Salt and Pepper Shrimp

I had lunch recently at my favorite Thai place in NYC, Obao. It is actually a Thai/Vietnamese fusion restaurant, and they are known for recreating delicious Asian street food. While I was there the last time, I ordered their Salt and Pepper Shrimp appetizer, which was deliciously light and crispy, with a delicate balance of flavor. I did some research online and found that dredging the shrimp with cornstarch is what gives the shrimp the characteristic crunch. I had a lot of fun creating the recipe, and the best part was, it was finished in a flash!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb large shrimp (unpeeled)
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs (whites only)
1 jalapeño, sliced, seeds removed
2 scallion stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
oil for frying

To prepare the shrimp, take a sharp knife or kitchen shears and cut the back of the shell open, without actually removing the shell. Slice into the shrimp a little along the way 'til it reaches where the vein is. Devein the shrimp by removing the black part from inside. Here is a video to illustrate the process better.

Once the shrimp are prepared, wash them with a bit of lime juice and water, and drain them completely. Add the egg whites to a bowl and whisk them a little to incorporate some air and make it a little lighter. Add the cornstarch to another bowl. Heat the oil (I used a vegetable oil/canola oil combination) over medium heat. Once it is hot, you can start the dredging process.

Dip the prepared shrimp (shells still on!) into the egg whites, shake off the excess, and then into the cornstarch.

Shake off the excess cornstarch and drop the shrimp into the hot oil. Remember that shrimp cook very quickly, so the oil should be nice and hot when you drop them in. They should begin to sizzle right away. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, but fry in small batches of 4-5 shrimp. Fry the shrimp for about 1 minute, then flip them over and fry for an additional 30 seconds or until they begin to slightly turn golden.

Remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Once all the shrimp have been fried, set them aside.

In another pot, add about 2 tablespoons of the oil that you fried the shrimp in. Heat it over high heat, and add the jalapeño slices, onion slices, and scallions. 

Fry until they begin to brown slightly, and then sprinkle in the dry spices (black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, salt, and sugar) and add the soy sauce. 

Stir to quickly combine and then add the fried shrimp. Toss quickly and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Homemade Guacamole

Guacamole is a quick, easy, and very healthy dish that can be used in multiple ways. It can be paired with some delicious tortilla chips (bake them to keep them healthy), it can be used as a spread to add flavor to a sandwich, or it can be used as a topping for a variety of dishes. There is no reason to ever buy ready-made guacamole since it takes so little time and tastes even more amazing fresh!

Nutritional bites: Guacamole is made with mashed avocados, which is where this dish gets its powerful nutrition from. Avocados contain plenty of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, vitamin E, vitamin K, and B vitamins, but more interestingly, it is high in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs). MUFAs are known to lower bad cholesterol (LDL), and increase good cholesterol (HDL). Therefore, they are a wonderful promoter of heart health. Just make sure to pay attention to the serving size (approx. 2 tablespoons)...even though MUFAs are heart healthy, they are still fats, and therefore make the avocados high in calories compared to other fruits.

Ingredients:
1 hass avocado
1/4 red onion, chopped finely
1/2 plum tomato, chopped
1/4 jalapeño pepper, chopped finely
handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
pinch of salt

Cut the avocado in half and spoon the flesh into a mixing bowl. Add half of the chopped onion, half of the chopped jalapeño, and half of the chopped cilantro. Add the lime juice and salt. Mash the avocado while mixing everything together. Mix the remainder of the ingredients (chopped tomato along with the rest of the onion, jalapeño, and cilantro), and sprinkle on top of the guacamole.

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Chinese Takeout Crab Sticks

This recipe is a copycat of one of my childhood takeout favorites. I just happened upon imitation crabmeat at the supermarket here that was in the form of sticks, so I decided to seek out panko breadcrumbs and eggs and I was ready to go. Granted, this is not a healthy recipe, but it is a comfort food that I was missing so far from home. The recipe is quick and easy, and doesn't require many ingredients!

Ingredients:
8 imitation crab sticks
1/2 cup of flour
2 eggs, cracked and whisked
1 cup of panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place each of the other ingredients into their own shallow dish and line the dishes up in the same order as they are listed.

Breading station (missing the flour!)

Dredge one crab stick at a time into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs to form a nice coating on each. Place each breaded crab stick into the oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes, turning to make sure each side fries golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the other crab sticks, and serve with tartar or sweet chili sauce.

Note: The flour helps the egg stick to the crab stick, and the eggs help to hold onto the breadcrumbs. I made mine without the flour (didn't have any), so the breading was very thin. Next time I will try with the flour!

