Shrimp Tacos with Chipolte Ranch Sauce

I'm not the biggest seafood fan in the world. In general, I like it best when the "fish" flavor is mild and it's breaded and fried.

Shrimp is a different story. As long as it's ultra fresh, I like it prepared almost any way.

For these tacos, I sauted the shrimp in olive oil with a little salt and pepper. That's it. The key was cooking them so they were firm but tender and burst in your mouth when bit into - that is the perfect texture for tacos!

The real flavor and seasoning for this dish is the chipolte ranch sauce that I made from scratch. I was heavy with the chipotle for it because I wanted it extra smoky with some good kick. The creamy base can really tame the kick, so more chipotle in adobo is required for extra zing.

I used corn tortillas which is not low carb, but I'm not really on a low-carb diet  — I'm just paying attention to my carb intake and trying to keep it as low as possible without being miserable. I'm not ready to throw away my corn tortillas. I'll limit my french-fry intake, but corn tortillas are off limits for now!

Honestly - I destroyed these tacos.

The bursting shrimp with the chipotle ranch sauce was mouth-watering. The onion and cilantro garnish added a real freshness to the bite. All of this wrapped in a lightly-fried corn tortilla made for some of the best homemade tacos I've had in a long time.

Try this if you are a shrimp taco fan.

Eat well, cook often ...

Chipotle Ranch Sauce
1 clove garlic
3/4 C sour cream
3/4 cup mayo
1 C buttermilk
1 pkg Ranch seasoning mix
1/4 C chipolte in adobo, minced

— With blade of a blender running, drop garlic clove in to mince. Add all other ingredients and blend 3 or 4 minutes. Stop blender and scrap down sides if needed during process. Pour into container and refrigerate 1 hour berfore serving.


Sauted Shrimp
1 lb of large raw shrimp, deveined, shell and tail removed

— In a little olive oil over medium high heat saute shrimp 1 min. to 1 min, 30 sec. per side or until just cooked through and translucent. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tacos
8 corn tortillas, street taco size
Sauted shirmp
Chipotle sauce
Finely diced onion and cilantro for garnish

— Cook tortillas through (microwave, griddle or lightly fry at 350°)


— Assemble tacos - layer shrimp, sauce, onion and cilantro — then devour!

Makes 8 street tacos, Serves 2

Note: The corn tortillas here are 19g of carbs for a serving of three.
(They are the small "Street Taco" tortillas made by Mission, that come made with either flour or corn)

Chipotle Ranch Sauce

Printable version

Back in May I was eating at my favorite taco joint in Fort Wayne called Salsa Grille and the manager was walking around, visiting with customers. When he approached me, I asked him about some of the sauces they served. He told me where I could find the recipe for one in particular - Tomatillo Ranch Dressing.

The dressing features a packet of ranch seasoning and I have been using it to punch up sauces ever since. Two of those sauces I featured here. First, the aforementioned Tomatillo Ranch Dressing, then I went out on a limb and made Sweet Pickle Ranch Sauce.

Well, I now have another – Chipotle Ranch Sauce! You can find it on grocery store shelves and Subway has a version called Southwest Ranch, but this version has more flavor punch than anything you can buy at a store or chain restaurant. It’s best after it has sat in the fridge for at least an hour to let all the flavors mingle and it’s good on anything from chicken tenders, to burgers and even tacos. I think I’ll keep a batch of this in the fridge at all times.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Chipotle Ranch Sauce

I have been using ranch seasoning packets so much that I think it is time for me to make a homemade version or at least put together a homemade ranch in general. It adds so much flavor to a sauce and gives it that mouth-watering quality.

Recently, I posted a number of items that I made for a Taco party that served 125 people. I made a quart of Tomatillo Ranch dressing and told people to use it as a finishing sauce on tacos and plates of nachos. All of the sauces I made for the party got good reviews, but I heard more about the Tomatillo Ranch than any other. That was part of the reason I went back to the drawing board and made this sauce, I figured I could get at least one more unique and delicious sauce out of the seasoning. It has become a pantry staple for me and I think I need to see how it works in a dry rub or breading next.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Chipotle Ranch Sauce

Makes 2 Cups; 5 minutes
1 C Buttermilk
1 C Mayonnaise
1 pkg Ranch seasoning mix (1 oz)
2 Tbs Chipolte pepper in adobo, seeded, minced
1 tsp Garlic minced

Make sauce
In a bowl whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning, chipolte pepper and garlic until well incorporated. Place in refrigerator and let flavors meld for 1 hour before serving.

