Un-Foodie Joust Entry: Sesame Shrimp Tempura with Cilantro Creme Fraiche

Last month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients were coriander (or cilantro), sesame and seafood. I wasn't sure right off what I wanted to make, but then I settled on this recipe. I didn't submit it to the Joust, though - I didn't really feel like it was worthy of a contest and besides, I had gone and fried yet another food and couldn't shake the guilt.

Here it is anyway, they were very yummy.

Sesame Shrimp Tempura with Cilantro Crème Fraîche
Printable Recipe

16 large shrimp - peeled and deveined - tails left on
1 tablespoon sesame seeds - toasted
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 egg(beaten)
3/4 cup very cold water
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro - minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup crème fraîche

Combine sesame seeds, coriander, salt and flour. Working quickly, add beaten egg and water until a loose batter forms. Keep batter away from heat while you are working. Dip shrimp into batter and then in very hot oil. Cook, turning once if necessary, until shrimp are pink and batter is just crisp - do not brown, they must be golden only. Drain on paper toweling.

For crème fraîche, combine all and stand in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving with hot shrimp.

Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Orange Ginger Chicken Tabbouleh

This month's Royal Foodie Joust brings on 3 ingredients that seem to have left a few people stumped: citrus, ginger and whole grains. Having just written about Tabbouleh at Short Order Mom, I knew right away that I would make a new tabbouleh-with-a-twist, and so I did.

This was really delicious. I love the bright flavors of orange, ginger and mint, and combined they are refreshing and wonderful.

Orange Ginger Chicken Tabbouleh
Printable Recipe

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cubed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Sea or Kosher salt to taste
1 large orange - zested and juiced*
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
1/2 cup cracked wheat
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

*If you do not have 3/4 cup orange juice from the freshly squeezed orange, add enough store-bought to make that amount. The zest should amount to 1 tablespoon total.

1. Toss chicken cubes with 1/2 teaspoon of the ginger, 1 tablespoon green onion, pepper, salt and 1/2 cup orange juice. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Pour warm water over cracked wheat and let stand for 30 minutes.

3. Cook chicken in a small amount of oil until no longer pink. Cool completely.

4. Remove cracked wheat from water and squeeze out excess water with hands. Place into a large bowl.

5. Combine 1/4 cup orange juice, orange zest, 1 tablespoon green onion, 1/2 teaspoon ginger and mix well.

6. Toss drained wheat with parsley, mint, cucumber and chicken. Add orange juice mixture and blend well. Salt to taste and chill until ready to serve.

Royal Foodie Joust: My UN-submission

My last post was the recipe I submitted for this month's Royal Foodie Joust using the ingredients cardamom, brown sugar and mango. I had so many ideas running around in my head that I couldn't stop with that one entry. I can't enter twice, but there's nothing stopping me from posting my other ideas here.



These are Mango Egg Rolls with Cardamom Devonshire Cream, my Oriental/Hispanic/European idea; talk about fusion!

I had egg roll wrappers leftover from the Chicken Cannelonni I posted at Cookies to Caviar and when the ingredients for RFJ came up, I knew I had to use them somehow. There's no recipe here, just strips of mango sprinkled with brown sugar and rolled up in egg roll wrappers. I fried them like usual and made Mock Devonshire Cream with a half teaspoon of ground cardamom stirred into the powdered sugar.

Oh, and the kids? They devoured them and clamored for more!

Royal Foodie Joust Entry

This is my very first "Royal Foodie Joust" and my entry is:

Butterflied Shrimp on Coconut Risotto with Avocado, Lime and Cilantro Cream
Printable Recipe

I know I shouldn't pat myself on the back, but this was so good I could have eaten all 4 servings! If I ever get that restaurant to run, this will be on the menu!


For 4 Servings:

Risotto:

1 cup arborio rice
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
2 - 3 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon sliced green onion
1 Tablespoon neutral oil
1/4 cup shredded coconut - toasted

Shrimp:

12 large shrimp - tails on and butterflied (sliced down the back nearly all the way through)
1 Tablespoon neutral oil

Cream:

1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2 small avocado
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream


Make the risotto:

Saute green onion in 1 T oil briefly. Add rice and toast lightly. Mix coconut milk and chicken stock.
Add stock mixture to rice one cup at a time - letting rice absorb stock before adding another cup.
Add the toasted coconut after the second cup of stock.
Stir nearly constantly. When you get to the 20 minute mark, check the rice for consistency.
Once the rice is al dente and creamy, you're done. You may or may not use all of the stock.
Keep warm.

Make the cream:

Combine cilantro, avocado, lime and sour cream in a blender. Puree until very smooth.

Make the shrimp:

Pan-fry the shrimp - cut side down - until lightly browned. This will take about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan so the shrimp will finish cooking and curl slightly. This will take just another 2 minutes or so.

For service I used coconut halves filled with risotto and topped with 3 shrimp each. Place a
dollop of cream on each shrimp and garnish with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and a cilantro leaf.