Give them a Twist, a Flick of the Wrist!

So a week or two ago, while browsing my Facebook news feed, I noticed some commotion on Sarah Michelle's wall about hunting down rhubarb. It sounded like a fun little scavenger hunt/pot luck, so I voiced interest. Apparently she and a few friends started a weekly event called the Iron Chef Blogger Challenge, where every Saturday night, someone announces an ingredient (and, optionally, a rule; for example: "no pies" for the first week's ingredient of rhubarb) and everyone has 1 week to cook something using that ingredient and then post a blog about it. The ingredient for this week is coconut milk, and it is my first week participating.

I browsed the nets at work earlier this week looking for what to make. I decided on Sugar Snap Pea & Shrimp Curry [cooking.com]. I also decided to make risotto to go with it, a modification of a chicken risotto Kevin and I made the weekend he came up for my birthday. I know it's mixing genres a little bit, but I don't see why not -- it is so tasty!

~Sugar Snap Pea & Shrimp Curry~

• heat 2 Tablespoons of canola oil in a large skillet [let me stress large!]
• add 2 Tablespoons of curry powder and cook for 2 minutes
• add 1.5 lbs raw shrimp [I cheated and used cooked shrimp]
• add 1 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed [I don't know how much 1 lb is, so I used about 2 cups]
• cook for 4 minutes
• add 1 cup coconut milk
• add 1/4 cup lemon juice
• add 1/2 teaspoon salt [I just grinded some over top]
• bring to a boil and cook for ~2 minutes

[1/160 sec, f/5.0, ISO 400, 63mm, with flash]
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~Chicken Risotto Sans Chicken~

• melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a skillet [I used margarine this time around, and it tastes fine]
  
• add 1 clove of garlic, minced
• add 1 cup rice [you're supposed to use a special kind but I just use sushi rice]
• saute until the rice is browned
• add 1 teaspoon basil [or whatever looks right]
• add 2 cups chicken broth
• bring to a boil
• reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes [or until the rice is tender and moist and delicious looking]
• top with sharp cheddar cheese and stir in so it melts
• add sliced mushrooms [this was my addition since I removed the chicken part]

[1/160 sec, f/5.0, ISO 400, 105mm, with flash]~*~

This recipe was really fun for me, because I am not a very experienced cook. It was really easy, too! I botched the planning of the simultaneous cooking, even though I knew the risotto would take much longer. Sauteing the rice was a cook time I neglected when planning when to start the curry. This wasn't too big of a deal, except the curry was meant to be served and eaten immediately "to keep the snap peas crisp." Honestly, it just made the snap peas lose color by the time I was ready to serve and eat, but it still tasted good! Overall a very filling and tasty meal =)

[1/160 sec, f/5.0, ISO 400, 105mm, with flash]
~*~

Here is what everyone else made:

• Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cilantro Rice
• Coconut Scones
• Indonesian Coconut Chicken
• Thai Coconut Soup
• Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Leek and Coconut Milk Soup
• Brazilian Soup and Pan de Coco
• Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce

Next Week's Ingredient: Cranberries!
How festive! The rule is: no making cranberry sauce. Hmmmm, I'm not the biggest fan of cranberries, so I'll have to look around for something to like.

~*~