Coconut Curry Shrimp

It was Saturday morning and I always wake up and watch the Food Network.  Claire Robinson of 5 Ingredient Fix was on and she made this amazing looking coconut curry shrimp.  All her recipes have 5 ingredients or less, besides salt and pepper.  It seemed so easy and fast that I actually went out and bought all the ingredients and invited a friend over for dinner that night.  I needed to have the meal right then and there, I couldn't even wait another day!!  That's how excited I was to make this dish.  It actually came out so delicious and literally took me about 20 minutes total to put it together and plate it!

Click here to see the original recipe from the Food Network, below is a slightly adapted version.

Coconut Curry Shrimp
(serves 4 people)
1(14-ounce can) coconut milk, unsweetened
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper (optional)
the juice of 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

In a large pot whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder, salt, pepper, red pepper or cayenne and ginger. Slowly bring to a low boil over low heat. Simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 5-7 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer until the shrimp are fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl and serve with lime wedges and a side of coconut rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped cilantro, serve with a lime wedge and enjoy!

Magnolia's Banana Pudding

This was my first time making banana pudding.  I made it for the Super Bowl and it was a huge success!! I always love to buy some at Magnolia Bakery or Buttercup Bakeshop in NYC.  I'm not going to tell you that it was exactly the same texture and all, however the taste was definitely there!  I'm going to try again soon.  Here's the recipe I used, it can be found online here as well.

Banana Pudding

2 boxes Instant vanilla Jell-O pudding mix (you'll need 2/3 a cup of it, about 1 and 1/2 packages), 

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)

1 1/2 cups water

3 cups heavy cream

1 box of Nilla wafers (I used reduced fat)

4 ripe bananas, sliced

• In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.
• In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.
• To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

Turkey Chili

Last night I made turkey chili for dinner, and then I had it today for lunch too, click here for photo.  It was the perfect night to have a warm and hearty bowl of chili.  And my goodness, I did enjoy!! I followed this recipe from Epicurious but added ground turkey and some extra spice using a jalapeno pepper! and more cayenne pepper as well.  If you don't prefer your chili to be spicy or if you are a vegetarian simply follow the recipe on Epicurious.  Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

(Makes 4 main-course servings)

1 pound ground turkey, cooked, in 2 tablespoons olive oil and put aside

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions 
1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped red bell peppers (about 2 medium)

1-2 jalapeno peppers, chopped6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
1 16-ounce can tomato sauce

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Mix in beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, cooked ground turkey, and tomato sauce. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. 

Ladle chili into bowls. If desired, add chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, and/or green onions to your bowl!