Food Lush

Homemade Shrimp Cocktail

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last two years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Maura

I'm so sad that Food Lush and Style Lush are shutting their internet doors, but I'm so proud to have been a part of these sites. My favorite posts are very hard to choose, but the ones I chose are:

My post on my Favorite Wines from Marlborough, New Zealand. If you are yearning for summer, pick up one of these wines. Their crisp citrus flavors will bring a little sunshine to your dark winter evenings.

There are so many posts from my colleagues and friends that I love, but as I was perusing the site tonight, I stopped on one and said to myself, HOW haven't I made this yet? I'm definitely going to be eating this delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup from Sarah this week!

***

For my parting post, I made shrimp cocktail. As my journey on Whole 30 comes to a close, I was struggling to find tasty alternatives to beef and veggies. I don't know what made me think of shrimp cocktail, but once the idea got in my head, I just couldn't get it out. Unfortunately, most shrimp cocktail sauce is loaded with sugar, so I had to make my own.

I started with a basic idea of the ingredients of shrimp cocktail, and modified the sauce by taste.You may have to adjust your seasonings for your particular tastes!

18 oz tomato sauce
4-5 T. horseradish
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 t. Dijon Mustard
2-3 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 dashes of hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

The only drawback to this cocktail sauce is that it is not thick. It was tasty, though, and creamy because of the mustard.

For the shrimp, I looked at a bunch of shrimp boil recipes and put my own together with what I had on hand and without the beer that is usually in a shrimp boil. Before you start, prepare an ice bath for the shrimp.

2-3 T. Barbecue shrimp seasonings (or Old Bay)
1/2 lemon
1 t. garlic, minced
1 t. salt
1/2 t. chili powder
~24 frozen shrimp, defrosted, tails on

I put all the ingredients in a pot and brought it up to a boil. When it was at a rolling boil, I added the shrimp. Once the shrimp started to boil, I let it cook for 1 minute, then strained and dumped into an ice bath. Serve with cocktail sauce and enjoy!

Sweet Potato "Chips"

by Maura

Since I'm on the Whole 30 torture train to better health, I'm having trouble finding alternatives to my usual side dishes. There are only so many days in a row that one can eat roasted broccoli. (I'm very close to that limit.) Since sweet potatoes are the only approved starch, I've been eating them in every form. Mashed, baked, diced-up and sauteed -- you name it, I've tried it. I was going to try sweet potato fries, but I've never been successful making them. I came across this recipe for sweet potato chips. It took two tries -- I hopelessly burned the first batch -- but they were delicious! I can see us making this recipe again, even after Hell30 Whole 30 is over!

I'm not the only Food Lush lady who loves them! Check out Krisitie's post from 2010.

Any super delicious sweet potato recipes you want to share with me?

Eggs: Easy Breakfast to Go!

by Maura

While most people are resolving to eat more vegetables, less meat, and exercise more, I'm resolving to eat more meat and eggs! (I'll also eat veggies and exercise.) Like thousands of others, I'm doing Whole 30 this month. As a result, I need a quick, easy, and filling breakfast that I can eat on the run. Eggs are a breakfast no-brainer and, in these cute to-go bites, they fit the bill.

The recipe is easy and very versatile. The first week, I used ground beef and broccoli. This week, I jazzed it up with Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, Italian spices, and fresh parsley. For twelve muffins, I used 11 large eggs (10 extra large eggs). I put them in greased muffin tins and baked for 20-22 minutes at 350. If you don't have great non-stick muffin tins, you might want to consider using cupcake liners. Of course, if you are normal and aren't eschewing cheese for 30 days, you could add some pecorino, provolone, or parmesan cheese. Each morning, I heat them up in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and I'm on the road!

Any suggestions for quicky, easy and protein-focused breakfasts?

Baking Bucket List: Bûche de Noël

by Maura

Years and years ago (circa 2008), I didn't cook. If it didn't involve butter, flour, and sugar, I didn't make it. I baked and that was it. Ironically, I was 10lbs thinner, but that is neither here nor there. I was so into baking that I was even part of a group called the Daring Bakers. Each month, I would participate in a baking challenge with hundreds of other bakers. I made eclairs, opera cakes, Julia Child's French bread, apple strudel, and lemon meringue pie, among other recipes. You can see some of them on my now-defunct blog, MauraLessa (fka AnonymousNY).

