Crazy Busy

This is where I've been.......

Ok so I've sucked this week when it comes to my blog but I have a good excuse! I have had at least one event...some days two with my catering company. It's so weird because it always happens like this. I guess I shouldn't be complaining....and believe me I'm not...I'm just explaining why I've been MIA when it comes to my blog. I've been working my butt off trying to round up more business and I guess I've succeeded! We are BUSY!!!! :)

I'm going to put up some good recipes for the next few days but for now....I need some rest. I'm exhausted and need to just lounge with a glass if champagne in hand. I really have worked hard in making it efficient. These pictures are of the event space that I have in my building...isn't it just beautiful?!? I catered a 50th birthday party there today and it was so amazing! I love where I have my catering company. It's in the Old Market area of downtown Omaha and it's seriously the coolest place! I feel so lucky to be able to have my business there!

The whole ceiling in the event space is a huge skylight!!!!

How cool is this?

And this is my new oven/stove/broiler/griddle combo I just got! It's sweet!

If you want to check out my catering business go to www.avestacuisine.com

Jalapeno Butter Shrimp

Jalapeno Butter Shrimp

As you can tell....I have a slight obsession with shrimp. I could seriously eat it everyday or at least every other day and if I could throw scallops in there, too...well then I'd be in true bliss! So if you see that I post a lot of shrimp recipes....well it's because of this slight obsession...so hopefully you, too have a slight obsession with shrimp, too but if you don't...most of these shrimp recipes can be substituted with chicken. You will just have to adjust your cooking time of course! This recipe is similar to a recipe I made a few months ago with a few changes...so if you like this recipe also try this recipe:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/09/cilantro-lime-pepper-shrimp-n-scallops.html

Tonight...I made Jalapeno Butter Shrimp. You get the jalapeno butter by pan frying the chopped jalapeno (and I added a little habanero to mine, too because I like really spicy food) in butter until the pepper almost gets crispy. It was so good that after all the shrimp was gone...I ate the rest of the jalapeno butter by dipping crusty bread in it. Oh my....let's just say it was quite "gasmic!"

Start off by dicing and removing the seeds from 2 jalapenos. I also added 1 habanero to mine.

Saute the peppers in 3 tablespoons butter.

I was lucky enough to get these huge U12s at a decent price at the market. You can use any size shrimp you'd like but a bigger shrimp is better. I've used 26/30s and it turns out great. Again...that number simply means how many shrimp come in a pound. The smaller the number...the larger the shrimp. I use between 1lb and 1 1/2 lbs of shrimp for this recipe.

Make sure your shrimp are peeled (I leave the tail on for looks and it makes it easier to grab them by the tail) and deveined. I like to butterfly them so the sauce gets deep into the shrimp. To butterfly a shrimp it simply means to almost slice open the shrimp so that it opens up like a butterfly or fan but is not completely split open.

Let your peppers fry in the butter. Make sure you turn your heat down once the butter is melted or you will burn your butter. Keep an eye on your pan and stir often. Once you add the shrimp to the pan, they are done when they turn pink.
Sprinkle the shrimp with some salt and pepper as they cook. You can also add a splash of white wine if you'd like. I was also serving these to my son so I left out the wine this time.

Arrange the shrimp on a platter and pour the jalapeno butter on top. Squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice on top and you've got yourself one heck of a dish!
And don't forget to serve some bread with the shrimp so you can sop up the jalapeno butter. It's too good to waste!!! So sop it up baby...sop it up!

Curried Veggies

Curried Veggies

I get so tired of steamed veggies and so does my son......so tonight....we had curried veggies! I didn't want the veggies to be in a sauce but wanted them to have a nice flavor with a spice other than garlic! A lot of people are afraid of curry but you can use this spice in small portions so that the flavor is not overwhelming but instead adds just enough wow to your dish. This seriously is a simple way to make your veggies stand out and as a side dish it goes really well with just about anything and if you wanted to you could just add some chicken or shrimp or even steak to the dish to make it a main dish with no carbs! I used whatever veggies I had in the fridge. I love broccolini and it was on sale at the grocery store so I bought several packages because usually it is kinda pricey. You can use whatever veggies you have or prefer.

