Tag: quick meal
Fried Rice with Green Beans
This fried rice dish is perfect for the fish recipe I posted yesterday. I love making fried rice for meals- especially since I can incorporate lots of different vegetables and feed my family.
My daughter loves all versions I have made in the past- well, almost all of them.
For this one, I bought a bunch of green beans from the farmers market. They were lovely looking and I couldn’t help buying them. As I thought about what to make for dinner, I was flipping through a food magazine and came across a fried rice dish. That is when I decided to chop the green beans really small and make a delicious rice dish with them.
You can’t make fried rice without first making plain rice. How do you make your rice? I make mine with chicken broth. It imparts delicious flavor without much effort and I am always looking to add flavor into anything I can. The rice comes out yummy- lightly salted and nutty and it is perfect and ready to use for the fried rice.
I sauteed the plain rice with your usual suspects and in no time had a delicious fried rice dish. Try this recipe next time you are in the mood for some healthy Chinese food.
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Chicken Sausage Ragu with Red Pepper Gnocchi
I hardly ever make gnocchi. I do always notice it in Whole Foods- in there fresh pasta section. I have had it a few times before in restaurants and also during our trip to Italy last summer. It obviously depends on how well the gnocchi is made- if it is well made, it can be fluffy and light. If it is not made properly, it tends to be tough and heavy.
A friend had tried the gnocchi at Whole Foods and told me it was really good. I was browsing, and the red pepper gnocchi caught my eye. I bought it not knowing what to do with the pasta- but I was sure I could come up with something delicious.
The day after turned out to be a cold and rainy day- perfect for a sausage ragu, I thought- hmm, with lots of red wine- yum! I also decided to utilize the red pepper gnocchi. So, that is where this recipe came from. I took the sausages out of their casings and cooked them with onion, garlic, rosemary and wine, of course…
It was so nice to smell the lovely aromas in the house while sipping some wine and enjoying the evening. My daughter was at a play date and my husband wasn’t home from work yet. It is my favorite thing to do- being in the kitchen, cooking while enjoying a glass of wine.
Anyway, the meal turned out delicious. The gnocchi was excellent- although- my daughter didn’t care for it much. She liked the ragu part but didn’t like the smoky red pepper flavor as well as the gnocchi texture. The adults thought the gnocchi and the ragu complemented each other really well- especially with a glass of wine.
Try this dish- it is perfect for a weekday since it doesn’t take very long. Serve it with a salad and some delicious wine, of course.
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Shrimp Saute with Dill and Cilantro
This was one of those quick recipes I came up with. I didn’t think about it much as I made it up.
I had a large bunch of dill in my fridge and wanted to use some up. I took out the jumbo shrimp from the freezer to thaw them out.
I kept it simple and marinated the shrimp in coriander powder and my super flavorful garam masala. I then sauteed the shrimp with onion, ginger and tomatoes. Curry leaves, dill and cilantro bring loads of flavor to this simple dish. It came out unbelievably delicious. While I was making the shrimp, I was thinking of what to make with it to make the meal balanced and healthier. I love rice with shrimp and I decided to make some with spinach and broccoli rabe. It was green in color and looked fabulous with the red shrimp.
While I was finishing up the meal, my daughter and her friend were playing and asked me if the friend could stay for dinner. I stopped and told the friend she could but she would have to eat what ever is for dinner. She said fine and I asked her to come up to the stove to look at the shrimp and the green rice.
As we sat down for dinner, I served my daughter a good amount of shrimp and rice and told her friend I would give her a little bit and if she liked it, I will give her more. She looked skeptical and I reminded her she promised me to try and eat whatever I gave her. Although nothing was spicy, I was still a bit worried about all the different flavors going on in both the dishes.
The meal was a big success and the girls finished everything on their plates. It makes me so happy when kids eat a well balanced meal.
Try this shrimp- you will love it…
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Indian Style Spiced Omelet
I make this for dinner, lunch or brunch whenever I run out of ideas. Most of the times I forget about this easy to make, spicy omelet. I grew up eating this at home for breakfast. It is flavorful and gorgeous to look at. Indian omelets unlike the french ones are cooked thoroughly and are cooked with all the flavorings and herbs instead of being stuffed with them.
It is also easy to make since most of the ingredients are always available. I have green chilies, green onions, tomatoes and of course cheese at home. I feel lost if there is no cilantro in the house. It is a pantry meal- pair it with a delicious green salad and it is a healthy, balanced meal.
You can make this omelet with almost anything in the fridge. My daughter was eating some leftovers and my husband was going out after work and so I was the only one without dinner plans. I made this delicious meal for myself and enjoyed it with a glass of white wine.
Make this spiced omelet when you run out of ideas…
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Shrimp Scampi with Puttanesca Sauce
This is two dishes in one. We all love shrimp in our house- especially shrimp scampi with lots of pasta or a yummy crusty bread to scoop up all the garlicky goodness. I usually have a big green salad and dinner is done.
Now my husband had been talking about puttanesca sauce which in Italian means ladies of the night. There are a lot of origins of this sauce but how ever it started- it is one of my favorites. I wasn’t sure why I had never made it before- I always have all the ingredients available.
I love the tangy, spicy and savory aspect of this very simple pantry sauce. It is especially great when you are in a bind, short on time or it is too cold to go for dinner. I made this particular one with shrimp to please my daughter and husband.
I love the anchovy flavor in this sauce- now most people claim they don’t like anchovies, including my husband but he loves puttanesca sauce and caesar salad. When people smell the anchovies in the jar- they don’t smell so good- but once you cook them or mix them with another ingredient, they bring an underlying salty, nutty flavor.
I paired it with shrimp because it enhances the salty and nutty flavor. This dish was delicious. I used penne but any pasta can be used- the classic being spaghetti. My daughter ate it as well- I didn’t give her too much of the sauce, just the shrimp and lots of olives since she adores them.
A big salad and it was a successful dinner.
- 1 pound cleaned shrimp
- 4 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- ½ cup white wine
- Salt
- Red pepper flakes
- ½ pound penne, cooked al dente
- ½ cup saved pasta water
In a large frying pan, add the olive oil and garlic. Heat the pan slowly so the garlic does not burn. Saute the garlic on a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp, raise the heat and sauté for a minute or two or till the shrimp begin to turn pink. Add the white wine and red pepper flakes. Mix well and add the salt. Add the cooked pasta and the reserved pasta water. Cook for a minute or two and serve with the puttanesca sauce mixed in or on the side.
Puttanesca Sauce
- 3 cups fresh tomato sauce or canned tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons capers, crushed
- ¼ cup olives- mixture of black and green, crushed
- Salt
- Red pepper flakes
In a wide frying pan, add the olive oil and anchovy fillets. Saute on medium heat till the fillets melt. Add the garlic, capers and olives. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, salt and red pepper flakes. Add cooked pasta and serve.
