrooms, so with the leftover roast, I was set!  I chopped up the mushrooms into rough pieces, cubed the potatoes small (frozen hash brown potatoes would work fine too), and cut the roast into pieces.  I started by sauteeing the onions on medium in a little oil; then when they were translucent, I added the mushrooms and cooked them until their liquid was cooked off.  I moved that to a bowl and cooked the potatoes until browned.  Once done, I added in the meat and the mushroom mixture and heated it through.  Though the potatoes took a while to cook (about 20 minutes since I cooked them at medium heat), it was worth it when the hash came together.  A recipe isn't important - use what you have available - heck, cook breakfast sausages and cut them, use ground beef, whatever!  Add browned potatoes (frozen, refrigerated, or fresh), and whatever vegetables (cooked to your liking).  Voila!

No "breakfast for dinner" meal is complete without an egg, so I fried one up to order (use the same pan as the hash!).  Ice likes his over-medium to over-hard (shown above) with lots of pepper, while mine is over easy.  That allows the yolk, when broken, to run over the hash and make its own sauce.  What elevated the dish to a different realm was the "homemade" ketchup.  This is what separates the kids' dish from the grown-ups!  Ketchup + Sriracha = heavenly hash condiment with just the right amount of spicy and sweet to balance out the richness of the egg, potatoes and steak.

Sriracha Ketchup

1/2 cup store-bought ketchup of choice

1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of Sriracha (based on level of spice preferred)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1/2 tsp diced shallot (optional)

If using, mince shallot finely and mince parsley finely.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, add ketchup and Sriracha to taste.  Once desired level of heat is reached, add in pepper, parsley, and shallot (if using).  Serve with hash.



Pork ribs - versatile, economical, and TASTY!

I'm a self-proclaimed pork hound.  I love me porky goodness in just about any form.  Friends and family have swooned (literally) over my pork candy (for the unfamiliar, it's bacon coated in brown sugar and cayenne pepper and baked), and I grew up in a household that cooked more pork than chicken.  In other words, I come by it honestly. 

The one pork product I didn't really eat much was a bone-in pork rib.  Mostly, in my head, it was a great bbq option, but not an everyday item.  Was. I. Wrong!  In the last six months, I realized how economical, versatile, and tasty pork ribs can be.  Any flavor works well - Mexican, Italian, whatever your taste.  Finding some pork ribs discounted ($5 for $9 worth!), I decided to experiment, but what to do....

It's January, so braised dishes are comforting and seasonally-appropriate.  Braises also make food both flavorful and tender, cooking low and slow.  Looking in the pantry, I decided to cook the pork in beer with a little OJ for flavor and brightness.  I cut the ribs into individual portions, sprinkled them with a bbq rub, and browned them to get the flavor jumping.  Then, I added 1 can of beer and 1/2 cup of oj.  I cooked it on high in the slow cooker for about 4 hours and they were falling-apart tender.  But I wasn't done there!  I wanted to get even more flavor into the ribs.  How?  Really simple - I boiled down the sauce, thickened it with some flour, and added sriracha!  Five ingredients for dinner?  Yes please!  If you don't like my combo, use the combos that work for you!  I served the ribs with a side of steamed broccoli and mac and cheese.

Beer, OJ, and Sriracha Pork Ribs
2 1/2 lbs pork ribs, cut into individual pieces
2 Tbsp barbecue rub of choice
1 can lager beer
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp Sriracha or Chinese hot garlic sauce
2 Tbsp flour

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil.  Season the pork ribs with the barbecue rub or salt and pepper.  Brown the pork ribs on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove from pan.  Transfer the pork ribs to a slow cooker or oven-safe pan.  Add beer and orange juice to slow cooker or baking pan.  Cook on high heat in slow cooker for 4 hours or up to 8 hours on low.  Alternatively, bake covered at 250 degrees for 2 1/2 hours or until done.  Once ribs are done, remove from sauce and wrap in tin foil to keep warm.  Bring cooking liquid to a boil and add 2 Tbsp flour mixed with 2 Tbsp. cold water to braising liquid.  Boil until thickened.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and add Sriracha.  Add ribs to sauce and reheat 5 minutes.  Drizzle sauce over ribs.