Restaurant Review - Conch Republic (Rockett's Landing, Richmond VA)

I love Key West. Rob and I got married almost five years ago on one of the beaches there - it was a super fun town. Even in July, there was enough of a breeze that we were not miserable, and I don't remember it being humid at all. Key West typically is about 82 degrees during the day and 72 degrees at night. I could really get used to that.

When we travel to fun places, we like to dine on what the area is known for. In Key West, that's conch. It's a shellfish that tastes similar to shrimp or crawfish. So we loved sampling conch fritters (plus, isn't everything better fried?) and the like when we were there.

Last night, I asked the dinner fairy to please come visit my house (via Facebook. I'm pretty sure he/she lurks on Facebook). As I was leaving work, Rob sends me a text and asks me if I had any dinner plans, then suggests a change of scenery. (The dinner fairy can show up in a lot of different ways, so just go with it). We had been to the Boathouse restaurant at Rockett's Landing in February and noticed a little restaurant next to it called the Conch Republic. Both restaurants have an awesome view of the James River and the city skyline. So I suggested that the dinner fairy take us to Conch Republic.

We get there and the bar is pretty much hopping which I would guess were young professionals working in the city. It was too chilly to sit outside last night, but we got a great table looking at the sunset (well, at first the sun - so if you decide to go, bring your sunglasses). We got to watch several blue herons float in the sky above the water. And we got to order dinner.

For appetizers, we decided to get alligator bites (and yes, they do taste a lot like chicken). I ordered a bowl of she-crab soup for dinner and Rob decided on the Jambalaya which had conchs in it.

The food portions were huge - I'm glad that is all the food we ordered.

Unfortunately for us, we thought all of the food was way too salty. The gator bites breading was light, which was nice, but we found ourselves sucking down water. My soup was really meaty - one of the most crab-meaty she-crab soups I've had in Richmond. Again, though, it would have been much better with less salt. Rob's Jambalaya was also not great, which is a shame because they did use nice spices and vegetables that would have been very flavorful.

All in all, the experience was great, but the food was meh. I'd go back for happy hour, and possibly only order a salad to eat.

Spicy Curry Shrimp

Yesterday, Whole Foods posted a link on their Facebook page that they would have shrimp on sale this coming Friday for $5.99/pound.  What a great deal!  Problem with that was – I started craving shrimp LAST night.  I came up with this recipe – the only thing I did differently is added a little water, but honestly I think it would have been better if I hadn’t (the veggies and shrimp have enough moisture so it’s not too thick). 

(A side note – google pink slime.  And then research your local grocery stores to find out who DOESN’T use this crap in their ground beef.  In RVA, we’re safe with Kroger (and Whole Foods of course), but the parent company of Martin’s says they do use it.  Even sitting aside the gross factor (which, admittedly, I cannot), you’re paying for premium meat and it just isn’t.  Ugh!)

Spicy Curry Shrimp

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 clove of minced garlic*
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cups snow peas, or other veggies to taste
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste (more/less to taste)
• 1 can coconut milk (light)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
• 2/3 cup fresh cilantro (or to taste)
• Sriracha to taste

Heat oil to medium-high – you just need enough oil for a little sautéing.  Add onion and stir cook for three minutes.  Add the garlic and fresh ginger; cook one minute.  Add the snow peas – stir cook for another three minutes (you want them to be crunchy, so be careful not to overcook them). 

Add the tomatoes, red curry paste, coconut milk, and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  When the mixture is heated through, add the shrimp and cook for about five minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through.  Stir in the cilantro.  Add (or don’t add) Sriracha to taste.

Serve over steamed rice (I like to cook ½ cup jasmine rice and ½ cup brown rice together – makes 2 cups total of cooked rice)

*If you haven’t already done so, treat yourself to Trader Joe’s frozen garlic – it’s nothing but pure minced garlic that is frozen in individual serving sizes.  Best. Thing. Ever.

