Steamed Shrimp with Garlic Oil

Here is a simple and healthy (since it's loaded with garlic!) shrimp dish that is extremely simple to make. Just chop off the eyes part of the shrimp head, make a slit down the back, remove the vein, steam and then top them off with heaps of garlic oil.


Ingredients:

10 head-on shrimp
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 stalk scallion (chopped)
1/8 teaspoon of salt
3 drops fish sauce
5 drops sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
1 1/2 tablespoon of water
1 dash of white pepper powder
3 tablespoons cooking oil



Instructions:

Heat up the wok and add in the cooking oil. Lightly fry the chopped garlic until they turn golden brown. Set aside.


Chop off the eyes part of the shrimp head, slit the back and deveined. Pat dry and place all shrimp on a plate. Season the shrimp with the ingredients above. Steam for 5 minutes. Top the shrimp with the garlic oil and garnish with chopped scallion.

Hass Avocado Shrimp Cocktail

This version of an old standard has a contemporary twist. Fresh avocado in crunchy, spicy sauce makes a cocktail sure to be a taste pleaser for those in search of flavor.
Nutrition Information per Serving: 170 calories, 12g of fat, 55mg of cholesterol, 160mg of sodium, and 8g of protein.


Ingredients:

2 Tbsp thick, chunky tomato salsa
2 Tbsp seafood cocktail sauce
2 Tbsp chopped onion
2 Tbsp diced seedless cucumber
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Hass Avocados (1 pound), diced
30 large (21 to 25 count per pound), cooked shrimp with tails
6 lime slices for garnish
6 sprigs cilantro for garnish


Instructions:

1. Thoroughly combine salsa and next 5 ingredients; gently fold in avocado.

2. Chill mixture 1 hour to marry flavors. (Mixture is best served the day it's made.)

3. To serve, divide avocado mixture among 6 stemmed glasses.

4. Hang 5 shrimp, tails outside glass, around each rim.

5. Garnish each with 1 twisted lime slice and 1 sprig cilantro.

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Corn, Scallion and Potato Frittata

This frittata makes a perfect brunch or lunch -- it works especially well for a picnic. And on a steamy summer night, it may be all you need for dinner. Adding a green salad and a nice piece of bread is an easy way to round out the plate.

Nutrition info per Serving:

Calories: 395 kcal

Carbohydrates: 37 g

Dietary Fiber: 5 g

Fat: 20 g

Protein: 18 g

Sugars: 8 g

Ingredients:

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts sliced separately

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large russet (baking) potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 cups corn kernels, thawed if frozen

4 large eggs

4 ounces mozzarella, coarsely grated

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook white part of scallions and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add potato and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add corn and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, about 1 minute for thawed corn or 3 minutes for fresh corn.





2. Preheat broiler.

3. Whisk together eggs, mozzarella, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in potato mixture and scallion greens.

4. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in cleaned skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Then cook frittata without stirring, shaking skillet once or twice to loosen frittata, until underside is golden but top is still wet, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. If skillet handle is not ovenproof, wrap handle in a double layer of foil. Broil frittata about 3 inches from heat until top is just set and golden, about 2 minutes. Slide onto a plate and cool to warm or room temperature.

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken, is actually an American creation. It is a sweet deep fried chicken dish served in American Chinese restaurants and also very popular at the buffet line. Regardless of its origin, this is an easy dish to make at home without the gloppy sauce and soggy thick breading that you get from the take out place and you don’t have pay the expensive price for it.





Ingredients :



1 pound chicken meat cut into large chunks

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp white pepper

1 egg white

3 tbsp of cornstarch

1 tbsp of oil

4 green onions – cut into thin strip

6 dry hot peppers – cut into ½” length

1 tbsp of chopped ginger

2 cloves of garlic - chopped





Sauce:



2 tsp of cornstarch

1/4 cup water

3 tbsp of sugar (more or less depend on the sweetness you like)

4 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp of white vinegar

2 tbsp of cooking wine

3/4 - 1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp of pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients and set it aside for later use.



2. In separate bowl, mix chicken, soy sauce and white pepper. Set it aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Stir in egg white and add in the cornstarch and mix until chicken pieces are coated evenly.



3. Add the 1 tbsp of oil to the chicken as this will help to separate chicken pieces. Deep fry chicken until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Remove all the oil from the pan and leave about 1 tbsp.



4. Stir-fry garlic, ginger and peppers until fragrant. Stir sauce adding to wok. Bring it up to a boil and when sauce thickens add in the chicken. Stir and toss until chicken pieces well coated with sauce. Add in the spring onions.



5. Dish out and serve with warm rice.

i like to blog it blog it.

