A few Days Late-Leftovers Anyone

I confess-I missed my own party-and what a fabulous turn out.  All day I kept having this feeling that I should be somewhere else....but chalked it up the the busy time of year.  I'm glad the door is always unlocked at Blogland Lane.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could have it that way in the real world?  Always unlocked, people coming and going at will and their own convenience?  Now THAT would be a party to celebrate.

Our grad school office was like that-never locked, and you never knew who was going to be in there when you showed up at 2 a.m on Wednesday to work on a paper.  Sometimes we worked, sometimes we said to heck with it made coffee and chatted the night away, sometimes someone was asleep on the couch to get a respite from home.  Good times-just like here.

i'm here!

...like alice's white rabbit, am a bit late, but the prawns were a tad elusive... ;) lol

The mead be ready!

From the looks of things, a batch of Joe’s Ancient Orange Mead (as well as a batch of Brock’s Ancient Orange Cyser) is ready!

It’s nice and clear and even the oranges have sunk to the bottom.

I’m letting them settle for a day before I siphon them out and bottle them up.

Cheers!

Mead, on the left, the cyser (effectively identical, but made with slightly less honey, and apple cider, instead of water) at right.

...me? male [duh], single father of three, and to 4-month-old sheltie pup, kenny! son still lives with me, girls are on their own.

Courtesy of:
Christine Cushing Live

Episode:
Mixed Grill

Host:
Christine Cushing

Grilled Jumbo Prawns, Stuffed with Goat Cheese, and Wrapped in Prosciutto...

Yield: 6-8

Recipe Courtesy Rob Rainford, Licence to Grill.

Ingredients:

Maple Rum Glaze

• 1/2 cup maple syrup (125 ml)
• 1/2 cup dark rum (125 ml)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (60 ml)

Grilled Jumbo Prawns

• 6 to 8 jumbo shrimp, peeled, de-veined
• 1/4 cup goat cheese (60 ml)
• 2 tbsp sour cream (30 ml)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives (30 ml)
• Lemon or lime juice, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 6 slices prosciutto (thinly sliced)

Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad

• 1/2 cup Israeli couscous (125 ml)
• 3/4 cup of boiling vegetable stock (or chicken stock) (175 ml)
• 2 zucchini (one green and one yellow), cut lengthwise into ¼-inch strips
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp sun dried cranberries (30 ml)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
• 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (7 ml)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Maple Rum Glaze

1. Add maple syrup, rum and butter to a saucepan over medium high heat.
   
2. Reduce until a glaze consistency or until coats the back of a spoon.
   
3. Set the glaze aside until ready to grill shrimp.

Grilled Jumbo Prawns

1. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting down the center back of the shrimp but don’t cut all the way through – then open and flatten the two halves so that it resembles a butterfly.
   
2. This will allow you to get more filling in the shrimp.
3. Cream the goat cheese and sour cream together.
   
4. Stir in chives and pepper.
   
5. Chill in the refrigerator to firm up and set.
6. Place butterflied shrimp cut side up.
   
7. Using a pallet knife or small spatula evenly spread the shrimp with the goat cheese mixture.
8. Place a slice of proscuitto on a piece of plastic wrap.
   
9. Put a shrimp on top of the prouscuitto, width wise.
   
10. Roll tightly, but not so tight the goat cheese squeezes out.
11. Preheat grill to medium high (350 degrees F.).
    
12. Oil grill well.
13. Grill shrimp for 3 to 3 ½ minutes per side, brushing with some of the maple rum glaze.
    
14. Serve with the Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad.

Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Toast Israeli couscous in preheated oven until lightly golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.
   
3. Transfer toasted couscous to a saucepan.
   
4. Add ¾ cup of boiling vegetable stock.
   
5. Cover with lid and cook over medium low heat until all the liquid is absorbed into the couscous, about 10 to 12 minutes.
   
6. Set aside.
7. Preheat grill to medium high.
8. Add zucchini and onion to a bowl.
   
9. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.
   
10. Grill for 2 minutes per side or until nice grill mark per side.
11. Add grilled vegetables to cooked couscous with cranberries and parsley.
    
12. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
    
13. Serve with the Grilled Jumbo Prawns.