garlicky shrimps with asparagus & lemon

For some reason, I am coming across a lot of recipes with lemons in it, and I have been trying quite a few! I wouldn't call myself a big lemon fan but I must say some of these recipes are definitely keepers. This one I wanted to post while we can still enjoy asparagus. I found this recipe on Fine Cooking, where it was titled "Hot Garlicky Shrimp with Asparagus & Lemon" but it really is not that "hot" despite the use of crushed red pepper flakes, and I would say my pepper flakes are still pretty fresh. Well, I am not complaining as I can always sprinkle over some cayenne pepper if I wish to up the heat in my meal; I am only happy that I do not need to prepare a separate dish for the girls, so we can all enjoy this delicious dish! We find this one goes really well with rice, because the sauce is so drinkable-good, we pour them over the rice, dig in, and lick our plates squeaky clean.

(And honestly, I did not weigh the asparagus, I just used a bunch of what they sold me as a "bundle" at the stores, and then a few more because I felt like it. Some days it just drives me a bit bananas if I have to always measure and weigh... ...)

Green,orange and mellow yellow: so pleasing to the eyes!

Garlicky Shrimps with  Asparagus & Lemon
Recipe from Fine Cooking

• 1 lb shrimp (21 to 25 per lb.), peeled, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry  
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt; more as needed  
• Freshly ground black pepper  
• 1 lemon  
• 6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (I used expeller-pressed coconut oil) 
• 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I minced them instead) 
• 3/4 lb asparagus, bottoms snapped off, halved lengthwise if thick, and cut into 2-inch lengths (2 cups) 
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like it hot) 
• 2/3 cup low-salt chicken broth  
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch  

1. Sprinkle the shrimp with a scant 1/4 tsp. salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Using a peeler, gently shave the zest in strips from the lemon, taking care not to get any of the bitter white pith. Squeeze the lemon to get 1 Tbs. juice.
2. Put a 12-inch skillet (not nonstick) over medium-high heat for 1-1/2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of the oil and once it’s shimmering hot, add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook undisturbed until the shrimp browns nicely, about 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp and brown the second side, about 1-1/2 minutes. (I find tongs work really well when doing this.) Transfer to a large plate. The shrimp should be a little undercooked.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 4 Tbsp oil and the garlic and cook, tossing, until the garlic starts to sizzle steadily, about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and cook, tossing often, until the garlic is golden brown and the asparagus looks blistery in places, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, cover, with the lid ajar, and cook until the asparagus is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. In a small dish, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water, stir into the asparagus mixture, and bring to a boil. Stir in the shrimp, reduce the heat to low, and cook, tossing, until the shrimp is opaque throughout (cut one in half to check), 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the 1 Tbsp lemon juice and then add salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately.

meatballs asian-style (go-to dish)

Every time we eat this, S always says, "HOME MADE IS THE BEST!!" with a big smile on her face.

Oh, I love home made too. Most days. Other days I just want to give everyone a stick of carrot (unpeeled) and tell them that is dinner and that we are doing an orange-colored detox diet that night! Once I declared we were all going out to the backyard to eat some grass for dinner.

But if I am not experiencing cooking-fatigue, or just plain feeling that I was becoming a fixture in the kitchen, I enjoy home-made. These meatballs I have adapted from a recipe in Gourmet (recipe can be found online here) and it very much reminds me of an everyday dish that my grandmother made when I was young. Instead of making such a mixture into meatballs, she puts the seasoned ground meat into a dish and steams it. It is then served over steamed rice with some soy sauce drizzled over, with vegetables added. It truly is homey food. I like to add some minced ginger during the cold months to add some heat to the belly. The girls enjoy rolling the meatballs together. I think that is part of why "home-made" is best-- it is fun too.

This recipe makes enough to feed five mouths, with extras to freeze for at least another meal.

Meatballs asian-style

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

3 pound ground chicken

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 medium-sized jicama, peeled and chopped finely

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus 1/4 cup sprigs

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp soy sauce

8 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp sugar

 

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Pour milk over bread crumbs in a large bowl and stir until liquid is absorbed. 
3. Add ground chicken, eggs, jicama, salt, chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 4 teaspoons sesame oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape meat mixture into balls (whatever size you like, but about 2-inch ball is what we go with) and transfer to a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish (or parchment-lined baking sheet), arranging meatballs about 1/2 inch apart in baking dish. (Having a dish of water to keep hands wet while rolling is useful.)
4. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, stir together lime juice, water, sugar, remaining 1/2 cup soy sauce, and remaining 4 teaspoons sesame oil in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.
6. Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with some sauce and sprinkle with cilantro sprigs.
7. Serve meatballs with remaining sauce. 
8. The meatballs freeze beautifully. You can also cook the meatballs in broth and make an easy one-bowl noodle soup, adding shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and sweet peas to fill out the meal. Or you can do it as my grandma did, and pat the mixture into a dish and steam till cooked.