Shrimp & Asparagus Stir Fry

For the sauce:
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup of soy sauce (I use kikkoman's low sodium)
2 tsp. of ground ginger (or use fresh ginger if you have it)
2 tsp. hoisin sauce

1 bunch of asparagus
1 lb of shrimp (I used frozen, peeled shrimp)

Heat sesame oil over medium heat, add garlic.  Stir around for a minute, then add soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  Wisk in ginger.  Add frozen shrimp, cover pan.  Rinse the asapragus, and chop off about an inch from the bottoms.  Cut into thirds.

Stir around the shrimp to ensure it cooks evenly. If you're using raw shrimp - give it about a 5 minute head start before adding the asparagus.  If you're using precooked, it just needs to be heated through.  The asparagus only needs about 4 - 5 minutes on heat for it to tenderize.



Serve over brown rice & enjoy :)

Seafood in White Clam Sauce

The seafood I used in this dish are mussels, shrimp, scallops & clams.  The first three I buy packaged & frozen, and for clams, I use canned chopped clams in clam juice. Also, if you want to make this a little healthier and add a vegatable, i would probably go with broccoli rabe; spinach overpowers the dish.

You'll also need:
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 cup white wine (i use goya dry white cooking wine, i'm sure ANYTHING will do)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (I use minced garlic in a jar)
Salt to taste

I served this with wheat angel hair. Use whatever you like, but i feel like with thin sauces, pasta like linguine or spaghetti or angel hair work best because it holds the sauce and 'traps' the clam bits. Penne and bowties can't hold much.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add garlic, lower heat to medium. Stir around garlic then add the can of chopped clams (and its juice).  After 2 minutes or so, add white wine.

Depending on what seafood you use, these steps will change; I add the scallops first, because they take the longest to cook. i give them about a 2 minute head start, add the shrimp, and then the mussels last because they're precooked.

Serve over pasta & you're all set :)

Here's a better pic i took at lunch thanks to the IT departments camera

no bake apple "try"

Yes, I'm calling this apple try because it's not apple pie. I am terrible at baking - ask anyone. Plus it takes forever, and by the time I get home from work & the gym, Joe and I are too hungry to wait for it. So here is a super simple, quite healthy, delicious no bake apple pie.

for the "filling"
Nonstick cooking spray 
4 peeled, cored & thinly sliced granny smith apples
1/2 cup of apple juice
2 teaspoons of honey
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 pinch of nutmeg



for the "crust"
Kashi Go Lean crunch
Honey Maid low fat cinnamon graham crackers

Coat a nonstick sautee pan in nonstick cooking spray. Leave it on medium heat, add apples and stir them so they dont burn.

While the apples are going, whisk apple juice, honey, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl, then pour over apples. As it heats up, it'll start to carmelize and thicken. Let it cook for about 7 minutes, you want the apples somewhat soft but still kind of crisp. You also want the sauce to thicken, but not dry out.

To serve, lay filling over graham cracker, and sprinkle kashi (you can use granola, i've also had it with special K vanilla almond cereal - play around with it) and serve.

 

i would've taken a better presentation picture, but Joe and I were too excited that we ate so fast i forgot, and this was actually his second serving of it.

Portofino, City Island

Cold Seafood Salad at Portofino, City Island

Calamari, mussels, shrimp and clams tossed with tomatoes and parsley in a very simple vinaigrette. It's loaded with citrus and is very reminiscent of a ceviche. This is definitely in my top 3 favorite seafood dishes.

Gaslight, Hoboken

$20 Clambake at The Gaslight, Hoboken, NJ

Can't really go wrong here - lobster tail, shrimp, mussels & clams, cooked perfectly.  Not a huge portion but hey, it was only $20.

Crab Shanty, City Island

The Original Crab Shanty; City Island, NY

This is "Joe V's Deep Diver Feast". It's meant to serve two and it is seriously a struggle! It's shellfish heaven - baby tails, shrimp, scallops, clams, lobster and snow crab legs. Look at the size of the plate in comparison to my beer - this thing is massive but so delicious.

The seafood is super fresh and broiled perfectly.  They lay low on the seasoning and let the seafood speak for itself.  My only regret is that the lobster seemed lightly breaded and that the clams are stuffed (I'd much rather steamers) but so delicious none the less.

Intro

I have finally found time to create a blog about my favorite things in life - food, wine and my boyfriend (usually in that order ;) jk Joe).

The name of this blog, sampler, is short for app sampler (yes, from Applebee's). That was my "diverse" (ha!) culinary venture every weekend and I once thought it was completely acceptable. Two things changed that - 1. I finally graduated and moved out of the dorms & it's shoebox sized kitchen, and 2. I wanted to lose weight. So I moved back home, bought Fitness/Women's Health/Cooking Light/Shape magazine and explored my way around the kitchen.

What you'll see here are my simple weeknight dinners and photo-worthy weekend meals.

Enjoy :)