Shrimp 'n Potato Chowder

Shrimp and Potato Chowder

Boy do I love a good chowder. Pretty much the only soup I am always making. They can be very simple to complex. This one is rather simple.

Ingredients
-Diced Potatoes
-Shrimp
-Peppers
-Onions
-Garlic
-Milk

Creation

As usual I have no measurements so easier to just show you what I'm dealing with.

Not pictured. One Anaheim Pepper diced.

Now I usually boiled the potatoes in the chowder back when I was in college and very lazy, but now I do them separate. That way more flavors can be induced and that is exactly what I'm going to do.

There's flavor in 'dem shells

Yep, gonna make my own flavor packet thingy for the potatoes using the shrimp shells, a bouillon cube, and bay leaves. 

Just gets tossed in the boiling water with the potatoes.

That way you get some flavor in those potatoes. Then time to get the chowder started. Onions, garlic, and peppers are thrown in a pot with some oil.

Makin' a rue

That's right I make a rue with the vegetables in it. Make sure the flour taste is cooked out and then add the milk.

Add the potatoes when ready.

Shrimp are the last thing to add cause you don't want to over cook them. Once they are cooked through.. about 4 seconds... its done. Serve baby serve.

Now that is good stuff. 

Delicious stuff when flavors are allowed to shine. No need to add all kinds of spices and herbs cause it will still be...

Fusion Potsickers

Fusion Potstickers 

Fusion you say? Yes... I think. Well I said it so I'm going with it. From what I remember dumpling are normally filled with ground pork, sometimes shrimp, napa cabbage, water chestnuts, mushrooms, ginger, green onions. I used mostly shrimp, a little bit of pork, apples, celery, spinach, and ginger. The use of apples, celery and spinach I believe give it a french twist. I don't know. I may be wrong. Has happened before.

Also... A lot of pics incoming...

Ingredients
Filling
-Ground Pork
-Shrimp
-Celery
-Spinach
-Apples
-Ginger

Dough
-Flour
-Water

Sauce
-Onion
-Garlic
-Grape Jelly
-Ketchup
-Worcestershire Sauce

Creation
What?! Separated ingredients... Don't know why I didn't think of it before. So first off the filling. 

About this much shrimp

To that we add the pork, about a 1/4lb, which gives us more shrimp than pork. Which is what I wanted. Then there is one stalk of celery, plus a bit a ginger. Let's see what else did I add..

Oh yeah about this much diced apple

Not too much so when you bite it you don't get apple upfront but more sweetness from apple.

Then the final kicker.. spinach.

Yep, no cabbage, and everything is diced so that it will fit inside a dumpling. I don't have a picture of the finished filling as it mysteriously vanished. So now for the dough. Just flour, water and salt. 

Obviously needs more water

I don't have measurements here cause I just do it by feel. Keep added a little bit of water until it pulls together .

This actually needs more flour and more kneading, but I ran out of flour... I know right?

So it should look like the above picture. A tiny bit.

Rolled into a log

This is so you can cut of sliver to make each dumpling.

Like this

No I can't roll out perfect circles, had to use a measuring cup, but yeah now to attempt to show you how to make these dumplings..... deep breath... Swig of Kool-aid... Here we go.

There that is what filling like

And yeah its close to being over-filled. No matter what you do you will probably over fill a couple. it just happens. I still do it and this isn't my first dumpling rodeo.

Pinch the sides up.

Now crimp. This is a bit hard to explain. Fold the back side over into the other side. 

And do the same to the other side. This is what the back looks like

My finished dumpling. Not going to win any beauty awards... they are clearly over stuffed.

Now we turn them into potstickers

To do this brown the bottom by getting some oil in the pan good and hot. Not so hot that it's burn cause you need time to put all the dumpling in and once they are browned on the bottom. Here comes the 'fun' part. While it is on the burner. Hot oil sizzling away and everything you are going to pour about a cup of water in the pot and then quickly cover. Then when the water boils away...