Spicy Chicken Creamy Cucumber Tostada

Printable version

The cucumber salad used to dress this tostada makes it an all star. The salad is absolutely delicious on its own, here it acts as a balance to the spicy chipotle chicken.

I used McCormick chipotle chili powder and when compared to their normal chili powder, the chipotle is off the scale as far as heat. I ate a spoonful of the chicken by itself to check the flavor and it literally made me cough – needless to say, the chicken has some kick. That's all neutralized by the cucumber salad though, it compliments the chipotle just perfectly and it allows the flavors to stand out and not be overtaken by the heat. The spice is there but the creamy ranch swoops in to tame the fire before it can set the tongue a blaze.

The end result is an absolute show stopper. If I owned a restaurant or food truck I would use this cucumber-ranch-chipotle combo in some sort of way on the menu.

It’s a winner.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Spicy Chicken Creamy Cucumber Tostada

I was so impressed by this cucumber salad that I have made three dishes with it. This dish is made from the leftovers from the first time I made it. The next dish it will appear in features a fresh batch, but that is for another post. I'm really impressed by its flavor and have just went crazy with it. When you have a winner you ride it to the championship! This cucumber salad is the Walter Payton of my kitchen right now.

I have found over three years of writing my food column that when you have something that works it’s best to go with it and see where you can take it. Eventually you’ll get tired of it but by building on flavors you can really get creative and make some outstanding stuff that is really original. I wish I could do that with every single thing I make, but for now I’ll pick and choose what I can go crazy on. This happened to be coast effective and plentiful enough to go the extra mile.

I wish ribeye were as cheap as cucumbers - that would be an experiment I could never get tired of!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Spicy Chicken Creamy Cucumber Tostada

Serves 4 to 6; 35 minutes
5 Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 C Red onion, diced
1 pkg Ranch seasoning
1/2 C Sour cream
1/2 C Mayonnaise
1/4 C Pickle brine, strained from jar of bread and butter pickles
1 lb Ground chicken
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 Tbs Chipotle chili powder
12 Tostadas
2 C Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
3/4 C Lettuce shredded
1/2 C Cherry tomatoes halved

Mix together
In a large bowl, mix together cucumber, onion, ranch seasoning, sour cream, mayo and pickle juice until thoroughly combined.

Cook chicken
In a sauté pan over medium heat cook chicken in a little olive oil until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir and break up chunks while cooking, mix in chipotle, onion and garlic powder half way through.

Finish
In batches, place tostadas on a baking sheet with a spoonful of chicken and cheese. Cook in a preheated 400° oven until cheese is melted and tostadas crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and garnish with lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad.
Then serve.

Creamy Ranch Cucumber Salad

Printable version

The cucumber originated in India and was domesticated by the 7th century B.C., it spread from there to China and the Ancient Mediterranean regions, According to Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. The Romans ate cucumber and spread it throughout the empire reaching as far north as what is now modern day Britain. It made its way to the new world in 1494 when the Spanish brought it to Haiti. It quickly spread to Florida and North America through Native American tribes.

There are many varieties of cucumbers but most fall in one of two groups: pickling or slicing. In the U.S., California and the Southeast lead in growing slicing cucumbers while Michigan and North Carolina grow the most pickling variety.

For this recipe, I use fresh slicing cucumbers in a creamy salad. It gets a flavor boost from ranch seasoning and strained bread and butter pickle brine, favorites of mine that I always have in the pantry. This flavorful salad is perfect for picnics and a great way to use up any extra cucumbers picked fresh from the garden.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Creamy Ranch Cucumber Salad

This salad was the tastiest cucumber dish I have eaten in a long time. I shared it with my Mom and Dad and both were really impressed. Once again, a packet of ranch seasoning swoops in and takes a recipe to the ultra tasty level. This is one of a number of offerings I have created this summer that feature the seasoning and all are some of the best recipes I have made this year. I think it is time to make my own version.

