Oven-Baked Cassoulet

I like this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. I usually use the range-top method rather than baking it.

12 ounces lean boneless pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or use chicken strips as I have done once)
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots (or squash)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce cans white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained (another option: chickpeas)
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup water
2 ounces cooked turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch-thick
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Spray a 4-qaurt Dutch oven with nonstick coating. Preheat over medium-high heat. Cook and stir pork in Dutch oven until pork is browned, about 4 minutes. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat.

Carefully add cooking oil to hot Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Stir in pork, beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, water, kielbasa, thyme, rosemary, and pepper.

Bake, covered, in a 325 degrees F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until pork and carrots are tender. To serve, sprinkle each serving with parsley. Makes 5 servings.

Range-top Method:
Prepare as directed above, except instead of baking, cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until the pork and carrots are tender.

One 1-1/3-cup serving equals: Calories: 243, Total Fat: 7 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g), Cholesterol: 38 mg , Sodium: 497 mg , Carbohydrate: 32 g, Fiber: 10 g, Protein: 23 g ++++ Exhanges: 1 Starch, 2-1/2 Lean Meat, 2 Vegetable
Daily values: 26% vit C, 5% calcium, 21% iron

Barbecue Pepper Shrimp

Another simple, but flavorful shrimp recipe.

2 lbs large shrimps, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup crushed black peppercorns
2 sticks butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons coarse salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Wash shrimps and peel, leaving tails on. Make a cut along the back of each shrimp and rinse under cold water to remove veins. Dry on paper towels.

Place shrimps in a single layer in a shallow casserole with peppercorns. Top with butter. Bake for 5 minutes. Toss shrimps then add Worcestershire sauce and salt. Bake 5 more minutes. Put under broiler for 1 minute. Remove and serve in soup plates with the pan juices immediately. Serves 5-6. (Recipe from Rozanne Gold.)

Shrimp Marinara

2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups tomatoes, cored and chopped (canned or fresh), with their liquid
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt
1 lb shrimp, peeled, rinsed and dried

Heat the oil over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic an cook, stirring once or twice, until golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to medium-high, and let bubble, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add half the basil, the oregano, pepper and salt. Stir and taste for seasoning. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer while you cook rice or pasta. When you're about ready to eat, add the shrimp to the sauce; cook until the shrimp are firm and pink, about 5 minutes. Remove 3 or 4 shrimps from the sauce and set aside. Toss the sauce with pasta, or spoon it over rice; top with the remaining basil and reserved shrimp, and serve.

Spicy Broiled Shrimp

Here's a simple, but delicious shrimp recipe from Mark Bittman.

1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-1/2 to 2 lbs shrimp, peeled, rinsed and dried

Preheat the broiler and adjust the rack so that it is as close to the heat source as possible. Make the fire as hot as it will get.

Mince the garlic with the salt; mix it with the cayenne and paprika, then make it into a paste with the olive oil and lemon juice. Smear the paste all over the shrimp. Grill or broil the shrimp, 2-3 minutes per side, turning once. Serve immediately or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

Pineapple in Brown Sugar with Ice cream

Here's a simple dessert.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2-3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-1/4 inch cubes (or use canned pineapples)
2 tablespoons rum (optional)
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint vanilla ice cream

Melt butter in a medium saute pan over low heat. Add sugar and stir until melted. Add pineapple, rum, if desired, and vanilla, and turn heat up to medium high.

Cook, stirring, until liquid is reduced and pineapple is glazed, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Serve in bowls with a scoop of ice cream.

Stir-Fried Vegetarian Pancit Sotanghon

1/4 c dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked; reserve liquid
1/4 c dried wood ears (tenga ng daga), soaked
1 carrot, julienned
8 ears baby corn
1/2 c snow peas
1 block soft tofu, diced

Seasoning:
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 c water (or reserve liquid from mushrooms)
1/4 k sotanghon (bean thread) noodles (soak for 3-5 minutes)
onions, sliced
garlic, crushed

Soak the dried mushrooms for 20-30 minutes in hot water and reserve the liquid. Discard stems of mushrooms and wood ears, slice the shiitake mushrooms and chop the wood ears. Prepare vegetables and seasoning.

Soak noodles for 5 minutes, drain and cut into 3". Heat oil over high flame. Fry soaked dried veggies for 1/2 minute. Add other vegetables and stir after adding each item. Season with soy sauce, sugar and pepper. Add a little of the reserved liquid. Let it cook and set aside.

Heat another teaspoon of oil, put garlic then onions; put the season liquid and a little bit of the sesame oil, and stir until liquid boils. Stir in noodles. Serve hot.