Rosemary Bread for the Bread Machine

My rosemary plant is thriving, so I was ready to use up another stalk or two. This bread is very similar to the bread you get at Macaroni Grill. It has been years since I have had their bread, but as soon as I took my first bite, it is what instantly came to mind. Miss F was excited to eat the crust, but was most excited about the butter on top of the bread. This bread would also be delicious dipped in olive oil mixed with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. I made this during the day, so C didn't have to endure the smell of fresh herbs and fresh bread baking.

Rosemary Bread for the Bread Machine

1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
pinch of each: basil, oregano and marjoram
2 ½ cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select white bread cycle; press start.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

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Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry

I love stir fry, it comes together in minutes and it is usually reasonably healthy. I have been making stir fries since college, but back then I used a trusty bottle of premade stir fry sauce. This recipe is hands down the best stir fry I have ever made. There isn't considerable heat from the Sriracha, but there is just enough spice to make it really pleasant. I came up with this one on my own, which I am pretty proud of. Miss F and C both cleaned their plates...success!  You could do this with any vegetable combination, whatever is in your pantry.  I am going to try it with pork next time I make it.

Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

Marinade for chicken:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

½ cup green beans, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
¼ onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 slices ginger, shredded
1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Transfer chicken to a mixing bowl. Add marinade ingredients and toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand for 30 minutes or longer. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch, water, Sriracha, soy sauce and oyster sauce in a small bowl.
In a wok heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat, add vegetables. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Wipe wok with paper towels. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the wok. When hot, add ginger and garlic; after a few seconds, add chicken mixture. Stir-fry for 2 to 4 minutes. Pour in the sauce. Stir until thickened. Return vegetables to the wok. Serve over rice.

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Bang Bang Shrimp

When I saw this recipe on Chef Mommy, I was intrigued. I had had Bonefish's Bang Bang Shrimp once while visiting my parents in Atlanta. I loved the shrimp, sweet and spicy. I never thought about trying to make it at home, but with my parents visiting, this recipe had to be made.  The result was perfectly delicious.  I don't fry things very often, but these were worth having my house smell like fried shrimp for a day or so.  C would wholeheartedly disagree with me.

Bang Bang Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried basil

8 to 12 cups vegetable oil

Bang Bang Shrimp sauce, recipe follows

3 to 4 leaves of romaine

Combine beaten egg with milk in shallow bowl; set aside.

Combine flour, panko, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and basil in another shallow bowl; set aside.

Bread the shrimp by first coating each with the breading mixture. Dip breaded shrimp into the egg and milk mixture, and then back into the breading. Arrange the coated shrimp on a plate and pop them into the fridge for at least 20 minutes. This step will help the breading to stick on the shrimp when they are frying.

Heat oil in in a deep fryer or large Dutch oven to 350 degrees. Use amount of oil required by your fryer or enough to fill your Dutch oven with 2 inches of oil.

When oil is hot, fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on a rack.

When all shrimp has been fried, drop the shrimp into a large bowl. Spoon the sauce over shrimp and stir gently to coat.

Stack shrimp on bed of chopped romaine.

Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sweet chili sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons Sriracha

Combine all ingredients. Toss fried shrimp with sauce.

Adapted from Chef Mommy

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