Ninja's blog: "Cooking with Ninja"

So most of us try to keep our menus on the lighter side for the summer. 

This recipe logs in at 139 calories for a 3 cup bowl!

6 Whole chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, all fat removed
2 large onions, cut in slices
TBS minced garlic
TBS of onion and garlic powder
TBS natural sea salt
tsp cayenne pepper
ground white pepper and ground black pepper
poultry seasoning

Shirataki noodles (yam noodles -- can be found at asian specialty stores. VERY low cal to no cal, and filling.) -- Follow directions on the package

Boil it all together in a large stockpot with a lot of water. The chicken will make the broth as it cooks down. Boil it for about an hour.
I used tongs to remove the chicken so it could be cut up and weighed for portions. 100 grams (you'd be surprised at just how much chicken that is!) per portion.

3 cups of the broth with some onions and add the chicken and a serving of the noodles.

Everyone has their own recipe for this, this is mine. Enjoy!

Shopping list
2 packs of frozen crawfish tails
chopped seasoning (onions, bellpepper, celery, green onions)
2 cans diced tomatoes (i like to use the italian seasoned ones)
flour
creole seasoning (mixture of salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayene and ground crushed red peppers)
liquid crab boil (if available)
cayenne pepper
margarine
seafood stock (i make my own. you can usually find this at the store)

Directions:
Melt Margarine (1/2 stick) in pan, add chopped seasoning, 1 Tbsp cayenne, capfull of liquid crab boil (if you can find it) and 3 tbsps of flour.

Soften the seasoning and add the crawfish tails half a cup at a time to the mixture also as you add the tails, add seafood stock half a cup at a time as well.

Once you have added them all, add your diced tomatoes and reduce heat to medium low. simmer for about 30 minutes to cook down the cayenne pepper.

Serve over rice. Really quick, easy and delicious! Freezes and reheats well!

Shopping list:

Chopped seasoning (bell pepper, onion, celery, green onion) (3 cups)

Flour (need 1/2 cup)

1 Qt Half & half (I use fat free, for a thicker soup, you can use heavy whipping cream)

Seafood stock (I make this myself also, you can find premade stock at most stores. You can also use a low sodium chicken or vegetable stock insead as well)

Cayene pepper (1/2 Tbsp)

6 tbsp of butter

Creole seasoning (if available) If not, you can use Black pepper and ground white pepper, and a little salt

3 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use 41/50 count peeled and deveined shrimp. You can use smaller if you choose or you can use crabmeat, or even crawfish tail meat)

1 can of corn (or you can use frozen corn for less sodium)

2 cans cream corn

2 Bay leaves

3 oz brandy

Directions:

In a large pot melt the butter over MEDIUM HEAT. Stir in half a cup of flour and the 1/2 tbsp of cayene pepper. KEEP STIRRING. This will burn and burn quickly if you do not pay attention.

Once the flour looks like a paste, stir in the chopped seasoning and sprinkle the creole seasoning on top. Keep stirring the seasoning as it softens. Use the stock a half a cup at a time to help cook down the seasoning (do not use more than 3 cups).

Once the seasoning is cooked down (the onions start to turn clear), hit it with the brandy. Then,  slowly stir in the Half & Half or heavy whipping cream. Whisk the cream and flour mixture as you pour it in, making sure to mix it well.

Once you have mixed in all the cream, drop in the two bay leaves and allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the corn and shrimp and return it to a simmer. Stirring frequently, cook the soup until all the shrimp turn pink. For a thicker soup, allow it to simmer longer to reduce.

It is important when making any sort of cream based soup to remember that you must stir frequently. The flour will settle to the bottom and burn quickly if you do not pay attention.

Serve immediately in a cup as an appetizer or in a bowl as a meal! It's a hearty soup that will satisfy everyone! It freezes and reheats well, so don't worry about making a large pot!

This is a recipe that is a GREAT way to use up that left over grilled chicken, or even a perfect excuse to grill some.

Remember, when grilling chicken breasts, the longer you marinate them (use Italian dressing) the juicer they will stay! It also gives it a little zest of flavor, so you don't feel like you're just eating cardboard!

What you will need:

Tortillas, size doesn't matter

at least 2 large chicken breasts, grilled

blended cheese (Mexican or taco)

Pepper Jack cheese (you can just use the slices or you can shred it. the easy way is break up the slices)

2 large onions (very important to know that the color will vastly change how these taste. I do not recommend sweet onions. White or yellow work wonderfully)

Margarine

Pepper

Optional:

Jalapenos

Salsa of your choice

Sour Cream

taco sauce

These are used to top them when serving, so that part of it is all up to you

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the grilled chicken into strips. If it's been in the fridge, microwave it for about 30 seconds after you cut it.

