Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp

Pin It Whenever I go to The Cheesecake Factory I ALWAYS get bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp.  It is a Thai inspired dish with flavors of coconut, curry, peanuts and chiles.  It has veggies and rice covered in this amazing curry sauce.  You also get a massive portion so I have leftovers for at least 2 lunches.  I made this for my friends on "wine and dine" night and I have to say that this is pretty darn close to the real thing.  This recipe is a bit more complicated than my normal cooking, but it is definitely worth it!

Check out Weekend Potluck to see lots of awesome recipes!

Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp
Adapted from Firehow.com
Curry Sauce:
olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp red curry paste (to taste)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
3 cups lite coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup zucchini, julienned
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup caulifour, chopped into small florets
2 chicken breasts
1 lb shrimp, peeled
green onions
toasted coconut
chopped peanuts

1. Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet.  Add onion, garlic and ginger.  Saute until starting to brown.
2. Add chicken broth, cumin, paprika, curry, red pepper, salt and pepper.  Stir well.  Simmer for 5 mintues.
3. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 20 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.
4. Meanwhile, cook chicken and shrimp in a separate skillet.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.  Set aside when done.
**Make peanut sauce.  Directions below.
5. When sauce is starting to thicken add veggies.  Simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.
6. Add chicken and shrimp to sauce a few minutes before serving.
7.  Serve over rice.  Drizzle with peanut sauce and top with chopped green onions,toasted coconut and chopped peanuts.

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp water
4 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp lime juice

1. In a small sauce pan combine all ingredients.  Whisk to combine.  Heat until mixture begins to bubble.
2. Cover pan and remove from heat until ready to serve.
3. Drizzle on top of meal before serving.

Curry in a Hurry

Pin It I love Thai food, but I don't make it at home very often.  I saw a recipe for soup that uses Ramen noodles and that inspired me to make some curry with Ramen noodles as the base.  It was delicious and fast.  This would make a great lunch or fast dinner.  This is one of those versatile recipes that you can use any veggies or meat that you want. 

Curry in a Hurry
2 cups chopped veggies (I used red and green peppers, onions, carrots)
1 can lite coconut milk
2 Tbsp red curry paste (or to taste)
1 package Ramen noodles (any flavor)
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled

1. In a small pot, boil the Ramen noodles until cooked.  Don't use the seasoning packet.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute veggies in a little olive oil until tender.  Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until pink.
3. Add coconut milk to skillet and stir in curry paste.  Allow sauce to come to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Add cooked noodles to the skillet and toss with sauce.

Shrimp and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Viniagrette

Pin It Sorry for the delay in posting.  I've had some hail storm/car damage issues to deal with.  But no worries.  All is well and now I can get back to normal life.  Now that the weather is warm I like to eat more salads.  Number 1 to be healthy and number 2 to have lighter meals.  But don't worry, just because this is a salad doesn't meal it won't fill you up.  The warm dressing wilts the spinach just enough, the shrimp adds some protein and the onions and peppers add nice color. This is a great light dinner or you could make smaller servings as an impressive start to a meal.

Shrimp and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Viniagrette
1 lb bag baby spinach
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 c roasted red peppers, diced
6 strips bacon, cubed
1/2 cup rice  vinegar (white vinegar would work too)
4 tsp sugar **or to taste
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 lb shrimp
garlic salt
pepper

1. Cut bacon with kitchen scissors into small cubes.  Place in a small saucepan and fry until bacon is cooked, stirring frequently.
2. Remove bacon and allow to cool on a paper towel.  Leave bacon grease in pan and remove from heat.
3. CAREFULLY add vinegar, sugar and mustard to pan. (It will bubble and sizzle) Season with salt and pepper.Whisk to combine.  Warm over low heat for 2 minutes.  Place dressing in a serving dish.
4. Sprinle shrimp with garlic salt and add to the same pan that the dressing was in.  Cook 3-5 minutes or until pink.
5. Assemble salad with spinach topped with peppers, onions, shrimp and bacon crumbles.  Drizzle dressing on top.
6. Salad tastes best when you allow the dressing to wilt the spinach a bit.  I usually pour it on and then get my drink or rest of my meal ready and it is perfect.

