Malaysian Cognac-Coconut Shrimp

15-minute meals always get my attention, and if you like  coconut with  shrimp, you'll be grateful for this entree, which elevates it  light-years  beyond the ubiquitous  coconut-crusted frozen  shrimp sold as appetizers  everywhere.

Here, the  toasted coconut is not a crust; it's  only on the shrimp as part of a very scant, very thin  but very delicious glaze  that is spooned over  shrimp and   brown, saffron,  jasmine,  or white rice.  Because we live far, far from civilization and I must grow my own red Thai bird peppers, this dish only appears  on our  table in summer.  I really need to experiment with more readily available hot peppers.

   Thai bird peppers can be  tiny, and if you don't like 'hot', no problem, they're not meant to be ingested here anyway----  use them whole  --- then  simply pluck them out  when serving or better yet, leave them in for color and remind people not to eat them.   But don't just skip using them; they add an important depth of flavor to the dish.

This goes together quickly, so have  all your ingredients next to the stove, and your rice  and sides ready before you begin the shrimp.  Shrimp toughens too quickly  for the cook to be  collecting  what you need as they're cooking.

Use a pound of the largest raw shrimp you can find  -  shell  & clean them well, rinse, butterfly,  and dry thoroughly  on paper towels.  In a small  dry skillet, toast 1/4 cup flaked or chipped coconut, stirring very frequently so it  browns evenly but doesn't burn. Set  aside. Chipped ( flat chips, flaked) coconut is worth looking for.

In a large wok or pan, heat 1-2 TB  veg oil til just  it begins smoking and add the shrimp just briefly- a minute or two, until you think they are about halfway cooked; then remove from the pan.  Add 3 green  onions, green and whites,  cut in 2" lengths, a TB of chopped garlic, a big pinch of salt and  maybe a half dozen little  red Thai bird peppers.  Don't skip the peppers!  Stir just briefly, for less than a minute, before adding 4 TB butter, 6 TB cognac, 2 tsp sugar. Reduce a minute or two, then return the shrimp to the pan and finish cooking   for a couple minutes more.  The sauce should  glaze  the shrimp.  Stir in the  toasted coconut and serve immediately, spooning the sauce over the shrimp.  It's tempting to use a very large pan, but your sauce will  cook off too quickly over a larger surface and there won't be enough; better to use a medium skillet,  cook the shrimp in two batches, then combine them  at the end.

Credit for this recipe may go to Jaden Hair, although I've seen it several places...once a recipe circulates thru magazines and the internet, it's hard to know who invented and who tweaked what. In any case,  it's  simply delicious!

Panzanella- an Italian Bread Salad

I can't think of a better way to use up a big batch of ripe tomatoes and a load of fresh basil.  The crusty bread soaks up the tomatoes' juices, the basil and onion flavors, and the red-wine vinaigrette, yet doesn't  get soggy.  As  a variation, I sometimes add  very thinly sliced, then shredded, hard or Genoa salami.

Panzanella's aren't new, but whenever I  serve this salad it's  invariably  a new  concept for someone, and certainly a conversation-starter, as they dubiously  consider  trying soaked bread. It only takes a bite to make  them panzanella fans. It's  the perfect dish for an outdoor meal, since there are no  concerns about refrigeration or spoilage in the heat of a summer day.

Unless you are fortunate to live somewhere where tomatoes are grown year round, this will be a seasonal dish, because supermarket tomatoes imported from who knows where just won't cut it. It's simple to make a half-batch if you prefer , but don't let the initial amount of bread alarm you --- it reduces dramatically in size when it absorbs all those lovely summery flavors.

For 12-15 servings:    In a very large bowl,  whisk together 1 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, 2 1/2 tsp finely chopped  garlic, 1/2 c. red-wine vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt.

Add to the bowl: 2 lbs. crusty,  firm  bread- such as French or Italian - torn in  half-dollar size pieces.  Two lbs is about 24 cups of bread -- hey, I  warned you it  will seem crazy -- but  not to worry, it 'shrinks'.  Add 3 lbs ( 9 cups) of garden-ripe tomatoes cut in 1/2 " chunks,  3 cups of loosely packed, coarsely chopped fresh basil, and 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced and then chopped.     Toss it  well,  til the bread is coated,  and let it stand for at least 30 minutes.  An hour or two is fine. Really.  Sogginess isn't an issue for at least a day or two.   Don't refrigerate this salad, except for  overnight leftovers, and then let it come to room temperature again..    

