Recipes, though this is by no means a food blog!

We finally saw Julie and Julia and I loved the idea of a food blog that also tells the story of a year in one’s life.  Julia Child stole the show, though.  Anyway, this post can’t even hold a candle to Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but it might make for an interesting evening or two.

Shrimp in Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:
One medium onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, diced
One green pepper, chopped
One can diced tomato
About half a bottle of red wine (I used a Chianti that had been open for a month)
One can tomato sauce
One fresh bay leaf
Ground pepper to taste
Pinch of salt
Oregano to taste
About 12-14 raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
Pasta (or bread)

Method:
Sauté the onion, garlic, green pepper bay leaf, oregano, and pepper in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent.  Add tomato sauce, diced tomato and red wine and let simmer until the alcohol simmers off.  Add the shrimp at the very end (when your pasta is just about ready), and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the shrimp are pink.  Serve over pasta.  I think it would also be yummy with some crusty bread. It was especially tasty with a glass of Prosecco.

West African Peanut Stew

Ingredients:
One medium onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, diced
Cayenne pepper (ground or flakes)
Curry powder
Six cups of either water, vegetable, or chicken stock (I used four cups vegetable stock plus two cups water)
Two cups brown rice (I used one basmati brown and one regular brown)
A bunch of frozen peas
One can diced tomatoes
Half a cup of peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
About a pound and a half of diced chicken breast (thighs would work well, too)
Carrots would work, too, but I didn’t put them in this time

Method:
Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil in a big soup pot.  Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper.  I don’t measure! Add some dashes of curry powder.  Pour in the rice and brown for about 5-7 minutes with the onion and garlic mixture over medium heat.  Add the vegetable (or chicken) stock and bring to a boil.  At the time you add the stock, add the chicken cubes and stir. Keep stirring pretty frequently so the rice doesn’t clump.  You may have to add water as the rice starts to soak it up (I added maybe a cup as it was cooking). Let it cook for quite a while and add more cayenne pepper as you taste.  When the rice is cooked add a can of diced tomatoes, a bunch of frozen peas (or fresh) and half a cup of peanut butter.  Stir together to melt the peanut butter. Let all the ingredients cook for about five more minutes, then, you can garnish with cilantro and/or unsalted peanuts.  A glass of really cold Bell’s Two Hearted Ale is a perfect companion to this meal.

Thanks for asking! Enjoy and keep the recipes coming…

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