Howdy howdy howdy.

So here's the latest on what has been going on since my cruise. First of all, we went to Isaac's aunt's cabin for the weekend and had such a fab time.

I cannot take credit for any of these pics, Isaac's dad took them and I love them. This moose tried to get me. Jk, we saw him from the car and my bf jumped out of the car to take pics of the beast for me.

Hello Jason Mraz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isaac took me to this concert and we had the best time.

Jason put on such a great show and sang so many songs directly to me, I just know it. Lisa Hannigan. She's Irish.

I love you Mr. A-Z.

Isaac had a Halloween/bday party for clintie...

The angel and the pimp. Ha!

These two sickies came with me...my moms/bffs.

Now for the latest...another house party at Isaac's. Best yet!!!

My boyfriend DJ Westwood. So hot.

My sis Jenna came with me and we had such a blast with Erin (Isaac's sister-in-law) and Allie, her sister.

No one even knew who this creeper was. He danced the entire night in front of Isaac. I was dying it was so funny.

Love him.

And them. Ryan and Erin. I'm so glad they came!

My fab sis.

Party.

So there you have it. A very quick update on my life. Besides these events I've been busy with school and working 2 jobs. I got a new job at a transitional rehabilitation place as a CNA and I love it! Its rough trying to balance 2 jobs + school but good news: there are only weeks left of the semester, thank goodness. And then one more semester left until I'm an official college grad...and then on to nursing school, I hope (cross your fingers!!!)

Bye bye bye.

Squash and Potato Pizzas

The lists of ingredients below are good for 4 persons.


Nutrition information per serving

Calories: 891 kcal
Carbohydrates: 102 g
Dietary Fiber: 9 g
Fat: 38 g
Protein: 34 g
Sugars: 12 g




Ingredients:

1 pound medium red or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed well but not peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 pound medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 1/2 pounds thawed frozen pizza dough, cut into 4 pieces
24 cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups Manchego cheese, shredded
2 ounces frisee, torn into large pieces (optional)


Cooking Directions:

1. Set a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool, then slice 1/8 inch thick.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add one-third of the yellow squash in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook the squash over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and squash in two batches.

3. Generously flour a pizza peel or a large rimless baking sheet. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 piece of pizza dough into a 12-inch round, 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the round to the pizza peel and top with one-fourth of the potato slices. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange one-fourth of the squash over the potato, then scatter one-quarter of the tomatoes followed by one-quarter of the Manchego on top.

4. Transfer the pizza to the hot stone and bake for about 7 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Transfer the pizza to a work surface and cut into wedges. Top the wedges with some of the torn frisee and serve at once. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

Egg Foo Yung with Mushroom Sauce

These egg and bean sprout pancakes are cooked in peanut oil, and bathed in mushroom sauce. This recipe requires 10 minutes for preparation and 20 minutes for cooking.

Ingredients:

1 large green onion

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup bean sprouts

3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup chicken or beef broth

Directions:

1. Thinly slice green onion, and reserve 1 tablespoon of the top for garnish. Stir the remaining onion into the egg along with the bean sprouts and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. For each pancake, drop 1/4 cup of egg mixture into the hot oil. Cook until the bottoms are set, 1 to 2 minutes, then turn over and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a warm serving plate while you make the remaining pancakes.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in the skillet and cook the mushrooms with the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce until the mushrooms are soft, about 3 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the broth, stir into the mushrooms, and cook until thickened. To serve, pour the sauce over the egg foo yung pancakes, and sprinkle with the reserved onion.

this cruise was so sketchy and i loved it.

The post of all posts is finally here. Don't worry, I just spent the last hour uploading all these pictures for your viewing pleasure. So as many of you know, I went on a little cruise with some of my favorite ladies for a week of sun and relaxation. It was so much fun. I missed my boyf like crazy but besides that...pure magic.

Here we are at the good old SLC airport waiting for our red eye flight.

WORST FLIGHT EVER.

Hello Bahamas. My first time on international land. Sad I know.

We made Brynn a beautiful mermaid. All the drunks ate it right up.

How cheesy am I. But its true, I do.

Isn't this a cool pic with the "Triumph" in the background! Carnival should use us in their ads.
Dinner time was my favorite. You got to order as many appetizers/entrees/desserts you wanted. My dream come true.

Hanging out in the karaoke bar. Yes we got up and sang karaoke and were such stars. In fact, we were known as the Utah Mamas on ship. Yep.

First formal night.

So the photographers on the ship basically forced you to take every picture possible in hopes that you would pay $20 for it and we ate it right up. We took every picture possible and then when they were developed (the developed every single one, such a waste), I took pictures of the pictures with my digi. Sorry Carnival. I owe you...

