Thai Lemon Shrimp with Coconut Rice

Thai food definitely knows how to wake up your taste buds.  This cuisine often satisfies every mouth-watering desire you could ask for from salty (fish sauce) to sweet (brown sugar) to bright (lemongrass) to spicy (chiles).  These are many common ingredients that you’ll find in Thai dishes.  That being said, you’re not often left thirsting for a little more of something.

I made this for the first time and it has been deemed an automatic weeknight staple (according to hubby).  Not only was this one of the easiest dishes I’ve ever made, it was pretty enough to make for a special occasion - not to mention, amazingly flavorful!  I decided to stick with the Thai theme and serve this with a side of coconut rice and sautéed bok choy.  The richness of the coconut rice balances well with the delicate shrimp and brightness of the lemon.  Seriously, this one is a winner!

Thai Lemon Shrimp:

1 lb shrimp

1/3 c sweet chili sauce

1 lemon, juice & zest

1 lime, zest only

1 tsp chili paste (like sambal oelek)

1 tbsp fish sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp brown sugar

¼ c coconut milk

¼ c cilantro, chopped

Marinate shrimp in the chili sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, lime zest, chili paste, fish sauce, garlic, and brown sugar for 15 minutes.

Heat a pan over medium heat.  Add shrimp and marinade to pan.  Add coconut milk.  Simmer until shrimp are cooked (2 minutes on each side).  Remove from heat and mix in cilantro.

Coconut Rice:

Cooking spray

2c jasmine rice

1c coconut milk (light or full fat)

2-3 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut

2 tsp salt

2 c water

Rinse rice with water and drain.  Spray rice cooker bowl with cooking spray.  Add rice, coconut milk, coconut, salt and water.  Cook in a rice cooker according to directions.

Lemon Bars

Lemon and sweets just go hand in hand.  Give me something lemon-y and I’ll probably love it: lemonade, lemon cake, lemon bars…YUM!  There is just something special about the balance of tart and sweet.  My husband and I had a lemon theme for our wedding reception to go along with my “favorite things”.  It was fantastic!  We served lemonade instead of iced tea, our cake had a lemon-cream filling, we had lemons coated in sugar crystals as part of our centerpieces, and our dessert was, of course, lemon bars. 

Lemon bars are probably one of my favorite desserts but I can’t seem to find a lot of people (or restaurants) that make them like the bars I grew up on.  There is always some issue.  Either they are too sweet, lack the lemon zing, or the crust is bland.  Today, I’m sharing the recipe I grew up on.  My cousin, Yolanda Banks, use to make these all the time.  Now that she’s all grown up, an amazing chef, and author of the cookbook “Cooking for Your Man”, I think it’s safe to say that I can share it.  (You can also find the recipe in her book).  I hope these bars satisfy all of your sweet and sour cravings :)

Lemon Bars

½ c butter, softened

¼ c powdered sugar

1c all-purpose flour

1c granulated sugar

2 tbsp grated lemon peel

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 eggs

powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8” or 9” square pan.  (Cooking times may vary depending on pan size so watch bars carefully when baking).

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugar.  Add the flour and mix until combined.  Press the flour mixture into the bottom of the pan, building up ½” edges.

Tip: The mixture will start to clump together when it’s ready.

Bake crust 15 mins and set aside.

In the clean bowl of an electric mixer, beat granulated sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice, vanilla, baking powder, salt, and eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 3 mins or until light and fluffy.  Pour over crust.

Note: I think the vanilla extract is my cousin’s secret ingredient because I don’t see it in many lemon bars recipes.  It’s gives these bars another taste dimension.

Bake 15-20 mins or until no indentation remains when touched lightly in center.  Cool; dust w/ powdered sugar.  Cut into small squares.

These are truly “no pressure” and the recipe is easy to double.  Try making these and placing them in decorative boxes as Christmas gifts for coworkers and friends.

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon

Betty Crocker has a recipe for a lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon that looks amazing.  However, in the spirit of being the “no pressure cooker” I decided to change it up, make it easier, and make it my own.  That’s what being a no pressure cooker is all about, right???  Whenever possible, I try and find the easiest and quickest way to make a delicious dish…then…I share it with all of you.