 

Bacon- Tomato Jam and Bacon-Wrapped Strawberries

 

 

There's no point in suggesting you  need new ways to use up 'extra' bacon  - is there such a thing?  but we often have loads of  vine-ripe tomatoes that need to be used.    Here are  two ways.    The jam recipe  just makes one pint, so take your neighbors up on  their offers  of ripe tomatoes next time and make a big batch  to share.  I've never  used purchased tomatoes  for this so can't vouch for what they'd taste like.

Tomato Bacon Jam

In a large skillet over medium heat cook ½ lb smoked bacon til crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain, blotting dry if necessary.   In a large saucepan combine 2 lb. very ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 1 c. sugar; 2 ½ TB cider vinegar, 1 ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat .  Crumble the bacon into the mixture and simmer til very thick, about 1  hour.  Season with salt and pepper if needed (probably not salt).  Let the jam cook briefly, then ladle into jar.  Refrigerate a week or two, or freeze for 2-3 months.  If freezing, freeze in several  small containers.  Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  If you like some heat, add more black pepper, or finely diced jalapenos. A great condiment for grilled cheese sandwiches,  burgers,  on a cracker, or with toast  or  bagels   for breakfast.

Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Strawberries

Clean the berries ( small-medium ones work best for one-bite  portions) and wrap each in 1/3  slice of raw bacon - fasten with two toothpicks, which may catch fire  but  that's OK.   You can also try  lightly coating  the "inside'  of the bacon strip in brown sugar before wrapping.    Place on a hot grill and turn often til crisp. Remove the picks of course, and enjoy warm, possibly with a drizleof balsmic.   Fresh  pineapple is good too, but then what  isn't  good wrapped in bacon?

   

S'mores To Go

 

Hardly a recipe but an idea....  a fun way to serve a bite of deliciousness..... skewer a marshmallow, dip in melted semisweet chocolate, and immediately roll it  in  graham cracker crumbs.  Place on foil or parchment .      Pop the tray into the fridge for  a few  minutes to help harden it; this is not necessary, but I  think any chocolate that  tempers ( hardens)  in cooler temps  is much  less  likely to soften/melt  later.  To dress up the skewer, you know, for formal   s'more occasions, leave the pointy end UP and put a chocolate-covered raisin on it.   If made a day ahead, cover the  tray so the exposed marshmallow area stays soft, but don't cover tightly. Don't  store in the fridge, but they do freeze well  for future s'more emergencies.

Spaghetti with Crab and Lemon

Fresh lemon is essential for this dish, so  don't even think about using bottled juice, or worse yet,  using fake "krab" !  I can hardly type it without shuddering.  It'  goes together quickly and tastes like the sea.

Cook  a pound of spaghetti or fettuccine in a pot of boiling salted water to al dente.   While it's cooking, heat 2 TB extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet.  Gently stir in a  pound of cooked lump crab meat and heat til it's warmed through.  Add  1/4 c. white wine.  Bring the liquid  just to the boiling point, then turn the heat down and add 1/2 c.  fresh lemon juice and lots of salt and pepper.

Drain your pasta and be sure to save about 1/2 c of the pasta water.   Add the pasta to the skillet along with 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a handful of  chopped fresh parsley.  Add a little of the reserved pasta water  as needed to loosen it slightly, and  serve with  more Parmesan. Serves at least  4.

Pineapple Upside Down Carrot Cake

No need to choose between pineapple upside down cake and carrot cake.....  there's  cream cheese inside instead of  on top as icing, and raisins, nuts, and a crushed pineapple topping. 

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt 1/2 stick butter in   a 10" square or round pan, then sprinkle it with 3/4 c. light brown  sugar, packed,  then  (SAVE the juice)  spread a 20-oz can of well drained,  crushed pineapple  over that, and finally, sprinkle on 2 TB chopped walnuts or pecans.

With a mixer, cream 8 oz  room-temperature  cream cheese  til smooth, then add 1 c sugar.  Mix, then add 2 eggs, one at time, beating well.  Blend in  1/4 c. reserved  pineapple juice or syrup, and 1/2 c.  veg oil ( not olive).   Mix dry ingredients  together ( 1 3/4 c. flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. )      Add dry  mixture  to wet mixture,  beat til well combined.   Fold in by hand: 1 cup finely shredded raw carrot, 3/4 c. raisins,  2 TB finely chopped nuts.   Blend well. This is a heavy batter.

Spoon batter evenly over the pineapple topping.   Bake about 30-35 minutes. Remove and let sit on a wire rack for 3-4 minutes - don't let it cool there.  Run a knife around edges to loosen the cake, then invert onto a serving plate.  Let the pan sit on it for a minute or two so  any syrup will drain off onto the cake.  Let cool.