HELLO JAMAICA.

We went to a little place called Ocho Rios. That means 8 rivers in case you didnt know...

I'm obviously loving it.

Jamaica was seriously so scary for me at first. So many strangers were trying to take us places. I hated it. We finally got away from them and walked into the city to see what was up. We passed this man...smoking weed. Sketchy.
This is Brynn telling me that maybe I should get something "to calm me down"

hahaha...i was so anxious because it was scary!!

But I eventually calmed down...on my own.
We finally found a reasonably priced tour man to drive us around. We all piled into this van...
With this man...lol. Looks sketchy I know, that's what I said. But don't worry, he was so nice!! His name was Cool Marco and he took such good care of us. He was always telling us to go slowly and be careful. What a sweetie. He pulled out his dreads for us but usually kept them in his hat for business purposes.

Happy to be driven around Jamaica for $10 a piece...or so we thought...Lookie lookie lookie!

The flea market. I got called "pretty lady" a lot this day. They all wanted me to by their bob marley tees and tanks and statues. Good thing I have a boyfriend who likes bob or else I would not have the experience I have today at haggling their prices down. Go me.

Marco took us to this really pretty botanical garden where we could see everything. It was so pretty.

Love the dreads.Waterfall.

Ocean.
The second waterfall we went to. It was a lot of nature for one day, let me tell you. I was not a fan of the hikes in flip flops but I did it! I was a little nervous about malaria and west nile and when I asked Cool Marco about my chances he looked me like I was crazy...fine.

So these Jamaicans had coconuts for us when we were done at the falls. Of course we tried them because they basically shoved them in our hands. And then they wanted a $1 a piece for trying them. WHAT THE! I was so annoyed because I didn't even like their slimey coconut. I must say I prefer it in dried, toasted form. But of course we coughed up the money. I asked that Jamaican man next to Mal if he had facebook and he looked at me so confused. And then I asked if he had the internet and just laughed and said no. Boo. I wanted to email him this pic.

Look at all these bites!!! I was not wrong for being worried. Not wrong at all.
Hello Grand Cayman.

I loved this island. Our original plan was to take a boat out to Sting Ray Island to swim with the sting rays (I was having a heart attack deep down inside at the thought of a sting ray touching me but I was trying my hardest to be adventurous) but these guys stopped us...Apparently the sand bar was too high so no swimming with the sting rays for us. Dang...

So we just enjoyed a day on the ocean sunning it up.

The beach on Grand Cayman.

The boring girls on the trip. Jk I was probably the most boring. Actually I know I was. I went out and partied for a bit each night but I just love sleep way too much.

Yello Cozumel!!! This was probably my favorite day on the cruise. We had such adventures.

Like wearing these hats. I would have bought one in second if I had room to take it home with me.

Were we excited to rent scooters and risk our lives driving around Mexico? Why yes we were!
Brynn was not happy about the peer pressure that was being placed on her to rent scooters with us. But I know to this day she will forever be grateful to us for making her, what a day. Traci lectured us so much telling us "if you don't feel comfortable driving a scooter, don't rent one!" over and over...
Ready, set, ride. Too bad it began to pour rain when we started cruisin.
Traci decided to pull over because it was raining so bad and what happens? They stop and the scooter slips on the gravel and down they go. We were laughing so hard. And I know we shouldn't laugh but it seriously makes me laugh to this day because Traci was telling everyone else not to rent one if we were scared we would crash...and then she crashes. We love you Traci. Oh man it was funny. But I am sorry you guys crashed...
Especially since Mal got wounded and the scooter was scratched...yikes.

We had lunch at this crazy restaurant that was like "spring break all year long" according to the 90 year old geezer on our boat who kept creepily hitting on us. Why I didn't get a pic of him is beyond me... Anyway, the waiters here were crazy...as you can see from the weirdo behind us.

So the waiters sent me this note and said it was from this 13 year old child...lol. He was so embarrassed. And then the waiters carried him over on his chair and they shoved this heart around our necks. What you can't see is that the heart says "happy sex"...what the???We then met some friends at this hotel. It was right on the beach and had the sweetest pool.

We loved it.

The sun finally came out and we swam in the ocean!!! My first time ever. I jumped off a high wall and everything. It was so salty. I kept licking my lips and I liked it. Such a fun day!

Me and my sweet sweet magen on the last night. That girl cracked me up the entire trip.

Love her.

So thats the cruise!!! We had so much fun exploring, eating, and just hanging with the girlies! I have many more updates to come...but first you must love on this post. IT TOOK ME FOREVER. Adios.