Well here's to a very WON-DER-FUL Wednesday, and for all!!!!!!!!!!
Today I whipped together what was intended to be a super simple, "quickie," makeshift meal.
BUT, it ended up being SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO very fabulous that I will revisit it a little differently next time, as to make it part of my favorite rotation of things I eat often! Here's to that!
First off, I ADORE langostinos! I usually find them around here frozen however, and with too much salt and junk added to them, and so I pass.
The other day, I saw a bag in the Trader Joe's frozen section, and they were wild caught, NO SALT or anything else added. The only caveat was that they were of course pre-cooked and pealed.
I figured they'd be tough, shriveled up, and just dry little nothings by the time I thawed them and that I shouldn't even heat them at all for that reason - just eat cold - but I was so wrong!!!! Thankfully!
So here we go....
I had thawed the langostino tails in the fridge overnight, in the bag they came in, and then just opened that and poured them into a perforated grill dish today...
I sprayed them with grapeseed oil...
And meanwhile microwaved a frozen bag of spinach which I had wanted to use up...
The langostinos in their dish went onto my little gas smoker with hickory chips and for just five minutes as a warm up, and some LOVELY smoky flavor even too (surprisingly) on high heat - maybe 400!
While inside, I chopped up a mixed bucket of raw veggies - cucumber, zucchini, a yellow pepper, a red pepper, and elephant garlic...
And I made a hot pot of amaranth...
For those who aren't addicted to amaranth yet, (my favorite grain), it is an ancient and gluten-free grain, that also has some protein in it, and it's super healthy, and you don't get fat and bloated from it, and it even has a "cleansing" effect, (where you'll get a lot of "reading" done the next morning), and it's like a hot cereal texture...
The normal cooking ratio with amaranth is 1 cup of the grain, boiled on the stove in 3 cups of water. I find that a little too runny for my taste however, and like it more nutty and thick, and so I use a little less water...
The lightly smoked langostinos did NOT dry out at all, and stayed moist and DID get some warmth and smoky essence even too!
I put the mound of hot amaranth on the bottom, and then the nuked spinach, and then all the chopped raw veggies, and then some avocado, and the smoked langostino tails...
I splashed olive oil over the whole thing, squeezed a fresh lime all over it too, and sprinkled smoked paprika all around and that was it!
And while it's just one big colorful "thrown together" thing; I must share that all the flavors were so amazing, and it was healthful and just beautiful to eat - adoring langostinos so!
As I ate and tossed everything around, the golden amaranth was fabulous and everything was really so much better than I believed this very 'quickie' would actually be!
Now that I can find langostino tails without salt and junk added, I'm going to smoke some portabellini mushroom caps, and stuff them with the langostinos, chopped shallot, parsley and then add olive oil, freshly squeezed lime and some smoked paprika and I believe that THAT combo instead, will become my rotation version to have often.
Today's however, were REALLY SO DELICIOUS, that I must go back and get more!
Never again shall I underestimate something, just because it's precooked and pealed! This turned out to be so soft and, well, how grateful am I!!!
Please make your day delicious and know that I send tremendous CHEER!!!!!!!!! - Leah Who Loves Langostinos!!!!!!!!!!!
Today I whipped together what was intended to be a super simple, "quickie," makeshift meal.
BUT, it ended up being SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO very fabulous that I will revisit it a little differently next time, as to make it part of my favorite rotation of things I eat often! Here's to that!
First off, I ADORE langostinos! I usually find them around here frozen however, and with too much salt and junk added to them, and so I pass.
The other day, I saw a bag in the Trader Joe's frozen section, and they were wild caught, NO SALT or anything else added. The only caveat was that they were of course pre-cooked and pealed.
I figured they'd be tough, shriveled up, and just dry little nothings by the time I thawed them and that I shouldn't even heat them at all for that reason - just eat cold - but I was so wrong!!!! Thankfully!
So here we go....
I had thawed the langostino tails in the fridge overnight, in the bag they came in, and then just opened that and poured them into a perforated grill dish today...
I sprayed them with grapeseed oil...
And meanwhile microwaved a frozen bag of spinach which I had wanted to use up...
The langostinos in their dish went onto my little gas smoker with hickory chips and for just five minutes as a warm up, and some LOVELY smoky flavor even too (surprisingly) on high heat - maybe 400!
While inside, I chopped up a mixed bucket of raw veggies - cucumber, zucchini, a yellow pepper, a red pepper, and elephant garlic...
And I made a hot pot of amaranth...
For those who aren't addicted to amaranth yet, (my favorite grain), it is an ancient and gluten-free grain, that also has some protein in it, and it's super healthy, and you don't get fat and bloated from it, and it even has a "cleansing" effect, (where you'll get a lot of "reading" done the next morning), and it's like a hot cereal texture...
The normal cooking ratio with amaranth is 1 cup of the grain, boiled on the stove in 3 cups of water. I find that a little too runny for my taste however, and like it more nutty and thick, and so I use a little less water...
The lightly smoked langostinos did NOT dry out at all, and stayed moist and DID get some warmth and smoky essence even too!
I put the mound of hot amaranth on the bottom, and then the nuked spinach, and then all the chopped raw veggies, and then some avocado, and the smoked langostino tails...
I splashed olive oil over the whole thing, squeezed a fresh lime all over it too, and sprinkled smoked paprika all around and that was it!
And while it's just one big colorful "thrown together" thing; I must share that all the flavors were so amazing, and it was healthful and just beautiful to eat - adoring langostinos so!
As I ate and tossed everything around, the golden amaranth was fabulous and everything was really so much better than I believed this very 'quickie' would actually be!
Now that I can find langostino tails without salt and junk added, I'm going to smoke some portabellini mushroom caps, and stuff them with the langostinos, chopped shallot, parsley and then add olive oil, freshly squeezed lime and some smoked paprika and I believe that THAT combo instead, will become my rotation version to have often.
Today's however, were REALLY SO DELICIOUS, that I must go back and get more!
Never again shall I underestimate something, just because it's precooked and pealed! This turned out to be so soft and, well, how grateful am I!!!
Please make your day delicious and know that I send tremendous CHEER!!!!!!!!! - Leah Who Loves Langostinos!!!!!!!!!!!