Peel the onions and cut off the bottom and the top waste. Cut the onions in half from top to bottom, then slice them you will get what looks like half rings. In a large skillet, melt two table spoons of margarine over MEDIUM heat and toss in the onions. Pepper them to your taste. Stir them frequently (I use the same utensil I stir pasta with for this. It works wonderfully). Saute the onions until they begin to turn clear. Make sure to stir them frequently so that they all cook down as well. Once they are done, remove them from the heat and put them to the side.

Lay out 3 or 4 large tortillas on a cookie sheet. Put them in the oven for about 2 minutes and remove them. place your chicken, onions and cheese on one side of the tortilla, evenly distributed along that half. Don't be stingy, but don't overfill it either, you need to be able to fold the tortilla over. Once you have filled it, fold the tortilla over and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. Put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until all the cheese is melted (may take more or less time depending on how much you used).

Once the cheese is melted, take them out of the oven, and let them cool for a few minutes.

Once they cool for a few minutes, you can cut them up and serve them!

Top them any way you choose!

You can also use steak or shrimp as a substitute. You can tweak it and add things like mushrooms and bell pepper.

If you're tired of plain old chicken, this little trick makes a world of delicious!

You will need the following:

Chicken Breasts

Rice

Chopped seasoning

tooth picks

meat tenderizer

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Start out with 3 to 4 large chicken breasts. For a jucier outcome, marinate them in fat free tialian dressing for at least 3 hours.

Next, get a bag or box of seasoned rice.

Suggestions:

Uncle Ben's Wild Rice

Rice-A-Roni (pick a flavor)

Spanish rice

Jambalaya

Dirty Rice

Follow the directions on the box for cooking the rice. Once your rice is done cooking put it aside.

*OPTIONAL* Take a tablespoon of margarine and cook down your chopped seasoning. Once it cooks down (onions start to turn clear), add your rice and about half a cup of water or broth and stir continuously and simmer on Medium heat for about 5 minutes.Remove from heat and put the rice aside.

Take your chicken breasts and a meat tenderizer and pound out the chicken until it is thin and flat. Keep the top of the chicken (there is a thin membrane over it) facing up as you do this.  Use the side with the smaller pattern as well so you don't break the meat too much.

Once the meat is flat and thin, turn it over and take a scoop of rice. (I like to use an ice cream scoop with a release lever. It makes measuring evenly and less messy a breeze. Place the rice in the middle of the chicken breast. Fold the sides up around it and secure them together with the toothpicks. Skewer the toothpick through the meat so that it holds the two sides together.

Place the stuffed breasts in a large glass corningware dish, toothpick side down.

Sprinkle some seasoning on top of the chicken. I like mine with creole seasoning. You can use whatever you like. A little black pepper and a squeeze of lemon will be enough as well!

Put it in the oven and cook it approximately 30 to 45 minutes

Since cooking times will vary depending on the thickness and size of the chicken breasts, check frequently after about 25 minutes. Chicken cooked too long will dry out!!

While you're waiting for the chicken to cook, prepare a side of your favorite veggies. For a simple and delicious treat, grab some yellow squash, zucchini and onions, sliced thin. Sautee them together in a sauce pan with margarine and some pepper (again here, I like to use creole seasoning as well). Sautee them together until they start to appear clear.

When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes. As you are serving it, remove the toothpics (it will still be together when you do) and cut it in half. Plate your veggies and serve! Depending on the appetites of your guests, you can serve 4-8 with this meal!

One of my favorite recipes that I picked up in the Bahamas, and of course, had to put my New Orleans spin on it!

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs Large Peeled, deveined, and butterflied Shrimp

Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum (Or a spiced rum of your choosing)

Chopped seasoning

Diced garlic

Diced tomatoes (one large can of petite diced is plenty)

zucchini

fresh mushrooms, pre-sliced and cleaned  (optional)

Cayene Pepper

If you have it: Liquid crab boil

Butter or margarine

Linguine

Prep:

Dice your zucchini and steam it. Ziplock and Glad make wonderful microwaveable steamer bags. If you use them, cut 1 minute and 30 secs off the cooking time.

Pasta: Follow directions on the box. Always add a small amount of olive oil to your water and stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

Directions

In a Large Saucepan (use one with higher sides), melt the butter/margarine in the saucepan over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Stir in the chopped seasoning and 2 table spoons of garlic. If you have the liquid crab boil, stir in a capful of it as well. Also, add a half a tablespoon of cayene pepper as well. When the seasoning cooks down, add a cup of spiced rum and wait until it heats up. Stir in the shrimp and cook them completely. (When shrimp are cooked, they turn opaque.) When the shrimp are cooked completely, add in the can of diced tomatoes, the zucchini and the mushrooms. Reduce heat to half way between LOW and MEDIUM (MEDIUM-LOW) and cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. It is important to simmer it for the time stated so that the tomatoes will cook down.