Baked Crab Cakes

I have decided that my favorite food in the entire world is crab cakes. I love crab, and having just the meat in a delicately fried cake makes what would be a meal of cracking and digging up shells a whole different experience. In this recipe, I tried a healthier way of cooking them...instead of frying the cakes, I baked them! The secret to this recipe is the quality of the crab meat. You can find canned, frozen, or refrigerated crab meat in the supermarket. My favorite is Phillip's brand lump crab meat, which is usually found in plastic containers in the refrigerated section. It is pricey, but for this one in a while treat, it is so worth it!

Ingredients:

1 8 oz package of lump crab meat

1 egg

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs (you may use panko breadcrumbs instead)

1/2 teaspoon of old bay seasoning

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 of a red bell pepper, chopped finely

1/2 celery stalk, chopped finely

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs, the old bay seasoning, and the lemon juice. Mix well, and then add the bell pepper and celery. Once combined, gently fold in the crab meat. 

Seasoning before the crab and veggies are added

Crab meat, bell peppers, and celery

Pour the rest of the breadcrumbs in a small plate. Take handfuls of the crab mixture, form balls, and then press gently onto the breadcrumbs on the plate. Turn the cake over to flatten and coat the other side. Continue until all of the cakes are formed. (This recipe makes about 8 small cakes, but can easily be doubled to make more.) Coat the bottom of a baking pan with the olive oil, and place the cakes on the pan. 

Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cakes are browned and crispy. Gently flip the cakes over and bake for another 3-5 minutes or until they are crispy on the other side. Enjoy!

(For anyone who would like to make crab cakes the traditional way: Make the cakes as directed above, then add 3-4 tablespoons of oil to a frying pan and fry the cakes over medium heat on each side until golden brown and crispy.)

Chicken Cashew Wontons

This is a Thai-inspired version of a chicken wonton. Yes, it is deep-fried and filling each wonton individually is time-consuming, so it is more of a guilty pleasure (as are many of the dishes I have posted here). However, one bonus is that you can prepare the wontons ahead of time and freeze them, so all you need to do when you want them is to fry them.The filling is a bit more complex and flavorful than your average wonton. They can be served with Thai-style sweet chili sauce or peanut sauce, but they are delicious even without.

Ingredients:
     1 pound of ground chicken
     2 garlic cloves, finely chopped and then mashed into a paste
     1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
     2 teaspoons of chopped fresh cilantro
     2 teaspoons sriracha (Thai garlic chili hot sauce)
     1 teaspoon honey
     1 teaspoon soy sauce
     1 scallion (green onion), finely chopped
     1/4 cup chopped cashew nuts
     Wonton wrappers (this recipe makes about 50 wontons)
     Oil for frying

In a pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic paste and ginger and fry for a few seconds, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the ground chicken and break into fine pieces as it is cooking. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sriracha, honey, soy sauce, scallion, cilantro, and cashew pieces. Mix well and remove from heat. Allow it to cool fully before attempting to fill the wontons.

Cooked chicken filling

To make the wontons, lay out a few wonton wrappers, and get a little cup of water. Place a little bit of the filling in the center of each one. Dip a finger in the water and wet each of the four sides of the wrapper. Bring the sides up and together in the middle. Press to seal, and then continue with the rest of the wontons. You may freeze some of the wontons at this stage if you would like, or continue on to fry them.

Heat some oil (enough to deep fry in) in a small pot. Once it is hot, fry the wontons in batches. they do not need to fry for very long, as the filling is already fully cooked. Just fry until they are golden brown and crispy, and then remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Enjoy while warm.

Salmon Cakes

I am the biggest fan of crab cakes, so when I saw a packet of wild salmon in my pantry this idea instantly clicked. I make it almost the same way as I do my crab cakes, except this time I was in Grenada, with not many of my ingredients available. I got creative with what I had, and the result was scrumptious!

Note: Panko breadcrumbs work well in this recipe, but I think my toast idea made it even more delicious!

Ingredients:
     5 oz of skinless, boneless, cooked salmon (I used a packet of the Chicken of the Sea 
            Premium Wild-Caught Pink Salmon)
     1/4 red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
     2 chopped scallions
     1 tsp parsley
     1/2 tsp fresh minced ginger
     1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
     1 small egg, lightly beaten
     1/4 tsp paprika
     2 slices of white toast, left out for a few minutes to dry
     Salt to taste
     2 tbsp oil for frying
     1 lime or lemon
Flake the salmon and add to a mixing bowl. Add the peppers, scallion, parsley, ginger, egg, paprika, and salt. Finely crumble one of the slices of toast into the mixture, and mix well. 

Heat the oil on medium heat in a shallow frying pan. In a separate plate, crumble the other slice of toast finely. Take a spoon and gather some of the salmon mixture. Form a ball with it in your hands and then press lightly onto the breadcrumbs. Turn the salmon cake over to get the other side covered, and then add the cake to the hot pan. Cook about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and place onto a paper towel-lined plate. Squeeze some lime or lemon over it and serve immediately.