(Image credit: bonappetit.com)

The one challenge I regret I did not tackle was the Bûche de Noël. A traditional French dessert served around Christmas, the Bûche de Noël is an impressive accomplishment. Also known as a Yule Log, the Bûche de Noël is a vanilla genoise cake with chocolate butter cream icing, rolled into a log. The outside of the cake is frosted with chocolate icing and decorated to look like a tree log. Many other types of cakes and fillings can be used, but genoise and chocolate butter cream is traditional. 

(image credit: epicurious.com)

There are very few things I have an interest in baking these days; as I get older, I prefer savory over sweet. However, I will one day make a Yule Log for Christmas.

Have you ever made a Bûche de Noël? Do you have any desserts on your baking bucket list?

Blackened Mahi Mahi

by Maura

As the lovely and charming Caitlin mentioned last week, we bought some local spices when we were in New Orleans. (I am definitely going to try her recommendation of blackened shrimp caesar salad this week!) I have not tried all the spices I bought, but I have cooked with the River Road Blackened Seasoning a few times.

This spice was really tasty on mahi mahi and salmon. It is spicy and a little goes a long way. It adds a nice kick to a blandish fish like mahi mahi and is a nice contrast to a fatty fish like salmon. Served with a side of roasted broccoli, it is a nice, easy, and healthy meal. I think it would also be good on a well marbled cut of beef.

If you aren't going to be around New Orleans any time soon, you can order this spice mix from World Famous Nawlins Cafe and Spice Market. You can also mix up your own (salt-free) version from this Seattle Times Food and Wine recipe. I've never tried that one, but you can generally trust the Seattle Times.

Do you have a favorite blackening seasoning? Is there a particular food you like to use blackening seasoning with?

DIY Fancy Oatmeal

by Maura

I'm a sucker for quick, fancy oatmeal at places like Starbucks, McDonalds, and other fast food places. It is a quick, easy, delicious and low-calorie breakfast for those who are short on time. I do, however, object to paying for a breakfast that I can make at home for pennies on the dollar. And I'm going to share my secrets with you!

First, gather your ingredients. Dried fruit, instant oatmeal, and nuts of your choice. I use walnuts, but almonds would be equally delicious. I also chose dried cranberries and a dried fruit mix from Trader Joe's.

I put about 2 tablespoons of each in a baggie, one for each day of the week. Complicated, I know, but you can handle it.

If I have plain oatmeal, I will add a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar. To bring it to the Full Time Fancy level, I add chopped up apple. It is so good! Sweet and crunchy. Beware, however, that you need to chop the apple daily or it gets mealy mixed in with the other ingredients.

At school, I have some paper bowls and spoons. I used to use a regular bowl and spoon, but oatmeal is a pain to wash off of dishes, so I broke down and bought the disposable dishes.

And there it is. My super easy, super cheap breakfast of champions.

What do you eat for breakfast on the go?

Holiday Food Memories

by Maura

The holidays are a time for joy and nostalgia. We bring out the decorations, songs and ornaments that bring back memories, and cook the foods that remind us of home. I can't say I have a strong food association with many people, but my grandparents are two people about whom I have fond food memories. When I was growing up, I lived on the same street as Grandmom and Sir. Their home was my second home. I knew where the candy was hidden (in the closet) and that there would be an endless supply of chewing gum in the junk drawer.

Grandmom, oh, Grandmom. I really wish I could introduce you all to my grandmother. She is a character and a riot. She would have you laughing, and me cringing, in 30 seconds. My strongest food memory of Grandmom is her drinking Manhattans. This drink will always remind me of her, even though I don't drink them myself. My second strongest food memory of Grandmom is pumpkin pie. Hers is the only one I eat, and it has about the same amount of alcohol in it as a Manhattan. My mom forgot to make her pie one Thanksgiving and -- no lie -- I cried. I have a handwritten copy of her recipe, kept in such a safe place that I have no idea where it is. See? Safe!