Later today I will take leftovers of this recipe and use it on a spicy chicken tostada! I think it has the potential to be a great sauce as well, but I’ll start by using this along with some spicy chicken, jack cheese, lettuce and tomato on top of a crunchy tortilla.

Enough said.

Gotta get to work!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Creamy Ranch Cucumber Salad

Serves 4 to 6; 10 minutes
5 Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 C Red onion, diced
1 pkg Ranch seasoning
1/2 C Sour cream
1/2 C Mayonnaise
1/4 C Pickle brine, strained from jar of bread and butter pickles

Mix together
In a large bowl, mix together cucumber, onion, ranch seasoning, sour cream, mayo and pickle juice until thoroughly combined, then serve.

Sweet Pickle Ranch Chicken Salad

Printable version

It’s official. Ranch seasoning mix is now a “staple” item in my pantry. Normally I don’t like seasoning packets because of the sodium and preservatives that they contain. The ranch seasoning has all that stuff but it’s a great way to take recipes to the next level.

Over the last couple months, I’ve made ranch coleslaw, 2 different sauces and now this chicken salad that utilizes the seasoning and it really makes the flavor pop! Maybe I should try and make a homemade version because I’m hooked and looking forward to trying it in more dishes.

For this recipe, I use the pickle-ranch combo that I used in a delicious sauce a couple weeks ago. The chicken salad also contains fresh tarragon which adds a hint of liquorice, which reminds me of fennel.

Overall, this chicken salad contained a ton of flavor, led by the zesty ranch and complimented by the sweet but tart pickle flavor. The tarragon comes to play at the end of the bite, but really makes it’s presence know. I think I could have swapped the pickle for bacon and taken this the smoky and salty route which would have been equally unique and delicious, but I think that is for another post.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Sweet Pickle Ranch Chicken Salad

I found mini bagels at Meijer while shopping for the ingredients in the chicken salad recipe and as soon as I saw them I knew I had to use them for the bread. I'm glad I picked them up because the photo seems to jump right out of the graphic.

I have worked really hard over the last two years to become a better food photographer and sandwiches and tacos are my favorite things to style and shoot. They stand alone on a white background really well – actually I like food that can be eaten by hand, that way there is no plate in the picture, it’s just what is going to be eaten. In the end, I love shooting all types of food, it just seems that the sandwiches and tacos are my favorite photographs to take. Ironically, they're also my favorite foods to eat!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Sweet Pickle Ranch Chicken Salad

Serves 6; 10 minutes active, 30 minutes resting
3 C Grilled chicken, diced
1 C Mayonnaise
1/2 C Celery, diced
1/2 C Bread and butter pickles, diced
1 pkg Ranch seasoning mix (1 oz)
1 Tbs Tarragon, minced
Juice of 1 Lemon
8 to 10 Mini bagels
Lettuce for garnish

Make chicken salad
In a large bowl mix together, chicken, mayonnaise, celery, pickles, ranch seasoning, tarragon and lemon juice. Store in refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Assemble sandwiches
Place a spoonful of chicken salad on a mini bagel, garnish with lettuce, then serve.

Sweet Pickle Ranch Sauce

Printable version

I have been using packets of ranch seasoning mix in a number of salads and sauces lately and for this recipe I was inspired by a tomatillo ranch dressing that I recreated after trying it at a local restaurant called the Salsa Grille in Fort Wayne. I use many of the same elements but I exchange the tomatillo for sweet bread and butter pickles and add some of the pickle brine for extra flavor pop.

The end result is a sauce that has the zesty ranch flavor along with the sweet but tart flavor of the pickle. It’s an amazing enhancement to any burger, and personally, I loved it on steak tacos and quasadillas. It’s really a universal sauce that is also good for dipping fries and even dressing salads.

Recently I took a jar of this to my family campground and busted it out for a late night snack of leftover burgers. My cousin put a little of it on his sandwich to start. Each time he took a bite, he put the burger down and spooned more of the sauce onto it. There was a point that I thought he should just take a bite of the burger then do a shot of the sauce to chase it down.

