Chinese Fake-Out

Who knew you could make Chinese food at home that actually TASTES like the real thing!?! I found this recipe for Shrimp Fried Rice on Allrecipes.com and decided to try it. I'll admit, I was nervous since I don't own a wok and was afraid the rice would become total mush. I read somewhere to make the rice one day in advance and refrigerate it until ready to use. This allows the rice to become more firm so it doesn't turn into a soggy mess when you start soaking it with soy sauce. I was really happy with how this dish turned out. Traditional fried rice has eggs in it, but don't let that scare you. You don't taste eggs, they just really contribute to the overall flavor. You can also leave them out if the thought of eggs in your fried rice makes you gag! :) I love that you can control the sodium and ingredients in this recipe, making it much healthier than takeout. Okay, now I'm craving a fortune cookie!

Shrimp Fried Rice (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked rice (cooked the day before and refrigerated overnight)
4 Tbsp vegetable oil + drizzle for cooking shrimp
1/2 onion, chopped
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined with tails removed
2 eggs
1/4 tsp pepper
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions:

1. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Cook shrimp until just cooked; they will turn pink. Set shrimp aside. (Don't over cook the shrimp or they will become rubbery once put into the rice.)
2. Pour 4 Tbsp vegetable oil in large wok or skillet and heat over medium-heat heat until hot and shimmering.
3. Place chopped onions in skillet and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Move onions to side of skillet and add frozen peas and 2 eggs. Place eggs in their own section of the pan and stir them up with a wooden spoon to scramble. Once eggs are broken up into bits, stir onions, peas, and eggs together.

4. Mix in rice and shrimp and continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Cook an additional 4 minutes, stirring to coat all ingredients.

The Creamier, the Dreamier

Oh my gosh you guys! I have been trying SO many new recipes lately and I can't wait to share them all with you. This is my favorite time of year for cooking and baking. I love Fall flavors and comfort food! Comfort food for me, is usually something creamy. Chicken pot pie is one of my all time favorites which I've posted in the past. It's beyond delicious! You can find it here: 


 http://alissaspinkkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-comfort-food.html


This recipe is so easy and also creamy, dreamy!

Pork Cutlets with Mushroom Cream Sauce (adapted from RecipeGirl.com)


Ingredients:


1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 large shallot (or 2 small), peeled and finely chopped
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 container Kraft Savory Garlic Cooking Creme
Olive oil
Salt & pepper


Directions:

1. Cut pork into individual serving-sized pieces. Place pieces between two sheets of waxed paper and pound out to 1/4-inch thickness. (I used a rolling pin and went crazy!) Season pork with salt and pepper.

2. Place flour on a plate or breading tray and dredge pork, turning to coat all sides. Shake off excess. 

3. Heat a few drizzles of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook pork on both sides until browned and cooked through. 

4. To make the cream sauce, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet. Saute shallots until they are soft and begin to caramelize. Add a little more olive oil to pan and stir in sliced mushrooms. Continue to stir until mushrooms become tender, about 3-4 minutes. 

5. Add Kraft cooking creme and stir until heated through. 

6. Serve sauce over pork. 

***Also, don't forget to vote on the poll (located in the right-hand column of my blog page) for what recipes you'd like to see more of on The Pink Kitchen!!! Only 7 days left to vote!***

Meringue Clouds

In case you're a lemon lover like me, here's another great lemon recipe! This is a very traditional Lemon Meringue Pie recipe. It's the first time I've ever made it, even though it's one of my favorite desserts. I love making meringue; it's like making little puffy clouds! :) Plus, I love the way it looks when it browns on top of the pie in little tufts! So cute! 

Lemon Meringue Pie (recipe courtesy Allrecipes.com)


Ingredients (for 1 pie):


1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1- 9 inch pie crust, baked
4 egg whites
6 Tbsp granulated sugar


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick.

3. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

4. To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust. 

5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

***Some tips for making the fluffiest meringue:
When making meringue, you want it to form "stiff peaks" which means it will look like this when you invert your wire whisk:

How cute it that?! It's a little cloud! Also, to make the meringue stand up in little tufts on your pie, just press a spatula into the meringue and lift up on an angle before baking. Repeat this technique all over the pie.

Little Lemon Lovelies

Tonight I had this bright idea to start baking while I was cooking dinner. What was I thinking?!?! After I was finished everything my kitchen literally looked like a tornado swept through. My little lemon blossoms were resting on cooling racks, dripping their glaze all over the place. Bowls, spoons, mixers, and plates were strewn about. It was a little overwhelming to even think about cleaning it all up. I love cooking and baking, but I absolutely hate doing dishes and cleaning up afterwards. I've always been that way. But, once I tasted these little desserts, it was all worth it!

Lemon Blossoms (recipe courtesy Paula Deen)


Ingredients:


1 package yellow cake mix
1 (3 1/2oz) package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil


Glaze:


4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp water


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and vegetable oil. Blend with mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fill each muffin tin half way with batter.

3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Turn out of muffin tin onto a towel.

4. To make the glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and zest, vegetable oil, and water. Blend with mixer until smooth.
5. While cupcakes are still warm, use fingers to dip them into glaze, coating completely. 
Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch drips. Let glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hr. Store in containers with tight fitting lids (if stacking, separate with waxed paper).