Curried Veggies:

8 oz baby carrots (or you can cut up your own carrots)

1 pound broccolini

1/2 cauliflower head (cut up into florets)

1-2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup water

My son always loved broccolini because he thinks they look like little trees. He's 10 now but since he was introduced to them early and thought they were a fun shape, he still loves them! Don't be afraid to introduce your kids to different veggies...they WILL eat what you teach them to eat! I promise! :)
Don't be afraid of curry powder. It doesn't have to be used in large quantities like some typical curries you've tasted or smelled. Start out by using just a little sprinkle and I promise you'll fall in love with this wonderful spice!
Once you're done cutting up your veggies, turn the burner on medium-high heat and start heating up your pan.

I use a grill pan but you can use any non-stick pan that you have. Once your pan is hot add the oil and butter until the butter starts melting.

Then add your veggies to the pan. Keep your heat on medium-high.

Sprinkle the veggies with all the seasonings.

After you saute your veggies for a few minutes, add the water and let the veggies steam for a few minutes to get tender.
Once your veggies are tender, you're done! If you have any liquid left in the pan, just pour it right over your plated veggies!
I ate at least 3 stalks of broccolini while I plated up these veggies....seriously good stuff! And of course....soooo good for you!

Broccolini has the same health benefits as broccoli but is more tender and has a sweeter taste!

Persian Rice & Noodles

Reshteh Polo (Persian Rice & Noodles)
The Noodles (kinda look like pieces of wood--huh?!?)

Growing up, I always loved when my mom made her rice & noodles dish. It's a Persian style dish that she learned after escaping to Iran. Her and my father escaped to Iran after fleeing Northern Iraq when Saddam Hussein took over in the early 70s. And I have always been so appreciative of that escape because my mom has made such great Persian dishes over the years.

Persian cooking is just amazing. They often combine different styles of cooking and use some European ingredients and cooking techniques. They also use a lot of saffron, which I love! But the best part of Persian cooking is the rice. Honestly...no one makes rice like the Persians. They cook Basmati rice perfectly. It still amazes me that every time, each kernel is separate and cooked perfectly. I can always tell when someone is Persian or has lived in Iran just by how the rice looks!

In Iran this rice & noodles dish is called Reshteh Polo. I know it's a bit of a carb-overload...I mean who needs to eat both rice and noodles in one meal....well I do!!!! And you're gonna love it when you try it. Kids really love this side dish, too! I used to pick out the noodles out of the rice and eat them first when I was a kid! And the roasted noodles give the rice such a nice, toasted flavor. It's a great side dish to any meal. Of course my mother always served it with roasted chicken and a big salad....aaahhh...that so reminds me of being a kid!

2 cups Basmati Rice (washed and soaked for 15-20 minutes, drained)
3 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 finely chopped onion
salt to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons)
2 ounces (about a handful) of roasted noodles
I buy these already roasted (they've got that nice golden, toasted flavor to them) noodles from a Middle Eastern market. If you can't find these noodles, you can use Vermicelli or Fettuccine noodles.

Break up the noodles to whatever size you'd like. I like my noodles to be a bit long, but when my mom makes this dish, her noodles are broken up into really small pieces. I've had this dish when the noodles have even just been broken in half.

Saute the noodles in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1/4 cup finely diced onion. The ones I bought are already roasted so I just sauteed them to get a nice coating of butter and oil on them. If your noodles are not toasted or roasted, saute until they turn a nice golden brown. Make sure your heat is not too high so your noodles don't burn.

After you've drained your rice from soaking, add to the pan and mix the rice with the noodles, onion and butter and oil. Add the salt and water and bring to a boil. Once rice is boiling, stir and then turn down heat to low, cover and do not disturb for 20-25 minutes. After 20-25 minutes, turn heat off and use a fork to fluff the rice and noodles. Cover again and do not disturb for about 10 minutes.
In Iran, this dish is sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon and sometimes raisins are added to it. If you want to try it that way, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 raisins to the dish after it's cooked.