That's how it is with this sauce though, it has an addicting quality that leaves you almost craving it. I think it’s the pickle ranch combination because they are two flavors that really grab the taste buds.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I have made more sauces and rubs this summer than I ever have and I seem to be accumulating lots of unique jars and bottles to store them in. Last Saturday I went to a mall on the Southwest side of Fort Wayne and visited two of my favorite stores, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Williams-Sonoma. When I left I had enough jar and bottle space to make about 23 pounds of rubs and 60 gallons of sauce.

With canning season just around the corner both stores had some really cool stuff on sale, especially Williams-Sonoma, they seems to really be dialed in to foodies like myself because they always have the coolest stuff for the kitchen, BB&B is also good, but not quite at the level of Williams-Sonoma.

When I got home I literally had to do a spring cleaning to find room for my new jars and had to make a commitment not to buy any more until I have used the ones I have now at least once. That vow stands for new jars, I’ll still buy a unique jar or two at a garage sale or flee market because those you might never see again, and I can always smash a couple of the store bought jars to entertain my nephews if I need to make room for some one-of-a-kind garage sale treasure.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 1 quart;
10 minutes (2 hours resting)
1 C Buttermilk
1 C Mayonnaise
1 C Cilantro fresh
1/2 C Sweet pickles, diced
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix (1 oz)
1/4 C Juice from sweet pickles
1 clove Garlic

Blend, refrigerate
In a blender place buttermilk, mayo, cilantro, pickles, ranch seasoning, pickle juice and garlic. Blend until smooth. Pour into a jar, seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours for the flavors to meld. Use as a dressing or condiment.

Creamy Ranch Coleslaw

A couple weeks ago I had a trip back in time as I watched the Turtle Days parade and enjoyed the festivities around Churubusco, Indiana. I remember being in the parade as a child, riding in a pick-up truck with my little league teammates and trying my best to bounce a Tootsie Roll off a spectator's forehead. Cotton candy, the tilt-a-whirl and the site of carnies in the community park were as exciting as getting new Star Wars toys for Christmas. I couldn’t wait for Turtle Days, it was always one of the highlights of my summer vacation.

The warm days of June and July were, and still are, my favorite time of year. Time for Turtle Days and cookouts.

For this recipe, I make a basic coleslaw with a twist - the addition of a packet of ranch seasoning mix. It provides spark to this cookout classic – much like the closing fireworks at Turtle Days now. I was as exited to try this coleslaw as I was to watch them light the sky from my Sister’s place in Thresher Ridge, both were as good as riding the Rock-o-Plane in 1986.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I made this coleslaw a couple of weeks ago for a topping on a hot dog. I thought it was worth a try as a side dish, so I adjusted the amounts and gave it a test. It’s as tasty by itself as it was on a dog. I thought it was worth sharing. If you need a side dish for a cookout this summer, this recipe will not disappoint.

More on Turtle Days
The festival has changed a lot from when I was growing up. It was much larger as far as the carnival and amusements 25 years ago. I think there are more activities to participate in around town, but the midway part is really rinky-dink now.

The carnival might be smaller but, like I said in the intro, the addition of a fireworks show as the closing ceremony makes all the difference. The last three years it has been spectacular. Sure, they're not the Macy’s firework show in New York City on the 4th of July, but for a small Indiana town, it’s worth gathering some friends and family and watching the display.

Eat well, cook often ...
THE RECIPE
Serves 4 to 6; 5 minutes active, 1 hour resting
1 bag Coleslaw mix (16 oz)
3/4 C Mayonnaise
3 Tbs Vinegar
3 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs Vegetable oil
1 pkg Ranch seasoning mix

Mix coleslaw, refrigerate, serve
In a large bowl stir together coleslaw mix, mayo, vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar and packet of ranch seasoning until well incorporated. Place in refrigerator and let marinate for at least one hour. Remove and serve.

Chicken Kabobs with Spicy Chipotle Ranch

Printable version

Last week, I said right here on this blog that using my stove top grill would be enough to get me through to the warm weather, where I could be outside using my actual grill.

I lied.

