Thwarted by Blogger! Yet another Hunger Games related post (whatever, you love it too)

I wanted to post this link to a post so great it made my day yesterday, like a second after I read it. BUT NO.  Blogger thwarted me until just now!  With no further delays, this is a most apt and yet hilarious exploration of Peeta, courtesy of the ladies at Forever YA.  Team Peeta, obvi you will dig this; I did.  Team Gale, perhaps it will explain why you are SO SO WRONG. 

The end. 

A bonus recipe and foray into tailgating with the Asphalt Kitchen: Thai Peanut Marinade vs. Thai Peanut Shrimp and Pinapple Skewers

I had my first experience with some hardcore tailgating on Saturday at the New England Revolution game, courtesy of the lovely Lady Bean, master vegetarian chef and soccer star behind the Asphalt Kitchen!  Why was it hardcore?  We saw sideways lightning on the way in.  It was cold. Chris was not wearing pants! There was thunder and much rain.  Benny Feilhaber has bright blue eyes! Wait, what?  That's the beerita talking!  I digress. Luckily, the storm cleared up in time for us to enjoy a delicious dinner of Thai Crunch Salad (to die for, try it immediately) and my (just okay) Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers.  Behold Bean's photo:

This is how food photography is done.

My shrimp and pineapple skewers were okay - I didn't cut the pineapple down to be the same size/level as the shrimp, so the cooking was uneven and some parts, while cooked, never attained the crispy grilledness you want from, you know, a grill.  The grill, by the way, was awesome.  Well played, Asphalt Kitchen.  HOWEVER.  It was post tailgate when I was contemplating what to do with the extra marinade that I'd left in the fridge that a genius idea hit me.  It went something like this.

"Self, you know what is really good? Peanut butter and jelly.  But self, you have all these three pounds of strawberries you bought with hungry eyes after you entered a grocery store to buy water after a 6 mile run turned into an 8 mile run because you can't follow directions.  And you have all this peanut sauce.  What if you dip the strawberries into the chilled sauce?"  

Genius was born in my mouth.  This works well as a marinade, but I think it also does double duty as a dipping sauce.  It especially works well with fruit because of the innate sweetness of the peanuts and coconut, and the added smoky yum of the cayenne and other spices and the acidity of the lime juice manages to balance it out while putting it over the top.  Give it a go; next time I'm trying fruit skewers only marinated in this stuff and then grilled.  If you try it before me let me know what you think!

Thai Peanut Marinade
(Adapted from Anton Health and Nutrition)

1/2 c lite coconut milk
2 heaping Tbsp of natural peanut butter (I used Skippy All Natural)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
Juice of 1 small lime or 1-2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp cayene

1. Put in a blender and blend.  
2. Voila.  
3. Either marinade something in it and then skewer and grill it, or chill it and use it as a dipping sauce.

Proof from the photographic lens of the Asphalt Kitchen: pretty sure this is an action shot of me turning off the grill and not realizing it.  Grill Master I am not, especially after a beerita.

Indiana Pacers promote children's literacy and make my Saturday

In all seriousness, I think the fact that the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library is working with the Pacers by having the players record children's books to promote children's literacy (the Call a Pacer Program) is a genius idea.  I remember calling my own public library as a kid to hear the weekly prerecorded story.  I think my head would have exploded if say, Larry Bird had read me Are You My Mother?.  Well played, Pacers, Pacers PR people, and well played Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library!

End seriousness.

Deadspin kind of ruined this beautiful moment for me with their video mashup.  Which led me to spend far too long listening to the players recorded versions of the story. I think it goes without saying that not everyone is as talented at story hour delivery as most children's librarians.  Then again, I played basketball for 6 years and didn't make a basket until the last one, so who am I to judge a basketball players storytime reading prowess?  HOWEVER.  I've very scientifically concluded the following:

Tyler Hansbrough reading Rebecca and Ed Emberly's Chicken Little for the breathy, somewhat gargled  win with his unintentionally hilarious and breathless delivery of the line "'OH MY GOODNESS, OH MY GRACIOUS,' gasped Chicken Little, who was now quite out of breath"(just shy of 3/4 of the way in).  And I flippin' LOVE Let Me Drive the Bus, so that's sayin' somethin...

This got me thinking, readers.

Of any sports player ever, who would you want to read you a bedtime story, and what would the book be? 

Recipe 43: Baked Shrimp with Zucchini and Much Cheese

You know what is hard?  Naming recipes.  And yet, making a quickie recipe is not terribly hard.  Seems kind of bass ackwards, no?  Judging from this being my second shrimp recipe in a row, the interwebs brain-trust can probably figure out that I bought a 3 bag o'frozen shrimp to keep my 3 pound bag o'frozen blueberries company in the freezer.  I've been thinking about making something not soup (gasp) in Le Creuset for a while.  Since I didn't want to feed a small army, I chose to use my smaller Le Creuset, Triple B.  (Which retrospectively is kind of a stupid name.  If you have a better one, because Little White sounds kind of awful and that's all I got, lay it on me.)  This was a great success, but then again I'm pretty sure throwing tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, and cheese in a pot and baking it will taste delicious, no exceptions.  I get the distinct feeling you can add or subtract anything you want to this; I actually intended to add a can of cannelini beans but cleverly forgot until I'd put it in the oven.  As is, this recipe has a lot of extra liquid, but it thickens a bit as it cools.  I'd recommend serving it over polenta, pasta or even rice (whatever your starchy poison is) or doing like I did and tearing up some bread and stirring it into my bowl to soak up the delicious.

Baked Shrimp with Zucchini and Much Cheese
(via my brain, courtesy of my stomach)
Serves approximately 4

Recipe 44: Spicy Torilla Soup with Shrimp and Avocado

Do you know what you're making for Cinco de Mayo?  No?  Well let me help you out.  Do you like spicy?  Do you like excuses to eat shrimp, avocado, or tortilla chips?  Do you like one pot meals?  Do you above all like quick recipes that are actually really, really good??  Well, mon petit, you will meet your match in this recipe.  Unbelievably quick and easy to the point where I was dubious it was done, I swear I will be making this 30 minute meal again!  If you use frozen shrimp like I do, make sure to leave it enough time to defrost.  The only bummer?  Hominy can be a bit hard to locate in most grocery stores (hint: check the Latin food aisle, especially the Goya section), so plan ahead!  I spotted this in my March Cooking Light and finally had an opportunity to make it last week. 

Spicy Tortilla Soup with Shrimp and Avocado
(via Cooking Light, March 2011 )

Muy caliente:

Enjoy this terrible photo of a beautiful but steamy soup!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped carrot

1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

1 15oz. can white hominy, rinsed & drained

1 15oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

12 ounces peeled, deveined, (and if you're like me, detailed) medium shrimp (I bought frozen and defrosted mine)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

Tortilla chips (crushed for garnish)

1 to 2 diced avocados (depending on how much you looooove them) 

Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves (for people who like gross things) 

Directions: 

1. Add oil to a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high.
2.  Add onion through garlic and cook for six minutes, until vegetables are tender but still crisp.  Stir occasionally.
3. Add the broth, hominy, and tomatoes (with juice), and bring the mixture to a boil for six minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.  Add the shrimp and cook for approximately two minutes or until bright pink and done.
5.  Remove the pot from the heat and stir in juice and salt (if needed).  Serve and let your guests garnish their bowls with the chips, avocado, and devil's herb.  I recommend serving this with extra chips and if you're feeling crrrraaaaaaazy, beerita!  Cinco de delicious, y'all. 

Que rico eres, mi amor.