Copycat Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada Sauce

Pin It I love Red Lobster.  I always get the coconut shrimp.  When someone says Red Lobster I automatically think of their coconut shrimp.  I never branch out and try something new because I love their shrimp so much.  Well it gets expensive to eat out all the time, not to mention that it's not completely healthy for you either so I decided to make a copycat version.  It is pretty darn close and a lot healthier too because it isn't fried.  Try it with Toasted Coconut Lime Rice and Cheddar Bay Biscuits and it will be almost as good as going out to eat :)

Copycat Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada Sauce

Shrimp
1 lb cooked, peeled shrimp, with tails on (I used medium, but large would be better)
3 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup pina colada mix (non-alcoholic, from bottle)
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish or plate.  Mix pina colada mix and powdered sugar in a small bowl and place next to cornstarch.
3. Mix coconut and breadcrumbs in a small bowl and place next to pina colada mixture.
4. Dredge shrimp in cornstarch, dip in pina colada mixture, then dip in coconut mixture, pressing coconut onto shrimp. 
5. Place shrimp on a foil lined, cooking spray coated baking sheet.
6. Spray tops of shrimp with cooking spray to aid in browning.
7. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Depending on your oven ou might have to rotate the shrimp if some seem to be browning much quicker than others. 
8. Serve with pina colada sauce.



Pina Colada Sauce
1 cup pina colada mix
1/4 cup pineapple tidbits, chopped into very small pieces, or crushed pineapple
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water

1. In a small saucepan add pina colada mix, powdered sugar and pineapple.  Stir until there are no more lumps of powdered sugar.  Bring to a boil.
2. Mix cornstarch and water, slowly pour into sauce, stirring quickly.  Allow to boil for about 1 minute then remove from heat.
3. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving. 

**Note this sauce is best at room temp.  If it is too cold it is too thick to dip with.

Couscous and Shrimp Salad

Pin It I guess we need to blame it on global warming, but I could take a few more of these 60 degree days in the middle of winter.  Because of the beautiful weather I was inspired to make a summer salad for lunch.  The tartness of lemons, the aroma of dill and the crispness of cucumbers make this a wonderfully refreshing dish.

Couscous and Shrimp Salad
*makes 3 lunch size servings
4 oz cooked couscous (1/2 of an 8oz box)
juice of 2 lemons
2 T honey
4 T olive oil
salt and pepper
1 T dill
1/2 lb cooked, peeled shrimp
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup seedless cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. Cook couscous according to box directions.  Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
2. Meanwhile combine, lemon juice, honey and olive oil in a small.  Whisk until well combined.  Adjust honey to desired sweetness.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl combine couscous, shrimp, onion, cucumber and feta.  Stir gently to mix.  Pour dressing over mixture.  Sprinkle dill on top and mix.

**This will keep well for several days in the fridge, however, if you aren't planning on eating it right away, you probably want to leave the cucumbers and feta out until you are ready to serve.  Otherwise they will get soggy.
**You can substitute orzo for the couscous

Fool Proof Shrimp Boil

Pin It My friends and I have a dinner club once a month.  Last month the host made a down home shrimp boil in her tiny apartment kitchen.  I had always shied away from this East Coast staple because of the amount of food it makes and the multitude of ingredients I was convinced I would need.  However, after our delicious meal at dinner club, I was inspired to make a mini shrimp boil at my house.  This version serves 4, but could easily be halved or doubled to fit your crowd.  (I would recommend making more than you need because the leftovers are quite delicious).  I call this recipe fool proof because you only need 1 large pot and you keep adding ingredients to the pot at different times.  I don't think the outcome would be any different if you accidentally added an ingredient at the wrong time or if you overcooked the whole meal.  It would still taste wonderful.  You would have to try really hard to mess this one up!
I cannot take full responsibility for this recipe.  It is adapted from the original Old Bay Shrimp Boil.

Fool Proof Shrimp Boil
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
2 onions, chopped into wedges
1 tsp salt
1 can of beer
4 medium sized red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 2 inch sections
2 ears of corn, broke in half
1 lb shrimp with shells

1. In a large stock pot, bring 2 quarts of water, beer, salt and Old Bay to a boil.
2. Add onions and potatoes and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add corn and cook for 7 minutes.
5. Add shrimp and cook until pink (about 5 mintues).
6l Remove from heat and spoon into bowls.  I like to serve mine with a little of the cooking liquid and a sprinkle of Old Bay.  Also delicious with a slice of warm cornbread.

I stored my leftovers in the fridge with the container about half way filled with cooking liquid so the leftovers would not dry out when reheated.  It was just as delicious for lunch as it was the night before.