Mini Chocolate Tortes

Mini Chocolate Tortes

(pre-heat oven to 325 degrees)
Makes about 24 mini tortes (if you're using full size cupcake pans, it will make about 12 and you may need to adjust the cooking time)
*spray or grease your pans or use cupcake liners in the pans

3/4 cup butter (unsalted)
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (you can use chips or chop up a bar)
3/4 cup flour
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartarMelt butter and chocolate in a double broiler or use a metal bowl over a pan with barely boiling water underneath it (not touching though) and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Then whisk or beat in the sugar and egg yolks. Stir in flour and baking powder. Then in a separate large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy and add cream of tartar while beating at medium-high speed. Slowly fold in the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture until well mixed.

Fill your Cupcake pans only 2/3 full because the cakes will rise.

Bake the cakes at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pans before removing.

Your cakes will drop back down a bit once they're completely cool.

White Chocolate Glaze:

6 ozs. white chocolate, chips or a bar chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Place chocolate and cream a double broiler or again use the bowl over the pan method to melt the chocolate and heat the cream.Stir frequently until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat or whisk until smooth. I added white chocolate chips to my white glaze to add a rich white chocolate flavor to the cakes.
Remember, this should be a glaze not a frosting so it will be thin.
You can select your own toppings. I used pecan meal (finely ground pecans), an assortment of sprinkles and some coconut powder (I love using coconut powder bc it is so pretty on these mini cakes. I buy this at a Middle Eastern store) Just remember to add your toppings immediately when you frost with your glaze in order for the toppings to stick.
How cute are these?
And because they have a more intense chocolate flavor, they aren't like a typical cupcake. Adults love them but even the kids snatched these up, too!
And because they're "mini" you don't feel as guilty eating one or two!

I also used a chocolate ganache glaze to frost my cakes. For that recipe go to:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/10/chocolate-covered-strawberry-cake_17.html

or here it is, too

Chocolate Ganache Glaze:1 bag of bittersweet chocolate chips (sweetened)
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream
Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan and remove from heat. Put a whole bag of bittersweet chocolate and half a bag of milk chocolate chips in the double broiler or bowl that is over slow boiling water. Slowly pour the warm cream in the chocolate and whisk or stir until smooth. Make sure to continue to stir until ready to use.

Asian Noodles with Shrimp & Scallops

Asian Noodles with Shrimp & Scallops

I had some of that Sweet n Spicy Asian Sauce left in my fridge from last week so I thought...STIR FRY! I decided to make my stir fry with noodles though today. I eat a lot of rice so I was kind of "riced out" shhhhhh don't tell my mom or aunts I said that! They say it's not a meal without rice! And they're serious about that!

The Veggies

(1 cup each of broccoli and sweet peppers and 1/2 cup of each of the rest)

Stir fry veggies in a large hot wok with 2-3 tablespoons oil

After stir-frying for about 2 minutes, push veggies to one side of the wok, add 1-2 tablespoons butter to the empty side of the wok and add shrimp and scallops (or chicken or beef if you prefer) and 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce (you can find this near the soy sauce in grocery stores) (if you don't like too spicy don't add this extra Thai chili sauce) and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Avesta's Sweet n Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce, for recipe:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/10/sweet-n-spicy-asian-style-meatballs.html

You can find these Asian noodles in most grocery stores in the produce aisle, usually near the wonton and eggroll wrappers. You boil them for just a few minutes before adding them to your Asian dishes.
Once the meat is almost done, stir fry all ingredients together.
Add more or less sauce according to how "saucy" you like it. You can also add some broth to make it more soupy.
I love cashews on my Asian dishes so I took a handful of cashews and pulsed them in my food processor to sprinkle on top of this Asian Noodle dish.
The salty cashews in combination with the sweet and spicy sauce was amazing!

My son didn't want cashews on his and he wanted his more "soupy" so I added a 1/4 cup of vegetable stock to his batch and served it up in a square bowl. He LOVED it!

Here's how it looked the next day. The leftovers were just as amazing. Less sauce, but still so tasty!