WW Points – 5 if making six servings; 7 for four servings.  Rice is extra …

Bailey’s Chocolate Mousse

Bailey’s Chocolate Mousse

I found this delightfully easy recipe (http://www.food52.com/recipes/16044_herve_this_chocolate_mousse) and decided to give it a shot.  I was telling one of my coworkers about it, and she said “I bet if you add a liquor, like Kahlua, it would be to die for.”  And I bet she was right.  But instead of using Kahlua, I decided to use Bailey’s instead.  I also halved the internet recipe – so this recipe makes two delicious desserts!

In a small sauce pan, heat ¼ cup of Bailey’s, 1/8 cup of milk, and a 4oz candy bar over low heat (I used Ghirardelli’s semi-sweet chocolate and skim milk.  You can use all Bailey’s if you want to and skip the milk).

 

Constantly stir until everything is melted together.

 

Transfer the melted chocolate into a glass bowl.  Submerge that glass bowl into a bowl of ice.

Using an electric mixer, whisk the chocolate for approximately three minutes, until the mousse thickens up.

Transfer the chocolate into two bowls.

Lick the bowls, the sauce pan, the spatula, and the beaters.

Don’t make this way ahead of time and refrigerate – the mixture gets too hard.  It can sit for several hours – so keep it on the counter.  Before serving, add whipped cream (it’s very decadent, so the cream really adds a touch).

Enjoy with a wonderful red wine, or a little Bailey’s on the side.

Corn Chowder w/BACON and Shrimp

Last month, I had the privilege of hosting my yaya's for lunch.  If you're a woman, your yaya's are some of your closest friends - some of these friends you can have for a long time, some are new friends.  But they're a group of ladies you can't help but fall in love with.  We're spread out from Richmond to Williamsburg at this point - all of us stay way too busy, so we relish the time we get to spend with each other and just can't wait to get together.

My friend Carla (who wasn't at the lunch - she was out of town) had shared with me this recipe - I tried it one night and thought OMG good!  I adapted it a little - the original recipe calls for peppers, which my husband doesn't like.  I think I reduced the liquid a bit too (and you can even more if you want it less soupy).  What I loved about it was how all the different flavors just explode in one mouth full.  And it was good that most of it was prepared earlier in the day before the girls got to my house so I could wiiiiiine before lunch.  (As an aside, the wine choice was Veritas Viognier - one of the best Virginia wines you will ever put in your mouth, and Virginia Viognier is the best Viognier there is.  There - I said it).

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (OR - use Trader Joe's frozen garlic - go get you some!)
• 3 teaspoons flour
• 2 cups of diced potatoes
• 4 ears of corn, kernals cut off (I've been buying the ones where they're already shucked)
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream or 1/2 and 1/2
• 1 pound of raw peeled and deveined shrimp
• BBQ sauce of your liking
• Sriracha sauce (optional)
• Salt and pepper

Heat a large pot over medium heat.  Once hot, add the bacon slices and cook until crispy and golden brown.  Remove the bacon and let it drain on a paper towel (you're gonna want the bacon crispy).  Add the onions to the pot, with a little salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to cook for an extra minute.  Whisk in the flour, cooking about two minutes (you want the flour to turn a little golden).  Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and corn.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

About the potatoes - I LOVE the multi-colored fingerling potatoes.  This "pack" of potatoes typically has white, red, purple, and sweet potatoes in it - they're young, tender, and the different kinds gives the chowder a wonderful flavor, I think.  However, use what you want or what you have.  I just think the different colored ones are fun.

While the soup is simmering, heat your grill on the highest setting.  Season the shrimp with just a little salt and pepper, and brush a layer of BBQ sauce on them.  Cook about 2 minutes per side (careful not to over cook your shrimpies.  So don't drink too much wine before playing with the grill).