This is what you get

Now about that sauce. This is the part where you realize you should have read the whole thing first. Dice some onions and get then sweating in a pot. 

Nothing to see here.

Now once they have some color add some chopped garlic.

Simple. Easy.

Now add some grape jelly and ketchup.

Wait what?

Yes. Its about 1:1 on the ketchup and jelly. And once it boils down and the jelly melts....

Yes. Now taste. Correct sweetness or ketchup and done.

Potstickers are served bottoms up.

Now that looks good.

Fusion potstickers... now...

Shrimp Risotto

Shrimp Risotto

Aww... doesn't it look all pretty? Normally I don't style my food, just plate it nicely, but this time. I couldn't help it. The shrimps were just so good. Could have skipped on the risotto and ate an entire bathtub of the stuff. 

Ingredients
-Shrimp
-Rice
-Carrots
-Spices

Creation

Oh risotto. I have a bittersweet relationship with it. Still learning how to make it perfect, and the stock used to make it came from the last dish. Let nothing go to waste.

Had no wine which was a real buzzkill, but the fresh stock can make up for it.

But forget about the risotto... these shrimps! Thyme and Parsley marinated then sauteed. Was so tasty, pretty sure these alone make this...

Shrimp Fettuce

Shrimp Fettuce

First off, there is no spelling error. Fettuce is a wider form of the oh-so-popular fettuccine, and yes they were made by hand. I tried a couple years back, didn't have a clue what I was doing. Working with pictures in a book. Terrible. So now I see the book again and decide its time. Took three tries though.. imagine the realization when when I realized I was working with medium eggs instead of large.

Ingredients
-Flour
-Eggs
-Shrimp
-Onion
-Basil
-Heavy Cream

Creation

Homemade pasta?! No way. Actually much simpler than even I thought and I use the "well" method. Pretty simple.. quite messy, but being covered in flour makes you look like more of a chef right?

The shrimp are just cooked with a cream sauce. No wine or vinegar. I know right. Focus was on the pasta which makes this...

Shrimp Fettuccine

Shrimp Fettuccine with a Tomato Cream Sauce

I seem to be making a lot of seafood... probably because I love seafood... go figure. However, there hasn't been a lot of seafood and pasta. So here we go, back to one of my favorite sauces... the tomato cream sauce.

Ingredients

-Shrimp
-Fettuccine
-Tomato
-Heavy Cream
-Onions
-Celery
-Garlic

Creation

To get the fullest flavor out if this sauce.. at least more robust flavor.. the sauce in completely homemade and instead of removing the skin the whole thing is blended. Then thrown in with the onions and stuff cooking.

As you can see by the color there wasn't a ton of tomatoes involved. Everything else is pretty straight-forward. However, more awesomeness comes from the shrimp. They weren't cooked in any special way, but the shells help make a great shrimp stock that will be used for later. Si. I am very resourceful when making...

Leftover Udon

Leftover Udon with Shimp and Chicken

So... I went to a japanese restuarant and pretty much didn't eat anything. So I had all this Udon and some Yaki style chicken. So what to do? Reheat... nah that's to simple. Howabout add a few spices, shrimp and saute in a pan... yeah! And this is what came off the stove.

Ingredients

-Udon Noodles
-Chicken
-Shrimp
-Hoisin Sauce
-Chinese 5-spice
-Onion
-Garlic
-Corn Oil
-Sesame Oil

Creation
A one pan dish. No really. Just get that pan screaming hot with some Corn oil to sear the shrimps. Why not use Sesame? Cause it will burn at a much lower temp. Mhmmm. Sesame comes later.

When browned on one side flip and add the diced onions. Dice the leftover chicken, remove the breading and add to pan. Wait a minute and add minced garlic. Now add some Sesame oil.

Love the shrimp!

Toss in that Udon mix in some Hoisin Sauce toss to coat. Heat through and done. Simple right? Well maybe not really. As simply popping it in the microwave would have been just fine and then I wouldn't have to wash dishes, however then it wouldn't be...