Oui, Chef

Asian Meatloaf

Let me start this post with a sad confession, and that is this.  It is REALLY hard to make meatloaf look good in a photograph.  Sorry.

I mean I tried.....I really did.  I tried to make this meatloaf look as good as it tastes, and give you all a shot that would leave you saying...."OMG, that looks awesome, I can't wait to try this recipe!" Sadly, that was not to be, and I am here to tell you that this meatloaf and my camera have a hate-hate relationship.

So....If you are here looking for a GREAT meatloaf recipe, then by all means, please hang in with me and read on.  If on the other hand you are here for a little taste of food porn, you are best advised to avert your eyes and run away.

Nobu's Spicy Shrimp Tempura

 

One of my favorite features of Bon Appetit magazine has always been the r.s.v.p. section.  This is where readers write to ask the Bon Appetit staff to chase down chefs in order to discover the recipes of their favorite restaurant meals.  I've never written in myself, but have loved reading about people's special food memories, and their quest to uncover the secrets to making a beloved "restaurant" dish at home.

That said, the boys and I came across a dish this past Spring, that had I not already had the recipe in a cookbook I owned (how lucky was that?), I almost certainly would have been begging Bon Appetit to get it for me.  My desperation not only driven by how perfectly tasty the dish is, but also by Grid relentlessly hounding me to figure out how to make Nobu's "Tempura Shrimp with Creamy Spicy Sauce"....man, you'd think I never feed the kid.

The dish is so addictive that when we ordered it as a shared appetizer, I started to really fear that someone was going to get hurt, as the four of us stabbed our chopsticks into the serving bowl to fight for our share.  It got UGLY in a hurry!

Shrimp Fried Rice

This is a recipe that was inspired by a Pineapple Rice dish that I recently found featured on the fabulous 101 Cookbooks blog.  I took Heidi's recipe and adapted it to what I had on-hand at the time when I first made this a few weeks ago.  It came out so well, that I thought I'd reproduce (and document) it for all of you.

Fried rice is absolutely one of those everything but the kitchen sink dishes, that lends itself well to any leftovers you have laying about.  You will find some combinations you like better than others, but as long as you start with a few cups of cold, cooked rice, and the makings of a tasty dressing, almost anything else you throw into the mix is sure to yield a satisfying meal.

Arthas put in some time working on his knife skills to pull this meal together, tailing and cutting the shrimp, mincing the garlic, and prepping the clementines.  This is one of those meals that is really all about prep, so if you have the space in your kitchen, pull a few of the kids into duty to speed along the slicing, dicing, and mincing process.  Once your "mise" is ready, only about five minutes of high heat stand between you and a healthy, delicious meal.

Enjoy!

Recipe:

Shrimp Fried Rice

Inspired by:  Heidi Swanson of "101 Cookbooks"

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mild olive oil, or sunflower oil

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/8 cup orange juice

1/8 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

pinch of kosher salt

2 cups cooked brown long grain rice, cold from the fridge

24 large, cooked, peeled and de-veined shrimp, cut into thirds

4 cups baby spinach leaves

2 ears of corn, kernels stripped from the cob

3 clementines, each segment cut in half cross-wise

1 shallot, finely minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only

1 cup roasted, salted cashews, roughly chopped

1 small chile, seeded and finely minced

3 eggs, scrambled, cooked into a thin omelette, and cubed.

Fresh Cilantro

Method:

• Make the dressing by whisking the first nine ingredients together in a bowl, set aside.
• Whisk the eggs with a little salt and pepper, and pour into a pre-heated small non-stick skillet.  Cook on low-medium heat, undisturbed, until totally set.  Flip briefly if you wish before slipping the omelette onto a cutting board to cool.  Cut into cubes and reserve.
• In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon high-heat canola oil to almost smoking. 
• Add the corn kernels and cook for 1 minute. 
• Add the shallot, chile, rice, scallions, shrimp, and half the dressing, and cook till heated through. 
• Add the spinach, cooked egg, clementines, and cashews, and cook until the spinach wilts. 
• Taste for seasoning, adding more dressing if required.  
• Serve immediately, topped with freshly minced cilantro.

Serves 4-6