WbLL- what boredom looks like...

I was in the mood to make something with whole wheat flour, and decided on tortillas.  Then, I had to think of something to fill the tortillas.  Since I was investing more time than I wanted to on the tortillas, the filling had to be really simple, hence, I decided to make spicy shrimp tacos. (Please click here for the tortillas recipe)

1 lb large shrimp (shelled and cleaned)

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp butter

Rub

1/4 cup paprika

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp  onion powder

2 tsp cayenne powder

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to broil. In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients, and whisk until well incorporated.  In a large bowl add the shrimp, and then pour the rub mix over it, toss until all the shrimp are combined.  Then, pour in the olive oil, and toss until there is an even coating on the shrimp, it should look like a dry paste.  Remove the shrimp from the mixture and put on a lined or non-stick sheet tray.  Arrange so that they are not on top of one another.  Dot them with the butter, and put into the oven, on broil. After about two or three minutes, remove and flip them to the other side, and put them back into the oven for another 2 minutes. When you can see the pink flesh through the rub mix, remove and set aside to rest.

The hardest part of this recipe is the vinaigrette, which isn’t hard at all—and maybe the shredding. 

½ Cup shredded carrots

1 cup shredded cabbage

¼ cup thinly cut red onion

1 tbsp mayonnaise

½ tbsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

In a bowl, add the shredded carrots, cabbage and onion. In another small bowl mix the mayonnaise and the mustard, with all the vinaigrette ingredients.  Whisk together.  Pour the mixture over the shredded vegables and toss until all the vegetables are covered.  Cover the bowl, and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the tacos..

In conclusion: To make the tacos you simply put a couple of spoonfuls of coleslaw on a warm tortilla, and about 2 or 3 shrimp--depending on the size of your shrimps or tortillas--fold it all up and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

I am under the weather (don’t know why we have that saying), and I wanted to make soup.  Too lazy to make a dramatic soup, but still with the wish to be cheered up, I made a quick standby, egg drop.  And just because I am me, I added veggies to it--a meal is not a meal without veggies.  The outcome: a very light and tasty, vegetarian soup (no, not vegan, ahem, egg is in the title).

5 cups Vegetable stock

½ tsp grated ginger

1tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 eggs (beaten)

1 green onion (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp olive oil (or any oil)

1 ½ cups of petit pois , or green peas (frozen, if not fresh, but definitely not canned)

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the vegetable stock, ginger and soy sauce to a boil in a medium sauce pan.  At the same time, in a small sauté pan, add the butter and the oil. Then, add the garlic and the petit pois, and sauté for a couple of minutes or until they are tender, then set aside.

Once the stock is boiling, make slurry by putting about 2 tbsps of the boiling stock in a separate cup with the cornstarch and vigorously stir until pasty.  Once the cornstarch is dissolved pour the mixture back into the pot of stock, whisking it in so that it dissolves quickly.  Turn the flame down to a simmer, and then add your beaten eggs in slowly.  They should feather out instantly.  Then add your chopped green onions, and your sautéed peas.  Let cook for about one minute and then it is ready to serve.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. Sugar 

In a sauce pan, bring some water to a boil BEFORE adding the smoked herring.  Like salted cod, this is to remove the majority of the salt from the fish.  After about 10-15 minutes drain the fish and taste it.  If it is too salty, you might have to redo this process.  Once drained, try to take as many of the bones out of the fish, even as many of the smaller bones, as possible.

In another small sauce pan add the red wine vinegar, the sugar and the pimento balls.  Warm the liquid until the sugar is dissolved, but do not boil—this should take only a couple of minutes.  In the meantime add the onions, thyme, scallion, and oil into the blender and puree until white and pasty.  Then, add the deboned fish and the vinegar MINUS the pimento balls—trust me you are done with the balls for this portion of the recipe.  Blend until the fish is broken apart and well mixed with the onions.  

Johnny Cakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

In a bowl mix together the whole wheat and white fours with the baking powder, salt and sugar.  Mix until well blended.  Then knife in the butter, chopping it in until the mixture is little balls the size of peas. Then, add your water and kneed it, forming a large dough ball.  The mixture, once well combined, should not stick to your floured fingers, if it does, then add a little more whole wheat flour.  Form little balls about 2 inches in diameter, and then press them flat starting from the middle of the ball leaving the edges thicker.  Prick with a fork in the middle, this will help them cook.