It wasn’t enough.

Just as a snow storm rolled through the area last Wednesday, I found myself with the sudden urge to be grilling again. Unable to resist this primal desire, I busted out the stove top grill, put on a t-shirt and cargo shorts and cooked up my dinner.

For this recipe, I make chicken kabobs. Instead of putting everything on the same skewers, I separate the chicken from the vegetables. Chicken must be cooked all of the way through and requires more time. Cooking them separately helps avoid over cooking the vegetables.

I serve these kabobs in a soft taco with ranch dressing that I spice up by adding minced chipotle peppers. This yummy grilled treat has made it much easier to endure the cold as I wait for warmer spring weather.

BEHIND THIS BITE
The irony of this recipe is that another storm (Saturn) rolled through and dropped even more snow in Northern Indiana as it was being published. It was created for the weekly print column, so I made it a week in advance during a completely different weather event. It went to print Tuesday and that night we got hit with the biggest snow of the season. It was enough to have to call in my uncle to plow the driveway - something that hasn’t been needed all winter. I’m hoping it's the last hurrah for old man winter this season.

I’m so ready for warm weather, we’re getting close to mid-March so I know that warm temperatures are just around the corner, but I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve trying to fall asleep. I just can’t wait to be outside with a campfire and charcoal grill, it’s my favorite thing about the summers here in rural Indiana. Until then, I guess I'll just hangout in my kitchen wearing flip-flops, cargo shorts and a t-shirt.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 35 minutes
6 to 8 Bamboo skewers
1 1/4 lb Chicken breast, cut into 1-inch squares
2 Red peppers, cut into1-inch squares
1 Red onion, cut into 1-inch squares
2 Chipotle peppers, minced
1/2 C Ranch dressing
8 Pitas or tortillas
Lettuce, shredded
Tomato, sliced 

Skewer chicken, vegetables
Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least half an hour. Place chicken on one set of skewers. On another place red pepper and onion alternating each one after the other. Brush with olive oil and season to taste. 

Make sauce, grill skewers
Mix together chipotle pepper and ranch dressing. On a hot grill place skewers, cook chicken until cook through 8 to 10 minutes per side. At same time cook vegetables until softened, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Let skewers rest at least 5 minutes. 

Serve
Remove chicken and vegetables from skewers and serve on pitas or tortillas with sauce, lettuce and tomato. 

A Cheesy Little Bite With Zing

 

The jalapeño was named after the town of Jalapa in Veracruz, Mexico and was first used by the Aztecs. Following the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the “new world,” it became popular all over the globe. In the 1990s, Texas declared the jalapeño “a culinary, economic, and medical blessing to the citizens of the Lone Star State,” and made it the state’s official pepper. 

My favorite jalapeño dish is the jalapeño popper. But most of the time when I get poppers in a restaurant or frozen at the store, they are served whole, breaded and stuffed with cheese. The end result is a large snack with a molten cheese center that ends up blistering some part of my face.

For this recipe, I create my own jalapeño popper. The peppers are diced, with seeds and ribs removed to limit the heat. They’re made small so that when served hot, the cheese doesn’t run all over your tongue and chin like liquid iron from a smelter. I added bacon to the mix and breaded it for a smoky, cheesy, jalapeño bite.

THE BACK STORY

My girlfriend and I had a conversation about jalapeño poppers before I wrote the introduction to this column. We both agreed that the most frustrating thing about eating poppers, which both of us love, was the fact that most of the time you end up with third degree burns on your chin after taking a bite. It was for this very reason I never eat poppers as soon as they're served. I always let them cool off for a bit before taking a bite.

That is why I made this version of the popper bite-size.

Also, I wanted to limit the amount of jalapeño consumed in each bite. One popper. One Jalapeño. That is the usual recipe. Eat three of four or nine (which I could do) and you're consuming a lot of capsaicin - the chemical that creates the heat. Too much of that makes for an unpleasant morning. With spicy food you need to focus on quality, because quantity can be painful.

I think that when Johnny Cash sang "Ring of Fire," he must have been thinking about some morning after getting hammered on Jim Beam and consuming 13 jalapeño poppers.

Eat well, cook often ...