Nightmares

Hopes and dreams are swift
as nightmares burn behind our retinas;
clawing their way forward,
reveling in our inner fears.

Darkness moves slowly:
enveloping, swarming, choking
 all the light out;
enveloping, swarming, choking
'til one ray of light remains.

A ray of light beckons ahead
drawing a line through the dark;
whispering, calling us forward,
sweeping a path to save us
from the clutches of despair.

Indo-Sou Shrimp Po-Boy

Okay so the Shrimp are not fried, and their is no remoulade sauce, but I was inspired by both the Shrimp Po-boy, my love of Indian spices, my dislike of frying things and what was available in my cabinet/Fridge (which is minus mayonnaise). 

I started off by first making a Crushed Pistachio Rub.  I combined crushed pistachios, minced garlic, cumin, cilantro, Indian chili powder, lime juice, salt and pepper together with a tiny bit of olive oil.  I used the rub on some shrimp and set it aside for about five minutes.  In a pan I sauteed some chopped green onions in some olive oil.  I added the shrimp and rub to the pan and sauteed until cooked.

Next, I proceeded to dice all the shrimp and pour the pan sauce/rub mixture on top and stir them all together to create a shrimp salad:

Finally, I spread some Champagne Maple Mustard onto a biscuit and spooned some of the Shrimp Salad on top to complete my Indo-Sou Shrimp Po-Boy:

Lamb Burgers with a kick

I was making a burger for a different website, and wanted to post it here also.  The burger is my spin on a slider/burger topped with egg

To make the burger, I used ground lamb that is currently being sold at a local store.  I marinated the lamb in pineapple orange juice, fresh fennel leaves, sea salt, cayenne pepper and cumin.  I then cooked the burger, adding some jalapenos on top and cheese.  On the very top of the burger I put a fried egg. 

Citrus Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

Bread Pudding:
1 3/4 Cups Milk
1 whole egg & 1 egg white
6 tbs sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp cinnamon
5 cups soft bread cubes
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbs butter, melted

Citrus Sauce:
1/2 cup Orange Juice
3 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup water
2 tsps cornstarch

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350

In large bowl whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, orange & lemon peels & cinnamon.  Stir in bread & chocolate chips.  Let stand for at least 25 minutes to allow the bread to soak in the milk mixture.  Stir melted butter into bread mixture.  Spoon into 8 inch square baking pan sprayed with baking spray.  Bake 35-45 minutes, until browned and toothpick comes out of center clean.

While the bread is cooking, make the citrus sauce.  In a small sauce pan mix together orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, lemon peel and butter until butter is melted and sugar dissolved (over medium heat).  In a separate container dissolve cornstarch into the water.  While whisking orange juice mixture add in cornstarch mixture, whisking continuously until sauce boils and thickens.

Drizzle sauce over warm bread pudding & serve.

shards

A vase shatters
Pieces blanket the ground
Thousands of shards
All out of reach
A broom sweeps
But a few remain behind,
Forever lost

Latest Food Drivel

Pan Cooked Citrus Chicken over Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

I needed an easy lunch to make and decided to create a light and simple chicken salad dish.  I had a couple of chicken tenders, oj, salad greens (local lettuces from a farm share), baby portabello mushrooms red wine vinegar and some spices, so here is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

For Chicken:
chicken
Orange Jucie
pinch of Indian Chili Powder
Canola Oil

For Salad Dressing:
Orange Juice
Red Wine Vinegar
Cilantro
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

My chicken tenders were already in a zip lock bag, so I poured a small amount of oj and a pinch of Indian Red Chili powder into the bag, closed it, shook it up a bit and let it sit for about 5 mins while I worked on the rest of the salad

I had a variety of salad greens, so I cleaned those, placed some mushrooms on top and set the salad base aside.  I then poured probably under 1/8 cup of orange juice into a bowel.  Next I added a dash of salt, pepper, cilantro and garlic powder.  Finally, I added probably 1/2 tbs of red wine vinegar, stirred and set aside. 

I then heated up some canola oil in a pan, added the marinated chicken and cooked the chicken through.  Once cooked, I sliced the chicken, placed it on the salad greens and topped all with my dressing.  Was delicious.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Stuffed French Toast

This weekend I was craving Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes, and addiction I have, but also wanted French Toast.  A dilemma, I know.  Then it occurred to me, why not have both?  So I set out to think of the best way to make Chocolate Chip Banana French Toast.  It needed something to hold it together while the chocolate melted... Peanut Butter.  I decided to document the little creation thanks to another friend's food blog.  Why just talk about the items when you can show them?  (Will post photos of my Nutella muffins later the next time I make them).

Ingredients:

Bread, Chocolate Chips, Bananas and Peanut butter:

 

For the Dip:

Egg, a smidge of milk, about 1/8 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Combined the ingredients together, and put it in a skillet:

 

 The finished Stuffed French Toast was supper scrumptious, gooey and chocolate.  I paired the french toast with a refreshing fruit salad of papaya and banana with fresh mint and lime juice marinade:

Yum.

grownup tantrums

I always enjoy watching another adult throw a tantrum.  There is something about seeing an adult stomp their feet, flail their arms and and whine that makes me feel good about myself.