For Sir, there is no doubt that his signature drink was tea. It sounds boring, I know, but you had to know him. He always had a "tuppa tea" at his side while he was reading, grading papers, or writing. He whistled and sang while he made his tea, and always reheated his tea in the microwave for either 1:23 or 0:33. When I was there, I always drank out of the same mug, a clear globe mug from National Geographic. When Grandmom started clearing out her house, she gave the mug to me.

(Image credit: Tias.com -- get this mug for $5)

There were two mugs that will aways remind me of Sir. The first was the "horsey" mug, which was actually a white mug covered in horseshoes. The second mug, I requested for myself after he passed away.

This mug is so quintessentially Sir: witty and earnest at the same time. He loved being a teacher and it was so much a part of who he was. Whenever I drink my tea from this mug, I think of him.

Do you have food memories associated with family or holidays?

Cafe Du Monde, New Orleans

by Maura

I consider myself a lucky, lucky girl to have spent the past weekend in New Orleans with sixty awesome women. Thanks to the organizers of the Blathering, I had a wonderful time socializing and eating delicious food. The epicurean highlight of my trip was the beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde.

(Image Credit: Wikipedia)

These delightful pieces of fried dough are better than any funnel cake you've ever had. They are slightly crispy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside. Coated in a thick layer of powdered sugar, these beignets melt in your mouth. The beignets at Cafe Du Monde were different than any other beignets I've ever eaten -- slightly denser and square. You can buy the beignet mix at almost any souvenir shop in New Orleans, although I don't know how they could compare to the original.

(Image credit: Cafe Du Monde)

The coffee, too, was incredible; a mix of dark French Roast coffee and chickory. According to Cafe Du Monde's website, the combination of coffee and chickory was discovered by the French during the French Revolution. Coffee was scarce, and the French added roasted, ground chickory to improve the body and flavor to weak coffee. Additionally, the chickory -- which is the root of the endive plant -- softens the bitterness of dark roasted coffee. I brought back a can of Cafe Du Monde's coffee to share with my fiance. 

Have you been to Cafe Du Monde?

New Twist on Holiday Bark

by Maura

I will never tire of plain old peppermint bark. I absolutely love it for its dark, white and pepperminty complexity. In browsing Pinterest (where else?), I learned that there are other options for your edible holiday bark. Once I saw this one, though, I stopped looking. It is the showstopper of holiday bark.

{image credit: EndlessSimmer.com}

Whiskey, Carmel, Marshmallow and Bacon Bark.

Oh. Yeah.

It seems complicated because there are two different mini-recipes that go into the final product: caramel sauce and bacon crumble. However, the masterminds of this recipe are not completely masochistic; they use mini marshmallows instead of making their own.You might be able to get away with melting down caramels to substitute for the caramel sauce, but I can't vouch for that approach.

The bark lasts for two days, but I dare you to find it in my house two days later. I am putting this on my "Must Make" list for the holidays.

What's on your "Must Make" list?

New Favorite Pizza: Santucci's, Philadelphia, PA

by Maura

My favorite food of all time is pizza. I am not necessarily a pizza snob; I'll eat cardboard with marinara and cheese. However, I am always on the lookout for better delivery pizza. A few weeks ago, Will ordered us pizza while I was on my drive home from work. I expected one of the three pizza places we usually rotate through: traditional, round, mediocre. Instead, I came home to an entirely different pizza experience: square, cheese on the bottom, delicious.

(Image credit: Santucci's Original Square Pizza)

I absolutely love Santucci's pizza. We have eaten this pizza at least three (or four) times since the first time. The crust is thin, but not too thin, the sauce is absolutely delicious -- the best pizza sauce I've ever had. This pizza also reheats beautifully, which is important, since I can't eat a whole pizza in one night. (I've tried.)

If you are visiting Philadelphia and want to dine in at this fine pizza establishment, you will find them around the corner from the Italian Market, so you can eat your fill of pizza and top it off with a cannoli or gelati!

Santucci's has five other locations, too.

What is your favorite local pizza joint?