After 15 minutes, the soup should be slightly thickened and the potatoes should be breaking down.  Turn off the heat and add the milk.  I'd start with the cream (unless you're watching calories) first - if it's soupy enough, then you're done with the liquids.  If you want it a little more soupy (mine was), add the cup of milk as well.  If you'd like to kick it up a notch, squirt a bit of sriracha sauce in the chowder and stir - not really enough to change or add to the flavor per se, but to just give it a little heat.  Taste - add a little salt and pepper if you deem it necessary. 

Serve the chowder in bowls topped with the shrimp and crumbled bacon.  The trick is to get the chowder, a shrimp, and a little bacon on the spoon at the same time and take a bite.  YUM-O!

Punkin' Muffins

This time of year, I crave pumpkin stuff a lot - what I love about pumpkin is how it's not overly sweet ... and I have totally tricked myself into thinking anything pumpkin related that goes in my mouth is good for me.  I came up with this punkin' muffin recipe - hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread Mix
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 cup of chopped Peacans
• 1 cup of Craisins
• Eggs
• Water

Melt the tablespoon of butter into a medium high pan.  Add the pecans and craisins - what we're doing here is infusing the nuts and fruit with a little butter, and the sauteeing actually brings out the flavor of the pecans a bit and takes away that bitter flavor that they sometimes have.  It also softens the craisins.  Once the craisins have softened, take pan off the heat.

Preheat the oven to the temperature on the bread mix box.  Follow the instructions on the bread mix box EXCEPT use a stick of melted butter instead of the oil (takes about one minute in the microwave.  Once you have the batter done, add in the pecans and craisins and mix throughly.

Spoon the mixture into mini-muffin pans (sprayed with non-stick spray, of course).  You can top the muffins with a little brown sugar if you like (but they're honestly wonderful without the brown sugar.

Bake for six to eight minutes - check them at six minutes.  If you can insert a toothpick into the middle of the muffin and it comes out clean, you're muffins are good to go.  I'm sure these would make wonderful full sized muffins or even bread as well - you may need to adjust the cooking time.

Wait about five minutes before taking them out of the mini-muffin tin.  Cool on paper towels.  While they're still warm, pop one of the wonderful goodness muffins into your mouth - yum yum yum!!!

This recipe makes ~50 muffins.

BANG ON! Shrimp

BANG ON! Shrimp

For anyone who has ever gone to Bonefish Grill, you KNOW the best part of the experience is the Bang Bang shrimp – they are so wonderfully delicious and crispy, with a slight kick.

I’ve been playing with a few recipes to try to recreate the Bang Bang at home – what I’ve come up with is pretty darn close – it’s also a little “lighter” calorie-wise to what you get there, which is nice. When I make this, Rob and I don’t eat it as an appetizer, but as a meal. I’m calling my recipe Bang On! Shrimp. Start with making the sauce:

 

Bang On! Sauce:

• 5 tbsp light Mayonnaise (save yourself a calorie or two…)
• 4 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1 tbsp Sriracha 

I found several recipes online while trying to perfect the recipe. I found that a lot of them called for (IMHO) way too much mayo and not enough Sriracha. I actually put 1.5 tablespoons of the hot stuff in my sauce, but you can heat it up or lower the heat depending on personal taste. Start low – you can always add more. Also, I had a HECK of a time trying to find the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce for some reason – and found what I really wanted at Whole Foods (believe it or not). Maybe everyone was practicing making Bang Bang shrimp like I was – who knows.

Anyhoo – mix all three ingredients together; set aside.

I served mine with Jasmine rice – Jasmine rice is a little more sticky – the Japanese style. You can use whatever you have, or leave out the rice all together. The rice will take the longest to cook, so follow the directions on the package and start with that first. 

