Sunday, May 27, 2012

Spicy Shrimp Quesadillas

These are just GOOD. Definitely have a kick to them, which obviously you can adjust by reducing the red pepper flakes/cayenne:

Spicy Shrimp Quesadillas
Adapted from www.macheesmo.com


Ingredients

  • 1 pound cleaned shrimp
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Teaspoons hot paprika
  • 2 Teaspoons cumin
  • 1 Teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice (sometimes I use a combination, which I prefer - otherwise, I usually do straight lemon)
  • 16 ounces cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, but mozzarella alone also works well)
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced (sometimes I sub in some grilled (white) onions - have also added chopped green onions)
  • 8 large tortillas

Directions

  1. Add defrosted shrimp to a bowl with all your spices along with lime/lemon juice, and olive oil.
  2. Let this sit for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and slice the red onion.
  3. Once your shrimp have been marinating for a few minutes, add them to a pan over medium-high heat.
  4. Once they are cooked through give them a chop on a cutting board. I sometimes skip this step if it's just my husband and me eating - we don't mind the larger shrimp in our food. 
  5. Once your shrimp are cooked and chopped, lay out some tortillas on a baking sheet, add some cheese, add your shrimp and onions, and then top with a bit more cheese.
  6. Add the top tortilla and cook these for about 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees. Then take out your baking sheet and carefully flip each quesadilla with a spatula.
  7. Return them to the oven for another 5-6 minutes and then they should be ready to serve!

**I also sometimes skip the 6th step, by just folding one tortilla over onto itself, and having the fillings inside. Then, there's no need to flip halfway through, but it does sometimes make the end product look a bit messier - so for company, I prefer the original method. 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

French Vanilla Crepes - with hidden Flaxseed, Wheat Germ, and 3 Different Flours!

Even the pickiest of picky eaters can't resist a good crepe - filled with nutellas, strawberries, cream, or whatever strikes their picky fancy. I started with a basic recipe from www.allrecipes.com, and then modified it over time to try to get some better ingredients into my preschooler's skinny, picky body. This is the one breakfast item she will reliably eat!

French Vanilla Crepes
Makes @10 crepes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp wheat germ
1 1/2 tsp ground flaxseed meal
3 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp melted butter
**for the whole wheat and almond flours, as well as the ground flaxseed meal, I use Bob's Red Mill organic products, which I can find in the Greenwise sections of my local Publix


1. Combine flours, sugar, salt, cinnamon, wheat germ, and flaxseed meal. Set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs and milk with a mixer. Add vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until smooth. Add melted butter, and stir.
3. Heat a lightly oiled pan over low-medium heat. Add approximately 2 Tbsp of batter and rotate pan to spread it thinly. Brown on both sides, and add your choice of delicious fillings! Stir the batter between crepes, to keep the ingredients from sinking to the bottom. This also keeps the last few crepes from getting too heavy (the butter congeals a bit and rises in the batter.)

This works well with nutella, raw chopped fruits, sauteed apples, jams, and very well with some Reddi-Whip!