I ACCIDENTALLY MADE A SOUFFLE

I've never made a souffle before, not because I don't like it or because it seems difficult, I just haven't gotten around to it. But today I made my first one. By accident. So there you go... in case anyone was wondering whether or not it's difficult. Apparently, it's not.

It was lunch time. My 2 year old was running around like a mad man, screaming her head off, and I was just trying to make food... fast. I cracked 3 eggs into a stainless bowl. I was going to do like baked eggs, only scrambled. In the bowl I also added a splash of milk, salt, pepper, a handful of shredded cheddar, a dash of parmesan, a pinch of thyme, and a pat of butter. The bowl was too small to use my whisk without making a mess, so I grabbed my little Braun hand mixer and gave the eggs a good whipping. They got a bit frothy, but nothing huge. I then just poured the mess into a oven dish and tossed it in to the oven -- and since I was in a hurry, I jacked the heat up to 450. I checked it after a few minutes, and it just looked like eggs. 5 minutes later though - it was HUGE. After being out of the oven for a minute or 2, it did go down a bit, I should have taken the picture of it when we first got it out. It was huge and airy and delicate and creamy... and I must say, it doesn't get much easier than this.

I know I didn't do it anything close to the way it should be done, but hey, for a crazy Thursday, it was a nice treat, without any effort at all.

The one I'd like to try is Ina Garten's Blue Cheese Souffle. It looks delicious

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup scalded milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 3 ounces good Roquefort cheese, chopped
• 5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter the inside of an 8-cup souffle dish (7 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 1/4 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.

Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Roquefort and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.

Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the souffle rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

Lemon & Garlic Barbecued Shrimp

My first post after a long pause of course had to be something quick & easy! Because that's how lazy I am these days.

BBQ Shrimp. Delicious. Super easy. Super fast.

I have fallen in love with the shrimp that I get at the Asian grocery store. It's dense white color and sweet flavor taste very much like the very expensive sweet shrimp I used to get from my local seafood market. The shells are also quite soft, so we just eat them shells and all!

You can season your shrimp with just about anything you like. I tend to stick to the simple garlic & lemon flavor though, because to me it's absolutely perfect. But, for those who like spice, you can also add cajun spice to your mix and that's awesome as well!

For 2 of us, I had just under a pound of shrimp, with shells on. In a bowl I mixed enough canola oil to nicely coat the shrimp, but not be soupy (it was about 1/8 cup). Add salt and pepper to taste, and a teaspoon of dried granulated garlic/garlic powder. I like garlic powder for the flavor, it stays garlicky and doesn't turn sweet, and it sticks well to the shrimp. Also, fresh garlic will turn bitter if it's burnt, and you do want to cook the shrimp on high heat, so the edges will get dark. Lastly, I add the juice of 1/2 of a good sized lemon. The other half of the lemon I add to the mix right before cooking.

Mix well, like you're making a salad dressing. Toss in shrimp, coat well, and let it sit for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Heat your grill on high to about 450. Grill the shrimp on a smaller mesh piece to keep them from falling through, or you can get all fancy and do it kabob style.

It goes quick! Most medium sized shrimp will take no more than about 2-3 minutes on each side.

The best flavor is when they are slightly charred and crisp on the outside, but still tender on the inside. We eat them simply, over plain white basmati rice.