Bang On! Shrimp:

• 1 lb (or so) large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• A little salt
• 1/8 cup cornstarch (give or take – made need to give a little here)
• Canola oil
• Some shredded purple cabbage
• 2 scallions, chopped

I was at the local grocery store on my way home – I was going to buy a pound of shrimp and shell/devein them myself. Then I noticed in the case for a mere $2 more per pound, there was the shrimp already done! I decided my time was worth $2 and got those instead. I also came home with 1.3 pounds of shrimp, and the sauce recipe above was plenty to coat all the shrimpies.

Once the shrimp are prepared (in my case, take them out of their container and place them on paper towels), sprinkle just a little salt on them. It will bring out the flavor of the shrimp more.

One of the lighter recipes I found called for two tablespoons of cornstarch to coat the shrimp. I tried that once, and it was a disaster – barely any shrimp were coated or crisp. An eighth of a cup was enough to coat the shrimp but not over do it. I just put the lightly salted shrimp in a mixing bowl and mixed in the cornstarch until they were lightly coated.

– so the oil. I’m a big fan of Olive Oil and rarely use anything else to cook with. BUT, Olive oil really doesn’t get hot enough (safely, anyway) to really crispy fry the shrimp. You can either put a little in the pan and quick fry them, or put maybe a half an inch in a bigger pot and quasi-deep fry them. I chose the latter last night. The trick to crispy shrimp is HIGH heat – so just pay attention a little more than normal when cooking. I also fried them in three batches as to not over crowd them. Drain the crispy shrimp on paper towels.

Once the shrimp are all cooked, place them in the bowl of the sauce and coat well.

To plate the meal, I placed a handful of purple cabbage on the plate (at Bonefish, the Bang Bang shrimp are served on top of purple cabbage and iceberg lettuce). The cabbage gives the dish a little crunch. Then I placed some of the jasmine rice on the plate, before layering the wonderful shrimp on top of the rice. I finished by sprinkling some chopped scallions on top (make the plate pretty, and gives just a little extra flavor/kick to the dish).

Enjoy!

Tis' the season for all things Apple - Sara's Fruit Cobbler

I love all kinds of Fall foods, especially the wonderful Apples. As a kid, Apples were one of my favorite snacks, and they don't disappoint now. One of my favorite snacks is Apples and Sunflower seed butter (think peanut butter but made out of sunflower seeds instead - OMG good - and the butter is easily found at Trader Joe's). Today, however, we're taking about cobblers.

Over the weekend, several of my fellow "foodie" facebook friends commented about, or posted pictures of their yummy Apple pies. I had four apples staring at me, so I decided to make a cobbler. My mom makes THE BEST cobbler, and this is her recipe (pretty much, anyway). The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can use just about any kind of "pie" filling in it - about four cups of filling. Even the canned pie filling is yummy. One of my favorites is Blackberry cobbler - so good!!

Sara's Fruit Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 apples – or four cups of your favorite fruit (or canned fruit pie filling)
• 
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and slice ~four apples - I say "about" because I always snag a slice or two in the process. Set sliced apples aside.

After you have sliced the apples, melt the butter in a 9x13 casserole dish - takes about a minute in the microwave. I don't seem to own a 9x13 casserole dish at the moment, so I used my trusty 9x9 deep dish Pampered Chef baking stone instead. I did coat the whole thing with non-stick spray before melting the butter, but I'm not so sure you need to do that. It just makes cleanup easier.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Once mixed well (large wire whisk works well here), mix in the milk and vanilla. I used skim milk, but I bet it would have been even better with half skim and half half-and-half, or even whole milk. Or even evaporated milk (all that wonderful sweetness ... yummm). Once thoroughly mixed, pour over top of the butter, but DO NOT MIX TOGETHER THE MELTED BUTTER AND BATTER.

Layer the apples on top of the liquid mixture. Again - no mixing.

Place cobbler in pre-heated oven. Bake for 55 minutes. If you like the sides a bit more crispy, add five minutes to the baking time.

There's no wrong way to eat this dessert, but my favorite way is to eat it warm with vanilla ice cream on top ... yummmm ...