I made a number of changes to this recipe.  One of the main changes was not using fresh white bread crumbs.  I used panko.  Panko provides a fantastic crunch that I feel balances well with the soft and delicate texture of the salmon.  Also, I didn't feel like putting white bread in a food processor.  Here, I season the salmon first and then I brush with a mixture of margarine and lemon juice.  This helps keep the salmon moist and also gives it part of the lemony flavor that goes so well with seafood.  The salmon receives another citrus punch because the crust mixture is made with lemon zest.  The flavors come together so well that you may not ever make salmon another way again!

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon

*inspired by Betty Crocker

 

4 salmon fillets

1 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp pepper, divided

cooking spray

3 tbsp butter

juice from one lemon

¼ c panko breadcrumbs

¼ c grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp herbs de Provence

1 tsp lemon zest (~1 lemon)

Preheat oven to 400F.

Season both sides of salmon fillets with half of the salt and pepper.  Place seasoned fillets on a baking sheet lightly coated in cooking spray.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add lemon juice and stir to combine.  Brush the top of fillets with about half of the butter mixture.  Set butter mixture aside.

Note: I lightly patted the salmon with the butter/juice mixture so that I wouldn’t brush the seasoning off.  I recommend you do the same :)

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, herbs, zest, and remaining salt and pepper.  Add remaining butter mixture and stir well so that breadcrumbs are evenly wetted.

Fact: Herbs de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs and often includes lavender.  The brand I used combined thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage, and lavender.  This mixture is known to be traced to South France and has a multitude of uses but pairs really well with grilled meat and seafood.

Press breadcrumb mixture over top of salmon fillets.  Bake uncovered for ~15 minutes.  Turn oven on broil and cook until breadcrumbs are golden in color.  Serve immediately.

I served this dish with roasted red potatoes and steamed broccoli.  It made for a great weeknight meal that was balanced, healthy, and quick!  If you don’t have herbs de Provence at home, you can try tarragon, Italian seasoning, or oregano. 

Strawberry Mint Lemonade

Memorial Day was perfect in NYC.  It was 73 and sunny – a great day for grilling and sitting outside.  I decided it would be great to grill up a bunch of meat, and serve macaroni & cheese, bbq baked beans, and cole slaw on the side.  To top it all off, I had to find a refreshing drink that would bring about thoughts of summer, cookouts, and good ol’ fashioned fun with friends.  And since I’ve got a bun in the oven, it has to be virgin :)

There is a fantastic restaurant in Harlem called Evelyn’s Kitchen.  The place is blowing up!  It has definitely become one of our favorite spots to grab brunch or dinner.  You are assured great food but also great drinks!  The owner makes an amazing rosemary mint lemonade and that inspired my strawberry mint lemonade I made for Memorial Day.  Not only was it delicious – it was GORGEOUS!

Strawberry Mint Lemonade

2c sugar

2c + 2.5qt water

15-20 mint leaves plus more for garnish

1c fresh squeezed lemon juice

lemon slices (for garnish)

strawberry slices (for garnish)

lemon-lime soda (optional)

Combine 2c water and 2c sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add mint leaves and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to medium-low once sugar is dissolved.  Heat until it thickens and turns into a syrup (about 10 minutes).  Pour into a separate bowl and discard mint leaves.  Allow simple syrup to cool.

Technique: When making lemonade or iced tea or any sweet drink that is served cold and requires you to dissolve sugar in water, it’s best to make a simple syrup.  Typically it’s made with a 1:1 water to sugar ratio (which I find to be plenty sweet) but you could also use double the amount of sugar to water if you need something potent.  Using simple syrup as a sweetener allows you to steep flavor additions into the sweetener (like mint) and prevents sugar granules from collecting at the bottom of your pitcher. 

Combine lemon juice, mint simple syrup, and 2.5qt water.  Stir to combine.  Add lemon slices, mint, and strawberries to lemonade about 6 hours before you’re ready to serve.

Optional:  Fill glasses with ice, a little lemon-lime soda, and lemonade (and even a little vodka) for serving.

Adding soda to the lemonade really puts the icing on the cake and gives it a “sparkle”.  For adults (and non-preggers) you can add a shot of vodka to the glass.  Our guests had it all three ways and all three were a knockout!