Serve over Linguine.

Serves: 6

Freezes well, and reheats well!

For a different flavor, you can substitute Jack Daniel's for the Rum. You change the entire flavor profile with one simple change! It does make it spicier as well with Jack Daniel's.

This is an easy recipe for shrimp scampi that will be just as good as getting it in a restaurant. Follow directions, and enjoy!

Ingredients

2-3 lbs of large Peeled Shrimp, Deveined and Butterflied. (To butterfly a shrimp, you need to hold the shrimp in your hand with the vein side up to you, start from the head end and slowly make a slit down the center about half way through the shrimp. Do not split it entirely in half. This will also remove the vein at the same time)

Cayene Pepper

White wine (I use Chablis)

Butter

3 tablespoons Diced Garlic (use the kind that comes in the jar. It's easy and will save you a lot of time)

Half cup chopped seasoning

A packet of Garlic & Herb salad dressing mix

Angel Hair Pasta (you can cheat here with the Garlic & Herb Pasta Roni)

Prep:

Butterfly your shrimp and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle a teaspoon of Cayene pepper over the shrimp (and a Sprinkle of cajun seasoning if you have it), and sprinkle the garlic and herb mix on it as well. You will only use about half the package. 

Pasta: Follow directions on the package -- COOK PASTA FIRST!

Directions:

In a large saucepan, over MEDIUM heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the seasoning and the garlic and simmer for about 10 minutes until the onions start to turn clear. Pour in about a cup and a half white wine and let that get up to temperature (only takes a minute or two). Stir in all your shrimp and stir frequently until they are all cooked. Shrimp turn from a clear to an opaque when done. 

Serve immediately over Angel Hair Pasta

Serves: 4-6

This is a meal you want to serve and eat. This does not reheat well.

A good glass of white wine will compliment this meal perfectly.

So I've been getting a lot of requests for recipes and such from a lot of people looking to learn how to cook, or improve their skills. To this, I will happily oblige! I LOVE to cook! I was born and raised in New Orleans, and in my momma's kitchen. She's an amazing cook, and I have learned many things from her, and many more on my own. In this blog I'll share some of my favorites, and let you know where and how you can tweak them for your own desired taste. Some things are not changeable, as they will change the consistency of the sauce or meal.

If you have a certain request, just let me know!

First thing you will find in almost every recipe that I make is chopped seasoning (onion, celery, green onion, bell pepper). I absolutely cook with this RELIGIOUSLY. It is the base of almost everything I cook, and the flavor you get from using fresh chopped seasoning can't be duplicated in any jarred/canned food or sauce. Almost every grocery store sells fresh chopped seasoning already mixed. None of them ever contain enough bell pepper. Always pick up and extra small bell pepper to chop and add to it, depending on what you are cooking.

Second thing, I never cook with salt. Salt is something that can be added to taste at the time the plate is served. It is not a necessary ingredient unless you are adding it to water to boil potatoes in.

Third, it's all about seasoning properly. Yes, I am from New Orleans and my tolerance for pepper is probably more than yours. So if the recipe calls for Cayene pepper, use SPARINGLY and add in very small sprinkled increments, let cook down for 15 to 20 minutes, then taste before you add more. The biggest problem most people have with food is that they fail to taste as they go along. When you do this, you can tell if something is off.

Finally, if the recipe calls for butter, use it. If a substitution can be made, I've made it already. Certain things will not taste right if you do not use butter, such as Shrimp Scampi. Also remember when cooking with butter or olive oil, they burn quickly. Do not try to cook these on a high heat unless you know what you're doing and you are attentively cooking.

I'll start recipes in the next blog. I will get to special requests as they are asked for.

Things to always keep stocked in your kitchen:

Onion powder

Garlic poweder

italian seasoning blend (basil, oregano, thyme)

bay leaves

parsley flakes

cayene pepper

black or white ground pepper

salt

poultry seasoning

kitchen bouquet

liquid smoke

worchestershire sauce

IF YOU CAN FIND THEM AT YOUR LOCAL GROCERY:

Concentrated liquid crab boil (Zatarain's)

Creole seasoning (Zatarain's, Tony Cachere's, Slap Ya Mama, etc. These might be hard to find on your own.)

Please feel free to try the recipes out for yourself. Comment on them and let me know how it turned out for you, and what, if any, tweaks you did to it.